Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-1 Activate Translation of Overlapping Sets of mRNAs, Including That of the Negative Regulator of Inflammation, MCPIP1*

Background: The role of translational control mechanisms in gene expression during inflammation is incompletely understood. Results: The proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-17 activate translation of certain mRNAs, including that of MCPIP1, a negative regulator of inflammation. Conclusion: Translational activation of MCPIP1 contributes to changes in gene expression induced by IL-1 and IL-17. Significance: Translational control may determine physiological and pathological consequences of inflammation. Changes in gene expression during inflammation are in part caused by post-transcriptional mechanisms. A transcriptome-wide screen for changes in ribosome occupancy indicated that the inflammatory cytokine IL-17 activates translation of a group of mRNAs that overlaps partially with those affected similarly by IL-1. Included are mRNAs of IκBζ and of MCPIP1, important regulators of the quality and course of immune and inflammatory responses. Evidence for increased ribosome association of these mRNAs was also obtained in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Like IL-1, IL-17 activated translation of IκBζ mRNA by counteracting the function of a translational silencing element in its 3′-UTR defined previously. Translational silencing of MCPIP1 mRNA in unstimulated cells resulted from the combined suppressive activities of its 5′-UTR, which contains upstream open reading frames, and of its 3′-UTR, which silences independently of the 5′-UTR. Only the silencing function of the 3′-UTR was counteracted by IL-17 as well as by IL-1. Translational silencing by the 3′-UTR was dependent on a putative stem-loop-forming region previously associated with rapid degradation of the mRNA. The results suggest that translational control exerted by IL-1 and IL-17 plays an important role in the coordination of an inflammatory reaction.
Smooth muscle of telokin-deficient mice exhibits increased sensitivity to Ca2+ and decreased cGMP-induced relaxation

Cyclic nucleotides can relax smooth muscle without a change in [Ca2+]i, a phenomenon termed Ca2+ desensitization, contributing to vasodilation, gastrointestinal motility, and airway resistance. The physiological importance of telokin, a 17-kDa smooth muscle-specific protein and target for cyclic nucleotide-induced Ca2+ desensitization, was determined in telokin null mice bred to a congenic background. Telokin null ileal smooth muscle homogenates compared to wild type exhibited an ≈30% decrease in myosin light-chain phosphatase (MLCP) activity, which was reflected in a significant leftward shift (up to 2-fold at pCa 6.3) of the Ca2+ force relationship accompanied by an increase in myosin light-chain phosphorylation. No difference in the Ca2+ force relationship occurred in telokin WT and knockout (KO) aortas, presumably reflecting the normally ≈5-fold lower telokin content in aorta vs. ileum smooth muscle. Ca2+ desensitization of contractile force by 8-Br-cGMP was attenuated by 50% in telokin KO intestinal smooth muscle. The rate of force relaxation reflecting MLCP activity, in the presence of 50 μM 8-Br-cGMP, was also significantly slowed in telokin KO vs. WT ileum and was rescued by recombinant telokin. Normal thick filaments in telokin KO smooth muscles indicate that telokin is not required for filament formation or stability. Results indicate that a primary role of telokin is to modulate force through increasing MLCP activity and that this effect is further potentiated through phosphorylation by cGMP in telokin-rich smooth tissues.
Feasibility of a 6-Month Exercise and Recreation Program to Improve Executive Functioning and Memory in Individuals With Chronic Stroke

Background. Physical activity is beneficial for improving cognitive function in healthy older adults. However, research results on the benefits of physical activity on cognitive performance after stroke are limited. Objective. To determine if a combined exercise and recreation program can improve the executive functioning and memory of individuals with chronic stroke. Methods. In all, 11 ambulatory participants with chronic stroke (mean age 67 ± 10.8 years) participated in a 6-month program of exercise for 2 hours and recreation for 1 hour weekly. Executive functions and memory were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months by a battery of standard neuropsychological tests, including response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, dual task (motor plus cognitive), and memory. Motor ability was also assessed. Nonparametric statistics were used to obtain the differences between the 3 assessments. Results . At baseline, substantial deficits in all aspects of executive functioning were revealed. From baseline to 3 months, the mean improvement was 10% ± 14% for the dual task (Walking While Talking), -3% ± 22% (χ 2 = 2.4; P > .05) for response inhibition (Stroop Test), and 61% ± 69% for memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test—long delay). From baseline to 6 months, the mean improvement was 7% ± 7.5% for response inhibition (Stroop Test). In addition, knee strength and walking speed improved significantly at 3 months. Conclusions. This pilot study suggests that exercise and recreation may improve memory and executive functions of community-dwelling individuals with stroke. Further studies require a larger sample size and a control group.
Impact of Wild Loci on the Allergenic Potential of Cultivated Tomato Fruits

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most extensively consumed vegetables but, unfortunately, it is also able to induce allergic reactions. In the past, it has been shown that the choice of tomato cultivar significantly influenced the allergic reaction of tomato allergic subjects. In this study we investigated the allergenic potential of the cultivated tomato line M82 and of two selected lines carrying small chromosome regions from the wild species Solanum pennellii (i.e. IL7-3 and IL12-4). We evaluated the positive interactions of IgEs of allergic subjects in order to investigate the different allergenic potential of the lines under investigation. We used proteomic analyses in order to identify putative tomato allergens. In addition, bioinformatic and transcriptomic approaches were applied in order to analyse the structure and the expression profiles of the identified allergen-encoding genes. These analyses demonstrated that fruits harvested from the two selected introgression lines harbour a different allergenic potential as those from the cultivated genotype M82. The different allergenicity found within the three lines was mostly due to differences in the IgE recognition of a polygalacturonase enzyme (46 kDa), one of the major tomato allergens, and of a pectin methylesterase (34 kDa); both the proteins were more immunoreactive in IL7-3 compared to IL12-4 and M82. The observed differences in the allergenic potential were mostly due to line-dependent translational control or post-translational modifications of the allergens. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the introgression from a wild species (S. pennellii) in the genomic background of a cultivated tomato line influences the allergenic properties of the fruits. Our findings could support the isolation of favorable wild loci promoting low allergenic potential in tomato.
Comparison of techniques for estimating shear-wave velocity in arterial wall using shear-wave elastography - FEM and phantom study

Shear-wave elastography (SWE) enables noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of human soft tissue. Generally, shear wave velocity (CS) can be estimated using the time-of-flight method (TM). Young's modulus is then calculated directly from the estimated CS. However, because shear waves in thin-layered media (e.g., arterial walls) propagate as guided waves, CS cannot be accurately estimated using the general TM. To overcome this problem, the Lamb-theory-based method (LM) was recently proposed. In this study, we performed both experimental and finite-element (FE) analyses to evaluate the advantage of LM over TM. In FE analysis, we investigated why the general TM is ineffective for thin-layered media. In phantom experiments, CS results estimated using the two methods were compared for 1.5% and 2% agar plate and tube phantoms. The results indicated good agreement between LM (plate phantoms 5.0m/s for 1.5% agar and 7.2m/s for 2% agar; tube phantoms 5.3m/s for 1.5% agar and 7.3m/s for 2% agar) and SWE measurements (bulk phantoms 5.3m/s ± 0.27 for 1.5% agar and 7.3m/s ± 0.54 for 2% agar).
Reduction in Pancreatic Transcription Factor PDX-1 Impairs Glucose-stimulated Insulin Secretion*

Complete lack of transcription factor PDX-1 leads to pancreatic agenesis, whereas heterozygosity for PDX-1 mutations has been recently noted in some individuals with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) and in some individuals with type 2 diabetes. To determine how alterations in PDX-1 affect islet function, we examined insulin secretion and islet physiology in mice with one PDX-1 allele inactivated. PDX-1+/− mice had a normal fasting blood glucose and pancreatic insulin content but had impaired glucose tolerance and secreted less insulin during glucose tolerance testing. The expression of PDX-1 and glucose transporter 2 in islets from PDX-1+/−mice was reduced to 68 and 55%, respectively, whereas glucokinase expression was not significantly altered. NAD(P)H generation in response to glucose was reduced by 30% in PDX-1+/− mice. The in situ perfused pancreas of PDX-1+/− mice secreted about 45% less insulin when stimulated with 16.7 mm glucose. The Km for insulin release was similar in wild type and PDX-1+/− mice. Insulin secretion in response to 20 mm arginine was unchanged; the response to 10 nm glucagon-like peptide-1 was slightly increased. However, insulin secretory responses to 10 mm 2-ketoisocaproate and 20 mm KCl were significantly reduced (by 61 and 66%, respectively). These results indicate that a modest reduction in PDX-1 impairs several events in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (such as NAD(P)H generation, mitochondrial function, and/or mobilization of intracellular Ca2+) and that PDX-1 is important for normal function of adult pancreatic islets.
Late effects of locally delivered mitomycin C on formation of neointima and on vasomotor response to acetylcholine

BackgroundBalloon angioplasty damages endothelial cells and stimulates smooth muscle cell proliferation. The effects of local cytotoxic drug therapy on formation of neointima and late endothelial function are not known. This study was designed to determine whether direct infusion of mitomycin C via a microporous balloon catheter could significantly reduce formation of neointima after angioplasty. Furthermore, we investigated whether endothelial cell function is normal 7 weeks after the initial microporous angioplasty procedure. MethodsIn 34 New Zealand white rabbits, bilateral external iliac arteries underwent balloon angioplasty, followed by either high-dose (0.66 mg/kg) or low-dose (0.025 mg/kg) mitomycin C in one iliac artery and saline infusion in the contralateral artery, and a control group was given saline in both vessels. Formation of neointima was measured in the iliac arteries after 7 weeks by morphometry. Before sacrifice of 17 'angioplasty' rabbits and three undamaged rabbits, graded doses of acetylcholine and isosorbide dinitrate were infused in the distal aorta, and the iliac artery diameter was measured by computerized quantitative angiography. ResultsNo significant differences in the absolute area of the intima or the intima: media ratio were demonstrated between control arteries and arteries that were directly infused with either high-dose or low-dose mitomycin. However, within the high-dose group, the mitomycin-treated vessel had a significantly lesser extent of formation of intimal hyperplasia (0.17 ± 0.03 versus 0.27 ± 0.03 mm2, P < 0.03) and lower intima: media area ratio (0.60 ± 0.31 versus 1.09 ± 0.42, P < 0.03) than the contralateral saline-treated vessel. Significant increases in mean luminal iliac artery diameter [0.18mm (10.5%) at 1 min and 0.23mm (13%) at 3 min, P < 0.05)] from baseline values following acetylcholine were observed in previously damaged iliac arteries. This vasodilatory response was not different from that in undamaged arteries. ConclusionsLocal delivery of mitomycin C had no favorable effect on the inhibition of intimal hyperplasia compared with control saline-treated arteries. Normal endothelial function, determined on the basis of dilatory response to acetylcholine, can be demonstrated 7 weeks after balloon angioplasty injury.
Models Of Infringement:the Commission Of The European Union And Its Relationship With European Union Member States

This thesis is designed to explore the complex question of compliance within the European Union. The European Union relies on the voluntary submission of it members to rules that the organization sets up. Other international organizations operate through this dynamic as well. As such, it is highly important to shed light, through research, on why states comply with the rules set forth by the organizations they belong to. Why do states comply in the European Union? There are many channels of research currently looking at this question. This thesis seeks to examine the European Commission’s role in ensuring compliance in the European Union. The Commission is the chief enforcer and monitor within the European Union; as such, it is a critical component in the examination of state’s compliance behavior. In order to examine the question of compliance within the European Union a researcher is forced to look at an alternative variable. Compliance is not measurable in a direct fashion and thus some proxy measure must be constructed in order to research it. The conduct of the Commission with regards to suspected and actual Member State violations of treaty obligations offers such a variable. Using data drawn from a variety of sources including the European Commission itself and a framework of research drawn from Mbaye’s Why National States Comply with Supranational Law (2001) this thesis finds that no single explanatory variable is responsible for Member State compliance with the rules and laws of the European Union. Rather several factors are at work and must be looked at. This thesis finds moderate support for several hypotheses sourced from the extant literature on the subject of compliance through the models proposed herein. Other hypotheses do not hold up as well under scrutiny.
Responses to Interracial Interactions Over Time

The current work tested and expanded on Plant and Devine’s (2003) model of the antecedents and implications of interracial anxiety by examining people’s experiences with interracial interactions at two time points. Study 1 explored non-Black people’s responses to interactions with Black people and Study 2 explored Black people’s responses to interactions with White people. Non-Black participants’ expectancies about coming across as biased in interracial interactions and Black participants’ expectancies about White people’s bias predicted their interracial anxiety and whether they had positive interactions with outgroup members during the 2 weeks between assessments. Across both studies, interracial anxiety predicted the desire to avoid interactions with outgroup members. In addition, participants who were personally motivated to respond without prejudice reported more positive expectancies. The findings are discussed in terms of the implications for understanding the course and quality of interracial interactions.
Dietary N-nitroso compounds, endogenous nitrosation, and the risk of esophageal and gastric cancer subtypes in the Netherlands Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Dietary N-nitroso compounds and endogenous nitrosation are important carcinogenic factors, but human evidence of their role is scarce for esophageal cancer and inconsistent for gastric cancer. OBJECTIVE We studied the relation between risks of esophageal and gastric cancer subtypes and dietary intake of N-nitrosodimethylamine, heme iron, nitrite, and nitrate in the Netherlands Cohort Study. DESIGN A total of 120,852 men and women aged 55-69 y were recruited in 1986, and diet, based on a 150-item food-frequency questionnaire, and other risk factors were assessed. The cohort was followed for 16.3 y, and 110 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), 151 esophageal adenocarcinoma, 166 gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, and 497 gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) cases were analyzed along with 4032 subcohort members in a case-cohort analysis. RESULTS Positive associations were observed between N-nitrosodimethylamine intake and ESCC risk (HR for 0.1-μg/d increase in intake: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.25; P-trend = 0.01 based on tertiles of intake) and GNCA risk (1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10; P-trend = 0.09) in men. ESCC risk was associated with nitrite intake (HR for 0.1-mg/d increase: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.36; P-trend = 0.06) and heme-iron intake (HR for 1-mg/d increase: 1.83; 95% CI: 0.98, 3.39; P-trend = 0.03). Among women, exposure levels were lower, and we found no convincing positive associations. CONCLUSION These results suggest that N-nitroso compounds may influence the risk of ESCC in men, but there are no clear associations for other esophageal and gastric subtypes.
Comparative ultrastructure of nonwounded Mexican lime and Yuzu leaves infected with the citrus canker bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. citri

Ultrastructural aspects of citrus canker development were investigated in nonwounded leaves of citrus species by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A susceptible species Mexican lime and a resistant species Yuzu were spray‐inoculated with a virulent strain of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri. Initial symptoms occurred on Mexican lime ∼9 days after inoculation, whereas they appeared on Yuzu mostly 11 days after inoculation. In Mexican lime leaves, the bacterial invasion was usually accompanied by host cell wall dissolution and cellular disruption. Fibrillar materials from degenerated cell walls were usually found in intercellular spaces. Damaged host cells with necrotic cytoplasm showed the localized separation of plasma membrane from the cell wall. Bacterial multiplication and electron‐transparent capsule‐like structures around bacteria were commonly observed. Meanwhile, cell wall protuberances were prominent outside host cell walls in response to bacterial invasion in Yuzu leaves. Occlusion of intercellular spaces was also formed by the fusion of two or more individual cell wall protuberances originated from two adjacent host cells. Papillae‐like materials accumulated locally within host cells in close proximity to bacteria. Some bacteria were found to be undergoing degeneration in xylem vessels. Also, the shrunken, inactive bacteria were surrounded by electron‐translucent fibrillar materials in intercellular spaces, implying bacterial immobilization. These cellular responses are thought to be the consequences of defense responses of Yuzu leaves to invading bacteria. In both citrus species, X. citri pv. citri contained polyphosphate bodies showing electron‐dense and elliptical structures in cytoplasm. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Engineering the Structural Nonlinearity Using Multimodal-Shaped Springs in MEMS

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel technique to engineer in a precise way the structural nonlinearity in MEMS springs. To perform the adjustment of structural nonlinearity, the idea of using a sine-shaped beam following the combination of the natural bending modes of a straight one is explored to create a multimodal-shaped spring. The basic analytical model of multimodal beam bending is introduced and validated with finite element modeling. Proposed multimodal springs are fabricated by deep reactive ion etching on silicon on insulator wafer and their force-displacement characteristics are extracted using a force probe, with the resulting curves being close to the ones predicted by the theoretical calculations. The presented spring allows the engineering of structural nonlinearity by varying the amplitudes of the different modes used as initial shape. Thus, a straightforward method to create any type of structural nonlinearity starting from fully bistable up to the linear case, without the need to combine springs of several types, reducing the complexity of the targeted systems and their footprint. The proposed methodology was used to successfully design a suspension spring that exhibits flat force-displacement region with the aim to increase the bandwidth of vibrational energy harvesters. [2017-0250]
Fasting plasma glucose cutoff for diagnosis of diabetes in a Japanese population.

OBJECTIVE We examined the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h post-load glucose (PG) levels, and the optimal FPG cutoff level to correspond to a 2-h PG of 11.1 mmol/liter, the gold standard diagnostic criterion, in a general Japanese population. DESIGN Cross-sectional study populations of 2421 subjects in 1988 and 2698 subjects in 2002, aged 40-79 yr and without antidiabetic medication, were tested with an oral glucose tolerance test. The relationship between FPG and 2-h PG was investigated by various regression models and a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS The best-fit model for the relationship between FPG and 2-h PG was a quadratic regression model. The FPG cutoff levels corresponding to the 2-h PG of 11.1 mmol/liter by this model were 6.2 mmol/liter in 1988 and 6.3 mmol/liter in 2002. In the combined populations, the FPG cutoff point was 6.3 mmol/liter; the sensitivity and specificity of this cutoff point for detecting a 2-h PG of 11.1 mmol/liter were 75.2 and 88.6%, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis confirmed that the corresponding FPG point was 6.2 mmol/liter in both the 1988 and 2002 populations. In a stratified analysis, the FPG cutoff level increased with increasing body mass index levels; however, even in subjects with body mass index more than or equal to 30 kg/m2, the FPG cutoff level was lower than 7.0 mmol/liter. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the FPG cutoff level corresponding to the 2-h PG of 11.1 mmol/liter in the general Japanese population is lower than the current diagnostic criterion.
Wildlife Trade and Global Disease Emergence

The global trade in wildlife provides disease transmission mechanisms that not only cause human disease outbreaks but also threaten livestock, international trade, rural livelihoods, native wildlife populations, and the health of ecosystems. Outbreaks resulting from wildlife trade have caused hundreds of billions of dollars of economic damage globally. Rather than attempting to eradicate pathogens or the wild species that may harbor them, a practical approach would include decreasing the contact rate among species, including humans, at the interface created by the wildlife trade. Since wildlife marketing functions as a system of scale-free networks with major hubs, these points provide control opportunities to maximize the effects of regulatory efforts.