Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of estrogen and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor on vascular remodeling in ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective: The present study evaluated whether estrogen influences the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in preventing the vascular remodeling induced by hypertension and also investigated the signal mechanism involved in that effect. Design: Ten-week-old female spontaneously hypertensive rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and randomly assigned to the groups: untreated OVX and treated with 17&bgr;-estradiol (estradiol, 1.5 mg) and/or captopril (5 mg/kg/day). Evolution of systolic blood pressure was determined until 18 weeks. At that time, the heart and mesentery were excised. Structural changes in coronary vessels were quantified by an image analyzer. Inmunoblotting was performed on mesenteric arteries for determination of phosphorylated (ERK1/2). Results: Estradiol treatment enhanced the antihypertensive effect of captopril in OVX rats. Treatment with captopril slightly modified the media cross-sectional area and wall-to-lumen of myocardial arterioles from OVX spontaneously hypertensive rats, whereas coadministration of captopril and estradiol significantly reduced the media cross-sectional area, wall-to-lumen ratio, and perivascular fibrosis in OVX spontaneously hypertensive rats. Captopril alone did not significantly inhibit extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation, whereas coadministration of captopril and estradiol significantly attenuated this parameter. Conclusions: These results indicate that estrogen may enhance the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition-mediated improvement of vascular remodeling in hypertension, which may be partly mediated via inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of butorphanol in llamas after intravenous and intramuscular administration.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate disposition of butorphanol after i.v. and i.m. administration, effects on physiologic variables, and analgesic efficacy after i.m. administration in llamas. DESIGN Nonrandomized crossover study. ANIMALS 6 healthy adult male llamas. PROCEDURE Butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg [0.045 mg/lb] of body weight) was administered i.m. first and i.v. 1 month later. Blood samples were collected intermittently for 24 hours after administration. Plasma butorphanol versus time curves were subjected to pharmacokinetic analysis. Two months later, butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg) was administered i.m. , and physiologic variables and analgesia were assessed. RESULTS Extrapolated peak plasma concentrations after i.v. and i.m. administration were 94.8 +/- 53.1 and 34.3 +/- 11.6 ng/ml, respectively. Volume of distribution at steady state after i.v. administration was 0.822 +/- 0.329 L/kg per minute and systemic clearance was 0.050 +/- 0.014 L/kg per minute. Slope of the elimination phase was significantly different, and elimination half-life was significantly shorter after i.v. (15.9 +/- 9.1 minutes) versus i.m. (66.8 +/- 13.5 minutes) administration. Bioavailability was 110 +/- 49% after i.m. administration. Heart rate decreased and rectal temperature increased. Somatic analgesia was increased for various periods. Two llamas became transiently sedated, and 2 became transiently excited after butorphanol administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although i.v. administration of butorphanol results in a short half-life that may limit its analgesic usefulness, the elimination half-life of butorphanol administered i.m. is likely to be clinically useful. The relationship among plasma butorphanol concentration, time, and analgesia differed with the somatic analgesia model; clinically useful analgesia may occur at lower plasma concentrations than those reported here.
Magnetoelastic Properties of Epitaxially Grown Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si and Co2FeGa0.5Ge0.5 Heusler Alloys Thin Films

The out-of-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetoelastic properties of series of epitaxially grown layers of Co2Fe0.4Mn0. 6Si (CFMS) and Co2FeGa0.5Ge0. 5 (CFGG) Heusler alloys thin films deposited on MgO with chromium buffer layer were investigated by means of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), SQUID magnetometer, and by the strain modulated FMR technique. The magnitude of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant was found to decrease with increasing layer thickness. The change of the anisotropy is caused mainly by the surface effects. However, for some of the samples series, the change of chemical ordering with the change of the magnetic layer thickness was also observed. An additional silver buffer layer influence on the properties of the magnetic layer was also investigated. For all three of the investigated series of the Heusler alloys, i.e., CFMS without Ag, CFMS with Ag, and CFGG, the experimentally observed magnitude of the magnetoelastic constant increases with the increase of the magnetic layer thickness.
Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Firms’ Export Competitiveness

This article attempts to examine the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on export competitiveness of firms in Indian pharmaceutical industry. It finds that the wave of M&A has positive influence on both incidence and extent of export competitiveness. In addition, incidence of exports is positively influenced by market share and efforts towards creating marketing and distribution related complementary assets as well. On the other hand, the extent of export intensity is also higher for firms with larger market share, greater marketing and distribution-related efforts, innovation and foreign technology purchase. However, advertising and financial performance do not cause any significant impact on export competitiveness. It is, therefore, suggested that policies and regulations relating to M&A, innovation and sourcing foreign technology need a fresh look with greater industry-specific flexibilities. There is also a need for integration of different policies and regulations in areas like FDI, intellectual property, and so on.
Brexit is not the will of the British people – it never has been

The referendum vote for Brexit was clear: the electorate was 46,501,241, Leave was 17,410,742 and Remain was 16,141,241. The UK public actually did not, does not and will not want a Brexit in the foreseeable future. Adrian Low makes this argument by analysing the post-referendum polls and demographic trends.
Macular pigment optical density in central serous chorioretinopathy.

PURPOSE To evaluate macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and in normal subjects. METHODS MPOD was measured by autofluorescence spectrometry by using a two-wavelength METHOD Central retinal thickness (CRT) was measured with optical coherence tomography. Statistical analyses were performed to determine factors associated with MPOD. RESULTS Ninety-four eyes of 94 normal control subjects, 123 eyes of 70 patients with chronic CSC, and 74 eyes of 41 patients with acute CSC were included. The mean MPOD was 0.548 density unit (DU; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.516-0.580) in the control group. Stepwise regression analysis of the control group showed that CRT was associated positively with MPOD (P = 0.0079). The mean MPOD was 0.386 DU (95% CI, 0.352-0.420) in the eyes with chronic CSC, 0.443 DU (95% CI, 0.401-0.484) in fellow eyes with chronic CSC, 0.542 DU (95% CI, 0.493-0.590) in affected eyes with acute CSC, and 0.528 DU (95% CI, 0.475-0.582) in fellow eyes with acute CSC. Stepwise regression analysis showed a significant association between eyes with a lower MPOD and affected eyes with chronic CSC (P = 0.0126) and fellow eyes with chronic CSC (P = 0.0023) and a thinner central retina (P = 0.0016). CONCLUSIONS MPOD may decrease in eyes with chronic CSC and in the fellow eyes. Low MPOD may indicate a risk of chronic CSC, and a decrease in MPOD may be accelerated by thinning of the central retina.
Preoperative Pain Sensitivity and Its Correlation with Postoperative Pain and Analgesic Consumption: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Pain perception to minor physical stimuli has been hypothesized to be related to subsequent pain ratings after surgery. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the correlation between preoperative pain sensitivity and postoperative pain intensity. After a literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and meeting abstracts, we identified 15 studies (n = 948 patients) with univariate and/or multivariate analysis on the topic. In these studies, three types of pain stimuli were applied: thermal, pressure, and electrical pain. The intensity of suprathreshold heat pain (i.e., pain beyond patient threshold) was most consistently shown to correlate with postoperative pain. The most common limitation of the included studies was the method of statistical analysis and lack of multivariate analysis. More research is required to establish the correlation of other pain sensitivity variables with postoperative pain outcomes.
Potential effect of patient-assisted teledermatology on outpatient referral rates

We carried out a pilot study on the feasibility and accuracy of store-and-forward teledermatology based on patient-provided images and history as a triage tool for outpatient consultation. Patients referred by their general practitioner provided a history and images via the Internet. The information was reviewed by one of 12 teledermatologists and the patient then visited a different dermatologist in person within two days. Three independent dermatologists compared the remote and in-person diagnoses in random order to determine diagnostic agreement. Broader agreement was also measured, by comparing the main disease groups into which the two diagnoses fell. The teledermatologists indicated whether an in-person consultation or further investigations were necessary. There were 105 eligible patients, aged four months to 72 years, who were willing to participate. For the 96 cases included in the analysis, complete diagnostic agreement was found in 41% (n= 39), partial diagnostic agreement in 10% (n= 10) and no agreement in 49% (n= 47). There was disease group agreement in 66% of cases (n= 63). Nearly a quarter (23%) of participating patients could have safely been managed without an in-person visit to a dermatologist.
Dynamic factor long memory volatility

In this paper, we develop a long memory orthogonal factor (LMOF) multivariate volatility model for forecasting the covariance matrix of financial asset returns. We evaluate the LMOF model using the volatility timing framework of Fleming et al. [J. Finance, 2001, 56, 329–352] and compare its performance with that of both a static investment strategy based on the unconditional covariance matrix and a range of dynamic investment strategies based on existing short memory and long memory multivariate conditional volatility models. We show that investors should be willing to pay to switch from the static strategy to a dynamic volatility timing strategy and that, among the dynamic strategies, the LMOF model consistently produces forecasts of the covariance matrix that are economically more useful than those produced by the other multivariate conditional volatility models, both short memory and long memory. Moreover, we show that combining long memory volatility with the factor structure yields better results than employing either long memory volatility or the factor structure alone. The factor structure also significantly reduces transaction costs, thus increasing the feasibility of dynamic volatility timing strategies in practice. Our results are robust to estimation error in expected returns, the choice of risk aversion coefficient, the estimation window length and sub-period analysis.
Invasive breast cancer incidence trends by detailed race/ethnicity and age

Racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer incidence may contain important evidence for understanding and control of the disease. Monitoring the incidence trends of breast cancer by race/ethnicity allows identification of high risk groups and development of targeted prevention programs. Using population‐based cancer registry data from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program, we examined the invasive female breast cancer incidence trends among the diverse racial/ethnic populations in Los Angeles County, California, from 1972 to 2007. Age‐adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs) and age‐specific incidence rates (ASIRs) were calculated and examined respectively for non‐Hispanic (NH) white, black, Hispanic, Chinese, Filipina, Japanese and Korean women by calendar year and time period. Rising trends of AAIRs were found in all racial/ethnic groups during the 1980s and 1990s. The breast cancer risk increased more substantially in Japanese and Filipinas than in Chinese and Koreans. During 2000–2007, the trends of AAIRs declined significantly among NH white women and slightly in blacks, remained unchanged for Hispanics and continued to rise significantly among all Asian subgroups. The patterns of ASIRs by race/ethnicity changed dramatically over time. By 2000–2007, younger Hispanic women had the lowest breast cancer risk, replacing the Chinese and Koreans who formerly had the lowest risk. Rapidly increasing breast cancer incidence trends among Asian–Americans underline the importance of behavioral and lifestyle changes as a result of acculturation on the development of the disease. The unique trends of breast cancer incidence by race/ethnicity suggest the need for targeted breast cancer control programs for different racial/ethnic populations.
Utility of manual liquid-based cytology and conventional smears in the evaluation of various fine-needle aspiration samples

Background: Liquid-based cytology (LBC) preparation is a way to improve and refine the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples. There are a few studies comparing LBC with conventional smear (CS). Aim: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of manual LBC (MLBC) and CS preparations in various FNA samples. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 100 FNA samples from various anatomical sites were evaluated using MLBC and CS preparations. Cellularity, blood, informative background, monolayers, cell architecture, cytoplasmic, and nuclear preservation were compared with MLBC and CS preparations by Wilcoxon signed rank test. P < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results: MLBC preparations were superior to CS preparations in view of absence of blood and debris (P = 0.001), presence of monolayers (P < 0.001), and preservation of cytoplasmic (P = 0.001) and nuclear details (P = 0.001). However, no statistically significant differences were found between MLBC and CS preparations with regard to cellularity (P = 0.157), informative background (P = 0.083), and architecture (P = 0.739). Conclusion: MLBC preparations in FNAC are a safe, easy, and less time-consuming procedure, and it may have promising diagnostic value in the evaluation of FNA samples from various anatomical sites. However, the use of both MLBC and CS preparations is recommended to achieve optimal diagnostic yield.
Serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels in healthy children and girls with precocious puberty before and during gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment.

CONTEXT The regulation of SHBG is complex and influenced by sex steroids and insulin. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to describe serum levels and evaluate determinants of SHBG levels in healthy children and in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) before and during GnRH analog (GnRHa) treatment. DESIGN We conducted a cross-sectional study on healthy subjects and a 2-yr longitudinal study in girls with CPP. SETTING The study took place at a tertiary referral center for pediatric endocrinology. PARTICIPANTS/PATIENTS A total of 903 healthy schoolchildren served as healthy subjects, and 25 girls with precocious/early puberty participated. INTERVENTIONS Girls with CPP were treated with the long-acting GnRHa triptorelin. RESULTS SHBG levels declined with increasing age in both sexes until adulthood. In healthy children, SHBG was significantly negatively correlated with testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and body mass index (BMI) in boys (total model R(2) = 0.71) but only with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and BMI in girls (total model R(2) = 0.26). Body fat percentage was significantly negatively correlated with SHBG levels (P < 0.001) in both boys (R(2) = 0.18) and girls (R(2) = 0.23). Girls with CPP had significantly lower pretreatment SHBG levels compared with age-matched controls [SHBG sd score, -1.29 (-4.48; 0.01)], which declined even further during GnRHa treatment [-2.75 (-5.9; 0.53); P < 0.001]. Even after adjustment for BMI and pubertal stage, girls with CPP had lower SHBG levels (P < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS SHBG levels were strongly dependent on body composition and sex steroid levels in children with normal and precocious puberty. Studies on insulin sensitivity and SHBG in puberty are needed to better understand the interaction between body composition and gonadal maturation.
Stress and Food Choice: A Laboratory Study

Objective This study investigated experimentally whether acute stress alters food choice during a meal. The study was designed to test claims of selective effects of stress on appetite for specific sensory and nutritional categories of food and interactions with eating attitudes. Methods Sixty-eight healthy men and women volunteered for a study on “the effects of hunger on physiology, performance, and mood. ” Eating attitudes and food preferences were measured on entry to the study. The stressed group prepared a 4-minute speech, expecting it to be filmed and assessed after a midday meal, although in fact speeches were not performed. The ad libitum meal included sweet, salty, or bland high- and low-fat foods. The control group listened to a passage of neutral text before eating the meal. Blood pressure, heart rate, mood, and hunger were measured at baseline and after the 10-minute preparatory period, when appetite for 34 foods and food intake were recorded. Results Increases in blood pressure and changes in mood confirmed the effectiveness of the stressor. Stress did not alter overall intake, nor intake of, or appetite for the six food categories. However, stressed emotional eaters ate more sweet high-fat foods and a more energy-dense meal than unstressed and nonemotional eaters. Dietary restraint did not significantly affect appetitive responses to stress. Conclusions Increased eating of sweet fatty foods by emotional eaters during stress, found here in a laboratory setting, may underlie the previously reported finding that dietary restraint or female gender predicts stress-induced eating. Stress may compromise the health of susceptible individuals through deleterious stress-related changes in food choice.
Estrogen Withdrawal-Induced NF-κB Activity and Bcl-3 Expression in Breast Cancer Cells: Roles in Growth and Hormone Independence

ABSTRACT About one-third of breast cancers express a functional estrogen (β-estradiol [E2]) receptor (ER) and are initially dependent on E2 for growth and survival but eventually progress to hormone independence. We show here that ER+, E2-independent MCF-7/LCC1 cells derived from E2-dependent MCF-7 cells contain elevated basal NF-κB activity and elevated expression of the transcriptional coactivator Bcl-3 compared with the parental MCF-7 line. LCC1 NF-κB activity consists primarily of p50 dimers, although low levels of a p65/p50 complex are also present. The ER− breast cancer cell lines harbor abundant levels of both NF-κB complexes. In contrast, nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells contain a significantly lower level of p50 and p65 than do LCC1 cells. Estrogen withdrawal increases both NF-κB DNA binding activity and expression of Bcl-3 in MCF-7 and LCC1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Tumors derived from MCF-7 cells ectopically expressing Bcl-3 remain E2 dependent but display a markedly higher tumor establishment and growth rate compared to controls. Expression of a stable form of IκBα in LCC1 cells severely reduced nuclear expression of p65 and the p65/p50 DNA binding heterodimer. Whereas LCC1 tumors in nude mice were stable or grew, LCC1(IκBα) tumors regressed after E2 withdrawal. Thus, both p50/Bcl-3- and p65/p50-associated NF-κB activities are activated early in progression and serve differential roles in growth and hormone independence, respectively. We propose that E2 withdrawal may initiate selection for hormone independence in breast cancer cells by activation of NF-κB and Bcl-3, which could then supplant E2 by providing both survival and growth signals.
An Examination of the Corporate Social Responsibility Discourse in the Blogosphere

In this paper we utilize social network analysis to examine the interaction patterns between corporate blogs devoted to sustainability issues and the blogosphere, a clustered online network of collaborative actors. By analyzing the structural embeddedness of a prototypical blog in such a virtual community, we show the potentials of online platforms for engagement with an increasingly socially and ecologically aware customer base. It is furthermore demonstrated that consumer involvement via sustainability blogs is a valuable new practice for communications and brand management and opens new horizons for communicating corporate social responsibility issues to key constituencies online.
Specific Antibody in IV Immunoglobulin for Postsplenectomy Sepsis

Objective:Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection progresses rapidly and shows unacceptably high mortality even when treated with optimal antibiotics. Recent reports have described beneficial effects of intravenous immunoglobulin in sepsis. However, the underlying mechanisms, especially the roles of the pathogen-specific antibody fraction in intravenous immunoglobulin, remain unclear. We investigated the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin on overwhelming postsplenectomy infection and the role of pathogen-specific antibody. Design:Prospective, controlled, and randomized animal study. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:Male C57BL/6JJcl mice. Interventions:Mice underwent splenectomy or a sham operation at 8 weeks old. At 4 weeks after the operation, mice were injected intravenously with 106 colony-forming units pneumococcus. Intraperitoneal injection of 300 mg/kg IV immunoglobulins was conducted simultaneously with infection. Specific antibody–depleted IV immunoglobulin prepared using immunoprecipitation was also injected into the animals. Measurements and Main Results:IV immunoglobulin markedly improved splenectomized mice survival. Removal of pneumococcus-specific antibody canceled it completely. Fluorescence microscopy results indicated significantly increased phagocytosis of antibody-bound bacteria in the livers of splenectomized mice treated with intact IV immunoglobulins. Immunomodulation, including suppression of marginal zone B-cell activation, was induced by IV immunoglobulin. Conclusions:IV immunoglobulin showed a significantly protective effect on overwhelming postsplenectomy infection via enhancement of specific antibody–mediated phagocytosis in the liver. Specific antibody, more than immunological modulation, is crucial for effects of IV immunoglobulin on overwhelming postsplenectomy infection.