Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defective Parathyroid Hormone Regulation of NHE3 Activity and Phosphate Adaptation in Cultured NHERF-1-/- Renal Proximal Tubule Cells*

The present experiments using primary cultures of renal proximal tubule cells derived from wild-type and NHERF-1 knockout animals examines the regulation of NHE3 by phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) and the regulation of phosphate transport in response to alterations in the media content of phosphate. Forskolin (34.8 ± 6.2%) and PTH (29.7 ± 1.8%) inhibited NHE3 activity in wild-type proximal tubule cells but neither forskolin (-3.2 ± 3.3%) nor PTH (-16.6 ± 8.1%) inhibited NHE3 activity in NHERF-1-/- cells. Using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, expression of NHERF-1 in NHERF-1-/- proximal tubule cells restored the inhibitory response to forskolin (28.2 ± 3.0%) and PTH (33.2 ± 3.9%). Compared with high phosphate media, incubation of wild-type cells in low phosphate media resulted in a 36.0 ± 6.3% higher rate of sodium-dependent phosphate transport and a significant increase in the abundance of Npt2a and PDZK1. NHERF-1-/- cells, on the other hand, had lower rates of sodium-dependent phosphate uptake and low phosphate media did not stimulate phosphate transport. Npt2a expression was not affected by the phosphate content of the media in NHERF-1 null cells although low phosphate media up-regulated PDZK1 abundance. Primary cultures of mice proximal tubule cells retain selected regulatory pathways observed in intact kidneys. NHERF-1-/- proximal tubule cells demonstrate defective regulation of NHE3 by PTH and indicate that reintroduction of NHERF-1 repairs this defect. NHERF-1-/- cells also do not adapt to alterations in the phosphate content of the media indicating that the defect resides within the cells of the proximal tubule and is not dependent on systemic factors.
Correlation between 'Lee index' and carcass fat content in weanling and adult female rats with hypothalamic lesions.

a type of obesity associated with considerable gains in body weight (Hetherington & Ranson, 1940) and body fat (Montemurro & Stevenson, 1957). However, the destruction of the ventro-medial hypothalamic area in weanling rats rarely results in increased body weight (Bernardis, Box & Stevenson, 1963; Han, Lin, Chu, Mu & Liu, 1965; Bernardis & Skelton, 1966). Yet body composition studies by Han et al. (1965) have shown that weanling rats can become obese. A rapid means of determining obesity was described by Hetherington (1943) and has been recently revived by Szentagothai, Flerko, Mess & Halasz (1962) and Bernardis & Skelton (1966, 1967). It consists of dividing the cube root of the body weight by the naso-anal length. The resulting figure, referred to as 'Nutritive Ratio' (Lee, 1928) or 'Lee Index' is a measure of obesity. A figure of about 0\m=. \300is considered normal (Lee, 1928). Szentagothai et al. (1962) multiplied the cube root divided by the naso-anal length by a factor of 1000 while Lee originally has not done this. Thus, a 'normal' value in Lee's original expression is 0-300 but 300 according to the Hungarian group. We have adhered to Lee's way of expressing the index and have thus multiplied our quotient by ten, since the naso-anal length was expressed in mm. rather than cm. However, a correlation between the 'Lee Index' and the results of body fat determinations had not been established. The present communication shows such a correlation. Weanling Holtzman rats, weighing 62-80 g. , received bilateral electrolytic lesions in the ventro-medial hypothalamic nuclei; sham-operated rats served as controls. The lesions were placed with a stereotaxic instrument (Baltimore Instrument Co.), using a stainless steel electrode of 0-25 mm. diameter, enamel-coated and bared at the tip. An anodal current of 1-5 mA and 10 sec. duration was applied. The co¬ ordinates had been previously established (see Bernardis & Skelton, 1965). The animals were maintained for 21 days on Teklad Lab Chow (Teklad, Monmouth, 111. ; 24% (min.) crude protein, 6% (min.) crude fat and 5% (max.) crude fibres, plus all essential accessory food factors) and water ad libitum and killed by decapitation. Carcass fat was determined by the method of Han et dl. (1965) and expressed as
Unpacking the local turn in peacebuilding: a critical assessment towards an agenda for future research

This article undertakes a critical assessment of the local turn in critical peacebuilding scholarship. It comes to the conclusion that the local turn is hampered by a binary and essentialist understanding of the local and the international, which are presented as the only relevant locations of power or resistance. This leads to an ignorance of local elites, provides a romanticised interpretation of hybrid peace governance structures, overstates local resistance and presents an ambivalent relationship to practice. The article recommends a more nuanced understanding of the actors involved in peace- and statebuilding, based on more empirical scholarship and a multidisciplinary approach.
Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder in Young Adults: Presentation, Clinical behavior and Outcome

Introduction. There is not much evidence regarding clinical behavior of bladder cancer in younger patients. We evaluated clinical characteristics, tumor recurrence and progression in patients younger than 40 years old with urothelial bladder carcinoma. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 31 patients less than 40 years old who were firstly managed with bladder urothelial carcinoma in our department. Data were analysed with the Chi-square test. Results. Mean age was 31.7 years. Mean followup was 38.52 months (11–72 months). Nineteen (61%) patients were diagnosed with GII and 2 (6%) patients with GIII disease. Five (16%) patients presented with T1 disease. Three (9%) patients with invasive disease underwent cystectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy and one developed metastatic disease. Ten (32%) patients recurred during followup with a disease free recurrence rate of 65% the first 2 years after surgery. From those, 1 patient progressed to higher stage and three to higher grade disease. No patient died during followup. Conclusions. Bladder urothelial carcinoma in patients younger than 40 years is usually low stage and low grade. Management of these patients should be according to clinical characteristics and no different from older patients with the same disease.
Early Career Patterns for Social Work Graduates

This study examines master’s of social work graduates’ early careers. Six cohorts graduating from 2002 through 2007 (N = 246) completed a questionnaire 9–15 months after graduation. Most reported adequate or exceptional preparation on both generalist and advanced concentration practice behaviors. Almost all direct practice graduates and 2/3 of macro graduates found employment doing functions for which they had prepared. However, 10% never worked in their practice method specialization, highlighting the relevance of skills in the generalist curriculum. Salaries were higher for macro graduates and for graduates performing macro functions (regardless of concentration). Nearly 1/2 of all graduates had moved jobs (and improved their salaries) within 15 months of graduation, but few moved into administrative functions or engaged in professional leadership activities.
Adult Tuberculous Meningitis in Qatar: A Descriptive Retrospective Study from its Referral Center

Background: Tuberculous meningitis is the severest and commonest form of central nervous system tuberculosis causing high mortality and morbidity. We aim to study the clinical, biochemical, and radiological characteristics of tuberculous meningitis in adult patients in Qatar and to calculate the incidence. Methods: A descriptive retrospective 7-year study was conducted at the Hamad General Hospital (the only tertiary referral center and sole health care provider for tuberculosis in Qatar) between the 1st of January 2006 and the 31st of December 2012, to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, outcome, and the incidence of adult tuberculous meningitis in Qatar. Results: Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed in 80 patients (65 male, 15 female), with a mean age of 30.3 w 8.9. The majority of patients (76.3%) were from the Indian subcontinent. The commonest clinical features were fever (79%), headache (71%), and meningism (56%). Cerebrospinal fluid tuberculosis culture was positive in 44% of patients. Almost 39% of patients were in Stage I, 46% in Stage II and 15% in Stage III of the disease. The commonest neuroimaging features were leptomeningeal enhancement (34%) and hydrocephalus (33%). Cranial nerve palsy, limb weakness, and an elevated C-reactive protein were associated with a poorer outcome. Sixty eight percent had complete recovery, 10% had residual neurological sequelae without disability, 17% had disability, and 5% died. The average incidence of tuberculous meningitis over 7 years was 0.9 per 100,000 adult population. Conclusion: The characteristics of tuberculous meningitis were described in our population. Our data indicate that the incidence of tuberculosis meningitis in Qatar has increased. Tuberculous meningitis in Qatar is mainly an imported disease. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Injuries during the one repetition maximum assessment in the elderly.

PURPOSE A decrease in strength, and its associated loss of functional ability is common among the elderly. Although resistance training can reverse this decline, associated injuries with frequently used strength assessments may present a greater risk. METHODS To evaluate the injuries associated with maximal strength evaluations, 83 relatively healthy elderly subjects (40 men and 43 women, 65.8 +/- 6.2 years) with and without prior weight training experience performed 1 repetition maximum testing (1 RM) involving 5 different exercises: chest press, leg extension, abdominal curl, arm curl, and seated calf raise. Subjects were separated into three groups depending on weight training experience, Group 1 had no weight training experience (n = 32), Group 2 had < 6 months of training (n = 24), and Group 3 had > 6 months of training (n = 27). Injury assessment was made 30 minutes, 2 days, and 7 days posttesting. RESULTS Two Group 1 subjects sustained an injury (2.4% of total subjects, 8% of Group 1). Eighty-one subjects safely completed the 1 RM assessment without injury (97.6% of total). Forty-eight of the 83 subjects complained of muscle soreness after testing (58% of total). This complaint alone was not sufficient to be categorized as an injury. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that 1 RM testing is an acceptable tool in strength evaluations in the elderly. Additional precautions may be needed in inexperienced, elderly individuals to prevent injury.
Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) in a Sample of Lesbian and Bisexual Women

The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) assesses propensities for sexual excitation (SE) and inhibition (SI). Previous research utilizing the SESII-W included samples comprised exclusively or almost entirely of heterosexual women. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the SESII-W and assess its relation to aspects of sexual function within a sample of lesbian and bisexual women. The sample included 974 self-identified bisexual (n = 733) or lesbian/homosexual (n = 241) women who completed an online survey including items assessing women’s sexual behaviors, feelings, and functioning, sociodemographics, and the SESII-W. The sample was split; exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the first half, yielding eight lower-order factors with two higher-order factors. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the second half and suggested reasonable model fit. SI was positively correlated with sexual problems and negatively correlated with sexual pleasure; the correlations were significant but small. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between SESII-W scores and sexual problems/sexual pleasure, controlling for age, relationship duration, and relationship status. Four lower-order factors predicted reports of sexual problems. Findings indicated the SESII-W has similar psychometric properties among sexual minority women as it does among heterosexual women.
Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

IMPORTANCE The increasing legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide worldwide makes it important to understand related attitudes and practices. OBJECTIVE To review the legal status of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and the available data on attitudes and practices. EVIDENCE REVIEW Polling data and published surveys of the public and physicians, official state and country databases, interview studies with physicians, and death certificate studies (the Netherlands and Belgium) were reviewed for the period 1947 to 2016. FINDINGS Currently, euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide can be legally practiced in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Colombia, and Canada (Quebec since 2014, nationally as of June 2016). Physician-assisted suicide, excluding euthanasia, is legal in 5 US states (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, and California) and Switzerland. Public support for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States has plateaued since the 1990s (range, 47%-69%). In Western Europe, an increasing and strong public support for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide has been reported; in Central and Eastern Europe, support is decreasing. In the United States, less than 20% of physicians report having received requests for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, and 5% or less have complied. In Oregon and Washington state, less than 1% of licensed physicians write prescriptions for physician-assisted suicide per year. In the Netherlands and Belgium, about half or more of physicians reported ever having received a request; 60% of Dutch physicians have ever granted such requests. Between 0.3% to 4.6% of all deaths are reported as euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in jurisdictions where they are legal. The frequency of these deaths increased after legalization. More than 70% of cases involved patients with cancer. Typical patients are older, white, and well-educated. Pain is mostly not reported as the primary motivation. A large portion of patients receiving physician-assisted suicide in Oregon and Washington reported being enrolled in hospice or palliative care, as did patients in Belgium. In no jurisdiction was there evidence that vulnerable patients have been receiving euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide at rates higher than those in the general population. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are increasingly being legalized, remain relatively rare, and primarily involve patients with cancer. Existing data do not indicate widespread abuse of these practices.
Erythroid cell adhesion molecules.

A CELL ADHESION molecule (CAM) has been defined as a cell surface receptor capable of attaching a cell either to another cell or to an extracellular matrix (ECM) substrate through interaction with its ligand. CAMs are often thought of as the glue holding cells to each other or to a matrix. Indeed, CAMs may simply integrate structural, intracellular proteins with substrate. Cell adhesive interactions also may result in the transmission of chemical and mechanical signals across membranes, thus providing important cues regulating many aspects of a cell's behavior such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. The affinity of individual cell adhesion interactions is usually low (KD ranges from 10 -8 to 10 -5 mol/L), but because CAMs typically adhere by multiple attachments, high-avidity interactions result from individually weak ones. 1 This definition of CAMs excludes interactions between cell surface receptors and soluble molecules (cytokines and small peptides), although this distinction may be somewhat blurred. For example, the interaction between the membrane-bound form of the cytokine, steel factor, found on bone marrow stromal cells and its receptor, c-kit (CDI17), on hemopoietic progenitors, can lead to sequestration of stem cells in particular microenvironments, and in this context functions as an adhesion receptor of stromal cells. This is in addition to steel factor's well-defined function as a cytokine, which is essential for the progenitor cell's survival and proliferation. 2 In recent years, a large number of CAMs have been characterized, and their expression and function on cells of various lineages has been explored. The plethora of CAMs may be grouped into a number of superfamilies, based on their related primary structures. The different superfamilies mediate different types of functions, ranging from very stable interactions, through promigratory interactions that allow cells to move, to very transient interactions that serve to arrest cell movement (reviewed in references 1, 3, 4). Erythroid precursors express a number of CAMs, several of which have a functional role in erythroid differentiation. 5 From studies of blood group active membrane proteins, it is now clear that mature red blood cells (RBCs) also express a number of glycoproteins (gps) that either are known to function as CAMs [the LW, Lutheran (Lu) and Indian (CD44) gps] or by virtue of their close structural homology with known CAMs are thought to have similar function (the Ok a and Xg a gps). 6 Mature RBCs also express the non-blood group-active CAMs CD47 (Rh-associated gp, IAP), CD36 (thrombospondin receptor), and CD99 (Xga-associ ated sialomucin). This review describes the structure, tissue distribution, and ligand-binding properties of the different CAMs that are expressed on erythroid cells, and their function in erythropoiesis is discussed. We will discuss CAM deficiencies found in blood group null phenotypes and focus on the contribution of erythroid CAMs to the pathology of disease states.
Persisting changes of intestinal microbiota after bowel lavage and colonoscopy

Objective An adequate bowel preparation is essential for a successful colonoscopy, but to date, only scarce information exists on the impact of the bowel cleansing on the gut microbiota, in particular, 1 month after the procedure. Patients and methods Through 16S rDNA Ion Torrent profiling of fecal samples of 10 patients, we evaluated changes that occurred in the gut microbiota composition immediately after a 4 liter polyethylene glycol-based (SELG Esse) bowel lavage and 1 month thereafter. We studied the gut microbiota at the phylum, class, and family level. Results At the phyla level, we found a significant decrease in Firmicutes abundance and an increase in Proteobacteria abundance immediately after the colon cleansing and 1 month after the colonoscopy, whereas, at the class level, a significant increase in &ggr;-Proteobacteria immediately after the colonoscopy was observed. Interestingly, 1 month after the endoscopic examination, this bacterial class was decreased 2.5-fold compared with samples before colonoscopy, as well as &agr;-Proteobacteria. At the family level, a significant reduction in Lactobacillaceae and an increase in Enterobacteriaceae abundance were observed immediately after the colonoscopy, whereas 1 month after the bowel cleansing, these families were significantly lower compared with samples collected before the colonoscopy. Moreover, the abundance of Rikenellaceae and Eubacteriaceae has been observed to be significantly higher compared with samples collected before the bowel lavage. Finally, Streptococcaceae were increased 4.0-fold 1 month after the bowel lavage compared with fecal samples collected before the colonoscopy. Conclusion We provide clear evidence that, in normal individuals, a high-volume polyethylene glycol bowel cleansing preparation has a long-lasting effect on the gut microbiota composition and homeostasis, in particular, with a decrease in the Lactobacillaceae abundance, a population of protective bacteria. Further studies are required to assess whether these changes have any metabolic, immunological, or clinical consequence.
Low Cost Platform for Automatic Control Education Based on Open Hardware.

Abstract Automatic control, as well as the introduction to programming, are subjects increasingly being taught to young engineering students. For this reason the availability of a suitable platform for the laboratory work becomes a critical decision, in order to promote students' motivation to experience the theoretical concepts studied in the classroom. Until recently, the only option to perform laboratory work in this kind of subjects was to use closed platforms commercially available but today, thanks to advances in technology, many open hardware options supporting standard and intuitive programming languages are available. In order to provide a multidisciplinary low cost open platform for the automatic control introductory courses, an example of open-source educational platform easily programmable composed by a differential mobile robot with a robotic arm manipulator is presented in this paper.
Is breast-conserving therapy a safe option for patients with tumor multicentricity and multifocality?

BACKGROUND We compared outcomes after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy in multicentric (MC)/multifocal (MF) versus unifocal breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with stage I-II disease were classified as having unifocal or MC/MF disease. MC/MF and other prognostic factors were compared using binary logistic regression analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses (MVAs) for relapse were carried out using cumulative incidence curves and Fine and Gray regression models. For the BCT group, matched analysis was added. RESULTS Median follow-up was 7.9 years, 11 983 having BCT (unifocal: 11 683, MC/MF: 300) and 7771 having mastectomy (unifocal: 6884, MC/MF: 887). MC/MF patients treated with BCT were 50-69 years old, free of extensive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and had smaller tumors. The cumulative 10-year local recurrence rates among unifocal and MC/MF disease were 4.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.1% to 5.0%] versus 5.5% (95% CI 2.6% to 9.9%) for the BCT group, P = 0.76 and 5.8% (95% CI 5.2% to 6.5%) versus 6.5% (95% CI 4.7% to 8.7%) for the mastectomy group, P = 0.77. MC/MF was not a significant factor for relapse or survival on MVA. In the matched analysis, relapse rates were similar in the unifocal and MC/MF groups, P = 0.60. CONCLUSION BCT is a reasonable option in selected MC/MF cases, particularly those women aged 50-69 years old with small (<1 cm) MF tumors and without an extensive DCIS component.
Cooperation and Competition in Intergenerational Experiments in the Field and the Laboratory

There is economic pressure towards the postponement of the retirement age, but employers are still reluctant to employ older workers. We investigate the comparative behavior of juniors and seniors in experiments conducted both onsite with the employees of two large firms and in a conventional aboratory environment with students and retirees. We show that seniors are no more risk averse than juniors and are typically more cooperative; both juniors and working seniors respond strongly to competition. The implication is that it may be beneficial to define additional incentives near the end of the career to motivate and retain older workers.