Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acquired thermotolerance independent of heat shock factor A1 (HsfA1), the master regulator of the heat stress response

The heat stress (HS) response in eukaryotes is mainly regulated by heat shock factors (HSFs). Genetic disruption of the master HSF gene leads to dramatically reduced HS response and thermotolerance in several model organisms. However, it is not clear whether organisms devoid of the master regulator can still acclimate to heat. Previously, we showed that Arabidopsis HsfA1a, HsfA1b, and HsfA1d act as master regulators in the HS response. In this study, we examined the heat acclimation capacity of the Arabidopsis quadruple and triple T-DNA knockout mutants of HsfA1a, HsfA1b, HsfA1d, and HsfA1e. Our data showed that in the absence of the master regulators, a minimal but significant level of acquired thermotolerance could be attained in the Arabidopsis mutants after acclimation. The optimum acclimation temperature for the HsfA1 quadruple mutant was lower than that for the wild type plants, suggesting that plant cells have two HS-sensing mechanisms that can be distinguished genetically. The acquired thermotolerance of the quadruple mutant was likely due to the induction of a small number of HsfA1-independent HS response genes regulated by other transcription factors. Here, we discuss the possible candidates and propose a working model of the transcription network of the HS response by including the HsfA1-dependent and -independent pathways.
Adult-Onset Acute Rheumatic Fever: Possible Resurgence in Southern Taiwan

Background:By the late 1980s, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) had become a rare disease in Taiwan. The low prevalence rate in this area is attributed to a better economic status, which has led to improved public health and adequate medical services. Objectives:The increasing number of patients with adult-onset ARF in the United States described in the literature prompted us to evaluate the cases diagnosed in our medical center. Methods:A retrospective chart review was performed for patients with arthritis from July 1988 to October 2004. To be included, patients had to meet revised Jones criteria. Results:Three adult patients with ARF have been diagnosed since June 2001, with no childhood ARF being diagnosed. All cases presented with migratory polyarthritis, whereas 1 had erythema marginatum and transient carditis. These patients responded well to treatment with antibiotics and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Conclusions:Clinicians must provide careful assessment and treatment to patients presenting with acute pharyngitis. A possible resurgence of ARF can be eradicated by primary prevention of streptococcal pharyngitis.
Evidence That Increased Hippocampal Expression of the Cytokine Interleukin-1β Is a Common Trigger for Age- and Stress-Induced Impairments in Long-Term Potentiation

Several cytokines and their receptors are identified in brain; one of these is the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β that is synthesized and released from neurons and glia in response to stress or insult. Among the actions of interleukin-1β is its ability to inhibit long-term potentiation in the hippocampus in vitro, an action that mimics one of the consequences of stress and age. It has been shown that the concentration of interleukin-1β in brain tissue is increased in neurodegenerative conditions, and recent evidence from our laboratory has indicated an increase in the concentration of interleukin-1β in the hippocampus of aged rats. These observations led us to consider that the underlying common cause of impaired long-term potentiation in aged and stressed rats might be increased endogenous interleukin-1β concentration in hippocampus. The data presented here indicate that there was an inverse relationship between concentration of interleukin-1β in the dentate gyrus and long-term potentiation in perforant path→granule cell synapses in aged rats, stressed rats, and rats pretreated with interleukin-1β. The evidence suggested that the cytokine induces formation of reactive oxygen species that triggers lipid peroxidation in vivo, as well as in vitro, and that these changes lead to depletion of membrane arachidonic acid that correlates with impaired long-term potentiation. We propose that three theories of aging, the glucocorticoid theory, the membrane theory, and the free radical theory, constitute three facets of age with one underlying trigger: an increase in the endogenous concentration of interleukin-1β in hippocampus.
A Possible Association Between Thyroid Cancer and Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND Several lines of evidence suggest that breast cancer (BC) and thyroid cancer (TC) occur together in the same female patients more frequently than would be expected by chance. This study investigated the prevalence and clinicopathological characteristics of second primary BC in TC patients and second primary TC in BC patients. METHODS A retrospective case-controlled study was performed in 4243 patients with differentiated TC and 6833 patients with BC. Age-matched control groups without second malignancies were selected. RESULTS Of the 4243 patients with TC, 55 patients developed subsequent BC during a five-year follow-up (range 2-40 years); the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 2.45 [confidence interval (CI) 1.83-2.96]. Among the 6833 patients with BC, 81 patients developed subsequent TC during a 6.2-year follow-up (range 2-40 years); the SIR was 2.18 [CI 1.43-2.82]. Subsequent second BC or TC diagnosed within five years of the initial primary malignancy showed more clinical characteristics consistent with early-stage cancer than did control BC or TC patients. Notably, the expression of both the estrogen and progesterone receptors was significantly higher in the tissues of BC patients with coexisting TC compared with those with BC alone. CONCLUSIONS The overall risk of second primary TC or BC is increased in patients with prior BC or TC, respectively. The early detection of second cancer might have contributed to these findings. However, BC that coexisted with TC had a higher expression of hormone receptors, suggesting an association between the molecular pathogenesis of TC and BC.
Functional roles of apical membrane Na+/H+ exchange in rat medullary thick ascending limb.

The medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) of the rat actively absorbs both HCO3- and ammonium. The roles of apical membranes Na+/H+ exchange in these processes and in determining steady-state intracellular pH (pHi) were examined in MTAL perfused in vitro with solutions containing 146 mM Na+ and 25 mM HCO3- (pH 7.4). Addition of 1 mM amiloride or 50 microM ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA) to the lumen decreased HCO3- absorption (JHCO3) from 10.6 +/- 0.5 to 2.3 +/- 0.3 pmol.min-1.mm-1 (P < 0.001) and pHi from 7.10 +/- 0.02 to 6.86 +/- 0.03 (P < 0.001). The combination of lumen Na+ replacement plus amiloride abolished JHCO3. Chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA) caused a 32% increase in JHCO3 that was inhibited by luminal amiloride. Addition of 4 mM NH4Cl to perfusate and bath markedly decreased pHi (from 7.10 to 6.70) but did not stimulate luminal H+ secretion as assessed by HCO3- absorption. With 4 mM NH4Cl in perfusate and bath, luminal addition of amiloride decreased pHi from 6.70 +/- 0.06 to 6.50 +/- 0.05 (P < 0.005) but had no effect on net ammonium absorption. These results demonstrate that 1) apical membrane Na+/H+ exchange mediates virtually all of HCO3- absorption and is an important determinant of steady-state pHi in the MTAL; 2) the adaptive increase in HCO3- absorption in CMA is mediated by an increase in apical membrane Na+/H+ exchange; 3) ammonium markedly acidifies the cells but does not stimulate luminal acidification, suggesting that pHi is not a predominant influence on apical Na+/H+ exchange activity and that H+ generated in the cells as the result of transcellular ammonium absorption is extruded across the basolateral membrane; and 4) apical membrane Na+/H+ exchange is not important for ammonium absorption.
A study of multi-view gender recognition on a large database

In this paper, we conduct a systematic study of multi-view gender recognition on a large database. We focus on the basic methodologies of dealing with view point variations, and compare their performance on gender recognition problems. Experimental evaluation is conducted on a large multi-view database consisting of 23136 facial images of 241 subjects under 32 different views and 3 illuminations. We also introduce a Pyramid-SVM approach for facial recognition tasks. As an extension to the conventional “holistic features + SVM” framework, our proposed approach manages to preserve local information of face images that would otherwise be discarded in the holistic features. Experimental results demonstrate that the Pyramid-SVM approach significantly outperforms the traditional SVM classifier.
On Analytical Study of Self-Affine Maps

Self-affine maps were successfully used for edge detection, image segmentation, and contour extraction. They belong to the general category of patch-based methods. Particularly, each self-affine map is defined by one pair of patches in the image domain. By minimizing the difference between these patches, the optimal translation vector of the self-affine map is obtained. Almost all image processing methods, developed by using self-affine maps, take advantage of either the attracting or repelling behaviors which have been, only, experimentally investigated. In this paper, we analytically study the properties of self-affine maps and prove their attracting and repelling behaviors. Furthermore, the new corner/edge pointing behavior is also proposed for contractive self-affine maps. We show that the conventional cost function of self-affine maps may cause critical uncertainty due to providing multiple equivalent optimal translation vectors. Thus, a new cost function is suggested to effectively tackle this problem. For evaluation, it is used with the selfaffine snake (SAS) for contour extraction. Experimental results demonstrated that the enhanced SAS provides better performance compared to a number of different active contour methods in terms of both solution quality and CPU time.
Critical Analysis of Reduction Mammaplasty Techniques in Combination with Conservative Breast Surgery for Early Breast Cancer Treatment

Background: Although reduction mammaplasty is a well-described technique for aesthetic purposes, there are few previous reports regarding its application and clinical outcome following conservative breast surgery reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to analyze the feasibility of the technique and its outcome following conservative breast surgery. Methods: Oncologic data and information on age, body mass index, smoking history, and comorbid conditions were collected. Reconstructed and opposite breast complications were evaluated. Reduction mammaplasty was indicated to reconstruct moderate breast defects in patients with enough remaining breast tissue. Mean follow-up was 22 months. Results: Seventy-four patients underwent immediate reduction mammaplasty following breast-conserving surgery. In 55.4 percent of patients, tumors measured 2 cm or less (T1) and in 47.2 percent they were located in the upper outer quadrants. Breast complications occurred in 13 patients (17.6 percent), with skin necrosis in six (8.1 percent), infection in two (2.7 percent), partial areola necrosis in two (2.7 percent), dehiscence in two, and total areola necrosis in one (1.35 percent). Late complications represented by skin lesions and fat necrosis were observed in five patients (6.8 percent). Obese patients and smokers had a significantly higher rate of reconstructed breast complications compared with the normal/overweight patients (p = 0.002) and nonsmokers (p = 0.043). No significant association between complications and age, hypertension, diabetes, axillary lymph node dissection, or chemotherapy was found. Conclusions: Reduction mammaplasty is a consistent technique for reconstruction following breast-conserving surgery. Complications are more often observed in the reconstructed breast, and obese patients and smokers are higher risk patients.
Effects of 4‐piperidinomethyl‐2‐isopropyl‐5‐methylphenol on oxidative stress and calcium current

4‐Piperidinomethyl‐2‐isopropyl‐5‐methylphenol (THPI) was synthesized by reaction of thymol with piperidine and formaldehyde. The biological effect of THPI on superoxide anion scavenging activity, antiplatelet activity and calcium current inhibition were investigated. THPI (50 μm) was shown to be a scavenger of superoxide radicals in human neutrophils stimulated with N‐formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe (66% inhibition). Since superoxide anions are essential for platelet aggregation and L‐type Ca2+‐channel activity, we further found that THPI inhibited platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (IC50 46.80 ± 6.88 μm). The effect of THPI on Ca2+ current in NG108–15 cells was investigated using the whole‐cell voltage‐clamp technique. THPI inhibited voltage‐dependent L‐type Ca2+ current (ICa,L). The IC50 value of THPI‐induced inhibition of ICa,L was 3.60 ± 0.81 μm. THPI caused no change in the overall shape of the current‐voltage relationship of ICa,L. This indicates that THPI is an inhibitor of ICa,L in NG108–15 cells. Therefore, the channel‐blocking properties of THPI may contribute to the underlying mechanism by which it affects neuronal or neuroendocrine function. Furthermore, no significant cytotoxic effects of THPI (0.3–50 μm) were observed in NG108–15 cells. The results indicate that THPI is a potential reactive oxygen species scavenger and may prevent platelet aggregation or inhibit L‐type Ca2+‐channel activity, possibly by scavenging reactive oxygen species.
İŞ-AİLE YAŞAM ÇATIŞMASININ İŞ TATMİNİ VE ÖRGÜTSEL BAĞLILIK ÜZERİNE ETKİLERİ: İŞ STRESİNİN ARACILIK ROLÜ

Gunumuz is yasamina etki eden faktorlerden birisi de calisanlarin is ve aile yasamlari arasinda yasadiklari catismalardir. Is-aile yasam catismasi olarak bilinen bu konu, is yasamindaki bir cok faktor yaninda, calisanlarin is tatmini ve orgutsel bagliliklari uzerinde de etkili olabilmektedir. Bu kapsamda calismada bankacilik sektorunde yapilan bir arastirma ile is-aile yasam catismasinin is tatmini ve orgutsel baglilik uzerindeki etkileri incelenirken, is stresinin aracilik rolu de belirlenmeye calisilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda genel olarak is-aile yasam catismasinin; is tatmini ve orgutsel bagliligi direkt olarak negatif etkiledigi tespit edilirken, is tatminini is stresi araciligi ile de kismen etkiledigi belirlenmistir. Ayrica is-aile yasam catismasinin alt boyutlarindan is-aile catismasinin; is stresini pozitif, is tatminini de negatif olarak etkiledigi belirlenmistir.
Quality of care: partial cystectomy for bladder cancer--a case of inappropriate use?

PURPOSE Partial cystectomy is perceived to be a less morbid, less technically demanding procedure than radical cystectomy, although only select patients (approximately 6% to 10%) are appropriate candidates (solitary tumor in space/time, absence of carcinoma in situ). From a quality of care perspective, overuse of partial cystectomy may signify inappropriate delivery of health care. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects who underwent extirpative treatment for bladder cancer between 1988 and 2000 were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER, 3,381) registry and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS, 22,088). Adjusted models were developed to identify clinical factors independently associated with the use of partial cystectomy for bladder cancer treatment within each sample. RESULTS Among patients who underwent extirpative surgery for bladder cancer, 18% and 20% of those in SEER and NIS, respectively, underwent partial cystectomy. Significant decreases in use between early and later years were noted in both samples (SEER-22% to 13%, NIS-24% to 17%, both p <0.0001). Partial cystectomy was preferentially used in the elderly, those with stage I disease, females and black patients. Furthermore, partial cystectomy was more commonly provided in rural, nonteaching, low volume hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Trends in national use of partial cystectomy are consistent between the NIS and SEER with 13% to 17% of patients currently being treated with partial in lieu of radical cystectomy. Partial cystectomy is disproportionately used in certain medical centers (nonteaching, rural, low volume) and patient populations (elderly, black, females, stage I disease) reflecting selective referral or overuse.
Allelic polymorphism of 'Makoei' sheep myostatin gene identified by polymerase chain reaction and single strand conformation polymorphism

Leptin, a 16-kDa protein secreted from white adipocytes has been implicated in the regulation of food intake, energy expenditure and whole-body energy balance in animals. In the present study, the polymorphism of the leptin gene (LEP) of Makoei sheep was investigated by polymerase chain reaction and single strand conformation polymorphism technique (PCR–SSCP). Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples collected from 130 sheep. A 471 bp LEP exon 3 segment was amplified by standard PCR, using the locus specific primers. PCR products were subjected to SSCP denaturation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. SSCP bands were visualized with silver staining. Five SSCP patterns, representing five different genotypes, were identified. The frequencies of the observed genotypes were 0.17, 0.09, 0.14, 0.37 and 0.23 for AB, BB, AC, BC and CC, respectively. Allele frequencies were 0.15, 0.37 and 0.48 for A, B and C, respectively. The observed heterozygosity (H obs ) value for LEP gene was 0.6769. The chi-square test showed that there was no significant deviation (P>0.01) from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for this locus in Makoei sheep population. Key words: Leptin gene (LEP), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) Makoei sheep.
Stability Analysis of Time-Delay Systems With Incommensurate Delays Using Positive Polynomials

We present a new stability condition for linear time-delay systems (TDS) with multiple incommensurate delays based on the Rekasius substitution and positive polynomials. The condition is checked by testing the positivity of multivariate polynomials in certain domains. For this purpose, we propose two alternative algorithms based on linear programming and sum of squares methods, respectively. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithms is compared in an example to alternative stability conditions taken from the literature.
A highly sensitive, direct and label-free technique for Hg2+ detection using Kelvin probe force microscopy

For several decades, various nanomaterials have been used in a wide range of industrial fields, research areas, and commercial products. Among many nanomaterials, nano-sized mercury materials are one of the most widely used nanomaterials in real life. However, due to the high toxicity of Hg2+, it is imperative to develop an effective and practical detection method for Hg2+ to protect human health and environment. In this study, a highly sensitive, label-free method of detecting Hg2+ that requires only a single drop of solution was developed. The detection mechanism is based on the different surface potential arising from Hg2+ binding to mismatched thymine–thymine sequences, creating a very stable base pair. The surface potential is measured with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) to a molecular resolution. The developed method is capable of detecting 2 fmol of Hg2+, which is 500 times more sensitive than previously reported techniques. Moreover, our method can selectively detect Hg2+ and can also be applied to tap water and river water. This KPFM-based Hg2+ detection method can be used as an early detection technique for practical applications.
Use of bioluminescence to model the thermal inactivation of Salmonella typhimurium in the presence of a competitive microflora

The survival of Salmonella typhimurium was investigated by bioluminescence and standard plating techniques in pure cultures and in the presence of competitors after the cultures were heated to 55 degrees C for increasing lengths of time. Decimal reduction (D) values increased from 0.43 to 2.09 min in the presence of 10(8) CFU of competitors ml-1, indicating a significant protective effect.
Sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in early-stage breast cancer: updated results of a prospective randomized trial.

PURPOSE The optimal integration of chemotherapy with radiation (RT) for patients with early-stage breast cancer remains uncertain. We present the long-term results of a prospective randomized trial to address this question. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred forty-four patients were randomly assigned after conservative breast surgery to receive 12 weeks of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, methotrexate, fluorouracil, and prednisone (CAMFP) before RT (CT-first) or after RT (RT-first). Median follow-up for surviving patients was 135 months. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the CT-first and RT-first arms in time to any event, distant metastasis, or death. Sites of first failure were also not significantly different. CONCLUSION Among breast cancer patients treated with conservative surgery, there is no advantage to giving RT before adjuvant chemotherapy. However, this study does not have enough statistical power to rule out a clinically important survival benefit for either sequence.
Design of the 80W Doherty power amplifier with offset lines

In this paper the design of a Doherty power amplifier is reported. The Doherty power amplifier is designed for high power applications for modern communication such as digital television system. In order to gain high efficiency and good linearity, the offset line technique is utilized. For verification, a 80W Doherty power amplifier is implemented by the computer simulation and circuit experiment. The measured results show the power added efficiency of 35.5% and the Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) of -36dBc at the output power of 49dBm.
One Day in the Life of a Very Common Stock

Using the model structure of Easley and O'Hara, we demonstrate how the parameters of the market-maker's beliefs can be estimated from trade data. We show how to extract information from both trade and no-trade intervals, and how intraday and interday data provide information. We derive and evaluate tests of model specification and estimate the information content of differential trade sizes. Our work provides a framework for testing extant microstructure models, shows how to extract the information contained in the trading process, and demonstrates the empirical importance of asymmetric information models for asset prices. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Renal clearances of inulin, polyfructosan-S and a polyethylene glycol (PEG 1,000) in the rat.

Berglund, F. Renal clearance of inulin, polyfructosan-S and a polyethylene glycol (PEG 1,000) in the rat. Acta physiol. scand. 1965. 64. 238–244. The renal clearances of inulin, polyfructosan-S and PEG 1,000 were measured in the rat by means of a constant infusion technique. The inulin/PEG 1,000 clearance ratio in 10 rats averaged 0.81, and polyfructosan-S/PEG 1,000 ratio in 10 rats averaged 0.87. The clearance ratios differed signicantly from unity and were not influenced by phlorizin. The restricted filterabliity of the two polysaccharides in the rat is attributed to the pore size of the glomerular membrane, and a relationship between pore size and animal size is suggested.