Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prolonged infusion of angiotensin II into normal rats induces stellate cell activation and proinflammatory events in liver.

Recent evidence indicates that angiotensin II (ANG II) plays an important role in liver fibrogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In advanced chronic liver diseases, circulating levels of ANG II are frequently elevated. We investigated the hepatic effects of prolonged systemic infusion of ANG II in normal rats. Saline or ANG II at subpressor and pressor doses (15 and 50 ng.kg-1.min-1, respectively) were infused to normal rats for 4 wk through a subcutaneous osmotic pump. Infusion of ANG II resulted in liver injury, as assessed by elevated serum liver enzymes. Livers from ANG II-perfused rats showed activation of JNK and ERK as well as increased NF-kappaB and activating protein-1 DNA-binding activity. Moreover, ANG II perfusion induced oxidative stress, increased concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, and upregulated the inflammatory proteins inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Histological examination of the livers from ANG II-infused rats showed mild portal inflammation as well as thickening and thrombosis of small hepatic vessels. ANG II-treated livers showed accumulation of CD43-positive inflammatory cells and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) at the pericentral areas. A slight increase in collagen synthesis was observed, as assessed by Sirius red staining and hepatic hydroxyproline. All of these effects were observed when ANG II was perfused at subpressor and pressor doses. ANG II also accelerated the activation of primary cultured rat HSCs. In conclusion, increased systemic ANG II can induce liver injury by promoting proinflammatory events and vascular damage. ANG II-induced hepatic effects are not dependent on increase in arterial pressure.
Correlative Analysis on Technical Statistics and Competition Result of Our Man's National Basketball Team

Through using the method of literature and mathematical statistics,this paper studies the correlative coefficient of competition standing and technical statistics of every index within the first eight of 2006 World Basketball Men Championships.The indexes affect the competition standing in degree from high to low is free throw attempts,free throw points,steals,turnovers,fouls,field goal percentage,points per game,three-point percentage,three points,field goal attempts,two-point percentage in the total points of game,three points percentage in the total points of game.The predominant indexes of Chinese basketball men are free-throw percentage,block,free throw points,points per game,but these indexes correlate to the team standing in low.The disadvantage indexes of Chinese man basketball team are steals,turnovers,fouls per game.However,these indexes highly correlate to team standing which restrict Chinese man basketball to make for the world first-rate team.
Mechanical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament chronically relaxed by elevation of the tibial insertion

The effects of stress deprivation on the mechanical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament were studied in a canine model. Fifty‐eight mature mongrel dogs were divided into two groups. In the relaxed group (n = 30), the tibial insertion of the anterior cruciate ligament in each right knee was surgically elevated proximally 3 mm from the tibia: the elevation was anatomically reduced in the sham group (n = 28). In order to obtain control data, the left knee in each dog was left untreated. A femur‐anterior cruciate ligament‐tibia complex was excised from each knee for biomechanical tests at 6 or 12 weeks after surgery. To simplify data analysis, the treat/nontreat ratio (the ratio of the data obtained from the treated knee to that from the nontreated knee) was used. The cross‐sectional area of the ligament increased significantly in both groups; the area in the relaxed group (average treat/nontreat ratio = 1.37) was significantly larger than that in the sham group (1.16) at 6 weeks but not at 12 weeks. The treat/nontreat ratio of tensile strength in the relaxed group significantly decreased to 0.67 and 0.58 at 6 and 12 weeks, respectively: in the sham group, it significantly decreased to 0.79 at 6 weeks but subsequently increased to 0.87 at 12 weeks. Only at 12 weeks was a significant difference observed between the two groups. This study demonstrated that, in the anterior cruciate ligament, stress deprivation results in a rapid increase in the cross‐sectional area, although this effect disappears by 12 weeks, and in a decrease in mechanical strength, although a relatively long period of more than 6 weeks is required for the deterioration.
Adipose tissue inflammation in insulin resistance: review of mechanisms mediating anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Obesity is an increasingly costly and widespread epidemic, effecting 1 in 10 adults worldwide. It has been causally linked with both the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, both of which are associated with increased chronic inflammation. The exact mechanisms through which inflammation may contribute to both MetS and IR are numerous and their details are still largely unknown. Recently, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential interventional targets due to their potential preventive roles in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including MetS and obesity. The purpose of this review paper is to discuss some of the known roles of miRNAs as mediators of inflammation-associated obesity and IR and how omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be used as a nutritional intervention for these disorders.
Preoperative Blood Oxygen Level-dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Primary Brain Tumors: Clinical Application and Outcome

OBJECTIVEThis study sought to evaluate the ability of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to successfully identify functional cortical areas in patients with primary brain tumors, to evaluate the use of the fMRI results in presurgical planning, and to assess the functional outcome of the patients with respect to the functional maps obtained with fMRI. METHODSThe study included 25 consecutive preoperative fMRI sessions in patients with primary brain tumors in or near sensorimotor and/or language cortices. All fMRI paradigms were analyzed and rated according to the degree of success. Several distances between tumor and functional cortex as delineated with BOLD fMRI were measured to assess the topographic relationship between these two structures. Pre- and postoperative neurological statuses were obtained from the patients’ journals. RESULTSAcquisition of BOLD fMRI images was successful in 80% of the cases. The primary cause of unsuccessful fMRI was echo-planar imaging signal voids that were the result of previous craniotomy; the secondary cause was excessive motion. The neurosurgeons used the fMRI results for preoperative planning in 75% of the cases in which fMRI was successful. The risk of postoperative loss of function tested with fMRI was significantly lower when the distance between tumor periphery and BOLD activity was 10 mm or more. CONCLUSIONThe majority of patients with primary brain tumors were capable of satisfactorily performing the fMRI paradigms, and the information obtained was used in the preoperative planning. A distance of 10 mm or more between the functional cortex, as delineated with fMRI, and the tumor significantly reduced the risk of postoperative loss of function.
Sodium current‐induced calcium signals in isolated guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes.

1. Na+ current (INa)‐induced Ca2+ transients were studied in ventricular myocytes isolated from adult guinea‐pig hearts. The fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fluo‐3 or a mixture of fluo‐3 and fura‐red were used in conjunction with confocal microscopy to follow the intracellular Ca2+ concentration while membrane currents were measured simultaneously with the whole‐cell configuration of the patch‐clamp technique. 2. Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) could be triggered either by Ca2+ current (ICa) or Na+ current (INa). Analysis of INa‐induced Ca2+ signals at higher temporal resolution revealed a faster upstroke of these transients when compared with those triggered by ICa. 3. In the presence of 20 microM ryanodine to block SR Ca2+ release ICa elicited a verapamil‐sensitive Ca2+ transient with a slow upstroke. INa also induced a residual Ca2+ transient that was insensitive to 10 microM verapamil and characterized by a rapid upstroke. 4. The existence of a residual Ca2+ transient in the absence of SR Ca2+ release and L‐type ICa indicates that INa is indeed able to evoke an increase in [Ca2+]i without uncontrolled activation of Ca2+ channels. 5. Substitution of extracellular Na+ by Li+ suppressed INa‐induced Ca2+ transients, suggesting that the Ca2+ release and the residual Ca2+ transient can only be elicited by influx of Na+ and not by Li+. This result supports the notion that both the residual Ca2+ transient as well as the INa‐induced Ca2+ release are mediated by the Na(+)‐Ca2+ exchange. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interpersonal responses among sibling dyads tested for BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations.

OBJECTIVE The familial context plays an important role in psychosocial responses to genetic testing. The purpose of this study was to compare sibling pairs with different combinations of BRCA1/BRCA2 test results on measures of affect, interpersonal responses, and physiological reactions. DESIGN Forty-nine sibling dyads with different combinations of BRCA1/BRCA2 test results (i.e., mixed, positive, negative) completed a questionnaire, and 35 of the dyads also participated in a laboratory-based discussion of genetic testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome variables included participant reports of supportive actions toward their sibling, state anger and anxiety, perceptions of sibling behavior, and electrodermal responses. RESULTS Compared to positive and negative dyads, mixed pairs reported less friendly general support actions, noted more anger, and perceived their sibling to be less friendly and more dominant during the interactions. In comparisons between same-result (i.e., positive, negative) pairs, positive dyads reported more dominant support behaviors and perceived their sibling to be friendlier during the interactions. CONCLUSION Data suggest that siblings who have different test results may experience more interpersonal strain than siblings who have the same test result. Future research on genetic testing and family relationships can expand upon these findings.
A Framework to Adjust Dependency Measure Estimates for Chance

Estimating the strength of dependency between two variables is fundamental for exploratory analysis and many other applications in data mining. For example: non-linear dependencies between two continuous variables can be explored with the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC); and categorical variables that are dependent to the target class are selected using Gini gain in random forests. Nonetheless, because dependency measures are estimated on finite samples, the interpretability of their quantification and the accuracy when ranking dependencies become challenging. Dependency estimates are not equal to 0 when variables are independent, cannot be compared if computed on different sample size, and they are inflated by chance on variables with more categories. In this paper, we propose a framework to adjust dependency measure estimates on finite samples. Our adjustments, which are simple and applicable to any dependency measure, are helpful in improving interpretability when quantifying dependency and in improving accuracy on the task of ranking dependencies. In particular, we demonstrate that our approach enhances the interpretability of MIC when used as a proxy for the amount of noise between variables, and to gain accuracy when ranking variables during the splitting procedure in random forests.
Multi‐parametric (mp) MRI of prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma (DCa) is an aggressive variant of conventional adenocarcinoma (CCa) with mixed DCa and CCa tumors comprising up to 5% of all prostate cancers. DCa may be underestimated on T2‐weighted (T2W) MRI. This study assessed the mp‐MRI appearance of DCa as compared with CCa.
Genotypic identification of rickettsiae and estimation of intraspecies sequence divergence for portions of two rickettsial genes

DNA sequences from specific genes, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction technique, were used as substrata for nonisotopic restriction endonuclease fragment length polymorphism differentiation of rickettsial species and genotypes. The products amplified using a single pair of oligonucleotide primers (derived from a rickettsial citrate synthase gene sequence) and cleaved with restriction endonucleases were used to differentiate almost all recognized species of rickettsiae. A second set of primers was used for differentiation of all recognized species of closely related spotted fever group rickettsiae. The procedure circumvents many technical obstacles previously associated with identification of rickettsial species. Multiple amplified DNA digest patterns were used to estimate the intraspecies nucleotide sequence divergence for the genes coding for rickettsial citrate synthase and a large antigen-coding gene of the spotted fever group rickettsiae. The estimated relationships deduced from these genotypic data correlate reasonably well with established rickettsial taxonomic schemes.
Who Is Internationally Diversified? Evidence from the 401(k) Plans of 296 Firms

Drawing on a novel database of the 401(k) plans of 296 firms, we examine the international equity allocations of 3.8 million individuals over the 2005–2011 period. We find enormous cross-individual variation, ranging from zero to more than 75%, and strong cohort effects, with younger cohorts investing more internationally than older ones and each cohort investing more internationally over time. Access to financial advice, lower fees, and more international fund choices are associated with higher international allocations, suggesting a role for plan design and policy. Education, financial literacy, and the fraction of foreign-born population in the ZIP code also have positive effects on international diversification, consistent with explanations based on familiarity bias and information barriers.
Ab Initio Structural Modeling of and Experimental Validation for Chlamydia trachomatis Protein CT296 Reveal Structural Similarity to Fe(II) 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Enzymes

ABSTRACT Chlamydia trachomatis is a medically important pathogen that encodes a relatively high percentage of proteins with unknown function. The three-dimensional structure of a protein can be very informative regarding the protein's functional characteristics; however, determining protein structures experimentally can be very challenging. Computational methods that model protein structures with sufficient accuracy to facilitate functional studies have had notable successes. To evaluate the accuracy and potential impact of computational protein structure modeling of hypothetical proteins encoded by Chlamydia, a successful computational method termed I-TASSER was utilized to model the three-dimensional structure of a hypothetical protein encoded by open reading frame (ORF) CT296. CT296 has been reported to exhibit functional properties of a divalent cation transcription repressor (DcrA), with similarity to the Escherichia coli iron-responsive transcriptional repressor, Fur. Unexpectedly, the I-TASSER model of CT296 exhibited no structural similarity to any DNA-interacting proteins or motifs. To validate the I-TASSER-generated model, the structure of CT296 was solved experimentally using X-ray crystallography. Impressively, the ab initio I-TASSER-generated model closely matched (2.72-Å Cα root mean square deviation [RMSD]) the high-resolution (1.8-Å) crystal structure of CT296. Modeled and experimentally determined structures of CT296 share structural characteristics of non-heme Fe(II) 2-oxoglutarate-dependent enzymes, although key enzymatic residues are not conserved, suggesting a unique biochemical process is likely associated with CT296 function. Additionally, functional analyses did not support prior reports that CT296 has properties shared with divalent cation repressors such as Fur.
Diabetes-Specific Food Insecurity Is Associated with Impaired Heart Rate Variability Independent of Glycemic Control: Exploratory Findings among Latinos with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Background: Food insecurity (FI), diabetes prevalence, and poor diabetes outcomes all disproportionately affect Latinos in the United States. Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects autonomic tone, is associated with glycemic control, and predicts mortality in type 2 diabetes. It is unknown whether FI is related to HRV and, if so, whether glycemic control accounts for this association. Objective: This exploratory cross-sectional study examined FI and HRV among US Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Participants reported demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and FI, including the 6-item USDA food security module and a 1-item measure of diabetes-specific food security. Participants wore an ambulatory electrocardiogram monitor for 24 h. In the time domain, HRV was assessed with the SD of the R-R interval (SDNN). In the frequency domain, the power spectrum was integrated over 3 frequency bands—very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF)—and then natural log transformed. Unadjusted ANOVA and ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and indicators of socioeconomic status compared food security groups on HRV. Results: Participants' mean ± SD age was 59.7 ± 10.9 y, and 73% were women. Of the 94 participants, 63 reported FI according to the USDA food security module and 46 reported FI according to the diabetes-specific measure. Mean ± SD HbA1c was 8.6% ± 1.7% and was marginally higher among those reporting diabetes-specific FI than those reporting diabetes-specific food security. Participants who reported diabetes-specific FI had lower SDNN, VLF, LF, and HF HRV with effect sizes in the small-to-medium range. Differences remained significant even after controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic hardship, and HbA1c. The 6-item USDA food security module was not associated with HRV. Conclusions: Diabetes-specific FI may be a unique risk factor for poor health outcomes among US Latinos. Efforts to address FI could benefit diabetes outcomes.
Oxidative stress modulates heme synthesis and induces peroxiredoxin-2 as a novel cytoprotective response in β-thalassemic erythropoiesis

Background β-thalassemic syndromes are inherited red cell disorders characterized by severe ineffective erythropoiesis and increased levels of reactive oxygen species whose contribution to β-thalassemic anemia is only partially understood. Design and Methods We studied erythroid precursors from normal and β-thalassemic peripheral CD34+ cells in two-phase liquid culture by proteomic, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses. We measured intracellular reactive oxygen species, heme levels and the activity of δ-aminolevulinate-synthase-2. We exposed normal cells and K562 cells with silenced peroxiredoxin-2 to H2O2 and generated a recombinant peroxiredoxin-2 for kinetic measurements in the presence of H2O2 or hemin. Results In β-thalassemia the increased production of reactive oxygen species was associated with down-regulation of heme oxygenase-1 and biliverdin reductase and up-regulation of peroxiredoxin-2. In agreement with these observations in β-thalassemic cells we found decreased heme levels related to significantly reduced activity of the first enzyme of the heme pathway, δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 without differences in its expression. We demonstrated that the activity of recombinant δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 is inhibited by both reactive oxygen species and hemin as a protective mechanism in β-thalassemic cells. We then addressed the question of the protective role of peroxiredoxin-2 in erythropoiesis by exposing normal cells to oxidative stress and silencing peroxiredoxin-2 in human erythroleukemia K562 cells. We found that peroxiredoxin-2 expression is up-regulated in response to oxidative stress and required for K562 cells to survive oxidative stress. We then showed that peroxiredoxin-2 binds heme in erythroid precursors with high affinity, suggesting a possible multifunctional cytoprotective role of peroxiredoxin-2 in β-thalassemia. Conclusions In β-thalassemic erythroid cells the reduction of δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 activity and the increased expression of peroxiredoxin-2 might represent two novel stress-response protective systems.
Renal adverse effects of sunitinib and its clinical significance: a single-center experience in Korea

Background/Aims Sunitinib is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor used mainly for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The renal adverse effects (RAEs) of sunitinib have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of RAEs (proteinuria [PU] and renal insufficiency [RI]) and to investigate the relationship between PU and antitumor efficacy. Methods We performed a retrospective review of medical records of patients who had received sunitinib for more than 3 months. Results One hundred and fifty-five patients (mean age, 58.7 ± 12.6 years) were enrolled, and the mean baseline creatinine level was 1.24 mg/dL. PU developed in 15 of 111 patients, and preexisting PU was aggravated in six of 111 patients. Only one patient developed typical nephrotic syndrome. Following discontinuation of sunitinib, PU was improved in 12 of 17 patients but persisted in five of 17 patients. RI occurred in 12 of 155 patients, and the maximum creatinine level was 3.31 mg/dL. RI improved in two of 12 patients but persisted in 10 of 12 patients. Risk factors for PU were hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Older age was a risk factor for RI. The median progression-free survival was significantly better for patients who showed PU. Conclusions The incidence of RAEs associated with sunitinib was lower than those of previous reports. The severity of RAEs was mild to moderate, and partially reversible after cessation of sunitinib. We suggest that blood pressure, urinalysis, and renal function in patients receiving sunitinib should be monitored closely.
Minimum Wage Increases, Wages, and Low-Wage Employment: Evidence from Seattle

This paper evaluates the wage, employment, and hours effects of the first and second phase-in of the Seattle Minimum Wage Ordinance, which raised the minimum wage from $9.47 to as much as $11 in 2015 and to as much as $13 in 2016. Using a variety of methods to analyze employment in all sectors paying below a specified real hourly wage rate, we conclude that the second wage increase to $13 reduced hours worked in low-wage jobs by 6-7 percent, while hourly wages in such jobs increased by 3 percent. Consequently, total payroll for such jobs decreased, implying that the Ordinance lowered the amount paid to workers in low-wage jobs by an average of $74 per month per job in 2016. Evidence attributes more modest effects to the first wage increase. We estimate an effect of zero when analyzing employment in the restaurant industry at all wage levels, comparable to many prior studies.