Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GLUT10 maintains the integrity of major arteries through regulation of redox homeostasis and mitochondrial function

Glucose transporter 10 (GLUT10) is a member of the GLUT family of membrane transporters, and mutations in this gene cause arterial tortuosity syndrome (ATS). However, the physiological role and regulation of GLUT10 in arteries remains unclear. To further understand its physiological roles in major arteries, we examined the regulatory mechanisms of GLUT10 in ASMCs and aortic tissues. Interestingly, we find that targeting of GLUT10 to mitochondria is increased in ASMCs under both stress and aging conditions, which enhances dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) uptake and maintains intracellular ascorbic acid (AA) levels. We further demonstrate that the targeting of GLUT10 to mitochondria is important to maintain redox homeostasis, mitochondrial structure and mitochondrial function in ASMCs. A missense mutation of GLUT10 (Glut10G128E) impairs mitochondrial targeting in ASMCs. Consequently, ASMCs isolated from Glut10G128E mice exhibit increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, fragmented mitochondria and impaired mitochondrial function, as well as enhanced cell proliferation and migration. In vivo, mitochondrial structure is altered, and ROS levels are heightened in aortic tissues of Glut10G128E mice. Furthermore, increased number and disorganization of ASMCs, along with progressive arterial wall remodeling were observed in aortic tissues of Glut10G128E mice. These defects were coincident with elevated systolic blood pressure in aged Glut10G128E animals. Our results describe a novel mechanism that GLUT10 targeting to mitochondria under stress and aging condition has a critical role in maintaining AA levels, redox homeostasis and mitochondrial structure and function in ASMCs, which is likely to contribute to the maintenance of healthy vascular tissue.
Theoretical study of BN, BP, and BAs at high pressures.

The present work employs the total-energy pseudopotential technique to calculate the relative stabilities at high pressures of the zinc-blende . beta. -Sn, and rocksalt structures in the series of compounds BN, BP, and BAs. For compressed volumes these compounds are shown to favor the rocksalt phase over . beta. -Sn, even though BP and BAs are the least ionic of the III-V zinc-blende compounds. This indicates that the stability of the rocksalt structure under pressure depends on more than just the ionicity factor. The structural preference is analyzed in terms of charge densities. The charge rearrangements at different volumes are also studied. We find that for BN the charge associated with B decreases with volume compression while the charge associated with N increases. In BP and BAs the opposite trend is observed, with P and As behaving like B in BN. BN appears to behave like a typical III-V compound semiconductor in its charge distribution while BP and BAs are anomalous cases which can be characterized by reversing the standard assignments for the anions and cations in these compounds.
Technological disruptions in services: lessons from tourism and hospitality

Purpose Technological disruptions such as the Internet of Things and autonomous devices, enhanced analytical capabilities (artificial intelligence) and rich media (virtual and augmented reality) are creating smart environments that are transforming industry structures, processes and practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore critical technological advancements using a value co-creation lens to provide insights into service innovations that impact ecosystems. The paper provides examples from tourism and hospitality industries as an information dependent service management context. Design/methodology/approach The research synthesizes prevailing theories of co-creation, service ecosystems, networks and technology disruption with emerging technological developments. Findings Findings highlight the need for research into service innovations in the tourism and hospitality sector at both macro-market and micro-firm levels, emanating from the rapid and radical nature of technological advancements. Specifically, the paper identifies three areas of likely future disruption in service experiences that may benefit from immediate attention: extra-sensory experiences, hyper-personalized experiences and beyond-automation experiences. Research limitations/implications Tourism and hospitality services prevail under varying levels of infrastructure, organization and cultural constraints. This paper provides an overview of potential disruptions and developments and does not delve into individual destination types and settings. This will require future work that conceptualizes and examines how stakeholders may adapt within specific contexts. Social implications Technological disruptions impact all facets of life. A comprehensive picture of developments here provides policymakers with nuanced perspectives to better prepare for impending change. Originality/value Guest experiences in tourism and hospitality by definition take place in hostile environments that are outside the safety and familiarity of one’s own surroundings. The emergence of smart environments will redefine how customers navigate their experiences. At a conceptual level, this requires a complete rethink of how stakeholders should leverage technologies, engage and reengineer services to remain competitive. The paper illustrates how technology disrupts industry structures and stimulates value co-creation at the micro and macro-societal level.
Incarcerated adolescent girls: personality, social competence, and delinquency.

The aim of this study was to gain greater insight into the relationship of delinquency to personality and social competence in incarcerated girls. It was hypothesized that agreeableness and conscientiousness would correlate negatively with delinquency, and that the sensation-seeking aspect of extroversion would correlate positively. Two theoretical views were used to predict the relationship between social competence and delinquency: (a) delinquency as an expression of lack of social competence (i.e., social deficit), and (b) delinquency as socially competent and rationally analyzed behavior. The first view implies a negative correlation between delinquency and social competence, while the second indicates a positive one. The participants were thirty-three 12- to 18-year-old incarcerated girls. An adaptation of the Self-Reported Delinquency Scale was used for measuring delinquency; personality was measured using the Five-Factor Personality Inventory; and the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior was used to measure social competence. Agreeableness was not found to correlate with the overall delinquency score or with any specific type of delinquency or crime. The more crimes the girls reported, the less conscientious they were, and the more neurotic and open they were. The correlation between delinquency and extroversion was not statistically significant. A higher level of delinquency was accompanied by higher social competence when negative self-assertion was required (i.e., a low level of tension was felt in expressing negative feelings that were appropriate to the situation). In other social situations, however, the girls reported more situation-inappropriate feelings of tension. It was concluded that some personality factors and aspects of social competence can predict delinquency.
Novel features of boundary cap cells revealed by the analysis of newly identified molecular markers

Neural crest (NC) cells are a multipotent, highly migratory cell population that generates most of the components of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), including the glial Schwann cells (SC) and boundary cap (BC) cells. These latter cells are located at the interface between the central nervous system and PNS, at the exit/entry points of ventral motor/dorsal sensory axons and give rise to all SC in the nerve roots and to a subset of nociceptive neurons and satellite cells in the dorsal root ganglia. In the present study we have compared BC cells with two closely related cell types, NC and Schwann cell precursors (SCpr), by RNA profiling. This led to the definition of a set of 10 genes that show specific expression in BC cells and/or in their derivatives along the nerve roots. Analysis of the expression of these genes during mouse development revealed novel features, of those most important are: (i) dorsal and ventral nerve root BC cell derivatives express different sets of genes, suggesting that they have distinct properties; (ii) these cells undergo major modifications in their gene expression pattern between embryonic days 14.5 and 17.5, possibly linked to the SCpr‐immature Schwann cell transition; (iii) nerve roots SC differ from more distal SC not only in their origins and locations, but also in their gene expression patterns. In conclusion, the identification of these novel makers opens the way for a detailed characterization of BC cells in both mouse and man. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION WITH ADVANCED VISUAL LOSS TREATED WITH ANTI–VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY: Clinical Outcome and Prognostic Indicators

Purpose: To describe visual outcome and prognostic indicators in neovascular age-related macular degeneration with advanced visual loss at the initiation of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on a consecutive series of 1,410 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Subjects were included if at the initiation of therapy they had 20/200 or worse visual acuity (VA) with no other visually limiting eye disease and a minimum follow-up of 6 months. The change in VA at 6 months and 12 months was assessed compared with baseline. Visual improvement/worsening was defined as at least ± 0.3 logMAR (equivalent to 15 ETDRS [Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study] letters) change. Other factors for analysis included number of injections received, drug type, and various clinical and imaging findings. Results: One hundred thirty-one cases met the study criteria, and 97 were followed for 12 months. Baseline VA was 1.38 logMAR (20/480 Snellen equivalent). Mean VA change (logMAR) consisted of an improvement of 0.23 (P < 0.0001) at 6 months and 0.17 (P = 0.003) at 12 months. At 12 months, VA improved in 45% and worsened in 20%. Among subjects with baseline VA worse than 20/400, VA improved in 57% and worsened in 20%. On univariate analysis at either the 6 months or 12 months follow-up, visual improvement was associated with retinal hemorrhage (P = 0.03) and subretinal fluid (P = 0.02), whereas visual worsening was associated with retinal pigment epithelial detachment (P = 0.04) and intraretinal fluid (P = 0.01). With multivariate analysis, visual improvement was predicted by both a larger number of injections received (P = 0.001) and a poorer baseline VA (P = 0.001). Injection medication type did not influence outcome. Conclusion: Statistically significant visual improvement was observed in association with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in patients with severe neovascular age-related macular degeneration, even in patients whose initial VA was worse than that studied in large anti–vascular endothelial growth factor clinical trials. Numerous clinically discernable or potentially modifiable factors may influence outcome in such patients.
Topography of fibre organisation in the corticofugal pathways of rats

The organisation of the long descending corticofugal pathways is poorly understood. We have examined these pathways to determine the fibre relationships along the extent of their course through the internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, longitudinal pontine fasciculus, pyramid, pyramidal decussation, and dorsal column of the spinal cord. Different cytoarchitectonic regions (e.g., lateral agranular and granular) of the rat's neocortex were injected with the axonal tracer biotinylated dextran. In other experiments, each animal had different‐coloured fluorescent tracers (Fluoro Ruby and dextran‐fluorescein) injected into separate cortical areas. Our results show that in the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule, axons arising from spatially separate sites in rat neocortex occupy distinct regions of the cross‐sectional area of the pathway. More caudally, within the cerebral peduncle and the longitudinal pontine fasciculus, axons from more distant cortical areas remain largely separate, but those from adjacent cortical areas begin to overlap. By the medullary pyramid, the pyramidal decussation, and the dorsal column of the spinal cord, the representations of all the cortical regions injected overlap completely; in these structures, the axons arising from each cortical area are widely intermingled. Thus, along the rostral‐to‐caudal course of the corticofugal pathways, there is a change in the organisation of axons. At rostral levels, the order corresponds roughly to the spatial distribution of the cells of origin, but more caudally, this changes to an arrangement of axons that has no readily apparent order. A similar change has been observed along the course of the retinofugal pathway, where a decrease of spatial order in the fibre distribution has been associated with a reordering of axons according to their temporal sequence of outgrowth.J.Comp. Neurol. 381:143‐157, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MACC1 decreases the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer cells to oxaliplatin by regulating FASN expression

The effect of chemotherapeutic agents is limited as a result of drug resistance, which demands prompt solutions provided by clinical studies. To date, the underlying mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance are relatively unknown. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is an oncogene associated with the progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that MACC1 is positively associated with fatty acid synthase (FASN), a major enzyme of lipogenesis, and drives chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in GC. Similar findings were demonstrated in two GC cell lines (BGC-823 and MKN-28) with MACC1 ectopic expression. We next employed FASN inhibitor C75 or siFASN (small interfering RNA targeted to FASN) to block endogenous fatty acid metabolism and it was revealed that cell proliferation and chemoresistance to oxaliplatin induced by MACC1 upregulation were attenuated by FASN blockade to various extents. Conclusively, these outcomes highlight a novel role of MACC1 in GC cell lipogenesis, and suggest that MACC1 may be an attractive target to decrease oxaliplatin resistance in GC.
Effect of Pest Factors on NGOs Performance in Nairobi County

xiv CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Problem. 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 4 1.3 Purpose of the Study . 6 1.4 Research Questions . 6 1.5 Significance of the Study . 6 1.5. 1 Project Managers of the NGOs . 6 1.5. 2 The Academicians . 6 1.5. 3 Policy Makers . 7 1.6 Scope of the Study. 7 1.7 Definition of Terms . 7 1.7. 1 PEST . 7 1.7. 2 Political Factors . 7 1.7. 4. Socio-Cultural Factors . 7 1.7. 5. Technological Factors . 8 1.7. 6 Non-Governmental Organizations . 8 1.7. 7. Organizational Performance . 8 1.8 Chapter Summary . 8
Proinflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Balance in Gasoline Exhaust Induced Pulmonary Injury in Mice

Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance and associated changes in pulmonary bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of unleaded gasoline exhaust (GE) exposed mice were investigated. Animals were exposed to GE (1 L/min of GE mixed with 14 L/min of compressed air) using a flow-past, nose-only, dynamic inhalation exposure chamber for different durations (7, 14, and 21 days). The particulate content of the GE was found to be 0.635, ± 0.10 mg PM/m3. Elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were observed in BALF of GE-exposed mice, but interleukin 1wβ (IL-1β) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) remained unaffected. GE induced higher activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transferase (γGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the BALF, indicating Type II alveolar epithelial cell injury, Clara-cell injury, and general toxicity, respectively. Total protein in the BALF increased after 14 and 21 days of exposure, indicating enhanced alveolar-capillary permeability. However, the difference in the mean was found statistically insignificant in comparison to the compressed air control. Total cell count in the BALF of GE-exposed mice ranged between 0.898 and 0.813 × 106 cells/ml, whereas the compressed air control showed 0.65 × 106 cells/mL. The histopathological changes in GE-exposed lung includes perivascular, and peribronchiolar cuffing of mononuclear cells, migration of polymorphonuclear cells in the alveolar septa, alveolar thickening, and mild alveolar edematous changes indicating inflammation. The shift in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance and elevation of the pulmonary marker enzymes indicate toxic insult of GE. This study will help in our understanding of the mechanism of pulmonary injury by GE in the light of cytokine profiles, pulmonary marker enzymes, and lung architecture.
Not Just for Customers Anymore: Organization Facebook, Employee Social Capital, and Organizational Identification

This study examined links between employee interaction with their organization’s official Facebook page, social capital, and employee identification with the organization. Results indicate employee interaction with their company’s Facebook page was positively related to organizational identification and bridging and bonding social capital. Moreover, the relationship between interaction with the company Facebook page and identification was partially mediated by bridging social capital outcomes. Overall, results suggest the company Facebook page is an important communicative bridge between the employee and the larger organization, enhancing the employee-organization relationship. Results contribute to our understanding of social media and organizational identification, as well as our understanding of social capital associated with social media use in organizational settings.
Ovarian Steroids Influence Cerebral Glucose Transporter Expression in a Region‐ and Isoform‐Specific Pattern

Cerebral glucose uptake is mediated by several members of the family of facilitated glucose transporters (protein nomenclature GLUT; gene nomenclature solute carrier family 2 Slc2a). Glucose uptake differs between the sexes and also varies with menstrual status in women and across the rodent oestrous cycle. The present study demonstrates the extent to which hormonal variation across the four stages of the rat oestrous cycle affects the mRNA abundance of four members of the GLUT family, including the most well characterised cerebral transporters Slc2a1 and Slc2a3, as well as the insulin‐sensitive transporters Slc2a4 and Slc2a8 in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Slc2a1 varied significantly across the cycle in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and Slc2a3 and Slc2a4 also showed significant fluctuation in the hippocampus. Transporter expression significantly increased during pro‐oestrus in both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, ovarian hormones are critical for normal expression of GLUT mRNA, as demonstrated by reduced expression of Slc2a1, Slc2a3 and Sl2a8 in the hippocampus after ovariectomy. Collectively, the data reported in the present study demonstrate that glucose transporters are highly sensitive to hormonal variation and that this sensitivity is regionally distinct; thereby fluctuations likely have specific phenotypic implications.
Molecular Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum Resistance to Antimalarial Drugs in Papua New Guinea Using an Extended Ligase Detection Reaction Fluorescent Microsphere Assay

ABSTRACT Surveillance for Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance mutations is becoming an established tool for assessing antimalarial treatment effectiveness. We used an extended version of a high-throughput post-PCR multiplexed ligase detection reaction fluorescent microsphere assay (LDR-FMA) to detect single-nucleotide P. falciparum drug resistance polymorphisms in 402 isolates from children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) participating in an antimalarial treatment trial. There was a fixation of P. falciparum crt (pfcrt) K76T, pfdhfr C59R and S108N, and pfmdr1 mutations (92%, 93%, 95%, and 91%, respectively). Multiple mutations were frequent. Eighty-eight percent of isolates possessed a quintuple mutation (underlined), SVMNT, NRNI, KAA, and YYSND, in codons 72 to 76 for pfcrt; 51, 59, 108, and 164 for pfdhfr; 540, 581, and 613 for pfdhps; and 86, 184, 1034, 1042, and 1246 for pfmdr1, and four of these carried the K540E pfdhps allele. The pfmdr1 D1246Y mutation was associated with PCR-corrected day 42 in vivo treatment failure in children allocated piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin (P = 0.004). Although the pfmdr1 NFSDD haplotype was found in only four isolates, it has been associated with artemether-lumefantrine treatment failure in Africa. LDR-FMA allows the large-scale assessment of resistance-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our findings reflect previous heavy 4-aminoquinoline/sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine use in PNG. Since artemether-lumefantrine and piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin will become first- and second-line treatments, respectively, the monitoring of pfmdr1 SNPs appears to be a high priority.
The Impact of Group Support Systems on Corporate Teams' Stages of Development

Through this quasi-experimental :field study, we investigated the impact of group support systems (GSS) on the development of two comparable corporate teams solving actual business problems. Tuckman's stages of development were the lens through which we viewed the team-building process. Tuckman maintained that teams go through a developmental schemata of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning, and suggested that the way teams develop has a direct impact on both their task and social outcomes. Literature related to GSS and group processes, group characteristics, and task complexity provided the bases for the questions offered. In this field study, meeting sessions were audio-taped, transcribed, and used to paint a picture of the meeting process; to better understand what happened, we interviewed participants. Findings indicate that the two teams developed quite differently and that GSS impacted all stages, but most noticeably the storming stage. The commitment: of the teams to the assigned .