Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of regional and gender differences in glucocorticoid receptors and lipoprotein lipase activity in human adipose tissue.

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) status was studied in adipose tissue from omental and sc abdominal adipose tissue. As the effects of glucocorticoids may be due to alteration of triglyceride uptake in adipose tissue, the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was also investigated. Fat biopsies were obtained from 8 women and 11 men matched for age and body mass index. Omental adipose tissue contained 4 times the number of GR as sc abdominal adipose tissue (42.0 +/- 4.1 vs. 10.5 +/- 2.3 fmol/mg protein, respectively; P < 0.001) with similar Kd values. No gender difference in GR number was observed in adipose tissue from the two regions. LPL activity in omental adipose tissue was about 820 nmol FFA/h.g wet wt in both sexes, whereas LPL activity in sc adipose tissue was about 2- to 4-fold lower. Moreover, LPL activity in sc adipose showed marked gender differences, with 2-fold higher activity in women than in men (474 +/- 84 vs. 238 +/- 35 nmol FFA/h.g wet weight; P < 0.03). Finally, there was no correlation between GR number and LPL activity when each fat depot was investigated separately. However, a positive correlation between LPL activity and glucocorticoid binding was found when the data from both regions were pooled (r = 0.55; P < 0.01). In conclusion, human adipose tissue dexamethasone binding was higher in omental than in sc adipose tissue, without any gender difference. LPL activity was also higher in omental than in sc adipose tissue in both groups, without any gender difference. On the other hand, sc LPL activity was higher in females than in men. A correlation (positive) between GR number and LPL activity was only found when the data from both regions were pooled.
Seroprevalence of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection in Brazilian and Japanese Populations in the North‐East of Brazil

The seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) infection was examined for 434 Brazilians and 250 Japanese immigrants living in Recife and its vicinity, in the North‐East of Brazil. A total of 684 sera from the healthy individuals were screened for IgG antibodies to HHV‐6 by anticomplement immunofluorescence (ACIF) test. The seropositivity rate to HHV‐6 showed little difference between the two groups: namely, it was 76.5% for Brazilians and 77.2% for Japanese immigrants. The seropositivity rate was constantly higher in females than in males. The high prevalence of anti‐HHV‐6 antibodies among children indicates that HHV‐6 infection occurs very early in life.
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae: Pathogenesis and Prevention

SUMMARY In this paper, we describe the ability of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) to coexist with the human host and the devastating results associated with disruption of the delicate state of balanced pathogenesis, resulting in both acute and chronic respiratory tract infections. It has been seen that the strains of NTHi causing disease show a marked genetic and phenotypic diversity but that changes in the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and protein size and antigenicity in chronically infected individuals indicate that individual strains of NTHi can remain and adapt themselves to avoid expulsion from their infective niche. The lack of reliance of NTHi on a single mechanism of attachment and its ability to interact with the host with rapid responses to its environment confirmed the success of this organism as both a colonizer and a pathogen. In vitro experiments on cell and organ cultures, combined with otitis media and pulmonary models in chinchillas, rats, and mice, have allowed investigations into individual interactions between NTHi and the mammalian host. The host-organism interaction appears to be a two-way process, with NTHi using cell surface structures to directly interact with the mammalian host and using secreted proteins and LOS to change the mammalian host in order to pave the way for colonization and invasion. Many experiments have also noted that immune system evasion through antigenic variation, secretion of enzymes and epithelial cell invasion allowed NTHi to survive for longer periods despite a specific immune response being mounted to infection. Several outer membrane proteins and LOS derivatives are discussed in relation to their efficacy in preventing pulmonary infections and otitis media in animals. General host responses with respect to age, genetic makeup, and vaccine delivery routes are considered, and a mucosal vaccine strategy is suggested.
Development and morphology of the clock‐gene‐expressing lateral neurons of Drosophila melanogaster

The clock‐gene‐expressing lateral neurons are essential for the locomotor activity rhythm of Drosophila melanogaster. Traditionally, these neurons are divided into three groups: the dorsal lateral neurons (LNd), the large ventral lateral neurons (l‐LNv), and the small ventral lateral neurons (s‐LNv), whereby the latter group consists of four neurons that express the neuropeptide pigment‐dispersing factor (PDF) and a fifth PDF‐negative neuron. So far, only the l‐LNv and the PDF‐positive s‐LNv have been shown to project into the accessory medulla, a small neuropil that contains the circadian pacemaker center in several insects. We show here that the other lateral neurons also arborize in the accessory medulla, predominantly forming postsynaptic sites. Both the l‐LNv and LNd are anatomically well suited to connect the accessory medullae. Whereas the l‐LNv may receive ipsilateral photic input from the Hofbauer‐Buchner eyelet, the LNd invade mainly the contralateral accessory medulla and thus may receive photic input from the contralateral side. Both the LNd and the l‐LNv differentiate during midmetamorphosis. They do so in close proximity to one another and the fifth PDF‐negative s‐LNv, suggesting that these cell groups may derive from common precursors. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:47–70, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Facilitation or Inhibition of the Estradiol‐Induced Gonadotropin Surge in the Immature Rat by Progesterone: Regulation of GnRH and LH Messenger RNAs and Activation of GnRH Neurons

We have developed and extensively characterized immature female rat models to demonstrate inhibition or facilitation of the estradiol (E2)‐induced gonadotropin surge by progesterone (P). We show here that the surge of free α‐subunit is regulated similarly by P in these models. To investigate the possibility that P alters the biosynthesis of GnRH and/or LH, we measured levels of LH subunit mRNAs by Northern blot hybridization and GnRH mRNA by a solution hybridization‐RNase protection assay. In the P inhibition model, α‐subunit mRNA was significantly decreased when P was administered together with E2 for 32 or 48 h, and LHβ, at 29 h. In the facilitation model, neither α‐subunit nor LHβ mRNA increased with premature and enhanced release of LH and free α‐subunit. Levels of GnRH mRNA in E2‐treated rats were significantly higher on the afternoon of the LH surge than on that or the following morning. There was no effect of P on GnRH mRNA levels, however, before, during, or after the LH surge in either paradigm. The time course of activation of GnRH neurons in P‐facilitated rats was determined by double‐label immunocytochemistry for GnRH and cFos. When serum LH concentrations were basal there was no expression of cFos in GnRH neurons. LH secretion in P‐facilitated rats was initiated at ≈14.00 h and remained elevated until at least 19.00 h. During this time 63–78% of GnRH neurons were cFos positive. Both serum LH concentrations and the percentage of cFos‐activated GnRH neurons were significantly lower in control rats treated with E2 alone than in those treated also with P. In conclusion: 1) suppression of LH and free α‐subunit secretion by P can be accounted for at least partly by suppression of α‐subunit mRNA levels; 2) P facilitation is not associated with changes in LH subunit or GnRH mRNA levels; 3) the large proportion of cFos‐positive GnRH neurons in P‐facilitated rats closely parallels increases in serum LH concentrations but is not accompanied by changes in GnRH mRNA levels. It is likely, therefore, that P acts in the facilitation model to trigger release of pre‐existing GnRH stores by altering synthesis or activity of neuro‐transmitters/neuropeptides involved in GnRH regulation and/or release of LH stores by altering, for example, pituitary responsiveness to GnRH (including self‐priming) and components of the LH secretory apparatus. Similar possibilities may also obtain for the blockade of the gonadotropin surge in the inhibition model.
The pattern of poisoning in urban zimbabwe

A 10‐year (1980 to 1989 inclusively) retrospective analysis of poisoning admissions to the six major referral hospitals in Zimbabwe revealed 6018 cases. The majority of the patients were aged 0–5 years (35%) and 21–30 years (22.6%). The main agents associated with acute poisoning were traditional medicines (22.9% of the total), household chemicals (18.8%, 13.2% of which was due to paraffin), snake and insect envenomation (17.1%), orthodox medicines (16.7%) and insecticides (14.8%, 10% of which is accounted for by organophosphates). Mortality was 15% and the main agents associated with fatality were pesticides, traditional medicines and orthodox medicines, in descending order. The prevention and treatment of intoxication caused by traditional and orthodox medicines, the proper storage and disposal of pesticides and legislation regulating their sale and distribution are of high priority in the fight to reduce poisoning caused by these agents.
Through a Glass Darkly: From Privacy Notices to Effective Transparency

Openness is the first fundamental principle of fair information practices. Because openness involves operating in a way that an organization’s information practices are visible, it is central to fairness. A lack of openness leaves open the potential for abuse, allowing institutions to collect and use information without protections and outside the scrutiny of regulators, consumers or privacy advocates. Beginning in the late 1970’s, “notice” has served to practically implement openness in most commercial transactions. However, current notices have been widely criticized as being too complex, legalistic, lengthy and opaque. In this paper, we argue that to achieve the openness required by the first fair information practice principle, data protection and privacy should move from a “notice” model to an environment of “transparency. ” We assert that the terms “notice” and “transparency” are not synonymous and that different definitions apply to each. We define notice as the posted articulation of a company’s privacy practices and policies. In contrast, transparency is a condition of disclosure and openness jointly created by companies and policy makers based on a variety of approaches. While notice is an important element in transparency, transparency involves much more than notice as it relies not only on the posting of information, but the quality of the disclosure. We review the history of notice and its traditional role in privacy and data protection. We consider the challenges and limitations of notice, and the attempts of business, government, privacy experts and technologists to address them as well as the lessons learned from these efforts. We also examine the implications of emerging technologies and data uses such as mobile apps, big data analytics and the Internet of Things for traditional notice. We propose what is needed to move from notice to an environment of transparency including improved notices, attention to contextual norms, integrating the design of notices into the system development process as part of privacy-by-design, public education, and new technological solutions. Finally, we present arguments for business buy-in and regulatory guidance. While we recognize that transparency is necessary but not sufficient for assuring fair data use, a discussion of issues related to the full complement of the fair information principles is beyond the scope of this paper.
Effects of oxypolygelatin and dextran 70 on hemostatic variables in dogs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare coagulation variables following the administration of oxypolygelatin and dextran 70 to clinically healthy dogs. STUDY DESIGN Randomized cross-over experimental study. ANIMALS A total of eight healthy adult female Beagles aged 2-4 years old and weighing 11.8 +/- 2.7 kg. METHODS The dogs received a 15-minute intravenous (IV) infusion of 5 mL kg-1 oxypolygelatin or 10 mL kg-1 6% dextran 70. Before (PRE) and at 2, 5, and 24 hours after administration, packed cell volume (PCV), total solids concentration (TS), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen concentration (FIB), platelet numbers (Plat), factor VIII coagulant activity (VIII:C), von Willebrand factor antigen concentration (vWf:Ag) and platelet function and buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) were measured. Platelet function was assessed using aggregation and by measuring ATP release from aggregating platelets over 6 minutes, with 20, 10, and 5 micro m ADP and 5 and 10 micro g of collagen mL-1 as platelet activation agonists. RESULTS All baseline values were within our normal ranges, except for one dog that had low vWf:Ag PRE values prior to both dextran and oxypolygelatin administration. Following dextran and oxypolygelatin administration, the PCV and TP were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. Plat, FIB, and vWf:Ag decreased, while BMBT and VIII:C increased following dextran administration. Dextran also caused a significant decrease in platelet aggregation in response to ADP. Oxypolygelatin caused a significant decrease in vWf:Ag, Plat, and FIB compared to PRE values. The total amount of ATP released, standardized to platelet number, did not vary significantly for either group at any sampling time from PRE values. No significant changes from PRE values were noted at any time in either group for PT or APTT. CONCLUSION At the doses administered, both dextran and oxypolygelatin can interfere with hemostatic variables in healthy dogs, but dextran's effect is more profound and prolonged when compared to oxypolygelatin. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Oxypolygelatin causes fewer hemostatic abnormalities when compared to dextran, making it a superior colloid for administration at the doses tested.
The client as citizen: Self-determination and empowerment through the group experience

This paper describes the process and outcome of a self-help group involving six parents, and then proceeds to analyse the self-help group as a polity. This analysis of the self-help group incorporates the notion of the parents as citizens who act and make decisions as a group or social polity. Concepts of generalised exchange and justice which have integral roles in social action within a polity are applied within the analysis. These concepts are used to explain the personal growth of parents as citizens demonstrated through their participation in the self-help group as a social polity and in their social functioning within the community. The paper argues that by promoting the clients’ citizenship development, the process facilitates their participation within the community and contributes to improved social functioning and self-determination.
MODERN INTEGRATED ASSOCIATIONS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FACTORS

1The article presents the results of a research aimed at the explanation and evaluation of the factors of economic growth of regional integrated associations and the national economies of their member countries. The authors determine that these factors are foreign trade, mutual balance of trade and domestic demand. The novelty of the methodology used by the authors is that, unlike the traditional method where the assessment of the growth factors of integrative associations and their member states is based on the comparison of two components: external and domestic demand, this method breaks external demand into two components: first part is net exports (the difference between export and import, which is the component of aggregate demand) of goods within the integrative association, i.e., net exports of mutual trade; the second is net exports of foreign trade beyond the integrative association. The target of the research included seven most famous regional integrative associations that emerged at different times and are currently undergoing different stages in their development: the European Union, the North American Free Trade Area, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the South American Common Market, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, as well as members of Eurasian integration — the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, which on January 1, 2015 transformed into the Eurasian Economic Union. The authors come to the conclusion that integration develops successfully only in the context of the growth of the national economies of the member countries. The economies undergoing a crisis have to invest more efforts into dealing with domestic problems than in solving the issues related to integration.
Tax compliance and tax morale

The question of why citizens pay their taxes has attracted increased attention in the tax compliance literature of late. In this book, Benno Torgler considers the evidence that suggests that enforcement efforts cannot fully explain the high degree of tax compliance within society. To attempt to resolve this puzzle, numerous researchers have argued that citizens’ attitudes towards paying taxes (defined as tax morale) help to explain the high degree of compliance. Yet most have treated tax morale itself as a black box, failing to discuss the issues influencing it. This unique volume provides important new insights into the factors that shape the emergence and maintenance of citizens’ willingness to cooperate with tax legislations in different societies.
The eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily: kinase (catalytic) domain structure and classification 1

The eukaryotic protein kinases make up a large superfamily of homologous proteins. They are related by virtue of their kinase domains (also known as catalytic domains), which consist of ≈ 250‐300 amino acid residues. The kinase domains that define this group of enzymes contain 12 conserved subdomains that fold into a common catalytic core structure, as revealed by the 3‐dimensional structures of severed protein‐serine kinases. There are two main subdivisions within the superfamily: the protein‐serine/threonine kinases and the protein‐tyrosine kinases. A classification scheme can be founded on a kinase domain phylogeny, which reveals families of enzymes that have related substrate specificities and modes of regulation. —Hanks, S. K. , Hunter, T. The eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily: kinase (catalytic) domain structure and classification. FASEB J. 9, 576‐596 (1995)
Amyloid Formation in Human Islets Is Enhanced by Heparin and Inhibited by Heparinase

Islet transplantation is a promising therapy for patients with diabetes, but its long‐term success is limited by many factors, including the formation of islet amyloid deposits. Heparin is employed in clinical islet transplantation to reduce clotting but also promotes fibrillization of amyloidogenic proteins. We hypothesized that heparin treatment of islets during pre‐transplant culture may enhance amyloid formation leading to beta cell loss and graft dysfunction. Heparin promoted the fibrillization of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) and enhanced its toxicity to INS‐1 beta cells. Heparin increased amyloid deposition in cultured human islets, but surprisingly decreased islet cell apoptosis. Treatment of human islets with heparin prior to transplantation increased the likelihood of graft failure. Removal of islet heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans, which localize with islet amyloid deposits in type 2 diabetes, by heparinase treatment decreased amyloid deposition and protected against islet cell death. These findings raise the possibility that pretransplant treatment of human islets with heparin could potentiate IAPP aggregation and amyloid formation and may be detrimental to subsequent graft function.
Effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors on metabolism: unanswered questions and controversies

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors inhibit glucose re-absorption in the proximal renal tubules. These drugs also affect many anthropometric and metabolic parameters with various mechanisms of action. Areas covered: We present the available evidence regarding these effects. SGLT2 inhibitors can decrease body weight mainly due to a reduction of total fat mass. SGLT2 inhibitors can decrease blood pressure levels and serum uric acid levels and may also reduce the degree of diabetes-related albuminuria. These effects may have contributed in the beneficial cardiovascular effects seen in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial. On the other hand, the SGLT2 inhibition-induced natriuresis and osmotic diuresis could lead to a decrease of extracellular volume. A small increase in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol has been observed with SGLT2 inhibitors. A small increase in serum phosphate concentration has been reported with these drugs due to increased phosphate reabsorption, which combined with an increase in serum parathormone may adversely affect bone homeostasis. In rare cases, SGLT2 inhibitors administration may be followed by euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis. Expert opinion: SGLT2 inhibitors improve many aspects of human metabolism and may be beneficial in diabetic patients if certain precautions are followed by clinicians during the administration of these drugs.
Molecular regulation of the VEGF family – inducers of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of secreted glycoproteins are critical inducers of angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels) and lymphangiogenesis (growth of lymphatic vessels). These proteins are attractive therapeutic targets for blocking growth of blood vessels and lymphatics in tumors and thereby inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer – in fact, the first VEGF inhibitor has recently entered the clinic for treatment of cancer. In addition, the VEGFs are being considered for stimulation of angiogenesis in the context of ischemic disease and lymphangiogenesis for treatment of lymphedema. These therapeutic possibilities have focused great interest on the molecular regulation of VEGF family members. Much has been learned in the past five years about the mechanisms controlling the action of the VEGFs, including the importance of hypoxia, proteolysis, transcription factors and RNA splicing. An understanding of these mechanisms offers broader opportunities to manipulate expression and activity of the VEGFs for treatment of disease.