Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of β3‐adrenoceptors for intrahepatic resistance and portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis

Increased intrahepatic resistance and splanchnic blood flow cause portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis. Nonselective β‐adrenoceptor (β‐AR) antagonists have beneficial effects on hyperdynamic circulation and are in clinical use. In this context, the role of the β3‐AR is undefined. Here we investigated their expression and role in portal hypertension in patients and rats with liver cirrhosis. We analyzed cirrhotic human and rat tissues (liver, splanchnic vessels) and primary rat cells. Protein expression of β3‐AR was determined by western blot and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels by reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Activities of Rho‐kinase and the nitric oxide (NO) effector protein kinase G (PKG) were assessed by way of substrate phosphorylation (moesin, vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein [VASP]). Cyclic 3′,5′ adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation was determined by an enzyme‐immunoassay kit. The effects of selective β3‐AR agonists (CGP12177A, BRL37344) and antagonist (SR59230A) were investigated by collagen matrix contraction of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), in situ liver perfusions, and in vivo hemodynamic parameters in bile duct ligation and carbon tetrachloride intoxication in cirrhotic rats. In cirrhosis of humans and rats, β3‐AR expression is markedly increased in hepatic and in splanchnic tissues. Stimulation of β3‐AR leads to relaxation of HSCs by way of cAMP accumulation, and by inhibition of Rho‐kinase activity; any role of NO and its effector PKG was not observed. β3‐AR agonists decrease intrahepatic resistance and portal pressure in cirrhotic rats. Conclusion: There is a marked hepatic and mesenteric up‐regulation of β3‐ARs in human cirrhosis and in two different animal models of cirrhosis. The β3‐AR‐agonists should be further evaluated for therapy of portal hypertension. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
Selective Magnesium Sulfate Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Eclampsia in Women With Gestational Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence of eclampsia in women with mild gestational hypertension when only women with severe gestational hypertension are given magnesium sulfate prophylaxis. METHODS: This is a prospective 4½-year observational study. Those women who met our criteria for severe gestational hypertension received intravenous magnesium sulfate prophylaxis, and women with nonsevere hypertension did not. Data were collected at delivery to ascertain the incidence of eclampsia and maternal and neonatal morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 72,004 women were delivered during the study period, 6,431 had gestational hypertension, 3,935 met the criteria for severe disease and were given magnesium sulfate prophylaxis, 2,496 women with nonsevere hypertension were not treated. Eighty-seven women developed eclampsia, for an overall incidence of 1 in 828 deliveries, a 50% increase when compared with 5 preceding years where all women with gestational hypertension were given magnesium sulfate prophylaxis. Of the 2,496 women with nonsevere hypertension who were not treated, 27 had eclampsia (1 in 92). Women with eclampsia were more likely to require general anesthesia for cesarean delivery compared with hypertensive women without eclampsia (23% versus 4%, P<.001), but they had no additional morbidity. Infants of eclamptic mothers had more adverse outcomes than those without convulsions (12% versus 1%, P<.04). CONCLUSION: Selective magnesium sulfate prophylaxis results in an increased overall incidence of eclampsia because of more seizures in women with nonsevere gestational hypertension who are not given magnesium sulfate prophylaxis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3
Differential Elicitation of Two Processing Proteases Controls the Processing Pattern of the Trypsin Proteinase Inhibitor Precursor in Nicotiana attenuata1

Trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TPIs) of Nicotiana attenuata are major antiherbivore defenses that increase dramatically in leaves after attack or methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicitation. To understand the elicitation process, we characterized the proteolytic fragmentation and release of TPIs from a multidomain precursor by proteases in MeJA-elicited and unelicited plants. A set of approximately 6-kD TPI peptides was purified from leaves, and their posttranslational modifications were characterized. In MeJA-elicited plants, the diversity of TPI structures was greater than the precursor gene predicted. This elicited structural heterogeneity resulted from differential fragmentation of the linker peptide (LP) that separates the seven-domain TPI functional domains. Using an in vitro fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay and synthetic substrates derived from the LP sequence, we characterized proteases involved in both the processing of the TPI precursor and its vacuolar targeting sequence. Although both a vacuolar processing enzyme and a subtilisin-like protease were found to participate in a two-step processing of LP, only the activity of the subtilisin-like protease was significantly increased by MeJA elicitation. We propose that MeJA elicitation increases TPI precursor production and saturates the proteolytic machinery, changing the processing pattern of TPIs. To test this hypothesis, we elicited a TPI-deficient N. attenuata genotype that had been transformed with a functional NaTPI gene under control of a constitutive promoter and characterized the resulting TPIs. We found no alterations in the processing pattern predicted from the sequence: a result consistent with the saturation hypothesis.
Adolescent Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong: A comparison with locally born students and factors associated with their psychological well-being

The present research aims to compare the psychological well-being of young Mainland Chinese immigrants and locally born students in Hong Kong and to identify factors that are associated with the psychological well-being of young immigrants. Participants, aged from 12 to 17 years, included 1,109 youngsters born in Hong Kong and 342 new immigrants from Mainland China. Factors examined in this research included individual demographic and socio-economic factors like age, gender, length of residence in the host society and the financial situation of immigrants' immediate family, as well as personal factors including immigrants' self-concept, perceived discrimination, and educational aspiration. Findings indicated that the psychological well-being of young Mainland Chinese immigrants was on the whole better than that of the locally born students. Findings also revealed that demographic factors did not have significant correlation with the psychological functioning of young immigrants, while personal factors generally correlated significantly with their psychological well-being.
Antitumor Activity of EBV-specific T Lymphocytes Transduced With a Dominant Negative TGF-β Receptor

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is produced in most human tumors and markedly inhibits tumor antigen-specific cellular immunity, representing a major obstacle to the success of tumor immunotherapy. TGF-β is produced in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive Hodgkin disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma both by the tumor cells and by infiltrating T-regulatory cells and may contribute the escape of these tumors from infused EBV-specific T cells. To determine whether tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can be shielded from the inhibitory effects of tumor-derived TGF-β, we previously used a hemagglutinin-tagged dominant negative TGF-βRII expressed from a retrovirus vector to provide CTLs with resistance to the inhibitory effects of TGF-β in vitro. We now show that human tumor antigen-specific CTLs can be engineered to resist the inhibitory effects of tumor-derived TGF-β both in vitro and in vivo using a clinical grade retrovirus vector in which the dominant negative TGF-β type II receptor (DNRII) was modified to remove the immunogenic hemagglutinin tag. TGF-β–resistant CTL had a functional advantage over unmodified CTL in the presence of TGF-β–secreting EBV-positive lymphoma, and had enhanced antitumor activity, supporting the potential value of this countermeasure.
HISTORICAL RANGE EXPANSION DETERMINES THE PHYLOGENETIC DIVERSITY INTRODUCED DURING CONTEMPORARY SPECIES INVASION

Abstract For a species rapidly expanding its geographic range, such as during biological invasion, most alleles in the introduced range will have their evolutionary origins in the native range. Yet, the way in which historical processes occurring over evolutionary time in the native range contribute to the diversity sampled during contemporary invasion is largely unknown. We used chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) gene genealogies and coalescent methods to study two congeneric plants, Silene latifolia and S. vulgaris. We examined how phylogenetic diversity was shaped by demographic growth and historical range expansions in the native European range, and how this history affected the diversity sampled during their recent invasion of North America. Genealogies from both species depart from neutrality, likely as a result of demographic expansion in the ancestral range, the timing of which corresponds to shortly after each species originated. However, the species differ in the spatial distribution of cpDNA lineages across the native range. Silene latifolia shows a highly significant phylogeographic structure that most likely reflects different avenues of the post-glacial expansion into northern Europe from Mediterranean refugia. By contrast, cpDNA lineages in S. vulgaris have been widely scattered across Europe during, or since, the most recent post-glacial expansion. These different evolutionary histories resulted in dramatic differences in how phylogenetic diversity was sampled during invasion of North America. In S. latifolia, relatively few, discrete invasion events from a structured native range resulted in a rather severe genetic bottleneck, but also opportunities for admixture among previously isolated lineages. In S. vulgaris, lack of genetic structure was accompanied by more representative sampling of phylogenetic diversity during invasion, and reduced potential for admixture. Our results provide clear insights into how historical processes may feed forward to influence the phylogenetic diversity of species invading new geographic ranges.
Use of a Fluoroscopic Overlay to Guide Femoral Tunnel Placement During Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: Intraoperative recognition of the local anatomy of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is difficult for many surgeons, and correct positioning of the graft can be challenging. Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of an overlay system based on fluoroscopic landmarks in guiding femoral tunnel placement during PCL reconstruction. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Twenty cadaveric knees were arthroscopically prepared, and their PCL femoral insertion sites were digitized. The digitized images were co-registered to computed tomography–acquired 3-dimensional bone models. Twenty surgeons with diverse backgrounds performed simulated arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterolateral (AL) and posteromedial (PM) bundles of the PCL, first without and then with the aid of a lateral fluoroscopic image on which the position of a target insertion site based on literature data was displayed as an overlay. The surgeons were allowed to adjust tunnel placement in accordance with the displayed target position. A 3-way comparison was made of the tunnel positions placed by the surgeons, the native insertion site positions, and the literature-based positions. Results: The overlay system was effective in helping surgeons to improve femoral tunnel placement toward the target and toward the anatomic insertion site (P < .05). For femoral AL tunnel placement, surgeons needed 2.35 ± 2.21 extra attempts, which added an extra 80.00 ± 67.95 seconds to the procedure. For PM tunnel placement, surgeons needed 1.80 ± 1.88 extra attempts, adding 66.00 ± 70.82 seconds to the simulated surgery. In their first attempts, more than half of the surgeons positioned either the AL or PM femoral tunnel >5 mm from the native insertion site. With the use of the overlay, 70% of the surgeons were <5 mm away from the PM and 75% from the AL native insertion site. Conclusion: The use of a fluoroscopic overlay to guide intraoperative placement of the femoral tunnel(s) during PCL reconstruction can result in more anatomic reconstructions and therefore assist in re-creating native knee kinematics after PCL reconstruction. Clinical Relevance: Intraoperative fluoroscopy is an effective, easy, and safe method for improving femoral tunnel positioning during PCL reconstruction.
Reflections on the value and impact of library and information services: Part 2: impact assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically review methods of impact assessment and economic analyses. Design/methodology/approach – Reviews the literature on impact assessment, and examines some case studies of impact assessment in health libraries. Relates satisfaction and dissatisfaction assessment to impact assessment. Identifies recent impact assessment approaches in public and academic libraries, and explores different uses of terminology for impact and outcome. Reviews literature on economic analysis of value, including cost analyses, cost-effectiveness analysis and return on investment (ROI) studies. Findings – Terms for library assessment (outcome, output, impact, value and benefit) vary among different sectors. Impact evaluation should examine initial assumptions of value carefully, and examine possible gaps in the line of argument linking inputs of library services to presumed impacts (positive and negative). More attention to sampling and response rates is required, to avoid problems such as the “warm glow” effect. Qualitative and quantitative evidence should be carefully integrated to tell the impact story. Economic impact can be estimated, but methodology depends on the service aims and sector. Originality/value – Demonstrates that some of the requirements for traditional impact assessment also affect economic analyses and ROI studies.
Bone mineral density analysis in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 after total parathyroidectomy

Objective Limited data have been reported on the effect of parathyroidectomy (PTx) on bone mineral density (BMD) in the setting of patients with hyperparathyroidism (HPT) associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). This study investigates the impact of total PTx on BMD in patients with HPT/MEN1.
ATDC5: An excellent in vitro model cell line for skeletal development

The ATDC5 cell line is derived from mouse teratocarcinoma cells and characterized as a chondrogenic cell line which goes through a sequential process analogy to chondrocyte differentiation. Thus, it is regarded as a promising in vitro model to study the factors that influence cell behaviors during chondrogenesis. It also provides insights in exploring signaling pathways related to skeletal development as well as interactions with innovative materials. To date, over 200 studies have utilized ATDC5 to obtain lots of significant findings. In this review, we summarized the literature of ATDC5 related studies and emphasized the application of ATDC5 in chondrogenesis. In addition, the general introduction of ATDC5 including its derivation and characterization is covered in this article. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 1223–1229, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative analysis of dynamic behavior of osteoblasts during in vitro formation of micro‐mass cell cultures

Improvements in bone tissue engineering require an understanding of cellular and tissue level behavior of osteoblast‐like cells. Experiments indicate that in the absence of an anchoring material, intercellular adhesion may be based on signals that promote cell activity resulting in the formation of a spheroid cell‐matrix. The aim of the present study is to investigate the formation of scaffold‐free three‐dimensional micro‐mass cell spheroids in vitro, and to characterize quantitatively the cell movement. A new correlation based automated tracking method is evaluated in order to optimize the processing parameters and to identify statistical parameters that characterize the cell behavior. Results suggest that the temporal development of the mean distance of the cells to the center of gravity may be described by an exponential function, thus providing a characteristic time constant as a quantitative measure of cell dynamics. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ecuadorian novelties in Blakea and Topobea (Melastomataceae)

Three new species of Melastomataceae (Blakeeae) are described:Blakea subpanduriformis, Topobea adscendens, andT. bullata. All are climbers endemic to the montane forests of the eastern slopes of the Andes in southern Ecuador. In this region, 35% of the Ecuadorian species and 41% of the endemic Ecuadorian species of Melastomataceae occur. The discovery of these three new endemic species underlines the diversity of Melastomataceae occurring on the slopes of the Andes in southeastern Ecuador.ResumenSe describen tres especies nuevas de Melastomataceae (Blakeeae):Blakea subpanduriformis, Topobea adscendens, yT. bullata. Todas son trepadoras endémicas de los bosques de montaña en las laderas orientales de los Andes en el sur de Ecuador. En esta región crece el 35% de las especies ecuatorianas de Melastomataceae y el 41% de las especies de esta familia que son endémicas de Ecuador. El descubrimiento de estas tres nuevas especies resalta la diversidad de Melastomataceae en las laderas sur-orientales de los Andes ecuatorianos.
A Routing Protocol for Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper we propose and develop a new simple routing protocol for wireless mesh network. This protocol, called multipath parallel routing protocol MPRP, is a reactive, distance vector routing protocol. It uses a simple mechanism to build multiple paths for a couple of nodes source and destination. These multiple paths are used in a parallel fashion. Multiple paths are not necessarily disjoint but they are loop-free. Moreover, we implemented the coordinated distributed scheme (CDS) of the Std. IEEE 802.16. We used a well-known simulation tool, NS2 in order to compare performance of the multipath protocol and the ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol (AODV), both running over the MAC layer in which is incorporated the CDS scheme. Simulation results show as multiple paths used in a parallel fashion permit better results in terms of throughput and delay to be obtained.
Periprocedural complications associated with endovascular embolisation of intracranial ruptured aneurysms with matrix coils.

INTRODUCTION Matrix is a type of bioactive coil expected to produce healing of cerebral aneurysms. We reviewed periprocedural complications associated with endovascular embolisation of ruptured intracranial aneurysms with matrix coils and evaluated the effects of matrix coils. METHODS From October 2003 to September 2005, a total of 102 patients with 102 ruptured aneurysms and ten unruptured aneurysms underwent embolisations with matrix coils. We reviewed the medical records, radiographical studies and endovascular procedures to evaluate the morbidity and mortality related to ruptured aneurysm coiling. RESULTS 16 complications (15.7 percent) occurred, of which 14 were in the anterior circulation and two in the posterior circulation. Complications included nine intraprocedural ruptures (8.8 percent), three thromboembolism (2.9 percent), one coil migration (1.0 percent) and three parent vessel occlusions (2.9 percent). Six complications had no neurological consequences, three were with transient deficits, six resulted in persistent neurological deficits, and one caused the patient to die. No complication was associated with balloon remodelling technique, and coil migration occurred during one of the neuroform-assisted embolisations. Procedural-related neurological morbidity and mortality for all 102 embolisations of ruptured aneurysms were 5.9 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION Endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms with matrix coils is as safe as with bare platinum coils. Matrix coil does not increase the risk of thromboembolism. However, we must be cautious when we embolise small aneurysms with matrix coils, especially when the aneurysms are less than 5 mm in diameter.
Effects of a theory-driven educational package and social support on durability of cigarette smoking cessation behavior: A community-based program

Background According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, the prevalence of smoking in Iranian individuals aged 15–64 is up to 12%. Objective The aim of the current study was to determine the durability of smoking cessation behavior based on a trans-theoretical model. Methods This educational experimental study was conducted on smokers in Khomein City, Iran, in 2015. Sampling was done through a public announcement and then a random allocation of participants into two study group (50 persons) and control group (60 persons). Tools to gather data were as follows: an individual characteristics form and DiClemente’s stages of change, Velicer’s self-efficacy, Prochaska’s processes of change, Velicer’s decisional balance, and Fagerstrom’s nicotine dependency questionnaires. The study group received five sessions of 45-minute individual counseling each and were followed-up three and six months later. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16, using paired-samples t-test, independent-samples t-test, and chi-square. Results Within six months of follow-up, 20 persons (40%) of the intervention group reached the maintenance stage of smoking cessation, while no one from controls managed to do that. Except for the perceived barriers and benefits of smoking cessation, all other constructs of the trans-theoretical model (cognitive and behavioral processes and smoking temptation) showed significant changes among the intervention group during six months’ follow-up (p<0.05). There was no significant relationship between variables of having smoker friends, occupation, marital status, education status, and success or failure in cigarette smoking cessation (p>0.05). Conclusion According to our study, selection of cigarette smokers who are willing to quit, delivery of individual counseling according to specific personal characteristics, and also provision of free nicotine replacement therapies should be taken into account in cigarette smoking cessation programs.