Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coordinated regulation of vegetative and reproductive branching in rice

Significance The patterns of lateral branching, including tillers and inflorescence branches, determine grain yields of many cereals. In this study, we characterized a regulatory network composed of microRNAs and transcription factor that coordinately regulate vegetative (tiller) and reproductive (panicle) branching in rice. The findings hold tremendous promise for application in rice genetic improvement and may also have general implications for understanding branching regulation of grasses. Grasses produce tiller and panicle branching at vegetative and reproductive stages; the branching patterns largely define the diversity of grasses and constitute a major determinant for grain yield of many cereals. Here we show that a spatiotemporally coordinated gene network consisting of the MicroRNA 156 (miR156/)miR529/SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE (SPL) and miR172/APETALA2 (AP2) pathways regulates tiller and panicle branching in rice. SPL genes negatively control tillering, but positively regulate inflorescence meristem and spikelet transition. Underproduction or overproduction of SPLs reduces panicle branching, but by distinct mechanisms: miR156 and miR529 fine-tune the SPL levels for optimal panicle size. miR172 regulates spikelet transition by targeting AP2-like genes, which does not affect tillering, and the AP2-like proteins play the roles by interacting with TOPLESS-related proteins (TPRs). SPLs modulate panicle branching by directly regulating the miR172/AP2 and PANICLE PHYTOMER2 (PAP2)/Rice TFL1/CEN homolog 1 (RCN1) pathways and also by integrating other regulators, most of which are not involved in tillering regulation. These findings may also have significant implications for understanding branching regulation of other grasses and for application in rice genetic improvement.
Shock index in the first trimester of pregnancy and its relationship to ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

UNLABELLED The shock index (SI), the ratio of heart rate to systolic blood pressure, has been reported to be a useful tool in the evaluation of trauma patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVES To determine the range of values for SI seen in first-trimester patients presenting to the ED, and to estimate the ability of the SI to predict ruptured ectopic pregnancy (EP). METHODS This was a prospective cohort study enrolling all patients in the first trimester of pregnancy presenting to the ED with abdominal pain and/or vaginal bleeding. Patients had a SI calculated based on their presenting vital signs, and were followed longitudinally to determine a final diagnosis. Ectopic pregnancies were categorized based on surgical pathology. Mean levels for SI were determined for each group, and ruptured EPs were compared with all other pregnancies using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS The study enrolled 280 patients, 24 ruptured EPs, 28 unruptured EPs, and 228 non-EPs. The means for SI were 0.67 (95% CI = 0.65 to 0.68) for non-EPs, 0.64 (95% CI = 0.61 to 0.67) for unruptured EPs, and 0.84 (95% CI = 0.77 to 0.9) for ruptured EPs. The ROC curve for SI, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and systolic blood pressure demonstrated areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.84 (95% CI = 0.78 to 0.88), 0.74 (95% CI = 0.67 to 0.79), 0.63 (95% CI = 0.67 to 0.79), and 0.70 (95% CI = 0.64 to 0.77), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The range of values for SI for patients being evaluated for pain and/or vaginal bleeding within the first trimester of pregnancy, who do not have a ruptured EP, are within the previously reported range of 0.5-0.7 for nonpregnant patients. A SI > 0.85 made the diagnosis of ruptured EP 15.0 (95% CI = 5.6 to 40.4) times more likely. This study suggests that SI could impact directly on the diagnostic and therapeutic course of the patient.
An Updated Review of Inhalation Studies with Cigarette Smoke in Laboratory Animals

Until recently, the published literature on inhalation studies with laboratory animals and cigarette smoke consisted entirely of negative findings, as far as neoplastic disease is concerned. This paper brings readers up to date, with analyses of recent studies that do indeed appear to report success after so many years of failure. The paper consists of a brief analysis of the literature up until a couple of years ago, giving brief, representative examples of inhalation studies with the five main species of laboratory animals that have been used: rat, mouse, hamster, dog, and nonhuman primate. A brief examination of the various technologies used to expose laboratory animals is given, along with an analysis of the histopathology and related toxicology data (specifically, biomarkers of exposure) that have been reported. The paper concludes by briefly mentioning the most recent studies, where positive results have been reported.
Within-host dynamics of an intestinal pathogen of bumble bees

The success of a pathogen depends not only on its transmission to new hosts, but also on its ability to colonize and persist within its current host. Studies of within-host dynamics have focused on only a few diseases of humans, whereas little is known about the factors that influence pathogen populations as they develop inside non-human hosts. Here, we investigate pathogen dynamics occurring within bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) infected by the gut trypanosome Crithidia bombi. Infection by C. bombi showed several features characteristic of vertebrate diseases, including a rapid initial increase in infection intensity, marked oscillations in parasitaemia, and the stimulation of a systemic immune response in infected bees. Within-host dynamics generated substantial variation in the infectiousness and flower-visiting behaviour of bumble bees. Changes in bee foraging that arise from infection may influence the probability of C. bombi transmission between bees at flowers.
An examination of the stress distribution in a soft-lined acrylic resin mandibular complete denture by finite element analysis.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to calculate the effect of a soft liner on stress distribution within a mandibular complete denture. Although patients have welcomed soft-lined complete dentures, early fracture is one of the main reasons for failure. To minimize and prevent prosthesis fracture, the understanding of the stress distribution within a prosthesis is important. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 3-dimensional finite element model of a mandibular complete denture for a severely reduced residual alveolar ridge was constructed. The stress was calculated with linear static finite element analysis. The stress distribution in the soft-lined acrylic resin mandibular complete denture was compared with that of a conventional acrylic resin denture. The resulting stresses were displayed in terms of von Mises equivalent stress and the major principal stresses according to 5 different loading conditions: vertical loads in premolar, molar, and incisor regions; and oblique loads in premolar and molar regions. RESULTS Oblique loads produced higher levels of stress in the labial notch regions than vertical loads, where tension was the primary mode of stress. Significantly reduced levels of von Mises stress were calculated in soft-liner layers under all loading conditions. Acrylic resin denture base portions, however, exhibited higher levels of von Mises stress in soft-lined complete dentures. CONCLUSION Three-dimensional finite element analysis gave a realistic explanation of denture fractures and patient response to mandibular complete dentures with and without soft linings. Control of excess lateral occlusal contact might be helpful to reduce the probability of a fracture in soft-lined mandibular complete dentures.
Changes in psychological resources moderate the effect of socioeconomic status on distress symptoms: a 10-year follow-up among young adults.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on changes in psychological resources and whether these changes in turn moderate the effect of SES on distress symptoms in a prospective 10-year follow-up among young adults. METHOD Subjects (N = 1239) were participants in two phases (1989, 22 years; 1999, 32 years) of a Finnish cohort study. The measurements were SES (basic education at 22 years, occupation at 32 years), distress symptoms (index of 17 somatic and mental complaints), and psychological resources (self-esteem, meaningfulness, locus of control). RESULTS The results showed that lower SES is associated with poorer psychological resources both concurrently and prospectively. Lower SES at age 22 also predicted slower resource development, but only among females. In prospective analyses among both genders, changes in psychological resources moderated the effect of SES on distress symptoms: for those with losses in psychological resources, lower SES was associated with greater increases in distress between 22 and 32 years of age, whereas for those with stable or increasing resources, no effects of SES on distress were found. CONCLUSION The results indicate that higher SES is associated with more favorable changes in psychological resources. In a longitudinal setting, SES differences in health seem to increase only when psychological resources decrease during the same period. The results emphasize the importance of dynamic conceptualizations of psychological resources in SES-health research.
Considerations of Administrative Licensure, Provider Type, and Leadership Quality

This article reviews U.S. administrative licensure regulations, focusing on type of school leader licensure, provider types, and leadership quality. Licensure obtained through university-based and alternative routes is examined. Due to limited research on alternative school administrative licensure, regulations in medicine, psychology, engineering, law, and teaching are reviewed, as well as research on their effectiveness, to identify policies potentially relevant to school leadership. Licensure regulations are uniform in medicine, psychology, and engineering, with some variation in law, and licensure options vary greatly in teaching and school administration. The article concludes with recommendations for research, policy, and practice in school administrative licensure.
Selective accumulation of aluminum and iron in the neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease: A laser microprobe (LAMMA) study

We report the results of an examination of the elemental content of neurofibrillary tangle–bearing and neurofibrillary tangle–free neurons identified within the hippocampus of 10 subjects with Alzheimer's disease and 4 neuropathologically intact age‐matched control subjects. The study employed laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA), a technique that provides extremely sensitive multielement detection in plastic‐embedded, semithin‐sectioned tissues. Evidence for the selective accumulation of aluminum within the neurofibrillary tangle–bearing neurons was obtained in all 10 subjects with Alzheimer's disease. The site of aluminum deposition within these cells was the neurofibrillary tangle itself, and not the “nuclear region”, as we previously reported. Iron accumulation was also detected within neurofibrillary tangles. Evaluation for the accumulation of other elements within the tangle‐bearing neurons failed to reveal any other metallic element as being consistently present. In addition, probe sites directed to neurons identified in snapfrozen cryostat sections from 2 subjects with Alzheimer's disease revealed similar spectra with prominent aluminum‐related peaks, confirming that our findings are not related to exogenous contamination through fixation, embedding, or other procedures prior to analysis. This study further confirms the association of aluminum and neurofibrillary tangle formation in Alzheimer's disease.
Persistent Na-Channels: Origin and Function

Voltage-dependent sodium channels have a decisive role in the generation of action potentials (AP) in many types of cells. In addition to the fast inactivating Na-current, associated with AP generation, the Na-channel can give rise to a noninactivating or persistent Na-current. The latter current generally comprises up to 5% of the transient current having important physiological consequences. It was established that persistent Na-currents have functional significance in setting the membrane potential in a subthreshold range regulating by this way dendritic depolarisations, repetitive firing and enhancing synaptic transmission. Voltage dependent sodium channel genes have been identified in a variety of invertebrates, as well as mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrates. It has been established that the biophysical properties, pharmacology and gene organization of invertebrate sodium channels are largely similar to the vertebrate ones, supporting the view that the ancestral sodium channel was established before the evolutionary separation of the invertebrates from the vertebrates. Although different isoforms of voltage sensitive Na-channels have now been identified the mechanism for persistent current remains controversial. An important yet unanswered question is whether persistent and fast inactivating Na-currents arise from different sets of sodium channels or whether the persistent Na-current results from different gating of the same channel type. The aim of the present review is to discuss the origin and the function of the persistent current, focusing on data derived from an invertebrate animal.
Low-level viremia persists for at least 7 years in patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy

Residual viremia can be detected in most HIV-1-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy despite suppression of plasma RNA to <50 copies per ml, but the source and duration of this viremia is currently unknown. Therefore, we analyzed longitudinal plasma samples from 40 patients enrolled in the Abbott M97-720 trial at baseline (pretherapy) and weeks 60 to 384 by using an HIV-1 RNA assay with single-copy sensitivity. All patients were on therapy (lopinavir/ritonavir, stavudine, and lamivudine) with plasma HIV RNA <50 copies per ml by week 96 of the study and thereafter. Single-copy assay results revealed that 77% of the patient samples had detectable low-level viremia (≥1 copy per ml), and all patients had at least one sample with detectable viremia. A nonlinear mixed effects model revealed a biphasic decline in plasma RNA levels occurring over weeks 60 to 384: an initial phase of decay with a half-life of 39 weeks and a subsequent phase with no perceptible decay. The level of pretherapy viremia extrapolated for each phase of decay was significantly correlated with total baseline viremia for each patient (R2 = 0.27, P = 0.001 and R2 = 0.19, P < 0.005, respectively), supporting a biological link between the extent of overall baseline viral infection and the infection of long-lived reservoirs. These data suggest that low-level persistent viremia appears to arise from at least two cell compartments, one in which viral production decays over time and a second in which viral production remains stable for at least 7 years.
Tetrahydrobiopterin increases insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) is an essential cofactor of nitric oxide synthase that improves endothelial function in diabetics, smokers, and patients with hypercholesterolemia. Insulin resistance has been suggested as a contributing factor in the development of endothelial dysfunction via an abnormal pteridine metabolism. We hypothesized that BH(4) would restore flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD, endothelial-dependent vasodilation), which may affect insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients. Thirty-two subjects (12 type 2 diabetic subjects, 10 matched nondiabetic subjects, and 10 healthy unmatched subjects) underwent infusion of BH(4) or saline in a random crossover study. Insulin sensitivity index (S(I)) was measured by hyperinsulinemic isoglycemic clamp. FMD was measured using ultrasonography. BH(4) significantly increased S(I) in the type 2 diabetics [3.6 +/- 0.6 vs. 4.9 +/- 0.7 x 10(-4) dl.kg(-1). min(-1)/(microU/ml), P < 0.05], while having no effects in nondiabetics [8.9 +/- 1.1 vs. 9.0 +/- 0.9 x 10(-4) dl.kg(-1). min(-1)/(microU/ml), P = 0.92] or in healthy subjects [17.5 +/- 1.6 vs. 18 +/- 1.8 x 10(-4) dl.kg(-1). min(-1)/(microU/ml), P = 0.87]. BH(4) did not affect the relative changes in brachial artery diameter from baseline FMD (%) in type 2 diabetic subjects (2.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 1.8 +/- 1.0%, P = 0.42), nondiabetic subjects (5.3 +/- 1.1 vs. 6.6 +/- 0.9%, P = 0.32), or healthy subjects (11.9 +/- 0.6 vs. 11.0 +/- 1.0%, P = 0.48). In conclusion, BH(4) significantly increases insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients without any discernible improvement in endothelial function.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLE ACTIN LABELED WITH THE TRIPLET PROBE ERYTHROSIN‐5‐IODOACETAMIDE

Abstract We have labeled rabbit skeletal muscle actin with the triplet probe erythrosin‐5‐iodoacetamide and characterized the labeled protein. Labeling decreased the critical concentration and lowered the intrinsic viscosity of F‐actin filaments; labeled filaments were motile in an in vitro motility assay but were less effective than unlabeled F‐actin in activating myosin S1 ATPase activity. In unpolymerized globular actin (G‐actin), both the prompt and delayed luminescence were red‐shifted from the spectra of the free dye in solution and the fluorescence anisotropy of the label was high (0.356); filament formation red shifted all excitation and emission spectra and increased the fluorescence anisotropy to 0.370. The erythrosin phosphorescence decay was at least biexponential in G‐actin with an average lifetime of 99 μs while in F‐actin the decay was approximately monoexponential with a lifetime of 278 μs. These results suggest that the erythrosin dye was bound at the interface between two actin monomers along the two‐start helix. The steady‐state phosphorescence anisotropy of F‐actin was 0.087 at 20°C and the anisotropy increased to ≈0.16 in immobilized filaments. The phosphorescence anisotropy was also sensitive to binding the physiological ligands phalloidin, cytochalasin B and tropomyosin. This study lays a firm foundation for the use of this triplet probe to study the large‐scale molecular dynamics of F‐actin.
Development of new gas sensors based on oxidized galinstan

For the first time, we have fabricated and tested conductometric sensors based on oxidized liquid galinstan towards NO2 and NH3 gases at low operating temperatures. Galinstan based films on silicon substrates have been studied with two different loadings. Surface morphology of the films was investigated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The sensor with higher galinstan loading showed a better sensitivity, which can be attributed to a higher surface area, as confirmed by SEM. At 100°C, a detection limit as low as 1 and 20 ppm was measured for NO2 and NH3, respectively.
Genetic Polymorphisms Impact the Risk of Acute Rejection in Pediatric Heart Transplantation: A Multi-Institutional Study

Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the association between the genetic polymorphisms of proinflammatory and regulatory cytokines and long-term rates of repeat and late acute rejection episodes in pediatric heart transplant (PHTx) recipients. Methods. Three hundred twenty-three PHTx recipients: 205 White non-Hispanic, 43 Black non-Hispanic, and 75 Hispanic were analyzed for time to first repeat and late acute rejection episodes by race, age at transplantation, and gene polymorphism (interleukin [IL]-6, −174 G/C, IL-10, −1082 G/A, −819 C/T, 592 C/A; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) −2578 C/A, −460 C/T, +405 C/G; tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&agr;)−308 G/A). Results. Recipient black race and older age at transplant were risk factors for both repeat and late rejections, though black race was more significantly related to late rejection (P=0.006). Individually, TNF-&agr; high, IL-6 high, VEGF high, and IL-10 low phenotypes did not impact the risk of repeat or late rejection. However, the combination VEGF high/IL-6 high and IL-10 low was associated with increased estimated risk of late rejection (P=0.0004) and only marginally with repeat rejection (P=0.051). In a multivariate analysis, adjusting for age and race, VEGF high/IL-6 high and IL-10 low still remained an independent risk factor for late acute rejection (RR=1.91, P<0.001). Conclusion. This is the largest multicenter study to document the impact of genetic polymorphism combinations on PHTx recipients’ outcome. The high proinflammatory (VEGF high/IL-6 high) and lower regulatory (IL-10 low) cytokine gene polymorphism profile exhibited increased risk for late rejection, irrespective of age and race/ethnicity.
Cerebral Microcirculation, Perivascular Unit, and Glymphatic System: Role of Aquaporin-4 as the Gatekeeper for Water Homeostasis

In the past, water homeostasis of the brain was understood as a certain quantitative equilibrium of water content between intravascular, interstitial, and intracellular spaces governed mostly by hydrostatic effects i.e., strictly by physical laws. The recent achievements in molecular bioscience have led to substantial changes in this regard. Some new concepts elaborate the idea that all compartments involved in cerebral fluid homeostasis create a functional continuum with an active and precise regulation of fluid exchange between them rather than only serving as separate fluid receptacles with mere passive diffusion mechanisms, based on hydrostatic pressure. According to these concepts, aquaporin-4 (AQP4) plays the central role in cerebral fluid homeostasis, acting as a water channel protein. The AQP4 not only enables water permeability through the blood-brain barrier but also regulates water exchange between perivascular spaces and the rest of the glymphatic system, described as pan-cerebral fluid pathway interlacing macroscopic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces with the interstitial fluid of brain tissue. With regards to this, AQP4 makes water shift strongly dependent on active processes including changes in cerebral microcirculation and autoregulation of brain vessels capacity. In this paper, the role of the AQP4 as the gatekeeper, regulating the water exchange between intracellular space, glymphatic system (including the so-called neurovascular units), and intravascular compartment is reviewed. In addition, the new concepts of brain edema as a misbalance in water homeostasis are critically appraised based on the newly described role of AQP4 for fluid permeation. Finally, the relevance of these hypotheses for clinical conditions (including brain trauma and stroke) and for both new and old therapy concepts are analyzed.