Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diminished Hepatocellular Proliferation in Mice Humanized for the Nuclear Receptor Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α

Lipid-lowering fibrate drugs function as agonists for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα). Sustained activation of PPARα leads to the development of liver tumors in rats and mice. However, humans appear to be resistant to the induction of peroxisome proliferation and the development of liver cancer by fibrate drugs. The molecular basis of this species difference is not known. To examine the mechanism determining species differences in peroxisome proliferator response between mice and humans, a PPARα-humanized mouse line was generated in which the human PPARα was expressed in liver under control of the tetracycline responsive regulatory system. The PPARα-humanized and wild-type mice responded to treatment with the potent PPARα ligand Wy-14643 as revealed by induction of genes encoding peroxisomal and mitochondrial fatty acid metabolizing enzymes and resultant decrease of serum triglycerides. However, surprisingly, only the wild-type mice and not the PPARα-humanized mice exhibited hepatocellular proliferation as revealed by elevation of cell cycle control genes, increased incorporation of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine into hepatocyte nuclei, and hepatomegaly. These studies establish that following ligand activation, the PPARα-mediated pathways controlling lipid metabolism are independent from those controlling the cell proliferation pathways. These findings also suggest that structural differences between human and mouse PPARα are responsible for the differential susceptibility to the development of hepatocarcinomas observed after treatment with fibrates. The PPARα-humanized mice should serve as models for use in drug development and human risk assessment and to determine the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis of peroxisome proliferators.
Trade, Foreign Direct Investment and Immigration Policy Making in the US

This paper argues that immigration policy formation in the US after 1950 can only be understood in the context of the increasing integration of world markets. Increasing trade openness has exposed firms that rely on immigrant labor to foreign competition and increased the likelihood that these firms fail. Increasing openness by other states to foreign direct investment allowed these same firms to move production overseas. Firms' choice to close their doors or to move overseas decreases their need for labor at home, leading them to spend their political capital on issues other than immigration. Their lack of support for open immigration, in turn, allows policymakers to restrict immigration. An examination of voting behavior on immigration in the US Senate shows that the integration of world capital and goods markets has had an important effect on the politics of immigration in the US and shows little support for existing theories of immigration policy formation. In addition to increasing our understanding of immigration policy, this paper, thus, sheds light on how trade openness and firms' choice of production location can affect their preference for other foreign economic policies as well as domestic policies such as labor, welfare and environmental policies.
H I observations of galaxies. II. The Coma Supercluster

High sensitivity 21-cm H i line observations with an rms noise level of ~0.5 mJy were made of 35 spiral galaxies in the Coma Supercluster, using the refurbished Arecibo telescope, leading to detection of 25 objects. These data, combined with the measurements available in the literature, provide the set of H i data for 94% of all late-type galaxies in the Coma Supercluster with an apparent photographic magnitude $m_{\rm p} \leq 15.7$ mag. We confirm that the typical scale of H i deficiency around the Coma cluster is 2 Mpc, i.e. one virial radius. Comparing the H i mass function (HIMF) of cluster with non-cluster members of the Coma Supercluster we detected a shortage of high H i mass galaxies among cluster members that can be attributed to the pattern of H i deficiency found in rich clusters.
Vascular Health and Risk Management Dovepress Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research Open Access Full Text Article Histopathologic Changes of the Radial Artery Wall Secondary to Transradial Catheterization

Objective: The immediate effects of transradial access on the radial artery wall are unknown. In this study we sought to assess the histological changes induced by catheterization on the radial artery. Methods: Thirty-four patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) had radial arteries harvested to serve as bypass conduits. The proximal and distal ends of the radial artery conduits were sectioned and embedded in paraffin. Both ends of all specimens were evaluated by a blinded pathologist for intimal hyperplasia, medial inflammation, medial calcification, periarterial tissue or fat necrosis, adventitial inflammation, adventitial necrosis, and adventitial neovascularization. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Fifteen previously catheterized radial arteries (TRA group) were compared with 19 noncatheterized arteries (NCA group). The distal ends of the TRA group showed significantly more intimal hyperplasia (73.3% vs 21.1%; p = 0.03), periarterial tissue or fat necrosis (26% vs 0%; p = 0.02), and more adventitial inflammation (33.3% vs 0%; p = 0.01) than the distal ends of the NCA group. The distal ends of the TRA group also showed significantly more intimal hyperplasia (73.3% vs 26.6%; p = 0.03) and adventitial inflammation (33.3% vs 0%; p = 0.01) than the proximal ends of the same arteries. There were no histological differences in the proximal ends of the two groups. Conclusion: Transradial catheterization induces significant histological changes suggestive of radial artery injury limited to the puncture site in the form of intimal hyperplasia, medial inflammation, and tissue necrosis. Both the proximal and distal ends of the radial artery show a spectrum of atherosclerotic changes independent of its use for transradial catheterization.
Antioxidant content and ascorbate metabolism in cherry tomato exocarp in relation to temperature and solar radiation

Considering the economic importance of the tomato and its nutritional benefits to human health, a study was made of how two different environmental factors (temperature and overall solar radiation) influence the nutritional quality of cherry tomatoes during the plant full production cycle. Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Naomi plants were grown in an experimental greenhouse. Three fruit samples were taken over the full production period: first sampling at the beginning of harvest (7 January 2004), second at mid-harvest (22 March 2004) and third at harvest end (30 May 2004). Values for temperature and overall accumulated solar radiation peaked at a maximum in the third sampling, without lowering the yield with respect to previous samplings. Regarding the antioxidant activity in the exocarp fraction of the cherry tomato fruits, the results showed that the increase in temperature and solar radiation diminished the lycopene and β-carotene contents in the third sampling, inducing defective pigmentation (sunscald). This occurred simultaneously with an increase in lipid peroxidation during the third sampling, quantified as lipoxygenase activity and malondialdehyde content. Finally, in relation to ascorbate metabolism, the higher temperatures and stronger solar radiation at the third sampling increased the oxidation of reduced ascorbate (AsA) due to intensified ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and ascorbate oxidase (AO) activities and a depression of the enzyme dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). In conclusion, the results indicate that despite the oxidation of AsA by APX and AO, the minimal regeneration of the latter, together with the greater lipid peroxidation with increasing temperature and solar radiation in the greenhouse, explained the lower content of antioxidants in the exocarp and therefore the loss of nutritional quality of the cherry tomato fruits grown under these conditions.  2006 Society of Chemical Industry
The Identity of Bloggers: Openness and Gender in Personal Weblogs

Work has recently been completed on a PhD Thesis concerning individual difference in the language of personal weblogs (Nowson 2005). This paper highlights some of the results. Blogs are increasingly used as a resource for academic study, as evidenced by this symposium. Bloggers are not, however, representative of the population as a whole: they are more likely to be teenage or 20-something females, and appear to be highly Open to Experience. Following our linguistic analysis of personal blog entries, we are constructing a feature set for the automatic detection of gender: a small amount of n-gram context proves best at accounting for variance when compared to dictionary-based analysis.
Myopathy and phosphorylase kinase deficiency caused by a mutation in the PHKA1 gene

Phosphorylase kinase (PhK) deficiency is the underlying cause of variable clinical symptoms depending on the tissues involved. Until today, only a few cases of myopathy associated with muscle PhK deficiency caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of phosphorylase kinase (PHKA1) have been reported. We describe a male patient with myopathy and absent muscle PhK activity caused by a frameshift mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of PhK on chromosome Xq12‐q13. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Top-Ten Way to Integrate High Schools

We investigate the effects of "top-N percent" policies in college admission on ethnic diversity at the high-school level. These policies produce incentives for students to relocate to schools with weaker academic competition. We provide theoretical conditions under which such school arbitrage will contribute to the desegregation of high schools. Along the way, we show that arbitrage can neutralize the policy at the college level and characterize inter-school flows, which display a cascade effect. Our model's predictions are supported by empirical evidence on the effects of the Texas Top Ten Percent Law, indicating that a policy intended to support diversity at the college level actually helped achieve it in the high schools. Thus, top-N percent and similar location-based policies have potential to be recast as novel instruments for the long-sought goal of achieving high school integration.
Effects of in vivo administration of G–CSF on neutrophil functions in healthy volunteers

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vivo effects of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G–CSF) on neutrophil (PMN) function. G–CSF was administered once daily as s.c. injection for 6 d (d1–6) to healthy male volunteers. PMN migration (modified Boyden chamber), chemiluminescence (CL), adherence to nylon fibers and phagocytosis of IgG‐ and IgG‐C3‐coated particles were investigated before (d1), during (d2, d5) and 3 wk after G–CSF 7.5–10 μg/kg/d (n=12). PMN surface expression of adhesion‐ and Fcγ‐receptors was measured on d1, d5, d8 and 3 wk after G–CSF 3–5 μg/kg (n=12). Results obtained after G–CSF were compared to baseline using Wilcoxon's signed rank test. G–CSF induced PMNs showed a significantly (p<0.05) decreased chemokinetic response (d5) as well as a reduced chemotaxis towards zymosan activated serum, FMLP and IL‐8, respectively. Chemotaxis was reduced both at d2 and d5. Neutrophil adherence, phagocytosis and luminol‐enhanced CL increased, whereas G–CSF had no effect on lucigenin‐enhanced CL. G–CSF (3–5 μg/kg) caused an enhanced expression of CD11b, CD18, CD35, CD64 (FcγRI) and CD32 (FcγRII), respectively. We conclude that neutrophils produced in response to G–CSF have a reduced chemotaxis but an enhanced adherence and phagocytic capacity. G–CSF in vivo does not stimulate the respiratory burst.
Cystamine / cysteamine rescue the dopaminergic system and show neurorestorative properties in an animal model of Parkinson ’ s disease

Citation for published version (APA): Cisbani, G. , Drouin-Ouellet, J., Gibrat, C. , Saint-Pierre, M. , Lagacé, M. , Badrinarayanan, S. , Lavallée-Bourget, M. H. , Charest, J., Chabrat, A. , Boivin, L. , Lebel, M. , Bousquet, M. , Lévesque, M. , & Cicchetti, F. (2015). Cystamine/cysteamine rescues the dopaminergic system and shows neurorestorative properties in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. Neurobiology of Disease, 82, 430-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd. 2015.07. 012
Short- to mid-term evaluation of CT-guided 125I brachytherapy on intra-hepatic recurrent tumors and/or extra-hepatic metastases after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and short- to mid-term efficacy of CT-guided (125)I brachytherapy on intra-hepatic recurrent tumors and/or extra-hepatic metastases after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RESULTS Among the ten patients, one died of liver failure 15 months and one of renal failure 29 months after brachytherapy. All other eight patients survived till the end of the follow-up. Four of them presented good control of local tumor and no systemic recurrence; the other four survived with tumor presence, including three with recurrent tumors undergoing a second (125)I brachytherapy and one switching to a biological target drug treatment. The local control rates after 4, 6, 12 and 24 months are 90.3, 84.0, 75.6 and 72.7% respectively. Procedure-related complications were minimal. METHODS From November 2004-May 2008, ten patients with intra-hepatic recurrent tumors and/or extra-hepatic metastases after liver transplantation for HCC underwent (125)I brachytherapy under the guidance of computed tomography. They were followed up for 4-44 months after brachytherapy and the treatment's efficacy was evaluated. CONCLUSION CT-guided (125)I brachytherapy is a safe and effective therapy on intra-hepatic recurrent tumors and/or extra-hepatic metastases after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. It has the advantages of minimal invasion, significant short- to mid-term local control and minimal complications.
Viruses in Nondisinfected Drinking Water from Municipal Wells and Community Incidence of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness

Background: Groundwater supplies for drinking water are frequently contaminated with low levels of human enteric virus genomes, yet evidence for waterborne disease transmission is lacking. Objectives: We related quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)–measured enteric viruses in the tap water of 14 Wisconsin communities supplied by nondisinfected groundwater to acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) incidence. Methods: AGI incidence was estimated from health diaries completed weekly by households within each study community during four 12-week periods. Water samples were collected monthly from five to eight households per community. Viruses were measured by qPCR, and infectivity assessed by cell culture. AGI incidence was related to virus measures using Poisson regression with random effects. Results: Communities and time periods with the highest virus measures had correspondingly high AGI incidence. This association was particularly strong for norovirus genogroup I (NoV-GI) and between adult AGI and enteroviruses when echovirus serotypes predominated. At mean concentrations of 1 and 0.8 genomic copies/L of NoV-GI and enteroviruses, respectively, the AGI incidence rate ratios (i.e., relative risk) increased by 30%. Adenoviruses were common, but tap-water concentrations were low and not positively associated with AGI. The estimated fraction of AGI attributable to tap-water–borne viruses was between 6% and 22%, depending on the virus exposure–AGI incidence model selected, and could have been as high as 63% among children < 5 years of age during the period when NoV-GI was abundant in drinking water. Conclusions: The majority of groundwater-source public water systems in the United States produce water without disinfection, and our findings suggest that populations served by such systems may be exposed to waterborne viruses and consequent health risks.
Linkages among fluorescent dissolved organic matter, dissolved amino acids and lignin-derived phenols in a river-influenced ocean margin

Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is commonly used to investigate the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, a lack of direct comparisons with known biomolecules makes it difficult to substantiate the molecular composition of specific fluorescent components. Here, coincident surface-water measurements of EEMs, dissolved lignin, and total dissolved amino acid (TDAA) acquired in the northern Gulf of Mexico were used to investigate the relationships between specific fluorescent components and DOM biomolecules. Two terrestrial humic-like components identified by EEM-PARAFAC using samples obtained from river to offshore waters were strongly linearly correlated with dissolved lignin concentrations. In addition, changes in terrestrial humic-like abundance were correlated with those in lignin phenol composition, suggesting such components are largely derived from lignin and its alteration products. By applying EEM-PARAFAC to offshore samples, two protein-like components were obtained. The tryptophan-like component was strongly correlated with TDAA concentrations, corroborating the suggested protein/peptide origin of this component. The ratios of tryptophan-like component to tyrosine-like component or dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were also correlated with DOC-normalized yields of TDAA, suggesting these proxies are useful indicators of the bioavailability of DOM in marine waters of the studied ecosystem.
Guidelines for enteral feeding in adult hospital patients

Patients with undernutrition to a degree that may impair immunity, wound healing, muscle strength, and psychological drive are common in UK hospital populations.1 These individuals cope poorly with modern medical and surgical interventions and, on average, stay in hospital for approximately five days longer than the normally nourished, incurring approximately 50% greater costs.2,3 Hospitals should therefore aim to provide at least adequate nutrition to all patients. In the majority, this can be achieved by the catering services if they offer good food and care is taken to avoid missed meals and to provide physical help with eating, as necessary. However, even if these ideals are met, many hospital patients do not or cannot eat adequately. Some of these will benefit from oral supplements but others will need active nutritional support. This can usually be provided by enteral tube feeding (ETF). This document contains guidelines covering the indications, benefits, administration, and problems of ETF in adult hospital practice. The guidelines were commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) as part of an initiative in several areas of clinical practice. They are not rigid protocols and should be used alongside clinical judgement, taking local service provision into account. These guidelines were compiled from the relevant literature by the authors in discussion with dietitians and specialist nutrition nurses. They were subsequently reviewed by the BSG small bowel/nutrition committee and dietetic, nursing, pharmacy, and medical representatives of the British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). The strength of evidence used is as recommended by the North of England evidence based guidelines development project.4
Combined Administration of Meningococcal Serogroup B Outer Membrane Vesicle Vaccine and Conjugated Serogroup C Vaccine Indicated for Prevention of Meningococcal Disease Is Safe and Immunogenic

ABSTRACT MenBvac and Menjugate are safe and efficacious vaccines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of the combination (MenB/C) of the lyophilized active components of the conjugated group C vaccine Menjugate when reconstituted with the full liquid group B outer membrane vesicle vaccine MenBvac compared to MenBvac and Menjugate given separately. At 6-week intervals, healthy adults were given one dose of MenB/C followed by two doses of MenBvac (MenB/C group), three doses of MenBvac (MenB group), or one dose of Menjugate and two doses of placebo (MenC group). Injection site reactions were frequent in all groups. However, most reactions were short lasting and mild or moderate in intensity, and the vaccines were found to be well tolerated, with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. MenB/C was immunogenic with regard to both serogroup B and C meningococci. Both the serum bactericidal assay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analyses showed that the immune responses of the combination vaccine were similar to the immune responses of its separate components MenBvac and Menjugate for both serogroup B and C. In conclusion, the combined MenB/C vaccine is safe and immunogenic. The two vaccines do not interact negatively with each other and can easily be administered in the same syringe. The induced immune responses suggest that the combined vaccine is likely to confer protection against systemic group B disease caused by the vaccine strain as well as against group C meningococcal disease.
Decoration of spindle microtubules with Dynein: evidence for uniform polarity

Studies were conducted to determine whether the microtubules present within native spindles isolated from eggs of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima, could bind dynein obtained from axonemes of Tetrahymena thermophila. SDS gel electrophoresis revealed that the high molecular weight polypeptides that make up dynein cosedimented with the isolated spindles. Moreover, the ATPase activity of dynein bound to the spindle microtubules was stimulated approximately sevenfold. The birefringence retardation of spindles incubated without dynein decreased from 1.4 nm to an undetectable level within 45 min, whereas that of spindles incubated for the same period of time with dynein was 1.0 nm, approximately 70% of its initial value, thereby indicating that dynein stabilized spindle birefringence. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that each spindle microtubule was decorated with four to seven dynein arms attached by their "B" end, that which cross-bridges the B-subfiber within native axonemes. In addition, the polarity of the spindle microtubules could be determined by the orientation of the bound dynein arms. The results of these studies suggest that the half-spindle is composed of microtubules possessing the same polarity.