Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-16 Modulates Melatonin-Induced Cell Growth in the Mouse-Derived Spermatogonia Cell Line GC-1 spg Cells by Targeting Ccnd11

ABSTRACT Melatonin exerts a range of physiological effects. However, the functional significance of melatonin in spermatogenesis and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential in the initiation and progression of testicular development, including spermatogenesis. Thus far, limited information is known about the role of miRNAs in melatonin-mediated spermatogenesis. In this study, the expression levels of testicular miRNA machinery genes, namely, Dgcr8 and Xpo5, were significantly increased by melatonin. The miRNA expression profile was identified in the testes of melatonin-treated mice. Ten miRNAs were significantly up-regulated, and 15 miRNAs were down-regulated. Melatonin (25 μM) enhanced cell growth and reduced apoptosis in GC-1 spg cells. Among the down-regulated miRNAs, miR-16 expression was influenced by melatonin in GC-1 spg cells. The miR-16 mimics in GC-1 spg cells significantly suppressed cell growth and promoted cell apoptosis. Conversely, transfection of the miR-16 inhibitor significantly increased cell growth and decreased cell apoptosis. The protein expression level of CCND1 (Cyclin D1) in GC-1 spg cells was decreased by the miR-16 mimics and increased by knockdown of miR-16. Moreover, bioinformatics and reporter activity analyses showed that Ccnd1 was a potential target of miR-16. These results suggested that miR-16 may function as a novel regulator of testicular functions during melatonin stimulation by targeting Ccnd1.
Early presentation of endomyocardial fibrosis in a 22-month-old child: a case report

Abstract We present an unusual, biopsy-proven case of endomyocardial fibrosis in a 22-month-old male child, which progressed rapidly resulting in death. The patient was born to a father originating from Mozambique, where the disease is endemic but who had not himself travelled there, suggesting a genetic link. Other remarkable features were the presence of a right ventricular diverticulum, and a positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test.
Reading Performance Improvements in Patients with Central Vision Loss without Age-Related Macular Degeneration after Undergoing Personalized Rehabilitation Training

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a reading rehabilitation program (RRP) in patients with central visual loss (CVL) and assess the impact of the RRP on the quality of life (QoL). Methods: The RRP included four in-office and 39 in-home training sessions over 6 weeks. Reading speed, duration, and font size were evaluated during each in-office session. The subjective perception of the QoL was assessed before and after the RRP using the short version of a questionnaire (World Health Organization Quality of Life). A control group who received advice about ocular conditions and low-vision aids also was included. Results: Seventeen patients with Stargardt’s disease (STGD), 11 with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AFVD), and eight with myopic macular degeneration (MMD) were included. The control group included five patients each with STGD, AFVD, and MMD. The respective mean corrected distance visual acuities (VAs) in patients with STGD, AFVD, MMD, and the control group were 0.57 ± 0.38, 0.51 ± 0.38, 0.49 ± 0.24, and 0.55 ± 0.25 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution; the mean corrected near VAs were 0.89 ± 0.20, 1.08 ± 0.17, 0.99 ± 0.34, and 1.18 ± 0.37 (M notation) using low-vision aids. The reading speed, duration, and font size improved in all groups. The RRP groups obtained (p ≤ 0.01) greater improvements than the control group in each reading performance variable assessed. Patients with STGD obtained greater improvements in the subjective evaluation; the control group did not obtain noteworthy improvement in any domain. Conclusions: The RRP improved reading performance in patients with CVL and positively impacted the subjective perception of the QoL.
Long-Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Can We Distinguish Ectopic Activity From Reentry by Epicardial Mapping?

Both abnormal impulse initiation and reentry have been proposed as mechanism for the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Ectopic activity of the pulmonary veins often is the electric trigger for AF in patients with paroxysmal AF. A high-impulse frequency of the ectopic focus may give rise to irregular, fibrillatory conduction, which leads to the freakish electric pattern of AF. It is, however, often unclear whether the ectopic activity is based on abnormal impulse formation or abnormal conduction (reentry). Article see p 2108 Experimental and clinical data provide evidence for both mechanisms.1 Other data show that multiple wavelet reentry may be present in the early phase of atrial remodeling as well.2 Remodeling of the atrium may be progressive because of an underlying cardiac disease and the arrhythmia itself (AF begets AF). 3 Remodeling involves changes of structural, electric, and neural parameters. This will change the mechanism of AF and finally result in persistent AF, in which the substrate becomes more complex and AF is more difficult to treat. Knowledge about the mechanism of the arrhythmia is important for treatment strategies, but there is still discussion about the mechanism of AF. Although evidence has been provided for both reentry and abnormal impulse initiation, one should realize that the mechanism may change if remodeling progresses. In addition, the mechanism of AF will depend on the underlying cardiac disease. Heart failure, hypertension, valvular heart disease, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and hyperthyroidism are all triggers for AF and may give rise to different mechanisms of the arrhythmia. In this issue of Circulation , the group of Waldo4 performed high-density epicardial mapping of the atria in patients with persistent AF. Patients had multiple comorbidities and virtually all had valvular heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure, which means that the group of patients is …
Do plant sterol concentrations correlate with coronary artery disease in type 1 diabetes? A report from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study

Background: It has been suggested that plant sterol absorption is increased in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and that this may relate to the increased cardiovascular risk seen in T1DM. The cardiovascular benefit of lowering low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol with statin medication has also been shown to be influenced by plant sterol absorption.
Finite-blocklength analysis of the ARQ-protocol throughput over the Gaussian collision channel

We present a finite-blocklength analysis of the throughput and the average delay achievable in a wireless system where i) several uncoordinated users transmit short coded packets, ii) interference is treated as noise, and iii) 1-bit feedback from the intended receivers enables the use of a simple automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocol. Our analysis exploits the recent results on the characterization of the maximum coding rate at finite blocklength and finite block-error probability by Polyanskiy, Poor, and Verdú (2010), and by Yang et al. (2013). For a given number of information bits, we determine the coded-packet size that maximize the per-user throughput and minimize the average delay. Our numerical results indicate that, when optimal codes are used, very short coded packets (of length between 50 to 100 channel uses) yield significantly lower average delay at an almost negligible throughput loss, compared to longer coded packets.
Displaced dynamic expression regression for real-time facial tracking and animation

We present a fully automatic approach to real-time facial tracking and animation with a single video camera. Our approach does not need any calibration for each individual user. It learns a generic regressor from public image datasets, which can be applied to any user and arbitrary video cameras to infer accurate 2D facial landmarks as well as the 3D facial shape from 2D video frames. The inferred 2D landmarks are then used to adapt the camera matrix and the user identity to better match the facial expressions of the current user. The regression and adaptation are performed in an alternating manner. With more and more facial expressions observed in the video, the whole process converges quickly with accurate facial tracking and animation. In experiments, our approach demonstrates a level of robustness and accuracy on par with state-of-the-art techniques that require a time-consuming calibration step for each individual user, while running at 28 fps on average. We consider our approach to be an attractive solution for wide deployment in consumer-level applications.
Anti-inflammatory effects of cordycepin in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages through Toll-like receptor 4-mediated suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-κB signaling pathways

Cordycepin is the main functional component of the Cordyceps species, which has been widely used in traditional Oriental medicine. This compound possesses many pharmacological properties, such as an ability to enhance immune function, as well as antioxidant, antiaging, and anticancer effects. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of cordycepin using a murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell model. Our data demonstrated that cordycepin suppressed production of proinflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 by inhibiting inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression. Cordycepin also inhibited the release of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1-beta, through downregulation of respective mRNA expression. In addition, pretreatment with cordycepin significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activating protein kinases and attenuated nuclear translocation of NF-κB by LPS, which was associated with abrogation of inhibitor kappa B-alpha degradation. Furthermore, cordycepin potently inhibited the binding of LPS to macrophages and LPS-induced Toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 expression. Taken together, the results suggest that the inhibitory effects of cordycepin on LPS-stimulated inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages are associated with suppression of mitogen-activating protein kinases and activation of NF-κB by inhibition of the Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway.
Polymorphisms in the interleukin‐6 receptor gene are associated with body mass index and with characteristics of the metabolic syndrome

Objective Low‐grade inflammation has been related to obesity, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. The Asp358Ala variant and the CA‐repeat polymorphism in the interleukin‐6 receptor (IL‐6R) gene have been reported to be associated with obesity in Pima Indians and Spanish women, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between these polymorphisms and obesity in a Mediterranean‐Caucasian population, and to determine whether this polymorphism was related to the metabolic syndrome as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program – Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP‐III) criteria.
Use of a hemadsorption technique to evaluate the stability of the hemagglutination reaction of Escherichia coli cultures possessing human colonization factor antigens

Two strains of Escherichia coli, producing different colonization factor antigens (CFA), were monitored for the population density of CFA-producing bacteria after repeated subculture. The production of CFA was estimated by flooding agar plates containing isolated colonies with suspensions of human or bovine erythrocytes. The erythrocytes were suspended in a low-ionic-strength buffer and were fixed to CFA-positive colonies with a 1.0% tannic acid solution. Strain H-10407, possessing CFA/I fimbriae, showed a rapid loss of the hemagglutinin when subcultured, whereas strain CL-9699, producing CFA/II, was very stable. By using the hemadsorption assay, we could rapidly and easily distinguish CFA- positive colonies from the CFA-negative variants. A survey of additional E. coli strains demonstrated the utility and specificity of the hemadsorption technique used.
BRAF-mutant melanoma: treatment approaches, resistance mechanisms, and diagnostic strategies

BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib achieved improved overall survival over chemotherapy and have been approved for the treatment of BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. More recently, the combination of BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib with MEK inhibitor trametinib has shown improved progression-free survival, compared to dabrafenib monotherapy, in a Phase II study and has received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, even when treated with the combination, most patients develop mechanisms of acquired resistance, and some of them do not achieve tumor regression at all, because of intrinsic resistance to therapy. Along with the development of BRAF inhibitors, immunotherapy made an important step forward: ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, was approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma; anti-PD-1 agents achieved promising results in Phase I/II trials, and data from Phase III studies will be ready soon. The availability of such drugs, which are effective regardless of BRAF status, has made the therapeutic approach more complex, as first-line treatment with BRAF inhibitors may not be the best choice for all BRAF-mutated patients. The aim of this paper is to review the systemic therapeutic options available today for patients affected by BRAF V600-mutated metastatic melanoma, as well as to summarize the mechanisms of resistance to BRAF inhibitors and discuss the possible strategies to overcome them. Moreover, since the molecular analysis of tumor specimens is now a pivotal and decisional factor in the treatment strategy of metastatic melanoma patients, the advances in the molecular detection techniques for the BRAF V600 mutation will be reported.
A Model for Low‐Frequency Earthquake Slip

Using high‐resolution relative low‐frequency earthquake (LFE) locations, we calculate the patch areas (Ap) of LFE families. During episodic tremor and slip (ETS) events, we define AT as the area that slips during LFEs and ST as the total amount of summed LFE slip. Using observed and calculated values for AP, AT, and ST, we evaluate two end‐member models for LFE slip within an LFE family patch. In the ductile matrix model, LFEs produce 100% of the observed ETS slip (SETS) in distinct subpatches (i.e., AT ≪ AP). In the connected patch model, AT = AP, but ST ≪ SETS. LFEs cluster into 45 LFE families. Spatial gaps (∼10 to 20 km) between LFE family clusters and smaller gaps within LFE family clusters serve as evidence that LFE slip is heterogeneous on multiple spatial scales. We find that LFE slip only accounts for ∼0.2% of the slip within the slow slip zone. There are depth‐dependent trends in the characteristic (mean) moment and in the number of LFEs during both ETS events (only) and the entire ETS cycle ( Mcets and NTets and Mcall and NTall , respectively). During ETS, Mc decreases with downdip distance but NT does not change. Over the entire ETS cycle, Mc decreases with downdip distance, but NT increases. These observations indicate that deeper LFE slip occurs through a larger number (800–1,200) of small LFEs, while updip LFE slip occurs primarily during ETS events through a smaller number (200–600) of larger LFEs. This could indicate that the plate interface is stronger and has a higher stress threshold updip.
Overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‐induced progestin insensitivity in human endometrial carcinoma cells by the EGFR/mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway

Fertility‐sparing management is an important treatment for young women who have endometrial carcinoma (EC). Many patients with EC exhibit insensitivity or resistance to progestin therapy, and the molecular mechanisms of that insensitivity and resistance have been elusive. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been observed in EC, but the roles of EGFR in progestin resistance have not been investigated.
Antibodies to Periodontal Pathogens Are Associated With Coronary Heart Disease

Objective—We analyzed the association of coronary heart disease (CHD) and serology of periodontitis in a random sample (n=1163) of men (aged 45 to 74 years) by determining serum IgG-antibodies to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Methods and Results—CHD (n=159) was more prevalent among edentulous than dentate subjects (19.8% and 12.1%, P =0.003). In the dentate population, CHD was more common among subjects seropositive for P. gingivalis compared with those seronegative (14.0% and 9.7%, P =0.029). Accordingly, CHD was more prevalent in subjects with a high combined antibody response than those with a low response (17.4% and 11.1%, P =0.026). When adjusted for age and several CHD risk factors, the subjects with a high combined antibody response had an odds ratio of 1.5 (95% CI, 0.95 to 2.50, P =0.077) for prevalent CHD. In a linear regression model, the combined antibody response was directly associated with prevalent CHD (P =0.046) and inversely with serum HDL cholesterol concentration (P =0.050). Conclusions—In conclusion, edentulousness and serum antibodies to major periodontal pathogens were associated with CHD. This suggests that periodontal infection or response of the host against the infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of CHD.
The Merchant of Prato - Revisited: Toward a Third Rationality of Information Systems

The failure of SPRINTEL, an interorganizational information system in Prato (Italy), raises number of interesting questions with regard to the technical-economic and socio-political perspectives that currently dominate the information systems~information technology literature. These questions underscore the importance of developing additional theoretical perspectives in order to better understand the role of information systems in organizations. This article reflects upon these questions and their theoretical foundations in the context of a case study. The case study describes the implementation, usage, and outcome of an interorganizational information system. An analysis is made of the extent to which the technical-economic and socio-pofitical perspectives are sufficient to explain the failure of this system. The outcome of the analysis shows that these two perspectives are insufficient to provide an explanation. Based on the fiterature from a variety of sources, a third, complementary, perspective is developed. Like the socio-political perspective (Kling 1980), this perspective is also an interactionist perspective. However, instead of focusing on pofitics and conflict as the primary interaction mode, it focuses on collaboration and cooperation as the key to understanding interaction processes. This perspective introduces a third rationatity of information systems in which trust, social capital, and collaborative relationships become the key
Time-sensitive trust calculation between social network friends for personalized recommendation

When creating social recommender systems, trust between various users in social networks emerges as an essential decisive feature. This paper aims at calculating trust among users by identifying all possible relations that may exist among those users and evaluate them. Although many models were proposed to analyze computational trust in different applications of social web, little importance is given to the time factor even by models that represent trust as a source of recommendation measurement. Emphasized in this paper is the temporal factor and its role in improving the accuracy of trust in social recommender systems. We propose to integrate the temporal factor in measuring trust between social network friends. A Trusted Friends' Facebook application is developed to demonstrate the importance of time in the users' interactions for determining social trusted friends. After that, this application will be used in a semantic social tourism recommender system as a smart e-tourism tool to motivate users to travel to Tunisia for medical purposes.
Comparison and validation of simple noninvasive tests for prediction of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C

Liver biopsy is recommended before antiviral treatment, particularly for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, but it may cause complications and is limited by sampling error. Several non‐invasive tests comprising routine laboratory parameters (simple fibrosis tests) have been proposed to predict fibrosis in chronic HCV. The aim of the current study was to validate and compare the diagnostic accuracies of the simple fibrosis tests, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR), cirrhosis discriminant score (CDS), age‐platelet (AP) index, Pohl score, AST‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI), and platelet count per se. Staging was performed in liver biopsy specimens of 194 treatment‐naïve patients with chronic HCV according to Ishak et al. by two independent pathologists. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed comparable diagnostic accuracies of CDS, AP index, APRI, and platelet count for prediction of significant fibrosis (F3‐F6) (area under the ROC curve [AUROC], 0.71, 0.74, 0.80, and 0.71, respectively; pathologist A) and for prediction of cirrhosis (F5‐F6) (AUROC, 0.91, 0.91, 0.90, and 0.89, respectively; pathologist A). Diagnostic accuracy of APRI for prediction of significant fibrosis was superior to that of AAR (P < .05). Significant fibrosis was reliably predicted by APRI ≥ 1.5 and platelet count <150 ×109/L in 24% and 22% of the patients, respectively, whereas cirrhosis was reliably excluded by APRI <2.0 and platelet count ≥ 150 ×109/L in 85% and 78% of the patients, respectively. In conclusion, simple fibrosis tests may render liver biopsy unnecessary only in a minority of patients with chronic HCV. Improved serum fibrosis markers with greater sensitivity for severe fibrosis or cirrhosis are needed. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;41:1376–1382.)