Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Serum Concentrations of Circulating Glycocalyx Components in HELLP Syndrome Compared to Healthy Pregnancy: An Observational Study

Severe inflammation has been shown to induce a shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx (EGX). Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), impede the thickness of the EGX. While a controlled inflammatory reaction occurs already in normal pregnancy, women with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome had an exaggerated inflammatory response. This study investigates the shedding of the glycocalyx during normal pregnancy and in women with HELLP syndrome. Glycocalyx components (syndecan 1, heparan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid) were measured in serum of healthy women throughout pregnancy (4 time points, n = 26), in women with HELLP syndrome (n = 17) before delivery and in nonpregnant volunteers (n = 10). Serum concentrations of TNF-α and soluble TNF-α receptors (sTNF-Rs) were assessed once in all 3 groups. Syndecan 1 serum concentrations constantly rose throughout normal pregnancy. Immediately before delivery, a 159-fold increase was measured compared to nonpregnant controls (P < .01). Even higher amounts were observed in patients with HELLP prior to delivery (median 12 252 ng/mL) compared to healthy women matched by gestational age (median 5943 ng/mL; P < .01). Relevantly, increased serum levels of heparan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and sTNF-Rs were only detected in patients with HELLP (P < .01). These findings suggest that considerable amounts of syndecan 1 are released into maternal blood during uncomplicated pregnancy. The HELLP syndrome is associated with an even more pronounced shedding of glycocalyx components. The maternal vasculature as well as the placenta has to be discussed as a possible origin of circulating glycocalyx components.
Reversal of Thiamine Deficiency‐Induced Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by abnormalities in oxidative processes, region-selective neuron loss, and diminished thiamine-dependent enzymes. Thiamine deficiency (TD) diminishes thiamine dependent enzymes, alters mitochondrial function, impairs oxidative metabolism, and causes selective neuronal death. In mice, the time course of TD-induced changes in neurons and microglia were determined in the brain region most sensitive to TD. Significant neuron loss (29%) occurred after 8 or 9 days of TD (TD8–9) and increased to 90% neuron loss by TD10–11. The number of microglia increased 16% by TD8 and by nearly 400% on TD11. Hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1)-positive microglia were not detectable at TD8, yet increased dramatically coincident with neuron loss. To test the duration of TD critical for irrevocable changes, mice received thiamine after various durations of TD. Thiamine administration on TD8 blocked further neuronal loss and induction of HO-1-positive microglia, whereas other microglial changes persisted. Thiamine only partially reversed effects on TD9, and was ineffective on TD10–11. These studies indicate that irreversible steps leading to neuronal death and induction of HO-1-positive microglia occur on TD9. The results indicate that TD induces alterations in neurons, endothelial cells, and microglia contemporaneously. This model provides a unique paradigm for elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in neuronal commitment to neuronal death cascades and contributory microglial activity.
Neonatal Melatonin Administration Advances Rat Vaginal Opening and Disrupts Estrous Cyclicity and Estrogen‐Dependent Regulatory Mechanisms of Luteinizing Hormone and Prolactin

Melatonin (100 μrat) was administered to female rats on day 5 of life, 3 hours prior to the onset of darkness or at 12:00 hours. Melatonin administration induced precocious puberty in both cases, as indicated by the advance of the time of the vaginal opening and the appearance of the first estrous smear as compared with controls (P < 0.01), together with an increase in the number of estrous smears (P < 0.05) and a reduction in the number of thestrous smears (P < 0.05). Decreased serum prolactin levels were observed on day 21 of age (P < 0.05) in melatonin‐treated rats with both of the melatonin injection times as compared with controls. No differences were apparent in basal luteinizing hormone (LH) levels either at 30 or at 60 days of age comparing melatonin‐ and vehicle‐treated rats with either of the scheduled melatonin injection times. As to serum follicle‐stimulating levels (FSH) levels, there was a marked decrease in circulating FSH levels in melatonin‐treated rats in both cases on days 21, 30, and 45 (P < 0.05) as compared with controls. A marked increase of serum prolactin at both 48 and 55 hours after estradiol benzoate (EB) administration was detected in 30‐day‐old melatonin‐treated rats as compared with controls (P < 0.05 for both points). Also, an increased responsiveness of prolactin to EB was found on the first day post‐administration. At 60 days of age, an increase in prolactin responses to EB was observed on the first day post‐administration (31 and 48 hours after, (P < 0.01), whereas no differences were detected at any other stuthed time. The LH burst that occurs 31 hours after EB administration in 30‐day‐old rats was decreased in melatonin‐treated animals as compared with controls (P < 0.05). In 60‐day‐old melatonin‐treated rats, a marked increase in the LH response to EB administration, 31 hours after injection (P < 0.01), was observed. These data suggest that neonatal melatonin administration in pharmacological amounts induces precocious puberty as measured by vaginal opening and, furthermore, it advances the appearance of the first estrous smear with age‐dependent modifications of estrous cyclicity and prolactin and LH responses to EB.
Chicory inulin ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus and suppresses JNK and MAPK pathways in vivo and in vitro.

SCOPE Chicory inulin is a naturally occurring fructan that is conducive to glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aims to investigate the mechanism by which chicory inulin improves glucolipid metabolism in diabetic conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS Rats were injected with streptozotocin and fed with high fat diet to induce diabetes, and then administrated with different doses of chicory inulin for 8 weeks. The glycometabolism and lipid metabolism parameters were determined, the activity of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were examined by western blot. The effect of chicory inulin on glucose uptake of myoblast and hepatocyte were also measured in vitro. Data were analyzed by student's t-test or one-way analysis of variance followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc testing. The results showed that chicory inulin improved glucolipid metabolism, and it activated IRS but suppressed the MAPK pathways in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that chicory inulin, as a nutritional supplement, may be beneficial for the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the metabolism-modulatory effect seems to be related with the inhibition of JNK and P38 MAPK pathways.
Does intercropping have a future in China? : insights from a case study in Gansu Province

Intercropping is the simultaneous cultivation of two or more crop species in the same field. It has been practiced in China for thousands of years. In recent decades, researchers in several disciplines have shown increasing interest in intercropping systems, due to their potential to generate higher yields and counteract resource degradation. Much research on intercropping has been carried out from an eco-physiological perspective in China in recent decades. However, a socio-economic analysis is critically needed to obtain more insight into why farmers adopt intercropping or not and why they shift from one production system to another. This study tries to fill this gap in the existing literature. Its main aim is to obtain a better understanding of farmers’ decisions on intercropping in China. The analysis conducted in two distinct perspectives. The first empirical study aims to present an overview of the current prevalence of intercropping, and its recent trends in China, using national survey dataset. The other empirical studies focus on (relay) intercropping in small-scale farming, using a case study on household decision-making in Gaotai County, Gansu Province, northwest China. Results from the first study show that intercropping was practiced on approximately three percent of the arable land in the surveyed villages, while agroforestry was practiced on approximately one percent of the arable land and one percent of the area of plantation plus forest land. The use of both these systems did not significantly change between 2009 and 2014. An explorative village-level analysis of factors associated with mixed species cultivation practices (intercropping and agroforestry) reveals a significant positive association with labour availability, and a smaller, but mostly significant, negative association with agricultural machinery power. In the case study, results reveal that technical efficiency scores are positively affected by the share of land assigned to intercropping. Other findings are that natural assets (land and irrigation water) are important determinants of the use of intercropping, while human assets (including labor-land ratios) and financial assets do not have a significant effect. Water and labor scarcity and declining maize prices all affect negatively the potential use of intercropping in the future; among the aforementioned three factors, (rural) labor scarcity has the most negative impact on intercropping. To conclude, intercropping is practiced on a small but non-negligible proportion of China’s arable land, and has not declined in recent years. Policies aimed at dealing with resources scarcity and liberalizing maize market should take the impact on use of intercropping into account, and appropriate machinery for intercropping should be developed. Given its relatively high land use efficiency, and its relatively high profit in the case study region in northwest China, intercropping may continue to provide pathways for the intensification of agricultural food production and to contribute to the growth of farmers’ income in China.
Gestational diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for long-term maternal renal disease.

CONTEXT Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was found to be an independent risk factor for recurrent long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular morbidity, and vascular endothelial dysfunction. However, data on the link between GDM and future risk for long-term maternal renal disease are limited. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate whether GDM poses a risk for subsequent long-term maternal renal morbidity. DESIGN A population-based noninterventional study compared the incidence of future renal morbidity in a cohort of women with and without previous GDM. Deliveries occurred during a 25-year period, with a mean follow-up duration of 11.2 years. SETTING The study was conducted at the Soroka University Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS The study population was composed of all singleton pregnancies in women who delivered between January 1988 and December 2013. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The main outcome was diagnosis of renal morbidities. RESULTS Of 97,968 women who met the inclusion criteria, 9542 (9.7%) had at least 1 previous pregnancy with GDM. Using a Kaplan-Meier survival curve, we show that women with GDM had higher rates of total renal morbidity (0.1% vs 0.2%, for no GDM and with GDM, respectively; odds ratio, 2.3, 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.7; P < .001). In addition, we found a significant dose-response association (using the χ(2) test for trends) between the number of pregnancies with GDM and future risk for renal morbidity (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4% for no GDM, 1 episode of GDM, and 2 episodes of GDM, respectively; P < .001). In a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for confounders, GDM was independently associated with future renal morbidity. CONCLUSION GDM is a significant risk factor for future maternal renal morbidity. The risk is more substantial for patients with recurrent episodes of GDM.
UNDERSTANDING FARMERS SEASONAL AND FULL YEAR STALL FEEDING ADOPTION IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Adoption of stall feeding (SF) as well as choices of animals and seasons for its application were assessed in northern Ethiopia in 2015 using a household field survey. The study was conducted in 21 communities to account for differences in agro ecology and to better understand the adoption process. A Heckman selection model was used to estimate adoption and extent of adoption based on a model of technology adoption within an agricultural household framework. A Poisson model was also applied to explain the number of SF adopting seasons. Further a multinomial logit model was estimated in order to reinforce understanding of the choices. The purpose of this study was to understand the driving factors of full or seasonal SF adoption and its intensity as well as animal and seasonal choices. The study results indicate that farmers actually practicing SF in a full year are 36% while those of actual seasonal adopters are 55.6%. The choice of animals allocated to SF include cow (40%), ox (31%) and other animals (29%) of the given sample indicating feeding cow under SF takes the largest share. Similarly, the choice for season were, 65% full year, 29 % wet (summer and autumn) and 6% dry (winter and spring), implying that more than half of the sample farmers practice SF the year round. Empirical results of this study showed that result is in favour of the Boserupian hypothesis indicating that small grazing land and large exclosure are associated with a higher probability of use of SF and with a higher number of SF adopting seasons throughout the year. In a similar vein, small average village farm size stimulated full SF adoption and SF adopting seasons, Availability of labour relative to farm size and a number of breed cows significantly increased the probability of using SF by 0.01% and 66% respectively. While animal shock appeared to have a marginal effect of 14%. The finding also revealed that factors such as access to information and early exposure increased the probability of SF adoption by 18% and 6%. Similarly, the positive marginal effect of real milk price is 15%. However, SF appears to be less attractive to those farmers with more herd size relative farm size and less crop residue. Regarding the intensity of SF adoption, while total labour time, farm size positively affect the extent of SF adoption, total herd size and grazing land ratio negatively influence farmersâ extent of SF adoption in all seasons.
State Ownership Reinvented? Explaining Performance Differences between State‐Owned and Private Firms

Manuscript Type. Empirical. Research Question/Issue. This study aims to understand the implications of the corporate governance arrangements in state&#8208;owned enterprises (SOEs) that are publicly listed in terms of firm performance relative to that of private firms. Research Findings/Insights. Using a new database of 477 large, listed SOEs observed between 1997 and 2012 in 66 developed and emerging countries, we use matching techniques to show that these firms do not underperform similar private firms, except when the former face shocks that prioritize their social and political objectives, such as during severe recessions. These findings demonstrate the need to revise existing theories of SOE underperformance. Theoretical/Academic Implications. We expand the traditional agency view of SOEs by introducing principal&#8211;principal conflicts that prevail in publicly traded firms. We argue that governments try to steer SOEs to pursue social and political objectives, which can lead to inefficiencies, but they also provide them rents and protection, factors that should lead them to perform as well or better than similar private firms. Thus, our theory of state ownership argues that their advantage or disadvantage over similar private firms cannot be identified from the theory and thus needs an empirical test. Practitioner/Policy Implications. We modify the simplistic view that SOEs are inefficient and highlight that SOEs that compete with private firms may have advantages that give them a competitive edge. This has implications not only for firm&#8208;level strategy, but also for competition policy worldwide.
MR molecular imaging and fluorescence microscopy for identification of activated tumor endothelium using a bimodal lipidic nanoparticle

In oncological research, there is a great need for imaging techniques that specifically identify angiogenic blood vessels in tumors on the basis of differences in the expression level of biomolecular markers. In the angiogenic cascade, different cell surface receptors, including the αvβ3‐integrin, are strongly expressed on activated endothelial cells. In the present study, we aimed to image angiogenesis by detecting the expression of αvβ3 in tumor bearing mice with a combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence microscopy. To that end, we prepared MR‐detectable and fluorescent liposomes, which carry ∼700 αvβ3‐specific RGD peptides per liposome. RGD competition experiments and RAD‐conjugated liposomes were used as controls for specificity. In vivo, both RAD liposomes and RGD liposomes gave rise to signal increase on T1‐weighted MR images. It was established by the use of ex vivo fluorescence microscopy that RGD liposomes and RAD liposomes accumulated in the tumor by different mechanisms. RGD liposomes were specifically associated with activated tumor endothelium, while RAD liposomes were located in the extravascular compartment. This study demonstrates that MR molecular imaging of angiogenesis is feasible by using a targeted contrast agent specific for the αvβ3‐integrin, and that the multimodality imaging approach gave insight into the exact mechanism of accumulation in the tumor.
Virulence Characteristics and Molecular Epidemiology of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Isolates from Hospitalized Diarrheal Patients in Kolkata, India

ABSTRACT Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an important diarrheal enteropathogen defined by aggregative adherence to cultured epithelial cells. We have detected EAEC from 121 (6.6%) of 1,826 hospitalized patients admitted with diarrhea to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kolkata, India. Watery diarrhea was recorded significantly (P = 0.0142) more often in children. The majority of the EAEC isolates were not serotypeable (62%) and showed resistance to five or more antibiotics (76%). We studied different virulence genes and the molecular epidemiology of 121 EAEC isolates recovered from diarrheal patients. A PCR assay for detection of virulence genes, an assay for determination of clump formation in liquid culture, and a HeLa cell adherence assay were carried out to characterize the EAEC isolates. Investigations were also conducted to correlate the virulence gene profiles with diarrheal symptoms and molecular epidemiology by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Two or more virulence genes were detected in 109 (90.1%) EAEC isolates. In the cluster analysis, some isolates with specific gene profiles and phenotypes formed a group or subcluster. This study highlights the comparative distributions of three fimbrial adhesins and other virulence genes among EAEC isolates. The diverse virulence gene and PFGE profiles, along with the existence of diverse serotypes and antibiograms, suggests that the EAEC isolates are genetically heterogeneous in Kolkata.
New gene, nel, encoding a Mr 93 K protein with EGF‐like repeats is strongly expressed in neural tissues of early stage chick embryos

A new gene, nel, was isolated from a 9‐day‐old chick embryonic cDNA library. The gene encoes a protein of 835 amino acids (93,407 Mr) consisting of two hydrophobic domains presumed to be the signal and transmembrane sequences, a histidine rich domain, two repeats of a cysteine rich structure similar to the C‐terminal domain of von Willebrand factor, five EGF‐like repeats, and again two repeats of the cysteine rich sequence similar to the C‐terminal domain of von Willebrand factor in the presumed cytoplasmic domain. The expression of the nel gene was studied by Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses of chick embryos. The mRNA of the gene was found in all tissues of 10‐ and 17‐day‐old embryos by Northern blot hybridization. Among the tissues examined, the level in the brain was highest and increased with age. After hatching, gene expression was retained in the brain at about the same level found in old embryos, increased in the retina, and disappeared from the other tissues. In situ hybridization with a nel gene probe revealed that the gene was strongly expressed in neural tissues such as brain, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia of early embryos. Gene expression was observed in the mantle layer of the neurepithelium of the brain and of the spinal cord. Gene expression in early embryos was not restricted to the neural tissues, but was also detected in the cells around cartilage, myocardium, lung mesenchymal cells, and in the liver, etc. One band of about 4.5 Kb mRNA was detected in all tissues and stages by Northern blot hybridization analysis. The possible function of the gene is discussed. ©1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatial short and long-term implications and planning challenges of high-speed rail: a literature review framework for the special issue

ABSTRACT This introduction to the Special Issue on the Spatial Implications and Planning Criteria for High-speed Rail Cities and Regions attempts to distinguish its short- and long-term impacts described in the literature, classifying them into regional and inter-urban effects, urban effects and wider economic impacts. Articles composing this Special Issue are listed at the outset and referred to in the relevant subsections. This literature review highlights the need to distinguish between short- and long-term effects and shows that cases are context-specific. Planning challenges appear at two major points: 1) during the initial planning stage that includes the route and location of stations; 2) during the development process that follows.
Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast carcinoma: relation to prognostic variables.

BACKGROUND The role of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in invasive breast cancer and its correlation with different prognostic variables were always a matter of controversy in the literature. AIM To determine the relative density of T lymphocytes, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and B lymphocytes in breast cancer and assess their relationships with clinicopathologic parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 48 invasive ductal carcinomas and 30 benign breast lesions were examined by means of immunohistochemistry to demonstrate CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD20+. The immunophenotyped cells were semi-quantitatively graded into: Absent, intermediate, and extensive. RESULTS All lymphocyte populations were significantly more expressed in breast carcinomas than in benign lesions (P = 0.0001 for CD3+ and CD4+, P = 0.001 for CD8+, and P = 0.002 for CD20+ cells). In breast carcinoma, B and T cells were co-expressed in 33 of 48 tumors (68.8%). However, T cells were the predominant immunophenotype being noted in 81% of tumors, compared to B cells which were expressed in 50% of tumors. T cells, CD4+ and CD8+ cells were directly associated with patient's age (P = 0.004, P = 0.001, and P = 0.01, respectively). Clinical stages III and IV showed a significantly higher density of T and CD4+ lymphocytes than stage II (P = 0.004 and P = 0.009, respectively). Also, T and CD4+ cells were directly related to the histologic grade (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001, respectively). On the contrary, B lymphocytes were not related to any of the above-mentioned parameters. CONCLUSION Although B and T lymphocytes were co-expressed in breast cancer, T lymphocytes and their subpopulations seem to have the upper hand in predicting the biological behavior. They probably promote neoplastic progression rather than acting as an antitumor immune response.