Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of CD97 in Intestinal Epithelial Cells of Transgenic Mice Attenuates Colitis by Strengthening Adherens Junctions

The adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor CD97 is present in normal colonic enterocytes but overexpressed in colorectal carcinoma. To investigate the function of CD97 in colorectal carcinogenesis, transgenic Tg(villin-CD97) mice overexpressing CD97 in enterocytes were generated and subjected to azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Unexpectedly, we found a CD97 cDNA copy number-dependent reduction of DSS-induced colitis in Tg compared to wild-type (WT) mice that was confirmed by applying a simple DSS protocol. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that overexpression of CD97 strengthened lateral cell-cell contacts between enterocytes, which, in contrast, were weakened in CD97 knockout (Ko) mice. Transepithelial resistance was not altered in Tg and Ko mice, indicating that tight junctions were not affected. In Tg murine and normal human colonic enterocytes as well as in colorectal cell lines CD97 was localized preferentially in E-cadherin-based adherens junctions. CD97 overexpression upregulated membrane-bound but not cytoplasmic or nuclear β-catenin and reduced phospho-β-catenin, labeled for degradation. This was associated with inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and activation of Akt. In summary, CD97 increases the structural integrity of enterocytic adherens junctions by increasing and stabilizing junctional β-catenin, thereby regulating intestinal epithelial strength and attenuating experimental colitis.
Mitigation of spectral broadening in high peak power holmium-doped fibre sources

Holmium fibre lasers are required for remote sensing, LIDAR and some medical applications [1]. In addition, pulsed Holmium fibre lasers also offer an attractive power scalable alternative to Ho:YAG and Ho:YLF lasers for pumping mid-infrared optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). In these applications it is necessary to operate at a high peak power (>20 kW) with minimal spectral broadening (<2 nm bandwidth) [2]. This is challenging due to the onset of nonlinear effects such as modulation instability (MI) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS).
Percutaneous Cryoablation of Extraabdominal Desmoid Tumors: A 10-Year Experience.

OBJECTIVE Extraabdominal desmoid (EAD) tumors pose a therapeutic challenge because they often recur locally and behave aggressively. Accepted management options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and observation. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous cryoablation for the treatment of EAD tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective search of our cryoablation database was performed to identify patients with EAD tumors treated with percutaneous cryoablation between June 15, 2004, and June 15, 2014. During this 10-year time period, we treated 18 patients with 26 discrete tumors during 31 treatment sessions. After cryoablation, contrast-enhanced MRI or CT was performed. Any enhancing soft tissue was considered viable EAD tumor and was measured in three planes. RESULTS Of the 26 EAD tumors treated, follow-up imaging with IV contrast material was available for 23 tumors. The mean imaging follow-up was 16.2 ± 20.0 (SD) months. All 31 sessions were technically successful procedures. No residual viable EAD tumor was observed in nine of 23 tumors (39.1%). Some degree of volume reduction was evident in 22 of 23 tumors (95.7%). Progressive disease was observed in one of the 23 tumors (4.3%). Of the cases with residual or progressive disease, the recurrence occurred at the margin of the treated tumor in all cases. No major complications were observed, and none of the complications was more severe than Clavien-Dindo grade I. CONCLUSION Percutaneous cryoablation is a safe, effective, and repeatable treatment for achieving local control of EAD tumors.
Disruption of prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 impairs urinary concentration via decreasing aquaporin 2 in renal collecting ducts

Significance Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in maintaining water and sodium homeostasis via its four membrane-associated receptors including EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4. This study uncovers a unique role for the EP4 receptor in controlling urine volume independent of antidiuretic hormone (arginine vasopressin). EP4 activation increases collecting duct aquaporin 2 (AQP2) expression in a cAMP/cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB)-dependent manner and promotes its membrane sorting via the cAMP/protein kinase A and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways. The ability of EP4 to increase AQP2 membrane targeting and cellular abundance makes it a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of clinical disorders including acquired and congenital diabetes insipidus. The antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin is a systemic effector in urinary concentration. However, increasing evidence suggests that other locally produced factors may also play an important role in the regulation of water reabsorption in renal collecting ducts. Recently, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP4 has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. To evaluate the role of EP4 in regulating water homeostasis, mice with renal tubule-specific knockout of EP4 (Ksp-EP4−/−) and collecting duct-specific knockout of EP4 (AQP2-EP4−/−) were generated using the Cre-loxP recombination system. Urine concentrating defect was observed in both Ksp-EP4−/− and AQP2-EP4−/− mice. Decreased aquaporin 2 (AQP2) abundance and apical membrane targeting in renal collecting ducts were evident in Ksp-EP4−/− mice. In vitro studies demonstrated that AQP2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly up-regulated in mouse primary inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells after pharmacological activation or adenovirus-mediated overexpression of EP4 in a cAMP/cAMP-response element binding protein-dependent manner. In addition, EP4 activation or overexpression also increased AQP2 membrane accumulation in a mouse IMCD cell line (IMCD3) stably transfected with the AQP2 gene, mainly through the cAMP/protein kinase A and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways. In summary, the EP4 receptor in renal collecting ducts plays an important role in regulating urinary concentration under physiological conditions. The ability of EP4 to promote AQP2 membrane targeting and increase AQP2 abundance makes it a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of clinical disorders including acquired and congenital diabetes insipidus.
Effect of combined treatment of radiation and tissue-specific recombinant oncolytic adenovirus on bladder cancer cells

Abstract Purpose: Gene therapy combined with radiation has shown promising potential for the treatment of tumors. This paper aimed to clarify the synergistic effect of radiotherapy combined with the bladder cancer tissue-specific oncolytic adenovirus (Ad-PSCAE-UPII-E1A) on bladder cancer cells and to study the underlying synergy mechanisms of the combined treatment. Materials and methods: The Adenovirus carrying E1A under control of UPII promoter and prostate stem cell antigen enhancer (PSCAE) were successfully constructed. The viability of bladder cancer cells BIU-87 and EJ was determined by MTT assay. The apoptotic assay was demonstrated by flow cytometry and TEM. Virus titer was determined by TCID50 assay, and proteins Mre11, Chk2-Thr68, and E1A were analyzed by Western blot method. Results: Oncolytic adenovirus combined with radiotherapy improved antitumor efficacy compared with the single treatment at a time and was X-ray dosage-dependent. When the adenovirus infection was scheduled at 24 h after irradiation, cancer cells had the lowest viability. Adenovirus and irradiation induced cell death through the caspase-3 related apoptotic pathway, and bladder cancer cells were arrested at the G1 (BIU-87) or S phase (EJ). Autophagic vacuoles were observed in bladder cancer cells treated with radiation and adenovirus. After irradiation, more virus particles were observed in the BIU-87 and EJ cells. However, by a TCID50 assay, there was no difference in virus titter between irradiated bladder cancer cells and unirradiated cells. The proteins Mre11, Chk2-Thr68 which involved in the DNA break repair pathway were decreased while γ-H2AX-Ser139 increased; at the same time, the E1A gene and the hexon proteins of oncolytic adenovirus were increased after irradiation. Conclusions: Our results proved synergistic antitumor effect of adenovirus Ad-PSCAE-UPII-E1A and radiation, which might be a potential therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer.
Racial/ethnic differences in breast cancer outcomes among older patients: effects of physician communication and patient empowerment.

OBJECTIVES To examine racial/ethnic disparities in older women's health-related quality of life (QoL) and type of breast cancer treatment as mediated by physician-level and individual-level variables. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of a population-based, consecutive sample identified through the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program of Latina (n = 99), African American (n = 66), and White (n = 92) women aged 55 years or older (N = 257) between 3 and 9 months after primary breast cancer diagnosis and at least 1 month posttreatment. An exploratory, empirically developed latent variable model tested the relationships among demographic and physician-related variables, patient attitudes, and health-related outcomes. Health-related outcomes included QoL measures and receipt of breast conserving surgery (BCS). RESULTS Latinas reported less BCS and poorer QoL compared with Whites. Physician communication that can empower patients, in terms of patient efficacy in patient? physician interactions and breast cancer knowledge, mitigated racial/ethnic disparities in receipt of BCS. Physician emotional support was not related to patient cognitive empowerment and treatment outcomes. Medical mistrust in minority women was related to less self-efficacy and less positive coping, as well as, both directly and indirectly, to reduced QoL. Latinas reported poorer QoL in the tested model. CONCLUSION Physician communication style, specifically information giving and participatory decision making, may empower older women with breast cancer and help mitigate racial/ethnic disparities in surgical treatment received.
The relationship between stress and illness: a historical and theoretical review of some conceptual and methodological problems in research

Research into stress and illness is fraught with methodological and conceptual problems. These problems have slowed progress in research. Life stress variables are still conceptualized at a crude, simplistic and naive level. Research findings in life stress, either in terms of increasing the predictive power of life stress variables, or enhancing our understanding of the stress-disorder relationship, have advanced little in the last ten to twenty years. A possible approach to this problem is adopted in this thesis. By looking at how the ways in which the term stress has been used and developed in different areas of research, the diverse uses of this concept can be distinguished. The background to stress and illness research can now be approached with a clear conception of these different uses. Although there is general evidence for the link between stress and illness, knowledge about the processes and mechanisms involved is sparse. Many of the insights made by early researchers in psychosomatic medicine, that disease causation is mullticausal, appear to have been forgotten by many researchers who use only a few variables in their research designs. The idea of 'mediators' of stress presupposes a certain model of stress, loosely based on a engineering analogy, where stress is pictured as an external force, which the individual will resist, and moderating factors will reduce the impact of the force. This analogy is influential in life stress research, but little evidence exists to suggest it may be correct. Recent moves towards assessing daily stress and coping have been criticised as such variables are contaminated by others. An unresolvable difference exists between those who see stress varibles as objectively measurable, and those who view stress and health as part of a much larger ongoing interaction between the person and their environment, and coping and social support variables as part of a more general effort to adapt.
Quality of life after breast carcinoma surgery

Because breast‐conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy alone, and mastectomy with reconstruction are equally effective for the treatment of early stage breast carcinoma, women's choice among them often focuses on quality‐of‐life (QOL) issues. Information regarding QOL after these surgical treatments could help women with this decision.
Privacy , Information Acquisition , and Market Competition

This paper analyzes how the endogenous availability of personal information affects market outcomes in a two-sided market where sellers target advertisements to individuals who have varying privacy concerns. I focus on how a market entrant that has worse targeting technology than an incumbent is affected by a lack of information. I show that an entrant is disproportionately affected by consumers’ privacy concerns. The welfare analysis shows that privacy concerns and the resulting market outcomes may lower consumer surplus and social welfare. Therefore, individually optimal decisions on data disclosure might not be socially optimal when aggregated. The empirical evidence, which is based on Google Android App Market data, corroborates the hypotheses in the model and the effectiveness of specific policy remedies that are derived from the theoretical findings.
Main-chain heterobimetallic block copolymers: synthesis and self-assembly of polyferrocenylsilane-b-poly(cobaltoceniumethylene).

Two metals are better than one: Main-chain heterometallic block copolymers composed of iron- and cobalt-rich blocks (see picture) were synthesized through consecutive photocontrolled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of sila[1]ferrocenophanes and dicarba[2]cobaltocenophanes followed by oxidation of the cobaltocene-containing block. The redox properties and self-assembly of the resulting block copolymers in solution were also studied.
Gamma interferon production and plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins 1 and 2 in gestating dairy cows naturally infected with Neospora caninum.

Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production and cross-breed pregnancy have been attributed a role in protecting dairy cows infected with Neospora caninum against abortion. Plasma levels of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins-1 (PAG-1) are a marker of placental/foetal well-being and of PAG-2 is an abortion risk indicator in chronically N. caninum-infected animals. The present study examines, in cross-breed pregnancies, interactions between IFN-γ production and levels of PAG-1 and PAG-2 in non-aborting naturally Neospora-infected dairy cows. Data were obtained from 60 pregnant Holstein-Friesian cows: 44 Neospora-seropositive and 16 Neospora-seronegative; 12 became pregnant using Holstein-Friesian semen and 48 using Limousin semen. Blood samples were collected on Days 40, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 of gestation. Gamma interferon was only detected in the plasma of nine of the 44 Neospora-seropositive cows, all of them became pregnant using Limousin semen. Through GLM procedures, in cows inseminated with Limousin semen and Neospora-seropositive cows showing no IFN-γ production, PAG-1 concentrations were high and increased throughout gestation compared to the levels detected in cows inseminated with Holstein-Friesian semen and Neospora-seropositive cows producing IFN-γ, respectively. In Neospora-seronegative cows and in Neospora-seropositive cows showing no IFN-γ production, significantly increased PAG-2 concentrations were observed on gestation Day 120. Our findings indicate that IFN-γ production correlates negatively and the production of antibodies against N. caninum is uncorrelated with plasma PAG concentrations during gestation in Neospora-infected dairy cows. Accordingly, IFN-γ production could be linked to the transplacental migration of tachyzoites, which may cause a reduction in PAG levels.
Seasonal link between food hoarding and burrow use in a nonhibernating rodent

Food-storage behaviors can be plastic for food-hoarding species. Some hibernating, granivorous rodents switch seasonally from scatter hoarding (storing food in small, separate caches) to larder hoarding (concentrating food in a central location). To date, little is known about seasonal food-hoarding behaviors of free-living rodents that forage and store food year-round (i.e., nonhibernators). Using direct observations, radiotelemetry, and tracking with fluorescent powder, we discovered a striking seasonal shift in food-hoarding behaviors for Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii), a nonhibernating rodent in a region with dramatic seasonal climate (i.e., the Great Plains of the United States). In winter, D. ordii almost exclusively larder hoarded seeds in burrows and used a single burrow, which is consistent with the larder-defensibility hypothesis of food storage. The lack of suitable sites to scatter hoard due to snow cover and frozen soils likely contributed to larder hoarding in winter. In summer, most individuals scatter hoarded near seed sources, which is consistent with the rapid-sequestering hypothesis of food storage. In summer, individuals also commonly used multiple burrows, and differences in food-hoarding and burrow-use behavior were observed between sexes and between reproductively active and inactive females. By scatter hoarding and using multiple burrows in summer, kangaroo rats likely reduce costs associated with defending larder hoards while increasing benefits associated with reproduction. The seasonal interplay between food hoarding and burrow use by D. ordii appears to be important for securing and maintaining resources throughout the year in a temperate environment.
Risk of total knee arthroplasty after operatively treated tibial plateau fracture: a matched-population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND The aims of operative treatment of displaced tibial plateau fractures are to stabilize the injured knee to restore optimal function and to minimize the risk of posttraumatic arthritis and the eventual need for total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of our study was to define the rate of subsequent total knee arthroplasty after tibial plateau fractures in a large cohort and to compare that rate with the rate in the general population. METHODS All patients sixteen years of age or older who had undergone surgical treatment of a tibial plateau fracture from 1996 to 2009 in the province of Ontario, Canada, were identified from administrative health databases with use of surgeon fee codes. Each member of the tibial plateau fracture cohort was matched to four individuals from the general population according to age, sex, income, and urban/rural residence. The rates of total knee arthroplasty at two, five, and ten years were compared by using time-to-event analysis. A separate Cox proportional hazards model was used to explore the influence of patient, provider, and surgical factors on the time to total knee arthroplasty. RESULTS We identified 8426 patients (48.5% female; median age, 48.9 years) who had undergone fixation of a tibial plateau fracture and matched them to 33,698 controls. The two, five, and ten-year rates of total knee arthroplasty in the plateau fracture and control cohorts were 0.32% versus 0.29%, 5.3% versus 0.82%, and 7.3% versus 1.8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for comorbidity, plateau fracture surgery was found to significantly increase the likelihood of total knee arthroplasty (hazard ratio [HR], 5.29 [95% confidence interval, 4.58, 6.11]; p < 0.0001). Higher rates of total knee arthroplasty were also associated with increasing age (HR, 1.03 [1.03, 1.04] per year over the age of forty-eight; p < 0.0001), bicondylar fracture (HR, 1.53 [1.26, 1.84]; p < 0.0001), and greater comorbidity (HR, 2.17 [1.70, 2.77]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Ten years after tibial plateau fracture surgery, 7.3% of the patients had had a total knee arthroplasty. This corresponds to a 5.3 times increase in likelihood compared with a matched group from the general population. Older patients and those with more severe fractures are also more likely to need total knee arthroplasty after repair of a tibial plateau fracture.
Managing the KM Trade-Off: Knowledge Centralization versus Distribution

KM is more an archipelago of theories and practices rather than a monolithic approach. We propose a conceptual map that organizes some major approaches to KM according to their assumptions on the nature of knowledge. The paper introduces the two major views on knowledge ­objectivist, subjectivist - and explodes each of them into two major approaches to KM: knowledge as a market, and knowledge as intellectual capital (the objectivistic perspective); knowledge as mental models, and knowledge as practice (the subjectivist perspective). We argue that the dichotomy between objective and subjective approaches is intrinsic to KM within complex organizations, as each side of the dichotomy responds to different, and often conflicting, needs: on the one hand, the need to maximize the value of knowledge through its replication; on the other hand, the need to keep knowledge appropriate to an increasingly complex and changing environment. Moreover, as a proposal for a deeper discussion, such trade-off will be suggested as the origin of other relevant KM related trade-offs that will be listed. Managing these trade-offs will be proposed as a main challenge of KM.
The Speedup of Nautilus , a new DSM System , Compared to TreadMarks

Nautilus is a Multithreaded Distributed Shared Memory system based on scope consistency. The multithread implementation disallows the use of SIGIO signals, which permits to minimize the context switch of traditional processes, thus improving the speedups. This paper shows the results of some benchmarks submitted to Nautilus. To have an accurate and correct evaluation of Nautilus, it is compared with the main important DSM system: TreadMarks. The benchmarks evaluated in this study are: IS(from NAS), LU (from SPLASH-II), Matmul (matrix multiplication) and SOR (from Rice University).
The COW1 Locus of Arabidopsis Acts after RHD2, and in Parallel with RHD3 and TIP1, to Determine the Shape, Rate of Elongation, and Number of Root Hairs Produced from Each Site of Hair Formation

Two recessive mutant alleles at CAN OF WORMS1 (COW1), a new locus involved in root hair morphogenesis, have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh. Root hairs on Cow1- mutants are short and wide and occasionally formed as pairs at a single site of hair formation. The COW1 locus maps to chromosome 4. Root hairs on Cow1- plants form in the usual positions, suggesting that the phenotype is not the result of abnormal positional signals. Root hairs on Cowl- roots begin hair formation normally, forming a small bulge, or root hair initiation site, of normal size and shape and in the usual position on the hair-forming cell. However, when Cow1- root hairs start to elongate by tip growth, abnormalities in the shape and elongation rate of the hairs become apparent. Genetic evidence from double-mutant analysis of cow1–1 and other loci involved in root hair development supports our conclusion that COW1 is required during root hair elongation.