Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Hyperglycemia on Blood Perfusion of Autotransplanted Pancreatic Islets in Diabetic Rats

One week after a partial pancreatectomy, which did not affect glucose homeostasis, adult rats were autotransplanted with 500 isolated pancreatic islets beneath the renal capsule. Some rats were rendered diabetic with streptozocin (STZ) before being implanted with the islets, and other rats received no STZ and thus remained normoglycemic. The number of implanted islets was insufficient to revert hyperglycemia, but the STZ-induced diabetic animals were treated with insulin according to one of the following protocols: 1) one daily subcutaneous insulin injection for 28 days after transplantation; 2) insulin injection on days 1–14; 3) insulin injection on days 15–28; or 4) no insulin. Four weeks after transplantation, the blood perfusion of the islet grafts was determined by a microsphere technique. Continuous hyperglycemia after implantation of the islets significantly decreased the volume of the graft and the blood flow per volume compared with normoglycemic animals also receiving islet transplants. Insulin treatment counteracted the decrease in both of these values. This result was achieved regardless of whether the insulin treatment was maintained throughout the 4-wk period or only during the first or second half. The mechanism behind the impaired blood perfusion of the grafts during continuous hyperglycemia is unknown, but it may reflect an effect on the revascularization of the graft or on the intrinsic regulation of the blood perfusion of the graft.
Copper metabolism in the kidney of rats administered copper and copper-metallothionein

Kurasaki, Masaaki, Masashi Okabe, Shigeru Saito, and Mika Suzuki-Kurasaki. Copper metabolism in the kidney of rats administered copper and copper-metallothionein. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Renal Physiol. 43): F783–F790, 1998. —To gain a greater understanding of the mechanism of Cu metabolism in kidneys of rats, using autofluorescence of Cu-metallothioneins (Cu-MTs) we revealed the behavior of Cu-MT in the kidneys of rats administered Cu-MT. Yellow and orange fluorescent signals of Cu-MT were observed in the cortex. By microscopic studies, Cu-MT was dominant in the proximal convolute tubular cells of the cortex. A high concentration of Cu-MT presented in the lysosome-like organelles of the proximal convolute tubular adjacent to the glomeruli. During the time course after the injection, the orange signal in lysosome-like organelles gradually converted to a yellow signal, indicating that the Cu-MT was involved in a degradation process in lysosomes by oxidation, and the MT mRNA increased in the cortex, although the immunoreactivity of MT was almost constant in the same region. These results suggested that Cu bound to the injected MT was released in lysosomes and became a new inducer of MT biosynthesis in the cortex. In conclusion, the biosynthesis and degradation of Cu-MT occur repeatedly in the proximal convolute tubular cells.
Spontaneously Formed Wrinkled Substrates for Stretchable Electronics Using Intrinsically Rigid Materials

The preparation of a stretchable substrate was carried out by blending poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to enhance the stretchability and the surface energy of the elastic film. The deposition of a thin parylene film on this modified PDMS led to the formation of a spontaneously wrinkled surface, resulting in a highly stretchable substrate. Rigid Au conductors were deposited on the resultant wrinkles substrates, and could be stretched up to 20% strain. In addition, stretchable pentacene thin-film transistors were successfully fabricated on the wrinkled substrate without the formation of stiff islands.
Effect of timing of metastasis/disease recurrence and histologic differentiation on survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer

Patients with advanced gastric cancer have a median survival (MS) of <9 months. It is unclear whether the MS of patients who have advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis (synchronous, Group A) is different from that for patients who develop advanced cancer after curative surgery (metachronous, Group B). It was hypothesized that survival would be similar.
Promoting normalization in families with preschool children with type 1 diabetes.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE The family environment is the most important influence on child adaptation to type 1 diabetes. A plan of care assists parental adaptation in families with a preschool child with type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The family environment is affected by the family's progress toward normalcy. Normalization can be facilitated by nursing interventions that promote parental mutuality in management and the development of a parental support system. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Nurses can provide education about Type 1 diabetes and its management in preschool children to fathers, other family members, and family friends to encourage their involvement in caregiving. Parental mutuality in management and an adequate parental instrumental support system facilitates normalization and affects the family environment, thus promoting child adaptation.
Efficient replication of primary or culture hepatitis C virus isolates in human liver slices: A relevant ex vivo model of liver infection

The development of human cultured hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication‐permissive hepatocarcinoma cell lines has provided important new virological tools to study the mechanisms of HCV infection; however, this experimental model remains distantly related to physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we report the development of a new ex vivo model using human adult liver slices culture, demonstrating, for the first time, the ability of primary isolates to undergo de novo viral replication with the production of high‐titer infectious virus as well as Japanese fulminant hepatitis type 1, H77/C3, and Con1/C3. This experimental model was employed to demonstrate HCV neutralization or HCV inhibition, in a dose‐dependent manner, either by cluster of differentiation 81 or envelope protein 2–specific antibodies or convalescent serum from a recovered HCV patient or by antiviral drugs. Conclusion: This new ex vivo model represents a powerful tool for studying the viral life cycle and dynamics of virus spread in native tissue and also allows one to evaluate the efficacy of new antiviral drugs. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;56:861–872)
Does the ‘gateway’ matter? Associations between the order of drug use initiation and the development of drug dependence in the National Comorbidity Study Replication

Background The ‘gateway’ pattern of drug initiation describes a normative sequence, beginning with alcohol and tobacco use, followed by cannabis, then other illicit drugs. Previous work has suggested that ‘violations’ of this sequence may be predictors of later problems but other determinants were not considered. We have examined the role of pre-existing mental disorders and sociodemographics in explaining the predictive effects of violations using data from the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Method The NCS-R is a nationally representative face-to-face household survey of 9282 English-speaking respondents aged 18 years and older that used the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to assess DSM-IV mental and substance disorders. Drug initiation was estimated using retrospective age-of-onset reports and ‘violations’ defined as inconsistent with the normative initiation order. Predictors of violations were examined using multivariable logistic regressions. Discrete-time survival analysis was used to see whether violations predicted progression to dependence. Results Gateway violations were largely unrelated to later dependence risk, with the exception of small increases in risk of alcohol and other illicit drug dependence for those who initiated use of other illicit drugs before cannabis. Early-onset internalizing disorders were predictors of gateway violations, and both internalizing and externalizing disorders increased the risks of dependence among users of all drugs. Conclusions Drug use initiation follows a strong normative pattern, deviations from which are not strongly predictive of later problems. By contrast, adolescents who have already developed mental health problems are at risk for deviations from the normative sequence of drug initiation and for the development of dependence.
A rns-like regulatory gene for colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) that controls expression of CFA/I pilin

Colonization factor antigens (CFA) are needed for adherence of human enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains to their hosts. The CFA/II antigens, CS1 and CS2, which are found in some ETEC strains, require the plasmid-encoded gene rns for expression (J. Caron, L. M. Coffield, and J. R. Scott, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:963-967, 1989). Other ETEC strains express CFA/I, whose synthesis and assembly require genes on two unlinked regions (regions 1 and 2) of a plasmid (G. A. Willshaw, H. R. Smith, and B. Rowe, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 16:101-106, 1983). We report that CFA/I region 2 DNA can substitute for rns to cause expression of CS1 and CS2. The cfaR gene in region 2 is defined by a mutation abolishing both expression of CFA/I and complementation of a rns mutant for expression of CS1 or CS2. In a strain containing only region 1, complementation for expression of CFA/I by a plasmid containing rns+ is inefficient but is adequate to cause hemagglutination by the CFA/I adhesin.
INVOLVEMENT OF NERVOUS SYSTEM IN BEHCET'S SYNDROME.

THE major features of Behcet's syndrome are recurrent oral and genital ulcers and ocular lesions. 10 Many types of ocular involvement have been described, including uveitis, iridocyclitis with hypopyon, keratitis, optic neuritis, and inflammation, thrombosis, or hemorrhage of the blood vessels of the retina. 57 Other manifestations of the syndrome have included pyoderma, furunculosis, erythema nodosum, thrombophlebitis, pericarditis, arthritis, hepatomegaly, epididymitis, ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system disease. The etiology is not known. The disease may begin with any one of the triad of symptoms, and the complete syndrome may not appear until several years later . 57 Curth 23 has suggested that the diagnosis is justified when two of the three classic manifestatations are present; this principle has been accepted by others. 26,56,58,90,92 Although the course is variable, the illness often abates in 15 to 20 years. Blindness is a frequent sequel. 57 When neurologic complications are
A 14‐3‐3 Mode‐1 Binding Motif Initiates Gap Junction Internalization During Acute Cardiac Ischemia

Altered phosphorylation and trafficking of connexin 43 (Cx43) during acute ischemia contributes to arrhythmogenic gap junction remodeling, yet the critical sequence and accessory proteins necessary for Cx43 internalization remain unresolved. 14‐3‐3 proteins can regulate protein trafficking, and a 14‐3‐3 mode‐1 binding motif is activated upon phosphorylation of Ser373 of the Cx43 C‐terminus. We hypothesized that Cx43Ser373 phosphorylation is important to pathological gap junction remodeling. Immunofluorescence in human heart reveals the enrichment of 14‐3‐3 proteins at intercalated discs, suggesting interaction with gap junctions. Knockdown of 14‐3‐3τ in cell lines increases gap junction plaque size at cell–cell borders. Cx43S373A mutation prevents Cx43/14‐3‐3 complexing and stabilizes Cx43 at the cell surface, indicating avoidance of degradation. Using Langendorff‐perfused mouse hearts, we detect phosphorylation of newly internalized Cx43 at Ser373 and Ser368 within 30 min of no‐flow ischemia. Phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser368 by protein kinase C and Ser255 by mitogen‐activated protein kinase has previously been implicated in Cx43 internalization. The Cx43S373A mutant is resistant to phosphorylation at both these residues and does not undergo ubiquitination, revealing Ser373 phosphorylation as an upstream gatekeeper of a posttranslational modification cascade necessary for Cx43 internalization. Cx43Ser373 phosphorylation is a potent target for therapeutic interventions to preserve gap junction coupling in the stressed myocardium.
Dyslexia and Substance Use in a University Undergraduate Population

ABSTRACT Background: A number of cognitive deficits are associated with dyslexia. However, only a limited amount of research has been performed exploring a putative link between dyslexia and substance use. As substance use is thought to involve a cognitive component, it is possible that the pattern of substance use would be different for dyslexic participants, when compared to nondyslexic controls. During the current study, a guiding hypothesis was that people with dyslexia would demonstrate less substance use than nondyslexic controls. Theories of memory activation, automaticity, and attentional bias in substance use suggest that cognitive components of substance use are important in the development and maintenance of continued substance use and it is thought that, at least some of these components, would be impaired in a dyslexic population. Objectives: If the cognitive deficits displayed by dyslexics somehow impair the development of cognitive components of substance use, substance use for dyslexic participants may be less pronounced. This paper therefore examines this hypothesis by comparing substance use within dyslexic and nondyslexic participants, from an undergraduate population. Methods: This was an exploratory questionnaire-based study. Dyslexic participants (n = 35) were compared to control participants (n = 62) on a series of questions designed to measure their substance use history. Results: The results provided preliminary evidence of a difference between dyslexic and nondyslexic substance use. Dyslexics reported a substance use history that was significantly lower than nondyslexic controls. Conclusions/Importance: These results are interpreted in terms of cognitive deficits within dyslexia and with reference to the cognitive model of substance use.
Spi-1/PU.1 Is a Positive Regulator of the Fli-1 Gene Involved in Inhibition of Erythroid Differentiation in Friend Erythroleukemic Cell Lines

ABSTRACT Spi-1/PU.1 and Fli-1 are two members of the ETS family of transcription factors whose expression is deregulated by proviral insertion in most erythroleukemic cell lines induced by the spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) and Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) components of the Friend viral complex, respectively. In this study, we present evidence that transcription of the Fli-1 gene is positively regulated by Spi-1/PU.1 in SFFV-transformed cell lines: (i) all SFFV-transformed cell lines expressing Spi-1/PU.1 are characterized by a specific pattern of Fli-1 gene transcripts initiated in the −200 region instead of position −400 as reported for F-MuLV-transformed cell lines; (ii) these Fli-1 transcripts initiated in the −200 region are downregulated in parallel with that of Spi-1/PU.1 during hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA) induced differentiation; and (iii) Fli-1 transcription is upregulated in SFFV cells lines following stable transfection of a Spi-1/PU.1 expression vector. Furthermore, we found by transient transfection assays that the −270/−41 region of the Fli-1 gene displays promoter activity which is transactivated by Spi-1/PU.1. This promoter is strictly dependent on the integrity of two highly conserved ETS DNA binding sites that bind the Spi-1/PU.1 protein in vitro. Finally, we show that transfection of constitutive or inducible Fli-1 expression vectors in SFFV-transformed cells inhibits their erythroid differentiation induced by HMBA. Overall, these data indicate that Fli-1 is a target gene of the Spi-1/PU.1 transcription factor in SFFV-transformed cell lines. We further suggest that deregulated synthesis of Fli-1 may trigger a common mechanism contributing to erythroleukemia induced by either SFFV or F-MuLV.
Parallelized Full Package Signal Integrity Analysis Using Spatially Distributed 3D Circuit Models

Full package signal integrity analysis is parallelized in a suite of tools called PATS (package analysis tool suite). PATS extracts sparse circuit models using a segment-to-segment BEM (boundary element method) algorithm for both capacitance and inverse inductance and uses a fixed-time step circuit simulator to create time-domain scattering models. Critical issues regarding the parallelization of PATS and segment-to-segment BEM circuit models are explored. Examples demonstrating the accuracy of this approach are presented for real packaging cases
SIZE‐DISASSORTATIVE MATING IN THE CHRYSOMELID BEETLE CHRYSOLINA AURICHALCEA (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE)

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Probing multimode squeezing with correlation functions

Broadband multimode squeezers constitute a powerful quantum resource with promising potential for different applications in quantum information technologies such as information coding in quantum communication networks or quantum simulations in higher-dimensional systems. However, the characterization of a large array of squeezers that coexist in a single spatial mode is challenging. In this paper, we address this problem and propose a straightforward method for determining the number of squeezers and their respective squeezing strengths by using broadband multimode correlation function measurements. These measurements employ the large detection windows of the state of the art avalanche photodiodes in order to simultaneously probe the full Hilbert space of the generated state, which enables us to benchmark the squeezed states. Moreover, due to the structure of correlation functions, our measurements are not affected by losses. This is a significant advantage, since detectors with low efficiencies are sufficient. Our approach is less costly than tomographic methods relying on multimode homodyne detection, which is based on much more demanding measurement and analysis tools and appear to be impractical for large Hilbert spaces.
Augmentation of Human Macrophage Candidacidal Capacity by Recombinant Human Myeloperoxidase and GranulocyteMacrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor

ABSTRACT Phagocyte myeloperoxidase (MPO) is believed to be particularly important in defense against candida infection. We reported earlier that monocytes, rich in MPO, killed Candida albicans at a significantly higher rate and extent than did monocyte-derived macrophages, known to lack MPO, and that C. albicans is less resistant to MPO-dependent oxidants than less pathogenic Candida species. We hypothesized, therefore, that the capacity of macrophages to kill C. albicans might be improved in the presence of MPO. In this study, we evaluated the ability of recombinant human MPO (rhMPO) to augment the killing of C. albicans by resident macrophages and macrophages activated by recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Addition of rhMPO (concentration range, 0.8 to 6.4 U/ml) to suspensions of resident and activated macrophages and opsonizedC. albicans resulted in concentration-dependent and significant increases in candida killing. This enhancement was particularly pronounced with activated macrophages, whetherC. albicans was opsonized or unopsonized and ingested through the macrophage mannose receptor. rhMPO did not affect the killing of C. albicans by monocytes, nor did it affect phagocytosis of opsonized or unopsonized C. albicans. These results indicate that exogenous rhMPO can augment the candidacidal capacity of both resident and activated macrophages, with a more profound effect on activated cells. We suggest that rhMPO may be effective in the treatment of invasive candidiasis.
Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among U.S. Youth, 2011-2014.

KEY FINDINGS Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey •Almost two-thirds of boys and girls consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day. •Boys consumed an average 164 kilocalories (kcal) from sugar-sweetened beverages, which contributed 7.3% of total daily caloric intake. Girls consumed an average 121 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages, which contributed 7.2% of total daily caloric intake. •Among both boys and girls, older youth had the highest mean intake and percentage of daily calories from sugar-sweetened beverages relative to younger children. •Non-Hispanic Asian boys and girls consumed the least calories and the lowest percentage of total calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic boys and girls. Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute calories and added sugars to the diets of U.S. children (1). Studies have suggested a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and dental caries, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children (2-6). The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend reducing added sugars consumption to less than 10% of calories per day and, specifically, to choose beverages with no added sugars (1). This report presents results for consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among U.S. youth aged 2-19 years for 2011-2014 by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin.
Savings and Technology Choice for Risk Averse Farmers

Farmers in developing countries have limited opportunities for borrowing to even out variability associated with risky farm income, but they can save. A dynamic programming model of savings is presented in the current paper which examines optimal savings strategies for farmers, using a case study of integrated rice-shrimp farms in Vietnam. It is shown that when savings are accounted for, the expected utility ranking of different risky farm choices may not differ that much between farmers with different levels of risk aversion.
On-line Local Mean Decomposition and its application to ECG signal denoising

Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) has long been proven as an effective method for the analysis of non-linear and non-stationary time series. In this work, an on-line version of LMD, called extended Sliding Local Mean Decomposition (eSLMD), is proposed. The property of eSLMD is examined through numerical simulations, and the performance is evaluated through the ECG noise removal with the test signal obtained from MIT-BIH arrhythmia ECG database. The results show that the proposed eSLMD has better decomposition performance than conventional LMD, and is potentially well suited for on-line and real-time biomedical applications.