Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Adjusted Alignment Goals Have the Potential to Reduce PJK

Study Design. Retrospective cohort. Objective. To explore proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) as a function of age-adjusted surgical correction goals. Summary of Background Data. Recent adult spinal deformity (ASD) studies show that alignment targets are age-specific. Despite recognizing age and malalignment as PJK risk factors, no study has assessed the age-specific effects of alignment on PJK. Methods. ASD patients with fusions to the pelvis were included and stratified into three groups: young adults (YA <40 years old), middle aged (MA: 40–65 years old), and the elderly (ED >65 years old). Analysis of variance compared the groups with respect to 1-year postoperative alignments and 1-year offsets from age-specific alignment targets. Results. A total of 679 patients were enrolled (mean age = 61 years old, 77% female, body mass index = 28.1). At 1 year postoperatively, there was a significant decrease in pelvic tilt (PT; 29–23°), spinopelvic mismatch (pelvic incidence [PI]–lumbar lordosis [LL]) (28–5°), and sagittal vertical axis (SVA; 110–37 mm); overall incidence of PJK was 45.1%. Stratification by age (YA, n = 28; MA, n = 389; ED, n = 262) revealed an increase in PJK incidence with age: YA = 17.9%, MA = 43.8%, and ED = 50.2% (P < 0.001). PJK patients had smaller postoperative PI–LL mismatches (ED 0.8° vs. 9.8°, MA 3.1° vs. 7.3°) than non-PJK patients, without any significant differences in PT or SVA. Analysis of the postoperative offsets from age-specific norms revealed that PJK patients in the two older subgroups and in the study cohort as a whole were overcorrected as compared to non-PJK patients (PI–LL offset—all: −5.2° vs. 2.8°, MA: −1° vs. +4°, ED: −11° vs. −2°; SVA offset—all: −10 mm vs. 7 mm, MA: −3 mm vs. 10 mm, ED: −18 mm vs. −6 mm). The correlation coefficients between PJK angles and the offsets from age-adjusted objective were small (0.320 for PI–LL, 0.114 for PT, and 0.136 for SVA). Conclusion. Overall, this study suggests that PJK patients were overcorrected when compared to age-adjusted alignment goals. Certainly, elderly patients are subject to independent risk factors for PJK, making the prevention of PJK complex. However, individualized optimization of surgical alignment can improve outcomes. This emphasizes the need for surgeons to incorporate age-specific alignment targets into the standard preoperative planning process. Level of Evidence: 3
The Changes of Lipidomic Profiles Reveal Therapeutic Effects of Exenatide in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Objective Exenatide has been demonstrated beneficial effects on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding lipid metabolism. However, the potential mechanism remains unclear. We used a lipidomic approach to evaluate lipid changes in response to treatment with exenatide in T2DM patients. Methods Serum lipidomic profiles of 35 newly diagnosed T2DM patients (before and after exenatide treatment) and 20 age-matched healthy controls were analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results A total of 45 lipid species including sphingomyelins (SMs), ceramides (CERs), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs) and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were identified in all participants. Compared to the healthy controls, 13 lipid species [SM (d18:1/18:0, d18:1/18:1), Cer (d18:1/18:0, d18:1/16:0, d18:1/20:0, d18:1/24:1), LPC (15:0, 16:0, 17:0), PC (19:0/19:0), LPE (18:0) and PE (16:0/22:6, 18:0/22:6)] were markedly increased in the T2DM group, while PE (17:0/17:0) and PC (18:1/18:0) were decreased (P < 0.05). The serum SM (d18:1/18:0, d18:1/18:1), LPC (16:0), and LPE (18:0) were significantly decreased after exenatide treatment, which was accompanied by the amelioration of lipids and glycemic parameters (TC, LDL-C, ApoA-I, FCP and HbA1c) in T2DM patients. The chord diagrams showed distinct correlation patterns between lipid classes and subclasses among healthy controls, T2DM patients before and after exenatide treatment. Conclusion Our results revealed that the therapeutic benefits of exenatide on T2DM might be involved in the improved lipid metabolism, especially SM, LPC, and LPE. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03297879.
HIV Tat activates c-Jun amino-terminal kinase through an oxidant-dependent mechanism.

The HIV-1 accessory protein Tat has been found to exert profound effects on vascular cell behavior. Recently, Tat has been found to activate the c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK1, SAPK) MAP kinase in lymphoid cells. We found that purified Tat rapidly activated JNK1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and ECV-304 cells, and coculture of ECV-304 cells with Tat-transfected HeLa cells resulted in persistent activation of JNK1. In addition, lower doses of Tat potentiated TNFalpha-induced JNK1 activation, although higher doses paradoxically diminished JNK1 activation by TNFalpha. Treatment of ECV-304 cells with Tat acutely increased intracellular oxidant levels, and Tat-induced oxidant activity was decreased by two structurally distinct NADPH oxidase inhibitors, diphenylene iodonium and apocynin. Both oxidase inhibitors and the thiol antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine decreased Tat-induced JNK1 activation in parallel with reduction in oxidant levels. Activation of JNK1 by Tat was also inhibited by cytochalasin B, suggesting that Tat signaling was dependent upon intact cytoskeletal function. Indeed, JNK1 activation by Tat was associated with actin microfilament rearrangement. We conclude that HIV Tat may cause acute and persistent activation of the JNK MAP kinase through activation of a specific oxidase.
Sumoylation of Oct4 Enhances Its Stability, DNA Binding, and Transactivation*

Transcription factor Oct4 is a master regulator affecting the fate of pluripotent stem cells and germ cell precursors. Oct4 expression is tightly regulated, and small changes in expression level can have dramatic effects on differentiation or oncogenesis. Post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and ubiquitination have been reported to regulate Oct4 transcriptional activity. Here we show that Oct4 is a target for small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-1 modification in vivo and in vitro. Sumoylation of Oct4 occurs at a single lysine, Lys118, located at the end of the amino-terminal transactivation domain and next to the Pit1-Oct-Unc86 (POU) DNA binding domain. SUMO-1 and Oct4 colocalize at several promoter sequences in vivo, and a fraction of Oct4 molecules colocalized with SUMO-1 in nuclear aggregates. Sumoylation of Oct4 led to significantly increased Oct4 stability and increased DNA binding. In addition, SUMO-1 cotransfection led to augmented Oct4 transactivation potential that was reduced when the Oct4 sumoylation target site was mutated. Therefore, sumoylation of Oct4 results in increased stability, DNA binding, and transactivation and provides an important mechanism to regulate Oct4 activity.
Foreign Direct Investment and the Welfare Effects of Cost Harmonization

Foreign direct investment (FDI) gives foreign firms access to local labor and inputs, thereby harmonizing costs between foreign and domestic firms relative to exports. This paper investigates the welfare effects of such cost harmonization in strategic environments, finding that when the number of home firms is sufficiently close to the number of foreign firms, FDI reduces home welfare, whether FDI raises or decreases foreign firms' marginal costs. An implication is that under the same conditions, a country is harmed by tax harmonization on products that bring foreign taxes on product it imports inline with domestic ones for products.
Development of a structure-validated Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ) with Chinese university students.

Consistent results have shown a relationship between the psychological world of children and their perceived parental bonding or family attachment style, but to date there is no single measure covering both styles. The authors designed a statement matrix with 116 items for this purpose and compared it with the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in a study with 718 university students. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, five factors (scales)--namely, Paternal/Maternal Encouragement (5 items each), Paternal/Maternal Abuse (5 items each), Paternal/Maternal Freedom Release (5 items each), General Attachment (5 items), and Paternal/Maternal Dominance (4 items each)--were defined to form a Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ). The internal alphas of the factors ranged from . 64 to . 83, and their congruency coefficients were . 93 to . 98 in samples regarding father and mother. Women scored significantly higher on FRQ General Attachment and Maternal Encouragement and lower on Paternal Abuse than men did; only children scored significantly higher on Paternal and Maternal Encouragements than children with siblings did. Women also scored significantly higher on PBI Paternal Autonomy Denial; only children scored significantly higher on Paternal and Maternal Cares and Maternal Autonomy Denial. All intercorrelations between FRQ scales were low to medium, and some correlations between FRQ and PBI scales were medium to high. This study demonstrates that the FRQ has a structure of five factors with satisfactory discriminant and convergent validities, which might help to characterize family relationships in healthy and clinical populations.
International Differences in Wage Inequality: A New Glance with European Matched Employer–Employee Data

Using international harmonized matched employer–employee micro data from the European Structure of Earnings Survey for nine European countries, this article examines the origin of international differences in wage inequality. Wage inequality is highly correlated with the magnitude of inter-firm wage differentials. Workplace- and job-related factors generally have a more significant impact on within-country wage inequality than individual characteristics. European countries differ significantly not only in the extent of wage inequality but also in the relative influence of factors shaping wage inequality. Although cross-country differences in labour force composition play a part in the explanation, differences in the distribution and in labour market prices attached to workplace and job characteristics are the primary factors contributing to international differences in wage inequality.
Environmental Factors Influencing Seasonal Variation of Microcystin-RR Concentrations in Baoyang River, a Shallow City River in Changxing of China

The shallow city river of Baoyang located in China had been eutrophicating with nutrients from domestic sewages for many years. A heavy bloom of Microcystis.aeruginosa in Baoyang River was recorded in 2004 and microcystin-RR (MCRR), the most popular cyanobacterial hepatotoxin microcystins in China, could be detected in the river in the next several years in the filtered waters. To determine the environmental variable factors associated with concentrations of MCRR, samples taken from the beginning of April 2008 to the end of March 2009, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. MCRR, the main microcystins found in the filtered water samples from spring to winter, ranged from undetectable to 4. 37µg/L. The highest concentrations of MCRR were found in the late summer in October 2008, and the concentrations of MCRR at the bottom waters were higher than that at the aquatic surfaces. Significant positive relationships (p<0.01) were observed between MCRR and NO3-N; but significant negative relationships (p<0.01) were observed between MCRR and pH, COD, NO2-N and TN. This research indicated NO3-N would be very important for the biosynthesis of MCRR. The relationships between MCRR concentrations and environmental factors were complicated and further researches should be focused on the prediction methods of microcystins by the nonlinear models for their potential health risks.
Growth and Maintenance of Escherichia coli Laboratory Strains

Escherichia coli is a Gram‐negative bacterium, commonly used in both teaching and research laboratories. This unit includes protocols for the growth and maintenance of E. coli in any teaching‐ or research‐associated laboratory. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 27:5A.4. 1‐5A.4. 9. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Upper Respiratory Tract: A Report of Six Cases

We report six cases of a neoplasm that arose in the upper respiratory tract and had a histological appearance indistinguishable from that of solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (SFT, so-called fibrous mesothelioma). The patients were adults who presented with nasal obstruction. The lesions lacked the characteristic features of other recognized neoplasms that occur in this region. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for vimentin but not for keratin. The occurrence of SFT in this location further supports the argument that SFT is a tumor of mesenchymal and not mesothelial origin. None of the tumors in this series had the histologic features of malignancy described for SFT in other locations, and there was no aggressive behavior in limited follow-up. Until more cases of SFT in unusual locations have been studied, we recommend that the same criteria used for assessing aggressiveness in SFT of the pleura be applied to them.
Modulation of Hippocampal Circuits by Muscarinic and Nicotinic Receptors

This article provides a review of the effects of activation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors on the physiological properties of circuits in the hippocampal formation. Previous articles have described detailed computational hypotheses about the role of cholinergic neuromodulation in enhancing the dynamics for encoding in cortical structures and the role of reduced cholinergic modulation in allowing consolidation of previously encoded information. This article will focus on addressing the broad scope of different modulatory effects observed within hippocampal circuits, highlighting the heterogeneity of cholinergic modulation in terms of the physiological effects of activation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors and the heterogeneity of effects on different subclasses of neurons.
Prevalence and risk factors for latex glove allergy among female clinical nurses: a multicenter questionnaire study in China

Abstract Background: Natural rubber latex glove use is widespread in mainland China, but the prevalence and risk factors for latex glove allergy among clinical nurses have previously been unreported. Methods: A questionnaire was used to collect information on latex glove-related allergy among clinical nursing staff in 35 hospitals of eight provinces in the southern, central southern, and northern regions of China, and the risk factors were calculated with logistic regression analysis. Some subjects with glove dermatitis were patch tested with a modified European standard series of allergens. Results: Among 8485 female nurses in eight provinces of China, overall prevalence of latex glove allergy was 8·8%. Of 743 symptomatic nurses, 573 (77·1%) and 475 (63·9%) reported symptoms suggestive of glove dermatitis and type I latex allergy, respectively. Of 69 randomly selected subjects with glove dermatitis, 18 (26·1%) had a positive patch to rubber additives. Employment seniority, positive family and personal history of allergic diseases, and longer extent of time spent in a single hospital room were associated with latex allergy, while using >5 pairs of gloves per working day may be a protective factor. Conclusion: Chinese nurses are at high risk for latex sensitization. Nurses who develop latex-related symptoms after exposure to latex gloves should undergo screening tests for latex allergy. Low-protein, powder-free natural rubber latex gloves, or latex-free gloves should be widely adopted in China, along with other preventive measures.
Methane: Fuel or Exhaust at the Emergence of Life?

Abstract As many of the methanogens first encountered at hydrothermal vents were thermophilic to hyperthermophilic and comprised one of the lower roots of the evolutionary tree, it has been assumed that methanogenesis was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, pathway to life. It being well known that hydrothermal springs associated with serpentinization also bore abiotic methane, it had been further assumed that emergent biochemistry merely adopted and quickened this supposed serpentinization reaction. Yet, recent hydrothermal experiments simulating serpentinization have failed to generate methane so far, thus casting doubt on this assumption. The idea that the inverse view is worthy of debate, that is, that methanotrophy was the earlier, is stymied by the “fact” that methanotrophy itself has been termed “reverse methanogenesis,” so allotting the methanogens the founding pedigree. Thus, attempting to suggest instead that methanogenesis might be termed reverse methanotrophy would require “unlearning”—a challenge to the subconscious! Here we re-examine the “impossibility” of methanotrophy predating methanogenesis as in what we have termed the “denitrifying methanotrophic acetogenic pathway. ” Advantages offered by such thinking are that methane would not only be a fuel but also a ready source of reduced carbon to combine with formate or carbon monoxide—available in hydrothermal fluids—to generate acetate, a target molecule of the first autotrophs. And the nitrate/nitrite required for the putative oxidation of methane with activated NO would also be a ready source of fixed nitrogen for amination reactions. Theoretical conditions for such a putative pathway would be met in a hydrothermal green rust-bearing exhalative pile and associated chimneys subject to proton and electron counter gradients. This hypothesis could be put to test in a high-pressure hydrothermal reaction chamber in which a cool carbonate/nitrate/nitrite-bearing early acidulous ocean simulant is juxtaposed across a precipitate membrane to an alkaline solution of hydrogen and methane. Key Words: Green rust—Methanotrophy—Nitrate reduction—Emergence of life. Astrobiology 17, 1053–1066.
Double molecular mimicry in Escherichia coli: binding of ribosomal protein L20 to its two sites in mRNA is similar to its binding to 23S rRNA

Escherichia coli ribosomal L20 is one of five proteins essential for the first reconstitution step of the 50S ribosomal subunit in vitro. It is purely an assembly protein, because it can be withdrawn from the mature subunit without effect on ribosome activity. In addition, L20 represses the translation of its own gene by binding to two sites in its mRNA. The first site is a pseudoknot formed by a base‐pairing interaction between nucleotide sequences separated by more than 280 nucleotides, whereas the second site is an irregular helix formed by base‐pairing between neighbouring nucleotide sequences. Despite these differences, the mRNA folds in such a way that both L20 binding sites share secondary structure similarity with the L20 binding site located at the junction between helices H40 and H41 in 23S rRNA. Using a set of genetic, biochemical, biophysical, and structural experiments, we show here that all three sites are recognized similarly by L20.
A pharmacological study of the rabbit saphenous artery in vitro: a vessel with a large purinergic contractile response to sympathetic nerve stimulation

1 Mechanical responses to transmural electrical stimulation were recorded in isolated transverse ring preparations of rabbit saphenous artery. Electrical stimulation for a period of 1 s produced a rapid monophasic contraction and, for a period of 1 min, a biphasic contraction consisting of a rapid constriction followed by a slower sustained constriction. All contractions were abolished in the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 μg ml−1) or guanethidine (4 μm). 2 After desensitization of the P2‐purinoceptor with α,β‐methylene ATP, contractions to electrical stimulation for 1 s were reduced significantly at all frequencies tested: responses evoked by stimulation at 4 Hz were usually almost completely inhibited, whereas those evoked by stimulation at 64 Hz were only partially inhibited. On the other hand, in the presence of the α‐adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin, neurogenic contractions were only partially reduced: at 4 Hz there was no significant reduction in the neurogenic contractions while at 32 and 64 Hz, contractions were reduced by an average of 20 and 28% respectively. Usually all contractions were abolished by a combination of the two drugs. 3 Prazosin antagonized contractions of the vessel to exogenously applied noradrenaline but not to ATP, whereas desensitization of the P2‐purinoceptor with α,β‐methylene ATP blocked responses to ATP but not those to noradrenaline. The concentration‐response curve to histamine was not affected by treatment of the vessel with prazosin, or after desensitization of the P2‐purinoceptor with α,β‐methylene ATP. 4 These results suggest that noradrenaline and ATP are co‐released from sympathetic nerves supplying the rabbit saphenous artery, both substances being involved in the mechanical contractions of this tissue. Further, the ratio of ATP to noradrenaline involved in these mechanical contractions is dependent upon the frequency of stimulation, but at all frequencies tested the purinergic component is greater than the adrenergic component.
Impact of a husband's chronic illness (COPD) on the spouse's life.

This study was conducted to determine the impact of a husband's chronic illness on the spouse's life. The sample was 76 married women, 46 whose husbands had a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 30 whose husbands did not have a chronic illness. On a mailed questionnaire wives of COPD patients reported higher subjective stress (p = .032) and lower life satisfaction (p = .006) than the wives whose husbands did not have a chronic illness. The COPD wives assumed more new roles and responsibilities, relinquished more social activities, rated their health lower, and reported less frequent marital relations. Implications for future research are addressed.
A High-Performance and Energy-Efficient TCAM Design for IP-Address Lookup

In this brief, we propose a two-level don't-care gating (DCG) scheme that aims to reduce the ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) power dissipated in the search-line switching activity. By exploiting the vertically continuous ldquodon't-carerdquo feature, the two-level DCG scheme can largely reduce the average search-line power consumption during a switch pattern. In addition, we also use the search enable technique to eliminate the unnecessary search-line switching activity in the quiet pattern. By reducing both the search-line switching activity and average switching power, the proposed design can minimize the TCAM search-line power consumption. For a 128 times 32 TCAM, the best configuration we examined shows that when the first-level and second-level gating granularities are 16 and 8, respectively, with a 9% search performance improvement, the two-level DCG scheme can achieve 70% search-line energy reduction.