Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic reprogramming in triple-negative breast cancer through Myc suppression of TXNIP

Significance Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are aggressive with poor clinical outcomes. Understanding the pathways that control their aggressive growth may reveal new targets for therapeutic intervention. TNBCs are highly glycolytic, providing fuel for growth promoting biosynthetic pathways. We establish that the c-Myc transcription factor drives this metabolic phenotype. Classically, the c-Myc proto-oncogene drives glycolysis by activating target genes encoding glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters; however, we show here that c-Myc represses the expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), which is a potent blocker of glucose utilization. Thus, c-Myc’s repression of TXNIP provides an additional route to c-Myc–driven glucose metabolism. Highlighting the clinical significance of our finding, a Mychigh/TXNIPlow gene signature correlates with poor overall survival in TNBC but not in other subclasses of breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are aggressive and lack targeted therapies. Understanding how nutrients are used in TNBCs may provide new targets for therapeutic intervention. We demonstrate that the transcription factor c-Myc drives glucose metabolism in TNBC cells but does so by a previously unappreciated mechanism that involves direct repression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). TXNIP is a potent negative regulator of glucose uptake, aerobic glycolysis, and glycolytic gene expression; thus its repression by c-Myc provides an alternate route to c-Myc–driven glucose metabolism. c-Myc reduces TXNIP gene expression by binding to an E-box–containing region in the TXNIP promoter, possibly competing with the related transcription factor MondoA. TXNIP suppression increases glucose uptake and drives a dependence on glycolysis. Ectopic TXNIP expression decreases glucose uptake, reduces cell proliferation, and increases apoptosis. Supporting the biological significance of the reciprocal relationship between c-Myc and TXNIP, a Mychigh/TXNIPlow gene signature correlates with decreased overall survival and decreased metastasis-free survival in breast cancer. The correlation between the Mychigh/TXNIPlow gene signature and poor clinical outcome is evident only in TNBC, not in other breast cancer subclasses. Mutation of TP53, which is a defining molecular feature of TNBC, enhances the correlation between the Mychigh/TXNIPlow gene signature and death from breast cancer. Because Myc drives nutrient utilization and TXNIP restricts glucose availability, we propose that the Mychigh/TXNIPlow gene signature coordinates nutrient utilization with nutrient availability. Further, our data suggest that loss of the p53 tumor suppressor cooperates with Mychigh/TXNIPlow-driven metabolic dysregulation to drive the aggressive clinical behavior of TNBC.
The impact of media coverage and demographics on the demand for Norwegian salmon

ABSTRACT Although consumption is increasing, aquaculture is controversial in many countries because of the potential environmental impact, leading to substantial media coverage. In this article, we investigate the impact on demand for salmon in Norway with a single equation specification as well as a demand system. As Norway is a large salmon producer, the media coverage is highly varied. Our media coverage data can be broken down into 10 different categories, which vary from positive coverage such as cooking recipes to negative coverage of production problems such as disease. Our results indicate that in aggregate, the media coverage has little impact on demand for salmon. There are some indications that the positive coverage increases demand. There are also spillover effects relatively to other goods (cod, poultry and red meat).
Effects of public posting, goal setting, and oral feedback on the skills of female soccer players.

We evaluated the effects of public posting, goal setting, and oral feedback on the skills of 3 female high school soccer players during practice scrimmages. The dependent variables were the percentage of appropriate responses when the player (a) kept and maintained possession of the ball, (b) moved to an open position during a game restart (e.g., goal or corner kick), and (c) moved to an open position after passing the ball. We also assessed the extent to which changes in practice performances generalized to games. A social validity questionnaire was completed by both players and coaches to assess the acceptability of the intervention's goals, procedures, and outcomes. Results indicate that the intervention was effective in improving performances during practice scrimmages but produced limited generalization to game settings.
Lack of recovery from hepatic oxidative damage in rats treated with Nigerian bonny light crude oil

The use of Nigerian bonny light crude oil (BLCO) in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, burns, foot ulcers and reproductive capacity is a common practice in the southern part of Nigeria. Towards understanding the mechanism and the reversibility of hepatotoxicity induced by BLCO, adult male Wistar rats were orally administered with BLCO at 0, 50, 100 and 200 mg kg−1 for 21 days. One‐half of the rats were sacrificed on day 22, whereas the remaining half stayed for an additional 21 days without treatment. Whereas the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S‐transferase were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, gamma glutamyl transferase activity was significantly decreased in a dose‐dependent manner. The levels of glutathione, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde were significantly elevated in BLCO‐treated animals. In addition, hepatic degeneration was accompanied with elevation in serum aminotransferases activities without affecting bilirubin levels. Whereas most of the above‐mentioned parameters were consistent in animals from withdrawal experiment, both total and conjugated bilirubin levels were significantly increased after 21 days of BLCO‐treatment withdrawal. Taken together, BLCO‐induced hepatotoxicity could be due to increased oxidative stress which was not reversible upon withdrawal of treatment within the time course of investigation in male rats. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biosurfactants from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BU03 enhance the solubility and biodegradation of phenanthrene

A thermophilic bacterial strain, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BU03, with a biosurfactant‐producing capability, was isolated from petroleum‐contaminated soil with an improved procedure which employed the solubilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarnons (PAHs), i.e. naphthalene in agar plate, as a selection criterion. Crude biosurfactant was recovered from the culture of BU03 by extraction with n‐hexane, and its properties were investigated. Biosurfactants from A. calcoaceticus BU03 constitute a thermo‐stable mixture, composed of different agents with surface activities. At their critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 152.4 mg L−1, the crude biosurfactants produced from A. calcoaceticus BU03 decreased the air–water surface tension to 38.4 mN m−1. In thermophilic conditions, the emulsifying activity is 2.8 times that of Tween 80. The effects of the biosurfactants produced by A. calcoaceticus on the solubility and biodegradation of PAHs were investigated in batch systems. Biosurfactants produced by A. calcoaceticus BU03 at 25 times their CMC significantly increased the apparent aqueous solubility of phenanthrene (PHE), pyrene (PYR) and benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) to 54.3, 6.33 and 2.08mg L−1, respectively. In aqueous system, the biosurfactants at concentrations of 0.5 CMC and 1 CMC slightly enhanced the biodegradation of PHE by a consortium of PAH‐degrading microrganisms. Results indicate that biosurfactants from A. calcoaceticus BU03 have potential to enhance the removal of PAHs from contaminated sites.
Changes in lung volume during spells in children with Tetralogy of Fallot under general anesthesia

Objective: To describe the changes in end-expiratory lung volume and ventilation inhomogeneities during spells in three children with Tetralogy of Fallot. Design: After approval of the institutional Ethics Committee was obtained, children were included in a study protocol that included the assessment of end-expiratory lung volume and ventilation inhomogeneity, using a sulfur hexafluoride multibreath washout technique at different times before and during the surgical repair of congenital heart disease. Additional parental consent was sought to publish this subseries. Setting: Operation theater in a tertiary-care university hospital. Patients: We report the changes in end-expiratory lung volume and ventilation inhomogeneity in three children undergoing Tetralogy of Fallot repair who spelled before surgical incision. While starting the immediate treatment with phenylephrine and increasing Fio2 to 1.0, we were able to measure respiratory function. During the spell, end-expiratory lung volume decreased and ventilation inhomogeneities increased significantly and only recovered slowly even after return of Sao2 to prespell values. Conclusions: These data show the deleterious effect of a spell on respiratory function, which may worsen hypoxemia. The loss in lung volume can have a deleterious additive effect in the presence of a spell, particularly because of the slow improvement after treatment.
External Quality Assessment for the Determination of Diphtheria Antitoxin in Human Serum

ABSTRACT Accurate determination of diphtheria toxin antibodies is of value in determining the rates of immunity within broad populations or the immune status of individuals who may be at risk of infection, by assessing responses to vaccination and immunization schedule efficacy. Here we report the results of an external quality assessment (EQA) study for diphtheria serology, performed within the dedicated surveillance network DIPNET. Twelve national laboratories from 11 European countries participated by testing a standard panel of 150 sera using their current routine method: Vero cell neutralization test (NT), double-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; DAE), dual double-antigen time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (dDA-DELFIA), passive hemagglutination assay (PHA), toxin binding inhibition assay (ToBI), and in-house or commercial ELISAs. The objective of the study was not to identify the best assay, as the advantages and drawbacks of methods used were known, but to verify if laboratories using their routine method would have categorized (as negative, equivocal, or positive) a serum sample in the same way. The performance of each laboratory was determined by comparing its results on a quantitative and qualitative basis to NT results from a single reference laboratory, as this test is considered the in vitro “gold standard. ” The performance of laboratories using NT was generally very good, while the laboratories’ performance using other in vitro methods was variable. Laboratories using ELISA and PHA performed less well than those using DAE, dDA-DELFIA, or ToBI. EQA is important for both laboratories that use in vitro nonstandardized methods and those that use commercial ELISA kits.
The Impact of Health on Labour Force Participation in South Africa

This paper quantifies the impact of health on labour force participation, using South Africa as a case study. This is important given the essential role the labour market plays in economic growth and the potential for poor health to adversely affect labour market outcomes. South Africa has experienced significant disease burden especially due to communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Moreover, conditions like obesity remain a public health concern. Furthermore, the country has witnessed declining labour force participation in recent years. These health and labour market outcomes, coupled with relatively scant literature on the impact of health on the labour market in South Africa, motivate this study. Data is sourced from the first and third waves of the National Income Dynamics Study, a nationally representative panel dataset of South African households and a rich source of health and socio-economic data. Endogenous treatment of self-assessed health in a contemporaneous setting suggests positive and significant impact of health on labour force participation. The hypothesis of exogeneity of self-assessed health in a labour force participation equation is however not rejected. Finally, positive and significant association between health and LFP persists even four years after health assessment.
A novel distributed intrusion detection model based on mobile agent

Distributed intrusion detection is one of the most promising information security techniques. It is used to detect various attacks from distributed network environment. But attack behaviors are becoming more complicated with the development of network techniques so that it is becoming more difficult to detect them. In order to overcome the shortcomings of current intrusion detection techniques, a novel hierarchical model of multi-level detection intrusion is proposed. The model utilizes the intelligent, mobile and self-adaptive characteristics of agent and its distributed collaborative calculation capability. So it can detect complicated attacks effectively. The adoption of the clone and migration mechanism of agent and the security communication protocol enhances the security and collaborative detection capability of the model. communication load is reduced effectively and intrusions can be detected and responded as quickly as possible. The model can evolve and adjust itself dynamically to adapt to the external environmental change. The model is robust and scalable.
Components Separation Combined with Abdominal Wall Plication for Repair of Large Abdominal Wall Hernias following Bariatric Surgery

Background: Abdominal wall hernias frequently occur after open bariatric surgical procedures. Standard repair with synthetic mesh may be suboptimal, with a recurrence rate as high as 50 percent. Patients often seek hernia repair in conjunction with abdominal body contouring procedures following substantial weight loss. Methods: In 66 consecutive patients undergoing abdominal surgery after open bariatric surgery, abdominal wall hernias of some size were found in 50 patients. In 65 of these patients, panniculectomy was performed simultaneously. The majority of these hernias could be closed primarily in conjunction with abdominal wall plication [38 of 50 (76 percent)]. In 12 patients (24 percent of hernias), the defects were too large (median, 10.8 cm) or located too close to the xiphoid to permit primary closure without undue tension. Results: Using a components separation technique, primary fascial closure was achieved in all 12 patients. The technique was modified to include abdominal wall plication above and below the repaired hernia defect and the use of an absorbable mesh onlay. Although these patients had a high rate (50 percent) of minor or major superficial wound complications, all wounds closed subsequently without additional operative procedures. Despite the high-risk nature of this group, ventral hernia recurred in only one of 12 patients (8.3 percent) after a median follow-up of 16 months. The single recurrence occurred in one of the two patients with the largest diameter (15 cm) hernias in the series. Conclusions: The components separation technique combined with abdominal wall plication was assessed as the preferred technique for the repair of large hernias not amenable to primary repair in the massive weight loss patient following open bariatric procedures. Because this technique avoids placement of permanent mesh, it is particularly advantageous in the post-bariatric surgery patient at high risk for wound dehiscence and infection.
The consistency of neuropsychological assessments performed via telecommunication and face to face

Previous studies have suggested that cognitive assessments of adult psychiatric patients can be carried out as reliably via teleconsultation as they can face to face. However, the designs of these studies have often been less than satisfactory. The present study used videoconferencing at 128 kbit/s for the cognitive assessment of individuals with a history of alcohol abuse. Twenty-seven participants were given a range of assessments with two equivalent forms. One of the forms was given via videoconferencing and the other face to face. All participants were assessed using both media and the order of presentation was balanced across participants. Aspects of participant satisfaction with teleconsultations were also assessed, on 10-point scales. The teleconsultations were significantly longer (mean 40.7 min, SD 6.4) than the face-to-face sessions (mean 33.0 min, SD 5.3). For most of the outcome measures, cognitive assessment via teleconsultation produced similar results to face-to-face assessment. Most participants expressed high overall satisfaction with the teleconsultation (mean rating 8.2). The average ratings for the sound quality (mean 7.6) and visual quality of the equipment (mean 7.9) were also high. The findings imply that it is not necessary for patients and neuropsychologists to be present at the same location for cognitive assessments to be carried out.
Uniform, Low-Resistive Ni-Pt Silicide Fabricated by Partial Conversion With Low Metal-Consumption Ratio

We applied partial conversion (PC) with a low metal-consumption ratio (MCR) as the initial silicidation, fabricating uniform and low-resistive Ni-Pt silicide regardless of the device patterns across a wafer. The key to PC in Ni-Pt silicidation was leaving the Ni-Pt alloy on the silicide after the initial silicidation. This process enriched the Pt of the Ni-Pt silicide because the Pt was supplied from the unconsumed Ni-Pt alloy on the silicide during the initial silicidation. The resistivity of Ni-Pt silicide was as low as that of NiSi at MCRs of less than 80%, suppressing the formation of nickel di-silicide (NiSi2) on the even narrow active line. We concluded that Pt on the silicide/Si interface and the grain boundaries of silicides can restrain Ni diffusion toward the <;110>; direction into the Si substrate, which suppresses the formation of NiSi2.
Stereologic study of the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus in young and older women

Aging in women is associated with dramatic changes in neuronal morphology and neuropeptide gene expression in the medial basal hypothalamus. There is hypertrophy of neurons expressing substance P and neurokinin B gene transcripts in the infundibular (arcuate) nucleus, accompanied by increased tachykinin gene expression. In addition, gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression is increased in a separate subpopulation of neurons within the medial basal hypothalamus. In contrast, the number of neurons expressing proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA in the infundibular nucleus of older women is decreased. To determine whether neuronal degeneration contributes to these phenomena, unbiased stereologic methods were used to compare the total number of infundibular neurons between groups of young (premenopausal) and older (postmenopausal) women. There was no significant difference in the total number of infundibular neurons between young (520,000 ± 42,000 neurons, mean ± SEM) and older women (505,000 ± 51,000 neurons, mean ± SEM). The mean volume of neuronal somata, however, was increased by 40% in the older women (young, 1,860 ± 180 μm3 vs. older, 2,610 ± 230 μm3, mean ± SEM, P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that neuronal hypertrophy in older women is not accompanied by degeneration of the infundibular nucleus. We conclude that the loss of menstrual cyclicity in middle‐aged women cannot be explained by loss of neurons within the hypothalamic control center for reproduction. J. Comp. Neurol. 424:679–688, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autoantibodies to basement membrane proteins BP180 and BP230 are commonly detected in normal subjects by immunoblotting

Autoantibodies to basement membrane proteins BP180 and BP230 are characteristic of bullous pemphigoid and other subepidermal immunobullous disorders. These antibodies are, however, reported in other pruritic dermatoses, non‐bullous disorders and non‐cutaneous disease. Few studies have assessed basement membrane antibodies in normal subjects; antibody prevalence in this population is not clear. This study aims to examine basement membrane zone antibodies in normal middle‐aged to elderly subjects. Sera from 61 healthy subjects (majority age 50–70 years) were assessed by immunoblot, indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Ninety‐one bullous pemphigoid patients acted as positive controls. Antigenic target, antibody class and titre were examined; sera binding BP180 were assessed for reactivity to the non‐collagenous 16A (NC16A) domain. Thirty‐six normal subjects (59%) had antibodies to either BP180 or BP230 on immunoblot analysis. BP180 was the commonest target antigen, detected in 35 subjects; binding to the immunodominant NC16A domain was not detected. Immunofluorescence was positive in three subjects. Of the bullous pemphigoid sera, 88% were positive on immunoblot or immunofluorescence; a higher frequency had antibodies against BP230. In conclusion, significant numbers of normal healthy subjects have circulating autoantibodies to basement membrane proteins, chiefly BP180 detectable by immunoblot, but these do not bind the NC16A domain.
Integrating the Dark Side of Competition into Explanations of Business Failures: Evidence from a Developing Economy

In spite of the growing body of literature on the bright side of inter-firm relationships, limited attention has been paid to the dark side of inter-firm relationships. Using insights of serial entrepreneurs in a developing economy, we articulate the mechanisms through which adverse rumours and misinformation perpetrated by rivals' firms undermine small businesses and lead to decline and eventual collapse. We uncovered that the rumours were made more potent when combined with other factors such as prior history of poor and faulty products, sensitivity of industry and intense competition from rival firms in reducing the life chance of firms. Our study also uncovered that inter-firm backstabbing leads former business owners to form a negative perception of former competitors and their organizations even after their business collapsed. We conclude by articulating the theoretical and practical implications.