Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) alters the transcriptome and methylome and specifically blocks growth and invasiveness of liver cancer cells

S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) is a ubiquitous methyl donor that was reported to have chemo- protective activity against liver cancer, however the molecular footprint of SAM is unknown. We show here that SAM selectively inhibits growth, transformation and invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines but not normal primary liver cells. Analysis of the transcriptome of SAM treated and untreated liver cancer cell lines HepG2 and SKhep1 and primary liver cells reveals pathways involved in cancer and metastasis that are upregulated in cancer cells and are downregulated by SAM. Analysis of the methylome using bisulfite mapping of captured promoters and enhancers reveals that SAM hyper-methylates and downregulates genes in pathways of growth and metastasis that are upregulated in liver cancer cells. Depletion of two SAM downregulated genes STMN1 and TAF15 reduces cellular transformation and invasiveness, providing evidence that SAM targets are genes important for cancer growth and invasiveness. Taken together these data provide a molecular rationale for SAM as an anticancer agent.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Multiple Dimensions of Religiosity: A Twin Study

In recent years there has been a renewed scientific interest in the study of religiosity, including research on genetic and environmental contributions to religiosity. In this article, we investigate genetic and environmental effects on 7 religiosity factors and explore how genetic and environmental effects covary across these factors. Seven religiosity factors estimated from 78 items were examined in a sample of adult male and female twins. The 7 religiosity factors were largely influenced by additive genetic and unique environmental effects, with relatively little influence from common environmental effects. Multivariate genetic analyses found the 7 religiosity factors were influenced by 1 common additive genetic factor, 3 common unique environmental factors, and unique environmental effects specific to each religiosity factor. The results suggest that for the population studied, additive genetic and unique environmental effects largely account for the variance across the religiosity construct.
Primary hyperaldosteronism diagnosed with adrenal vein sampling. Characteristics and follow-up after adrenalectomy in a Danish study

Abstract Background: Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA), known as Mb Conn, is one of the most common forms of secondary hypertension in middle-aged adults. High plasma aldosterone has been associated with severe organ damage. The unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (lateralized disease) is a subtype of PA, which can be fully or partly cured by adrenalectomy. Methods: Retrospective review of data from 50 patients who underwent adrenal venous sampling (AVS) was performed. Medical records, plasma renin and aldosteron, confirmatory tests and medical imaging (predominantly Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging) were available. Patients with lateralized disease (n = 39) underwent adrenalectomy and additional clinical data at least one year after surgery was recorded. Results: Age and gender were widely and equally distributed (median age = 51, age span = 28–73). Patients with lateralized disease had higher blood pressure (BP) and lower serum potassium compared to patients with bilateral hyperplasia. No difference regarding age and gender distribution was detected. Despite lateralized disease diagnosed from AVS, the medical images were normal in 10 patients (28%). Follow-up of 30 patients who underwent adrenalectomy showed that six patients were cured, 17 had better BP control, five patients had no effect and one patient had higher BP but decreased number of antihypertensive drugs. Conclusion: PA is of equal prevalence in men and women, young and old individuals. The agreement between imaging modalities and AVS is limited, and the final diagnosis must rely on AVS. Patients prone for surgery had better BP control after adrenalectomy.
Contraception before and after termination of pregnancy: can we do it better?

AIM To compare contraceptive use pre- and post-therapeutic abortion in 1995, 1999 and 2002 in a New Zealand clinic. METHODS Retrospective, consecutive case review of women presenting for therapeutic abortion. Anonymous data included demographic details, contraception used at conception, and post-termination contraception. RESULTS Pre-conception contraceptive use is significantly declining, with post-termination condom choice increasing. This is predominantly due to increasing numbers of Asian women presenting for abortion. In 2002, 97% of Asian women used no contraception or only condoms pre-conception, and 62% chose condoms or abstinence post-termination. Oral contraceptives are used significantly less by Asian than European women both pre-termination (p = 0.0002) and post-termination (p = 0.00001). Other ethnic groups showed little change in contraceptive use over the study periods. CONCLUSIONS It is speculated that ethnic Chinese women lack adequate contraceptive education, demonstrate distrust of non-barrier methods, believe men should provide the prophylactic, and mistakenly believe contraception unnecessary for the first week following menstruation. Abortion may be used for family planning rather than as back up for contraceptive failure. Young Chinese arriving in New Zealand require immediate sexual health education including accurate contraceptive information. Liaison between primary healthcare sectors and policy makers of immigration and other services assisting overseas students is recommended to provide culturally appropriate education.
Capacidad predictiva de la rentabilidad en empresas del mercado de capitales de Argentina

Farfield y Yohn (2001) presentan un sencillo e interesante modelo a efectos de predecir la rentabilidad en el corto plazo, en base a la rentabilidad actual y los componentes de Dupont. No obstante, la importancia y difusión de dicho modelo no ha sido explorado en economías emergentes. Es por ello, que en el presente trabajo se plantea como objetivo evaluar la capacidad predictiva de la rentabilidad de los activos operativos netos, en base al modelo mencionado en el Mercado de Capitales de Argentina. Los modelos contrastados muestran un importante proceso de reversión a la media de rentabilidad y que solamente la rotación de los activos operativos netos permite la mejoría en la rentabilidad del año siguiente. En cambio, el aumento del margen de ganancias revierte rápidamente, determinando un efecto negativo sobre rentabilidad del año siguiente.
METHODS FOR STUDYING MICROVASCULAR BARRIER FUNCTION IN ISCHEMIA‐REPERFUSION INJURY

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is accompanied by functional disturbances in the microcirculation that often translate into significant morbidity and mortality. We present an overview of methods to evaluate microvascular barrier properties and how these methods can be applied to the study of I/R injury. Included is a summary of techniques for measuring 1) fluid and macromolecule flux from the vascular compartment into the interstitial space of tissues and 2) the permeability parameters of microvascular wall. Several experimental models will be surveyed including whole animal, isolated organ, individually perfused microvessels and cultured endothelial cells using examples from our own studies and work of other investigators relating to I/R-induced endothelial injury. The strengths and weaknesses of these different approaches are discussed.
Modified Fabry–Perot and Rate Equation Methods for the Nonlinear Dynamics of an Optically Injected Semiconductor Laser

Modifications have been introduced to the Fabry- Perot (FP) and the rate equation methods to improve the accuracy of the analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of a laser with external optical injection. Comparison between the modified methods and the more accurate transmission-line laser model (TLLM) shows good agreement, while the computational time of the latter is larger by two or three orders of magnitude. In the FP method, the stimulated recombination term in the carrier density evolution equation is modified to include the backward propagating wave and the exponential longitudinal dependence of the electromagnetic field. In the rate equation method, the optical injection term is modified to account for the contribution of the amplification and losses of the injected light inside the cavity to the average photon density. The derivation explaining the validity of these changes and the mathematical relationship between the two methods is presented. Improved stability maps for different values of the injected optical power and frequency detuning are demonstrated and compared with those obtained by the TLLM. The gain compression effect is included in the FP model, and its effect on the stability properties is discussed.
Comparison of the effect of easterly and westerly vertical wind shear on tropical cyclone intensity change over the western North Pacific

The effects of vertical wind shear (VWS) with different directions on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity change are compared in this statistical study based on TCs occurring between 1982 and 2015 over the western North Pacific (WNP). Results show that a westerly VWS has a much higher correlation (−0.36) with change in TC intensity than an easterly VWS (−0.07) over the WNP, especially south-westerly VWS (−0.43). Sea surface temperature (SST) is found to modulate the effect of VWS on TC intensity change as it has a close relationship with zonal VWS (−0.48). The favorable effect of SST, which increases with increase in easterly VWS, could offset the detrimental effect of VWS, leading to a relatively low correlation coefficient between easterly VWS and TC intensity change. By contrast, westerly VWS increases with decreasing SST, and the largest correlation coefficient appears when SST is around 301 K. Therefore, it is suggested that the direction of VWS as well as its value is taken into consideration in models used to predict TC intensity.
Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis: pathologic outcome after itraconazole therapy.

OBJECTIVE To characterize chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA) clinically, radio-graphically, and pathologically and to describe its response to treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS We present three cases of well-documented CNPA and detail the long-term clinical and pathologic responses to the new antifungal triazole, itraconazole. RESULTS Although all three patients had an appreciable clinical response to itraconazole therapy, tissue obtained at the time of operation or autopsy revealed residual CNPA despite 5 to 12 months of treatment. Even though pathologic resolution of the CNPA did not occur, patient prognosis was determined solely by comorbid illness. CONCLUSION Itraconazole seems to be effective in CNPA when used in a suppressive (rather than curative) role in patients with limited life expectancy.
The responsiveness of information technology to business strategy formulation: an empirical study

In a study involving 88 companies, the nature of the linkages between business strategy and information technology (IT) responsiveness was explored. The results indicate that variations in IT-strategy responsiveness, measured by the extent to which IT is explicitly considered in business strategy formulation, are linked to the type of business strategy being pursued by the organization. For example, IT is more responsive to business strategy in organizations which place heavy emphasis on innovation in their product and market strategies than in those which operate in a relatively stable product/market area. This implies that organizations with an aggressive business strategy are more likely than those with a conservative business strategy to explicitly consider IT as a strategic resource in formulating business strategy. This paper suggests that the extent to which IT is used to shape business strategy differs among organizations, and that business strategy can help us understand these differences.
Kluyvera, a new (redefined) genus in the family Enterobacteriaceae: identification of Kluyvera ascorbata sp. nov. and Kluyvera cryocrescens sp. nov. in clinical specimens

Kluyvera is proposed as a new genus for the group of organisms formerly known as Enteric Group 8 (synonym = API group 1). Strains of Kluyvera share the properties of most members of the family Enterobacteriaceae: they are gram-negative rods, motile with peritrichous flagella, catalase positive, and oxidase negative; they grow on MacConkey agar, ferment D-glucose with the production of acid and gas, and are susceptible to many antibiotics. Strains are usually indole positive, methyl red positive, Voges-Proskauer negative, citrate positive, H2S (triple sugar iron) negative, urea negative, phenylalanine deaminase negative, lysine decarboxylase positive, arginine dihydrolase negative, and ornithine decarboxylase positive. Kluyvera strains ferment many of the sugars and polyhydroxyl alcohols used in identification. By deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization, strains of Kluyvera were divided into three groups. Kluyvera ascorbata is proposed as the type species for the genus. Most strains of K. ascorbata have been isolated from clinical specimens. K. cryocrescens is proposed as the second species. It was occasionally isolated from clinical specimens, but it was isolated more commonly from the environment. Kluyvera species group 3 was heterogeneous, but was distinct from the two named species by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. This group was rare, so no species name will be proposed at this time. K. ascorbata can be differentiated from K. cryocrescens by its positive ascorbate test, inability to grow at 5 degrees C in a refrigerator, and smaller zones of inhibition around carbenicillin and cephalothin disks. The test normally used for identification does not clearly differentiate these two species. Kluyvera species are probably infrequent opportunistic pathogens. The most common source is sputum, where they are probably not clinically significant. Five strains have been from blood cultures. More information is needed about the incidence and clinical significance of the genus Kluyvera.
Ceramide As a Modulator of Endocytosis (*)

The effects of ceramide analogs on the uptake of markers for fluid-phase (horseradish peroxidase, HRP) and receptor-mediated (low density lipoprotein, LDL) endocytosis were studied in Chinese hamster fibroblasts. N-Hexanoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (C6-Cer) decreased the uptake of HRP in a dose-dependent manner. Internalization was inhibited >40% with 25 μM C6-Cer, relative to controls, and was apparent within 5 min. Internalization of HRP was also inhibited by other Cer analogs and by treatment with agents that raise levels of endogenous Cer (sphingomyelinase or the glycosphingolipid synthesis inhibitor, 1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PDMP)), but not by N-hexanoyl-D-erythro-sphinganine (C6-dihydro-Cer) or sphingosine. Internal-ization of LDL was also inhibited by C6-Cer in a concentration-dependent manner, but was less pronounced than the effect on HRP internalization (10% versus 40% inhibition with 25 μM C6-Cer), suggesting that ceramide might affect fluid-phase and receptor-mediated endocytosis to different extents. C6-Cer also slowed HRP and LDL transport from endosomes to lysosomes as studied by analysis of endocytic vesicles on Percoll density gradients and induced a redistribution of endocytic organelles as determined by fluorescence microscopy of intact cells using appropriate markers. This resulted in decreased degradation of I-labeled LDL in the presence of C6-Cer. These results suggest that endogenous ceramide may modulate endocytosis.
The role of debt profile vulnerabilities in sovereign distress

ABSTRACT Sovereign debt distress has raised difficult issues in terms of debt sustainability in the past, but it has been associated not only with medium-term debt dynamics, but also with various dimensions of the debt profile that have typically built vulnerabilities over time. Vulnerabilities associated with the public debt structure and liquidity may play an important role in derailing a stable debt trajectory and thus contribute to debt distress. Financial developments may also contribute to the building in sovereign debt vulnerabilities, as deterioration in financial stability indicators can affect the balance sheet of the national treasury. Based on the experience during 37 debt distress events in countries with market access between 1993 and 2010, this article identifies early warning indicators of sovereign debt distress and defines thresholds – for the whole sample and for different regions – at which these latter have been associated with distress in the past. This approach allows us to assess indicators on an individual basis, and to develop a composite indicator of debt vulnerabilities as well.
Ring-Based WDM Access Network Providing Both Rayleigh Backscattering Noise Mitigation and Fiber-Fault Protection

In this paper, we propose and investigate a ring-based wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) providing both Rayleigh backscattering (RB) noise mitigation and fiber-fault protection. The proposed ring-based WDM-PON has a dual-ring architecture to protect and restore any fiber fault. Besides, the ring architecture also can mitigate the RB beat noise, since the RB and the upstream wavelengths are propagating in opposite directions. Here, we discuss and analyze the characteristics of the downstream signals using 10 Gb/s ON-OFF keying (OOK), 10 Gb/s differential phase-shift keying, and 10 Gb/s orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulations, respectively. Moreover, we also investigate the upstream traffic using the 2.5 Gb/s OOK and 10 Gb/s OFDM generated by the directly modulated reflective semiconductor optical amplifier-based optical network unit, respectively.
Methylation of the Promoter and Reactivation of the Expression of GSTP 1 by Astaxanthin in Human Prostate LNCaP Cells

Astaxanthin (AST), a red dietary carotenoid, has synergistic antioxidant effects with polyunsaturated fatty acids at low concentrations via Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE2L2 or Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling. In addition, chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation-based gene silencing represent a common mechanism in prostate carcinogenesis and tumor progression from normal cells to preinitiated cells and ultimately to invasive carcinoma. Therefore, the control of epigenetic modification and the transcriptional/translational control of the activation of Nrf2 and Nrf2target genes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), appear to be an important mechanism that protects cells against injuries from oxidative stress and cancer development. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of AST in reactivating the expression of Nrf2 and GSTP1 through epigenetic modification in human prostate LNCaP cells. Treatment with AST in human LNCaP cells reduced the methylation of 21 CpG sites of the GSTP1 CpG island but did not affect the three CpG sites of the Nrf2 promoter region. AST induced the mRNA expression and protein expression of both Nrf2 and GSTP1. It also increased the mRNA expression of NQO1 in sh-mock LNCaP cells but not in sh-SETD7 LNCaP cells. Furthermore, AST reduced the protein expression of DNMT3b and significantly inhibited DNMT and HDAC activities in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that AST decreased the methylation status of the GSTP1, and these epigenetic modifying effects may originate from the decreasing activities of epigenetic modification enzymes, contributing to the overall beneficial health effects of AST.
Some principles are more equal than others: Promotion‐ versus prevention‐focused effectuation principles and their disparate relationships with entrepreneurial orientation

Recent research suggests that effectuation principles such as flexibility, precommitments, and affordable loss may differ substantially from one another. Responding to the call to clarify the effectuation concept, our study introduces the distinction between promotion- and prevention-focused effectuation principles. It argues that promotion-focused (prevention-focused) principles are positively (negatively) associated with a firm's entrepreneurial orientation (EO). It further argues that causation is also promotion-focused and positively associated with EO. An analysis of 151 Swiss energy small and medium-sized enterprises supports this account. Thus, our study suggests that some effectuation principles are more similar to causation in their underlying regulatory focus and their relationship with EO than they are to other effectuation principles. We offer several paths for future research on effectuation, causation, and EO that emerge from these findings.
Effect of Two-Level Total Disc Replacement on Cervical Spine Kinematics

Study Design. Biomechanical study using human cadaver spines. Objective. To characterize kinematics of cervical spines implanted with total disc replacement (TDR) at 2-levels referencing the implanted and adjacent levels. Summary of Background Data. Cervical TDR is an appealing alternative to fusion particularly when treating multilevel disease, where the advantages of maintaining motion and reducing adjacent level stresses with TDR are compelling. To our knowledge there are no biomechanical studies evaluating multilevel cervical TDR. Methods. Six human cadaveric cervical spine specimens (C3–C7, age: 57 ± 12 years) were tested (i) intact, (ii) after TDR (Discover, DePuy, Raynham, MA) at C5–C6, and (iii) after additional TDR at C6–C7. Specimens were subjected to flexion/extension, lateral bending and axial rotation (±1.5 Nm). Segmental range of motion (ROM) was measured using optoelectronic instrumentation and fluoroscopy. Results. Insertion of TDR at C5–C6 increased flexion/extension ROM of the implanted segment compared with intact (8.6 ± 1.0 vs. 12.3 ± 3.3°, P < 0.025). The TDR maintained ROM to intact levels in lateral bending (7.4 ± 2.6 vs 6.0 ± 1.6, P > 0.025) and axial rotation (5.5 ± 1.9 vs. 6.0 ± 2.9, P > 0.025). The TDR at C5–C6 did not affect ROM at the adjacent levels. Implantation of a second TDR at C6–C7 maintained the ROM at that segment to intact values in flexion/extension (9.6 ± 4.3 vs. 11.2 ± 5.5, P > 0.025), lateral bending (6.1 ± 4.0 vs. 4.1 ± 2.1, P > 0.025), and axial rotation (6.7 ± 3.6 vs. 5.5 ± 3.7, P > 0.025). The second TDR at C6–C7 did not affect the ROM of the prosthesis implanted at C5–C6. Two-level TDR at C5–C6–C7 did not affect the ROM at C4–C5 in flexion/extension or axial rotation, however, in lateral bending a small increase occurred (8.9 ± 3.6 vs. 10.1 ± 4.5, P < 0.025). Conclusion. Cervical TDR at 2 levels can provide near-normal mobility at both levels without destabilizing the implanted segments or affecting adjacent segment motions. These observations lend support to the notion that single or multilevel cervical TDR may be advantageous when compared to fusion.