Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Loss of clusterin limits atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice via reduced expression of Egr-1 and TNF-α.

AIM Whether clusterin/apolipoprotein J is antiatherogenic or proatherogenic is controversial. We reported that clusterin was markedly induced in media and neointima after vascular injury and that reduced clusterin expression reduced the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which induced G1 arrest via p53 and p21. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological function of clusterin in atherosclerosis using double-knockout mice (D-KO) of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (apoE-KO) and clusterin-deficient mice (CLU-KO). METHODS AND RESULTS Atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root were quantitated at 20 weeks of age. Atherosclerotic lesions of D-KO were significantly smaller than those of apoE-KO (D-KO: 0.176±0.078 mm(2) vs. apoE-KO: 0.365±0.164 mm(2), p< 0.001). To identify underlying atherosclerotic mechanisms that were blocked by loss of clusterin, we performed immunohistochemical analysis of Egr-1. Egr-1 immunoreactivity in the nuclei of VSMCs in atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-KO was upregulated, whereas it was not in D-KO lesions. Western blotting demonstrated that the expression levels of Egr-1 and TNF-α in the D-KO were significantly lower than those in the apoE-KO. When VSMCs and macrophages were obtained from D-KO and apoE-KO, Western blotting showed that the expression levels of Egr-1 and TNF-α in VSMCs and macrophages of D-KO were significantly lower than those of apoE-KO. CONCLUSION Loss of clusterin strongly suppressed apoE-KO-induced atherosclerotic lesions at a step prior to the expression of Egr-1 and TNF-α, suggesting that clusterin is a candidate for an antiatherogenic target.
Vitamin A activates rhodopsin and sensitizes it to ultraviolet light

Abstract The visual pigment, rhodopsin, consists of opsin protein with 11-cis retinal chromophore, covalently bound. Light activates rhodopsin by isomerizing the chromophore to the all-trans conformation. The activated rhodopsin sets in motion a biochemical cascade that evokes an electrical response by the photoreceptor. All-trans retinal is eventually released from the opsin and reduced to vitamin A. Rod and cone photoreceptors contain vast amounts of rhodopsin, so after exposure to bright light, the concentration of vitamin A can reach relatively high levels within their outer segments. Since a retinal analog, β-ionone, is capable of activating some types of visual pigments, we tested whether vitamin A might produce a similar effect. In single-cell recordings from isolated dark-adapted salamander green-sensitive rods, exogenously applied vitamin A decreased circulating current and flash sensitivity and accelerated flash response kinetics. These changes resembled those produced by exposure of rods to steady light. Microspectrophotometric measurements showed that vitamin A accumulated in the outer segments and binding of vitamin A to rhodopsin was confirmed in in vitro assays. In addition, vitamin A improved the sensitivity of photoreceptors to ultraviolet (UV) light. Apparently, the energy of a UV photon absorbed by vitamin A transferred by a radiationless process to the 11-cis retinal chromophore of rhodopsin, which subsequently isomerized. Therefore, our results suggest that vitamin A binds to rhodopsin at an allosteric binding site distinct from the chromophore binding pocket for 11-cis retinal to activate the rhodopsin, and that it serves as a sensitizing chromophore for UV light.
Functional connectivity between Layer 2/3 and Layer 5 neurons in prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates during a delayed match-to-sample task

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been postulated to play critical roles in cognitive control and the formation of long-term memories. To gain insights into the neurobiological mechanism of such high-order cognitive functions, it is important to understand the input-output transformational properties of the PFC micro-circuitry. In this study, we identify the functional connectivity between the Layer 2/3 (input) neurons and the Layer 5 (output) neurons using a previously developed generalized Volterra model (GVM). Input-output spike trains are recorded from the PFCs of nonhuman primates performing a memory-dependent delayed match-to-sample task with a customized conformal ceramic multi-electrode array. The GVM describes how the input spike trains are transformed into the output spike trains by the PFC micro-circuitry and represents the transformation in the form of Volterra kernels. Results show that Layer 2/3 neurons have strong and transient facilitatory effects on the firings of Layer 5 neurons. The magnitude and temporal range of the input-output nonlinear dynamics are strikingly different from those of the hippocampal CA3-CA1. This form of functional connectivity may have important implications to understanding the computational principle of the PFC.
Prediction of flare-ups of ulcerative colitis using quantitative immunochemical fecal occult blood test.

AIM To examine the feasibility of predicting the flare-up of ulcerative colitis (UC) before symptoms emerge using the immunochemical fecal occult blood test (I-FOBT). METHODS We prospectively measured fecal hemoglobin concentrations in 78 UC patients using the I-FOBT every 1 or 2 mo. RESULTS During a 20 mo-period, 823 fecal samples from 78 patients were submitted. The median concentration of fecal hemoglobin was 41 ng/mL (range: 0-392 500 ng/mL). There were three types of patients with regard to the correlation between I-FOBT and patient symptoms; the synchronous transition type with symptoms (44 patients), the unrelated type with symptoms (19 patients), and the flare-up predictive type (15 patients). In patients with the flare-up predictive type, the values of I-FOBT were generally low during the study period with stable symptoms. Two to four weeks before the flare-up of symptoms, the I-FOBT values were high. Thus, in these patients, I-FOBT could predict the flare-up before symptoms emerged. CONCLUSION Flare-up could be predicted by I-FOBT in approximately 20% of UC patients. These results warrant periodical I-FOBT in UC patients.
The Spirit of Capitalism and the Equity Premium

This paper evaluates whether the spirit of capitalism can explain the equity premium puzzle. The spirit of capitalism implies that investors acquire wealth not just for consumption, but also to improve their social status. We set up a consumption-based capital asset pricing model incorporating this component. The simulated results from our calibrated model match the mean and the volatility of the equity premium observed in the data.
Patient-cooperative strategies for robot-aided treadmill training: first experimental results

Task-oriented repetitive movements can improve motor performance in patients with neurological or orthopaedic lesions. The application of robotics and automation technology can serve to assist, enhance, evaluate, and document neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation. This paper deals with the application of "patient-cooperative" techniques to robot-aided gait rehabilitation of neurological disorders. We define patient-cooperative to mean that, during movement, the technical system takes into account the patient's intention and voluntary efforts rather than imposing any predefined movements or inflexible strategies. It is hypothesized that such cooperative robotic approaches can improve the therapeutic outcome compared to classical rehabilitation strategies. New cooperative strategies are presented that detect the patient's voluntary efforts. First, this enables the patient increased freedom of movement by a certain amount of robot compliance. Second, the robot behavior adapts to the existing voluntary motor abilities. And third, the robotic system displays and improves the patient contribution by visual biofeedback. Initial experimental results are presented to evaluate the basic principle and technical function of proposed approaches. Further improvements of the technical design and additional clinical testing is required to prove whether the therapeutic outcome can be enhanced by such cooperative strategies.
Essays on the organizational consequences of on-line behavior of audiences

Over the past 2 decades, internet use has become increasingly more a part of our every-day lives. We communicate with our friends and colleagues using the internet, we work using the internet, we also shop using the internet. We learn and increase our knowledge from information available on the internet. While on the one hand, we advance from the instant access to online contexts individualistically, on the other hand we participate as members of a community for example when we share our experiences online. The ever growing use of the internet and its flourish in new segments of our daily life brings significant changes not only to us, the individuals, but also to the organizations. In the past decade, there has been a shift in the field of organizational theory considering the environment of organizations. Current approaches extend the horizon of the classical view proclaiming that organizational environment is not only constituted by rival organizations but also their audience members. Several studies found evidence that audience members’ perceptions and behavior influence organizational success. For example, category-spanning organizations on average suffer from social and economic disadvantages in markets because they cannot meet the expectations of their audiences. This shift towards understanding the effect of audience responses on the organizational outcome motivates my dissertation. More specifically, I study how individuals on-line behavior affects organizations. I analyze three aspects of internet mediated communication and their consequences to the organization. Firstly, I address the need to compare how traditional face-to-face communication compares to the modern email communication (Chapter 2). Studies tend to take it for granted, that on-line information exchange mirrors it’s off-line counterpart at the work place. Although, there are great advantages in the availability of email data, as it retains communication in its completeness, it does not fully correspond to previously studied relations, like friendship or advice seeking. The characteristics of on-line communications also differ from off-line information exchange. Employees respect divisional and hierarchical boundaries in face-to-face conversations while these boundaries are blurred out within the email exchange . Secondly, I analyze a special type of on-line behavior, the on-line word-of-mouth communication among audience members (Chapter 3). Online reviews play an increasingly important role in shaping organizational performance. Drawing conclusions on how customers perceive quality and typicality of a producer and how it manifests in on-line ratings increase the predictability of producer success. Thirdly, I approach audience behavior from a collective behavior perspective (Chapter 4). Specifically, I analyze audience dynamics with threshold models. Doing so I address the micro level mechanism of how audience behavior creates certain macro level patterns of producer success rather than assuming that they are simple aggregates of individual characteristics.
Optimization of Resources of the Company

This article helps to understand that there is no theory of optimal capital structure of the company in a perfect market where there are no transaction costs, costs of bankruptcy and tax and where information is perfect. It recalls that the consideration by some authors of market imperfection factors implies that there is an optimal capital structure of the company corresponding to its maximum value. It reviews the financial conditions of the capital increase by companies. It shows that the demand of optimal debt to a debtor is based on his expectation of credit and the conditions for granting the credit, requested in terms of interest rate and repayment periods, offered by the creditor. It proposes a model for determining the optimal rent for a rental investment operation by a company.
Drosophila glutamate receptor RNA expression in embryonic and larval muscle fibers

Glutamate is the excitatory transmitter at neuromuscular synapses in Drosophila, and electrophysiological studies indicate that the receptors for glutamate are concentrated in muscle fibers at synaptic sites. Acetylcholine is the excitatory transmitter at vertebrate neuromuscular synapses, and previous studies have shown that accumulation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at synaptic sites is controlled both by transcriptional and post‐translational mechanisms. The transcriptional pathway culminates in selective expression of AChR subunit genes in nuclei near the synaptic site, causing AChR mRNA to accumulate in the synaptic region of the muscle fiber. We used a cDNA encoding a subunit of the Drosophila muscle glutamate receptor (DGluR‐II) to determine the temporal and spatial expression pattern of the DGluR‐II gene during embryogenesis and in larval muscle. We show that DGluR‐II mRNA is first expressed at stage 12 of embryogenesis and that expression is detected in developing dorsal, lateral, and ventral somatic muscles within the next 2 hr. By stage 16 DGluR‐II mRNA is expressed in all somatic muscles and in pharyngeal muscles. In third instar larvae DGluR‐II mRNA is expressed in all body‐wall muscle fibers. DGluR‐II mRNA, however, is expressed throughout the larval muscle fibers and is not concentrated within muscle fibers at neuromuscular synapses. These results indicate that although the DGluR‐II gene is expressed in somatic muscle cells it is not selectively expressed in nuclei near the synaptic site. ©1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Randomized trial of peer counseling on reproductive health in African American breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE We designed a peer counseling program to improve sexual function, increase knowledge about reproductive health, and decrease menopausal symptoms and infertility-related distress for African American breast cancer survivors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women were randomly assigned to immediate counseling or a 3-month waitlist. Three peer counselors conducted a 3-session intervention using a detailed workbook. Questionnaires at baseline, after the waitlist period, at posttreatment, and at 3-month follow-up assessed spirituality, sexual function, menopause symptoms, emotional distress, relationship satisfaction, fertility concerns, and knowledge about reproductive health and breast cancer. At the postcounseling assessment, women rated the workbook, their counselor, and the program. RESULTS Of 93 women screened, 60 women (65%) enrolled in the study. Women who completed counseling (80%; N = 48) had a mean age of 49 years (standard deviation [SD], 8 years) and a mean follow-up of 4.5 years (SD, 3.8 years) since cancer diagnosis. Almost all rated the workbook as very easy to understand (94%) and their counselor as very knowledgeable (96%) and very skillful (98%). Eighty-one percent rated the program as "very useful to me. " Immediate counseling and waitlist groups did not differ at baseline in psychologic adjustment, nor did scores change during the waitlist period. Therefore, the groups were combined in analyzing outcomes. Knowledge of reproductive issues improved significantly from baseline to 3-month follow-up (P < .0001), as did emotional distress (P = .0047) and menopause symptoms (P = .0128). Sexually dysfunctional women became less distressed (P = .0167). CONCLUSION Women valued the Sisters Peer Intervention in Reproductive Issues After Treatment program highly and found it relevant. The program had positive effects on knowledge and target symptoms.
A randomized, blinded, controlled clinical study of particulate anorganic bovine bone mineral and calcium phosphosilicate putty bone substitutes for socket preservation.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of an anorganic bovine bone graft particulate to that of a calcium phosphosilicate putty alloplast for socket preservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty teeth were extracted from 24 patients. The sockets were debrided and received anorganic bovine bone mineral (BOV, n=12), calcium phosphosilicate putty (PUT, n=12), or no graft (CTRL, n=6). The sockets were assessed clinically and radiographically 5 months later. Eight sockets in the BOV group and nine in the PUT group received implants 5 to 6 months postgrafting. The maximum implant insertion torque (MIT) was measured as an index of primary implant stability. The data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS Both test groups had statistically significantly less reduction in mean ridge width (BOV: 1.39±0.57 mm; PUT: 1.26±0.41 mm) in comparison to the control group (2.53±0.59 mm). No statistically significant difference was identified between the test groups. MIT for PUT was ≤35 N/cm² (MIT grade 4) for seven of the nine implants. MIT values in the BOV group ranged from grade 1 (10 to 19 N/cm²) to grade 4, which was statistically significantly lower than for the PUT group. The overall implant success rate was 94.1% (16 of 17 implants were successful). No implants were lost in the PUT group; one implant failed in the BOV group. CONCLUSION Both tested bone substitutes can be recommended for preservation of alveolar ridge width following extraction. PUT might be more suitable for achieving primary stability for implants placed at 5 to 6 months postextraction.
Trigeminal neuralgia increases cerebral blood flow in a focal cerebral ischemic model in rats.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influences of trigeminal neuropathic pain on the cerebral blood flow in a ET-1 focal cerebral ischemia model. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (220-260 g) were randomly divided into a model group (trigeminal neuralgia, TN group) and a sham operation group (sham group). The TN group received bilateral infraorbital nerve chronic constriction surgery, and the sham group only underwent exposure of the infraorbital nerve. The mechanical pain threshold of the rats was continuously monitored for 30 days post surgery. On postoperative day 30, the animals were anesthetized, and 3 μL (120 pM/μL) ET-1 was injected into the surroundings of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to establish a cerebral focal ischemia-reperfusion injury model in rats. The changes in cerebral blood flow of these two groups were monitored 30 min after the injection of ET-1. RESULTS The mechanic pain threshold values between rats in the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). The threshold value in the TN group on postoperative day 9 significantly decreased compared with that before surgery (P<0.01). Between postoperative days 9 and 30, the pain threshold values in the TN group were significantly lower than those in the sham group (P<0.01). From postoperative day 10, the mean arterial pressure in the TN group significantly increased compared with that before surgery (P<0.05), and the blood pressure (BP) in the TN group was higher than that in the sham group between postoperative days 10 and 30 (P<0.05). After 75 min of ET-1 microinjection, the cerebral blood flow in the rat frontal cortex exhibited reperfusion, and the cerebral blood flow in the TN group was significantly higher than that in the sham group (P<0.05). In addition, the content of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the blood of rats in the TN group was significantly higher than that in the sham group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Trigeminal neuropathic pain may increase the mean arterial pressure and the content of CGRP in the plasma of rats, thus increasing the cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex of the ET-1 ischemia-reperfusion model.
Transcriptional Activation of Multiple Operons Involved in para-Nitrophenol Degradation by Pseudomonas sp. Strain WBC-3

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 utilizes para-nitrophenol (PNP) as a sole carbon and energy source. The genes involved in PNP degradation are organized in the following three operons: pnpA, pnpB, and pnpCDEFG. How the expression of the genes is regulated is unknown. In this study, an LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) is identified to activate the expression of the genes in response to the specific inducer PNP. While the LTTR coding gene pnpR was found to be not physically linked to any of the three catabolic operons, it was shown to be essential for the growth of strain WBC-3 on PNP. Furthermore, PnpR positively regulated its own expression, which is different from the function of classical LTTRs. A regulatory binding site (RBS) with a 17-bp imperfect palindromic sequence (GTT-N11-AAC) was identified in all pnpA, pnpB, pnpC, and pnpR promoters. Through electrophoretic mobility shift assays and mutagenic analyses, this motif was proven to be necessary for PnpR binding. This consensus motif is centered at positions approximately −55 bp relative to the four transcriptional start sites (TSSs). RBS integrity was required for both high-affinity PnpR binding and transcriptional activation of pnpA, pnpB, and pnpR. However, this integrity was essential only for high-affinity PnpR binding to the promoter of pnpCDEFG and not for its activation. Intriguingly, unlike other LTTRs studied, no changes in lengths of the PnpR binding regions of the pnpA and pnpB promoters were observed after the addition of the inducer PNP in DNase I footprinting.
A comparison of virtual and conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps.

BACKGROUND Virtual colonoscopy is a new method of imaging the colon in which thin-section, helical computed tomography (CT) is used to generate high-resolution, two-dimensional axial images. Three-dimensional images of the colon simulating those obtained with conventional colonoscopy are then reconstructed off-line. We compared the performance of virtual and conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps. METHODS We prospectively studied 100 patients at high risk for colorectal neoplasia (60 men and 40 women; mean age, 62 years). We performed virtual colonoscopy immediately before conventional colonoscopy. We inserted a rectal tube and insufflated the colon with air to the maximal level that the patient could tolerate. We administered 1 mg of glucagon intravenously immediately before CT scanning to minimize the degree of smooth-muscle spasm and peristalsis and to reduce the patient's discomfort. RESULTS The entire colon was clearly seen by virtual colonoscopy in 87 patients and by conventional colonoscopy in 89. Fifty-one patients had normal findings on conventional colonoscopy. In the other 49, we identified a total of 115 polyps and 3 carcinomas. Virtual colonoscopy identified all 3 cancers, 20 of 22 polyps that were 10 mm or more in diameter (91 percent), 33 of 40 that were 6 to 9 mm (82 percent), and 29 of 53 that were 5 mm or smaller (55 percent). There were 19 false positive findings of polyps and no false positive findings of cancer. Of the 69 adenomatous polyps, 46 of the 51 that were 6 mm or more in diameter (90 percent) and 12 of the 18 that were 5 mm or smaller (67 percent) were correctly identified by virtual colonoscopy. Although discomfort was not specifically recorded, none of the patients requested that virtual colonoscopy be stopped because of discomfort or pain. CONCLUSIONS In a group of patients at high risk for colorectal neoplasia, virtual and conventional colonoscopy had similar efficacy for the detection of polyps that were 6 mm or more in diameter.