Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Keratins: Unraveling the coordinated construction of scaffolds in spermatogenic cells

Recent work shows that two groups of keratins are expressed during mammalian spermatogenesis. One group, belonging to the classic epidermis‐type keratins, is present in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids. A member of this group, Sak57, a keratin 5 homologue, has been shown to co‐align with microtubules and provide a scaffolding shell while also strengthening intercellular cytoplasmic bridges conjoining members of spermatogonial and spermatocyte cohorts. The other, keratin 9, is a component of the perinuclear ring of the manchette, a microtubular structure developed during the elongation and condensation of the spermatid nucleus. The second group, the outer dense fiber (Odf) proteins, is expressed preferentially during mammalian spermiogenesis. The family of Odf proteins—Odf1, Odf2, and Odf3—includes an expanding group of proteins co‐assembled along the axoneme during the development of the sperm tail. Investigations on the assembly of epidermis‐type and Odf sperm tail‐targeted keratins are now focused on a group of chaperone‐like Odf‐binding molecules, designated Spags. Spags appear to drive Odfs to a precise destination. A daunting task is to determine how members of the family of keratins get the signal to produce linear scaffolds in specific spermatogenic cell populations and transport keratins to microtubule‐containing structures such as the manchette and axoneme. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 61: 1–2, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Employment patterns of long‐term cancer survivors

As more people are diagnosed at earlier stages and surviving cancer, they are increasingly likely to be at working ages, where issues regarding productivity and employment continuation must be addressed by patients and employers alike. To this end, we studied the employment patterns of 253 long‐term cancer survivors in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Of those working at the time of their initial diagnosis, 67% were employed 5–7 years later. Patients who stopped working did so because they retired (54%), were in poor health/disabled (24%), quit (4%), cited other reasons (9%), or their business closed (9%). Many employed patients worked in excess of 40 h per week although some reported various degrees of disability that interfered with job performance. Overall, the ability of cancer patients to continue employment appears optimistic. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is detection of melanoma metastasis during surveillance in an early phase of development associated with a survival benefit?

Surveillance schedules in patients with cutaneous melanoma (CM) aim to detect metastatic spread in an early phase of development. Few studies investigated whether detection in an early phase is associated with prolonged survival and whether the observed longer survival times are a mere consequence of detection at an earlier time point (lead time bias). This is a long-term survival analysis of 1969 patients with stage I–III CM documented during 1996–1998 in the frame of a prospective surveillance study. Development of metastatic spread was detected in 112 patients during this period and classified as early phase or advanced phase based on tumor load and operability. The impact of lead time bias on differences in survival probabilities was examined using different statistical approaches. Of 59 patients with metastases detected in an early phase of development, 64.4% died of CM, of 43 patients with advanced phase metastases 86% died (P=0.013). The 10-year overall survival probability was 42.6% for early and 25.6% for advanced phase metastases (P=0.012). This comparison remained significant after adjustment for sojourn time. Multivariate analysis identified detection of early phase metastases (P=0.022) and stage at primary diagnosis (P<0.0001) as independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, this long-term follow-up study showed a factual gain in survival time for the detection of metastasis in an early phase of development beyond lead time bias. The classification of metastasis detected in early and advanced phase may be used in future studies aiming to improve melanoma surveillance.
Subunits of purified calcium channels: a 212-kDa form of alpha 1 and partial amino acid sequence of a phosphorylation site of an independent beta subunit.

Antibodies prepared against peptides CP2, CP4, and CP5, which occur within the first 1522 amino acid residues of the alpha 1 subunit of dihydropyridine-sensitive skeletal muscle calcium channels, specifically recognized a 175-kDa form of the alpha 1 subunit in immunoblots and immunoprecipitation experiments. In contrast, antibodies prepared against peptide CP1, which represents the C-terminal 18 amino acid residues predicted by cloning and sequence analysis of the alpha 1 subunit, recognized a minor, previously undescribed 212-kDa protein, which is the size predicted for the full length of the alpha 1 subunit from cDNA cloning [Tanabe, T. , Takeshima, H. , Mikami, A. , Flockerzi, V. , Takahashi, H. , Kangawa, K. , Kojima, M. , Matsuo, H. , Hirose, T. & Numa, S. (1987) Nature (London) 328, 313-318]. Both the 175-kDa and 212-kDa forms were phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and both were present in isolated transverse tubule membranes. The 175-kDa form may arise from posttranslational proteolytic cleavage of the C terminus of the 212-kDa form of the alpha 1 subunit predicted by cDNA cloning and sequence analysis. Partial amino acid sequencing of the 54-kDa beta subunit of the calcium channel indicated this protein was not derived from the proteolytically cleaved C terminus of the alpha 1 subunit. This analysis identified a threonine residue in the sequence (Lys/Arg)-Arg-Pro-Thr-Pro of the beta subunit that was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation of this residue in the beta subunit may play a role in modulation of calcium channel function. Separate functional roles of the 175-kDa form of the alpha 1 subunit in excitation-contraction coupling and of the 212-kDa form in ion conductance are proposed.
Die Dauer vorschulischer Betreuungs- und Bildungserfahrungen: Ergebnisse auf der Basis von Paneldaten

Dieser Beitrag geht der Frage nach, welche Faktoren damit in Zusammenhang stehen, wie viele Jahre ein Kind vor Schuleintritt eine Betreuungs- und Bildungseinrichtung besucht und ob die Dauer des Besuchs von Kindertageseinrichtungen mit dem spateren Schultyp in Verbindung steht. Die empirische Analyse basiert auf einem fur Deutschland reprasentativen Paneldatensatz. Das Sozio-oekonomische Panel (SOEP) erlaubt eine durchgangige Beobachtung vorschulischer Betreuungssettings von 15 Geburtsjahrgangen und die Weiterverfolgung der schulischen Bildungskarrieren fur den Grosteil der untersuchten Kinder. Die empirischen Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass die Dauer des Besuchs einer Kindertageseinrichtung insbesondere mit dem Haushaltseinkommen sowie dem Bildungsstand und der Erwerbsbiographie der Mutter in Verbindung steht. Es zeigen sich Hinweise dafur, dass die Dauer des Besuchs mit daruber entscheidet, ob eine hoher qualifizierende Schullaufbahn gewahlt wird. Dies macht einmal mehr deutlich, dass die soziookonomischen Unterschiede der Familien die Bildungschancen bereits in fruhen Jahren festlegen.
The degree of natural allergen exposure modifies eosinophil activity markers in the circulation of patients with mild asthma

We have previously found that CD9, CD11b, and intracellular ECP (EG2) may be used as activity markers for eosinophils in vitro. The main object of the present study was to determine whether these markers can reflect eosinophil activation in vivo in relation to allergen exposure. For this purpose, six patients with a history of allergic rhinitis and occasional asthma symptoms during the pollen season participated. Blood donors served as controls. Peripheral blood eosinophils were analyzed according to the FOG method and flow cytometry, before and during one birch pollen season with high pollen load (HPL) and one with low pollen load (LPL). The CD9 expression on peripheral eosinophils from the patients was significantly increased both before (P<0.05) and during (P<0.01) HPL season, and CD11b expression solely during HPL season (P = 0.01) as compared to controls. The intracellular expression of the EG2 epitope was increased before (P<0.01) and during (P<0.05) HPL season, and increased significantly (P<0.05) during season as compared to before. No changes were observed before and during LPL season. The proportion of eosinophils was increased both before (P<0.05) and during (P<0.001) the HPL season as compared to controls. The markers CD9, EG2, and, to a lesser extent, CD11b seem to detect activated eosinophils in the circulation, whereas EG2 may also reflect increased antigen exposure during season.
Immune selection of tumor cells in TCR β-chain transgenic mice

Abstract The concept of immunological surveillance implies that immunogenic variants of tumor cells arising in the organism can be recognized by the immune system. Tumor progression is provided by somatic evolution of tumor cells under the pressure of the immune system. The loss of MHC Class I molecules on the surface of tumor cells is one of the most known outcomes of immune selection. This study developed a model of immune selection based on the immune response of TCR 1d1 single β-chain transgenic B10.D2(R101) (KdIdDb) mice to allogeneic EL4 (H-2b) thymoma cells. In wild-type B10.D2(R101) mice, immunization with EL4 cells induced a vigorous CTL response targeted to the H-2Kb molecule and results in full rejection of the tumor cells. In contrast, transgenic mice developed a compromised proliferative response in mixed-lymphocyte response assays and were unable to reject transplanted allogeneic EL4 cells. During the immune response to EL4 cells, CD8+ T-lymphocytes with endogenous β-chains accumulated predominantly in the spleen of transgenic mice and only a small part of the T-lymphocytes expressing transgenic β-chains became CD8+CD44+CD62L− effectors. Then, instead of a full elimination of tumor cells as in wild-type mice, a reproducible prolonged equilibrium phase and subsequent escape was observed in transgenic mice that resulted in death of 90% of the mice in 40–60 days after grafting. Prolonged exposure of tumor cells to the pressure of the immune system in transgenic mice in vivo resulted in a stable loss of H-2Kb molecules on the EL4 cell surface. Genetic manipulation of the T-lymphocyte repertoire was sufficient to reproduce the classic pattern of interactions between tumor cells and the immune system, usually observed in reliable syngeneic models of anti-tumor immunity. This newly-developed model could be used in further studies of immunoregulatory circuits common for transplantational and anti-tumor immune responses.
Design of a Compact Multiband Microstrip Antenna

A compact microstrip multiband antenna on a modified ground plane which can operate over the bands starting from 900 MHz to 5.35 GHz which includes the GSM (880-960) GPS (1568-1592 MHz), DCS (1710-1880 MHz), and PCS (1850- 1990 MHz). UMTS (1920-2170 MHz), IEEE 802.11 b/g (2400- 2484) and WLAN IEEE 802.11a band (5.15-5.35) is reported in this paper. The overall dimension of the antenna is 33 x 33 mm 2 including the top patch with a dimension 22 x 22 mm 2 . The experimental results of the antenna are presented in this paper. The results confirm that the antenna exhibits wide band characteristics and covers 7 bands of operation.
Partnerships And Photographs: Community Conceptions Of Keweenaw National Historical Park*

Geographers have a long tradition of using photographs to investigate landscape meaning. I conducted photo‐elicitation research with community members residing in and around one of the National Park Service (nps) “partnership parks” in order to obtain their conceptions of the park. The nps partners with myriad groups in order to manage the park, resulting in mostly privatized amenities at Michigan's Keweenaw National Historical Park. Participants in my study took photographs of landscapes and used them to discuss their conceptions of the park. Building upon recent scholarship on the perceptions of parks and place attachment in parks, the photo‐elicitation revealed a strikingly complex array of understandings. Social class, not whether one lived within or outside the park's boundaries, was the most important variable in categorizing perceptions of the park. These data help us understand how community members conceive of partnership parks and thus may help inform nps decision making.
Histochemical Studies of Effects of Cortisone on Fetal and Newborn Rats.∗ †

Summary A histochemical study of the effect of cortisone on the liver, intestine and kidney of fetal and post-partum rats was made. There were no histochemically observable effects of cortisone on the fetus until the 16th day of age. Beginning with this day it was found that cortisone caused an increase in glycogen deposition and a decrease in RNA content of the hepatic parenchyma. In the post-partum rats these liver effects were noted at all ages. The intestinal striated border demonstrated a precocious acquisition of alkaline phosphatase and RNA as compared to controls of the same age. In the renal tubules these effects were manifest in the 16- and 18-day-old fetuses, while the intestinal effects were obtained in the 18- and 20-day-old fetuses. Similar precocious increases in renal and intestinal alkaline phosphatase and RNA were noted in the cortisone-treated newborns beginning with the ninth day of age.
Infection of Mice Lacking Interleukin-7 (IL-7) Reveals an Unexpected Role for IL-7 in the Development of the Parasite Schistosoma mansoni

ABSTRACT A single intradermal administration of recombinant interleukin-7 (IL-7) has been shown to aggravate the course of murine schistosomiasis, to favor the development of Th2-associated antibodies specific for the parasite, and to alter migration kinetics and/or migratory route of the parasite within its vertebrate host. Here we show that after infection of IL-7-deficient mice with Schistosoma mansoni, the predominant parasite-specific humoral response follows a Th1 pattern, and the development of the parasite is greatly impaired. In IL-7-deficient mice, increased numbers of larvae reach the lungs and fewer larvae reach the liver, compared to control mice. In the absence of IL-7, female worms show an altered fecundity, leading to decreased numbers of eggs trapped in the tissues and to an amelioration of the pathology of the infected host. The most striking observation is the blockade of parasite growth in an IL-7-defective environment, leading to dwarf male and female worms. The results of this study have important implications for the role of IL-7 in the host-parasite relationship and show how parasites can disable or evade the host immune response.
The Conceptualization of Global Integration and Local Responsiveness in International HRM Research: A Review and Directions for Future Research

This paper reviews the ways in which the notions of global integration (GI) and local responsiveness (LR) have been conceptualized in the international business and international HRM literature. The extensive review of the literature indicates that global integration and local responsiveness are much broader constructs which encompass multiple dimensions than what has been conventionally thought of, especially in international HRM research field. Emerging literature questions the particular way of conceptualizing the constructs in international HRM research: particularly, the single dimensionality, the limited level of analysis, and the dualistic assumption on the relationship between the constructs. It is evident that empirical research on various modes of global integration and local responsiveness and how these modes are actually put into practice in subsidiary HRM practices by corporate and subsidiary HR actors in MNEs would be necessary in order to address the research problems that were identified through the wide review of literature.
Treatment for severe palatoclonus by occlusion of the eustachian tube.

PURPOSE Surgical blocking of the eustachian tube is presented as an ultimate treatment option in a 11-year-old suicidal boy with a therapy-resistant, persistent clicking tinnitus caused by myoclonus of the levator veli palatini. PATIENT An 11-year-old boy decompensated psychologically as a result of loud and objective tinnitus. The tinnitus could be heard easily by an examiner by bringing his own ear at a distance of approximately 20 to 30 cm to the left ear of the patient. No neurologic etiology for the tinnitus could be traced. Pediatric psychiatric evaluation resulted in a recommendation to perform, as a last resort, an experimental surgical option like blockage of the eustachian tube. INTERVENTION Treatment with Tegretol (Novartis, The Netherlands) had no effect. Treatment with Dysport (Ipsen) botulin toxin with 30 to 60 U was temporarily effective. Finally, 60 U were not effective anymore. As last refugium, a surgical blockage of the eustachian tube has been performed, first with bone cement and later by a more conventional surgical blockage of that bony tube. OUTCOME After surgical blockage of the bony part of the eustachian tube, the objective tinnitus disappeared. Blockage of the protympanum by bone cement resulted in only 1 year of successful blocking. After recurrence of the tinnitus combined with aeration of the middle ear, a second surgical transcanal approach was successful in blocking the eustachian tube. With a grommet, the hearing level remained within 10 dB for 0.5 to 8.0 kHz.
The impact of oculomotor functioning on neuropsychological performance in Huntington disease

ABSTRACT Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative condition with prominent motor (including oculomotor), cognitive, and psychiatric effects. While neuropsychological deficits are present in HD, motor impairments may impact performance on neuropsychological measures, especially those requiring a speeded response, as has been demonstrated in multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. The current study is the first to explore associations between oculomotor functions and neuropsychological performance in HD. Participants with impaired oculomotor functioning performed worse than those with normal oculomotor functioning on cognitive tasks requiring oculomotor involvement, particularly on psychomotor speed tasks, controlling for covariates. Consideration of oculomotor dysfunction on neuropsychological performance is critical, particularly for populations with motor deficits.
ESTRATIFICAÇÃO SOCIAL DE PRODUTORES DE SUÍNOS NA MICRORREGIÃO DA VÁRZEA NO MUNICÍPIO DE APODI-RN

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo realizar um levantamento das condicoes sociais dos produtores de suinos. Foram aplicados 79 questionarios na micorregiao da varzea em Apodi com perguntas sobre o sexo, idade, nivel de instrucao, religiao, renda familiar mensal, origem da renda familiar, categoria ocupacional do produtor, quantidade de pessoas que moram na residencia, quantidade de comodos, sanitarios e dormitorios na residencia. Os principais resultados encontrados foram que 48,10% dos produtores sao do sexo masculino e 54,90% do sexo feminino. Quanto a opcao religiosa, 93,67% sao catolicos e 6,33% evangelicos. Para o grau de escolaridade dos produtores de suinos, 68,35% possuem o nivel fundamental incompleto. Quanto a renda familiar, 65,82% dos produtores recebem entre R$ 401,00 e R$ 600,00. As origens da renda provem principalmente da agricultura com 63,11%. Com relacao a moradia dos criadores de suinos, em 67,53% ha entre 3 e 4 pessoas. Quanto aos comodos da casa, em 84,42% das residencias ha acima de 5 comodos. Quanto ao numero de vasos sanitarios, 97,26% das casas possuem apenas 01. Com relacao numero de dormitorios das casas, em 91,14% das residencias ha 02 unidades. Dessa forma, conclui-se que os produtores de suinos possuem pequenas condicoes sociais de moradia.
Distortion Evaluation of Frequency-Converted Radio-on-Fiber System Employing RIN Reduction Technique

The distortion characteristics of a radio-over-fiber (ROF) system that uses the relative intensity noise (RIN) reduction technique is investigated in detail. The third-order intermodulation (IM3) and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) characteristics of this system are measured using multi-reflection configurations. It is observed that the maximum deterioration in IM3 is 4 dB. However, SFDR is improved by 7 dB as CNR exceeds 12 dB. Moreover, we measure the adjacent channel leakage power ratio (ACLR) characteristics of this system in the multi-carrier transmission condition. The RIN reduction technique yields an ACLR improvement of 4.5 dB
Cutting Edge: DC-SIGN; a Related Gene, DC-SIGNR; and CD23 Form a Cluster on 19p131 2

DC-SIGN is a C-type lectin, expressed on a dendritic cell subset. It is able to bind ICAM3 and HIV gp120 in a calcium-dependent manner. Here we report the genomic organization of DC-SIGN and map it to chromosome 19p13 adjacent to the C-type lectin CD23 (FcεRII). We also report a novel, closely linked gene, DC-SIGNR, which shows 73% identity to DC-SIGN at the nucleic acid level and a similar genomic organization. Proteins encoded by both genes have tracts of repeats of 23 aa, predicted to form a coiled coil neck region. They also possess motifs that are known to bind mannose in a calcium-dependent fashion. We show concomitant expression of the two genes in endometrium, placenta, and stimulated KG1 cells (phenotypically similar to monocyte-derived dendritic cells). The existence of a DC-SIGN-related gene calls for reinterpretation of the HIV data to consider possible DC-SIGN/DC-SIGNR hetero-oligomerization.
A real-time refraction renderer for volume objects using a polygon-rendering scheme

We propose the per vertex ray tracing (pVRT) method for real-time refraction rendering and discuss its algorithm, hardware implementation, and results. Our algorithm is based on single-pass rendering with a pre-processing phase to calculate the destinations of rays passing through transparent volume objects. In the pre-processing process, the direction and position of a ray's destination, which is the point at which a ray, after passing through a transparent object, intersects with an image frame, are calculated for each object independently, and objects made from refractive materials are rendered by using the computed addresses in the image buffer where the non-transparent objects are rendered. This method will be implemented entirely in hardware, and a performance evaluation based on software simulation showed an average calculation speed of 458907 polygon/sec. (241530 vertex/sec) in the pre-processing process.