Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gene Expression in Abnormal Ovarian Structures of Ewes Homozygous for the Inverdale Prolificacy Gene1

Abstract Animals heterozygous (I+) for the Inverdale prolificacy gene (FecXI) have an increased ovulation rate whereas those homozygous (II) for FecXI are infertile with “streak” ovaries and follicular development arrested at the primary (type 2 follicle) stage. The streak ovaries also contain small oocyte-free nodules with granulosa-like cells and often tumor-like structures. It has been hypothesized that these abnormal structures are of granulosa cell origin, and the aim of this study was to determine whether genes normally expressed in granulosa cells are also expressed in the nodules and tumor-like structures. The mRNAs encoding c-kit and its ligand stem cell factor (SCF), FSH receptor (FSH-R), follistatin, α-inhibin subunit, and the β&Agr;- and β&Bgr;-activin/inhibin subunits were localized in ovaries of ewes with 0 (++), 1 (I+), or 2 (II) copies of the FecXI gene (n = 4–9 animals per genotype per gene) using in situ hybridization. Ontogeny of expression of all mRNAs examined was similar between ++ and I+ ewes. Expression of c-kit mRNA was observed in the oocyte of all follicular types present in ++, I+, and II ewes. Moreover, granulosa cells of type 2 (II) and type 2 and larger follicles (++, I+) expressed SCF mRNA. The mRNAs encoding FSH-R, follistatin, α-inhibin subunit, and β&Bgr;-activin/inhibin subunit were identified in type 3 and larger follicles of ++ and I+ ewes but not in follicles of II ewes that were only at the type 1, 1a, or 2 stages of development. However, the cells within the oocyte-free nodules of II ewes expressed all of these genes. The mRNAs encoding c-kit and βA-activin/inhibin subunit were not observed in granulosa cells until antrum formation (type 5 follicles) or in the nodules of II ewes. Tumors from 4 ewes were obtained and classified as cystic, semisolid, or solid structures containing granulosa-like cells or as solid structures containing predominately fibroblast- and luteal-like cells. Often, two tumors were present on the same ovary. Tumors containing granulosa-like cells (n = 3–4 per gene) expressed the mRNAs encoding α-inhibin subunit, βA-, and βB-activin/inhibin subunits, follistatin, and the FSH-R but did not contain detectable amounts of mRNA for c-kit or SCF. Tumors composed predominately of fibroblast- and luteal-like cells expressed very low levels of SCF mRNA; of the other mRNAs examined, none were detected. Also, none of the genes examined were found to be expressed by the surface epithelium, theca externa, fibroblast, or vascular cells within the ovary of animals of any genotype. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the somatic cells in oocyte-free nodules and tumor-like tissue in II ewes originate from the granulosa cells of the small follicles.
A 5-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of the Health and Economic Consequences of an Early Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Back Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Study Design. A 5-year follow-up of a randomized, controlled trial. Objective. To evaluate the long-term health and economic consequences of a cognitive behavioral intervention. Summary of Background Data. Linton and Andersson (Spine 2000;25:2825–31) provide 1 of only a few studies on the preventive effects of a cognitive behavioral intervention. The present study is a 5-year follow-up. Methods. In the original study, 213 participants were randomized to the cognitive-behavioral group intervention or to usual care plus information on self-care (information comparison group). Of participants, 97% completed a follow-up questionnaire 5 years after the intervention, and supplemental records were obtained from the National Insurance Authority. Results. The cognitive behavioral group had significantly less pain, was more active, enjoyed better quality of life, and had better general health relative to the information comparison group. There was no difference on health care use. The risk of long-term sick leave was 3 times higher in the information comparison group. The cognitive behavioral group had significantly less lost productivity costs and a lower total cost/y/person (16,514 Swedish kronor) compared to the information comparison group (45,990 Swedish kronor). Conclusions. A cognitive-behavioral group intervention produces long-term health and economic benefits. Usual medical care might be improved considerably by implementing these psychologic methods.
Fetal Blood Flow in Pregnancies Complicated by Intrauterine Growth Retardation

A noninvasive pulsed Doppler ultrasound technique was used to characterize blood flow in the descending thoracic aorta and the intra-abdominal part of the umbilical vein in 159 fetuses suspected of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) on the basis of ultrasound fetometry. From this group, 74 infants with IUGR (defined as gestational age-related birth weight of 2 standard deviations [SD] or more below the population mean) were born. The blood flow results were not available to the clinicians managing the pregnancies. Blood flow mean velocity in the fetal aorta was lower, pulsatility index and rising slope higher, and umbilical volume flow and umbilical flow per 100 g placental tissue were lower in the pregnancies with IUGR than in 21 normal pregnancies. The waveform of the maximum aortic velocity envelope was related to operative delivery for fetal distress, Apgar score, and umbilical cord blood pH. The pulsatility index and the configurational assessment of the diastolic part of the waveform were combined to form a new concept, the blood flow class. The blood flow class was abnormal in 57% of the fetuses classified as having IUGR at birth and in 93% of those growth-retarded fetuses who subsequently developed signs of fetal distress requiring operative delivery. Waveform analysis, in terms of blood flow class, seems to be a useful tool in the surveillance of fetuses when IUGR is suspected. Abnormal blood flow class is a marker of fetal distress and probably gives an earlier indication than antenatal nonstressed cardiotocography. The results of this study point to a strong association between IUGR and impaired fetal blood flow. The aortic volume blood flow, unlike waveform analysis, does not seem to be a variable sensitive enough to predict fetal outcome in the individual pregnancy.
Enhanced platelet apoptosis in chronic uremic patients

Abstract Background: There is a paucity of research on platelet apoptosis and its contribution to platelet dysfunction in uremic patients. The present study sought to analyze platelets apoptosis in uremic patients who underwent different dialysis modalities. Methods: Sixteen chronic uremic patients (5 on hemodialysis, 6 on peritoneal dialysis and 5 on non-dialysis) and 16 controls were studied. Platelet-rich plasma was detected for apoptotic events including depolarization of mitochondrial inner membrane potential (ΔΨm), phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, activation of caspases-3 and Bcl-2 family proteins variations by Flow Cytometry or by Western-Blot. Washed normal platelets were incubated with normal or uremic platelet poor plasma and then were detected apoptotic events. Platelets function was assessed by ristocetin induced aggregative function test. Results: Compared to controls, uremic platelets demonstrated greater apoptosis for the ΔΨm depolarization (43.48 ± 9.58 vs. 52.76 ± 15.36, p = 0.005) as well as PS exposure (1.36 ± 0.51 vs. 0.99 ± 0.27, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference among different treatment groups (for the ΔΨm depolarization f = 0.16, p = 0.85; for the PS exposure f = 1.06, p = 0.36). Western Blot analyses showed caspase-3 activation and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins expression. Platelets exposed to uremic plasma exhibited distinct apoptosis phenomena. Ristocetin induced platelet aggregation was markedly diminished in uremic patients and treated platelets. Conclusions: These findings indicate that platelets are incurred apoptosis in uremia patients. Uremic plasma accelerates apoptosis of normal platelets, resulting in a dysfunctional pattern of platelets in uremia. Uremic platelets apoptosis has no relationship with dialysis modality.
A guided walk down Wall Street: An introduction to Econophysics

This article contains the lecture notes for the short course "Introduction to Econophysics," delivered at the II Brazilian School on Statistical Mechanics, held in Sao Carlos, Brazil, in February 2004. The main goal of the present notes is twofold: i) to provide a brief introduction to the problem of pricing financial derivatives in continuous time; and ii) to review some of the related problems to which physicists have made relevant contributions in recent years.
Human Tribbles 3 Protects Nuclear DNA from Cytidine Deamination by APOBEC3A*

Background: APOBEC3A can hyperedit nuclear DNA and generates double-stranded DNA breaks. Results: TRIB3 is an interactor for APOBEC3A and APOBEC3C. TRIB3 is a negative regulator of APOBEC3A. Conclusion: Through its control of APOBEC3A, TRIB3 is another guardian of genome integrity. Significance: TRIB3 is part of protein network that involves cell cycle control, cell survival, DNA repair, and genome stability. The human polydeoxynucleotide cytidine deaminases APOBEC3A, APOBEC3C, and APOBEC3H are capable of mutating viral DNA in the nucleus, whereas APOBEC3A alone efficiently edits nuclear DNA. Deamination is rapidly followed by excision of uracil residues and can lead to double-stranded breaks. It is not known to which protein networks these DNA mutators belong. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified the human homolog of Drosophila Tribbles 3, TRIB3, as an interactor for APOBEC3A and APOBEC3C. The interaction was confirmed by co-affinity purification. Co-transfection of APOBEC3A with a TRIB3 expression vector reduced nuclear DNA editing whereas siRNA knockdown of TRIB3 increased the levels of nuclear DNA editing, indicating that TRIB3 functioned as a repressor of A3A. It also repressed A3A-associated γH2AX positive double-stranded breaks. The interaction results in degradation of A3A in a proteasome-independent manner. TRIB3 has been linked to cancer and via its own interactors and links the A3A DNA mutators to the Rb-BRCA1-ATM network. TRIB3 emerges as an important guardian of genome integrity.
Estrogen Replacement Reverses Olanzapine-Induced Weight Gain and Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Ovariectomized Diabetic Rats

Objectives: We investigated whether estrogen replacement modulated energy and glucose metabolic changes induced by olanzapine (OZP) and risperidone (RPD) in 90% pancreatectomized diabetic rats, some of whom had also been ovariectomized (OVX) and some of whom had not (sham). Methods: OVX diabetic rats were subcutaneously injected with estrogen replacement (17β-estradiol, 30 µg/kg/day) or a vehicle. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups, and each subgroup was orally either given a placebo, RPD (0.5 mg/kg body weight/day) or OZP (2 mg/kg body weight/day) for 8 weeks. Sham rats were also divided into 3 subgroups and given drugs in the same manner as the OVX rats were. All rats were fed high-fat diets. Results: OZP increased body weight and epididymal fat pads more than the control (vehicle) in sham and OVX rats. Increased body weight in OZP-treated sham and OVX rats was due to the increment in food intake, which was associated with potentiating the phosphorylation of hypothalamic adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase. At euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamping, OZP decreased glucose infusion rates and increased hepatic glucose output in OVX diabetic rats. In sham rats, OZP increased hepatic glucose output but not as much as in OVX rats. Hepatic insulin signaling and glucose sensing were attenuated in OZP-treated OVX rats, and the attenuation increased hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression to induce gluconeogenesis. These negative and harmful effects noted among OZP-treated OVX rats were reversed by estrogen replacement treatment. However, RPD did not alter body weight and peripheral insulin sensitivity in sham and OVX rats. Conclusions: OZP treatment should be avoided when treating diabetic and schizophrenic women, especially those in their postmenopausal period.
A web-based tutorial for parents of young children with autism: results from a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE Early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes for children with autism. Unfortunately, many children do not receive early intervention services due to a critical shortage of trained professionals in this area. To bridge this gap, we evaluated a Web-based parent training tutorial (Enhancing Interactions), based on evidence-based practices and utilizing the Web-based platform to maximize learning. METHODS Twenty-three parents with a child between 18 months and 6 years with an autism spectrum disorder participated. Pre- and posttest scores of parents' knowledge were used to evaluate tutorial effectiveness. The system usability scale (SUS) evaluated technical user-friendliness and the user satisfaction questionnaire (USQ), gauged satisfaction with content. RESULTS The mean number of correct items on the posttest significantly increased, from 12.6 to 20.4, p<0.001. The mean SUS score was 85 (standard deviation=17), corresponding to a score of "excellent. " All participants found the tutorial user friendly, well integrated, and 96% (all but one participant) thought it was easy to use, felt confident using the technical features, and would use a tutorial like this again. On the USQ, all participants found that the tutorial was well organized, clearly presented, and easy to understand; that it increased their knowledge about communicating with their child; and that they felt capable of applying these techniques with their child. CONCLUSIONS The tutorial appears effective in increasing parents' knowledge with high user satisfaction.
Mothers’ strategies to strengthen their daughters’ body image

Existing studies of the mother–daughter relationship have focused mainly on the transfer of negative body image messages or on risk of eating disorders, and have paid little attention to how this relationship might serve as a resource for building body-acceptance or resilience to disordered eating. On the basis of a secondary analysis of four qualitative samples, we examined how mothers and their now-adult daughters reflect on the ways in which the mothers tried to promote positive body image and resilience to body dissatisfaction in their daughters. Using a content analysis, we have identified five strategies: (a) filtering – being cautious and sensitive in communicating about body image issues, (b) transmitting awareness of the dangers of eating disorders, (c) positive reinforcement – providing affirmations in regard to daughters’ bodies; (d) discussion – providing tools for criticism of the dominant body-related social discourse; and (e) positivity – shifting the focus from food, body-size and weight loss to making healthy choices and taking pleasure in food. Identification of these strategies emphasizes the many potential avenues for growth and development inherent in mother–daughter relationships.
Behavioral/systems/cognitive Functional Neuroanatomy Supporting Judgments of When Events Occurred

The neural substrates of memory for when events occurred are not well described. One reason for this is that the paradigms used to date have permitted isolation of only some of the relevant memory processes. In this experiment, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify for the first time brain regions that support two distinct bases upon which " when " judgments can be made. Seventeen human participants (6 male) completed a continuous recognition memory task where the interval between presentation and representation of words varied between 5 and 25 intervening words (the lag). The task on each trial was to distinguish repeated words from those presented for the first time, and to indicate the lag for repeated words. The inferior parietal lobe showed greater activation for shorter lag judgments, regardless of judgment accuracy. The lingual gyrus, by contrast, was more active for correct than for incorrect lag judgments, regardless of the interval between first and second item presentations. Both of these regions have been linked in previous work to the process of recollection, and the findings described here represent a novel neural dissociation across regions that deploy mnemonic information in fundamentally different ways to support judgments about when events occurred.
Valsartan Improves Adipose Tissue Function in Humans with Impaired Glucose Metabolism: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Trial

Background Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In rodents, it has been demonstrated that RAS blockade improved adipose tissue (AT) function and glucose homeostasis. However, the effects of long-term RAS blockade on AT function have not been investigated in humans. Therefore, we examined whether 26-wks treatment with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker valsartan affects AT function in humans with impaired glucose metabolism (IGM). Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study, in which 38 subjects with IGM were treated with valsartan (VAL, 320 mg/d) or placebo (PLB) for 26 weeks. Before and after treatment, an abdominal subcutaneous AT biopsy was collected for measurement of adipocyte size and AT gene/protein expression of angiogenesis/capillarization, adipogenesis, lipolytic and inflammatory cell markers. Furthermore, we evaluated fasting and postprandial AT blood flow (ATBF) (133Xe wash-out), systemic inflammation and insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp). VAL treatment markedly reduced adipocyte size (P<0.001), with a shift toward a higher proportion of small adipocytes. In addition, fasting (P = 0.043) and postprandial ATBF (P = 0.049) were increased, whereas gene expression of angiogenesis/capillarization, adipogenesis and macrophage infiltration markers in AT was significantly decreased after VAL compared with PLB treatment. Interestingly, the change in adipocyte size was associated with alterations in insulin sensitivity and reduced AT gene expression of macrophage infiltration markers. VAL did not alter plasma monocyte-chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, TNF-α, adiponectin and leptin concentrations. Conclusions/Significance 26-wks VAL treatment markedly reduced abdominal subcutaneous adipocyte size and AT macrophage infiltration markers, and increased ATBF in IGM subjects. The VAL-induced decrease in adipocyte size was associated with reduced expression of macrophage infiltration markers in AT. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting the RAS may improve AT function, thereby contributing to a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Trial Registration Trialregister.nl NTR721 (ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN42786336)
Muslim Experiential Religiousness in Pakistan: Meaning in Life, General Well-Being and gender differences

This study examined relationships of Muslim spirituality with positive psychology in Pakistan. In a sample of 200 university students and community members, the spirituality of Muslim Experiential Religiousness displayed direct linkages with Meaning in Life and General Well-Being subscales. Muslim Experiential Religiousness also correlated positively with single-item assessments of the Intrinsic, Extrinsic Personal, and Extrinsic Social Religious Orientations and explained the relationships of these religious motivations with General Life Satisfaction. Women scored higher than men on Muslim Experiential Religiousness, but at least some linkages of Muslim spirituality with positive psychology were more robust in men. As in other recent investigations, these data confirmed Muslim Experiential Religiousness as a valid index of Muslim spirituality beyond the Iranian cultural context in which it was developed.
Writing, calculating, and finger recognition in the region of the angular gyrus: a cortical stimulation study of Gerstmann syndrome.

OBJECT In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the cerebral functions represented in the angular gyrus and to spare them during surgery, the authors studied patients with brain tumors located close to the angular gyrus and mapped cortical sites by using electrostimulation. METHODS Before undergoing tumor removal, six right-handed patients (five with left and one with right hemisphere tumors) were studied using cortical mapping with the aid of calculating, writing, finger-recognition, and color-naming tasks in addition to standard reading and object-naming tasks (for a total of 36 brain mapping studies). Strict conditions of functional site validation were applied to include only those cortical sites that produced repetitive interferences in the function tested. Preoperatively, four of the patients exhibited discrete symptoms related to Gerstmann syndrome while performing very specific tasks, whereas the other two patients presented with no symptoms of the syndrome. No patient had significant language or apraxic deficits. Distinct or shared cortical sites producing interferences in calculating, finger recognition, and writing were repeatedly found in the angular gyrus. Object- or color-naming sites and reading-interference sites were also found in or close to the angular gyrus; although frequently demonstrated, these latter results were variable and unpredictable in the group of patients studied. Finger agnosia and acalculia sites were also found elsewhere, such as in the supramarginal gyrus or close to the intraparietal sulcus. Mechanisms involved in acalculia, agraphia, or finger agnosia (either complete interferences or hesitations) during stimulation were various, from an aphasia-like form (for instance, the patient did not understand the numbers or words given for calculating or writing tasks) to an apparently pure interference in the function tested (patients understood the numbers, but were unable to perform a simple addition). CONCLUSIONS Symptoms of Gerstmann syndrome can be found during direct brain mapping in the angular gyrus region. In this series of patients, sites producing interferences in writing, calculating, and finger recognition were demonstrated in the angular gyrus, which may or may not have been associated with object-naming, color-naming, or reading sites.
A Case of Autoimmune Pancreatitis Associated with Sclerosing Cholangitis, Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and Sjögren’s Syndrome

We report a very rare case of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) associated with sclerosing cholangitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis and Sjögren’s syndrome. The patient had an enlarged pancreas, and autoantibodies were detected in the serum. Serum IgG and IgG4 concentrations were also elevated. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed an irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct from the head to the body and sclerotic change in the intrapancreatic common bile duct, which later extended to the intrahepatic bile ducts. In addition, histological examination of the liver revealed lymphocytic sclerosis around the bile ducts, similar to the histology in the pancreas of AIP. Retroperitoneal tumors were diagnosed as retroperitoneal fibrosis by histological examination. Serological and functional abnormalities suggestive of Sjögren’s syndrome were detected, and histological findings of the lip were compatible with Sjögren’s syndrome. Immunohistochemistry of each lesion disclosed that most of the infiltrating lymphocytes were T cells with similar levels of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Moreover, some of the infiltrating plasma cells were positive for anti-IgG4 monoclonal antibody. These diseases were dramatically improved by steroid therapy. Although the pathophysiology of AIP is still unclear, the present case suggests a common pathophysiological mechanism for AIP, sclerosing cholangitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis and Sjögren’s syndrome.