Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foxa1 and Foxa2 Interact with the Androgen Receptor to Regulate Prostate and Epididymal Genes Differentially

Abstract: Previous studies from our group have shown that Foxa1 is expressed in the prostate and interacts with the androgen receptor (AR) to regulate prostate‐specific genes such as prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and probasin (PB). We report here that Foxa2 but not Foxa1 is expressed in the epididymis. Further, Foxa2 interacts with the AR to regulate the mouse epididymal retinoic acid binding protein (mE‐RABP) gene, an epididymis‐specific gene. Binding of Foxa2 to the mE‐RABP promoter was confirmed by gel‐shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Overexpression of Foxa2 suppresses androgen activation of the mE‐RABP promoter while overexpression of Foxa2 with prostate‐specific promoters activates gene expression in an androgen‐independent manner. GST pull‐down assays determined that both Foxa1 and Foxa2 physically interact with the DNA binding domain of the AR. The interaction between Foxa proteins and AR was further confirmed by gel‐shift assays where Foxa protein was recruited to AR binding oligomers even when Foxa binding sites were not present, and AR was recruited to Foxa binding oligomers even in the absence of an AR binding site. Given that Foxa1 and Foxa2 proteins are expressed differentially in the prostate and epididymis, these data suggest that the Foxa proteins have distinct effects on AR‐regulated genes in different male reproductive accessory organs.
Bone mineral density in patients with hand osteoarthritis compared to population controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: Several studies have revealed increased bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, but few studies have addressed this issue in hand osteoarthritis (HOA). The aims of this study were to compare BMD levels and frequency of osteoporosis between female patients with HOA, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls aged 50–70 years, and to explore possible relationships between BMD and disease characteristics in patients with HOA. Methods: 190 HOA and 194 RA patients were recruited from the respective disease registers in Oslo, and 122 controls were selected from the population register of Oslo. All participants underwent BMD measurements of femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine (dual-energy x ray absorptiometry), interview, clinical joint examination and completed self-reported questionnaires. Results: Age-, weight- and height-adjusted BMD values were significantly higher in HOA versus RA and controls, the latter only significant for femoral neck and lumbar spine. The frequency of osteoporosis was not significantly different between HOA and controls, but significantly lower in HOA versus RA. Adjusted BMD values did not differ between HOA patients with and without knee OA, and significant associations between BMD levels and symptom duration or disease measures were not observed. Conclusion: HOA patients have a higher BMD than population-based controls, and this seems not to be limited to patients with involvement of larger joints. The lack of correlation between BMD and disease duration or severity does not support the hypothesis that higher BMD is a consequence of the disease itself.
Cultural identity, acculturation, and mental health among adolescents in east London’s multiethnic community

Study objective: To investigate cultural identity as a risk factor for mental health problems among adolescents. Design: A cross sectional school based population survey. Mental health problems were measured using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Pupils were classified into one of four cultural identity types on the basis of friendship and clothing choices. Setting: East London. Participants: 2623 adolescents (aged 11–14) from a representative sample of 28 schools in east London. Results: In comparison with marginalised adolescents who chose friends from neither their own or other cultures, fewer mental health problems were found among adolescents making culturally integrated friendship choices (friends from own and other cultures: OR = 0.6, 0.4 to 0.9), boys making integrated friendship choices (OR = 0.45, 0.22 to 0.91), and specifically among Bangladeshi pupils with integrated friendship choices (OR = 0.15, 0.04 to 0.55). Conclusion: As measures of cultural identity, integrated friendship choices overall, and specifically for boys and Bangladeshi pupils, are associated with lower levels of adolescent mental health problems.
Food for Thought: Analyzing Public Opinion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

ABSTRACT This project explores public opinion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in news and social media outlets, and tracks elected representatives’ voting records on issues relating to SNAP and food insecurity. We used machine learning, sentiment analysis, and text mining to analyze national and state level coverage of SNAP in order to gauge perceptions of the program over time across these outlets. Results indicate that the majority of news coverage has negative sentiment, more partisan news outlets have more extreme sentiment, and that clustering of negative reporting on SNAP occurs in the Midwest. Our final results and tools will be displayed in an online application that the ACFB Advocacy team can use to inform their communication to relevant stakeholders.
Host target modification as a strategy to counter pathogen hijacking of the jasmonate hormone receptor

Significance Pathogen infections can cause significant crop losses worldwide and major disturbances in natural ecosystems. Understanding the molecular basis of plant disease susceptibility is important for the development of new strategies to prevent disease outbreaks. Recent studies have identified the plant jasmonate (JA) hormone receptor as one of the common targets of pathogen virulence factors. In this study, we modified the JA receptor and showed that transgenic Arabidopsis plants with the modified JA receptor gained resistance to bacterial pathogens that secrete a potent JA-mimicking toxin to promote infection. Our results suggest that host target modification may be developed as a new strategy to protect the disease-vulnerable components of the susceptible plant against highly evolved pathogens. In the past decade, characterization of the host targets of pathogen virulence factors took a center stage in the study of pathogenesis and disease susceptibility in plants and humans. However, the impressive knowledge of host targets has not been broadly exploited to inhibit pathogen infection. Here, we show that host target modification could be a promising new approach to “protect” the disease-vulnerable components of plants. In particular, recent studies have identified the plant hormone jasmonate (JA) receptor as one of the common targets of virulence factors from highly evolved biotrophic/hemibiotrophic pathogens. Strains of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, for example, produce proteinaceous effectors, as well as a JA-mimicking toxin, coronatine (COR), to activate JA signaling as a mechanism to promote disease susceptibility. Guided by the crystal structure of the JA receptor and evolutionary clues, we succeeded in modifying the JA receptor to allow for sufficient endogenous JA signaling but greatly reduced sensitivity to COR. Transgenic Arabidopsis expressing this modified receptor not only are fertile and maintain a high level of insect defense, but also gain the ability to resist COR-producing pathogens Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and P. syringae pv. maculicola. Our results provide a proof-of-concept demonstration that host target modification can be a promising new approach to prevent the virulence action of highly evolved pathogens.
Update on Research, Diagnosis and Management of Alpha1‐Antitrypsin Deficiency

Formed in response to a World Health Organization recommendation, the Alpha One International Registry (AIR) is a multinational research program focused on alpha1‐antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. Each of the nearly 20 participating countries maintains a National Registry of patients with AAT deficiency and contributes to an international database in Malmö, Sweden, that is designed to increase understanding of AAT deficiency as well as safeguard patient confidentiality. AIR members are engaged in active and wide‐ranging investigations to improve the diagnosis, monitoring and therapy of the disease. The AIR membership meets biennially to exchange views and research findings. The third biennial meeting was held in Barcelona, Spain, June 11–13, 2003. A wide range of AAT deficiency‐related topics were addressed, encompassing molecular and cellular pathophysiologic mechanisms, clinical epidemiology, diagnostic advances, current and investigational therapeutic approaches, and progress in registry development. Valuable cross‐fertilization of concepts and scientific observations was apparent between AAT deficiency research and other fields of biomedicine. The proceedings of the meeting are summarized in this report.
Household Cheese Consumption in Argentina: A Double-Hurdle Model Estimation

This study examines the demand of cheese in Argentina using the latest 2012-2013 National Household Expenditure Survey dataset. Dairy products are common in the Argentine food basket, being cheeses one of the major dairy products consumed, accounting for 41% of the total dairy household expenditure. The object of this study is to examine the impact of demographic and socio-economic variables that affect household cheese consumption in Argentina. A double-hurdle model is used to estimate the effects of these variables in household cheese demand. Results suggest that socio-economic and demographic variables impact on the purchasing decision and the demanded quantity by households in this dairy product.
Pointing out of the Picture

The eyes of portrayed people are often noticed to ‘follow you’ when you move with respect to a flat painting or photograph. We investigated this well-known effect through extensive measurements of pictorial relief and apparent orientation of the picture surface for a number of viewing conditions, including frontal and oblique views. We conclude that cases of both oblique and frontal viewing are very similar in that perception simply follows what is indicated by the proximal stimulus, even though this may imply that the (perceived) physical and pictorial spaces segregate. The effect of foreshortening then causes an apparent narrowing of pictorial objects. We find no evidence for any ‘correction’ mechanisms that might be specifically active in oblique viewing conditions.
Noradrenaline and albumin in paracentesis‐induced circulatory dysfunction in cirrhosis: a randomized pilot study

Objective. Therapeutic paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis is associated with a circulatory dysfunction. Intravenous albumin has been used to prevent the circulatory dysfunction; however, the use of albumin is controversial and costly. Splanchnic vasodilation is mainly responsible for circulatory dysfunction in these patients. There are no reports of use of noradrenaline, a vasoconstrictor, on the prevention of paracentesis‐induced circulatory dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, we studied the preventive effect of noradrenaline on paracentesis‐induced circulatory dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis after therapeutic paracentesis and compared it with that of intravenous albumin in a randomized pilot study.
AN ALTERNATIVE VAR MODEL FOR FORECASTING IRANIAN INFLATION: AN APPLICATION OF BEWLEY TRANSFORMATION

This paper focuses on the development of modern non-structural dynamic multivariate time series models and evaluating performance of various alternative specifications of these models for forecasting Iranian inflation. The Quasi-Bayesian method, with Literman prior, is applied to Vector autoregressive (VAR) model of the Iranian economy from 1981:Q2 to 2006:Q1 to assess the forecasting performance of different models over different forecasting horizons. The Bewley transformation is also employed for the re-parameterization of the VAR models to impose the mean of the change of inflation to zero. Applying the Bewley (1979) transformation to force the drift parameter of change of inflation to zero in the VAR model improves forecast accuracy in comparison to the traditional BVAR. 1
Do People Care About Relative Income?

This paper investigates whether people’s satisfaction declines when the income of their peer group rises. We try to answer this question by applying an extensive panel data study covering the European Union. Our empirical model provides three main findings. First, we find that higher comparison income is associated with lower self-reported satisfaction, and that the effect is robust for various re-specifications of the model. Second, we find that the income externality is asymmetric. Third, we find suggestive evidence that the effect is only significant for people who socialize frequently.
CHIGGERS RECENTLY INFESTING SPEA SPP. IN TEXAS, USA, WERE EUTROMBICULA ALFREDDUGESI, NOT HANNEMANIA SP.

Upon re-examination of preserved larval chiggers collected from spadefoot toads (Spea bombifrons and Spea multiplicata) in the Southern High Plains of Texas, USA, and identified previously as Hannemania sp. , we found them to be Eutrombicula alfreddugesi. A review of previous reports of Eutrombicula spp. chiggers on amphibian hosts provides context for current findings. All members of the genus Hannemania are specialized larval parasites of amphibians, whereas larval E. alfreddugesi are generalist parasites of a wide variety of terrestrial vertebrate hosts that infrequently includes amphibians. Spadefoot toads are previously undocumented hosts for E. alfreddugesi, and observed infestations were unusually prevalent and intense for this chigger on an amphibian host.
Ictal ECD-SPECT differentiates between temporal and extratemporal epilepsy: confirmation by excellent postoperative seizure control

We investigated whether ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99Tcm-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) could differentiate between temporal (TE) and extratemporal epilepsy (ETE) in 30 consecutive patients (n = 21 for TE, n = 9 for ETE), all of whom had excellent postoperative seizure control (class I according to Engel's classification). Ictal SPECT showed isolated temporal hyperperfusion in 90% (19 out of 21) of the TE patients and normal perfusion in two patients. All the ETE patients had ictal SPECT findings consistent with extratemporal seizure onset. The sensitivity of ictal ECD-SPECT for correct localization of the seizure onset zone was 80% in all patients, 86% in TE patients and 66% in ETE patients. Although ictal ECD-SPECT has a lower sensitivity in ETE than in TE, it can be used to clearly distinguish between TE and ETE. It provides non-invasive imaging information for use in further diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.
Taste bud expression of human blood group antigens

Some human blood group antigens are expressed by rodent epithelial cells at different stages of differentiation. Since adult taste cells are continually replaced throughout life, we investigated the expression of the H, B, A and Lewisb blood group determinants by cells of the rat fungiform, foliate and vallate papilae. We employed antibodies against the trisaccharide structures of the H, B, and A blood group antigens and against the Lewisb blood group epitope in studies of normal and denervated taste buds. The antibody against the H antigen reacted with the majority of cells in all taste buds and with cells in the spinous layer of the tongue epithelium. The B antigen was expressed by the majority of taste cells but not by other epithelial cells. The expression of the A antigen was significantly less in the fungiform taste buds than in the vallate or foliate taste buds. The A antigen was also abundantly expressed in the acini of the lingual salivary glands. The Lewis b epitope was expressed by a subset of cells in taste buds of the fungiform, foliate and vallate papillae. Taste buds are trophically dependent upon gustatory nerve innervation. Transection of the chorda tympani or the IXth nerve resulted in the loss of expression of these molecules from the gustatory epithelium, indicating that they are expressed only on differentiated taste cell. The blood group antigens are lactoseries carbohydrates; they are differentially expressed in developing cochlear hair cells and olfactory neurons and may play roles in cell‐cell recognition, adhesion, and other interactions important in the developing nervous system. They could have similar functions in the taste and olfactory systems, where the receptors are continually renewed and new synapses between the receptors and their neural targets continually form. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CFD modeling for the estimation of pressure loss coefficients of pipe fittings: An undergraduate project

This work reports the outcomes of a senior undergraduate project done as part of a CFD course offered at Curtin University, Malaysia. Pressure loss coefficients for single phase flow through 90 degree bend has been estimated using CFD simulation. It is evident from the results that a validated CFD model is a reliable and cheap tool for loss coefficient estimation of any combination of pipe fitting and complex fluid / flow. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 24:180–185, 2016; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21695
Identification of Amino Acid Residues in CD81 Critical for Interaction with Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein E2

ABSTRACT Human CD81 has been previously identified as the putative receptor for the hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E2. The large extracellular loop (LEL) of human CD81 differs in four amino acid residues from that of the African green monkey (AGM), which does not bind E2. We mutated each of the four positions in human CD81 to the corresponding AGM residues and expressed them as soluble fusion LEL proteins in bacteria or as complete membrane proteins in mammalian cells. We found human amino acid 186 to be critical for the interaction with the viral envelope glycoprotein. This residue was also important for binding of certain anti-CD81 monoclonal antibodies. Mutating residues 188 and 196 did not affect E2 or antibody binding. Interestingly, mutation of residue 163 increased both E2 and antibody binding, suggesting that this amino acid contributes to the tertiary structure of CD81 and its ligand-binding ability. These observations have implications for the design of soluble high-affinity molecules that could target the CD81-E2 interaction site(s).
Thyroid dysfunction in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a comparative study

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in reproductive age women. Some of the PCOS women show presence of hypothyroidism.Methods: This study was conducted at tertiary care centre Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMC), Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. The study group had 50 diagnosed patients of PCOS and 50 age matched normal regular menstruating women were taken as controls.Results: In this study, PCOS patients showed higher mean TSH level than control group (4.024±1.09 and 2.84±0.83 respectively). And more women were diagnosed with overt hypothyroidism in the PCOS group (6%) than in the control group (2%). Conclusions: The findings of the study showed that PCOS is associated with hypothyroidism as compared to normal population.
Genes Involved in Cell Wall Localization and Side Chain Formation of Rhamnose-Glucose Polysaccharide inStreptococcus mutans

ABSTRACT We identified in Streptococcus mutans six new genes (rgpA through rgpF), whose disruption results in a loss of serotype-specific antigenicity, specified by the glucose side chains of rhamnose-glucose polysaccharide from the cell wall. Rhamnose and glucose content of the cell wall decreased drastically in all these disruption mutants, except that in the rgpEmutant only the glucose content decreased. RgpC and RgpD are homologous to ATP-binding cassette transporter components and may be involved in polysaccharide export, whereas RgpE may be a transferase of side chain glucose.
Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures Using a Fragment-specific System

Operative treatment for distal radius fractures continues to evolve, but small-fragment fixation has some advantages compared with previous methods. We assessed two groups of patients. Group 1 was an initial series of patients treated with small-fragment fixation at a large institution in the United States, and Group 2 was a review of patients treated in Lund, Sweden. The first group was evaluated for return to routine activity. Return to work or routine daily activity averaged 6 weeks (range, 3-16 weeks). The second group was evaluated for early grip strength and range of motion compared with the uninjured extremity. The grip strength at final followup averaged 67% compared with the uninjured extremity. Wrist flexion averaged 46°, extension averaged 57°, pronation averaged 80°, and supination averaged 73°. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, level IV. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Irish Inflation in EMS

This paper outlines the interaction of Irish prices and wages, and highlights the crucial importance of foreign price movements in determining inflation in Ireland. The discussion is based on quarterly empirical estimates for the period 1972-84, covering both the sterling link and EMS regimes: The potential role of exchange rate policy, within the EMS, in influencing inflation is also analysed at a theoretical level.
Effect of sodium 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate (DMPS) on chronic daunorubicin toxicity in rabbits: comparison with dexrazoxane.

A possible protective action of DMPS (a dithiol chelating agent) against chronic daunorubicin toxicity in rabbits in comparison with dexrazoxane was investigated. The rabbits were divided into five groups: control (saline, 1 ml/kg i.v.), daunorubicin (3 mg/kg i.v.), DMPS (50 mg/kg i.v.); the remaining two groups were pre-treated either with dexrazoxane (60 mg/kg i.p.) or DMPS (50 mg/kg i.v.) 30 min before administration of daunorubicin (3 mg/kg i.v.). Drugs were given once a week for 10 weeks. Routine biochemical parameters were determined in weeks 1, 5 and 11. In the 11th week, invasive haemodynamic parameters were measured, then the rabbits underwent autopsy, cardiac tissue was examined by light microscopy and scored semiquantitatively. The contents of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and selenium were measured in the left heart ventricle. DMPS administered alone was well tolerated and did not cause any major signs of toxicity. It decreased the cardiac content of calcium, but did not affect the iron concentration. In contrast to dexrazoxane, DMPS pre-treatment did not prevent the decline in body weight in weeks 8-11 caused by daunorubicin, actually worsened mortality (26.7% vs 40.0%), did not ameliorate daunorubicin-induced nephrotic syndrome, and did not prevent the occurrence of the severe myocardial lesions. Unlike dexrazoxane, a lack of protective effect of DMPS against chronic daunorubicin toxicity in rabbits was demonstrated. The underlying cause may consist in the fact that DMPS does not efficiently chelate tissue iron and thus may not prevent the formation of oxygen free radicals.