Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of human papillomavirus type 58 variant with the risk of cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 58 has been found to be prevalent among Chinese patients with cervical cancer. This study examined the oncogenic risk of HPV58 variants in Hong Kong, a southern part of China. Altogether, 1924 women were studied: 42.8% with a normal cervix, 16.2% with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I, 12.7% with CIN II, 20.8% with CIN III, and 7.6% with invasive cervical cancer (ICC). The overall prevalence of HPV58 was 11.4% (220) and increased statistically significantly with the severity of neoplasia (P(trend)<. 001, chi(2) test for trend). Among HPV58-positive women, the occurrence of E7 632C-->T (T20I) and E7 760G-->A (G63S) variants (T20I/G63S) showed a positive trend of association with the severity of neoplasia (P(trend)<. 001, chi(2) test for trend). HPV58 variants carrying these two substitutions showed an odds ratio (OR) for ICC of 26.79 (95% confidence interval = 10.14 to 74.72), and this OR was 6.9-fold higher than the ORs of variants without these substitutions. Patients with CIN III or ICC who were also infected with T20I/G63S variants had a statistically significant younger age at diagnosis than those infected with other variants (median age = 37 years versus 48 years; P =.038, two-sided Mann-Whitney U test). Thus, HPV58 variants carrying E7 T20I/G63S substitutions may be associated with an increased risk for cervical cancer.
Media, Instability, and Democracy: Examining the Granger-Causal Relationships of 122 Countries From 1946 to 2003

Using cross-national time-series data in sequences of Granger causality tests, this study analyzed the democratic effects of media technologies with a sample of 122 countries. This process revealed that communication technologies are vital, but not exclusive or universal prerequisites of democratic growth. As expected by media system dependency (MSD) theory, media diffusion was shown to have Granger-caused democracy only in countries where media served more information functions or where sociopolitical instability levels were higher. Results further indicated that media diffusion is central to the development of sociopolitical instability, which suggests certain direct and indirect macrolevel democratic effects of mass media diffusion. The conditions of MSD theory observed here also demonstrated an integrative relationship with the economic development thesis.
miR-708-5p: a microRNA with emerging roles in cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. They are crucial for normal development and maintaining homeostasis. Researchers have discovered that dysregulated miRNA expression contributes to many pathological conditions, including cancer. miRNAs can augment or suppress tumorigenesis based on their expression and transcribed targetome in various cell types. In recent years, researchers have begun to identify miRNAs commonly dysregulated in cancer. One recently identified miRNA, miR-708-5p, has been shown to have profound roles in promoting or suppressing oncogenesis in a myriad of solid and hematological tumors. This review highlights the diverse, sometimes controversial findings reported for miR-708-5p in cancer, and the importance of further exploring this exciting miRNA.
Epidemiology of Enterovirus 71 in The Netherlands, 1963 to 2008

ABSTRACT The incidence of enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection has greatly increased in the Asian Pacific region since 1997. Several large outbreaks, caused by different subgenogroups of EV71, occurred with high rates of morbidity and a substantial number of deaths. In 2007, 58 cases of EV71 infection requiring hospitalization were reported in The Netherlands after a period of low endemicity of 21 years. These events triggered a study on the epidemiology of EV71 in The Netherlands. Genetic analysis of the VP1 capsid region of 199 EV71 isolates collected from 1963 to 2008 as part of enterovirus surveillance activities revealed a change in the prevailing subgenogroups over time. From 1963 to 1986 infections were caused by three different and successive lineages belonging to subgenogroup B (the novel lineage designated B0, as well as B1 and B2). In 1987, following a major epidemic the previous year, the B genogroup was replaced by genogroup C strains of lineages C1 and, later, C2. Analyses of the clinical data suggested that there were differences between infection with genogroup B and with genogroup C strains in terms of the age groups affected and the severity of illness. From comparative analysis with genomic data available in the public domain, we concluded that EV71 strain evolution shows a global pattern, which leads to the question of whether the recently emerged C4 lineage strains will also spread outside of Asia.
Edaravone Reduces Hyperperfusion-Related Neurological Deficits in Adult Moyamoya Disease: Historical Control Study

Background and Purpose— Postoperative hyperperfusion-related transient neurological deficits (TNDs) are frequently observed in adult patients with moyamoya disease who undergo direct bypass procedures. The present study evaluated the effect of the free radical scavenger edaravone on postoperative hyperperfusion in adult moyamoya disease. Methods— This study included 92 hemispheres in 72 adult patients who underwent direct bypass for moyamoya disease. Serial measurements of cerebral blood flow were conducted immediately after surgery and on postoperative days 2 and 7. In 40 hemispheres for 36 patients, edaravone (60 mg/d) was administered from the day of surgery to postsurgical day 7. The incidence of postoperative hyperperfusion and associated TNDs were compared with a control group that included 52 hemispheres in 36 patients. Results— Radiological hyperperfusion was observed in 28 of 40 (70.0%) and 39 of 52 (75.0%) hemispheres in the edaravone and control groups, respectively (P=0.30). Hyperperfusion-related TND incidences were significantly lower in the edaravone group compared with the control group (12.5% versus 32.7%; P=0.024). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that edaravone administration (P=0.009) and left-sided surgery (P=0.037) were significantly correlated with hyperperfusion-related TNDs (odds ratios, 0.3 and 4.2, respectively). Conclusions— Perioperative administration of edaravone reduced the incidence of hyperperfusion-related TNDs after direct bypass procedures in adult patients with moyamoya disease.
Molecular Epidemiologic Studies on North American H9 Avian Influenza Virus Isolates from Waterfowl and Shorebirds

Abstract Because sequence data on H9 avian influenza virus (AIV) from wild birds are currently limited, we set out to determine the sequence of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of H9 viruses circulating in North American waterfowl and shorebirds. In this study, we examined the HA gene from H9 AIV isolated from mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) sampled during 1998 and 1999 in Minnesota and ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres) sampled during 2003 in Delaware and New Jersey. At these sites, the H9N2 subtype represented 12% and 4% of the avian influenza isolates from mallards in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and 8% of the AIVs isolated from shorebirds between 2000 and 2002. Sequences from these viruses were compared with sequences from H9 AIV isolated from commercial poultry and aquatic birds from North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: four previously reported and three new clades were observed. Sequence data from the HA gene of North American waterfowl and shorebird isolates generated in this study most closely group with the Eurasian H9 viruses in the Y439 clade. In addition, the HA cleavage site (AASNR/G) and receptor binding site was identical to the representative virus of that group (DK/Hong Kong/Y439/97). Viruses in that clade are commonly found in ducks and chickens in Hong Kong and Korea. Positive evolutionary selection (dNonsynonymous > dSynonymous) was observed for the HA gene among the North American waterfowl and shorebird H9N2 viruses, indicating that the H9N2-type viruses are changing in their natural hosts.
Effects of Muscle Contraction and of Adenosine on Capillary Transport and Microvascular Flow in Dog Skeletal Muscle

SUMMARY The postarteriolar response of capillary transport and microvascular flow distribution to muscle contraction and to adenosine was measured by the indicator dilution technique in isolated dog gracilis muscles perfused with blood at controlled flows. A model of dual circulation was used to analyze the partition of microvascular flow. The extraction (E) ofl25I-iodoantipyrine (IAp) served as an indicator of capillary flow whereas the capillary transport capacity coefficient (PSC) of22Na was used to assess the changes in capillary surface area available for exchange. Muscle contraction produced by electrical stimulation of the motor nerve increased mean E IAp from 0.94 ± 0.03 (SD) to 0.95 ± 0.01 and produced a 2.0- to 2.9-fold increase in PSc-Na. Intra-arterial adenosine produced results similar to those caused by muscle contraction. We conclude that (1) in resting muscle, most of the flow circulates through exchanging blood vessels and (2) in addition to the primary mechanisms of arteriolar vasodilatation, a sbstantial increase in the number of capillaries available for exchange of materials plays an important role in the adaptive response to increased metabolic demand.
The Role of Ferroptosis in Cancer Development and Treatment Response

Ferroptosis is a process driven by accumulated iron-dependent lipid ROS that leads to cell death, which is a distinct regulated cell death comparing to other cell death. The lethal metabolic imbalance resulted from GSH depletion or inactivation of glutathione peroxidase 4 is the executor of ferroptosis within the cancer cell. Small molecules-induced ferroptosis has a strong inhibition of tumor growth and enhances the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs, especially in the condition of drug resistance. These evidences have highlighted the importance of ferroptosis in cancer therapeutics, but the roles of ferroptosis in tumorigenesis and development remain unclear. This article provides an overview of the mechanisms of ferroptosis, highlights the role of ferroptosis in cancer and discusses strategies for therapeutic modulation.
Glucose production and substrate cycle activity in a fasting adapted animal, the northern elephant seal

SUMMARY During prolonged fasting physiological mechanisms defend lean tissue from catabolism. In the fasting state, glucose is derived solely from gluconeogenesis, requiring some catabolism of amino acids for gluconeogenic substrates. This creates a conflict in animals undergoing fasts concurrently with metabolically challenging activities. This study investigated glucose metabolism in fasting and developing neonatal elephant seals. Glucose production and glucose cycle activity were measured early (2 weeks) and late (6 weeks) in the postweaning fasting period. Additionally the role of regulatory hormones on glucose production and glucose cycle activity were investigated. Glucose cycle activity was highly variable throughout the study period, did not change over the fasting period, and was not correlated with insulin or glucagon level. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) was 2.80±0.65 mg kg–1 min–1 early and 2.21±0.12 during late fasting. Insulin to glucagon molar ratio decreased while cortisol levels increased over the fast (t=5.27, 2.84; P=0.003, 0.04; respectively). There was no relationship between EGP and hormone levels. The glucose production values measured in this study were high and exceeded the estimated gluconeogenic substrate available. These data suggest extensive glucose recycling via Cori cycle activity occurring in northern elephant seals, and we propose a possible justification for this recycling.
Roxarsone, Inorganic Arsenic, and Other Arsenic Species in Chicken: A U.S.-Based Market Basket Sample

Background: Inorganic arsenic (iAs) causes cancer and possibly other adverse health outcomes. Arsenic-based drugs are permitted in poultry production; however, the contribution of chicken consumption to iAs intake is unknown. Objectives: We sought to characterize the arsenic species profile in chicken meat and estimate bladder and lung cancer risk associated with consuming chicken produced with arsenic-based drugs. Methods: Conventional, antibiotic-free, and organic chicken samples were collected from grocery stores in 10 U.S. metropolitan areas from December 2010 through June 2011. We tested 116 raw and 142 cooked chicken samples for total arsenic, and we determined arsenic species in 65 raw and 78 cooked samples that contained total arsenic at ≥ 10 µg/kg dry weight. Results: The geometric mean (GM) of total arsenic in cooked chicken meat samples was 3.0 µg/kg (95% CI: 2.5, 3.6). Among the 78 cooked samples that were speciated, iAs concentrations were higher in conventional samples (GM = 1.8 µg/kg; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.3) than in antibiotic-free (GM = 0.7 µg/kg; 95% CI: 0.5, 1.0) or organic (GM = 0.6 µg/kg; 95% CI: 0.5, 0.8) samples. Roxarsone was detected in 20 of 40 conventional samples, 1 of 13 antibiotic-free samples, and none of the 25 organic samples. iAs concentrations in roxarsone-positive samples (GM = 2.3 µg/kg; 95% CI: 1.7, 3.1) were significantly higher than those in roxarsone-negative samples (GM = 0.8 µg/kg; 95% CI: 0.7, 1.0). Cooking increased iAs and decreased roxarsone concentrations. We estimated that consumers of conventional chicken would ingest an additional 0.11 µg/day iAs (in an 82-g serving) compared with consumers of organic chicken. Assuming lifetime exposure and a proposed cancer slope factor of 25.7 per milligram per kilogram of body weight per day, this increase in arsenic exposure could result in 3.7 additional lifetime bladder and lung cancer cases per 100,000 exposed persons. Conclusions: Conventional chicken meat had higher iAs concentrations than did conventional antibiotic-free and organic chicken meat samples. Cessation of arsenical drug use could reduce exposure and the burden of arsenic-related disease in chicken consumers.
Rumination and impaired resource allocation in depression.

Depression is characterized by a range of cognitive deficits that theorists posit are due to the resource capturing properties of rumination. The present study was designed to examine the relation between rumination and resource allocation in depression. Twenty-five depressed and 25 nondepressed participants completed a modified dual-task version of the recency-probes task, which assesses the controlled allocation of cognitive resources by comparing performance across low- and high-interference conditions. In low-interference conditions, participants performed either the recency-probes task or a tracking task, which required participants to track specific stimuli across trials (i.e., no dual-task interference). In the high-interference condition, participants performed both the recency-probes task and the tracking task, which required the controlled allocation of resources to resolve dual-task interference. Depressed participants performed significantly worse than did their nondepressed counterparts in only the high-interference condition; performance of the 2 groups was comparable in the low-interference conditions. Furthermore, the degree to which depressed participants were impaired in the high-interference condition was correlated . 74 with rumination. These findings suggest that an association between rumination and impairments in resource allocation underlies the cognitive difficulties experienced by depressed individuals.
Bromocriptine – unique formulation of a dopamine agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Importance to the field: There is a large unmet need for new therapies to treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM) which reduce fasting and postprandial glucose without increasing insulin levels and which are not associated with weight gain or hypoglycemia. The quick-release formulation of bromocriptine (bromocriptine-QR; Cycloset™) represents such a therapy. Areas covered in the review: Bromocriptine-QR's proposed mechanism of action, unique formulation and clinical efficacy and safety will be discussed. A Medline search was conducted using the terms: bromocriptine quick-release, circadian rhythms, treatment type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction (years 1985 – 2009). What the reader will gain: The reader will gain an understanding of the importance of the brain as a target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In addition the safety, efficacy and indication for use of a first-in-class dopamine agonist as a treatment option for type 2 diabetes are discussed. Take home message: Bromocriptine-QR is indicated to be used alone or in conjunction with all available treatments for type 2 diabetes. Although the mechanism of action is not fully understood, bromocriptine-QR's action points to a central target in the brain (hypothalamus) which may explain the observed peripheral improvements in metabolic parameters.
Echo correlation analysis of targets with dominant scatterers in diversity MIMO radar

A huge limitation of the correlation analysis in existing scatterer model is that the former model, only consisting of uniformly distributed scatterers, ignores the variability of complex scattering intensity in real situation. In fact, each part of the target has a different scattering architecture. Moreover, the scattering intensity of pinnacle or boundary scattering structure is an order of magnitude larger than the normal scatterers. To solve this problem, this paper studies the correlation coefficient for scattering model which has several dominant scatterers in spatial-frequency diversity MIMO radar. And the positions of the dominant scatterers assumed to be variables to make an equivalent of different real targets. The proposed analysis enhances the authenticity of scattering model and can simulate the real model accurately. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Influence of Gender on Arrhythmia Characteristics and Outcome in the Multicenter UnSustained Tachycardia Trial

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated gender differences in risk of sudden death in patients with ischemic heart disease. The Multicenter UnSustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT) evaluated the ability of therapy guided by electrophysiologic (EP) testing to reduce mortality in patients with coronary disease, ejection fraction ≤40%, and spontaneous nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.
Evaluating a theory-based health education intervention to improve awareness of prostate cancer among men in Western Jamaica.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a theory-based health education intervention on awareness of prostate cancer and intention to screen among men in Western Jamaica. METHODS One hundred and eighty-eight men attending outpatient clinics in a hospital in Western Jamaica completed an interviewer-administered pretest survey. Following the pretest, participants received a health education intervention related to prostate cancer and an immediate post-test survey RESULTS There were statistically significant increases in the percentage of correct responses between the pretest and post-test (p < 0.05). The greatest improvement was among items measuring knowledge of prostate cancer screening tests. Participants moved across the Stages of Change theoretical constructs indicating intention to screen. CONCLUSION The sample was receptive to information about prostate cancer and the use of a theory-based educational intervention positively influenced knowledge of prostate cancer risk factors, symptoms, and types of screenings. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS This theory-based patient education programme can be replicated to promote awareness of prostate cancer and informed screening methods including potential risk associated with screening behaviours.
Genome-Wide Methylation and Gene Expression Changes in Newborn Rats following Maternal Protein Restriction and Reversal by Folic Acid

A large body of evidence from human and animal studies demonstrates that the maternal diet during pregnancy can programme physiological and metabolic functions in the developing fetus, effectively determining susceptibility to later disease. The mechanistic basis of such programming is unclear but may involve resetting of epigenetic marks and fetal gene expression. The aim of this study was to evaluate genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression in the livers of newborn rats exposed to maternal protein restriction. On day one postnatally, there were 618 differentially expressed genes and 1183 differentially methylated regions (FDR 5%). The functional analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated a significant effect on DNA repair/cycle/maintenance functions and of lipid, amino acid metabolism and circadian functions. Enrichment for known biological functions was found to be associated with differentially methylated regions. Moreover, these epigenetically altered regions overlapped genetic loci associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Both expression changes and DNA methylation changes were largely reversed by supplementing the protein restricted diet with folic acid. Although the epigenetic and gene expression signatures appeared to underpin largely different biological processes, the gene expression profile of DNA methyl transferases was altered, providing a potential link between the two molecular signatures. The data showed that maternal protein restriction is associated with widespread differential gene expression and DNA methylation across the genome, and that folic acid is able to reset both molecular signatures.
Long Noncoding RNA MEG3 Interacts with p53 Protein and Regulates Partial p53 Target Genes in Hepatoma Cells

Maternally Expressed Gene 3 (MEG3) encodes a lncRNA which is suggested to function as a tumor suppressor. Previous studies suggested that MEG3 functioned through activation of p53, however, the functional properties of MEG3 remain obscure and their relevance to human diseases is under continuous investigation. Here, we try to illuminate the relationship of MEG3 and p53, and the consequence in hepatoma cells. We find that transfection of expression construct of MEG3 enhances stability and transcriptional activity of p53. Deletion analysis of MEG3 confirms that full length and intact structure of MEG3 are critical for it to activate p53-mediated transactivation. Interestingly, our results demonstrate for the first time that MEG3 can interact with p53 DNA binding domain and various p53 target genes are deregulated after overexpression of MEG3 in hepatoma cells. Furthermore, results of qRT-PCR have shown that MEG3 RNA is lost or reduced in the majority of HCC samples compared with adjacent non-tumorous samples. Ectopic expression of MEG3 in hepatoma cells significantly inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis. In conclusion, our data demonstrates that MEG3 functions as a tumor suppressor in hepatoma cells through interacting with p53 protein to activate p53-mediated transcriptional activity and influence the expression of partial p53 target genes.
A 10.7-MHz fully balanced, Q-of-267, 103-dB-dynamic-range current-tunable bandpass filter

A 10.7-MHz fully balanced, high-Q, wide-dynamic-range current-tunable bandpass filter is presented. The technique is relatively simple based on three fully balanced components, i.e. an adder, a low-Q-based bandpass filter and a differential amplifier. The high-Q factor is possible through a tunable bias current. As a simple example at 10.7 MHz, the paper demonstrates the high-Q factor of 267, the total low output noise of 2.089 muVrms, the 3rd-order intermodulation-free dynamic range (IMFDR3) of 82.59 dB, and the wide dynamic range of 103 dB at 1% IM3. The centre frequency is current tunable over 3 orders of magnitude. Comparisons to other 10.7-MHz approaches are also included.