Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunopathology and Infectious Diseases Sjögren ’ s Syndrome-Like Ocular Surface Disease in Thrombospondin-1 Deficient Mice

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a major activator of latent transforming growth factorin vitro as well as in vivo. Mice deficient in TSP-1, despite appearing normal at birth, develop a chronic form of ocular surface disease that is marked by increased apoptosis and deterioration in the lacrimal gland, associated dysfunction, and development of inflammatory infiltrates that result in abnormal tears. The increase in CD4 T cells in the inflammatory infiltrates of the lacrimal gland, and the presence of anti-Sjögren’s syndrome antigen A and anti-Sjögren’s syndrome antigen B antibodies in the serum resemble autoimmune Sjögren’s syndrome. These mice develop an ocular surface disorder dry eye that includes disruption of the corneal epithelial layer, corneal edema, and a significant decline in conjuctival goblet cells. Externally, several mice develop dry crusty eyes that eventually close. The inflammatory CD4 T cells detected in the lacrimal gland, as well as those in the periphery of older TSP-1 null mice, secrete interleukin-17A, a cytokine associated with chronic inflammatory diseases. Antigen-presenting cells, derived from TSP-1 null, but not from wild-type mice, activate T cells to promote the Th17 response. Together, these results indicate that TSP-1 deficiency results in a spontaneous form of chronic dry eye and aberrant histopathology associated with Sjögren’s syndrome. (Am J Pathol 2009, 175:1136–1147; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.081058)
Big data and tourism geographies – an emerging paradigm for future study?

Big data has become a hot topic in tourism and geographic research, as well as in other socioeconomic sciences. The definition of big data remains open with characters of huge in volume, high in velocity, diverse in variety, exhaustive in scope, fine-grained in resolution, relational in nature, flexible and scalability (Kitchin, 2013). Geographers have noted that big data research has seen a shift from a data-scarce to a data-rich environment, resulting in the emergence of a new mode of the data-driven geography (Miller & Goodchild, 2015). In terms of big data analytical techniques, which include the ability to manage datasets that exceed the processing capability of traditional data analysis software, the phenomenon has almost become an all-purpose tool that often substitutes for traditional research approaches. At tourism industry conferences in China, big data companies demonstrate ever expanding technical abilities to monitor and manage the real-time visitor use at tourist attractions, and local government tourism administrators like to show off their cellphone screens with displays of these real-time monitoring tools for tourist sites under their governance. In turn, these officials are paying less attention to traditional data collection methods and models of tourist flows. Big data techniques have clearly brought opportunities and benefits for tourism research and industrial operations. However, does a cell phone display equal the big data? Will big data completely replace the theoretic models of tourist flows and other theories of tourism geographies? How will our understanding of tourism geographies change by big data? What aspects of tourism benefit the most from big data, and to what extent? These are questions needed to be examined properly, or at least thought about in a reasonable manner.
Changes in plasma catecholamine concentrations in patients with coronary heart disease during pacing and physical exercise

To study the difference in sympathetic activity during pacing the right atrium or during physical exercise in patients with coronary heart disease, we investigated circulating plasma catecholamine concentrations in the coronary sinus and brachial artery radioenzymatically in 11 male patients with well documented coronary artery disease. Heart rate was increased stepwise 20 beats/min from 90 beats/min up to 150 beats/min by pacing the right atrium and physical exercise was performed by increasing work load stepwise by 25 from 25 up to 100 W on an ergometric bicycle. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations were increased significantly only during physical exercise. In addition, there was an increase in arterial‐coronary sinus noradrenaline difference during graded physical exercise, whereas no further release of noradrenaline from the myocardium occurred during pacing. An enhanced cardiac sympathetic tone in patients with coronary heart disease is discussed. It is suggested that atrial pacing is not an adequate stimulus evoking an overall increase of cardiac and peripheral sympathetic tone.
On the mechanism of the inhibition of glutamine synthetase and creatine phosphokinase by methionine sulfoxide

Beta amyloid peptides (Aβ), etiologically associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), have been shown to inhibit both glutamine synthetase (GS) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in vitro. These two enzymes are affected in AD and are sensitive to oxidative stress. Residue 35 of the Aβ25‐35, the most potent section of the 40–42 amino acid long fragment of amyloid precursor protein (APP), is a methionine, which has been reported to be oxidized to methionine sulfoxide presumably via a free radical oxidation process. We questioned whether methionine sulfoxide would inhibit GS and CPK directly and if this inhibition also involved free radical oxidative stress. In this report, we demonstrate that methionine sulphoxide inhibits GS by about 50% and CPK by about 25% at 20 mM concentration. Neither intact SOD, nor ascorbate inhibit the action of methionine sulfoxide completely, with regard to the inactivation of GS. These results indicate that the action of methionine sulfoxide may not be directly due to the oxidation of GS by free radicals. In fact, the presence of exogenous proteins, such as denatured SOD or catalase, inhibit the action of methionine sulfoxide as, or more effectively than, the addition of active free radical antioxidant enzymes. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selective and Nonselective Effects of 1‐Methyl‐4‐ Phenylpyridinium on Oxygen Consumption in Rat Striatal and Hippocampal Slices

Insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease may derive from elucidation of the neurotoxic mechanisms of 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1, 2, 3, 6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and its active metabolite, I‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP+). In previous studies, MPP+ provoked oxidation of cytochrome b and K+ leakage into the extracellular space of rat striatal slices. Magnitudes of these time‐dependent responses were far greater than expected had the MPP+ effects been limited to dopaminergic terminals. To determine whether cytochromes become oxidized from K+‐induced increases in ion transport activity or from electron transport inhibition at complex I, oxygen consumption was measured because this should be increased by the former and decreased by the latter mechanism. Low MPP+ concentrations (1 μM) decreased O2 consumption (∼40% in 3 h) in striatal slices. This decrease was diminished by mazindol and did not occur in hippocampal slices. High toxin concentrations (100 μM) inhibited oxygen consumption to a greater extent (∼60%) in striatal slices; this inhibition was still greater in hippocampal slices. These results support the hypothesis that acute effects of low (“selective”) MPP+ concentrations require the presence of dopaminergic terminals to trigger a sequence of destructive metabolic events but that the metabolic consequences of MPP+ spread to neighboring cells. In contrast, high MPP+ concentrations nonselectively inhibit metabolic and ion transport activity without requiring the presence of dopaminergic terminals. These results also suggest that physiological effects of “selective” MPP+ concentrations extend to nondopaminergic cells.
Surface-water dynamics and land use influence landscape connectivity across a major dryland region.

Landscape connectivity is important for the long-term persistence of species inhabiting dryland freshwater ecosystems, with spatiotemporal surface-water dynamics (e.g., flooding) maintaining connectivity by both creating temporary habitats and providing transient opportunities for dispersal. Improving our understanding of how landscape connectivity varies with respect to surface-water dynamics and land use is an important step to maintaining biodiversity in dynamic dryland environments. Using a newly available validated Landsat TM and ETM+ surface-water time series, we modelled landscape connectivity between dynamic surface-water habitats within Australia's 1 million km2 semiarid Murray Darling Basin across a 25-yr period (1987-2011). We identified key habitats that serve as well-connected "hubs," or "stepping-stones" that allow long-distance movements through surface-water habitat networks. We compared distributions of these habitats for short- and long-distance dispersal species during dry, average, and wet seasons, and across land-use types. The distribution of stepping-stones and hubs varied both spatially and temporally, with temporal changes driven by drought and flooding dynamics. Conservation areas and natural environments contained higher than expected proportions of both stepping-stones and hubs throughout the time series; however, highly modified agricultural landscapes increased in importance during wet seasons. Irrigated landscapes contained particularly high proportions of well-connected hubs for long-distance dispersers, but remained relatively disconnected for less vagile organisms. The habitats identified by our study may serve as ideal high-priority targets for land-use specific management aimed at maintaining or improving dispersal between surface-water habitats, potentially providing benefits to biodiversity beyond the immediate site scale. Our results also highlight the importance of accounting for the influence of spatial and temporal surface-water dynamics when studying landscape connectivity within highly variable dryland environments.
Helicobacter pylori and Nonmalignant Diseases

Helicobacter pylori is responsible for most peptic ulcers, plays a role in functional dyspepsia and is thought by some to influence the course of gastroesophageal reflux disease. This article addresses recent studies that have been published in connection with these diseases. H. pylori‐associated peptic ulcer is declining in prevalence but the incidence of perforation and bleeding remains high especially in the elderly. All H. pylori associated peptic ulcers should be treated by eradication of the infection. Dyspepsia is a common disorder that affects up to 25% of the population. About 8% of cases that are infected with H. pylori will respond to treatment of the infection. The association between H. pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease continues to be debated, a number of studies have shown that there is a negative association between H. pylori infection and Gastroesophageal reflux disease but treatment of H. pylori has not been shown to induce reflux or to affect the response to medication. Gastric atrophy is known to extend when acid suppression is used in infected patients implying that H. pylori treatment should be used in infected patients who are to undergo long‐term Proton Pump Inhibitor therapy.
Deciding to opt out of childhood vaccination mandates.

OBJECTIVES We explore the attitudes and beliefs of parents who consciously choose not to vaccinate their children and the ways in which these parents process information on the pros and cons of vaccines. DESIGN In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted. SAMPLE The study population consisted of 25 parents who do not vaccinate their children, identified through snowball and targeted sampling. METHODS Participants were asked about their processes and actions when choosing not to vaccinate their children. Interviews were taped and transcribed, and the content was analyzed for emergent themes. RESULTS Two predominant themes emerged in our data: a desire to collect information on vaccines and trust issues with the medical community. Evidence of sophisticated data collection and information processing was a repeated theme in the interview data. Simultaneously, while participants placed a high value on scientific knowledge, they also expressed high levels of distrust of the medical community. CONCLUSIONS The challenge for public health is to balance scientific data with popular epidemiology and to maintain legitimacy. Understanding the differences in lay versus expert knowledge has implications for crafting health messages. How experts frame knowledge for consumption has an important impact on this group and their decision-making processes.
Estimates of the incidence and costs associated with handlebar-related injuries in children.

BACKGROUND The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering handlebar regulation regarding impact performance to address the risk of abdominal and pelvic organ injuries in bicyclists. OBJECTIVE To provide national estimates of incidence and costs of handlebar-related abdominal and pelvic organ injuries. DESIGN AND SETTING Censuses of hospital discharge data from 19 states were extrapolated to determine national estimates. The percentage of abdominal and pelvic injuries associated with handlebars was estimated based on a case series from a pediatric trauma center. Costs were estimated using standard methods. PARTICIPANTS All subjects younger than 20 years treated as inpatients and discharged from acute care hospitals for non-motor vehicle bicycle-related injury in 19 states in 1997 and at a pediatric trauma center located in one of the states between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of bicycle-related handlebar abdominal and pelvic organ injury, total hospital charges, lifetime medical payments, lifetime productivity loss, and lifetime monetized quality-adjusted life-years. RESULTS An estimated 1147 subjects (95% confidence interval, 1082-1215; 1.49 per 100 000 subjects 19 years and younger) in the United States had serious non-motor vehicle-involved bicycle-related abdominal or pelvic organ injury leading to hospitalization in 1997, and 886 (95% confidence interval, 828-944; 1.15 per 100 000 subjects 19 years and younger) of these injuries likely were associated with handlebars. The estimated national costs associated with handlebar-related abdominal and pelvic organ injuries were $9.6 million in total hospital charges, $10.0 million in lifetime medical costs (including claims processing), $11.5 million in lifetime productivity losses, and $503.9 million in lifetime monetized quality-adjusted life-years. CONCLUSIONS Handlebar-related abdominal and pelvic organ injuries pose a serious health risk to children and result in substantial health care costs. Requirements for safer handlebar designs may provide one avenue to achieve a health and economic benefit.
Reaching consensus at a preset time: Double-integrator dynamics case

In the paper, a novel finite-time consensus framework for multi-agent systems with double-integrator dynamics is established. In such a framework, the multi-agent team can achieve consensus at any preset time. In order to reach this goal, linear feedback control protocols with time-varying gains are introduced. The proposed time-varying control protocols can solve consensus problems at the preset time if the undirected communication topology is connected. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results.
A Framework for Assessing the Performance of Cap-and-Trade Systems: Insights from the European Union Emissions Trading System

The performance of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) and other cap-and-trade schemes has been under scrutiny because of their inability to create a stable price for greenhouse gas emissions. This article seeks to inform the often confusing debate about the economic performance of cap-and-trade systems over time, with a focus on the EU ETS. Based on a simple intertemporal framework of emissions trading and a review of the literature, we show that different frameworks and notions of efficiency result in both different assessments of performance and different recommended strategies for improving performance. More specifically, we argue that if cap-and-trade systems have temporal flexibility (i.e., they include banking and borrowing of emissions allowances), it can be highly misleading to base the economic assessment on short-term efficiency. We seek to draw attention to the concept of long-term economic performance, which takes into account the intertemporal nature of emissions trading systems. In particular, we identify market and government distortions (e.g., myopia, lack of policy credibility, excessive discounting) that may depress allowance prices and hamper intertemporal efficiency. We then examine whether the recently adopted Market Stability Reserve and the alternative price collar are likely to address these distortions.
Dietary intake of fiber and decreased risk of cancers of the colon and rectum: evidence from the combined analysis of 13 case-control studies.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is a major public health problem in both North America and western Europe, and incidence and mortality rates are rapidly increasing in many previously low-risk countries. It has been hypothesized that increased intakes of fiber, vitamin C, and beta carotene could decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. PURPOSE The objective of this study was to examine the effects of fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene intakes on colorectal cancer risk in a combined analysis of data from 13 case-control studies previously conducted in populations with differing colorectal cancer rates and dietary practices. The study was designed to estimate risks in the pooled data, to test the consistency of the associations across the studies, and to examine interactions of the effects of the nutrients with cancer site, sex, and age. METHODS Original data records for 5287 case subjects with colorectal cancer and 10,470 control subjects without disease were combined. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate relative risks and confidence intervals for intakes of fiber, vitamin C, and beta carotene, with the effects of study, sex, and age group being adjusted by stratification. RESULTS Risk decreased as fiber intake increased; relative risks were 0.79, 0.69, 0.63, and 0.53 for the four highest quintiles of intake compared with the lowest quintile (trend, P < .0001). The inverse association with fiber is seen in 12 of the 13 studies and is similar in magnitude for left- and right-sided colon and rectal cancers, for men and for women, and for different age groups. In contrast, after adjustment for fiber intake, only weak inverse associations are seen for the intakes of vitamin C and beta carotene. CONCLUSION This analysis provides substantive evidence that intake of fiber-rich foods is inversely related to risk of cancers of both the colon and rectum. IMPLICATIONS If causality is assumed, we estimate that risk of colorectal cancer in the U.S. population could be reduced about 31% (50,000 cases annually) by an average increase in fiber intake from food sources of about 13 g/d, corresponding to an average increase of about 70%.
Carotid and vertebral artery blood flow in left‐ and right‐handed healthy subjects measured with MR velocity mapping

The goal of the study was to establish normal carotid artery flow rates in left‐handed and right‐handed individuals as a standard against which patients with carotid artery disease could be compared. Antegrade and retrograde flow were measured in the ascending aorta, in the right and left common, internal, and external carotid arteries, and in the vertebral arteries of 12 healthy subjects. Five subjects were right‐handed, five left‐handed, and two ambidextrous. Measured flow rates were as follows: common carotid arteries, 360–557 mL/min (mean [± standard deviation], 465 mL/min ± 52); internal carotid arteries, 132–367 mL/min (mean, 265 mL/min ± 60); external carotid arteries, 113–309 mL/min (mean, 186 mL/min ± 51); vertebral arteries from 133–308 mL/min (mean, 244 mL/min ± 43); and cerebral circulation, 546–931 mL/min (mean, 774 mL/min ± 134). All right‐handed subjects had higher flow rates in the left internal carotid artery than in the right, and all left‐handed subjects had higher flow rates in the right internal carotid artery (P =.007). There were no significant differences in left and right common carotid artery flow rates between left‐ and right‐handed subjects. The standard deviation of a single measurement was 5%. The flow rates were similar to those obtained previously with other techniques and could be used as a normal standard.
MicroRNA-1/206 Targets c-Met and Inhibits Rhabdomyosarcoma Development*

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous short (∼22) nucleotide RNAs that regulate gene function by modification of target mRNAs. miRNA-1 (miR-1) and miRNA-206 (miR-206) are highly expressed in skeletal muscle. Due to the tissue-specific nature of miR-1/206 for skeletal muscles, we investigated the role of miR-1/206 in the development of rhabdomyosarcoma. Initially, we demonstrated that miR-1/206 expression was suppressed in rhabdomyosarcomas and found at very low levels in a rhabdomyosarcoma RD cell line. Transient transfection of miR-1/206 into cultured RD cells led to a significant decrease in cell growth and migration. Using bioinformatics, we identified two putative miR-1/206 binding sites within the 3′-untranslated region of the human c-Met mRNA. miR-1/206 was then shown to have activity on mRNA expression by targeting the c-Met 3′-untranslated region. The expression of c-Met protein was shown to be down-regulated by subsequent Western blot analysis. Conversely, up-regulation of c-Met was confirmed in tissue samples of human rhabdomyosarcoma, with its level inversely correlated with miR-1/206 expression. In vivo, miR-1/206-expressing tumor cells showed growth delay in comparison with negative control. Our results demonstrated that miR-1/206 suppressed c-Met expression in rhabdomyosarcoma and could function as a potent tumor suppressor in c-Met-overexpressing tumors. Inhibition of miR-1/206 function could contribute to aberrant cell proliferation and migration, leading to rhabdomyosarcoma development.
An FSS-Backed 20/30 GHz Circularly Polarized Reflectarray for a Shared Aperture L- and Ka-Band Satellite Communication Antenna

A shared aperture antenna for simultaneous operation at L- (1525 to 1661 MHz) and Ka-band (19.7 to 20.2 GHz and 29.5 to 30.0 GHz) is demonstrated. This stacked antenna consists of a Ka-band reflectarray antenna with a frequency selective surface (FSS) ground-plane above an L-band patch array antenna. The reflectarray is based on the concentric dual split-loop element backed by a concentric dual-loop FSS element. The reflectarray comprises 80 × 80 elements and it is printed on a 40 ×40 cm2 Rogers 5880 substrate, while the L-band antenna is a 2 × 2 patch array. The reflectarray antenna has been manufactured at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and measured at the DTU-ESA Spherical Near-Field Antenna Test Facility. The reflectarray provides a maximum directivity of 36.4 and 38.5 dBi at 20.0 and 29.8 GHz, respectively, and an aperture illumination efficiency in the two frequency bands up to 57% and 48%, respectively. There is very little degradation in the L-band patch array performance due to the reflectarray, and it provides a minimum directivity of 11.8 dBi over the L-band.