Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tai Chi Chuan Increases Circulating Myeloid Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells, the most potent antigen-presenting cells linking innate and adoptive immunity, are thought to be important targets of immune modulators such as exercise. We examined the effect of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on dendritic cells. TCC practitioners were further divided to high-level practitioners (TCC-H) and low-level practitioners (TCC-L). The quantities of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells were estimated by flow cytometry. We examined parameters including age, body weight, body length, body fat, and serum albumin level, in the controls, TCC-H and TCC-L, which did not differ significantly. The mean peak (volume of O2 utilization) of the TCC-H group was greater than that of the sedentary control group. White blood cell (WBC) count in the entire TCC group was greater than that of the controls. The quantity of myeloid dendritic cells was significantly greater in the TCC group, whereas the quantity of plasmacytoid dendritic cells was similar for both groups. Among the TCC subgroups, the quantity of myeloid dendritic cells, but not plasmacytoid dendritic cells, in the TCC-H group was greater than that of TCC-L practitioners. TCC could increase the number of circulating myeloid dendritic cells, but not plasmacytoid dendritic cells, in a performance level-dependent manner.
Die Dezentralisierung der Sozialpolitik: Eine unmögliche Mission? Der Fall der Krankenversicherung in der Schweiz

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Dafflon, B. (2005). Die Dezentralisierung der Sozialpolitik: eine unmögliche Mission? Der Fall der Krankenversicherung in der Schweiz. In Färber. Gisela (Hrsg.), Das föderative System in Deutschland: Bestandsaufnahme, Reformbedarf und Handlungsempfehlungen aus raumwissenschaftlicher Sicht (S. 257-281). Hannover: Verl. d. ARL. https://nbnresolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-338390
Familial Aggregation of Blood Pressure in a Paediatric Population

ABSTRACT. Familial aggregation of blood pressure in childhood and the difference between males and females were studied in a random sample of a nursery and school‐age population in Milan. Age, sex, height, weight, skinfold thicknesses and heart rate were obtained. Blood pressure was measured in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force of Blood Pressure Control in Children. After adjusting for age, significant correlation coefficients were found between mother and son (r=0.17 and r=0.11), mother and daughter (r=0.11 and r=0.15), and father and son (r=0.16 and r=0.17) for systolic and diastolic pressure, respectively; the father‐daughter correlations were not statistically different (r=0.08 and r=0.03). Multiple regression analysis underlined the difference between males and females; height was an important determinant in the males and body weight in the females. In conclusion, anthropometric measurements should be considered in evaluations of blood pressure status. Our results suggest important differences between males and females. The BP pattern of the parents also seems more important for sons, and there seems to be a lower correlation between fathers and daughters.
Avoidant coping partially mediates the relationship between patient problem behaviors and depressive symptoms in spousal Alzheimer caregivers.

OBJECTIVE Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer disease is a highly stressful experience that is associated with significant depressive symptoms. Previous studies indicate a positive association between problem behaviors in patients with Alzheimer disease (e.g., repeating questions, restlessness, and agitation) and depressive symptoms in their caregivers. Moreover, the extant literature indicates a robust negative relationship between escape-avoidance coping (i.e., avoiding people, wishing the situation would go away) and psychiatric well-being. The purpose of this study was to test a mediational model of the associations between patient problem behaviors, escape-avoidance coping, and depressive symptoms in Alzheimer caregivers. METHODS Ninety-five spousal caregivers (mean age: 72 years) completed measures assessing their loved ones' frequency of problem behaviors, escape-avoidance coping, and depressive symptoms. A mediational model was tested to determine if escape-avoidant coping partially mediated the relationship between patient problem behaviors and caregiver depressive symptoms. RESULTS Patient problem behaviors were positively associated with escape-avoidance coping (beta = 0.38, p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (beta = 0.26, p < 0.05). Escape-avoidance coping was positively associated with depressive symptoms (beta = 0.33, p < 0.01). In a final regression analysis, the impact of problem behaviors on depressive symptoms was less after controlling for escape-avoidance coping. Sobel's test confirmed that escape-avoidance coping significantly mediated the relationship between problem behaviors and depressive symptoms (z = 2.07, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Escape-avoidance coping partially mediates the association between patient problem behaviors and depressive symptoms among elderly caregivers of spouses with dementia. This finding provides a specific target for psychosocial interventions for caregivers.
Human T-Cell Lymphotropic/Leukemia Virus Type 1 Tax Abrogates p53-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis through Its CREB/ATF Functional Domain

ABSTRACT Human T-cell lymphotropic/leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) transforms human T cells in vitro, and Tax, a potent transactivator of viral and cellular genes, plays a key role in cell immortalization. Tax activity is mediated by interaction with cellular transcription factors including members of the CREB/ATF family, the NF-κB/c-Rel family, serum response factor, and the coactivators CREB binding protein-p300. Although p53 is usually not mutated in HTLV-1-infected T cells, its half-life is increased and its function is impaired. Here we report that transient coexpression of p53 and Tax results in the suppression of p53 transcriptional activity. Expression of Tax abrogates p53-induced G1 arrest in the Calu-6 cell line and prevents the apoptosis induced by overexpressing p53 in the HeLa/Tat cell line. The Tax mutants M22 and G148V, which selectively activate the CREB/ATF pathway, exert these same biological effects on p53 function. In contrast, the NF-κB-active Tax mutant M47 has no effect on p53 activity in any of these systems. Consistent with the negative effect of Tax on p53, no activity on a p53-responsive promoter was observed upon transfection of HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines. The p53 protein is expressed at high levels in the nucleus, and nuclear extracts of HTLV-1-infected T cells bind constitutively to a DNA oligonucleotide containing the p53 response element, indicating that Tax does not interfere with p53 binding to DNA. Tax is able to suppress the transactivation function of p53 in three different cell lines, and this suppression required Tax-mediated activation of the CREB/ATF, but not the NF-κB/c-Rel, pathway. Tax and the active Tax mutants were able to abrogate the G1 arrest and apoptosis induced by p53, and this effect does not correlate with an altered localization of nuclear p53 or with the disruption of p53-DNA complexes. The suppression of p53 activity by Tax could be important in T-cell immortalization induced by HTLV-1.
On the fate of old stored carbon after large-infrequent disturbances in plants

Plants have the capacity to store and reallocate stored non-structural C, but little is known about the age and ecological roles of these pools. It was thought that plants allocate recently assimilated C to produce new fine roots. However, there is recent evidence that plants can allocate old stored C for the production of fine roots following a large-infrequent disturbance (LID) providing a new dimension of the fate and the implied role of stored C in plants. Here, I explore other possible adaptations of plants to allocate stored C reserves, and provide a series of open questions on the fate of old stored C in plants. Specifically, I propose that another metabolic function of old stored C may be for supporting mycorrhizal fungi colonization after a large-infrequent disturbance, because the production of hyphae may be more economical in terms of C to the plant under stressful conditions. Finally, in order to better understand plant resilience to LIDs it is critical to understand the mechanisms that regulate the fate of old stored C in plants.
Effect of in vitro selenium supplementation on sperm quality in asthenoteratozoospermic men

Sperm DNA damage, excessive oxidative stress and decrease in motility ‎may lead to low fertilisation or poor‎ assisted reproductive techniques outcomes in asthenoteratozoospermic ‎men. Selenium was considered as essential element for male reproductive functions. Selenium has important role in enzymatic process for elimination of excessive reactive oxygen species and helps to maintain membrane integrity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of selenium supplementation on sperm quality, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential and membrane lipid peroxidation during sperm sampling in vitro at different times. In this experimental study, semen samples were collected from 50 asthenoteratozoospermic men. Samples were divided into two groups as control group and test group (incubated with 2 μg/ml selenium at 37°C for 2, 4 and 6 hr). Motility and viability were assessed based on WHO 2010 criteria. Mitochondrial membrane potential, sperm DNA fragmentation and malondialdehyde levels were evaluated in each group. Results revealed that motility, viability and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly higher in the test group (p < .05). Also malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower in the test group (p < .03). DNA fragmentation significantly decreased in the test group after 6 hr of incubation (p < .02). In conclusion, in vitro selenium supplementation may protect spermatozoa from maltreatment effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during sperm sampling via keeping enzymatic and antioxidant process in optimum condition.
Cloud-Assisted Live Streaming for Crowdsourced Multimedia Content

Empowered by today's rich tools for media generation and distribution, and the convenient Internet access , streaming crowdsourced multimedia content (crowdsourced streaming, in brief) generalizes the single-source streaming paradigm by including massive contributors for a video/data channel. It calls a joint optimization along the path from crowdsourcers , through streaming servers, to the end-users to minimize the overall latency. The dynamics of the video sources, together with the globalized request demands and the high computation demand from each sourcer, make crowdsourced live streaming challenging even with powerful support from modern cloud computing. In this paper, we present a generic framework that facilitates a cost-effective cloud service for crowdsourced live streaming. Through adaptively leasing, the cloud servers can be provisioned in a fine granularity to accommodate geo-distributed video crowdsourcers. We present an optimal solution to deal with service migration among cloud instances of diverse lease prices. It also addresses the location impact to the streaming quality. To understand the performance of the proposed strategies in the real world, we have built a prototype system running over the planetlab and the Amazon/Microsoft Cloud. Our extensive experiments demonstrate that the effectiveness of our solution in terms of deployment cost and streaming quality.
Practical and Robust Identification of Molecular Subtypes in Colorectal Cancer by Immunohistochemistry

Purpose: Recent transcriptomic analyses have identified four distinct molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer with evident clinical relevance. However, the requirement for sufficient quantities of bulk tumor and difficulties in obtaining high-quality genome-wide transcriptome data from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue are obstacles toward widespread adoption of this taxonomy. Here, we develop an immunohistochemistry-based classifier to validate the prognostic and predictive value of molecular colorectal cancer subtyping in a multicenter study. Experimental Design: Tissue microarrays from 1,076 patients with colorectal cancer from four different cohorts were stained for five markers (CDX2, FRMD6, HTR2B, ZEB1, and KER) by immunohistochemistry and assessed for microsatellite instability. An automated classification system was trained on one cohort using quantitative image analysis or semiquantitative pathologist scoring of the cores as input and applied to three independent clinical cohorts. Results: This classifier demonstrated 87% concordance with the gold-standard transcriptome-based classification. Application to three validation datasets confirmed the poor prognosis of the mesenchymal-like molecular colorectal cancer subtype. In addition, retrospective analysis demonstrated the benefit of adding cetuximab to bevacizumab and chemotherapy in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic cancers of the canonical epithelial-like subtypes. Conclusions: This study shows that a practical and robust immunohistochemical assay can be employed to identify molecular colorectal cancer subtypes and uncover subtype-specific therapeutic benefit. Finally, the described tool is available online for rapid classification of colorectal cancer samples, both in the format of an automated image analysis pipeline to score tumor core staining, and as a classifier based on semiquantitative pathology scoring. Clin Cancer Res; 23(2); 387–98. ©2016 AACR.
Gas Chromatography

General Interest and Reviews 4487 Column Principles and Technology 4488 General Information 4488 Stationary Phases 4488 Fundamental Characterizations 4488 High-Speed Separations 4488 Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography 4491 Scope 4491 Reviews 4491 Instrumentation 4491 Theory and Data Handling 4492 Applications 4493 Gas Chromatography Detectors 4494 Mass Spectrometric Detectors 4495 Spectroscopic Detectors 4495 Other Detectors 4495 Literature Cited 4496
Extracorporeal adsorption of anti-Factor VIII allo-antibodies on randomly functionalized polystyrene resins

Summary The occurrence of anti-factor VIII (FVIII) allo-antibodies is a severe complication of the treatment of haemophilia A patients, leading to the inhibition of transfused FVIII activity. The effective elimination of these inhibitory antibodies plays a decisive role in the management of affected patients. To achieve this, immunoadsorption devices employing synthetic adsorbers, which selectively eliminate inhibitors, are of interest in the treatment strategy of haemophilia A patients with inhibitors. Adsorbers consisting of polystyrene-based beads substituted with sulphonate and L-tyrosyl methylester groups, which mimic part of epitope of FVIII molecule recognized by inhibitors, exhibit selective binding capacities towards anti-FVIII antibodies. The adsorption of FVIII inhibitors was investigated by simulating an extracorporeal circulation of haemophilic plasma over these functionalized resins. These innovative adsorbers are able to remove around 25% of anti-FVIII antibodies in 15 minutes depending on the plasma tested. Furthermore, they do not modify the amount of essential plasmatic proteins or residual immunoglobulins G. Experiments which were carried out using different plasmas with various inhibitor titres demonstrate a good reproducibility regarding the adsorption capacity of the synthetic resin. The characteristics of adsorption are similar on either native or regenerated resins. Both the purely synthetic nature of the resin and its easy processability demonstrate the real advantages over currently available protocols. This synthetic adsorber is a major technological advance in selective removal of FVIII inhibitory antibodies.
Characterization of the proteinaceous skeletal organic matrix from the precious coral Corallium konojoi

The Japanese red and pink corals are known to be precious because of their commercial value resulting from their use in ornaments, jewelry, and medicine. Precious corals are very interesting models for biomineralization studies and possess two different skeletal structures: an axial skeleton and an endoskeleton (sclerites). Although it has long been known that the organic matrix proteins existing in coral skeletons are critical for the oriented precipitation of CaCO3 crystals, these proteins in moderate deep‐sea Japanese precious corals remain uncharacterized. Therefore, in this study, we performed skeletal whole proteome analyses using 1D and 2D electrophoresis, nano‐LC, and MALDI‐TOF‐TOF MS. We identified a total of 147 functional coral skeletal organic matrix proteins (120 from the sclerites and 36 from the axial skeleton), including two calcium‐binding calmodulin. Among the organic matrix proteins identified, nine key proteins are highly typical and common in both skeletons. Strong glycosylation activity, which is essential for skeletal formation in calcifying organisms, was detected in both skeletons. This work demonstrates unique biomineralization‐related proteins in precious corals and provides the first description of the major proteinaceous components of CaCO3 minerals in precious corals, enabling the comparative investigation of biocalcification in other octocorals.
Disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity and elevated lipid peroxidation products in schizophrenic patients with tardive dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND Free radical-mediated pathology has been implicated in the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD). Antioxidant defense system alterations and increased lipid peroxidation have been postulated as a possible mechanism for neuronal damage associated with TD. However, the relationship between antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation products, and the severity of TD symptoms has not been determined within a single patient group. METHOD Plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were examined in 80 patients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria) and TD (Schooler-Kane criteria) and 45 schizophrenia patients without TD. Results were compared to those of 50 age-, sex-, and smoking status-matched controls. Tardive dyskinesia severity was assessed using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, and patient psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. RESULTS Patients with TD had lower plasma superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase levels but higher MDA levels than those without TD. In the patients with TD, MDA levels were positively correlated with Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale total score and with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative subscore. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were inversely correlated with MDA levels. CONCLUSIONS Our data support the hypothesis that oxidative stress is involved in the patho-physiology of TD. These data also suggest a relationship between oxidative stress and the severity of dyskinesia in TD patients. Increased lipid peroxidation may likely be a result of decreased endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities in TD.
Advances in Understanding Mating Type Gene Organization in the Mushroom-Forming Fungus Flammulina velutipes

The initiation of sexual development in the important edible and medicinal mushroom Flammulina velutipes is controlled by special genes at two different, independent, mating type (MAT) loci: HD and PR. We expanded our understanding of the F. velutipes mating type system by analyzing the MAT loci from a series of strains. The HD locus of F. velutipes houses homeodomain genes (Hd genes) on two separated locations: sublocus HD-a and HD-b. The HD-b subloci contained strain-specific Hd1/Hd2 gene pairs, and crosses between strains with different HD-b subloci indicated a role in mating. The function of the HD-a sublocus remained undecided. Many, but not all strains contained the same conserved Hd2 gene at the HD-a sublocus. The HD locus usually segregated as a whole, though we did detect one new HD locus with a HD-a sublocus from one parental strain, and a HD-b sublocus from the other. The PR locus of F. velutipes contained pheromone receptor (STE3) and pheromone precursor (Pp) genes at two locations, sublocus PR-a and PR-b. PR-a and PR-b both contained sets of strain-specific STE3 and Pp genes, indicating a role in mating. PR-a and PR-b cosegregated in our experiments. However, the identification of additional strains with identical PR-a, yet different PR-b subloci, demonstrated that PR subloci can recombine within the PR locus. In conclusion, at least three of the four MAT subloci seem to participate in mating, and new HD and PR loci can be generated through intralocus recombination in F. velutipes.
Avastin as an adjunct to vitrectomy in the management of severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a prospective case series

Purpose: Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a monoclonal antibody which targets all isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor A. Its potent anti‐angiogenic effects have been shown to cause regression of neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Avastin as an adjunct to vitrectomy in the management of severe diabetic eye disease.
Lake Water Depth Controlling Archaeal Tetraether Distributions in Midlatitude Asia: Implications for Paleo Lake‐Level Reconstruction

Lake‐level reconstructions, related to terrestrial hydrological changes, are important for our understanding of past and future climates. Currently, however, reliable lake‐level proxies are still limited. Here we report distributions of archaeal tetraether lipids in 70 surface sediment samples collected from 55 lakes in midlatitude Asia. We have found that among various lake physico‐chemical characteristics, the relative abundances of crenarchaeol and Hydroxylated isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (%cren and %OH‐GDGTs) are best correlated with lake water depth, due to a preference of Thaumarchaeota, the producer of these biomarkers, for a niche in subsurface lake water. This supports the recent hypothesis based on single‐lake investigations that %cren and %OH‐GDGTs are potentially novel lake‐level proxies. Our results also suggest that %OH‐GDGTs is less affected by soil input than %cren. Nevertheless, other confounding factors should be well constrained and local/site‐specific calibrations are needed before the two molecular proxies are used quantitatively in down‐core applications.