Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum sex hormones and severity of osteoarthritis of the hand.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of endogenous sex hormones to the severity of radiographic hand osteoarthritis (ROA) in 229 white women, mean age 74 years. METHODS Hand ROA was graded according to the Kellgren-Lawrence scale and according to individual features of OA: osteophytes, joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis, lateral deformity and joint collapse. Two measures of hand ROA were considered: the worst joint score assigned to any one of 10 hand joints and the sum of the scores for the 10 joints. RESULTS Comparison of the age and obesity adjusted sex hormone concentrations by the worst Kellgren-Lawrence score or the worst score of the individual features of OA revealed little difference. There were no trends in the sex hormone concentrations with increasing severity of hand ROA. CONCLUSIONS Our results do not support an association between endogenous hormone levels and severity of hand ROA.
In vivo measurement of plaque neovascularisation and thermal heterogeneity in intermediate lesions of human carotid arteries

Objectives Both neoangiogenesis and inflammation contribute in atherosclerosis progression. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) provides visualisation of plaque neovascularisation. Microwave radiometry (MR) allows in vivo non-invasive measurement of temperature of tissues, reflecting inflammatory activation. We assessed the association of carotid plaque temperature, measured by MR, with plaque neovascularisation assessed by CEUS in intermediate lesions. Methods Consecutive patients with coronary artery disease and carotid atherosclerosis underwent carotid ultrasound imaging, CEUS and MR. Plaque texture, plaque surface and plaque echogenicity were analysed. Contrast enhancement (CE) by CEUS was defined as the % percentage of signal intensity difference, prior and post contrast infusion. Thermal heterogeneity (ΔT) was assigned as maximal temperature along the carotid artery minus minimum. Results Eighty-six carotid arteries of 48 patients were included. Fatty plaques had higher CE% and ΔT compared with mixed and calcified (p<0.01 for all comparisons). Heterogeneous plaques had higher CE% and ΔT compared with homogenous (p<0.01 for all comparisons). Plaques with irregular surface had higher CE% and ΔT compared with plaques with regular (p<0.01 for all comparisons). There was a good correlation between ΔT and CE (R=0.60, p<0.001). Conclusions Carotid plaque neovascularisation on CEUS examination is associated with increased thermal heterogeneity and ultrasound characteristics of plaque vulnerability in intermediate lesions.
Patient smoking cessation advice by health care providers: the role of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health.

OBJECTIVES We assessed differences by ethnicity in ever receiving advice from providers to quit smoking. We evaluated whether socioeconomic status and health status were moderators of the association. METHODS We used 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data, a population-based cross-sectional survey. RESULTS After adjusting for complex survey design, 69% of the 14089 current smokers reported ever being advised to quit by a provider. Hispanics (50%) and African Americans (61%) reported receiving smoking counseling less frequently compared with Whites (72%, P<.01 for each). Ethnic minority status, lower education, and poorer health status remained significantly associated with lower rates of advice to quit after adjustment for number of cigarettes, time from last provider visit, income, comorbidities, health insurance, gender, and age. Smoking counseling differences between African Americans and Whites were greater among those with lower income and those without health insurance. Compared with Whites, differences for both Hispanics and African Americans were also greater among those with lower education. CONCLUSION We found lower rates of smoking cessation advice among ethnic minorities. However, we also found complex interactions of ethnicity with socioeconomic factors.
Medical students' attitudes to caring for a young infant—can parenting a doll influence these beliefs?

AIM To investigate whether attitudes to parenting were altered in final year medical students following a period spent caring for a simulated infant. METHODS Seventy medical students during their paediatric attachment in the final year completed a questionnaire regarding personal childcare attitudes. Students attached to a teaching hospital were allocated a 24 hour time period to care for “Baby Think It Over” (BTIO), a computerised doll that simulates a 6 week old infant and records care given. The students then completed a second questionnaire assessing the impact of the experience. RESULTS Forty nine per cent of students thought their advice regarding sick children was less valid than if they had their own children; 96% of students believed their approach to parents caring for young infants could be improved by caring for a 6 week old infant. All the students felt their lifestyle would be affected. Following the BTIO care period, 79% considered the experience straightforward, with 35% expressing a little more empathy and 15% a lot more empathy for parents as a result. Thoughts regarding impact on lifestyle were unaltered. Caring for BTIO, however, was not considered to be a realistic experience and overall not particularly useful. CONCLUSION Simulated infants are of only limited value in increasing medical student understanding of parental concerns.
Efferent Projections from the Ovarian Steroid Receptor‐Containing Area of the Ventrolateral Hypothalamus in Female Guinea Pigs

The ventrolateral hypothalamus (VLH) in female guinea pigs includes a subset of neurons which contain estrogen and progestin receptors, and which are implicated in the regulation of female sexual behavior by steroid hormones. However, little is known about where these neurons project, and consequently which other brain areas are involved in sexual behavior in female guinea pigs. The anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris‐Leucoagglutinin was used to label efferents from the ovarian steroid receptor‐containing part of the VLH. To identify the correct placement of the tracer specifically within the group of neurons containing estrogen receptors, medial hypothalamic sections were also immunostained for estrogen receptors. Forebrain areas receiving dense projections from the ventrolateral hypothalamus included the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic area, anterior hypothalamic area, anterior ventromedial hypothalamus, and caudal ventrolateral hypothalamus. The midbrain central gray was also heavily labeled. Moderate innervation was observed in the forebrain in the basolateral amygdala, medial preoptic nucleus, lateroanterior hypothalamic nucleus, dorsal hypothalamic areas, posterior hypothalamus, zona incerta, and in the midbrain interspersed among the central and lateral tegmental tracts. The major efferent pathways from the VLH appeared to travel rostrally through the mediobasal hypothalamus and preoptic area, and caudally via the medial thalamic nuclei and periventricular fiber system. These findings are similar to those of previous studies tracing the efferents from the ventromedial nucleus in rats and from the lateral hypothalamus in guinea pigs. Many of these areas that receive input from the steroid receptor rich area within the VLH are likely to be involved in the regulation of female sexual behavior.
Bacterial adhesion to animal tissues: protein determinants for recognition of extracellular matrix components

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is present within all animal tissues and organs. Actually, it surrounds the eukaryotic cells composing the four basic tissue types, i.e. epithelial, muscle, nerve and connective. ECM does not solely refer to connective tissue but composes all tissues where its composition, structure and organization vary from one tissue to another. Constituted of the four main fibrous proteins, i.e. collagen, fibronectin, laminin and elastin, ECM components form a highly structured and functional network via specific interactions. From the basement membrane to interstitial matrix, further heterogeneity exists in the organization of the ECM in various tissues and organs also depending on their physiological state. Back to a molecular level, bacterial proteins represent the most significant part of the microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMM). These cell surface proteins are secreted and localized differently in monoderm and diderm–LPS bacteria. While one collagen‐binding domain (CBD) and different fibronectin‐binding domains (FBD1 to 8) have been registered in databases, much remains to be learned on specific binding to other ECM proteins via single or supramolecular protein structures. Besides theinteraction of bacterial proteins with individual ECM components, this review aims at stressing the importance of fully considering the ECM at supramolecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels. This conceptual view should not be overlooked to rigorously comprehend the physiology of bacterial interaction from commensal to pathogenic species.
Moral hazard: the effect of insurance on risk and efficiency

While there is a large body of literature investigating the effect of crop and livestock insurance on input and yield, limited attention has been paid to the effect of insurance on efficiency. This article investigates how insurance affects technical efficiency and whether insurance alters the utilized input quantity to a riskier bundle using the Norwegian salmon farming industry as a case. The results illustrate that insurance has an enhancing effect on production and efficiency and changes the utilized input mix—a well‐insured farmer uses more feed and less capital and labor than a less‐insured farmer. When linking this to each input's risk profile, the results indicate that insurance will induce the use of the risk‐increasing factor (feed) and reduce the use of the risk‐decreasing factors (labor and capital)—thereby increasing production risk and indicating moral hazard.
Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II Polymorphisms and Genetic Susceptibility of IDDM in Egyptian Children

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in the Egyptian population for the first time and, thus, to determine the frequency of risk-associated alleles identified by a genomic HLA class II typing. Egyptians are genetically classified as North Africans and considered to be between Caucasoids and Africans (closer to Caucasoids). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS HLA class II typing was performed for 50 IDDM patients and 50 healthy control subjects by a restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) technique. The analysis of position 57 of the DQB1 molecules was conducted by polymerase chain reaction and specific sequence oligonucleotide hybridization. RESULTS The frequency of DRB1*0301-DRB3*0201-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 haplotype was 43.9% in the IDDM patients and 7.1% in the control subjects (P < 0.00001), reflecting the increased prevalence of DQA1*0501 susceptibility allele coding for arginine (Arg) in position 52 and DQB1*0201 susceptibility allele non-coding aspartic acid (Asp) at position 57. Alleles DQB1*0601 and 0603, both carrying Asp at position 57 of the β-chain, and DQA1*0103, encoding a non-Arg 52 alpha-chain, were significantly decreased among the IDDM patients. The presence of four susceptibility residues (two DQA1 Arg 52+ and two DQB1 Asp 57−) conferred the highest relative risk at 20.2. On the other hand, homozygous genotypes for DQA1 non-Arg 52 and DQB1 Asp 57 were found only in the control group. CONCLUSIONS IDDM susceptibility and resistance in the Egyptian population is strongly associated with the expressed DQ α- and β-heterodimers in a dose-effective manner, as already defined in many different ethnic groups.
Loss of the tyrosine phosphatase PTPRD leads to aberrant STAT3 activation and promotes gliomagenesis

Significance Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-δ (PTPRD) is a frequently inactivated tumor-suppressor gene. We demonstrate that Ptprd inactivation in the context of Cdkn2a/p16Ink4a deletion is sufficient to promote tumorigenesis in vivo. Our mouse model closely recapitulates the genetic events on chromosome 9p that occur in cancer. We demonstrate that PTPRD is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor and provide a rationale for the high frequency of heterozygous loss of PTPRD in human glioblastoma. Finally, this study establishes loss of PTPRD, a STAT3 phosphatase, as a cause of STAT3 hyperactivation in gliomas. PTPRD, which encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-δ, is one of the most frequently inactivated genes across human cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). PTPRD undergoes both deletion and mutation in cancers, with copy number loss comprising the primary mode of inactivation in GBM. However, it is unknown whether loss of PTPRD promotes tumorigenesis in vivo, and the mechanistic basis of PTPRD function in tumors is unclear. Here, using genomic analysis and a glioma mouse model, we demonstrate that loss of Ptprd accelerates tumor formation and define the oncogenic context in which Ptprd loss acts. Specifically, we show that in human GBMs, heterozygous loss of PTPRD is the predominant type of lesion and that loss of PTPRD and the CDKN2A/p16INK4A tumor suppressor frequently co-occur. Accordingly, heterozygous loss of Ptprd cooperates with p16 deletion to drive gliomagenesis in mice. Moreover, loss of the Ptprd phosphatase resulted in phospho-Stat3 accumulation and constitutive activation of Stat3-driven genetic programs. Surprisingly, the consequences of Ptprd loss are maximal in the heterozygous state, demonstrating a tight dependence on gene dosage. Ptprd loss did not increase cell proliferation but rather altered pathways governing the macrophage response. In total, we reveal that PTPRD is a bona fide tumor suppressor, pinpoint PTPRD loss as a cause of aberrant STAT3 activation in gliomas, and establish PTPRD loss, in the setting of CDKN2A/p16INK4A deletion, as a driver of glioma progression.
Sleep Apnea and Moderate Sedation

Anesthesiologists have recognized the increased risk inherent in obstructive sleep apnea patients, yet studies on sleep apnea and endoscope procedures are limited. As more procedures are being done in clinics, ambulatory care centers, and procedures labs, nurses are now performing moderate sedation on this high risk patient population with little information to guide them. Of concern, 80–90% of the people who have obstructive sleep apnea are unaware they have it. This article will explore the definition of sleep apnea, identify risk factors, and review literature that relates to obstructive sleep apnea and moderate sedation procedures. A resource list of agencies, internet sites, and references are included. This review of obstructive sleep apnea can assist gastroenterology nurses administering sedation to better recognize and monitor this high risk group.
Endogenous Asymmetric Money Illusion

Abstract We show that when investors suffer from endogenous asymmetric money illusion, the usual proportionality between money supply and nominal prices commonly present in frictionless economies is eliminated. This drives changes in the money supply to cause real price fluctuations. Nevertheless, the combined effect on the real state price density and the price of money leads the nominal state price density, and consequently nominal bond prices, to be independent of money illusion. This article thus provides a theoretical foundation for Modigliani-Cohn’s conjecture that money illusion impacts stock markets but not bond markets.
Pattern of admissions to a tertiary dermatology unit in South Africa

Background There is worldwide recognition of the need to control the rising costs of health‐care. As a result there is a trend away from inpatient treatment of people with non‐life‐threatening skin disorders. In the developing world there is a conflict between the inadequacy of home and community facilities and the need to limit expenditure.
Relationship between CD4 lymphocyte count and AIDS mortality, 1986–1991

ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between CD4 lymphocyte count and short-term AIDS mortality, and to determine whether this relationship changed during 1986–1991. DesignA retrospective analysis of CD4 lymphocyte counts in patients dying with AIDS and estimation of median survival in patients with a CD4 count < 50 x 106/l. MethodsAbsolute CD4 lymphocyte count in the 6 months before death was available for 178 patients. The terminal CD4 count was compared in five cohorts of patients dying in 12-month periods from July 1986. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed using survival from date of first absolute CD4 count < 50 $$ 106/l in 271 patients and compared for each yearly cohort. ResultsThe median terminal CD4 lymphocyte count for all patients was 10 $$ 106/l. The median terminal CD4 counts for each yearly cohort were: 1986/1987, 100 (n = 13); 1987–1988, 10 (n = 27); 1988–1989, 10 (n = 30); 1989/1990, 20 (n = 59); 1990–1991, 10 (n = 58). There was a significant difference in the terminal CD4 count in the 1986–1987 period compared with all other years combined, but no further changes after 1987–1988. The median survival of all patients from date of first CD4 count < 50 $$ 106/I was 11.9 months. There was no significant difference in median survival in each yearly cohort. ConclusionsThere is a close correlation between CD4 lymphocyte count and short-term mortality in AIDS. Therapeutic advances over the past 5 years are not reflected by changes in CD4 count before death or improved survival in patients with very low CD4 counts.
Autoimmune syndrome after induction of neonatal tolerance to I‐E antigens

Neonatal injection of semiallogeneic spleen cells induces a state of specific tolerance to the parental alloantigens, but also the development of an autoimmune syndrome known as host‐versus‐graft disease (HVGD). The autoimmune features are a consequence of the allogeneic cooperation between persisting alloreactive host T helper type 2 (TH2) cells and donor semiallogeneic B cells. It has been established that I‐A alloantigens play a central role in the triggering of this HVGD. Here it was investigated if I‐E antigens, which have shown functional differences, regarding autoimmunity and alloreactivity, with respect to I‐A antigens, are also able to trigger this autoimmune syndrome. The injection of spleen cells from [B10.A(4R) X B10.A(2R)]F1 (I‐E+) hybrid mice into newborn B10.A(4R) (I‐E−) mice was accompanied by the establishment of chimerism and also by the development of a characteristic, but moderated, HVGD. The weak intensity of this HVGD is likely due to the moderation of the alloreactive responses induced against I‐E molecules. Moreover, the marked increase in the levels of IgE and in the titers of anti‐DNA IgGl antibodies strongly suggest that alloreactive TH2 cells play also a main role in the autoimmune syndrome following tolerization to I‐E antigens. Therefore, it is concluded that the I‐E and I‐A isotypes are functionally similar with respect to the allogeneic cellular interactions that account for the HVGD.
The politics of Chinese tourism in South Korea: political economy, state-society relations, and international security

Abstract The politics of tourism has not been studied in depth, even though many recognize the growing importance of political factors in tourism economy. As China has risen, it has used its massive volume of outbound tourists and its tourist industry for political gain, with both positive and negative consequences for partner countries. And the recipient countries’ state and society respond to these external impacts from China in various ways. In recent years, this development has alarmed students of tourism and politics in the Pacific Basin. In this context, the case of Chinese tourism in South Korea throughout 2010s sheds light on many aspects of this new and controversial phenomenon and ensuing interactions of various actors at both domestic and international political arenas.
Covalent Attachment of the SUMO-1 Protein to the Negative Regulatory Domain of the c-Myb Transcription Factor Modifies Its Stability and Transactivation Capacity*

The transcription factor c-Myb is subject to several types of post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. These modifications regulate the transcription and transforming activity as well as the proteolytic stability of c-Myb. Here we report the covalent modification of c-Myb with the small ubiquitin-related protein SUMO-1. Mutational analysis identified two major sumolation sites (Lys499 and Lys523) in the negative regulatory domain. Interestingly, the single mutation K523R completely abolished modification of c-Myb with SUMO-1, suggesting that sumolation of Lys523 is required for modification of other lysines in c-Myb. In accordance with this observation, we found that the SUMO-1-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 interacted only with a region surrounding Lys523 (also called the PEST/EVES motif). Experiments aimed at determining the proteolytic stability of sumolated and unmodified forms of c-Myb revealed that at least two covalently attached SUMO-1 molecules dramatically increased the stability of c-Myb. However, mutations of the SUMO-1 modification sites did not alter its stability, suggesting that a mechanism(s) other than competition of ubiquitin and SUMO-1 for the same lysine is involved in the stabilization of sumolated c-Myb protein. Finally, the K523R mutant of c-Myb, entirely deficient in sumolation, was shown to have an increased transactivation capacity on a Myb-responsive promoter, suggesting that SUMO-1 negatively regulates the transactivation function of c-Myb. Thus, modification of c-Myb with SUMO-1 represents a novel mechanism through which the negative regulatory domain can exert its suppressing activity on c-Myb transactivation capacity.
The effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations on the performance of the mangrove Avicennia germinans over a range of salinities.

By increasing water use efficiency and carbon assimilation, increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations could potentially improve plant productivity and growth at high salinities. To assess the effect of elevated CO2 on the salinity response of a woody halophyte, we grew seedlings of the mangrove Avicennia germinans under a combination of five salinity treatments [from 5 to 65 parts per thousand (ppt)] and three CO2 concentrations (280, 400 and 800 ppm). We measured survivorship, growth rate, photosynthetic gas exchange, root architecture and foliar nutrient and ion concentrations. The salinity optima for growth shifted higher with increasing concentrations of CO2 , from 0 ppt at 280 ppm to 35 ppt at 800 ppm. At optimal salinity conditions, carbon assimilation rates were significantly higher under elevated CO2 concentrations. However, at salinities above the salinity optima, salinity had an expected negative effect on mangrove growth and carbon assimilation, which was not alleviated by elevated CO2 , despite a significant improvement in photosynthetic water use efficiency. This is likely due to non-stomatal limitations to growth at high salinities, as indicated by our measurements of foliar ion concentrations that show a displacement of K(+) by Na(+) at elevated salinities that is not affected by CO2 . The observed shift in the optimal salinity for growth with increasing CO2 concentrations changes the fundamental niche of this species and could have significant effects on future mangrove distribution patterns and interspecific interactions.