Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secretion of endothelin‐1 and endothelin‐3 by human cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

1 It is generally accepted that endothelial cells secrete endothelin (ET) to the underlying media which mediates the contractile effects of ET. However, there is some evidence that animal vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) also secrete ET. We cultured VSMCs from human vessels representative of a number of different vascular beds to determine whether human VSMCs endogenously secrete ET. 2 VSMCs explanted from adult arterial vessels secrete picomolar quantities of immunoreactive mature ET: coronary artery 226.6 ± 58.8 pm/106 cells (n = 7), thoracic aorta 169.5 ± 105.4 pm/106 cells (n = 3), left internal mammary artery 102.4 ± 23.1 pm/106 cells (n = 3) and saphenous vein 69.4 ± 19.9 pm/106 cells (n = 3), as well as from umbilical vein (HUVSMCs) 38.3 ± 4.3 pm/106 cells (n = 3). Secretion of immunoreactive big ET‐1 was also detected: coronary artery 249.1 ± 59.4 pm/106 cells (n = 7), thoracic aorta 120.0 ± 13.4 pm/106 cells (n = 3), left internal mammary artery 170.0 ± 68.2 pm/106 cells (n = 3), saphenous vein 105.1 ± 30.7 pm/106 cells (n = 3) and from umbilical vein 146.3 ± 7.4 pm/106 cells (n = 3). Comparable, intracellular levels of immunoreactive big ET‐1 and mature ET were also detected in cultured VSMCs. 3 Since enzyme‐dispersed VSMCs are thought to be more differentiated and more closely resemble their in vivo counterparts, and these enzyme‐dispersed VSMCs from human umbilical vein (HUVSMCs) also secreted the greatest levels of immunoreactive peptides, they were characterized further. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrated that HUVSMCs express ET‐1 mRNA. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to radioimmunoassay revealed that HUVSMCs secrete ET‐1 and ET‐3, in addition to big ET‐1. However, levels of ET are not altered by 100 μm phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of metalloproteases or by 100 μm pepstatin A, an aspartyl protease inhibitor. 4 In concordance, KD and Bmax values for [125I]‐ET‐1 saturation binding are not altered in HUVSMC cultures incubated for 24 h with 100 μm phosphoramidon (431 ± 218 pm and 31.1 ± 12.7 fmol mg−1; mean ± s.e. mean, n = 3) or 100 μm pepstatin A (381 ± 169 pm and 19.9 ± 7.8 fmol mg−1, n = 3) as compared to controls (355 ± 99 pm and 33.3 ± 9.3 fmol mg−1; n = 3). This observation indicates the absence of an autocrine ‘unmasking’ effect for ET receptors. 5 HUVSMCs synthesize and secrete immunoreactive ET‐1, ET‐3 and big ET‐1, and possess intracellular levels of immunoreactive mature ET and big ET‐1. There is some evidence of common cellular mechanisms between growth factors and vasoconstrictor peptides, suggesting a close relationship between contraction and proliferation. Since the development of various vascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis, hypertension and after vessel injury has been attributed to alterations in the normal growth pattern of VSMCs, the role of ET in these diseases may be of significance.
T‐cell Ig and ITIM domain regulates natural killer cell activation in murine acute viral hepatitis

Uncontrolled natural killer (NK) cell activation during the early response to acute viral infection can lead to severe immunopathology, and the mechanisms NK cells use to achieve self‐tolerance in such contexts are currently unclear. Here, NK cells up‐regulated a coinhibitory receptor, T‐cell Ig and ITIM domain (TIGIT), during challenge with the viral double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) analog poly I:C. Blocking TIGIT by antibody treatment in vivo or a genetic deficiency in Tigit enhanced NK cell activation and aggravated liver injury in a poly I:C/D‐GalN‐induced model of acute fulminant hepatitis, suggesting that TIGIT is normally required for protecting against NK cell‐mediated liver injury. Furthermore, adoptively transferring Tigit−/− NK cells into NK cell‐deficient Nfil3−/− mice also resulted in elevated liver injury. Reconstituting Kupffer cell‐depleted mice with poliovirus receptor (PVR/CD155, a TIGIT ligand)‐silenced Kupffer cells led to aggravated liver injury in a TIGIT‐dependent manner. Blocking TIGIT in an NK‐Kupffer cell coculture in vitro enhanced NK cell activation and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) production in a PVR‐dependent manner. We also found that TIGIT was up‐regulated selectively on NK cells and protected against liver injury in an acute adenovirus infection model in both an NK cell‐ and Kupffer cell‐dependent manner. Knocking down PVR in Kupffer cells resulted in aggravated liver injury in response to adenovirus infection in a TIGIT‐dependent manner. Conclusion: TIGIT negatively regulates NK‐Kupffer cell crosstalk and alleviates liver injury in response to poly I:C/D‐GalN challenge or acute adenovirus infection, suggesting a novel mechanism of NK cell self‐tolerance in liver homeostasis during acute viral infection. (Hepatology 2014;59:1715–1725)
Health-related quality-of-life outcomes: a reflexology trial with patients with advanced-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To evaluate the safety and efficacy of reflexology, a complementary therapy that applies pressure to specific areas of the feet. DESIGN Longitudinal, randomized clinical trial. SETTING Thirteen community-based medical oncology clinics across the midwestern United States. SAMPLE A convenience sample of 385 predominantly Caucasian women with advanced-stage breast cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. METHODS Following the baseline interview, women were randomized into three primary groups: reflexology (n = 95), lay foot manipulation (LFM) (n = 95), or conventional care (n = 96). Two preliminary reflexology (n = 51) and LFM (n = 48) test groups were used to establish the protocols. Participants were interviewed again postintervention at study weeks 5 and 11. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Breast cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL), physical functioning, and symptoms. FINDINGS No adverse events were reported. A longitudinal comparison revealed significant improvements in physical functioning for the reflexology group compared to the control group (p = 0.04). Severity of dyspnea was reduced in the reflexology group compared to the control group (p < 0.01) and the LFM group (p = 0.02). No differences were found on breast cancer-specific HRQOL, depressive symptomatology, state anxiety, pain, and nausea. CONCLUSIONS Reflexology may be added to existing evidence-based supportive care to improve HRQOL for patients with advanced-stage breast cancer during chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Reflexology can be recommended for safety and usefulness in relieving dyspnea and enhancing functional status among women with advanced-stage breast cancer.
Genetic diversity and relationship in 47 accessions of tomato by AFLP markers

The genetic diversity and relationship of 47 accessions of tomato from Russia, Japan, Italy and China were analyzed using 10 informative primer pairs of AFLP markers. Selective amplification detected 575 bands, of which 384 were polymorphic, accounting for 66.78% of the total bands. The number of amplified fragments and polymorphic fragments per primer combination were 57.5 and 38.4, respectively. The number of DNA bands per primer pair was ranging from 20 to 89, with a maximum polymorphic rate of 89.89% and a minimum rate of 49.21%. The genetic similarity among all 47 accessions evaluated ranged from 0.7200 to 0.9357. Based on the UPGMA dendrogram, all the materials could be divided into three types at a similarity coefficient of 0.80. The first group included 2 accessions, i.e. N-3 and M-16 introduced from Russia; The second group included 44 accessions, which could be divided into two subsets at a similarity coefficient of 0.82, 19 belonged to subset I, and the others to subset II; The third group included only one accession Jianhuang.
The Neurochemistry of Prion Diseases

Prion diseases are a complex group of primary neurodegenerative disorders that are grouped together today because an abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP) plays a role in their etiology and pathogenesis (Tables 1 and 2). Prion diseases are unique among primary CNS disorders because they include sporadic, genetic, and infectious forms. The first disorders included in the group were kuru, CreutzfeldtJakob disease (CJD), and scrapie (Sc) because they shared in common spongiform degeneration of gray matter, nerve cell loss, and cerebral amyloid plaque formation and could be transmitted to other subjects. These diseases, with long incubation times in the absence of an inflammatory or immune response, were initially believed to be caused by an atypical, slow virus. Subsequent clinical and molecular genetic studies have identified dominantly inherited familial forms, including familial CJD, GerstmannStraussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), and fatal familial insomnia (FFI), which are genetically linked to mutations in the PrP gene. Sporadic forms of the prion diseases are defined by the failure to find an infectious or genetic etiology. Sporadic CJD is the most common human prion disease, accounting for 85% of the total. Although the origin of sporadic CJD is unknown, one possibility is an age-related somatic mutation of the PrP gene. Today we recognize that the clinical-pathological entity identified as CJD is not a single disease but a syndrome that can be caused by infection with prions, by one of several point mutations or insertions in the PrP gene, and possibly by acquired somatic PrP gene mutations (Hsiao and Prusiner, 1990; Prusiner, 199 1). The unique characteristic of all prion diseases, whether sporadic, dominantly inherited, or acquired by infection with prions, is that each has the potential to form more particles that can transmit the disease to another subject (Gajdusek et al., 1966; Gibbs et al., 1968; Masters et al., 1981).
A highly re-configurable Instruments-in-Matlab Software-Defined Radio platform for 4G SC-FDMA signal measurements and analysis

This paper presents a highly re-configurable Instruments-in-Matlab Software-Defined Radio (IM-SDR) platform for 4G LTE Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDMA) signal measurement and analysis. The high configurability of the SDR comes from the real-time seamless integration of the versatile MATLAB software with many high-end instruments like arbitrary waveform generator (AWG), vector signal generator, channel emulator, wideband IQ demodulator, and digital storage scope etc., for transmitting and receiving the real-world 4G signals. Via Ethernet/GPIB, each instrument is controlled by and interfaced to either Matlab TX or RX program to serve as a block in the complete radio chain. Moreover, the SC-FDMA TX/RX programs also implement all the required algorithms and functional blocks for the baseband transceiver, including FFT-based modulation/demodulation, packet formation/detection, CFO estimation/compensation, and channel estimation/ equalization, etc‥ Finally, experimental results are included to verify the proposed IM-SDR approach.
Promoting Successful Aging Through Competitive Sports Participation

In this study we explored the experience of competing in the Senior Games and the resultant contributions to the successful aging of older adults. We used in-depth interviews with older adults who participated in the National Senior Games. Analysis of the data produced five central themes: (a) perseverance, (b) career development and significant effort, (c) personal and social benefits, (d) unique ethos, and (e) identification as a senior athlete. We found that participating in the Senior Games as a form of serious leisure enhanced the well-being of older adults and could be utilized as a means by which to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Preparation and Characterization of Novel Drug-Inserted-Montmorillonite Chitosan Carriers for Ocular Drug Delivery

The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of montmorillonite as a sustained carrier in the preparation of drug-loaded nanoparticles for prolonged ocular application. Nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation of chitosan with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). Betaxolol hydrochloride (BH) was applied as a model drug. TG, FT-IR, TEM, DLS and XRD have been employed in the characterization of drug-encapsulated chitosan-montmorillonite/TPP nanoparticles (CS-MMT/TPP NPs). TEM images showed that the particles were spherical in shape and had a rough surface. The size range of the nanoparticles was between 338 and 585 nm with positive zeta potential values from 24 mV to 36 mV and encapsulation efficiency values ranging from 12.27% to 50.92%. In vitro sustained drug release was observed with the BH-loaded nanoparticles in artificial tears (pH 7.4). The results of FT-IR, TG and XRD showed that the drug was coated with CSMMT/ TPP NPs. In the mucoadhesion studies, an interaction was found between drug-loaded CSMMT/ TPP NPs and mucin, which could enhance precorneal residence time and hence facilitate an effective sustained release. The optimized formulation was determined to be non-irritant and tolerable by modified Draize test. Therefore, the BH-loading CS-MMT/TPP NPs developed are a promising carrier for controlled drug delivery to the eye.
Single and combined effects of growth hormone and testosterone administration on measures of body composition, physical performance, mood, sexual function, bone turnover, and muscle gene expression in healthy older men.

We examined the effects of GH and/or testosterone (T) administration on body composition, performance, mood, sexual function, bone turnover, and muscle-gene expression in healthy older men. Ten men [mean (SEM) age, 68 (2.5) yr; height, 171.5 (2.4) cm; and weight, 80 (3.0) kg] completed each of the following 1-month, double-blind interventions after a baseline (B) study in randomized order with an intervening 3-month washout: transdermal T patch (5.0 mg/daily); recombinant human GH (6.25 micro g/kg sc daily); and combined hormones (GHT). ANOVA with repeated measures was used to evaluate interventional effects. Integrated serum GH concentrations [mean (SEM)] were elevated comparably by GH and GHT: [B = 363 (55), GH = 1107 (120), T = 459 (131), and GHT = 1189 (46) micro g/liter.min; P < 0.0001]. Serum IGF-I concentrations also increased commensurately after GH and GHT: [B = 168 (14), GH = 285 (16), T = 192 (25), and GHT = 294 (25) micro g/liter; P < 0.0001]. GHT administration increased total estradiol: [B = 110 (20), GH = 106 (13), T = 129 (13), and GHT = 153 (17) pmol/liter; P < 0.02], and both T and GHT elevated free T: [B = 12 (2.1), GH = 11 (1.5), T = 22 (2.8), and GHT = 24 (2.5) pg/ml; P < 0.0001]. No significant changes occurred in strength, flexibility, percentage body fat, or sexual function and mood. However, fat-free mass increased under combined GHT exposure: [B = 55 (1.3), GH = 56 (1.1), T = 55 (1.5), GHT = 57 (1.7) kg; P < 0.03]. Balance improved in response to GH intervention (P < 0.05), as did 30-m walk time during T and GHT interventions [B = 6.6 (0.3), GH = 6.2 (0.7), T = 5.9 (0.3), GHT = 5.5 (0.3) sec; P = 0.04] and stair climb time for all three interventions [B = 32.2 (1.4), GH = 29.8 (1.2), T = 30.5 (1.4), and GHT = 29.9 (1.2) sec (P = 0.0034), wherein the effects of GH, T, and GHT were different from that of B]. Muscle IGF-I gene expression increased by 1.9-fold during GH administration and by 2.3-fold during GHT administration (P < 0.05, compared with B). Myostatin and androgen receptor gene expression were not affected. Serum osteocalcin increased in response to the GH and GHT interventions: [B = 4.8 (0.52), GH = 5.7 (0.54), T = 4.7 (0.33), and GHT = 5.5 (0.39); P <0.009]. There were no significant adverse events during 30 patient-months of intervention. We conclude that 1 month of GH and/or T administration improves certain measures of balance and physical performance in older men and increases muscle IGF-I gene expression.
Mechanisms for the Prevention of Gastrointestinal Cancer: The Role of Prostaglandin E2

Carcinoma of the colon or rectum represents one of the most common malignancies worldwide with a higher prevalence in industrialized regions. Epidemiologic studies of individuals taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have shown a significant reduction in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality compared to those individuals not receiving these agents. NSAIDs inhibit the enzymatic activity of both isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2), while COX-2-selective inhibitors have shown some efficacy in reducing polyp formation. COX-2-derived bioactive lipids, including the primary prostaglandin (PG) generated in colorectal tumors, PGE2, are known to stimulate cell migration, proliferation and tumor-associated neovascularization while inhibiting cell death. Here we briefly review the role of NSAIDs in preventing CRC, as well as the proposed mechanism by which a COX-2-derived PG, PGE2, promotes colon cancer.
IL-2 promoter-driven lacZ expression as a monitoring tool for IL-2 expression in primary T cells of transgenic mice.

A transgenic mouse system has been established to follow the pattern of IL-2 expression at the level of single T cells. This was achieved by introducing a human IL-2 promoter-driven reporter gene (Escherichia coli lacZ) into the germline of mice and monitoring its product, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), by FACS analysis. Ex vivo experiments confirmed that the regulated expression of the transgene is comparable with that of the endogenous IL-2 gene. Transgene expression is inducible by mitogens, restricted to T cells, and diminished by immunosuppressive agents, such as cyclosporin A, at concentrations known to suppress IL-2 transcription. Depending on the mitogens used, 30-50% of peripheral T cells produced IL-2 with an asynchronous induction pattern, as measured by transgenic beta-gal activity. Both helper (CD4+CD8-) and cytotoxic T cells (CD4-CD8+) respond with comparable heterogenous expression levels but they show different frequencies of beta-gal production. Transgenic beta-gal-producing T cells were detectable as early as 2 h after mitogen stimulation. These cells represent a transitional IL-2 secreting, IL-2 receptor alpha-chain negative T cell population, which occurs in the autocrine process of T cell activation. Administration of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), a bacterial superantigen, resulted in a T cell specific (Thy-1.2) increase (2.5-fold) of reporter gene expression in vivo. In summary, we could demonstrate that IL-2 promoter-driven reporter gene expression in transgenic mice is a sensitive tool to characterize IL-2 expressing cells phenotypically. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
System level performance evaluation of spatial multiplexing with per common basis rate control

In this paper, we evaluate the system level perfor- mance of a spatial multiplexing with per common basis rate control (PCBRC) in which the active bases are selected at the receiver from the common unitary basis set known at both receiving and transmitting ends, conveyed to the transmitter using limited feedback, and assembled into a precoding matrix at the transmitter. System level capacity evaluation using spatial channel model (SCM) shows that the proposed PCBRC out- performs multi-mode antenna selection and precoder codebook design methods even with the same or lower feedback rate.
A New Pseudo-Zernike Boundary Moment for Marine Targets Feature Extraction

In the marine environment, the underwater images would have low SNR and the detail is fuzzy due to scattering and absorption of a variety of suspended matter in sea water and the water itself. For the three types of characteristic marine targets, the novel moments called Pseudo-Zernike boundary moments are proposed. By expanding the scope of the calculation to any rectangle and the use of fast algorithm and the normalization method, the invariants of discrete moments are constructed. Thus, the moments can be used as the descriptors of the samples. Experimental results of compared with the traditional HU moments and Pseudo-Zernike regional moments show that the new moment invariants not only can reduce the calculation in data processing to a large extent, but also improve the robustness and timeliness for engineering applications. When applying to the practical engineering, that is particularly approval for AUV to complete a certain mission.
Nitric oxide in the healing wound: a time-course study.

INTRODUCTION We studied the time course of nitric oxide expression in the healing wound and the cell populations responsible for its synthesis. METHODS Twenty four Lewis rats underwent subcutaneous implantation of polyvinyl alcohol sponges. Rats were sacrificed in groups of three on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 35 after wounding. The conversion of 3H-labeled arginine to 3H-labeled citrulline, with or without N(G)-L-monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA) in harvested sponges, was measured. Nitrate/nitrite (NOx) in plasma and wound fluid was quantified by Greiss reaction. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression was determined by Northern analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Inducible NOS was identified in specific wound cell populations by dual-label flow cytometry. RESULTS Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity peaked at 24 h after wounding (37.7 +/- 0.9 micromol citrulline per milligram sponge), with a steady decline thereafter. Percentage inhibition of NOS activity by l-NMMA was highest on days 1-7 (70-80%). This declined to 50% by day 10 and to 25% by days 14-35. The iNOS gene expression paralleled NOS biochemical activity. RT-PCR confirmed low-level expression up to 10 days after wounding. Plasma NOx levels remained within a narrow range of 22.6 +/- 1.3 to 29.3 +/- 1.5 microM throughout the postwounding period, while corresponding levels in wound fluid (microM) increased steadily from 27 +/- 3.8 on day 1 to 107.2 +/- 10.0 on day 14. Inducible NOS expression was detectable by fluorescence-activated cell sorting in wound macrophages on days 1 and 3 after wounding. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest maximal NOS activity early in cutaneous wound healing, with sustained production up to 10 days after wounding. NOS biochemical activity was paralleled by iNOS gene expression. Plasma NOx remained constant, while wound fluid NOx increased steadily to peak at day 14. Wound macrophages appear to be a source of nitric oxide production in the early phase of wound healing.
A History of Medical Education

numerous references to authors of all countries and of all ages. The book is divided into four periods of medical teaching: 1, in ancient times ; 2, in the middle ages; 3, in recent times, i.e. from the sixteenth century; 4, in the nineteenth century. In India, as shown by their oldest writings (Vedas, 600 B.C.), a separate medical caste existed from early times, and in the writings of Charaka and Susruta advice was given which might well serve for rules of ethics in the present day. The Indian doctors were excellent surgeons, and used varied and well-