Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lead inhibits paraoxonase 2 but not paraoxonase 1 activity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells

Lead is an environmental toxicant of great concern for humans and animals. Lead‐induced liver damage and malfunction are partly due to a disturbance of the cellular antioxidant balance. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and PON2 are highly expressed in the liver and have been proposed as antioxidative enzymes. In this study, the effects of lead on PON1 and PON2 activities were investigated in human hepatoma HepG2 cells by exposing the cells to various concentrations of lead acetate for 24, 48, or 72 h. The results show that a significant increase in reactive oxygen species was observed even at the lowest concentration of lead treatment. However, only the highest concentration of lead significantly influenced cell viability. Lead had no influence on cell‐associated PON1 activity, but it significantly decreased cytoplasmic PON2 activity in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. This reduction was rescued by the addition of calcium. A significant increase of PON2 transcript was observed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction, while PON2 protein expression did not change in the western blot analysis. Taken together, these results indicate that lead reduces PON2, but not PON1, activity and that this reduction is reversed by calcium. Lead‐induced oxidative stress and decreased PON2 activity lead to the upregulation of PON2 transcript. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insecticidal activity of indanomycin.

More than half of the worldwide expenditure on agrochemicals was devoted to insecticides in an effort to combat over half a million different herbivorous insect species1}. Despite this, 15% of the crops planted are lost to feeding insects and other pests2). The cost of this damage and its effect on agriculture has increased the demand for more effective crop protection agents. For manyyears, pest control has been based primarily on the use of synthetic compounds3). Therefore, new
Effect of Obesity on Endothelial Function and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Children

We aimed to measure flow-mediated dilation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and to evaluate the effects of waist circumference (WC), and body mass index Z (BMI-Z) score on these parameters in obese children. This case-control cross-sectional study included 70 obese and 40 non-obese children aged 7-14 years who presented with various complaints and had no concomitant diseases. FMD and cIMT were measured in all subjects and correlated with anthropometric and biochemical factors. WC, BMI-Z score, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), triglyceride (TG) and insulin concentrations, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index were significantly higher, whereas high density lipoprotein (HDL) -cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in the obese than in the non-obese group. FMD values were significantly lower, whereas cIMT values were significantly higher in obese than in non-obese subjects. FMD negatively correlated with WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride but positively with HDL-cholesterol. cIMT positively correlated with WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride but negatively with HDL-cholesterol. Increased WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride and decreased HDL-cholesterol in obese children contribute to endothelial dysfunction and early subclinical atherosclerosis compared to their normal weight peers.
Cardiovascular safety of vildagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes: A European multi‐database, non‐interventional post‐authorization safety study

The aim of this non‐interventional, multi‐database, analytical cohort study was to assess the cardiovascular (CV) safety of vildagliptin vs other non‐insulin antidiabetic drugs (NIADs) using real‐world data from 5 European electronic healthcare databases. Patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥18 years on NIAD treatment were enrolled. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the outcomes of interest (myocardial infarction [MI], acute coronary syndrome [ACS], stroke, congestive heart failure [CHF], individually and as a composite) were estimated using negative binomial regression. Approximately 2.8% of the enrolled patients (n = 738 054) used vildagliptin at any time during the study, with an average follow‐up time of 1.4 years, resulting in a cumulative current vildagliptin exposure of 28 330 person‐years. The adjusted IRRs (vildagliptin [±other NIADs] vs other NIADs) were in the range of 0.61 to 0.97 (MI), 0.55 to 1.60 (ACS), 0.02 to 0.77 (stroke), 0.49 to 1.03 (CHF), and 0.22 to 1.02 (composite CV outcomes). The IRRs and their 95% CIs were close to 1, demonstrating no increased risk of adverse CV events, including the risk of CHF, with vildagliptin vs other NIADs in real‐world conditions.
Epidemiological Aspects of Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus spp.: The Use of Molecular Tools with Emphasis on MLST

Studying infections caused by the Staphylococcus spp. genus is highly important for human health given that such organisms are causal agents of superficial infections, such as abscesses and impetigo, as well as of systemic infections, namely bacteremia and osteomyelitis. This genus is divided into two large groups. The first group is characterized by the production of enzyme coagulase, and its main representative is S. aureus, which is frequently associated with a large variety of infections. The second group, known as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), is usually associated with immunocompromised patients or those who use catheters. (Kloos & Bannerman, 1995). The main CoNS species associated with infection in humans are S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, S. cohnii, S. xylosus, S. capitis, S. warneri, S. hominis, S. simulans, S. saccharolyticus, S. auricularis, S. caprae, S. lugdunensis and S. schleiferi (Kloos & Bannerman, 1995).
DNA-binding site for two skeletal actin promoter factors is important for expression in muscle cells

Two nuclear factors bind to the same site in the chicken skeletal actin promoter. Mutations in the footprint sequence which eliminate detectable binding decrease expression in transfected skeletal muscle cells by a factor of 25 to 50 and do not elevate the low expression in nonmuscle cells. These results show that the factor-binding site contributes to the activation of expression in muscle cells and that it alone does not contribute significantly to repress expression in nonmuscle cells.
Influence of alcohol on gastrointestinal motility: lactulose breath hydrogen testing in orocecal transit time in chronic alcoholics, social drinkers and teetotaler subjects.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The gastrointestinal tract is directly affected by the ingestion of alcohol. While the effect of acute ingestion of alcohol on the motility of the small intestine is well known, the influence of chronic intake of moderate amounts of alcohol and chronic alcoholism on gastrointestinal motility remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the orocecal transit (OCt) times in patients with chronic alcoholism and in "social drinkers" and compare them with a group of healthy teetotaler subjects, to assess the effects of chronic aleohol consumption on gastrointestinal transit through the application of a non-invasive technique: the hydrogen breath test. METHODOLOGY Thirty-one alcoholics were enrolled in the study. The control groups consisted of 31 healthy social drinkers and 24 healthy teetotaler subjects. OCt time was assessed using the hydrogen breath test after the administration of 10 g of lactulose. RESULTS The OCt time in patients with alcoholism was significantly delayed as compared with the social drinkers (p < 0.001) and healthy teetotaler subjects (p < 0.001); the OCt time in social drinkers was significantly longer than in healthy teetotaler subjects (p < 0.05). In the alcoholic group, there was no significant correlation between the OCt time and daily alcohol intake or years of alcohol addiction. CONCLUSION Our results show a significant prolongation of the OCt time, both in patients with alcoholism and in social drinkers, as compared to teetotaler subjects. Our findings of an increased OCt time related to the consumption of alcohol could support the hypothesis of the toxic effect of ethanol on smooth muscle contractile proteins of the small intestine and on vagal function.
Autonomy Support and Need Satisfaction in the Motivation and Well-Being of Gymnasts

This study examined the effects of young athletes' perceptions of support from coaches and parents on their need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being. Using the framework of self-determination theory (Ryan &Deci, 2000b), a 4-week diary study of 33 female gymnasts from the northeastern U.S. was conducted that examined (a) the relations of perceived parent and coach supports to the athlete's enduring and daily motivation and need satisfaction and (b) how daily motivation and psychological need satisfaction during practice affects athletes' well-being. Results obtained using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) revealed that, as predicted, daily motivation predicted pre-practice well-being, and that changes in well-being from pre- to post-practice varied systematically with the need satisfaction experienced during practice. Discussion highlights the importance of adult supports for adolescent sport participants to ensure need satisfaction, and the advantages of diary methodologies in sport research.
Developmental origins of health and disease.

At first glance, it may seem implausible that your mother's exposure to stress or toxins while she was pregnant with you, how she fed you when you were an infant, or how fast you grew during childhood can determine your risk for chronic disease as an adult. Mounting evidence, however, indicates that events occurring in the earliest stages of human development — even before birth — may influence the occurrence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, cancers, osteoporosis, and neuropsychiatric disorders. More than 40 years ago, Widdowson and McCance1 discovered that rat pups that were undernourished during the three weeks of .
Differences in cardiac microcirculatory wave patterns between the proximal left mainstem and proximal right coronary artery.

Despite having almost identical origins and similar perfusion pressures, the flow-velocity waveforms in the left and right coronary arteries are strikingly different. We hypothesized that pressure differences originating from the distal (microcirculatory) bed would account for the differences in the flow-velocity waveform. We used wave intensity analysis to separate and quantify proximal- and distal-originating pressures to study the differences in velocity waveforms. In 20 subjects with unobstructed coronary arteries, sensor-tipped intra-arterial wires were used to measure simultaneous pressure and Doppler velocity in the proximal left main stem (LMS) and proximal right coronary artery (RCA). Proximal- and distal-originating waves were separated using wave intensity analysis, and differences in waves were examined in relation to structural and anatomic differences between the two arteries. Diastolic flow velocity was lower in the RCA than in the LMS (35.1 +/- 21.4 vs. 56.4 +/- 32.5 cm/s, P < 0.002), and, consequently, the diastolic-to-systolic ratio of peak flow velocity in the RCA was significantly less than in the LMS (1.00 +/- 0.32 vs. 1.79 +/- 0.48, P < 0.001). This was due to a lower distal-originating suction wave (8.2 +/- 6.6 x 10(3) vs. 16.0 +/- 12.2 x 10(3) W.m(-2). s(-1), P < 0.01). The suction wave in the LMS correlated positively with left ventricular pressure (r = 0.6, P < 0.01) and in the RCA with estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (r = 0.7, P = 0.05) but not with the respective diameter in these arteries. In contrast to the LMS, where coronary flow velocity was predominantly diastolic, in the proximal RCA coronary flow velocity was similar in systole and diastole. This difference was due to a smaller distal-originating suction wave in the RCA, which can be explained by differences in elastance and pressure generated between right and left ventricles.
COLLAGE-BASED INVERSE PROBLEMS FOR IFSM WITH ENTROPY MAXIMIZATION AND SPARSITY CONSTRAINTS

We consider the inverse problem associated with IFSM: Given a target function f , find an IFSM, such that its invariant fixed point f̄ is sufficiently close to f in the Lp distance. In this paper, we extend the collage-based method developed by Forte and Vrscay (1995) along two different directions. We first search for a set of mappings that not only minimizes the collage error but also maximizes the entropy of the dynamical system. We then include an extra term in the minimization process which takes into account the sparsity of the set of mappings. In this new formulation, the minimization of collage error is treated as multi-criteria problem: we consider three different and conflicting criteria i.e., collage error, entropy and sparsity. To solve this multi-criteria program we proceed by scalarization and we reduce the model to a single-criterion program by combining all objective functions with different trade-off weights. The results of some numerical computations are presented. Numerical studies indicate that a maximum entropy principle exists for this approximation problem, i.e., that the suboptimal solutions produced by collage coding can be improved at least slightly by adding a maximum entropy criterion.
Female Breast Radiation Exposure During Thorax Multidetector Computed Tomography and the Effectiveness of Bismuth Breast Shield to Reduce Breast Radiation Dose

Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine the breast radiation dose when performing routine thoracic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). We also evaluated dose reduction and the effect on image quality of using a bismuth breast shield when performing thoracic MDCT. Material and Methods: The dose reduction achievable by shielding the adult (18 years or older) female breasts was studied in 50 women who underwent routine thoracic MDCT. All examinations were performed with a 16-MDCT scanner (Sensation Cardiac 16; Siemens Medical Solutions). To compare the shielded/unshielded breast dose, the examination was performed with (right breast) and without (left breast) breast shielding in all patients. With this technique, the superficial breast doses were calculated. To determine the average glandular breast radiation dose, we imaged an anthropomorphic dosimetric phantom into which calibrated dosimeters were placed to measure the dose to breast. The phantom was imaged using the same protocol. Radiation doses to the breasts with and without the breast shielding were measured and compared using the Student t test. Results: In the qualitative evaluation of the MDCT scans, all were considered to be of diagnostic quality. We did not see any differences in quality between the shielded and unshielded lung. The mean radiation doses to the breasts with the shield and to those without the shield were 8.6 ± 2.33 versus 14.46 ± 3.94 mGy, respectively. The breast shield enabled a 40.53% decrease in radiation dose to the breast. The difference between the dose received by the breasts with and that received by the breasts without bismuth shielding was significant, with a P value of less than 0.001. Conclusions: Bismuth in-plane shielding for routine thoracic MDCT decreased radiation dose to the breast without qualitative changes in image quality. The other radiosensitive superficial organs (eg, testes and thyroid gland) specifically must be protected with shielding.
Increased total body fat during PD treatment.

UNLABELLED Sufficient nutritional intake is important to adjust the increased catabolic rate in uremic patients during dialysis treatment. Increased glucose absorption during PD treatment may, however, interfere with the amount of muscle- and fat-mass in the body. We have therefore studied the amount of total body fat composition in 8 male PD patients (treatment period 79 months, range 3-23 before and 165.5 months, range 8-35.5 after the study). Food intake was recorded for 7 days twice in four patients with an interval of 6-8 months. Total body fat (%) was measured by means of a computerized model of near infrared interactance (IRI) ("FUTREX") on the dominant upper arm. The energy and protein intake were 1731 +/- 292 kcal. and 86.9 +/- 17.2 g (n = 4) during the first recording period of food intake. In the second period the energy and protein intake were 1676 +/- 105 kcal and 72.7 +/- 10.2 g (n = 4) (NS). The total body fat increased from 19.8 +/- 2.9 to 22.5 +/- 3.0 (p < 0.05), in spite of unchanged total body weight. CONCLUSION PD patients seem to accumulate fat during PD treatment with glucose as osmotic agent. This may influence the cardiovascular risks. The results indicate nutritional adjustments and possibly also increased physical activity.
Mobile phone use does not discourage adolescent smoking in Japan.

OBJECTIVE The possibility that smoking prevalence among junior and senior high school students may decrease with increasing mobile phone bill was reported by the mass media in Japan. We conducted a nationwide survey on adolescent smoking and mobile phone use in Japan in order to assess the hypothesis that mobile phone use has replaced smoking. METHODS A total of 70 junior high schools (response rate; 71%), and 69 high schools (90%) from all over Japan responded to 2005 survey. Students in the responding schools were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about smoking behavior, mobile phone bill, and pocket money. Questionnaires were collected from 32,615 junior high school students and 48,707 senior high school students. RESULTS The smoking prevalence of students with high mobile phone bill was more likely to be high, and that of students who used mobile phones costing 10,000 yen and over per month was especially high. When "quitters" were defined as students who had tried smoking but were not smoking at the time of survey, the proportion of quitters decreased as the mobile phone bill increased. The proportion of students who had smoking friends increased with the increase in the mobile phone bill per month. CONCLUSION The hypothesis that the decrease in smoking prevalence among Japanese adolescents that has been observed in recent years is due to a mobile phone use can be rejected.
Massive-Star Supernovae as Major Dust Factories

We present late-time optical and mid-infrared observations of the Type II supernova 2003gd in the galaxy NGC 628. Mid-infrared excesses consistent with cooling dust in the ejecta are observed 499 to 678 days after outburst and are accompanied by increasing optical extinction and growing asymmetries in the emission-line profiles. Radiative-transfer models show that up to 0.02 solar masses of dust has formed within the ejecta, beginning as early as 250 days after outburst. These observations show that dust formation in supernova ejecta can be efficient and that massive-star supernovae could have been major dust producers throughout the history of the universe.
Cytology of Spore Formation in Clostridium perfringens

The sequential morphological events in spore formation by Clostridium perfringens type D were observed in Ellner's medium where 80 to 100% of the cells formed spores. Gross structural changes were studied with the light microscope under phase-contrast, and in fixed cells by the use of both nigrosin and Giemsa preparations. Fine structure was examined with the electron microscope in both thin sections and frozen-etched preparations. During the first 3 hr of incubation, the original rod-shaped cells became ellipsoid to ovoid in shape; by 5 to 6 hr, subterminal spores had developed within these enlarged cells. The fine structural sequence was in most respects identical to that in other Bacillaceae, although some stages were illustrated with particular clarity. A unique feature was the development of a convoluted, membranous exosporium which adhered to the outer surface of the two coats and had an unusual fine structure resembling a rectangular array of subunits.
Characterization and screening for mutations of the growth arrest-specific 11 (GAS11) and C16orf3 genes at 16q24.3 in breast cancer.

Loss of heterozygosity involving the long arm of chromosome 16 is a frequent event seen in a number of human carcinomas, including breast, prostate, hepatocellular, and ovarian cancers. A region found to be commonly deleted in breast and prostate carcinomas is located at 16q24.3, which suggests the presence of a tumor suppressor gene that may be altered in these two malignancies. A detailed physical and transcription map of this region that includes the loci defining the smallest region of deletion has been constructed. This report describes the characterization of a transcript located in this region, the growth arrest-specific 11 (GAS11) gene, which was viewed as a potential tumor suppressor gene due to the expression of its mouse homolog specifically during growth arrest. The gene consists of 11 exons spanning approximately 25 kb. Northern blot analysis identified two ubiquitously expressed mRNAs of 3.4 and 1.8 kb produced by the use of alternative polyadenylation sites. Another gene, C16orf3 (chromosome 16 open reading frame 3), was found to lie within intron 2 of GAS11. This gene appears intronless, is transcribed in the orientation opposite to that of GAS11, and is expressed at low levels. These genes were examined for mutations in breast tumor DNA, and both were excluded as tumor suppressor genes involved in breast cancer.
Human Communication. A Publication of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association. Vol. 15, No. 2, pp.59 - 84. Intercultural Sensitivity of Filipinos in Multi National Corporations in the Philippines

The study ascertained how interculturally sensitive Filipinos are by surveying a heterogeneous sample from 15 Multi National Corporations (MNCs) in the Philippines. This is an extension of a previous survey of a large group of respondents from a state university also in the Philippines (Del Villar, 2010). Variables deemed important in the previous study were reevaluated. Hall’s and Hofstede’s cultural orientations were added to have a deeper understanding of the influences on intercultural sensitivity. Results showed significant correlations between intercultural sensitivity and three communication traits, sensitivity and twelve demographic variables, and sensitivity and five cultural orientations. Finally, when all the variables were regressed, five proved to be significant predictors of Filipinos’ intercultural sensitivity. These were: communication competence, intercultural apprehension, high context , power distance, and number of years as a member of an organization.
Navigation quality as a key value for the webpage of a financial entity

Purpose – The objective of this study is to measure the navigation quality of the corporate webpages of the principal European financial entities, given the vital importance of the accessibility of online content for the successful execution of their operational activities.Design/methodology/approach – The web quality model proposes a structure that allows the quality of corporate webpages to be analysed according to the three main quality criteria of content, presentation and ease of navigation (navigability). Bonson et al. take this theoretical framework as their point of departure for analysing the webpages of the principal European financial entities, and they measure the quality of their content in the context of the extra significance these webpages will acquire when the new Basel II international regulations enter into force in the imminent future. In this study, a joint analysis is made of the results of both studies in order to classify European financial entities according to the strategy adopte.