Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of MELD, Child-Pugh, and Emory model for the prediction of survival in patients undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting

OBJECTIVES:Recently, new prognostic models (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease [MELD model] and Emory score) were proposed for the prediction of survival in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) patients. Although the MELD model is considered to be superior and has consecutively been applied to priority listing for liver transplantation, these models have never been directly compared in terms of long-term prognosis. We therefore compared the prognostic accuracy of the different models, including the Child-Pugh score, in an unselected cohort of TIPS patients followed long-term.METHODS:Baseline risk scores for 162 unselected consecutive TIPS patients followed until death (n = 81), liver transplantation, or end of observation (n = 81) (mean follow-up 30.7 ± 26.4 months) were calculated, and respective concordance- (c-)statistics for the predictive accuracy of 3-, 12-, and 36-month survival for the three models were compared statistically.RESULTS:All three models predicted short-term (3-month) survival with similar accuracy. The MELD model generated the best c-statistics for both 12-month (c-statistic 0.73, 95% CI = 0.64–0.82) and 36-month survival (c-statistic 0.74, 95% CI = 0.64–0.84). The predictive accuracy of the Emory score was significantly lower (c-statistic for 12-month survival: 0.60, 95% CI = 0.52–0.68, p = 0.012 vs MELD). In the statistical comparison of the MELD and the Child-Pugh model, only a trend favoring MELD for the prediction of 1-yr survival in patients with intestinal bleeding could be observed (MELD: c-statistic 0.78, 95% CI = 0.67–0.89; Child-Pugh: c-statistic 0.67, 95% CI = 0.55–0.80, p = 0.059). CONCLUSIONS:The MELD model is superior to the Emory score but only slightly superior to the Child-Pugh classification for the prediction of long-term survival in TIPS patients.
The prostaglandin transporter (PGT) as a potential mediator of ovulation

The prostaglandin transporter is a mediator of ovulation, and inhibiting it blocks ovulation in mice. This concentration is just right Prostaglandins are known to play an important role in ovulation, but the role of prostaglandin transporter, a protein that transports prostaglandins across the cell membrane, was not well understood. By studying the process of ovulation in human cells and in mouse models, Yerushalmi et al. found that the activity of the prostaglandin transporter regulates the extracellular concentration of prostaglandin E2 in the ovarian follicles and thereby determines whether ovulation will occur. The authors also showed that inhibiting this transporter blocks ovulation in mice, suggesting that this approach may be a feasible method of contraception if these results are confirmed in humans. Prostaglandins (PGs) play an important role in the ovulatory process. However, the role of the PG transporter (PGT) in this context remains unknown. We report that the expression of PGT, a transmembrane PG carrier protein, is markedly up-regulated in preovulatory human granulosa cells (GCs). Treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), an ovulatory trigger, significantly increases the expression of PGT mRNA and protein in human GCs both in vivo and in vitro. The hCG-induced increase in the expression of PGT in cultured human GCs is mediated via protein kinase A and protein kinase C by way of the extracellular signal–regulated kinase pathway. PGT in cultured human GCs mediates the uptake of PGE2, thereby regulating its extracellular concentration. In vivo treatment of mice with PGT inhibitors effectively blocks ovulation and markedly attenuates the expression of key ovulatory genes. We hypothesize that the inhibition of PGT activity in GCs increases the extracellular concentration of PGE2, the ability of which to exert its ovulatory effect is compromised by desensitization of its cognate receptors. Together, these findings support the idea that PGT is an important mediator of ovulation and that its inhibitors may be viewed as potential candidates for nonhormonal contraception. These findings may also fill the gap in the understanding of PGT signaling, enhance the understanding of ovulatory disorders, and facilitate the treatment of infertility or subfertility in women by using nonsteroidal PG-based therapeutic approaches.
Study on dynamic computable general equilibrium model for China's real estate and macro-economy

Dynamic computable general equilibrium(CGE) model has been widely used to forecast and simulate the policy effects in medium and long term.By introducing the concept of owner occupied dwelling sector and estimating the baseline data,this paper develops a dynamic CGE model for China's real estate and macro-economy,to simulate the effects of policy in real estate market.Using 36 million units of social welfare housing project as an example,this paper shows how to calculate shocks in model based on the real policy and analyze the policy effects.Compared with traditional dynamic CGE model,this model takes the equilibrium in supply and demand in stock market into account,so that it can better simulate the policy effects on macro-economy and real estate market.
Flexible, Stretchable, and Rechargeable Fiber-Shaped Zinc-Air Battery Based on Cross-Stacked Carbon Nanotube Sheets.

The fabrication of flexible, stretchable and rechargeable devices with a high energy density is critical for next-generation electronics. Herein, fiber-shaped Zn-air batteries, are realized for the first time by designing aligned, cross-stacked and porous carbon nanotube sheets simultaneously that behave as a gas diffusion layer, a catalyst layer, and a current collector. The combined remarkable electronic and mechanical properties of the aligned carbon nanotube sheets endow good electrochemical properties. They display excellent discharge and charge performances at a high current density of 2 A g(-1) . They are also flexible and stretchable, which is particularly promising to power portable and wearable electronic devices.
mTOR activation in well differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a retrospective study on 34 cases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) are heterogeneous tumors with dramatically different prognosis. The survival is poor in patients with locally advanced or metastatic tumors. This study investigated expression and activation of mTOR in well differentiated PNET, and the relationship between mTOR activation and patients' clinicopathological characteristics. METHODOLOGY Thirty-four samples were collected from patients who underwent surgery and had pathologically confirmed well differentiated PNET in Ruijin hospital from 2003 to 2009. All patients were classified based on 2010 WHO classification criteria and followed-up for survival. mTOR and phosphorylated-mTOR (p-mTOR) expressions were investigated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS All 34 PNET patients received radical surgical resection, with 1 patient receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-five patients were classified as NET G1, and 9 were NET G2. mTOR and p-mTOR expression rates were 70.6% and 61.8%, respectively. p-mTOR positive rate correlated with the WHO classification, the patients classified as NET G2 had higher p-mTOR positive rates (p=0.012). However, a significant correlation between p-mTOR positivity and selected clinicopathological characteristics, was not observed. Twenty-six patients were followed-up for a median time of 16.8 months, but a significant correlation between mTOR activation and patients' prognosis was also not observed. CONCLUSIONS The expression of mTOR and p-mTOR is extensive in well differentiated PNET patients. Patients classified as NET G2 had a higher mTOR activation rate.
Epidemiologic Review of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Duodenoscopes, and Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Department of Veterans Affairs

ioni, Andrea Mariano, Micaela Maritti, Antonella Marzolini, Lorena Martini, Alessandro Mercuri, Emanuele Nicastri, Paola Nieddu, Silvia Ondedei, Nicola Petrosillo, Serena Quartu, Silvia Rosati, Antonio Russo, Fabrizio Taglietti, Damiano Travaglini, Maurizio Vescovo, Laura Vincenzi, and Laura Vitolo. The opinions expressed by the authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients for publication of this study and any accompanying material. Financial support: This work was supported by the Ministero della Salute, Italia-Ricerca Corrente, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico. Potential conflicts of interest: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.
Identification of myocarditogenic peptides derived from cardiac myosin capable of inducing experimental allergic myocarditis in the Lewis rat. The utility of a class II binding motif in selecting self-reactive peptides.

Cardiac myosin (CM) has been implicated as an autoantigen in the induction of experimental allergic myocarditis (EAM). At the present time no myocarditogenic peptides of CM have been identified. To identify CM peptides with myocarditogenic properties we have made use of a putative binding motif for the MHC class II molecule RT1.BI in the rat. The amino acid sequence of CM alpha-chain was scanned and found to contain nine peptides that contain this binding motif, three peptides found only in the cardiac form of myosin were chosen for further study. This manuscript describes the identification of two CM peptides capable of inducing EAM in the Lewis rat. In doing so this study demonstrates the utility of an MHC class II binding motif to (correctly) predict pathogenic, autoimmunity inducing, peptides. Peptides, CM 1, and CM 2 are the first peptides described that are capable of inducing EAM in rats. The utilization of CM 2 peptide has permitted the establishment of a long term, Ag specific cell line capable of adoptively transferring EAM. Moreover, the establishment of CM 2 specific T lymphocyte lines has permitted the description of a detailed proliferative response of a myocarditogenic cell line to a specific cardiac Ag. The identification of CM 1 and 2 formally proves that CM, and not a co-purified contaminant, is an Ag in EAM. Finally, this report documents that experimentally induced giant cell myocarditis is not a separate disease entity arising from a distinct cardiac Ag or CM epitope from regular myocarditis.
A drug burden index to define the functional burden of medications in older people.

BACKGROUND Older people carry a high burden of illness for which medications are indicated, along with increased risk of adverse drug reactions. We developed an index to determine drug burden based on pharmacologic principles. We evaluated the relationship of this index to physical and cognitive performance apart from disease indication. METHODS Data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study on 3075 well-functioning community-dwelling persons aged 70 to 79 years were analyzed by multiple linear regression to assess the cross-sectional association of drug burden index with a validated composite continuous measure for physical function, and with the Digit Symbol Substitution Test for cognitive performance. RESULTS Use of anticholinergic and sedative medications was associated with poorer physical performance score (anticholinergic exposure, 2.08 vs 2.21, P<.001; sedative exposure, 2.09 vs 2.19, P<.001) and cognitive performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (anticholinergic exposure, 34.5 vs 35.5, P = .045; sedative exposure, 34.0 vs 35.5, P = .01). Associations were strengthened when exposure was calculated by principles of dose response. An increase of 1 U in drug burden index was associated with a deficit of 0.15 point (P<.001) on the physical function scale and 1.5 points (P = .01) on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test. These values were more than 3 times those associated with a single comorbid illness. CONCLUSIONS The drug burden index demonstrates that anticholinergic and sedative drug exposure is associated with poorer function in community-dwelling older people. This pharmacologic approach provides a useful evidence-based tool for assessing the functional effect of exposure to medications in this population.
Inequality and the Emergence of Vigilante Organizations: The Case of Mexican Autodefensas

What explains the emergence of vigilante organizations? Throughout the world, vigilantes emerge to illegally punish perceived criminals, often leading to serious consequences. However, the literature presents partial and conflicting explanations for this phenomenon. This article argues that local economic inequality creates a situation ripe for vigilante organizations. Inequality creates demand for vigilantism because poorer citizens feel relatively deprived of security compared with wealthier neighbors who have advantages regarding private and public security. In addition, inequality suggests a patron-and-worker distribution of labor, and this is ideal for organizing a particular type of group, the patron-funded vigilante group. Empirical tests use original data on the 2013 wave of Mexican vigilante organizations, present in 13 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities. Municipal-level income inequality is robustly associated with organized vigilantism. Less support is found for competing explanations.
Mechanistic Insights into the Retaining Glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate Synthase from Mycobacteria*

Background: Knowledge of conformational changes occurring in glycosyltransferases is limited. Results: The active site of GpgS is essentially preformed as the protein proceeds along the catalytic cycle with the nucleotide sugar β-phosphate playing a central role in substrate binding. Conclusion: Conformational dynamics is a major determinant of GpgS activity. Significance: This model of action might be operational in other GT-A glycosyltransferases. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in our understanding of the structural basis of glycosyl transfer. Yet the nature and relevance of the conformational changes associated with substrate recognition and catalysis remain poorly understood. We have focused on the glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (GpgS), a “retaining” enzyme, that initiates the biosynthetic pathway of methylglucose lipopolysaccharides in mycobacteria. Evidence is provided that GpgS displays an unusually broad metal ion specificity for a GT-A enzyme, with Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Co2+, and Fe2+ assisting catalysis. In the crystal structure of the apo-form of GpgS, we have observed that a flexible loop adopts a double conformation LA and LI in the active site of both monomers of the protein dimer. Notably, the LA loop geometry corresponds to an active conformation and is conserved in two other relevant states of the enzyme, namely the GpgS·metal·nucleotide sugar donor and the GpgS·metal·nucleotide·acceptor-bound complexes, indicating that GpgS is intrinsically in a catalytically active conformation. The crystal structure of GpgS in the presence of Mn2+·UDP·phosphoglyceric acid revealed an alternate conformation for the nucleotide sugar β-phosphate, which likely occurs upon sugar transfer. Structural, biochemical, and biophysical data point to a crucial role of the β-phosphate in donor and acceptor substrate binding and catalysis. Altogether, our experimental data suggest a model wherein the catalytic site is essentially preformed, with a few conformational changes of lateral chain residues as the protein proceeds along the catalytic cycle. This model of action may be applicable to a broad range of GT-A glycosyltransferases.
Loss of centromeric histone H3 (CENH3) from centromeres precedes uniparental chromosome elimination in interspecific barley hybrids

Uniparental chromosome elimination occurs in several interspecific hybrids of plants. We studied the mechanism underlying selective elimination of the paternal chromosomes during the early development of Hordeum vulgare × Hordeum bulbosum embryos. The following conclusions regarding the role of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant (CENH3) in the process of chromosome elimination were drawn: (i) centromere inactivity of H. bulbosum chromosomes triggers the mitosis-dependent process of uniparental chromosome elimination in unstable H. vulgare × H. bulbosum hybrids; (ii) centromeric loss of CENH3 protein rather than uniparental silencing of CENH3 genes causes centromere inactivity; (iii) in stable species combinations, cross-species incorporation of CENH3 occurs despite centromere-sequence differences, and not all CENH3 variants get incorporated into centromeres if multiple CENH3s are present in species combinations; and (iv) diploid barley species encode two CENH3 variants, the proteins of which are intermingled within centromeres throughout mitosis and meiosis.
Optical Differentiator Based on an Integrated Sidewall Phase-Shifted Bragg Grating

We report the implementation of an all-optical temporal differentiator based on an integrated phase-shifted Bragg grating (PSBG) in a compact single-mode silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide. The integrated PSBG is designed to have a wide reflection notch by creating deep corrugations on the sidewalls of the ridge. The device is fabricated using a CMOS compatible process with 248-nm deep ultraviolet lithography. An experiment is performed. The use of the integrated PSBG for the implementation of an all-optical temporal differentiator is demonstrated.
Bone Signaling in Middle Ear Development: A Genome‐Wide Differential Expression Analysis

Common middle ear diseases may affect bone behavior in the middle ear air cell system. To understand this pathologic pneumatization, the normal development of bone in the middle ear should be investigated. The objective of this study was to analyze gene expression of bone‐related signaling factors and gene sets in the developing middle ear. Microarray technology was used to identify bone‐related genes and gene sets, which were differentially expressed between the lining tissue of adult (quiescent) bulla and young (resorbing/forming) bulla. Data were analyzed using tools of bioinformatics and expression levels of selected genes were validated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The candidate gene products were compared with previously published data on middle ear bone metabolism. No differentially expressed genes were found on the outer surface of bulla. On the inner lining a total of 260 genes were identified of which 22 genes were involved in bone metabolism. Gene set analysis revealed five enriched bone‐related gene sets. The identified differentially expressed bone‐related mRNAs and gene sets are of potential significance in the normally developing bulla. These factors and gene sets may also play important roles during pathologic pneumatization of the middle ear air cell system in common middle ear diseases. In addition, this study suggests that the control of growth rate and wall thickness from resorptive as well as formative signals all originate from the inner lining cells of the bulla wall. Anat Rec, 297:2349–2355, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of S12 ribosomal mutations on peptide chain elongation in Escherichia coli: a hydrostatic pressure study

Protein synthesis in Escherichia coli mutants that differ from one another in mutations which impart streptomycin resistance was investigated by the application of hydrostatic pressure. Increased pressure resistance was only observed in mutants which exhibited reduced rates of peptide chain elongation. These findings indicate that the major effect of pressure on protein synthesis in E. coli may involve the S12 ribosomal protein.
You can't Keep a Good Parasite Down: Evolution of a Male-Killer Suppressor Uncovers Cytoplasmic Incompatibility

Abstract Maternally inherited parasites are known to impose a wide variety of reproductive manipulations upon their host. These often produce strong selection on the host to suppress the parasite, resulting in a reduction in the frequency of the parasite. However, in the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina, infected with a Wolbachia bacterium, field data demonstrate that suppression of the male-killing phenotype does not depress parasite frequency. Here we test and verify one hypothesis to explain this apparent paradox—Wolbachia induces a second phenotype, Cytoplasmic Incompatibility (CI), in populations where host suppression has evolved. We further demonstrate that the capacity to induce CI has not evolved de novo, but instead is instantaneously expressed upon the survival of infected males. The significance of these results is threefold: (1) multiple phenotypes can provide Wolbachia with the means to maintain itself in a host following suppression of a single manipulative phenotype; (2) the ability to induce CI can remain hidden in systems in which male-killing is observed, just as the ability to induce male-killing may be obscured in strains exhibiting CI; (3) the evolutionary maintenance of CI in a system in which it is not expressed suggests a functional link with male-killing or other traits under selection.
Abnormal brain processing of pain in migraine without aura: A high-density EEG brain mapping study

In the present study we used high-density EEG brain mapping to investigate spatio-temporal aspects of brain activity in response to experimentally induced muscle pain in 17 patients with migraine without aura and 15 healthy controls. Painful electrical stimuli were applied to the trapezius muscle and somatosensory-evoked potentials were recorded with 128-channel EEG with and without concurrent induced tonic neck/shoulder muscle pain. At baseline, the calculated P300 dipole for single stimuli was localized in the cingulate cortex. In patients, but not in controls, the dipole changed position from baseline to the tonic muscle pain condition (z = 29 mm vs. z = −13 mm, P < 0.001) and from baseline to the post-tonic muscle pain condition (z = 29 mm vs. z = −9 mm, P < 0.001). This may be the first evidence that the supraspinal processing of muscle pain is abnormal in patients with migraine without aura.
Resurfacing of articular cartilage explants with genetically-modified human chondrocytes in vitro.

OBJECTIVE We are attempting to genetically-modify chondrocytes transplanted to cartilage in vitro as a prelude to gene therapy trials in patients with osteoarthritis. DESIGN With human cartilage and chondrocytes, we have explored the duration of binding of chondrocytes to cartilage in vitro and the expression of the beta-galactosidase gene introduced into the chondrocytes through infection with an adenoviral vector both before and after transplant of the chondrocytes to cartilage. RESULTS Transplanted chondrocytes continued to bind to cartilage explants at 45 days in our longest trial. We could successfully infect chondrocytes with adenovirus at least 35 days after we transplanted the chondrocytes to cartilage. Expression of the beta-galactosidase gene continued throughout the duration of each trial. CONCLUSIONS These results raise the possibility of repairing and rebuilding cartilage by resurfacing the cartilage with genetically modified chondrocytes. The ability to infect chondrocytes well after transplant raises the possibility of repeated infections of surface chondrocytes as an alternative to repeated injections of chondrocytes into the joint space.