Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Anticarcinogenic effect of 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 on induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats].

OBJECTIVE To explore the anticarcinogenic mechanism of 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 in induced liver tumor in SD rat. METHODS Thirty-five SD rats with induced hepatocellular carcinoma were divided into a control group and 3 dosage groups according to the dosing levels of 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3. The tumour volume was measured by MR imaging. The apoptotic rat and S-phase fraction and diploid of tumor cell were measured with flow cytometry. Protein expression of PCNA and TNF were evaluated with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS There was significant difference in tumour volume between the high dosage group and the control group. The average apoptotic rates were 11.08+/-3.78, 13.57+/-3.34, 27.35+/-16.04 and the S-phase fractions were 23.98+/-9.44, 19.73+/-6.62, 14.09+/-3.48 in the low-, medium-, and high-dosage groups respectively. The apoptotic rate was significantly higher in the high-dosage group than in the medium-dosage group and low-dosage group. Before-after comparison showed that the anti-proliferative effects of 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 were significant in three treatment groups. The higher positive rats of protein expression with PCNA and TNF were significant difference in the high-dosage group compared to those in the low-dosage group. No significant difference between the medium-dosage group and the low-dosage group. CONCLUSION 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 can noticeably inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells, and efficaciously induce the apoptosis and facilitate necrosis of the tumor cells, and there appears to be a dose dependent effect.
The Paired Domain-containing Factor Pax8 and the Homeodomain-containing Factor TTF-1 Directly Interact and Synergistically Activate Transcription*

Pax genes encode for transcription factors essential for tissue development in many species. Pax8, the only member of the family expressed in the thyroid tissue, is involved in the morphogenesis of the gland and in the transcriptional regulation of thyroid-specific genes. TTF-1, a homeodomain-containing factor, is also expressed in the thyroid tissue and has been demonstrated to play a role in thyroid-specific gene expression. Despite the presence of Pax8 and TTF-1 also in a few other tissues, the simultaneous expression of the two transcription factors occurs only in the thyroid, supporting the idea that Pax8 and TTF-1 might cooperate to influence thyroid-specific gene expression. In this report, we describe a physical and functional interaction between these two factors. The fusion protein GST-Pax8 is able to bind TTF-1 present in thyroid or in non-thyroid cell extracts, and by using bacterial purified TTF-1 we demonstrate that the interaction is direct. By co-immunoprecipitation, we also show that the interaction between the two proteins occursin vivo in thyroid cells. Moreover, Pax8 and TTF-1 when co-expressed in HeLa cells synergistically activate Tg gene transcription. The synergism requires the N-terminal activation domain of TTF-1, and deletions of Pax8 indicate that the C-terminal domain of the protein is involved. Our results demonstrate a functional cooperation and a physical interaction between transcription factors of the homeodomain-containing and of the paired domain-containing gene families in the regulation of tissue-specific gene expression.
The cytosolic, cell surface and extracellular proteomes of the biotechnologically important soil bacterium Corynebacterium efficiens YS‐314 in comparison to those of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032

Reference maps of the cytosolic, cell surface and extracellular proteome fractions of the amino acid‐producing soil bacterium Corynebacterium efficiens YS‐314 were established. The analysis window covers a pI range from 3 to 7 along with a molecular mass range from 10 to 130 kDa. After second‐dimensional separation on SDS‐PAGE and Coomassie staining, computational analysis detected 635 protein spots in the cytosolic proteome fraction, whereas 76 and 102 spots were detected in the cell surface and extracellular proteomes, respectively. By means of MALDI‐TOF‐MS and tryptic peptide mass fingerprinting, 164 cytosolic proteins, 49 proteins of the cell surface and 89 extracellular protein spots were identified, representing in total 177 different proteins. Additionally, reference maps of the three cellular proteome fractions of the close phylogenetic relative Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 were generated and used for comparative proteomics. Classification according to the Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins scheme and abundance analysis of the identified proteins revealed species‐specific differences. The high abundance of molecular chaperones and amino acid biosynthesis enzymes in C. efficiens points to environmental adaptations of this recently discovered amino acid‐producing bacterium.
BR-SIGNALING KINASE1 Physically Associates with FLAGELLIN SENSING2 and Regulates Plant Innate Immunity in Arabidopsis[W]

BR-SIGNALING KINASE1 (BSK1) is a substrate of the brassinosteroid receptor BRI1. This work shows that BSK1 physically associates with FLS2, and a mutation in BSK1 leads to enhanced susceptibility to multiple pathogens as well as defects in the FLS2-mediated reactive oxygen burst, demonstrating that BSK1 plays an important role in plant innate immunity. Pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-trigged immunity (PTI) is the first defensive line of plant innate immunity and is mediated by pattern recognition receptors. Here, we show that a mutation in BR-SIGNALING KINASE1 (BSK1), a substrate of the brassinosteroid (BR) receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1, suppressed the powdery mildew resistance caused by a mutation in ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE2, which negatively regulates powdery mildew resistance and programmed cell death, in Arabidopsis thaliana. A loss-of-function bsk1 mutant displayed enhanced susceptibility to virulent and avirulent pathogens, including Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Pseudomonas syringae, and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. The bsk1 mutant also accumulated lower levels of salicylic acid upon infection with G. cichoracearum and P. syringae. BSK1 belongs to a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase family and displays kinase activity in vitro; this kinase activity is required for its function. BSK1 physically associates with the PAMP receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING2 and is required for a subset of flg22-induced responses, including the reactive oxygen burst, but not for mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Our data demonstrate that BSK1 is involved in positive regulation of PTI. Together with previous findings, our work indicates that BSK1 represents a key component directly involved in both BR signaling and plant immunity.
Dairy foods, calcium, and colorectal cancer: a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies.

BACKGROUND Studies in animals have suggested that calcium may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. However, results from epidemiologic studies of intake of calcium or dairy foods and colorectal cancer risk have been inconclusive. METHODS We pooled the primary data from 10 cohort studies in five countries that assessed usual dietary intake by using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline. For most studies, follow-up was extended beyond that in the original publication. The studies included 534 536 individuals, among whom 4992 incident cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed between 6 and 16 years of follow-up. Pooled multivariable relative risks for categories of milk intake and quintiles of calcium intake and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Milk intake was related to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Compared with the lowest category of intake (<70 g/day), relative risks of colorectal cancer for increasing categories (70-174, 175-249, and > or =250 g/day) of milk intake were 0.94 (95% CI = 0.86 to 1.02), 0.88 (95% CI = 0.81 to 0.96), and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.78 to 0.94), respectively (P(trend)<. 001). Calcium intake was also inversely related to the risk of colorectal cancer. The relative risk for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.78 to 0.95; P(trend) =. 02) for dietary calcium and 0.78 (95% CI = 0.69 to 0.88; P(trend)<. 001) for total calcium (combining dietary and supplemental sources). These results were consistent across studies and sex. The inverse association for milk was limited to cancers of the distal colon (P(trend)<. 001) and rectum (P(trend) =. 02). CONCLUSION Higher consumption of milk and calcium is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
High incidence of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma linked to erionite fibre exposure in a rural community in Central Mexico

Objective To report the high incidence of lung cancer (LC) and malignant mesothelioma (MM) linked to environmental exposure to erionite fibres in a rural village of central Mexico. Methods This is a retrospective survey of clinical and mortality records from the years 2000–2012, accompanied by an environmental survey for nine Group-1 lung and pleura carcinogenic agents listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Results Out of a total of 45 deaths between 2000 and 2012, 14 deaths correspond to different neoplasms of the lung, and at least four deaths to MM. The ages at diagnosis of MM were between 30 and 54 years. Annual age-standardised mortality rates per thousand due to LC and MM in the village (age >20 years) are 7.09 and 2.48 for males, and 4.75 and 1.05 for females, respectively. Erionite fibres were found in exposed rocks and soils, which can easily become airborne and be carried into streets and recreational areas near schools and homes. Other carcinogenic elements and minerals are found only in trace amounts, except for quartz dust and asbestos (chrysotile) cement sheeting, which are also present in the neighbouring villages. Conclusions These results indicate that environmental exposure to erionite is the main cause of the high rates of MM mortality in the Village of Tierra Blanca, supporting previous similar reports for people exposed to erionite fibres in villages in Turkey.
Circumcision for the prevention of urinary tract infection in boys: a systematic review of randomised trials and observational studies

Objective: To undertake a meta-analysis of published data on the effect of circumcision on the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) in boys. Data sources: Randomised controlled trials and observational studies comparing the frequency of UTI in circumcised and uncircumcised boys were identified from the Cochrane controlled trials register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, reference lists of retrieved articles, and contact with known investigators. Methods: Two of the authors independently assessed study quality using the guidelines provided by the MOOSE statement for quality of observational studies. A random effects model was used to estimate a summary odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Data on 402 908 children were identified from 12 studies (one randomised controlled trial, four cohort studies, and seven case–control studies). Circumcision was associated with a significantly reduced risk of UTI (OR = 0.13; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.20; p<0.001) with the same odds ratio (0.13) for all three types of study design. Conclusions: Circumcision reduces the risk of UTI. Given a risk in normal boys of about 1%, the number-needed-to-treat to prevent one UTI is 111. In boys with recurrent UTI or high grade vesicoureteric reflux, the risk of UTI recurrence is 10% and 30% and the numbers-needed-to-treat are 11 and 4, respectively. Haemorrhage and infection are the commonest complications of circumcision, occurring at rate of about 2%. Assuming equal utility of benefits and harms, net clinical benefit is likely only in boys at high risk of UTI.
Mimix Hydroxyapatite Cement Use in the Reconstruction of the Craniofacial Skeleton

AbstractReconstruction of the craniofacial skeleton has undergone a significant evolution during the past century. Initially, the use of autogenous bone grafts from various sites was the criterion standard. However, owing to donor site morbidity and lack of sufficient bone for large defects, surgeons have relied on various bone substitutes. Hydroxyapatite (HA) has served as an alternative to autogenous grafts, but questions regarding biocompatibility, risk of infection, and slow set times have hampered its acceptance. This article serves as a review of a single surgeon’s experience using HA in the craniofacial skeleton. Eighteen patients receiving HA between March 2000 and November 2006 were observed. Sixteen underwent recontouring of skull-based bone defects, and 2 underwent recontouring for nasal and alveolar defects. The mean amount of HA used in each patient was 30.2 g. For large contour irregularities, the maximum thickness of HA used was 8 mm. The size of bone defects ameliorated averaged 4.8 cm2. Complications occurred in 3 (16.7%) of 18 patients and included scalp hematoma and superficial cellulitis. In addition, 1 patient developed a facial abscess after placement along the alveolar floor, which necessitated removal. Hydroxyapatite represents a viable alternative to autogenous bone grafts when used in the correct manner. Hydroxyapatite should be used only for smaller defects or used in conjunction with absorbable plates when attempting to fill larger defects. Use of HA for nasal piriform augmentation or alveolar bone grafting should not be considered owing to problems with late infections.
Contributions to Elevated Metabolism during Recovery: Dissecting the Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) in the Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

The excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), a measure of recovery costs, is known to be large in ectothermic vertebrates such as the desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), especially after vigorous activity. To analyze the cause of these large recovery costs in a terrestrial ectotherm, Dipsosaurus were run for 15 s at maximal‐intensity (distance 35.0 ± 1.9 m; 2.33 ± 0.13 m s−1) while O2 uptake was monitored via open‐flow respirometry. Muscle metabolites (adenylates, phosphocreatine, and lactate) were measured at rest and after 0, 3, 10, and 60 min of recovery. Cardiac and ventilatory activity during rest and recovery were measured, as were whole‐body lactate and blood lactate, which were used to estimate total muscle activity. This vigorous activity was supported primarily by glycolysis (65%) and phosphocreatine hydrolysis (29%), with only a small contribution from aerobic metabolism (2.5%). Aerobic recovery lasted 43.8 ± 4.6 min, and EPOC measured 0.166 ± 0.025 mL O2 g−1. This was a large proportion (98%) of the total suprabasal metabolic cost of the activity to the animal. The various contributions to EPOC after this short but vigorous activity were quantified, and a majority of EPOC was accounted for. The two primary causes of EPOC were phosphocreatine repletion (32%–50%) and lactate glycogenesis (30%–47%). Four other components played smaller roles: ATP repletion (8%–13%), elevated ventilatory activity (2%), elevated cardiac activity (2%), and oxygen store resaturation (1%).
Comet Assay Measurements of DNA Damage in Cells by Laser Microbeams and Trapping Beams with Wavelengths Spanning a Range of 308 nm to 1064 nm

Abstract Mohanty, S. K. , Rapp, A. , Monajembashi, S. , Gupta, P. K. and Greulich, K. O. Comet Assay Measurements of DNA Damage in Cells by Laser Microbeams and Trapping Beams with Wavelengths Spanning a Range of 308 nm to 1064 nm. Radiat. Res. 157, 378–385 (2002). DNA damage induced in NC37 lymphoblasts by optical tweezers with a continuous-wave Ti:sapphire laser and a continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser (60–240 mW; 10–50 TJ/m2; 30–120 s irradiation) was studied with the comet assay, a single-cell technique used to detect DNA fragmentation in genomes. Over the wavelength range of 750–1064 nm, the amount of damage in DNA peaks at around 760 nm, with the fraction of DNA damage within the range of 750–780 nm being a factor of two larger than the fraction of DNA damage within the range of 800–1064 nm. The variation in DNA damage was not significant over the range of 800–1064 nm. When the logarithm of damage thresholds measured in the present work, as well as values reported previously in the UV range, was plotted as a function of wavelength, a dramatic wavelength dependence became apparent. The damage threshold values can be fitted on two straight lines, one for continuous-wave sources and the other for pulsed sources, irrespective of the type of source used (e.g. classical lamp or laser). The damage threshold around 760 nm falls on the line extrapolated from values for UV-radiation-induced damage, while the data for 800–1064 nm fall on a line that has a different slope. The change in the slope between 320 and 340 nm observed earlier is consistent with a well-known change in DNA-damaging mechanisms. The change observed around 780 nm is therefore suggestive of a further change in the mechanism(s). The data from this work together with our previous measurements provide, to the best of our knowledge, the most comprehensive view available of the DNA damage produced by microfocused light.
Prevention of scopolamine-induced memory deficits by schisandrin B, an antioxidant lignan from Schisandra chinensis in mice

Abstract The preventive effect of schisandrin B (Sch B), an antioxidant ingredient of Schisandra chinensis, was studied on scopolamine-induced dementia in mouse. Scopolamine developed oxidative stress in the brain with the decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes and increased nitrite level. At the same time, a significant impairment of learning and memory occurred when evaluated by passive avoidance task (PAT) and Morris water maze (MWM) with concomitant increase of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and decreased acetylcholine levels. Pre-treatment by Sch B (10, 25, 50 mg/kg) effectively prevented scopolamine-induced oxidative stress and improved behavioural tasks. Further, the scopolamine-induced increase in AChE activity was significantly suppressed and the level of acetylcholine was maintained as normal by Sch B treatment. These results suggest that Sch B have protective function against cerebral functional defects such as dementia not only by antioxidant prevention but also exerting its potent cognitive-enhancing activity through modulation of acetylcholine level.
Difficult-to-heal wounds of mixed arterial/venous and venous etiology: a cost-effectiveness analysis of extracellular matrix

Importance Difficult-to-heal wounds pose clinical and economic challenges, and cost-effective treatment options are needed. Objective The aim of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of extracellular matrix (ECM) relative to standard of care (SC) on wound closure for the treatment of mixed arterial/venous (A/V) or venous leg ulcers (VLUs). Design, setting, and participants A two-stage Markov model was used to predict the expected costs and outcomes of wound closure for ECM and SC. Outcome data used in the analysis were taken from an 8-week randomized clinical trial that directly compared ECM and SC. Patients were followed up for an additional 6 months to assess wound closure. Forty-eight patients completed the study; 25 for ECM and 23 for SC. SC was defined as a standard moist wound dressing. Transition probabilities for the Markov states were estimated from the clinical trial. Main outcomes and measures The economic outcome of interest was direct cost per closed-wound week. Resource utilization was based on the treatment regimen used in the clinical trial. Costs were derived from standard cost references. The payer’s perspective was taken. Results ECM-treated wounds closed, on average, after 5.4 weeks of treatment, compared with 8.3 weeks for SC wounds (P=0.02). Furthermore, complete wound closure was significantly higher in patients treated with ECM (P<0.05), with 20 wounds closed in the ECM group (80%) and 15 wounds closed in the SC group (65%). After 8 months, patients treated with ECM had substantially higher closed-wound weeks compared with SC (26.0 weeks versus 22.0 weeks, respectively). Expected direct costs per patient were $2,527 for ECM and $2,540 for SC (a cost savings of $13). Conclusion and relevance ECM yielded better clinical outcomes at a slightly lower cost in patients with mixed A/V and VLUs. ECM is an effective treatment for wound healing and should be considered for use in the management of mixed A/V and VLUs.
High performance tunable 1.5 μm InGaAs/InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well distributed-Bragg-reflector lasers

Tunable semiconductor lasers[1-3] are expected to play a major roll in both high-speed direct detection wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) systems and coherent heterodyne detection systems. Here we describe the structure and properties of multi-section tunable dynamic-single mode multiple-quantum-well (MQW) distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) lasers operating at 1.5 μm. These lasers display how threshold, excellent differential quantum efficiency, large tuning range, with both low chirp under high-speed direct modulation and narrow linewidth under CW operation.
DOES 23-GAUGE SUTURELESS VITRECTOMY MODIFY THE RISK OF POSTOPERATIVE RETINAL DETACHMENT AFTER MACULAR SURGERY?: A Comparison with 20-Gauge Vitrectomy

Purpose: To compare the cumulative risk of retinal detachment (RD) after macular surgery with 23-gauge sutureless vitrectomy and with 20-gauge vitrectomy. Methods: A single-center retrospective comparative study was conducted, comparing eyes operated for epiretinal membrane, macular hole, vitreomacular traction, and internal limiting membrane peeling. The 23-gauge group included 349 eyes operated consecutively between June 2007 and December 2008. The 20-gauge group included 346 eyes operated between October 2003 and September 2007. Results: After a 6-month follow-up, the cumulative probability of RD was 1.1% in the 23-gauge group and 3.5% in the 20-gauge group (P = 0.04). With a median follow-up of 14 months (range, 6-30 months) in the 23-gauge group and 30 months (range, 6-72 months) in the 20-gauge group, the cumulative probability of RD was, respectively, 1.1% and 4.9% (P = 0.04; log-rank test). Overall, RD was observed in 7 of 96 cases after macular hole surgery (7.3%), in 11 of 478 cases after epiretinal membrane surgery (2.3%), and in 3 of 70 cases after vitreomacular traction surgery (4.3%) (P = 0.14; log-rank test). Conclusion: After a short-term follow-up, a lower rate of postoperative RD was observed in the 23-gauge group. Sutureless 23-gauge vitrectomy appears safe when considering the risk of postoperative RD. Prospective and long-term studies are still needed to confirm these results.