Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aberrant TGFβ/SMAD4 signaling contributes to epigenetic silencing of a putative tumor suppressor, RunX1T1 in ovarian cancer

Aberrant TGFβ signaling pathway may alter the expression of down-stream targets and promotes ovarian carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism of this impairment is not fully understood. Our previous study has identified RunX1T1 as a putative SMAD4 target in an immortalized ovarian surface epithelial cell line, IOSE. In this study, we report that transcription of RunX1T1 was confirmed to be positively regulated by SMAD4 in IOSE cells and epigenetically silenced in a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines by promoter hypermethylation and histone methylation at H3 lysine 9. SMAD4 depletion increased repressive histone modifications of RunX1T1 promoter without affecting promoter methylation in IOSE cells. Epigenetic treatment can restore RunX1T1 expression by reversing its epigenetic status in MCP3 ovarian cancer cells. When transiently treated with a demethylating agent, the expression of RunX1T1 was partially restored in MCP3 cells, but gradual re-silencing through promoter re-methylation was observed after the treatment. Interestingly, SMAD4 knockdown accelerated this re-silencing process, suggesting that normal TGF-beta signaling is essential for the maintenance of RunX1T1 expression. In vivo analysis confirmed that hypermethylation of RunX1T1 was detected in 35.7% (34/95) of ovarian tumors with high clinical stages (P=0.035) and in 83% (5/6) of primary ovarian cancer-initiating cells. Additionally, concurrent methylation of RunX1T1 and another SMAD4 target, FBXO32 which was previously found to be hypermethylated in ovarian cancer was observed in this same sample cohort (P<0.05). Restoration of RunX1T1 inhibited cancer cell growth. Taken together, dysregulated TGFβ/SMAD4 signaling may lead to epigenetic silencing of a putative tumor suppressor, RunX1T1, during ovarian carcinogenesis.
Prevalence of 5-Lipoxygenase Expression in Canine Osteosarcoma and the Effects of a Dual 5-Lipoxygenase/Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor on Osteosarcoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Canine osteosarcoma is an insidious disease with few effective treatment modalities; therefore, use of pharmacologic intervention to improve mortality or morbidity is constantly sought. The use of cyclooxygenase enzyme inhibitors has been an area of interest with limited efficacy based on retrospective examination of tumor expression and in vivo cell proliferation models. Recently, examination of dual cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors in human and canine oncology suggests that 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors may be an effective approach in vitro and during tumor induction in rodent models. Therefore, the authors decided to examine 5-lipoxygenase expression in primary canine osteosarcoma samples and have shown that approximately 65% of osteosarcomas label positive for cytoplasmic 5-lipoxygenase. Further examination of a cell culture and xenograft model shows similar 5-lipoxygenase expression. Surprisingly, a canine 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor (tepoxalin) significantly reduced cell proliferation at physiologic doses in vitro and diminished xenograft tumor growth in nude mice, suggesting that further investigation is needed. Traditionally, 5-lipoxygense leads to production of lipid mediators, such as leukotriene B4 and 5-oxo-eicosatetraenoic acid, which, when added back to the media of tepoxalin-treated cells, did not recover cell proliferation. The lack of nuclear staining in primary and xenografted tumors and the lack of response to eicoasanoids suggest that lipid mediator production is not the primary means by which tepoxalin acts to alter proliferation. Regardless of the mechanisms involved in retarding cell proliferation, future investigation is warranted.
Management and spatial evolution of rural land circulation: Taking Zhengjia Town as an example

The scale operation in various forms of rural land circulation in China is the way for the development of modern agriculture, and is also the basic direction of agricultural reform. The right to rural land contractual management registration makes the position of cadastral land and its interrelated information, as contractor and area, clear by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). That supplied a data base for land circulation spatial management. In this paper, we discussed the correlation between the management and the spatial position of transferred rural land, in order to support the policy and decision for agriculture. Taking Zhengjia Town as an example, which located in the west of Dongchangfu District, Liaocheng, Shandong, we made a survey and got the information about the land circulation, the operators who engaged in the transferred land, and the farmers who had transferred their farmlands from 2011 to 2015. Based on the outcome data of right to rural land contractual management registration, the circulation parcels and the cadastral parcels were linked by their only parcel code, and then formed the land circulation spatial information. Using ArcGIS 10.1 for spatial analysis and correlation analysis, we analyzed the correlation between the management and the spatial evolution of the transferred land on some indicators including acquirement intention, operation style, land use, circulation variability, distribution of circulation management right, and compared the income of the operators and the farmers. According to the survey, the scope of the transferred land was gradually increased. The area was 16.09ha in 2011 and 147.27ha in 2015, 19.22% of the contracted land. The results show that the main form of land circulation was to rent, and scale operation in northern and fragmented operation in southern. The transferred lands which were acquired by family contract have the largest area. However, in the south, the farmers seemed like to transfer their lands which were acquired by bidding. The operators aged in 40-49 managed the most transferred land, accounting for 77.00% of the total circulation area. Followed by 39 years old under, and the over 50 years old was the least. Before transferred, all farmland was used to grow grain. But 93% farmlands were changed the crops after land circulation. As the investment of time, capital, farmland and implied labor increased, there was a certain increase in income of the operators and the farmers, however, and a few operators had no profit because of the business model. There was no spatial correlation between the farmlands position and the farmers' income at the fragmented operation region. The results can provide an idea for spatial information management of land circulation based on GIS, and defend the farmers' contractual rights when the boundaries are destroyed. With the spatial informatization of farmland and the improvement of data quality and quantity, big data will further predict land circulation spatial arrangement and business model.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide family as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with no effective protective treatment, characterised by a massive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the subsequent loss of their projecting nerve fibres in the striatum. Because current treatments for PD are not effective, considerable research has been focused recently on a number of regulatory molecules that regulate inflammation characteristic of PD, induce neurotrophic and survival factors and reduce oxidative stress. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a neuropeptide with a potent anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and neurotrophic effect, has been found to be protective in several inflammatory disorders. This review examines the putative protective effect of VIP and analogues in different models for PD. VIP emerges as a potential valuable neuroprotective agent for the treatment of pathological conditions in the CNS, such as PD, in which inflammation-induced neurodegeneration occurs.
Terrorism and inbound tourism: Does immigration have a moderating effect?

This article investigates the impact of terrorism on bilateral tourism flows within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. It also examines the moderation effect of immigration in the destination country on the terrorism–tourism relationship. The results obtained from the estimated gravity models show that after reaching a certain threshold, terrorism negatively impacts tourist arrivals. This relation seems to be moderated by the share of immigrants in the country of destination: when the share of immigrants in a country is relatively high, the positive impact of immigration on tourist arrivals would counterbalance the adverse impact of terrorism on tourist arrivals.
Managing Sternal Osteomyelitis with Antibiotic Bead Implantation

Early, aggressive debridement followed by closure with muscle flaps is thought to improve the resolution of deep sternal wound infection that occurs after sternotomy. However, persistently discharging sternal osteomyelitis remains difficult to resolve. We successfully treated 2 patients who developed deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery by combining one-stage debridement with implantation of gentamicin beads to fill up the evacuated bone marrow space. This approach provides a simple and effective solution for sternal osteomyelitis.
Internet use and online safety in adults with Williams syndrome.

BACKGROUND Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) increasingly have access to the Internet. Whilst Internet access increases opportunities for social connection for individuals with IDD, it also may increase risk of victimisation. Adults with Williams syndrome (WS), who display an extreme pro-social drive to engage with both familiar and unfamiliar people, might be especially vulnerable to online victimisation. This study first explores how often and why individuals with WS use the Internet and social networking sites. Next, the online vulnerability of individuals with WS is assessed through responses to hypothetical scenarios of potentially dangerous online interactions. METHOD Twenty-eight young adults with WS (mean age = 27.7 years) and their parents completed questionnaires about their Internet and social networking use and parental oversight. Participants with WS then responded to hypothetical scenarios assessing their likelihood to take social and non-social risks online. RESULTS Most participants with WS frequently use the Internet and the majority visit social networking sites every day or almost every day, with little parental supervision or oversight. Individuals with WS interact with both known and unknown individuals through social networking sites. Participants are more likely to agree to engage in socially risky behaviours compared to risky behaviours that are not social in nature when online. For example, participants were more likely to agree to meet an 'online friend' in person than they were to give their bank account information for winning a 'contest'. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with WS, who are a socially vulnerable group in the real world, display behaviours that could also lead to victimisation online as well. As the Internet continues to become more accessible, more research is needed to increase online safety of individuals with WS and other IDDs. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.
The Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile: Development and Psychometric Characteristics

This article describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of an instrument to measure health-promoting life-style. Based on responses from 952 adults in midwestern communities, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile was evaluated using item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability measures. Factor analysis isolated six dimensions: Self-Actualization, Health Responsibility, Exercise, Nutrition, Interpersonal Support, and Stress Management. These six factors accounted for 47.1% of the variance in the 48-item measure. Second-order factor analysis yielded a single factor, interpreted as Health-Promoting Lifestyle. The alpha reliability coefficient for the total scale is.922; alpha coefficients for the subscales range from . 702 to . 904. Further evaluation of the measure with different populations appears warranted. This instrument will enable researchers to investigate patterns and determinants of health-promoting life-style, as well as the effects of interventions to alter lifestyle.
Emergency general surgical admissions. Prospective institutional experience in non-traumatic acute abdomen: implications for education, training and service.

OBJECTIVE To assess the pattern of non-traumatic acute abdomen (NTAA) in emergency general surgical admissions in Saudi Arabia (SA) and highlight the implications for education, training and patient care. METHODS A prospective study including all emergency general surgical admissions with NTAA at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, SA over a 2-year period from October 2001 to September 2003. RESULTS There were 3,706 general surgical admissions; 1,661 (45%) electives and 2,045 (55%) emergencies. A total of 1,096 admissions (mean age 27.6 years, 73% males) with NTAA were analyzed. Acute appendicitis was the most common diagnosis (47%), followed by non-specific abdominal pain (19%), gallstone disease (11%) and intestinal obstruction (8%). Surgical intervention was indicated in 65% of the admissions; 77% of these had appendectomy. There were 35 patients (3%) with malignancy, and 12 hospital deaths (1%). The mean length of hospital stay (LOS) was 6.6 days. The LOS increased significantly with age. CONCLUSION In our setting, NTAA was the most common cause for general surgical admissions, accounting for 30% and 54% of the total surgical and emergency surgical admissions respectively. Most of the patients were young and acute appendicitis was the most common diagnosis. Further National/regional multicenter studies are needed to assess the trend of emergency surgical admissions and their impact on surgical practice, overall health care costs, medical education and training in SA.
Microbial leakage through the implant-abutment interface of Morse taper implants in vitro.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine and compare the frequency of bacterial leakage of Streptococcus sanguinis biotype II along the implant-abutment interface between two systems of morse taper dental implants. Different methods of activation of the taper abutments were used: tapped-in (Bicon) and screwed-in (Ankylos). MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty sterile assemblies were used and attached, 10 Bicon and 10 Ankylos implants, according to manufacturers' specifications. They were then totally immersed within 20 test tubes containing a sterile nutrient solution brain-heart infusion (BHI). The internal part of the 20 implants was previously inoculated with 0.1 microl of S. sanguinis II (ATCC 10557) and then connected to the respective abutments. The assemblies were incubated under anaerobic conditions for 14 days in an autoclave at 37 degrees C. They were monitored daily for solution cloudiness resultant from microbial leakage on the interface of the assemblies. For statistical analysis, the Fisher test was applied and significance was assigned at the 5% level. RESULTS There was solution cloudiness, indicating the finding of bacterial growth inside two Bicon assemblies and two Ankylos assemblies 48 h after incubation. Microbial leakage was further substantiated by testing the suspension for the presence of Streptococcus sp. None of the sterility controls were contaminated. The frequency of bacterial leakage along the implant-abutment interface, with the two different morse taper implant systems, was 20% of the assemblies of each system. There were no statistical differences between them. CONCLUSION Irrespective of which of the two morse taper implant connection systems of activation was analyzed, tapped-in (Bicon) or screwed-in (Ankylos), this in vitro experiment showed bacterial leakage along the implant-abutment interface.
A Scandinavian Adaptation of the Multi-Clinic Smell and Taste Questionnaire: Evaluation of Questions About Olfaction

Objective--A Scandinavian adaptation of the Multi-Clinic Smell and Taste Questionnaire (MCSTQ-Sc) was evaluated with respect to comprehension and test-retest reliability for responses to questions about olfactory dysfunction (abnormal sensitivity, parosmia and phantosmia) and related questions about medical history and consequences of olfactory dysfunction. Material and Methods--Comprehension was evaluated in a first study in 20 patients with chief complaints of olfactory dysfunction by comparing questionnaire- and interview-based responses. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in a second study in a other 30 patients with olfactory complaints. Results--Data from the two studies suggest that the vast majority of the questions evaluated from the MCSTQ-Sc are comprehensible and generate responses with very good reliability. Distinct exceptions were poor agreement between the questionnaire- and interview-based responses for questions about the number of cigarettes smoked and the pleasantness and typical episode length of phantosmia; the test-retest reliability regarding the nostril side of phantosmia also showed poor agreement. The results suggest the importance of probing these areas further in the clinical interview. Conclusion--The findings imply that, with a few caveats, the MCSTQ-Sc is a useful tool for the clinical assessment of olfactory dysfunction and its consequences.
Association between lymph node size and metastasis in dogs with oral malignant melanoma: 100 cases (1987-2001).

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between lymph node size and metastasis and to assess measurement of lymph node size as an accurate and reliable means of tumor staging in dogs with oral malignant melanoma. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 100 dogs with histologically confirmed oral malignant melanoma. PROCEDURE Clinical records for dogs with oral malignant melanoma were reviewed. Data regarding size and results of cytologic or histologic examination of lymph nodes were evaluated. The association between lymph node size and metastasis was determined. RESULTS Forty-seven (47%) dogs, of which 23 (49%) had enlarged mandibular lymph nodes, had no cytologic or histologic evidence of metastasis. Of 53 (53%) dogs with cytologic or histologic evidence of mandibular lymph node metastasis, 37 (70%) had enlarged mandibular lymph nodes, and 16 (30%) had mandibular lymph nodes of normal size. Overall, 16 of the 40 (40%) dogs with normal-sized lymph nodes had microscopic evidence of metastatic disease. Sensitivity and specificity of lymph node size as a predictor of metastasis were 70 and 51%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 62 and 60%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although a significant relationship was identified between lymph node size and metastasis to the lymph node, this association did not appear strong enough to be clinically relevant. Results suggest that lymph node size alone is insufficient for accurate clinical staging of oral malignant melanoma in dogs; cytologic or histologic examination of regional lymph nodes should routinely be performed, regardless of size of those nodes.
Five days versus a lifetime: intense associative vocabulary training generates lexically integrated words.

PURPOSE The best predictor of successful language therapy in both the acute and chronic stages after stroke is the treatment intensity, i.e., number of hours trained per week. Associative learning should be particularly suited for intense training because it places low demands on (executive) cognitive functions. It is as of yet unresolved, however, whether associative training is a valid language learning approach. It could merely produce superficial associations of acoustic-visual information, which remain outside lexical and conceptual networks. METHODS We here examined if five days of associative training in a miniature vocabulary are sufficient for an integration of novel words into the learner's mental lexicon. Twelve healthy subjects were trained 20 min daily for five consecutive days simply by frequent couplings of object pictures with novel words. RESULTS Correct responses for couplings of novel words and object names increased from a chance level of 50 percent on day 1 to >90 percent accuracy on day 5. Prior to and immediately after the vocabulary training, a cross-modal semantic priming test was administered to determine the degree of lexical integration of the novel words into the language system already in situ. CONCLUSIONS Results show that learned novel words had acquired semantic characteristics, which were comparable to words of subjects' native language acquired over a lifetime. Thus, comprehensive integration of the novel words into existing conceptual and lexical networks occurred after just five days of training. This lays the foundation for probing associative training approaches in aphasia therapy, with the hope of increasing therapy efficiency.
Late Diagnosis of HIV Infection: Trends, Prevalence, and Characteristics of Persons Whose HIV Diagnosis Occurred Within 12 Months of Developing AIDS

Background:Persons diagnosed late in the course of HIV infection may be unknowingly transmitting infection and once diagnosed may have worse outcomes and greater medical expenses. Methods:Persons diagnosed with AIDS in San Francisco between 2001 and 2005 were included. Late testers were persons diagnosed with HIV 12 months or less before their AIDS diagnosis. Prevalence trends, demographic and risk correlates, and predictors of late testing were measured. Results:Among 2139 persons included, 830 (38.8%) were late testers. The prevalence of late testing was stable between 2001 and 2005. Late testing was more likely among persons <30 years old (Odds ratio [OR]: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4, 2.8), heterosexuals (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.1), persons without a reported risk (OR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.7, 5.0), persons with private insurance (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.4), no insurance (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.4), born outside of the United States (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.2), and whose initial AIDS diagnosis was an opportunistic infection (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.8, 2.8). Conclusions:A large proportion of persons with AIDS have tested late in the course of HIV infection and this proportion has not declined in recent years. Routine testing in medical settings, and use of rapid oral-fluid testing in traditional and nontraditional settings may increase early HIV diagnosis.