Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ATP Synthase Is Necessary for Microcin H47 Antibiotic Action

ABSTRACT Microcin H47 is a gene-encoded peptide antibiotic produced by a natural Escherichia coli strain isolated in Uruguay. In order to identify cellular components necessary for its antibiotic action, microcin H47-resistant mutants isolated in this work, as well as previously described mutants affected in membrane proteins, were analyzed. These studies indicated that (i) receptor outer membrane proteins for ferric-catechol siderophores would be involved in microcin-specific binding to the cell surface, (ii) the TonB pathway is needed for microcin H47 uptake, and (iii) the presence of the ATP synthase complex is necessary for microcin action. The possibility that this last structure contains the antibiotic target is discussed.
Do fixed-term and temporary agency workers feel socially excluded? Labour market integration and social well-being in Germany

In this study we examine how employment insecurity affects social exclusion using data from the German panel study PASS. Assuming that secure employment is an important condition for the subjective feeling of social affiliation, we compare unemployed individuals and those in fixed-term, temporary agency or permanent employment. Applying hybrid random effects regression models we find that temporary workers feel less affiliated to society than permanent workers. This finding cannot be fully explained by economic and social resources or job status. We discuss alternative mechanisms, such as reduced life-course predictability and processes of social exclusion at the workplace.
The Role of Hypoxia‐Inducible Factors in Organ Donation and Transplantation: The Current Perspective and Future Opportunities

Hypoxia‐inducible factors are the universal cellular oxygen‐sensitive transcription factors that activate a number of hypoxia responsive genes, some of which are responsible for protective cellular functions. During organ donation, allografts are exposed to significant periods of hypoxia and ischemia. Exploiting this pathway during donor management and organ preservation could prevent and reduce allograft injury and improve the outcomes of organ transplantation. We review the evidence on this pathway in organ preservation, drawing on experimental studies on donor management and ischemia reperfusion injury focusing on kidney, liver, cardiac and lung transplantation. We review the major technical and experimental challenges in exploring this pathway and suggest potential future avenues for research.
Prospective Comparison of the Use of Sirolimus and Cyclosporine in Recipients of a Kidney From an Expanded Criteria Donor

A 6-month, open-label, multicenter prospective pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effects of sirolimus (SRL) versus cyclosporine (CsA) in recipients of kidneys from expanded criteria donors. All patients also received antithymocyte globulins induction, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. Sixty-nine patients (33 SRL, 36 CsA) were randomized. More patient were withdrawn in the SRL group (16 vs. 6, P<0.01), because of delayed graft function and surgical complications. Delayed graft function tended to be more frequent with SRL than with CsA (45.4% vs. 30.6%, P=0.22). Graft survival was numerically lower in the SRL group (87.5% vs. 97%, P=0.19). At 6 months, there were no significant differences in biopsy-proven acute rejection or calculated creatinine clearance (SRL 12.1% vs. CsA 8.3%; P=0.7 and 44.7±16.6 vs. 41.9±15.2 mL/min; P=0.54 respectively). These results do not support the use of SRL immediately after transplantation in expanded criteria donor recipients.
Problem-solving therapy to improve depression scores among older hemodialysis patients: a pilot randomized trial.

AIMS Depression is common among dialysis patients and is associated with adverse outcomes. Problem-solving therapy (PST) is effective for treating depression in older patients with chronic illness, but its effectiveness has never been reported in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We investigated the feasibility and satisfaction of PST and its impact on depression scores among older HD patients. METHODS Patients at least 60 years of age receiving maintenance HD at a single outpatient dialysis center were eligible for the study. Randomized patients received either 6 weeks of PST from a licensed renal social worker or usual care. This study modeled the staff-patient ratio standard of most dialysis clinics, and therefore only one social worker provided the interventions. Study outcomes included feasibility (successful completion of 6 weekly sessions) and patient satisfaction with PST as well as impact on depression scores (between-group comparison of mean Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores at 6 weeks, and of mean change-from-baseline scores). RESULTS The recruitment rate was 92% (35/38). All subjects randomized to the intervention arm (n = 17) and who initiated PST (n = 15) completed the study, and all reported overall satisfaction with the intervention. 87% reported that PST helped them to better solve problems and improved their ability to cope with their medical condition. At 6 weeks, there were no significant differences in mean BDI and PHQ scores between the usual care and the intervention group (BDI 11.3 vs. 9.3, p = 0.6; PHQ 5.7 vs. 3.3, p = 0.1). Mean change-from-baseline depression scores were significantly improved in the intervention group relative to the control group (change in BDI 6.3 vs.- 0.6, p = 0.004; change in PHQ 7.2 vs. 0.3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that PST is feasible in the dialysis unit setting, acceptable to patients, and may positively impact depression among maintenance hemodialysis patients.
NMDA‐induced superoxide production and neurotoxicity in cultured rat hippocampal neurons: role of mitochondria

Excitotoxic mechanisms are believed to be involved in the death of neurons after trauma, epileptic seizures and cerebral ischaemia. We investigated the role of mitochondrial superoxide production in excitotoxic cell death of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Brief exposure to the selective glutamate agonist N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA; 100–300 μm, 10 min) induced significant neuronal death, which was sensitive to cycloheximide (1 μm) and the caspase‐1 inhibitor, acetyl‐Tyr‐Val‐Ala‐Asp‐chloromethylketone (10 μm). Intracellular superoxide production was monitored semiquantitatively on sister cultures from the same platings using the oxidation‐sensitive probe, hydroethidine. Brief exposures to toxic NMDA concentrations induced significant increases in superoxide production which correlated with the degree of neuronal injury. However, subtoxic NMDA exposures also produced moderate, yet statistically significant increases in superoxide production. Both NMDA‐induced superoxide production and neurotoxicity were reduced by inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport using either sodium cyanide (1 mm), or a combination of rotenone (2 μm) and oligomycin (2 μm). The mitochondrial uncoupler carbonyl cyanide p‐trifluoromethoxy‐phenylhydrazone (FCCP, 1 μm) mimicked the effect of NMDA on mitochondrial superoxide production. Both NMDA‐induced superoxide production and neurotoxicity were potentiated by FCCP (1 μm). Exposure to FCCP alone (1–10 μm, 10 min), however, failed to produce any toxicity. Our data suggest that mitochondrial superoxide production per se is not sufficient to trigger the degeneration of cultured hippocampal neurons, but that manipulation of mitochondrial activity alters NMDA‐induced superoxide production and neurotoxicity.
Effects of Population Redistribution on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The objective of this research was to analyze how population dynamics affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We assessed the effects of population redistribution resulting from the South Korean government’s decentralization efforts on GHG emissions. Simulation results suggest that the direction of change in total GHG emissions depends on the share of the population redistributed from higher to lower population density regions. If the entire redistributed population of 877,000 persons expected from the government’s decentralization project were from the Seoul Area, annual carbon dioxide emission (CO2e) would increase by 1.72 percent to 2.25 percent compared to benchmark levels. Alternatively, more balanced migration between higher and lower population density regions, that is, 65 percent of the 877,000 persons from higher-density locations to lower-density destinations and 35 percent from lower-density to higher-density regions, decreases CO2e by 1.68 percent to 2.50 percent.
A lipophilic statin, pitavastatin, suppresses inflammation‐associated mouse colon carcinogenesis

3‐Hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase inhibitors are known to modulate carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether a lipophilic HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitor pitavastatin suppresses inflammation‐related mouse colon carcinogenesis. Male CD‐1 (ICR) mice were initiated with a single intraperitoneal injection of azoxymethane (AOM, 10 mg/kg body weight) and promoted by 2% (w/v) dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. The experimental diets containing pitavastatin at 2 dose levels (1 and 10 ppm) were fed to male CD‐1 (ICR) mice for 17 weeks, staring 1 week after the cessation of DSS exposure. The effects of dietary pitavastatin on colonic tumor development were assessed at Weeks 5, 10 and 20. Feeding with pitavastatin at both doses significantly inhibited the multiplicity of colonic adenocarcinoma at Week 20. Furthermore, the treatment significantly lowered the positive rates of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and increased the apoptotic index in the colonic epithelial malignancies. The treatment also reduced nitrotyrosine‐positivity in the colonic mucosa. Our findings thus show that pitavastatin is effective in inhibiting colitis‐related colon carcinogenesis through modulation of mucosal inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress, and cell proliferation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Densely tracking sequences of 3D face scans

3D face dense tracking aims to find dense inter-frame correspondences in a sequence of 3D face scans and constitutes a powerful tool for many face analysis tasks, e.g., 3D dynamic facial expression analysis. The majority of the existing methods just fit a 3D face surface or model to a 3D target surface without considering temporal information between frames. In this paper, we propose a novel method for densely tracking sequences of 3D face scans, which ex- tends the non-rigid ICP algorithm by adding a novel specific criterion for temporal information. A novel fitting framework is presented for automatically tracking a full sequence of 3D face scans. The results of experiments carried out on the BU4D-FE database are promising, showing that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms for 3D face dense tracking.
Dorsal Wrist Pain in the Extended Wrist-Loading Position: An MRI Study

Abstract Background The etiology of dorsal wrist pain associated with loading of the wrist in extension has not been clearly identified in the literature. Purpose Many exercise disciplines incorporate upper extremity weight-bearing exercises in an extended wrist posture, for example push-ups, plank position, and various yoga and Pilates poses. This study evaluates patients with dorsal wrist pain in the extended wrist-loading position and identifies anatomic abnormalities in the wrist using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods A retrospective chart review was performed comparing MRI of patients who complained of dorsal wrist pain while performing weight bearing in a wrist extension position with a control group of patients who complained of ulnar-sided wrist pain. The primary MRI outcome was dorsal wrist pathology, including occult dorsal ganglion cyst, scapholunate ligament tear or degeneration, and dorsal capsulitis. Results Dorsal wrist pathology was significantly more prevalent in patients with dorsal wrist pain (84%) than in the patient cohort with ulnar-sided wrist pain (12%). Occult dorsal ganglion cysts were the most common sources of pathology (76%). Conclusion MRI demonstrated an identifiable dorsal abnormality in 84% of patients with dorsal wrist pain associated with weight bearing on the extended wrist. Occult dorsal ganglion cysts are the most common cause of dorsal wrist pain, followed by partial scapholunate tears. When patients complain of dorsal wrist pain during specific extended loading wrist positions such as push-ups, yoga, or Pilates poses, an MRI may be warranted to help identify anatomic abnormalities that may help guide treatment choices. Level of Evidence Diagnostic, Level III.
Sleeping through the night: a developmental perspective.

This study examines falling asleep and night waking in human infants during the first 8 months of life. All-night time-lapse video recordings were obtained at 3 weeks and 3 months of age; a Sleep Habits Interview was completed at these ages and repeated at 8 months of age by telephone interview. At the 3-week and 3-month ages, self-report measures of maternal psychologic distress, depression, and self-esteem were also obtained. The data are examined from both cross-sectional (age group) and longitudinal (individual) perspectives. Parent-infant interactions at bedtime and during the middle of the night changed significantly with increasing age. At 3 weeks of age, most infants were put into their cribs for the night already asleep. When they awakened in the middle of the night, they were removed from their cribs. By the time they returned to their cribs, they were again asleep. By 3 months of age, infants who were put into the crib awake at bedtime and allowed to fall asleep on their own were more likely to return to sleep on their own after awakenings later in the night. In contrast, infants who were put into the crib already asleep at the beginning of the night were significantly more likely to be removed from the crib following a subsequent nighttime awakening. Thus, the pattern of bedtime sleep onset was related to sleep onset following an awakening in the middle of the night. This association was present at 8 months as well. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Intrinsic Oxygen Use Kinetics of Transformed Plant Root Culture

Root meristem oxygen uptake, root tip extension rate, and specific growth rate are assessed as a function of dissolved oxygen level for three transformed root cultures. The influence of hydrodynamic boundary layer was considered for all measurements to permit correlation of oxygen‐dependent kinetics with the concentration of oxygen at the surface of the root meristem. Oxygen uptake rate is shown to be saturated at ambient conditions, and a saturation level of approximately 300 μmole O2/(cm3 tissue·hr) was observed for all three of these morphologically diverse root types. In nearly all cases, the observation of a minimum oxygen pressure, below which respiration, extension, or root growth would not occur, could be accounted for as a boundary layer mass transfer resistance. The critical oxygen pressure below which respiration declines is below saturated ambient oxygen conditions. In contrast, critical oxygen pressures for root tip extension were much higher; extension was nearly linear for the two thicker root types (Hyoscyamus muticus, henbain; Solanum tuberosum, potato) above ambient oxygen levels. The performance of the thinnest root, Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) was consistent with reduced internal limitations for oxygen transport. Extension rates did not correlate with biomass accumulation. The fastest growing henbain culture (μ = 0.44 day−1) displayed the slowest extension rate (0.16 mm/hr), and the slowest growing mustard culture (μ = 0.22 day−1) had the fastest tip extension rate (0.3 mm/hr). This apparent paradox is explained in terms of root branching patterns, where the root branching ratio is shown to be dependent upon the oxygen‐limited mersitem extension rate. The implications of these observations on the performance of root culture in bioreactors is discussed.
Efficacy of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Improving Glycemic Control and Reducing Hypoglycemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in improving glycemic control and reducing hypoglycemia compared to self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG). Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and Scopus for randomized trials of adults and children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM or T2DM). Pairs of reviewers independently selected studies, assessed methodological quality, and extracted data. Meta-analytic estimates of treatment effects were generated using a random-effects model. Results: Nineteen trials were eligible and provided data for meta-analysis. Overall, CGM was associated with a significant reduction in mean hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c; weighted mean difference (WMD) of −0.27% (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.44 to −0.10)]. This was true for adults with T1DM as well as T2DM [WMD −0.50% (95% CI −0.69 to −0.30) and −0.70 (95% CI, −1.14 to −0.27), respectively]. No significant effect was noted in children and adolescents. There was no significant difference in HbA1c reduction between studies of real-time versus non-real-time devices (WMD −0.22%, 95% CI, −0.59 to 0.15 versus −0.30%, 95% CI, −0.49 to −0.10; p for interaction 0.71). The quality of evidence was moderate due to imprecision, suggesting increased risk for bias. Data for the incidence of severe or nocturnal hypoglycemia were sparse and imprecise. In studies that reported patient satisfaction, users felt confident about the device and gave positive reviews. Conclusion: Continuous glucose monitoring seems to help improve glycemic control in adults with T1DM and T2DM. The effect on hypoglycemia incidence is imprecise and unclear. Larger trials with longer follow-up are needed to assess the efficacy of CGM in reducing patient-important complications without significantly increasing the burden of care for patients with diabetes.
Metabolic cost of running barefoot versus shod: is lighter better?

PURPOSE Based on mass alone, one might intuit that running barefoot would exact a lower metabolic cost than running in shoes. Numerous studies have shown that adding mass to shoes increases submaximal oxygen uptake (V˙O(2)) by approximately 1% per 100 g per shoe. However, only two of the seven studies on the topic have found a statistically significant difference in V˙O(2) between barefoot and shod running. The lack of difference found in these studies suggests that factors other than shoe mass (e.g., barefoot running experience, foot strike pattern, shoe construction) may play important roles in determining the metabolic cost of barefoot versus shod running. Our goal was to quantify the metabolic effects of adding mass to the feet and compare oxygen uptake and metabolic power during barefoot versus shod running while controlling for barefoot running experience, foot strike pattern, and footwear. METHODS Twelve males with substantial barefoot running experience ran at 3.35 m·s with a midfoot strike pattern on a motorized treadmill, both barefoot and in lightweight cushioned shoes (∼150 g per shoe). In additional trials, we attached small lead strips to each foot/shoe (∼150, ∼300, and ∼450 g). For each condition, we measured the subjects' rates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production and calculated metabolic power. RESULTS V˙O(2) increased by approximately 1% for each 100 g added per foot, whether barefoot or shod (P < 0.001). However, barefoot and shod running did not significantly differ in V˙O(2) or metabolic power. A consequence of these two findings was that for footwear conditions of equal mass, shod running had ∼3%-4% lower V˙O(2) and metabolic power demand than barefoot running (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Running barefoot offers no metabolic advantage over running in lightweight, cushioned shoes.
Activation of Wnt signaling in the intestinal mucosa of Apc+/min mice does not cause overexpression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Met

The receptor tyrosine kinase MET is overexpressed in human colorectal adenomas and carcinomas, suggesting an instrumental role for MET signaling in the onset and progression of colorectal cancer. To corroborate this role, animal models are needed. To study the expression of Met in the normal and neoplastic mouse intestine, we generated an Armenian hamster monoclonal antibody against mouse Met. By using this antibody in immunohistochemical studies, we observed strong Met expression in fetal mouse intestinal epithelial cells. In contrast, in the intestines of adult mice, Met expression was very low whereas the protein was undetectable on the neoplastic epithelium of intestinal adenomas in Apc+/min mice. By immunoblotting, we were also unable to detect Met in intestinal adenomas, whereas Met mRNA levels in microdissected adenomas were very low. The absence of detectable Met protein expression in adenomas of Apc+/min mice contrasts sharply with the vast overexpression of the protein in adenomas of humans with familial adenomatous polyposis or sporadic colorectal carcinomas. Our results imply that deregulation of Wnt signaling in mouse − unlike in human − intestinal epithelium does not result in Met overexpression. Our findings thus reveal important interspecies differences in the regulation of Met expression during intestinal tumorigenesis. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 710–715)
Discriminative Topic Sparse Representation for Text Categorization

In text categorization, feature representation for dimensionality reduction is a key step. Usually, some commonly used methods, e.g., latent semantic analysis (LSA), yield a dense representation or a dense transformation matrix, which is difficult to precisely characterize the document-topic or the topic-word relationship. This paper proposes a novel discriminative topic sparse representation (DTSR) approach for text categorization, in which two stages are included: the topic dictionary construction and sparse representation. Firstly, a discriminative and interpretable dictionary is constructed to characterize the topic-word relationship. The dictionary contains all category center vectors as well as some semantic topic vectors generated by a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model. Furthermore, each document can be represented with a sparse form to obtain a good document-topic relationship. Experimental results on well-known benchmark datasets indicate that the proposed method not only achieves a satisfactory classification performance but also provides a reasonable sparse semantic meaningful.