Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Melatonin protects against gastric ulceration and increases the efficacy of ranitidine and omeprazole in reducing gastric damage

The antiulcer effect of melatonin on gastric lesions caused by restraint‐cold stress was studied with the intent of determining the mechanism of action of this agent. Melatonin dose‐dependently prevented restraint‐cold stress‐induced gastric damage with around 90% inhibition at a dose of 60 mg/kg BW. When compared with already marketed antiulcer drugs such as ranitidine and omeprazole, melatonin was found to be more effective than ranitidine but less effective than omeprazole in preventing stress ulcer. As stress‐induced gastric lesions are mainly caused by oxidative damage because of hydroxyl radicals (·OH), the effect of melatonin in scavenging the ·OH generated during stress conditions in vivo as well as in an in vitro model system were studied. The results indicate that melatonin caused an 88% reduction of endogenous b˙OH during stress in vivo, an observation confirmed in an established in vitro system. Furthermore, a decrease in the activity of gastric peroxidase (GPO) and an increase in the gastric mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (Mn‐SOD) activity because of restraint‐cold stress was attenuated by melatonin pretreatment indicating that the indole possibly exerts its gastroprotective effects through its direct as well as indirect antioxidant activities. Moreover, in separate experiments, cotreatment of rats with melatonin and ranitidine or omeprazole was found to protect against stress ulceration in doses at which either of these alone could not protect the stomach. The findings raise the possibility of melatonin being considered as an effective gastroprotective agent individually or as a cotreatment with either ranitidine and omeprazole.
Rhesus Monkey Immature Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells Generate Alloantigen-Specific Regulatory T Cells From Circulating CD4+CD127−/lo T Cells

Background. Generation of non-human primate regulatory T cells (Treg) with alloantigen (alloAg) specificity would allow their testing in preclinical transplant models. Low recovery of Treg from peripheral blood limits their potential utility. In small animals and humans, conventional myeloid dendritic cells (DC) have been shown to select or induce alloAg-specific Treg. Methods. We combined enrichment of rhesus macaque blood CD4+ Treg based on IL-7R&agr; (CD127) expression with their stimulation in mixed leukocyte cultures with immature, allogeneic control or vitamin (Vit) D3/IL-10-conditioned monocyte-derived DC. After co-culture in IL-2 and IL-15 for up to 14 days, the ability of the resulting T cells to suppress alloreactive effector T-cell proliferation was assessed. Results. CD4+CD127−/lo T cells represented approximately 7% of normal rhesus circulating CD4+ T cells and were enriched for forkhead box P3 (Foxp3)+ cells. When stimulated with control allogeneic DC, they exhibited much inferior proliferative responses compared with bulk CD4+ or CD4+CD127+ cells. This anergic state was reversed by exogenous IL-2 and IL-15. After 10 to 14 days culture of CD4+CD127−/lo T cells with immature allogeneic DC, particularly maturation-resistant VitD3/IL-10 DC, the frequency of Foxp3+ T cells was increased. The cultured cells markedly inhibited CD4+ effector T-cell proliferation in a dose-related and donor alloAg-specific manner. Conclusion. Stimulation of rhesus CD4+CD127−/lo T cells with immature and especially maturation-resistant allogeneic DC, generated highly-suppressive, alloAg-specific Treg. Without resorting to a more purified starting population, this approach may have therapeutic utility in clinically relevant transplant models.
Plasma Rich in Growth Factors Inhibits Ultraviolet B Induced Photoageing of the Skin in Human Dermal Fibroblast Culture.

BACKGROUND Ultraviolet irradiation is able to deeply penetrate into the dermis and alter fibroblast structure and function, leading to a degradation of the dermal extracellular matrix. OBJECTIVES The regenerative effect of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) on skin ageing was investigated using UVB photo-stressed human dermal fibroblasts as an in vitro culture model. METHOD PRGF was assessed over the main indicative features of ultraviolet B irradiation, including ROS formation, cell viability and death detection, apoptosis/ necrosis analysis and biosynthetic activity measurement. Four different UV irradiation protocols were tested in order to analyze the beneficial effects of PRGF. RESULTS Ultraviolet irradiation exhibited a dose dependent cytotoxicity and dose of 400mJ/cm2 was selected for subsequent experiments. PRGF increased the cell viability and decreased the cell death comparing to the non-treated group. The apoptosis and necrosis were significantly lower in PRGF treated fibroblasts. ROS production after UV irradiation was significantly reduced in the presence of PRGF. Procollagen type I, hyaluronic acid and TIMP-1 levels were higher in the when treated with PRGF. CONCLUSION This preliminary in vitro study suggests that PRGF is able to prevent UVB derived photooxidative stress and to diminish the cell damage caused by ultraviolet irradiation.
In Vitro Metabolism of Artepillin C by Rat and Human Liver Microsomes

Abstract Artepillin C, a natural product present in the Brazilian green propolis, has several biological properties. Among these properties, the antitumor action of this product is noteworthy and makes it a promising drug candidate for the treatment of several types of cancer. This paper describes the in vitro metabolism of Artepillin C in rat and human liver microsomes. The rat model suggested a sigmoidal profile for the metabolism, adapted to the Hillʼs kinetic model. The enzymatic kinetic parameters were as follows: maximal velocity = 0.757 ± 0.021 µmol/mg protein/min, Hill coefficient = 10.90 ± 2.80, and substrate concentration at which half-maximal velocity of a Hill enzyme is achieved = 33.35 ± 0.55 µM. Based on these results, the calculated in vitro intrinsic clearance for Artepillin C was 16.63 ± 1.52 µL/min/mg protein. The in vitro metabolism assay conducted on the human model did not fit any enzymatic kinetic model. Two novel metabolites were formed in both mammal microsomal models and their chemical structures were elucidated for the first time. The main human cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in Artepillin C metabolism had been identified, and the results suggest a majority contribution of CYP2E1 and CYP2C9 in the formation of the two metabolites.
Induction of labor in twin pregnancies with oral misoprostol versus vaginal dinoprostone – is it effective and safe?

Abstract Objective: To compare the effectiveness and safety of oral misoprostol versus vaginal dinoprostone for the induction of labor in twin pregnancies. Methods: All twin pregnancies ≥ 34 weeks 0 days that were induced with either misoprostol or dinoprostone in St. Hedwig Hospital between 2002 and 2013 were included in this retrospective study. Length of induction, mode of delivery, maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: After identifying 186 twin mothers matching the inclusion criteria, 154 women were induced with misoprostol (group A) and 32 with dinoprostone (group B). There were no differences in demographic data between the groups. Rates of successful vaginal delivery (53.9% versus 56.3%) and length of induction to delivery (30.2 h versus 26.9 h) were also similar. There were slightly higher rates of postpartum hemorrhage in group B (16.6% versus 10.8%), but without reaching statistical significance. Neonatal outcomes regarding umbilical artery pH <7.20 and one minute Apgar also were without significant differences. Conclusions: Study data indicate that oral misoprostol and vaginal dinoprostone are similarly effective and safe for the induction of labor in twin gestations. Further trials with larger series are needed to confirm these results.
Are Recessions Good for Government Hires? The Effect of Unemployment on Public Sector Human Capital

Utilizing a large dataset on U.S. federal government employees covering 24 years, we estimate and analyze the persistent wage effect of entering government employment during recessions for recent college graduates and other new employees. Contrary to previous results in the literature for private sector employees, we document a significant and long-term wage increase for federal civil servants who enter government service in recessions. We show this result is robust to alternative samples and model specifications. We conclude by examining agency occupation composition and job matching as mechanisms for these results.
“No Rights or Wrongs, No Magic Solutions”: Teachers' Responses to Bereaved Adolescent Students

The study aimed to understand how teachers responded to students bereaved of a parent. The authors interviewed 12 secondary school teachers and implemented a grounded theory design. Participants described how they engage in six central processes: flexibility, openness, support, emotionality, sharing, and communication. The authors conceptualized these processes as continua with opposing actions at each end. Teachers' movement on the continua is fluid, influenced by systemic factors, student-specific factors and factors individual to the teacher. Responses on the continua in relation to each student's bereavement are unique to each teacher–student relationship.
Estimating the Cost of Equity Capital for Insurance Firms with Multiperiod Asset Pricing Models

Previous research on insurer cost of equity (COE) focuses on single‐period asset pricing models. In reality, however, investment and consumption decisions are made over multiple periods, exposing firms to time‐varying risks related to economic cycles and market volatility. We extend the literature by examining two multiperiod models—the conditional capital asset pricing model (CCAPM) and the intertemporal CAPM (ICAPM). Using 29 years of data, we find that macroeconomic factors significantly influence and explain insurer stock returns. Insurers have countercyclical beta, implying that their market risk increases during recessions. Further, insurers are sensitive to volatility risk (the risk of losses when volatility goes up), but not to insurance‐specific risks, financial industry risks, liquidity risk, or coskewness after controlling for other economy‐wide factors.
The relationship between adolescents’ civic knowledge, civic attitude, and civic behavior and their self-reported future likelihood of voting

A long-standing objective of American public education is fostering civically engaged youth. Identifying characteristics associated with likelihood of future voting, a measure of democratic participation that predicts future voting behavior, might yield targets for education programs to increase civic participation. Survey data from urban adolescents were analyzed to elucidate how civic knowledge, civic attitudes and civic behaviors are associated with self-reported likelihood of future voting. In a multivariable ordered logistic regression model with latent constructs for civic knowledge, attitudes and behavior, two civic knowledge constructs and two civic attitude constructs maintained a positive, statistically significant independent association with future voting likelihood after adjusting for race/ethnicity and advanced coursework: knowledge of American governance, current events knowledge, general self-efficacy and skill-specific self-efficacy. Further research is necessary to determine whether education programs can intervene upon these civic knowledge and civic attitude factors to increase voting participation later in life.
Specific and Common Alterations in Host Gene Transcript Accumulation following Infection of the Chestnut Blight Fungus by Mild and Severe Hypoviruses

ABSTRACT We report the use of a cDNA microarray to monitor global transcriptional responses of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, to infection by mild and severe isolates of virulence-attenuating hypoviruses that share 87 to 93% and 90 to 98% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. Infection by the mild hypovirus isolate CHV1-Euro7 resulted in differential expression of 166 of the ca. 2,200 genes represented on the microarray (90 upregulated and 76 downregulated). This is roughly half the number of genes scored as differentially expressed after infection by the severe isolate, CHV1-EP713 (295 genes; 132 upregulated and 163 downregulated). Comparison of the lists of genes responsive to infection by the two hypovirus isolates revealed 80 virus-common responsive genes. Infection by CHV1-EP713 also caused changes in gene transcript accumulation that were, in general, of greater magnitude than those observed with CHV1-Euro7 infections. Thus, the host transcriptional response to infection by severe hypovirus CHV1-EP713 appears to be considerably more dynamic than the response to infection by the mild isolate CHV1-Euro7. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR was performed on 39 different clones, with false-positive rates of 3 and 8% observed for the microarray-predicted list of genes responsive to CHV1-EP713 and CHV1-Euro7 infections, respectively. This analysis has allowed an initial assignment for ca. 2,200 unique C. parasitica-expressed genes as being unresponsive to hypovirus infection, selectively responsive to a specific hypovirus, or generally responsive to hypovirus infection.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy for neonatal calf diarrhea complex: Effects on calf performance

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of meloxicam (MEL) as supportive therapy for calves with neonatal calf diarrhea complex. For this double-blind controlled trial, 62 Holstein male calves were purchased at birth and transported to a research facility. At the naturally occurring onset of diarrhea, defined as the first occurrence of a fecal score greater than 2 on a 4-point scale, calves were enrolled in the study. Each calf with diarrhea was randomly assigned to receive a single subcutaneous injection of MEL at a rate of 0.5 mg/kg of BW or an equal volume of placebo (PLA) solution. Milk, starter ration, and water intakes were determined daily for each calf from arrival until 56 d of age. The calves were weighed on arrival and each week thereafter. Time to weaning and weaning weight were recorded for each calf. Crude associations between treatment and each outcome variable were examined using t-tests and Pearson chi-squared tests. Subsequently, multivariable regression models were constructed to examine the impact of MEL therapy on meaningful outcome variables. The primary experimental unit in all analyses was the individual calf. In total, 56 calves presented with clinical signs of diarrhea and were enrolled in the study. Two PLA-treated calves died after being enrolled in the study, and there was no calf mortality among the MEL-treated calves. For calves that developed diarrhea after 10 d of age, MEL-treated calves were more likely to consume their entire daily milk allowance (P < 0.05) as compared with PLA-treated calves. Meloxicam-treated calves began consuming starter ration earlier (P < 0.01) and at a greater rate (P < 0.001), and consumed more water (P < 0.001) compared with PLA-treated animals. Over the study period, calves treated with MEL gained BW at a faster rate (P < 0.01) than calves treated with PLA. There was no difference in weaning weight (P > 0.05), but MEL-treated calves tended to wean earlier (P = 0.11) than PLA-treated calves. These results demonstrate that calves receiving a single injection of MEL at the onset of diarrhea had improved appetite and performance compared with PLA-treated calves. Thus, MEL is an effective supportive therapy for neonatal calf diarrhea complex.
Monetary Policy Uncertainty, Positions of Traders and Changes in Commodity Futures Prices 

This paper examines the sensitivity of commodity price changes to monetary policy uncertainty. We find evidence that the response of commodity price changes hinges on the sign of the monetary policy shock, the level of monetary policy uncertainty as well as a recession dummy. Uncertainty associated with negative monetary policy shocks leads to a decrease in commodity prices and excess speculative activity. The results from estimating an asset pricing model suggest that monetary policy uncertainty appears not to be a priced risk factor in the crossâ€ section of commodity price changes.
Cardiac morbidity in the human immunodeficiency virus infection.

PURPOSE To evaluate the cardiac involvement in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. DESIGN Prospective and normal individuals group controlled study. SETTING The departments of cardiology and infectious diseases of an university hospital. PATIENTS 137 consecutive HIV infected patients at all stages of the infection and 40 normal noninfected controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Clinical and echocardiographic evaluation was performed. Cardiac symptoms were observed in 10 (7.3%) patients, manifested as congestive heart failure. The global HIV infected population had increased left ventricular (LV) dimensions and wall thickness and decreased LV fractional shortening and ejection fraction when compared with the control population. Seven (5.1%) patients had dilated cardiomyopathy, 9 (6.5%) had global LV hypokinesis with or without LV dilatation and 17 (12.4%) had segmental LV wall motion abnormalities. Right ventricular dilatation was present in 23 (16.8%). Mitral or tricuspid regurgitation of a moderate or severe degree was found in 3 (2.2%) patients. No valvular vegetations were found. Fifty nine (43.1%) patients presented a pericardial effusion. An echocardiogram with at least one abnormality was observed in 104 (75.9%) and a severely abnormal echocardiogram in 34 (24.8%). The presence of cardiac symptoms and of abnormal and severely abnormal echocardiograms was more frequent in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome than in asymptomatic HIV infected patients. When comparing HIV-1 with HIV-2 populations the first showed increased LV systolic and diastolic diameters and LV mass index. There was no statistically significant difference between all risk behavior groups regarding the frequency of cardiac symptoms or the echocardiographic abnormalities found. HIV infected patients with CD4+ lymphocytes counts < or = 100/mm3 had more frequent abnormal and severely abnormal echocardiograms than those with CD4+ lymphocytes counts > 100/mm3. CONCLUSIONS Although cardiac symptoms were rare in our population, subclinical cardiac involvement detected by echocardiography was frequent and could involve any cardiac layer. It was not influenced by the patients' risk behavior. The left ventricular trophic response observed in HIV-2 infection seemed less intense than that in HIV-1 infection. Cardiac involvement was more frequent in the more advanced stages of the infection and in patients with lower CD4+ lymphocyte counts.
A comparison between traditional economical and demand curve analyses of relative reinforcer efficacy in the validation of preference assessment predictions

Objective: This single-case study examined the degree to which three formal preference assessments (i.e. paired-stimulus, multiple-stimulus without replacement and a free-operant procedure) successfully identified reinforcers from six edibles in a subsequent reinforcement assessment. Methods: Economical analyses were conducted on the entire hierarchy of low-, moderate- and high-preferred edibles using both traditional (i.e. progressive-ratio breakpoint) and demand curve (Pmax) accounts of reinforcer efficacy with the data obtained from three reinforcement assessment sessions for each edible. Results: Across all three preference assessment types, accuracy in the identification of the top three reinforcers was 67%. The correlation between the traditional and demand curve metrics was highly significant, replicating previous research on the substitutability of these analyses. Conclusions: Moderate-preferred stimuli may serve as efficacious reinforcers in subsequent reinforcer assessments. Additionally, demand curve analyses can contribute to the assessment of reinforcer efficacy and subsequently the validation of preference assessments.
The Interplay between Quantitative Easing, Risk and Competition: The Case of Japanese Banking

The Japanese economy is infamous for the magnitude of bank nonperforming loans that have originated back in the 1990s, whereas they are still causing controversies. Japan is also known for an extended quantitative easing programme of unprecedented scale. Yet the links between risk-taking activities, quantitative easing and bank competition are largely unexplored. This paper employs, for the first time, the Boone indicator to measure bank competition in Japan to examine these underlying linkages. Given the scale of nonperforming loans, we explicitly measure bank risk-taking based on a new data set of bankrupt and restructured loans. The dynamic panel threshold and panel Vector Autoregression analyses show that enhancing quantitative easing and competition would reduce bankrupt and restructured loans, but it would negatively affect financial stability. Given the recent adoption of negative rates in January 2016 by the Bank of Japan, our study provides new insights as clearly there is a trade-off between quantitative easing and financial stability beyond a certain threshold. Caution, therefore, regarding further scaling up quantitative easing is warranted.
In Situ Visualization of DSBs to Assess the Extranuclear/Extracellular Effects Induced by Low-Dose α-Particle Irradiation

Abstract Hu, B. , Han, W. , Wu, L. , Feng, H. , Liu, X. , Zhang, L. , Xu, A. , Hei, T K. and Yu, Z. In Situ Visualization of DSBs to Assess the Extranuclear/Extracellular Effects Induced by Low-Dose α-Particle Irradiation. Radiat. Res. 164, 286–291 (2005). Extranuclear/extracellular effects may have a significant effect on low-dose radiation risk assessment as well as on the shape of the dose–response relationship. Numerous studies using different end points such as sister chromatid exchanges, micronuclei and mutation have shown that this phenomenon exists in many cell types. However, these end points mostly reflect the late events after radiation damage, and little is known about the early response in this phenomenon. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by ionizing radiation or carcinogenic chemicals can be visualized in situ using γ-H2AX immunofluorescence staining, and there is evidence that the number of γ-H2AX foci can be closely correlated with DSBs induced. Here we used γ-H2AX as a biomarker to assess the extranuclear/extracellular effects induced by low-dose α particles in situ. The results show that a greater fraction of positive cells with DSBs (48.6%) was observed than the number of cells whose nuclei were actually traversed by the 1-cGy dose of α particles (9.2%). The fraction of DSB-positive cells was greatly reduced after treatment with either lindane or DMSO. These results suggest that in situ visualization of DSBs can be used to assess radiation-induced extranuclear/extracellular effects soon after irradiation. Moreover, the in situ DSB assay may provide a means to evaluate the spatial effect on unirradiated cells that are located in the neighboring region of cells irradiated by α particles.