Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microalbuminuria in Diabetes

Diabetes has become the main public health challenge for the 21st century. Pronounced changes in the human environment and in human behavior and lifestyle, have accompanied globalization, and these have resulted in escalating rates of diabetes. Microalbuminuria is considered as a clinically important indicator of deteriorating renal function in diabetic patients. Microalbuminuria is the strong predictor of diabetic nephropathy, which is the main cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is also characterized by increased prevalence of arterial hypertension, proliferative retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy. Detection of microalbuminuria is an indication for initiation of appropriate therapy for the purpose of preventing the advance of progressive diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic kidney disease or nephropathy is the most common cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. One of the early markers of not only diabetic nephropathy, but also vascular disease in patients with diabetes, is the presence of microalbuminuria. The primary constituent of urinary protein in diabetic nephropathy is albumin. Consequently, quantification of urinary albumin excretion is central to any description of diabetic renal disease. Other renal diseases that occur with greater frequency in diabetic patients include asymptomatic bacteriuria, pyelonephritis, papillary necrosis, and radiocontrast induced renal failure. Primary prevention of diabetes is the ideal. In this concern, this review briefly highlights the features of diabetes, diabetic nephropathy and different perspectives of microalbuminuria in diabetes.
Quercetin inhibited cadmium-induced autophagy in the mouse kidney via inhibition of oxidative stress

The objective of the current study was to explore the inhibitory effects of quercetin on cadmium-induced autophagy in mouse kidneys. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with cadmium and quercetin once daily for 3 days. The LC3-II/β-actin ratio was used as the autophagy marker, and autophagy was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Oxidative stress was investigated in terms of reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde. Cadmium significantly induced typical autophagosome formation, increased the LC3-II/β-actin ratio, reactive oxygen species level, and malondialdehyde content, and decreased total antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, quercetin markedly decreased the cadmium-induced LC3-II/β-actin ratio, reactive oxygen species levels, and malondialdehyde content, and simultaneously increased total antioxidant capacity. Cadmium can inhibit total antioxidant capacity, produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species, lead to oxidative stress, and promote lipid peroxidation, eventually inducing autophagy in mouse kidneys. Quercetin could inhibit cadmium-induced autophagy via inhibition of oxidative stress. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of cadmium injury.
Evolution of Forecast Disagreement in a Bayesian Learning Model

We estimate a Bayesian learning model with heterogeneity aimed at explaining expert forecast disagreement and its evolution over horizons. Disagreement is postulated to have three components due to differences in: (i) the initial prior beliefs, (ii) the weights attached on priors, and (iii) interpreting public information. The fixed-target, multi-horizon, cross-country feature of the panel data allows us to estimate the relative importance of each component precisely. The first component explains nearly all to 30% of forecast disagreement as the horizon decreases from 24 months to 1 month. This finding firmly establishes the role of initial prior beliefs in generating expectation stickiness. We find the second component to have barely any effect on the evolution of forecast disagreement among experts. The importance of the third component increases from almost nothing to 70% as the horizon gets shorter via its interaction with the quality of the incoming news. We propose a new test of forecast efficiency in the context of Bayesian information processing and find significant heterogeneity in the nature of inefficiency across horizons and countries.
Role of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)A and GABAB Receptors in Paraventricular Nucleus in Control of Sympathetic Vasomotor Tone in Hypertension

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is involved in tonic regulation of sympathetic outflow. Impaired GABAergic control of PVN neurons may contribute to the elevated sympathetic drive in hypertension. In this study, we examined the function of GABAA and GABAB receptors in the PVN in control of sympathetic nerve activity and arterial blood pressure (ABP) in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Lumbar sympathetic activity (LSNA) and ABP were recorded from anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Bilateral microinjection of bicuculline (0.01–0.15 nmol), a GABAA receptor antagonist, into the PVN increased LSNA and ABP in normotensive WKY and SD rats in a dose-dependent manner. This response was significantly attenuated in SHRs. Furthermore, the decrease in LSNA and ABP induced by a GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol (0.05–1.5 nmol), in the PVN was significantly less in SHRs than in normotensive controls. In contrast, microinjection of the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen (0.3–4.5 nmol) into the PVN decreased LSNA and ABP in SHRs. However, in WKY and SD rats, baclofen only decreased LSNA and ABP at the highest dose tested. In addition, blockade of GABAB receptors in the PVN with CGP52432 (3-[[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]amino]propyl]diethoxymethyl)phosphinic acid) (0.15–3.0 nmol) dose-dependently increased LSNA and ABP in SHRs but not in normotensive controls. Collectively, this study provides new evidence that GABAA receptor function is attenuated, whereas the function of GABAB receptors is enhanced, in the PVN of SHRs.
Pharmacological inhibition of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐1 limits reperfusion injury in a porcine model of myocardial infarction

Limitation of ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major therapeutic target after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Toll‐like receptors are implicated in the inflammatory response that occurs during reperfusion. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)‐1 acts as an amplifier of the immune response triggered by toll‐like receptor engagement. We hypothesized that administration of a TREM‐1 inhibitory peptide (LR12) could limit reperfusion injury in a porcine model of AMI.
Supplemental protein sources for steers fed corn-based diets: I. Ruminal characteristics and intestinal amino acid flows.

Five cannulated Holstein steers (302 +/- 23 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment with extra observations to evaluate the effect of supplemental protein source on postruminal flow and intestinal disappearance of N and amino acids (AA). Diets were formulated to contain 12.5% CP using cracked corn (70%), ground corn cobs (15%), and supplement (15%). Except for an all-urea supplemented control diet, 40% of the total dietary CP was supplied by soybean meal (SBM), a high ruminal escape soybean meal (SoyPLUS; SP), or a corn gluten meal/blood meal combination (CB; 50:50 on a CP basis). The steers were fed twice daily and DMI was restricted to 2.0% of initial BW. Supplementation with CB increased (P < .10) non-microbial N flow at the duodenum but tended to decrease microbial N flow such that no differences (P > .10) in total N flows at the duodenum were detected among treatments. The efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was not affected by treatment but was greatest for urea/and tended to decrease when SP and CB were fed (21.8, 20.5, 19.5, and 15.7 g of N/kg of OM truly digested for urea, SBM, SP, and CB, respectively). A possible shortage of ruminally degradable N, as evidenced by low ruminal NH3 N concentrations (3.6, 4.2, 3.9, and 2.1 mg/dL for urea, SBM, SP, and CB respectively), or other factors, may have limited microbial protein synthesis. However, microbial N flows averaged 60.0% of duodenal N flow across treatments. Duodenal flow of essential, nonessential, and total AA were similar (P > .10) among treatments and averaged 293, 361, and 653 g/d, respectively). Lysine and methionine flows did not differ (P > .10) and averaged 41.6 and 13.3 g/d, respectively. The source of supplemental protein had no impact (P > .10) on small intestinal disappearance of AA or total tract N disappearance. Feeding proteins resistant to ruminal degradation may have limited microbial protein production, resulting in a shift in the proportion of metabolizable protein arriving at the small intestine from dietary and microbial origins. These results suggest that corn-based diets may be limiting in ruminally degradable N, especially when high ruminal escape protein sources are fed as supplemental CP.
Competitive intelligence process and tools for intelligence analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this survey research is twofold. First, to study and report the process that is commonly used to create and maintain a competitive intelligence (CI) program in organizations. And second, to provide an analysis of several emergent text mining, web mining and visualization‐based CI tools, which are specific to collection and analysis of intelligence.Design/methodology/approach – A range of recently published research literature on CI processes, applications, tools and technologies to collect and analyze competitive information within organizations is reviewed to explore their current state, issues and challenges learned from their practice.Findings – The paper provides executive decision makers and strategic managers a better understanding of what methods are available and appropriate to the decisions they must make and the steps involved in CI undertaking.Originality/value – The findings of this research provide the managers of CI programs a context for understanding which tools an.
Neural Correlates of Visual–Spatial Attention in Electrocorticographic Signals in Humans

Attention is a cognitive selection mechanism that allocates the limited processing resources of the brain to the sensory streams most relevant to our immediate goals, thereby enhancing responsiveness and behavioral performance. The underlying neural mechanisms of orienting attention are distributed across a widespread cortical network. While aspects of this network have been extensively studied, details about the electrophysiological dynamics of this network are scarce. In this study, we investigated attentional networks using electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings from the surface of the brain, which combine broad spatial coverage with high temporal resolution, in five human subjects. ECoG was recorded when subjects covertly attended to a spatial location and responded to contrast changes in the presence of distractors in a modified Posner cueing task. ECoG amplitudes in the alpha, beta, and gamma bands identified neural changes associated with covert attention and motor preparation/execution in the different stages of the task. The results show that attentional engagement was primarily associated with ECoG activity in the visual, prefrontal, premotor, and parietal cortices. Motor preparation/execution was associated with ECoG activity in premotor/sensorimotor cortices. In summary, our results illustrate rich and distributed cortical dynamics that are associated with orienting attention and the subsequent motor preparation and execution. These findings are largely consistent with and expand on primate studies using intracortical recordings and human functional neuroimaging studies.
Efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injection in wet age-related macular degeneration: outcomes in the Japanese subgroup of the VIEW 2 study

Background/aims To evaluate efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) in Japanese patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) from the VIEW 2 trial. Methods In this double-masked study, patients were randomised to: 0.5 mg IVT-AFL every 4 weeks (0.5q4); 2 mg IVT-AFL every 4 weeks (2q4); 2 mg IVT-AFL every 8 weeks (2q8) after 3 monthly injections; or 0.5 mg ranibizumab every 4 weeks (Rq4). Main efficacy outcomes included vision maintenance and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 52. Results At week 52, all Japanese patients in the IVT-AFL groups (n=70) maintained vision, compared with 96% of Japanese patients (n=23/24) treated with ranibizumab. Japanese patients in all treatment groups showed improvement in BCVA after treatment. The Rq4, 2q4 and 2q8 groups experienced similar gains in BCVA from baseline. The 0.5q4 group had higher gains due to an unexpected drop in BCVA between screening and baseline. Central retinal thickness and mean area of choroidal neovascularisation decreased in all treatment groups with similar magnitude. Ocular treatment-emergent adverse events were balanced across treatment groups. Conclusions IVT-AFL was effective and well tolerated in Japanese patients. Outcomes in this population were consistent with those in the overall VIEW 2 population. Trial registration number NCT00637377.
The Expression of Placental Proteoglycans in Pre-Eclampsia

Background/Aims: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. PE is defined clinically as the onset of maternal hypertension and proteinuria following 20 weeks of gestation. It is associated with altered maternal uterine decidual spiral artery remodelling, which may lead to reduced blood flow and increased thrombosis within the uteroplacental vasculature. Proteoglycans (PGs) are macromolecules which have (in combination with glycosaminoglycans) important anticoagulant roles in vascular endothelial environments, including the uteroplacental circulation. The hypothesis under consideration in this study was that differential expression of placental PGs may be associated with PE. Methods: PE and control placental samples were collected with ethics approval and patient consent. RNA and protein were extracted and real-time PCR and Western immunoblotting were performed to determine the expression of the PGs in the samples. Results: Of the nine PGs investigated, none showed increased expression, whereas the mRNA and protein expression of five of them was significantly decreased in the placentae of pre-eclamptic women compared to gestation-matched controls. Conclusion: Therefore, the results of this study support the hypothesis that a placental PG deficiency may contribute to the placental thrombotic lesions characteristic of PE.
A review of epidemiological data on epilepsy, phenobarbital, and risk of liver cancer

Phenobarbital is not genotoxic, but has been related to promotion of liver cancer (as well as inhibition) in rodents. In October 2012, we carried out a systematic literature search in the Medline database and searched reference lists of retrieved publications. We identified 15 relevant papers. Epidemiological data on epileptics/anticonvulsant use and liver cancer were retrieved from eight reports from seven cohort (record linkage) studies of epileptics, and data on phenobarbital use from a pharmacy-based record linkage investigation of patients treated with phenobarbital (three reports), plus a case–control study nested in one of the cohort studies and including information on phenobarbital use. Of the studies of cancer in epileptics, two showed no excess risk of liver cancer. A long-term (1933–1984) Danish cohort study of epileptics found relative risks (RRs) of 4.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2–6.8] of liver cancer and of 2.2 (95% CI 1.2–3.5) of biliary tract cancers. Such apparent excess risks could, however, be largely or completely attributed to thorotrast, a contrast medium used in the past in epileptic patients for cerebral angiography. A Finnish cohort study of epileptics obtained an RR of 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.4). Such an apparent excess risk, however, was not related to phenobarbital or to any specific anticonvulsant drug. The long-term follow-up of two UK cohorts found some excess risk of liver cancer among severe, but not among mild, epileptics. Some excess risk of liver cancer was also found in cohort studies of patients hospitalized for epilepsy in Sweden and Taiwan, in the absence, however, of association with any specific drugs. A UK General Practice database, comparing epileptics treated with valproate with unexposed ones, found a very low incidence of liver cancer. Of the studies of cancer in patients treated with phenobarbital, a large US pharmacy-based cohort investigation showed no excess risk of liver cancer. In a case–control study, nested in the Danish cohort of epileptics, no association was observed between phenobarbital and liver cancer among patients who had not received thorotrast (RR=1.0 for liver and 0.8 for biliary tract cancers). Thus, some, although not all, studies reported excess risk of all cancers and liver cancer in severe, but not in milder epileptics. There is no evidence of a specific role of phenobarbital in human liver cancer risk, but data on the topic are limited.
p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Signaling Regulates Growth Cone Filopodial Dynamics through Modulating RhoA Activity

The mechanisms by which neurotrophins regulate growth cone motility are unclear. We investigated the role of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in mediating neurotrophin-induced increases in filopodial length. Our data demonstrate that neurotrophin binding to p75NTR is necessary and sufficient to regulate filopodial dynamics. Furthermore, retinal and dorsal root ganglion growth cones from p75 mutant mice are insensitive to neurotrophins but display enhanced filopodial lengths comparable with neurotrophin-treated wild-type growth cones. This suggests unoccupied p75NTR negatively regulates filopodia length. Furthermore, p75NTR regulates RhoA activity to mediate filopodial dynamics. Constitutively active RhoA blocks neurotrophin-induced increases in filopodial length, whereas inhibition of RhoA enhances filopodial lengths, similar to neurotrophin treatment. BDNF treatment of retinal neurons results in reduced RhoA activity. Furthermore, p75 mutant neurons display reduced levels of activated RhoA compared with wild-type counterparts, consistent with the enhanced filopodial lengths observed on mutant growth cones. These observations suggest that neurotrophins regulate filopodial dynamics by depressing the activation of RhoA that occurs through p75NTR signaling.
Delimiting cryptic pathogen species causing apple Valsa canker with multilocus data

Fungal diseases are posing tremendous threats to global economy and food safety. Among them, Valsa canker, caused by fungi of Valsa and their Cytospora anamorphs, has been a serious threat to fruit and forest trees and is one of the most destructive diseases of apple in East Asia, particularly. Accurate and robust delimitation of pathogen species is not only essential for the development of effective disease control programs, but also will advance our understanding of the emergence of plant diseases. However, species delimitation is especially difficult in Valsa because of the high variability of morphological traits and in many cases the lack of the teleomorph. In this study, we delimitated species boundary for pathogens causing apple Valsa canker with a multifaceted approach. Based on three independent loci, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (Btu), and translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF1α), we inferred gene trees with both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, estimated species tree with Bayesian multispecies coalescent approaches, and validated species tree with Bayesian species delimitation. Through divergence time estimation and ancestral host reconstruction, we tested the possible underlying mechanisms for fungal speciation and host-range change. Our results proved that two varieties of the former morphological species V. mali represented two distinct species, V. mali and V. pyri, which diverged about 5 million years ago, much later than the divergence of their preferred hosts, excluding a scenario of fungi–host co-speciation. The marked different thermal preferences and contrasting pathogenicity in cross-inoculation suggest ecological divergences between the two species. Apple was the most likely ancestral host for both V. mali and V. pyri. Host-range expansion led to the occurrence of V. pyri on both pear and apple. Our results also represent an example in which ITS data might underestimate species diversity.
Altered End-Product Patterns and Catabolite Repression in Escherichia coli

Dobrogosz, Walter J. (North Carolina State University, Raleigh). Altered end-product patterns and catabolite repression in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:2263–2269. 1966. —End products formed during growth of Escherichia coli ML30 on glucose were examined under various conditions known to promote or prevent catabolite repression of the inducible β-galactosidase system in this organism. Cultures were grown under these conditions in the presence of C14-glucose or C14-pyruvate. The products formed were assayed isotopically after separation on columns of silicic acid. Under conditions known to promote catabolite repression, glucose was degraded primarily to acetate and CO2. When repression was turned off by anaerobic shock, glucose metabolism was characterized by the accumulation of ethyl alcohol in addition to acetate and CO2. The results presented in this report indicate that oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate may markedly affect the amount of energy that can be derived from glucose catabolism. In turn, the amount of energy derived from catabolic processes may play a key role in the mechanism of catabolite repression.
Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair after liver transplantation

Incisional hernias occur in up to 17% of patients after liver transplantation. Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is associated with fewer wound complications and a decreased incidence of recurrence when compared to open hernia repair in nontransplant patients. This is a retrospective review of 13 patients who underwent laparoscopic incisional hernia repair (LAP group) after liver transplantation compared to 14 patients who had open repairs (OP group; all but one with mesh). Primary immunosuppression in both groups at the time of transplantation was tacrolimus, but more patients in the LAP group were on sirolimus at the time of hernia, while more patients in the OP group were on prednisone at the time of hernia repair. All operations were completed with a laparoscopic approach; there were no conversions to open. Length of stay differed significantly between the 2 groups, with a mean of 5.4 days for the LAP group compared to 2.7 days in the OP group (0.0059). Complications occurred in 2 (15%) of the patients in the LAP group and 5 (36%) in the OP group. One patient in the LAP group required mesh removal to exclude causes of recurrent ascites, and 1 in the OP group for mesh infection. One (7.6%) of the patients in the LAP group developed a recurrence, compared to 29% (4) of the OP group (P =0.3259). In conclusion, laparoscopic incisional hernia repair is safe in patients after liver transplantation, with a low risk of infection or recurrence. Liver Transpl 13:1576–1581, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.
Organic Food: A Comparative Study of the Effect of Tomato Cultivars and Cultivation Conditions on the Physico-Chemical Properties

The objective of this review was to present an update of the currently managed studies on the characterization physical, chemical, and sensory analysis of several tomato cultivars. This review has indicated the importance of farming system and genotype on sensory and biochemical characteristics. It is necessary to use selected genotypes responding positively to organic farming in terms of sensory, biochemical characteristics and productivity aspects and to evaluate systems over more than one year of sampling.