Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epithelial Cell Adhesion to Extracellular Matrix Proteins Induces Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 2: a Role for C-Terminal Src Kinase

ABSTRACT The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) is expressed in latently EBV-infected B cells, where it forms patches in the plasma membrane and interferes with B-cell receptor signal transduction through dominant-negative effects on protein kinases. LMP2 transcripts are detected in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an epithelial-cell malignancy. In this study the function of LMP2A in epithelial cells was investigated. LMP2A was found to coprecipitate with protein kinase activities and to become phosphorylated in in vitro kinase assays. Analysis of LMP2A deletion mutants demonstrated that tyrosines implicated in interacting with Src family kinase SH2 domains and the SH2 domain of Csk, as well as the LMP2A immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif, are important for its phosphorylation in epithelial cells. LMP2A tyrosine phosphorylation was triggered by cell adhesion to extracellular-matrix (ECM) proteins. Src family kinases, whose involvement in cell-ECM signaling and LMP2A phosphorylation in B lymphocytes has been well established, were found not to be responsible for LMP2A phosphorylation in epithelial cells. Instead, coexpression of Csk, a negative Src regulator, and LMP2A led to an increase in LMP2A phosphorylation both in nonadherent cells and upon cell adhesion. Csk also phosphorylated LMP2A in vitro. These results suggest that LMP2A has a different role in epithelial cells, where it interacts with cell adhesion-initiated signaling pathways. Although tyrosine phosphorylation of LMP2A occurs in both cell types, different protein kinases seem to be used: Src family kinases in B lymphocytes and Csk in epithelial cells.
Effects of humic acid and competing cations on metal uptake by Lolium perenne

Within the bioticl ligand model, which describes relationships between chemical speciation and metal binding at an organism's surface, multicomponent (long‐term) metal uptake by plants has seldom been studied. In the present work, we exposed perennial ryegrass to nutrient solutions with two levels of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn (1 and 0.1 μM) and with or without 30 mg/L of humic acid. Iron and Mn concentrations were constant over all treatments. The hypothesis tested was that humic acid lowers the free and labile metal concentration and, therefore, reduces the metal uptake and, finally, the metal content of the plant. The free metal ion concentrations in the nutrient solutions were measured by the Donnan membrane technique and labile metal concentrations by diffusive gradients in thin‐films. The metal content of the shoots depends on the metal content of the roots. The metal content of the roots is a function of the adsorption of metals on the root surface. In a multicomponent system at metal concentrations of 1 μM, humic acid decreased Cu, Pb, and Fe adsorption at the root surface, but it increased Cd, Zn, and Mn adsorption at the root surface. Complexation of cations such as Cu, Pb, and Fe with high affinity for (dissolved) organic matter may lead to increased uptake of cations with low affinity for organic matter (Ni, Zn, and Cd) because of competition between cations at the root surface. The results suggest that competition between metal ions can play a major role in multicomponent metal uptake, which has to be taken into account during risk assessments of metal‐polluted soils.
Financial Statement Comparability and Idiosyncratic Return Volatility

This study examines the association between financial statement comparability and idiosyncratic return volatility (IRV). A greater degree of comparability lowers information acquisition costs, reduces the uncertainties associated with performance evaluation, and increases the overall quantity and quality of information available to corporate outsiders, which, in turn, helps investors to understand and evaluate the cash flow and performance of firms more accurately. Therefore, we hypothesize a negative association between financial statement comparability and IRV. Using a large US sample from 1981 to 2013, we show that financial statement comparability is associated with lower level of IRV significantly. We also find this association to be more pronounced in a poor information environment. This study contributes to the emerging research that stresses the benefits of financial statement comparability.
Determinants of China's bilateral trade balance in global value chains

ABSTRACT This paper identifies the determinants of China's bilateral trade balance using a new measure based on international input–output data, the so-called ‘trade in value-added’ (TiVA), which can prevent double counting in the estimation of bilateral trade balance. Our results show that using a measure based on gross exports, rather than TiVA, causes relatively large overestimation of the impact of the RMB exchange rate on China's bilateral trade balance. This overestimation is mainly because that the increasing production of exports may require increasing intermediate imports as a consequence of international fragmentation of production in global value chains. In addition, our results also show that the impact of FDI inflows on China's bilateral trade balances depends on the position and role of China and its trading partners in GVCs.
Successful difficult intubation Tracheal tube placement over a gum‐elastic bougie

A randomised study was carried out to assess the effect of tracheal tube rotation on the passage of a tube over a gum‐elastic bougie into the trachea in 100 patients. The effect of the presence or absence of a laryngoscope on successful tube placement was also assessed. A grade 3 difficult intubation was simulated in patients with a laryngoscope. There was a significant difference in the rates for successful first‐time intubation in those patients with tube orientation of ‐90° (with the bevel facing posteriorly) as compared with a tube orientation of 0° (the normal orientation with the bevel facing left). The unsuccessful first‐time intubations with a 0° orientation were frequently converted to successful intubations with the ‐90° position at a second attempt. The presence of a laryngoscope in the mouth while rail‐roading a tube over the bougie also made a significant difference to the rate of successful first‐time intubations. The most successful method was to leave the laryngoscope in the mouth and rotate the tube to ‐90°.
Colony Formation and Matrix Production by Human Anulus Cells: Modulation in Three-dimensional Culture

Study Design. Human intervertebral disc cells from the anulus were tested in a study of colony formation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production during long-term three-dimensional culture with exposure to selected cytokines. Experimental studies were approved by the authors’ Human Subjects Institutional Review Board. Objectives. To quantitatively evaluate colony formation and qualitatively assess ECM production (using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization) in cells derived from Thompson Grades I to V discs and tested in culture with cytokines and nutrient supplementation. Summary of the Background Data. Human intervertebral disc cells offer special in vitro challenges because of the slow-growing nature of these cells and their need for specialized three-dimensional in vitro conditions, which permit the expression and production of proteoglycans and Type II collagen, two ECM products that are important for disc cell biology. Methods. Discs from 9 human subjects (2 control donors and 7 surgical patients, Thompson Grades I–V), mean age 35.8 years, were used to obtain anulus cells to be tested in three-dimensional agarose culture. Tests of specialized growth conditions included treatment with ITS (insulin-transferrin-sodium selenite supplement), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and transforming growth factor-&bgr;1 (TGF-&bgr;1). Cultures were evaluated after 14 to 36 days of culture for % colony formation and cell numbers/colony; immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, and quantitative histology were used to evaluate colony formation and ECM production. Results. Data showed that compared with the average 17.5% colony formation observed in controls, ITS, TGF-&bgr;1 and ITS with IGF-I significantly increased colony formation (28.4%, 30.4%, and 30.4%, respectively, P ≤ 0.04). Even cells derived from Thompson Grade V disc showed responsiveness to cytokines and improved production of ECM in vitro. Conclusions. Findings indicated that cells derived from discs with advanced degeneration were still responsive to cytokines and could be modulated to produce Type II collagen and proteoglycans in three-dimensional culture by the addition of enriched media and selected cytokines. Such findings are important since they advance our understanding of how to modulate disc cell behavior in vitro, and may have application to potential future biologic therapies for disc degeneration.
The Iron-Repressed, AraC-Like Regulator MpeR Activates Expression of fetA in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen that causes the common sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. Gonococcal infections cause significant morbidity, particularly among women, as the organism ascends to the upper reproductive tract, resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. In the last few years, antibiotic resistance rates have risen dramatically, leading to severe restriction of treatment options for gonococcal disease. Gonococcal infections do not elicit protective immunity, nor is there an effective vaccine to prevent the disease. Thus, further understanding of the expression, function, and regulation of surface antigens could lead to better treatment and prevention modalities in the future. In the current study, we determined that an iron-repressed regulator, MpeR, interacted specifically with the DNA sequence upstream of fetA and activated FetA expression. Interestingly, MpeR was previously shown to regulate the expression of gonococcal antimicrobial efflux systems. We confirmed that the outer membrane transporter FetA allows gonococcal strain FA1090 to utilize the xenosiderophore ferric enterobactin as an iron source. However, we further demonstrated that FetA has an extended range of substrates that encompasses other catecholate xenosiderophores, including ferric salmochelin and the dimers and trimers of dihydroxybenzoylserine. We demonstrated that fetA is part of an iron-repressed, MpeR-activated operon which putatively encodes other iron transport proteins. This is the first study to describe a regulatory linkage between antimicrobial efflux and iron transport in N. gonorrhoeae. The regulatory nidus that links these systems, MpeR, is expressed exclusively by pathogenic neisseriae and is therefore expected to be an important virulence factor.
A Novel Adaptive Local Dimming Backlight Control Chip Design Based on Gaussian Distribution for Liquid Crystal Displays

In this paper, a novel hardware-oriented adaptive local dimming backlight control algorithm is proposed for very large-scale integration implementation. The proposed algorithm includes a novel dimming algorithm to save energy of the liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight module and a novel contrast enhancement algorithm to compensate the dimming of brightness in displaying images. In order to improve the power-saving rates and image quality, a block-based model and a Gaussian distribution model were added. After obtaining a clipped point by the Gaussian distribution model, a pixel compensator was used to compensate the brightness value of each pixel to satisfy the human vision. In the meantime, a power width modulation module produced power control signal for the LCD backlight module. To meet the performance standards for displaying video in real time, the proposed algorithm was implemented by an eight-stage pipelined architecture. In addition, a new color-space YEF transform composed of integer adders and shifters was used to realize the grayscale converter to replace floating point multipliers. Moreover, the high-complexity operations, such as square root, multiplication, and division, required for the Gaussian distribution model were simplified by using a lookup table technique, which could reduce the hardware cost of the proposed design efficiently. This design was fabricated by a TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process, and the chip area is 630 105 μm2. Compared with previous local dimming backlight control algorithms, this work improved the average peak signal to noise ratio by 6.89 dB and saved 7.61% more backlight power consumption than previous studies.
Kidney transplantation in undocumented immigrants with ESRD: a policy whose time has come?

BACKGROUND In most US states, taxpayers are paying, either directly or indirectly, for years of dialysis therapy for undocumented immigrants with end-stage renal disease who lack resources to pay for care themselves. Living donor transplant is a less expensive long-term alternative, but it is unknown what percentage of these patients have potential living donors. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of undocumented immigrant patients receiving dialysis at our outpatient center between March and May 2010. Forty-five patients completed the survey. The survey focused on the availability of potential living donors, perceived health status of those donors, and potential recipients' outlook on remaining on dialysis therapy versus receiving a kidney transplant. We gathered demographic and health status data for the survey participants and the 82 documented resident patients receiving care in the same dialysis unit. RESULTS The average age of our undocumented immigrant patients was 44 years. The undocumented patients were healthier than their legal resident counterparts, with a lower incidence of coronary artery disease (7% vs 33%; P < 0.005) and diabetes mellitus (40% vs 68%; P < 0.005). Approximately half the undocumented immigrants were working when they were surveyed. Of the half who had stopped working, 82% said they would seek work if they had a kidney transplant. 60% had at least one potential kidney donor. Most donors were reported to reside in the United States or Canada. CONCLUSIONS Undocumented immigrants treated with dialysis in the United States are relatively young and healthy, and many have at least one potential living kidney donor. Given the societal cost-savings associated with transplant, we suggest that policy makers should consider extending coverage to pay for living donor transplant for undocumented immigrants with end-stage renal disease.
Eyecare for ethnic minority groups in the UK

Although in the 2011 census (Table 1) the second largest ethnic group (Asian, including Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/ Chinese) only accounts for 3.3% of the population (Offi ce of National Statistics 2011), ethnicity is still an important issue when planning eyecare services, as ethnic mix varies considerably between localities. For example, in West Yorkshire, the Bradford population is more than 26% Asian – more than three times higher than the proportion in its neighbours Calderdale or Leeds (Figure 1).
Evaluation of the prognostic role of tumour‐associated macrophages in newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma and correlation with early FDG‐PET assessment

In Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), about 20% of patients still have relapsed/refractory disease and late toxic effects rate continue to rise with time. ‘Early FDG‐PET’ and tissue macrophage infiltration (TAM) emerged as powerful prognostic predictors. The primary endpoint was to investigate the prognostic role of both early FDG‐PET and TAM; the secondary endpoint was to test if early FDG‐PET positivity could correlate with high TAM score.
Acylsugar Acylhydrolases: Carboxylesterase-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Acylsugars in Tomato Trichomes1[OPEN]

Acylsugar acylhydrolases are carboxylesterases that catalyze the hydrolysis of specific acyl chains from acylsugars found in trichomes. Glandular trichomes of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and many other species throughout the Solanaceae produce and secrete mixtures of sugar esters (acylsugars) on the plant aerial surfaces. In wild and cultivated tomato, these metabolites consist of a sugar backbone, typically glucose or sucrose, and two to five acyl chains esterified to various positions on the sugar core. The aliphatic acyl chains vary in length and branching and are transferred to the sugar by a series of reactions catalyzed by acylsugar acyltransferases. A phenotypic screen of a set of S. lycopersicum M82 × Solanum pennellii LA0716 introgression lines identified a dominant genetic locus on chromosome 5 from the wild relative that affected total acylsugar levels. Genetic mapping revealed that the reduction in acylsugar levels was consistent with the presence and increased expression of two S. pennellii genes (Sopen05g030120 and Sopen05g030130) encoding putative carboxylesterase enzymes of the α/β-hydrolase superfamily. These two enzymes, named ACYLSUGAR ACYLHYDROLASE1 (ASH1) and ASH2, were shown to remove acyl chains from specific positions of certain types of acylsugars in vitro. A survey of related genes in M82 and LA0716 identified another trichome-expressed ASH gene on chromosome 9 (M82, Solyc09g075710; LA0716, Sopen09g030520) encoding a protein with similar activity. Characterization of the in vitro activities of the SpASH enzymes showed reduced activities with acylsugars produced by LA0716, presumably contributing to the high-level production of acylsugars in the presence of highly expressed SpASH genes.
Protective activity of Hertia cheirifolia extracts against DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation

Abstract Context: Hertia cheirifolia L. (Asteraceae), a perennial shrub widely distributed in Northern Africa, is traditionally used to treat inflammatory disorders. Objective: The protective effect of methanol (Met E) and aqueous (Aq E) extracts of Hertia cheirifolia against DNA, lipid and protein oxidation was investigated. Materials and methods: Different concentrations (50–1000 μg/mL) of Hertia cheirifolia aerial part extracts were examined against DNA, lipid and protein oxidation induced by H2O2 + UV, FeSO4, and Fe3+/H2O2-ascorbic acid, respectively. The DPPH•, metal ion chelating, reducing power and β-carotene bleaching tests were conducted. Results: Both extracts were rich in polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins, and were able to scavenge DPPH• with IC50 values of 138 and 197 μg/mL, respectively. At 300 μg/mL, Aq E exerted stronger chelating effect (99%) than Met E (69%). However, Met E reducing power (IC50 = 61 μg/mL) was more than that of Aq E (IC50 = 193 μg/mL). Both extracts protected from β-carotene bleaching by 74% and 94%, respectively, and inhibited linoleic acid peroxidation. The inhibitory activity of Aq E extract (64%) was twice more than that of Met E (32%). Interestingly, both extracts protected DNA against the cleavage by about 96–98%. At 1 mg/mL, Met E and Aq E restored protein band intensity by 94–99%. Conclusions: Hertia cheirifolia exhibits potent antioxidant activity and protects biomolecules against oxidative damage; hence, it may serve as potential source of natural antioxidant for pharmaceutical applications and food preservation. This is the first report on the protective activity of this plant against biomolecule oxidation.
Application of the Health Belief Model for osteoporosis prevention among middle school girl students, Garmsar, Iran.

INTRODUCTION Osteoporosis is a serious metabolic bone disorder that often results in hip fracture and is usually asymptomatic in its initial stages. Since the majority of bone formation occurs during childhood and adolescence, it is important to begin primary prevention at an early age, although the optimal way for instilling this preventive behavior in youth has not yet been defined. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a health education intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in reducing the risk of osteoporosis development in female adolescents. METHODS The study population consisted of 206 female students from the middle schools of the city of Garmdsar, Iran. The students were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Students in Group 1, the experimental group, participated in two health education sessions of one hour, based on components of the HBM. Students in Group II took part in the traditional didactic health education curriculum on osteoporosis. Group III students had no specific educational program for osteoporosis prevention. Data were collected at three points: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. The data-gathering instrument was a validated and reliable questionnaire (67 questions) that was developed based on the following HBM domains: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and health behavior action for osteoporosis prevention). RESULTS Group 1's pre-tests, post- tests and one month follow up tests revealed a significant increase in the students' mean scores in the domains of knowledge (about osteoporosis) (p<0.001), perceived susceptibility (p<0.001), perceived severity (p<0.001), and perceived benefits of reducing risk factors (p<0.001)), as well as taking health action (p<0.001). The mean scores of Group II only improved significantly in the domains of knowledge and perceived susceptibility (p<0.001). Group III showed no significant changes. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The findings of this study support the feasibility of a health education program based on HBM to induce behavior change for osteoporosis prevention in middle school females.
Inhibition of secondary bile acid formation in the large intestine by lactulose in healthy subjects of two different age groups

Abstract. Secondary bile acids have been implicated in colonic carcinogenesis. Transformation of primary into secondary bile acids (7α‐dehydroxylation) in the large bowel is a pH‐dependent process. Inhibition of this reaction could be achieved by lowering colonic pH. We, therefore, studied the effects of lactulose (a non‐absorbable disaccharide), which is capable of acidifying colonic contents, on secondary bile acid metabolism. Because this metabolism is age dependent, lactulose was given (0·3 g kg‐1 twice daily for 12 weeks) to nine middle‐aged (age 31–54 years; mean 45·7) and ten elderly subjects (age 56–81 years; mean 66·4). Twice before, and after 6 and 12 weeks' lactulose administration, biliary and faecal bile acids, whole gut transit time, faecal weight and dry weight, and faecal pH were recorded. The concentration of (iso)lithocholic and deoxycholic acid in faeces was higher in elderly subjects (P<0·05) but the excretion was comparable. After lactulose the concentration and excretion of the major secondary bile acids decreased. The primary bile acid fraction rose from 5% before, to more than 20% after, lactulose (P<0·05). Faecal weight increased and faecal dry weight decreased, resulting in a higher faecal water output during lactulose. Whole gut transit time did not change. The faecal pH dropped after 6 (P<0·05) and further after 12 weeks' lactulose (P<0·05). The percentage deoxycholic acid in bile was higher, and cholic acid lower, in elderly subjects (P<0·05). After lactulose the deoxycholic acid content decreased (P<0·05) and chenodeoxycholic acid content increased (P<0·01) in the whole group (n= 19). The cholic acid content did not change. The results show that lactulose can reduce secondary bile acid formation in the large bowel and that the effect is not mediated through acceleration of intestinal transit. Acidification of colonic contents seems to be the major factor in this reduction.