Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of cyclosporine A use in the prevention of reperfusion injury in acute myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Reperfusion injury is an important limiting factor associated with revascularization in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Various therapies have been tried in an attempt to prevent reperfusion injury, but the search has been elusive. The role of cyclosporine A (CsA) in the prevention of reperfusion injury in AMI is still not clear. The objective of this study was to find out whether CsA is beneficial in reducing reperfusion injury in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS We performed a systematic search of Pubmed, Scopus, clinicaltrial.gov, and Cochrane Database for randomized control trials (RCT) measuring the effect of CsA in AMI compared to a placebo. The Mantel-Haenszel method and random effect model were used to analyze the data. A total of 1,566 patients (776 in the CsA group and 790 in the placebo group), who participated in 5 RCTs were included in our meta-analysis. RESULTS We did not find any significant differences between the CsA and placebo groups in terms of all-cause death (odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-1.87) and cardiovascular death (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.66-2.49). Similarly, we did not find any significant differences in terms of cardiogenic shock, recurrent ischemia and myocardial infarction, heart failure and echocardiographic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Cyclosporine A is not helpful in preventing reperfusion injury in AMI.
Social Justice Across the Curriculum: Research-Based Course Design

56T56TAbstract. 56T56T 0T0T his Programmatic Showcase describes why and how Utah State University redesigned our Technical Communication and Rhetoric program to incorporate considerations of social justice across the curriculum. After describing our programmatic vision, we describe in detail the design of a pedagogical study informing our curricular redesign and then share strategies for course design and university-community partnerships. The course-design strategies include 1) explicitly framing courses around broad issues of social justice, 2) incorporating hands-on practice to connect conceptions of social justice to professional practices, and 3) facilitating opportunities for both students and clients to reflect upon these connections. The strategies for facilitating university-community relationships include 1) collaboratively designing assignments, 2) holding a kickoff meeting, and 3) creating a table summarizing assignments and timelines. We hope this article appeals to all technical communication scholars interested in social justice, though it may be most useful for program administrators interested in incorporating social justice initiatives into their respective programs.
Association between the serotonin transporter gene and personality traits in borderline personality disorder patients evaluated with Zuckerman-Zuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ).

INTRODUCTION The serotoninergic system seems to be implicated in characteristic symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) such as affective instability, impulsivity or suicide. Some studies suggest an association between serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) polymorphisms and some BPD symptoms. Short allele (S) of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the promoter region has been shown to be associated with impulsivity, aggressive behavior, anxiety and neuroticism. Of the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in intron 2, BPD patients showed higher frequencies of the allele with the 10 repeats. The aim of this study was to determine the association between 5- HTTLPR and VNTR polymorphism of 5-HTT and personality traits in borderline personality disorder. METHOD A total of 65 BPD patients diagnosed by means of semi-structured interviews SCID-II and DIB-R were included. Two common polymorphisms of 5-HTT were genotyped: the 5-HTTLPR in the promoter region and VNTR in intron 2. Personality traits were assessed by the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ). RESULTS Patients with L allele (L/S or L/L) in the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism showed lower scores on the subscale of liking parties and friends. Patients with the allele with 10 repeat of the VNTR polymorphism, showed lower scores in impulsivity, sensation seeking and in the subscale liking of parties and friends. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest a significant association between the 5-HTT gene and some personality traits in BPD. This gene may play a role in the etiology of borderline personality disorder.
Cerebral micro‐aneurysm formation in the hypertensive rat

IN man, the relationship of the classical type of massive intracerebral haemorrhage to micro-aneurysm formation and hypertension has been well demonstrated in numerous studies (Green, 1930; Russell, 1954; Ross Russell, 1963). Cole and Yates (1967) examined brains from 100 hypertensives and 100 age and sex matched normotensive patients for intracerebral micro-aneurysms and showed that hypertension predisposed a patient to both haemorrhage and microaneurysm formation. Their findings also suggested that one cause of haemorrhage was rupture of these aneurysms, a conclusion first arrived at by Charcot and Bouchard in 1868 from their examination of 60 cases of cerebral haemorrhage. The intracerebral aneurysms are usually between 30-90 pm in diameter and are found mainly on the smaller branches of the lateral striate arteries and on penetrating vessels from the cortex. They occur in the putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, caudate nuclei and internal capsule (Ross Russell, 1963). In animal pathology it is evident that spontaneous cerebral haemorrhage is rare. Goldberg (1926) made 2000 domestic animal autopsies and concluded that cerebrovascular disease was not a cause of death. Hassler (1961) in his examination of the arteries of horses, cows, rabbits and dogs described what he believed to be one minute aneurysm in a cow; there was some doubt as to the nature of this lesion since it was inadequately sectioned. Stehbens (1963) recorded a subarachnoid haemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm in an 8-yrold female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and also eight other cerebral aneurysms. Crompton (1966) made a comparative pathological study of the cerebral vessels from 23 species of mammals, found that there was little difference in the structure of cerebral arteries between man and lower animals and suggested that the difference in the incidence of cerebral aneurysms in the two groups was related both to shorter life spans andalowprevalence of hypertension in animals. More recently, the importance of hypertension has been emphasised by the findings of Hazama et al. (1975) who have demonstrated cerebral haemorrhages, infarcts and micro-aneurysms in the brain of spontaneously hypertensive “ Okamoto ” rats.
Therapeutic advances in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic inflammatory rheumatic disease involving spinal and sacroiliac joints. This condition is responsible for back pain, stiffness, but also loss of functional capacity with socio-economic consequences. The management of AS includes patient education, rest, a programme of regular physical exercise, together with the use of NSAIDs. Second-line treatments are required in cases of severe or refractory AS, however only sulfasalazine has proven to benefit AS patients with peripheral arthritis. In spite of this management, the disease may not be adequately controlled, mainly for patients with refractory axial disease, enthesopathy or extra-articular features. Thus, new innovative treatments are needed for AS. It is likely that the new NSAIDs or COX-2 specific inhibitors will certainly take the place of the conventional NSAIDs, with regard to their superior tolerability. Methotrexate is a therapeutic option for AS treatment, but its usefulness in this disease remains to be established in adequate controlled studies. Finally, the TNF-α targeting drugs, namely thalidomide and the anti-TNF-α mAb, infliximab, have given promising results in the treatment of severe and/or refractory AS patients, however further controlled studies are required. In addition, the long-term use (efficacy and tolerability) of these two agents deserves attention.
The Cost of Recessions Revisited: A Reverse-Liquidationist View

The observation that liquidations are concentrated in recessions has long been the subject of controversy. One view holds that liquidations are beneficial in that they result in increased restructuring. Another view holds that this rise in restructuring is costly since liquidations are privately inefficient and essentially wasteful. This paper proposes an alternative perspective. On the basis of a combination of theory with empirical evidence on gross job flows and on financial and labour market rents, we find that, cumulatively, recessions result in reduced rather than increased restructuring, and that this is likely to be socially costly once we consider inefficiencies on both the creation and destruction margins. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.
Dynamic interplay between two copper‐titrating components in the transcriptional regulation of cyt c6.

The algal plastidic cytochrome c (cyt c6) is a biochemical equivalent of the copper‐containing protein plastocyanin in photosynthetic electron transfer. But generally, cyt c6 accumulates and functions only under conditions (e.g. Cu‐deficiency) where holoplastocyanin cannot be synthesized. In studying the regulation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cyt c6 expression by Cu we have determined that repression of cyt c6 accumulation occurs at the transcriptional level, and specifically in response to Cu as the metal ion regulator. Complete and sustained repression of cyt c6 transcription requires approximately 9 ×10(6) Cu ions in the medium/cell. Based on the estimated plastocyanin content of algal cells (8 ×10(6) molecules/cell) and the observation that lower ratios of Cu per cell result in only transient repression of cyt c6 transcription, we propose that Cu‐dependent transcriptional repression of the gene encoding cyt c6 requires a Cu‐binding factor which is titrated by Cu only after the alternate electron transfer catalyst, plastocyanin, has accumulated to the stoichiometry required for photosynthesis. The precise and highly metal‐specific, autoregulatory control of cyt c6 levels‐‐directly by Cu, and indirectly by holoplastocyanin‐‐is in keeping with the functional role of cyt c6 as an alternate, although perhaps less preferred, electron transfer catalyst.
In Vivo Activity of Murine De Novo Methyltransferases, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b

ABSTRACT The putative de novo methyltransferases, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b, were reported to have weak methyltransferase activity in methylating the 3′ long terminal repeat of Moloney murine leukemia virus in vitro. The activity of these enzymes was evaluated in vivo, using a stable episomal system that employs plasmids as targets for DNA methylation in human cells. De novo methylation of a subset of the CpG sites on the stable episomes is detected in human cells overexpressing the murine Dnmt3a or Dnmt3b1 protein. This de novo methylation activity is abolished when the cysteine in the P-C motif, which is the catalytic site of cytosine methyltransferases, is replaced by a serine. The pattern of methylation on the episome is nonrandom, and different regions of the episome are methylated to different extents. Furthermore, Dnmt3a also methylates the sequence methylated by Dnmt3a on the stable episome in the corresponding chromosomal target. Overexpression of human DNMT1 or murine Dnmt3b does not lead to the same pattern or degree of de novo methylation on the episome as overexpression of murine Dnmt3a. This finding suggests that these three enzymes may have different targets or requirements, despite the fact that weak de novo methyltransferase activity has been demonstrated in vitro for all three enzymes. It is also noteworthy that both Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b proteins coat the metaphase chromosomes while displaying a more uniform pattern in the nucleus. This is the first evidence that Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b have de novo methyltransferase function in vivo and the first indication that the Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b proteins may have preferred target sites.
Urban DEM generation from raw lidar data: A labeling algorithm and its performance

This paper addresses the separation of ground points from raw lidar data for bald ground digital elevation model (DEM) generation in urban areas. This task is considered to be a labeling process through which a lidar point is labeled as either a ground point or a non-ground point. Mathematical formulation is presented to define the ground. A new approach is proposed that conducts one-dimensional labeling in two opposite directions followed by a linear regression, both along the lidar scan line profile. The study shows that the one-dimensional characteristic makes the calculation efficient, and the reliability is assured by the bidirectional labeling process. Lidar data over suburban and downtown Baltimore (Maryland), Osaka (Japan), and Toronto (Canada) are used for the study. Quality assessment is designed and conducted to investigate the performance of the labeling approach by using manually-selected ground truth. It is shown that 2.7 percent ground points are wrongly labeled as building points, and 2.6 percent building points are mistakenly labeled as ground points over the four study areas. Detailed graphic and numerical results are provided to illustrate the proposed labeling approach and its performance for complex urban areas.
Discrimination of Discrete Feedback During Performance of Motor Imagery

Experiments were performed to determine if discrete feedback could be discriminated during concurrent performance of motor imagery for brain-computer interface control. An inverse solution feature extraction method captured regions of activity indicative of conflict detection and nterpretation of feedback. Separate classifiers were trained to detect positive and negative feedback based on constrained rates of precision. Tested in simulation, classification rates suggest discrimination of discrete feedback embedded within a trial can improve accuracy in less able brain-computer interface subjects, with little impact on subjects who perform well.
Chromosomal organization of chicken histone genes: preferred associations and inverted duplications

We present a detailed picture of the disposition of core and H1 histone genes in the chicken genome. Forty-two genes were located within four nonoverlapping regions totalling approximately 175 kilobases and covered by three cosmid clones and a number of lambda clones. The genes for the tissue-specific H5 histone and other variant histones were not found in these regions. The longest continuous region mapped was 67 kilobases and contained 21 histone genes in five dissimilar clusters. No long-range repeat was evident, but there were preferred associations, such as H1 genes with paired, divergently transcribed H2A-H2B genes and H3-H4 associations. However, there were exceptions, and even when associations such as H1-H2A-H2B we maintained, the order of those genes within a cluster may not have been. Another feature was the presence of three (unrelated) clusters in which genes were symmetrically ordered around central H3 genes; in one such cluster, the boundaries of a duplicated H2A-H4 gene pair contained related repeat sequences. Despite the dispersed nature of chicken histone genes, the number of each type was approximately equal, being represented as follows: 6 H1, 10 H2A, 8 H2B, 10 H3, and 8 H4.
Quantification of vertebral bone marrow fat content using 3 tesla MR spectroscopy: Reproducibility, vertebral variation, and applications in osteoporosis

To determine the reproducibility of proton MR spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) for assessing vertebral bone marrow adiposity at 3 Tesla (T); to evaluate variation of marrow adiposity at different vertebral levels; and to demonstrate the feasibility of using 1H‐MRS at 3T for evaluating marrow adiposity in subjects with low bone density.
Comparison of Muscle-Activation Patterns During the Conventional Push-Up and Perfect· Pushup™ Exercises

Youdas, JW, Budach, BD, Ellerbusch, JV, Stucky, CM, Wait, KR, and Hollman, JH. Comparison of muscle-activation patterns during the conventional push-up and perfect·pushup™ exercises. J Strength Cond Res 24(12): 3352-3362, 2010-Manufacturers of Perfect·Pushup™ handgrips claim enhanced muscular recruitment when compared with the conventional hand-on-floor push-up exercise. Electromyographic (EMG) data were recorded using surface electrodes from the right-sided triceps brachii, pectoralis major, serratus anterior (SA), and posterior deltoid muscles during push-ups performed from 3 different hand positions: (a) shoulder width, (b) wide base, and (c) narrow base (NB). Push-ups were performed under 2 conditions: (a) standard push-up and (b) Perfect·Pushup™ handgrips. We recruited 20 healthy subjects, 11 men (24.9 ± 2.6 years) and 9 women (23.8 ± 1 years). Subjects completed 3 consecutive push-ups for each hand position under both conditions. Push-up speed was controlled using a metronome, and testing order was randomized. We recorded peak EMG activity for each muscle during each of the push-ups and normalized EMG values by maximum muscle contractions (% maximum voluntary isometric contraction [MVIC]). Electromyographic data were analyzed with 3 (hand position) × 2 (condition) repeated-measures analysis of variance with a post hoc Bonferroni-adjusted simple effects test to detect significant position effects for position by condition interactions (α = 0.05). A push-up required considerable muscle activation of the triceps brachii (73-109% MVIC), pectoralis major (95-105% MVIC), SA (67-87% MVIC), and posterior deltoid (11-21% MVIC) whether performed using the conventional hand-on-floor position or the Perfect·Pushup™ handgrips. The NB hand position was most effective for preferentially activating the triceps brachii and posterior deltoid muscles. Based upon EMG activation from 4 muscles, the Perfect·Pushup™ handgrips do not appear to preferentially enhance muscular recruitment when compared with the conventional push-up method.
Prostaglandin E2 inhibits neutrophil extracellular trap formation through production of cyclic AMP

Upon stimulation, neutrophils release their nuclear contents called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contain unfolded chromatin and lysosomal enzymes. NETs have been demonstrated to play a critical role in host defence, although the role of PGE2, a bioactive substance generated in inflammatory tissues, in the formation of NETs remains unclear.
Comparison of contractile properties of single motor units in human intrinsic and extrinsic finger muscles

1 The purpose of the present study was to compare the contractile properties of single motor units in the intrinsic (short) and extrinsic (long) finger muscles in awake human subjects using intraneural motor axon stimulation. 2 Twitch properties were measured for 17 intrinsic and 11 extrinsic motor units by selective stimulation of a single motor axon in the ulnar or the median nerve. Force was measured from the appropriate digit, just distal to the muscle's point of insertion and single unit EMG was recorded with surface electrodes. Force‐frequency relationships (2‐100 Hz) were established for 16 of these units (7 intrinsic, 9 extrinsic). Across the 16 motor units for which force‐frequency data were obtained, twitch contraction time (63.7 ± 6.0 ms, mean ±s.e.m.) was inversely correlated with the frequency required to generate half‐maximum tetanic force (12.0 ± 1.1 Hz). 3 We found no systematic differences between the contractile properties of intrinsic and extrinsic motor units. There was no evidence of a bimodal distribution into large/small or fast/slow units based on maximum force or contraction times, although both fast and slow motor units were encountered. 4 The peak slope of the sigmoidal force‐frequency relationship for intrinsic motor units (9.1 and 4.4‐12.9 mN Hz−1, median and interquartile range) was significantly higher than that for extrinsic motor units (2.9 and 2.3‐3.1 mN Hz−1; P= 0.028), i.e. greater force steps were produced by the intrinsic motor units for a given change in stimulation frequency. This difference suggests that motor units in the intrinsic muscles of the hand are more sensitive to modulating force output by changes in motoneurone firing rates than are those in the extrinsic muscles. This reflects the important role of the intrinsic hand muscles in the fine manipulation of objects.
Identification of microRNA‐181 by genome‐wide screening as a critical player in EpCAM–positive hepatic cancer stem cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression with functional links to tumorigenesis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, and it is heterogeneous in clinical outcomes and biological activities. Recently, we have identified a subset of highly invasive epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)+ HCC cells from alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP)+ tumors with cancer stem/progenitor cell features, that is, the abilities to self‐renew, differentiate, and initiate aggressive tumors in vivo. Here, using a global microarray‐based miRNA profiling approach followed by validation with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we have demonstrated that conserved miR‐181 family members were up‐regulated in EpCAM+AFP+ HCCs and in EpCAM+ HCC cells isolated from AFP+ tumors. Moreover, miR‐181 family members were highly expressed in embryonic livers and in isolated hepatic stem cells. Importantly, inhibition of miR‐181 led to a reduction in EpCAM+ HCC cell quantity and tumor initiating ability, whereas exogenous miR‐181 expression in HCC cells resulted in an enrichment of EpCAM+ HCC cells. We have found that miR‐181 could directly target hepatic transcriptional regulators of differentiation (for example, caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 [CDX2] and GATA binding protein 6 [GATA6]) and an inhibitor of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling (nemo‐like kinase [NLK]). Taken together, our results define a novel regulatory link between miR‐181s and human EpCAM+ liver cancer stem/progenitor cells and imply that molecular targeting of miR‐181 may eradicate HCC. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
Human Immunoglobulin Class G (IgG) Antibody Detection With Photonic Crystal Fiber

Dye-free antibodies were identified in a less than 5-nL volume with a solid-core photonic crystal fiber (SC-PCF). The all-silica fiber contained micrometer-sized features with a 3-μm diameter core supported by a steering wheel-shaped lattice. These structures can be employed to monitor the presence of immunobased assays and susceptible secondary antigens specific to the detection application. A 0.8-m section of SC-PCF was filled with a 4.47-nL antibody sample and a LED light source in the 1300-1700 nm range was employed. Although similar sensing configurations exist, the novelty of this investigation is the detection of this particular antibody. This experiment uniquely investigates the spectral characteristics of purified human immunoglobulin class G (IgG) (format-UNLB) in aqueous media. The absorption spectra for the monoclonal antibodies were collected with a conventional optical spectrum analyzer. The antibody solution exhibited two distinct absorption peaks, a water-linked absorption peak between 1400 and 1470 nm, with a maximum absorption power of 1.65 nW, and an antibody-linked absorption peak between 1485 and 1590 nm, with a maximum absorption power of 3.2 nW.