Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of Interleukin‐6 Promoter by Parathyroid Hormone, Tumor Necrosis Factor α, and Interleukin‐1β in UMR‐106 Osteoblastic Cells Is Inhibited by Protein Kinase C Antagonists

To investigate the level at which protein kinase C (PKC) regulates expression of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in osteoblastic cells, effects of several PKC antagonists and PKC down‐regulation by phorbol ester were studied in UMR‐106 osteoblastic cells that had been transiently transfected with a −224/+11‐base pair (bp) IL‐6 promoter coupled to a luciferase reporter. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) elicited a dose‐dependent stimulation of the IL‐6 promoter expression, with significant increases produced by 5 h of treatment with concentrations of PTH as low as 10−14 M. The increase in IL‐6 promoter expression was inhibited by the PKC antagonists GF109203X, 30 nM to 1 μM, and calphostin C, 250 nM. Prior down‐regulation of PKC with 100 nM phorbol‐12,13‐dibutyrate (PDBU) for 48 h inhibited the PTH effect as well as the smaller stimulatory effects elicited by tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), 10−9‐10−8 M, and by IL‐1β, 1‐10 ng/ml. In contrast to these findings, the stimulatory effects of PTH, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β on the IL‐6 promoter expression were enhanced by staurosporine. Treatment with GF109203X or down‐regulation of PKC with PDBU prevented the stimulatory effects of staurosporine. PKC activity was increased by staurosporine. The findings with staurosporine are consistent with our earlier observations that this agent enhances the calcium signaling and bone resorption elicited by PTH. The studies support the role of PKC in the stimulatory effects of PTH, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β on IL‐6 expression.
Malignant melanoma in solid transplant recipients: collection of database cases and comparison with surveillance, epidemiology, and end results data for outcome analysis.

OBJECTIVE To determine malignant melanoma cause-specific and overall survival among patients with melanoma diagnosed after organ transplantation compared with a national sample with malignant melanoma. DESIGN Retrospective review. SETTING Mayo Clinic sites. PATIENTS Immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients with malignant melanoma identified from surgical and medical databases at Mayo Clinic (1978-2007), the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing database (1999-2006), and the Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry (1967-2007). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Prognostic analyses by Breslow thickness and Clark level of overall and melanoma cause-specific survival. Expected survival rates were estimated by applying the age-, sex-, and calendar year-specific survival rates of patients with malignant melanoma cases reported in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program to the study cohort. RESULTS Malignant melanoma was diagnosed in 638 patients (724 cases) after transplantation. Breslow thickness was available for 123 patients; Clark level, for 175. Three-year overall survival rates for patients stratified by Breslow thickness (≤ 0.75, 0.76-1.50, 1.51-3.00, and >3.00 mm) were 88.2%, 80.8%, 51.2%, and 55.3%, respectively, and 3-year cause-specific survival rates (95% confidence intervals) were 97.8% (93.7%-100%), 89.4% (76.5%-100%), 73.2% (53.2%-100%), and 73.9% (56.4%-96.6%), respectively. Three-year cause-specific survival rates (95% confidence intervals) for patients stratified by Clark level (I-IV) were 100%, 97.4% (92.4%-100%), 82.8% (65.3%-100%), and 65.8% (51.8%-83.7%), respectively. For patients with Breslow thickness of 1.51 to 3.00 mm and Clark level III or IV, the cause-specific survival rate in the study sample was significantly different from the expected estimates for patients with the same Breslow thickness or Clark level. CONCLUSIONS Compared with the expected survival rates derived from malignant melanoma cases reported in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients with thicker melanomas (ie, with a Clark level of III or IV or a Breslow thickness of 1.51 to 3.00 mm) had a significantly poorer malignant melanoma cause-specific survival rate. The overall survival rate was worse among patients with a prior history of transplantation, regardless of Breslow thickness or Clark level.
Taurine elevates dopamine levels in the rat nucleus accumbens; antagonism by strychnine

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, projecting from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (nAcc), is involved in reward‐related behaviours and addictive processes, such as alcoholism and drug addiction. It was recently suggested that strychnine‐sensitive glycine receptors (GlyR) in the nAcc regulate both basal and ethanol‐induced mesolimbic DA activity via a neuronal loop involving endogenous activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the VTA. However, as the nAcc appears to contain few glycine‐immunoreactive cell bodies or fibres, the question as to what may be the endogenous ligand for GlyRs in this brain region remains open. Here we have investigated whether the amino acid taurine could serve this purpose using in vivo microdialysis in awake, freely moving male Wistar rats. Local perfusion of taurine (1, 10 or 100 mm in the perfusate) increased DA levels in the nAcc. The taurine (10 mm)‐induced DA increase was, similarly to that previously observed after ethanol, completely blocked by (i) perfusion of the competitive GlyR antagonist strychnine in the nAcc, (ii) perfusion of the nAChR antagonist mecamylamine (100 µm) in the VTA, and (iii) systemic administration of the acetylcholine‐depleting drug vesamicol (0.4 mg/kg, i.p). The present results suggest that taurine may be an endogenous ligand for GlyRs in the nAcc and that the taurine‐induced elevation of DA levels in this area, similarly to that observed after local ethanol, is mediated via a neuronal loop involving endogenous activation of nAChRs in the VTA.
Prevalence of common mutations of the MTHFR gene in a Puerto Rican population

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of folate to methionine Fourteen severe mutations of the MTHFR gene have been found to result in only a 0-20 percent activity of the control MTHFR protein (Goyette, 1995). A common mutation (C677T), which results in high homocysteine and low plasma folate levels, has been associated with a thermolabile form of the MTHFR enzyme, therefore being a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and neural tube defects (NTD) in the homozygous form (Frosst, 1995). Another mutation in the human MTHFR gene (A1298C) has been found to destroy an MboII recognition site and results in decreased MTHFR activity. Plasma and homocysteine levels are not altered with the A1298C mutation, however this mutation seems to be a risk factor when combined with the C677T mutation (Van der Put NM, 1998). In a prevalence study of the common C677T mutation screening in healthy women and newborn samples was performed we found that 8.6% of the individuals where homozygous for the mutation. These results compare with those found for Ohio Caucasian and Dublin populations (McAndrew, Kirke; 1996). Thirty NTD affected and control families were also analyzed in our laboratory for the C677T and A1298C mutations. Analysis of the A1298C mutation in 51 and 62 individuals from the control and NTD affected families, respectively, resulted in 8 control and 0 NTD affected individuals homozygous for the mutation. Taken together, the results of this study indicates that the Puerto Rican population has a low frecuency of the C677T mutation and confirms that homozygocity for the A1298C mutation does not present a direct risk for NTD. Supported by an RCMI Clinical Research Infrastructure Initiative (RCRII) Award IP20RR11126, National Center for Research Resources, RCMI Human Molecular Genetics Unit, NCRR-NIH RCMI Grant G12RR03051, and the Hereditary Disease Program, Department of Pediatrics, UPR, School of Medicine.
Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of the Phosphoenolpyruvate:Glucose/Mannose Phosphotransferase System of Streptococcus thermophilus

ABSTRACT In most streptococci, glucose is transported by the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP):glucose/mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS) via HPr and IIABMan, two proteins involved in regulatory mechanisms. While most strains of Streptococcus thermophilus do not or poorly metabolize glucose, compelling evidence suggests that S. thermophilus possesses the genes that encode the glucose/mannose general and specific PTS proteins. The purposes of this study were to determine (i) whether these PTS genes are expressed, (ii) whether the PTS proteins encoded by these genes are able to transfer a phosphate group from PEP to glucose/mannose PTS substrates, and (iii) whether these proteins catalyze sugar transport. The pts operon is made up of the genes encoding HPr (ptsH) and enzyme I (EI) (ptsI), which are transcribed into a 0.6-kb ptsH mRNA and a 2.3-kb ptsHI mRNA. The specific glucose/mannose PTS proteins, IIABMan, IICMan, IIDMan, and the ManO protein, are encoded by manL, manM, manN, and manO, respectively, which make up the man operon. The man operon is transcribed into a single 3.5-kb mRNA. To assess the phosphotransfer competence of these PTS proteins, in vitro PEP-dependent phosphorylation experiments were conducted with purified HPr, EI, and IIABMan as well as membrane fragments containing IICMan and IIDMan. These PTS components efficiently transferred a phosphate group from PEP to glucose, mannose, 2-deoxyglucose, and (to a lesser extent) fructose, which are common streptococcal glucose/mannose PTS substrates. Whole cells were unable to catalyze the uptake of mannose and 2-deoxyglucose, demonstrating the inability of the S. thermophilus PTS proteins to operate as a proficient transport system. This inability to transport mannose and 2-deoxyglucose may be due to a defective IIC domain. We propose that in S. thermophilus, the general and specific glucose/mannose PTS proteins are not involved in glucose transport but might have regulatory functions associated with the phosphotransfer properties of HPr and IIABMan.
Job Matching, Wage Dispersion, and Unemployment

Dale T. Mortensen and Christopher A. Pissarides are the recipients (with Peter Diamond) of the Nobel memorial Prize in Economics 2010. They have made path-breaking contributions to the analysis of markets with search and matching frictions, which account for much of the success of job search theory and the flows approach in becoming a leading tool for microeconomic and macroeconomic analysis of labor markets. Both scientists have gained groundbreaking insights through individual as well as joint research. Consequently, this volume not only features several papers which helped shape the equilibrium search model, including some early contributions which have initiated the research on what is known today as the search and matching model of the labor market, but it also presents a joint paper by the IZA Prize Laureates, which is a complete statement of the equilibrium search and matching model with endogenous job creation and job destruction. As part of the IZA Prize Series, the book presents a selection of their most important work which has highly enriched research on unemployment as an equilibrium phenomenon, on labor market dynamics, and on cyclical adjustment.
Low noise amplifier design in 90nm CMOS technology for near millimetre wave band applications

Analysis and optimization process of single stage low power low noise amplifier (LNA) in CMOS technology has been presented. Input and output matching networks has been designed using derived analytic equations. Noise figure of LNA has been analyzed using accurate noise model for various noise contributors, including both of transistors in the cascode stage and substrate. Optimization process has been developed using the analysis results and graphical approach, to achieve simultaneous noise and power gain optimization, to prevent the power budget in the classical noise matching. Using the proposed approach, a 30GHz single stage cascode LNA has been designed and fabricated in the STMicroelectronics 90nm GP CMOS process. The designed LNA has good performance in comparison with the reported ones.
Mutation Testing Strategies - A Collateral Approach

Mutation Testing is considered to be one of the most powerful techniques for unit testing and at the same time one of the most expensive. The principal expense of mutation is the vast number of imposed test requirements, many of which cannot be satisfied. In order to overcome these limitations, researchers have proposed many cost reduction techniques, such as selective mutation, weak mutation and a novel approach based on mutant combination, which combines first order mutants to generate second order ones. An experimental comparison involving weak mutation, strong mutation and various proposed strategies was conducted. The experiment shows that all proposed approaches are quite effective in general as they result in high collateral coverage of strong mutation (approximately 95%), while recording remarkable effort savings. Additionally, the results suggest that some of the proposed approaches are more effective than others making it possible to reduce the mutation testing application cost with only a limited impact on its
Bilateral vestibular paresis: Diagnosis and treatment

Patients with bilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction present a substantial diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the otologist. Caloric irrigations that suggest bilateral weakness may mislead the clinician when considerable peripheral function remains. Rotary chair testing at several frequencies is helpful in confirming the degree of residual function and may identify patients who have a better prognosis in rehabilitation. Forty-nine patients with bilateral vestibular paresis were evaluated. The diagnosis was based on caloric responses of less than 5 degrees/sec in both ears and reduced gain on rotary chair trials. Oscillopsia occurred in the minority of patients (35%) and was rare unless severe paresis was present. Episodic vertigo occurred in 43%. All patients had abnormal posturography results, with vestibular dysfunction and severe dysfunction patterns predominating. The treatment outcomes of 22 patients who underwent vestibular rehabilitation are discussed. Prevention of bilateral vestibular paresis remains a high priority.
Defining the place of burial: What makes a cemetery a cemetery?

A great deal of material has been written about cemeteries based on the assumption that they constitute a specific type of burial place, but few writers have given close attention to the task of describing the features that may be particular to cemeteries. This paper regards cemeteries as specifically demarcated sites of burial, with an ordered internal layout that is conducive both to families claiming control over their grave spaces, and to the conducting of what might be deemed by the community as appropriate funerary ritual. Cemetery space can be regarded as sacred, in that it acts as a focus for the pilgrimage of friends and family and is protected from activities deemed 'disrespectful'. However, cemeteries are principally secular spaces: ownership is almost always by municipal authorities or private sector concerns. The sites are intended to serve the whole community, and in doing so are closely integrated into community history. The sites are able to carry multiple social and political meanings. Using these elements of definition-physical characteristics, ownership and purpose, sacredness and the site's ability to promote or protect the individuality of the deceased-the paper characterizes churchyards, burial grounds, mass graves, war cemeteries and pantheons.
Electrocorticographic Encoding of Human Gait in the Leg Primary Motor Cortex

While prior noninvasive (e.g., electroencephalographic) studies suggest that the human primary motor cortex (M1) is active during gait processes, the limitations of noninvasive recordings make it impossible to determine whether M1 is involved in high-level motor control (e.g., obstacle avoidance, walking speed), low-level motor control (e.g., coordinated muscle activation), or only nonmotor processes (e.g., integrating/relaying sensory information). This study represents the first invasive electroneurophysiological characterization of the human leg M1 during walking. Two subjects with an electrocorticographic grid over the interhemispheric M1 area were recruited. Both exhibited generalized γ-band (40-200 Hz) synchronization across M1 during treadmill walking, as well as periodic γ-band changes within each stride (across multiple walking speeds). Additionally, these changes appeared to be of motor, rather than sensory, origin. However, M1 activity during walking shared few features with M1 activity during individual leg muscle movements, and was not highly correlated with lower limb trajectories on a single channel basis. These findings suggest that M1 primarily encodes high-level gait motor control (i.e., walking duration and speed) instead of the low-level patterns of leg muscle activation or movement trajectories. Therefore, M1 likely interacts with subcortical/spinal networks, which are responsible for low-level motor control, to produce normal human walking.
Projections of the lateral hypothalamus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the dorsal vagal complex in the pigeon

The dorsal vagal complex is composed of the nucleus tractus solitarii (Nts) and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMN X). In the pigeon, these nuclei are composed of cytoarchitectonically well‐defined subnuclear groups, which have connections that are partially segregated to specific organs (Katz and Karten: J. Comp. Neurol. 218:42–73, '83b, J. Comp. Neurol. 242:397–414, '85). The present study sought to determine whether forebrain afferents to Nts‐DMN X are differentially distributed to specific subnuclei and thereby modulate the functions of specific organs.
Compartment Syndrome After Low-Energy Tibia Fractures Sustained During Athletic Competition

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients who sustain tibia fractures during athletic competition are at an increased risk of developing acute compartment syndrome (ACS). Design: Retrospective review. Setting: University Level I trauma center. Participants/Patients: Acute tibia fractures in 626 patients between July 2006 and June 2009. Methods: A retrospective review of 626 consecutive tibia fractures treated by our department between July 2006 and June 2009 was performed. We recorded the mechanism and type of fracture as well as whether or not ACS developed. Soccer and football injuries were analyzed as specific groups. Chi square was used to analyze our results. Main Outcome Measurements: The rate of ACS in patients injured during sporting events versus that of all patients with a tibia fracture. Results: Thirty-four patients (5.4%) developed ACS, which is consistent with the published literature. Nine patients sustained the injury while playing soccer (1.4% of patients), whereas 11 patients (1.7%) were injured playing football. Five of the nine soccer players (55%; P < 0.001) and three of the football players (27%; P < 0.001) developed ACS. Collectively, tibia fractures sustained in football and soccer led to 25% of ACS cases despite accounting for only 3.1% of all tibia fractures. Conclusions: Tibia fractures sustained during soccer and football had a statistically significant association with development of ACS in our patient population during this time period. Such patients should be monitored closely and followed with high clinical suspicion for ACS.
Rapid Genoserotyping Tool for Classification of Salmonella Serovars

ABSTRACT We have developed a Salmonella genoserotyping array (SGSA) which rapidly generates an antigenic formula consistent with the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme, currently the gold standard for Salmonella serotyping. A set of 287 strains representative of 133 Salmonella serovars was assembled to validate the array and to test the array probes for accuracy, specificity, and reproducibility. Initially, 76 known serovars were utilized to validate the specificity and repeatability of the array probes and their expected probe patterns. The SGSA generated the correct serovar designations for 100% of the known subspecies I serovars tested in the validation panel and an antigenic formula consistent with that of the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme for 97% of all known serovars tested. Once validated, the SGSA was assessed against a blind panel of 100 Salmonella enterica subsp. I samples serotyped using traditional methods. In summary, the SGSA correctly identified all of the blind samples as representing Salmonella and successfully identified 92% of the antigens found within the unknown samples. Antigen- and serovar-specific probes, in combination with a pepT PCR for confirmation of S. enterica subsp. Enteritidis determinations, generated an antigenic formula and/or a serovar designation consistent with the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme for 87% of unknown samples tested with the SGSA. Future experiments are planned to test the specificity of the array probes with other Salmonella serovars to demonstrate the versatility and utility of this array as a public health tool in the identification of Salmonella.
Nonuniform Epicardial Activation and Repolarization Properties of in Vivo Canine Pulmonary Conus

The relation between nonuniform epicardial activation and ventricular repolarization properties was studied in 14 pentobarbital anesthetized dogs and with a computer model. In 11 dogs, isochrone maps of epicardial activation sequence were constructed from electrograms recorded from the pulmcnary conus with 64 electrodes on an 8 × 8 grid with 2-mm electrode separation. The heart was paced from multiple sites on the periphery of the array. Uniformity of epicardial activation was estimated from activation times at test sites and their eight neighboring sites. Acceleration shortened and deceleration prolonged refractory periods. The locations of acceleration and deceleration sites of activation differed during drives from various sites, and differences in uniformity of activation during pairs of drives were correlated to differences fa refractory periods (r =0.76, range 0.59–0.93). In three additional experiments, transmural activation sequence maps were constructed from electrograms recorded from needle-mounted electrodes placed upstream and downstream to epicardial activation delays. Activation proceeded from epicardium to endocardium upstream to the delays and from endocardium to epicardium downstream to the delays. A computer simulation of two-dimensional action potential propagation based on the Beeler-Reuter myocardial membrane model provided insights to the mechanism for the results of the animal experiments. The two-dimensional sheet modeled the transmural anisotropic histology of the canine pulmonary conus and corresponded to previous reports and histology of specimens from five experiments. Simulated activation patterns were similar to those found in the experimental animals. In addition, action potentials were electronically prolonged at sites of deceleration and shortened at sites of acceleration, results comparable to the animal experiments. Our findings demonstrate that the location of areas of nonuniform epicardial activation is dependent on drive site and that nonuniform activation electronically modulates repolarization properties. Therefore it seems likely that the site of origin of ectopic ventricular complexes, especially in ischemic myocardium where activation is nonuniform, could be an important determinant of whether ectopic activity initiates sustained tachyarrhythmias.