Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Order Hymenoptera *

An updated classification of the order Hymenoptera is provided with the current numbers of genera and species described so far specified. The order is composed of 2 suborders, 27 superfamilies, 132 families, 8423 extant genera with an additional 685 extinct genera. Considered one of the most species-rich insects orders a total of 153088 extant species have been described, in addition to 2429 extinct species.
Genomic organization and sequence variation of the human integrin subunit a 8 gene ( ITGA 8 )

The integrin a8 is highly expressed during kidney and lung development. a8-deficient mice display abnormal renal development suggesting that a8 plays a critical role in organogenesis. Therefore, it would be of considerable interest to understand the genomic structure, localization and sequence variation of the a8 gene. Using FISH and genomic database analysis, we show that a8 gene maps to chromosome 10p13 and consists of N200 kbp organized into 30 exons. Examination of 47 individuals from two different ethnic groups (European and African descent) identified 286 varying sites. The diversity of a8 is comparable to that of other regions within the human genome. Eight of the varying sites were located in the coding regions: six resulted in nonsynonymous substitutions of which two lead to non-conservative changes in protein. None of the sites showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. We mapped the coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) onto a model of the predicted a8 structure and found all the SNPs were located in the bcalfQ of the extracellular domain. In the European population, the linkage disequilibrium statistic DV showed three blocks of relatively non-recombinant regions in the a8 gene while the African population showed more evidence of recombination. The observed patterns of the linkage disequilibrium statistic R suggest that a large number of sites will need to be genotyped to ensure coverage of the entire gene for genetic association studies. Identification of the sequence variation will allow genetic association studies of a8 in kidney and lung disease. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. /International Society of Matrix Biology. All rights reserved.
Enterolactone glucuronide and β-glucuronidase in antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy for targeted prostate cancer cell treatment

Evidence from preclinical and animal studies demonstrated an anticancer effect of flaxseed lignans, particularly enterolactone (ENL), against prostate cancer. However, extensive first-pass metabolism following oral lignan consumption results in their systemic availability primarily as glucuronic acid conjugates (ENL-Gluc) and their modest in vivo effects. To overcome the unfavorable pharmacokinetics and improve their effectiveness in prostate cancer, antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) might offer a novel strategy to allow for restricted activation of ENL from circulating ENL-Gluc within the tumor environment. The anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody D7 was fused with human β-glucuronidase (hβG) via a flexible linker. The binding property of the fusion construct, D7-hβG, against purified or cell surface PSMA was determined by flow cytometry and Octet Red 384 system, respectively, with a binding rate constant, Kd, of 2.5 nM. The enzymatic activity of D7-hβG was first tested using the probe, 4-methylumbelliferone glucuronide. A 3.8-fold greater fluorescence intensity was observed at pH 4.5 at 2 h compared with pH 7.4. The ability of D7-hβG to activate ENL from ENL-Gluc was tested and detected using LC-MS/MS. Enhanced generation of ENL was observed with increasing ENL-Gluc concentrations and reached 3613.2 ng/mL following incubation with 100 μM ENL-Gluc at pH 4.5 for 0.5 h. D7-hβG also decreased docetaxel IC50 value from 23 nM to 14.9 nM in C4-2 cells. These results confirmed the binding and activity of D7-hβG and additional in vitro investigation is needed to support the future possibility of introducing this ADEPT system to animal models.
A Weighted Discriminative Dictionary Learning Method for Depression Disorder Classification Using fMRI Data

In this paper, we present a novel depression dis-order classification algorithm, named weighted discriminative dictionary learning (WDDL), based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The underlying relationship between samples and dictionary atoms is exploited by introducing an adaptive weighting scheme. Tested on fMRI data of 29 patients with depression and 29 healthy controls, our algorithm outperforms all other classification methods compared in this work. Furthermore, we detect the discriminative brain regions of patients which can reveal the pathogenesis of depression disorder.
Ischemic Preconditioning Promotes Autophagy and Alleviates Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Autophagy is important for cellular survival during renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has a strong renoprotective effect during renal I/R. Our study here aimed to explore the effect of IPC on autophagy during renal I/R injury. Rats were subjected to unilateral renal ischemia with or without prior IPC. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury was induced in HK-2 cells with or without prior hypoxic preconditioning (HPC). Autophagy and apoptosis were detected after reperfusion or reoxygenation for different time. The results showed that the levels of LC3II, Beclin-1, SQSTM1/p62, and cleaved caspase-3 were altered in a time-dependent manner during renal I/R. IPC further induced autophagy as indicated by increased levels of LC3II and Beclin-1, decreased level of SQSTM1/p62, and accumulation of autophagosomes compared to I/R groups at corresponding reperfusion time. In addition, IPC reduced the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and alleviated renal cell injury, as evaluated by the levels of serum creatinine (Scr), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) in renal tissues. In conclusion, autophagy and apoptosis are dynamically altered during renal I/R. IPC protects against renal I/R injury and upregulates autophagic flux, thus increasing the possibility for a novel therapy to alleviate I/R-induced acute kidney injury (AKI).
Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Decreases Oxidative Lung Damage After Pulmonary Lobectomy: A Single-Center Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: During lobectomy in patients with lung cancer, the operated lung is often collapsed and hypoperfused. Ischemia/reperfusion injury may then occur when the lung is re-expanded. We hypothesized that remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) would decrease oxidative lung damage and improve gas exchange in the postoperative period. METHODS: We conducted a single-center, randomized, double-blind trial in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer undergoing elective lung lobectomy. Fifty-three patients were randomized to receive limb RIPC immediately after anesthesia induction (3 cycles: 5 minutes ischemia/5 minutes reperfusion induced by an ischemia cuff applied on the thigh) and/or control therapy without RIPC. Oxidative stress markers were measured in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and arterial blood immediately after anesthesia induction and before RIPC and surgery (T0, baseline); during operated lung collapse, immediately before resuming two-lung ventilation (TLV) (T1); immediately after resuming TLV (T2); and 120 minutes after resuming TLV (T3). The primary outcome was 8-isoprostane levels in EBC at T1, T2, and T3. Secondary outcomes included the following: NO2−+NO3−, H2O2 levels, and pH in EBC and in blood (8-isoprostane, NO2−+NO3−) and pulmonary gas exchange variables (PaO2/FiO2, A-aDO2, a/A ratio, and respiratory index). RESULTS: Patients subjected to RIPC had lower EBC 8-isoprostane levels when compared with controls at T1, T2, and T3 (differences between means and 95% confidence intervals): −15.3 (5.8–24.8), P = . 002; −20.0 (5.5–34.5), P = . 008; and −10.4 (2.5–18.3), P = . 011, respectively. In the RIPC group, EBC NO2−+NO3− and H2O2 levels were also lower than in controls at T2 and T1–T3, respectively (all P < .05). Blood levels of 8-isoprostane and NO2−+NO3− were lower in the RIPC group at T2 (P < .05). The RIPC group had better PaO2/FiO2 compared with controls at 2 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours after lobectomy in 95% confidence intervals for differences between means: 78 (10–146), 66 (14–118), and 58 (12–104), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Limb RIPC decreased EBC 8-isoprostane levels and other oxidative lung injury markers during lung lobectomy. RIPC also improved postoperative gas exchange as measured by PaO2/FiO2 ratio.
Development of biobased sandwich structures for mass transit application

Efforts to increase the biobased content in sandwich composites are being investigated to reduce the dependence on synthetically produced or mined, energy intensive materials for numerous composite applications. Vegetable oil-based polyurethane foams are gaining recognition as good substitutes for synthetic counter parts while utilizing bast fiber to replace fiberglass is also gaining credence. In this study, soy oil-based polyurethane foam was evaluated as a core in a sandwich construction with facesheets of hybridized kenaf and E-glass fibers in a vinyl ester resin matrix to replace traditionally used plywood sheeting on steel frame for mass transit bus flooring systems. As a first step towards implementation, the static performance of the biobased foam was compared to 100% synthetic foam. Secondly, biobased sandwich structures were processed and their static performance was compared to plywood. The biobased sandwich composites designed and processed were shown to hold promise towards replacing plywood for bus flooring applications.
Longitudinal Trajectories of Informant-Reported Daily Functioning in Empirically Defined Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Objectives: Within the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)’s mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cohort, we previously identified MCI subtypes as well as participants initially diagnosed with MCI but found to have normal neuropsychological, biomarker, and neuroimaging profiles. We investigated the functional change over time in these empirically derived MCI subgroups. Methods: ADNI MCI participants (n=654) were classified using cluster analysis as Amnestic MCI (single-domain memory impairment), Dysnomic MCI (memory+language impairments), Dysexecutive/Mixed MCI (memory+language+attention/executive impairments), or Cluster-Derived Normal (CDN). Robust normal control participants (NCs; n=284) were also examined. The Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) was administered at baseline through 48-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling examined FAQ trajectories by cognitive subgroup. Results: The Dysexecutive/Mixed group demonstrated the fastest rate of decline across all groups. Amnestic and Dysnomic groups showed steeper rates of decline than CDNs. While CDNs had more functional difficulty than NCs across visits, both groups’ mean FAQ scores remained below its suggested cutoff at all visits. Conclusions: Results (a) show the importance of executive dysfunction in the context of other impaired cognitive domains when predicting functional decline in at-risk elders, and (b) support our previous work demonstrating that ADNI’s MCI criteria may have resulted in false-positive MCI diagnoses, given the CDN’s better FAQ trajectory than those of the cognitively impaired MCI groups. (JINS, 2017, 23, 521–527)
Nanoindentation cracking in gallium arsenide: Part II. TEM investigation

The nanoindentation fracture behavior of gallium arsenide (GaAs) is examined from two perspectives in two parent papers. In the first paper (part I), we address the morphology of the crack field induced by different types of indenters by means of in situ nanoindentation inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and of cleavage cross-sectioning techniques. In the present paper (part II), we investigate the early stage of crack nucleation under wedge nanoindentation through cathodoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy. We find that the apex angle of the wedge indenter influences the dislocation microstructure and, as a consequence, the mechanism of crack nucleation under nanoindentation. The formation of microtwins depends on both the orientation of the indenter with respect to the orientation of the GaAs crystal and on the apex angle of the indenter. For dicing applications of GaAs wafers, it is desirable to have an opening angle of the indenter smaller than 70° to facilitate the formation of precursor cracks.
Comparative proteomic profiling of the serum differentiates pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatitis

Finland ranks sixth among the countries having highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer with mortality roughly equaling incidence. The average age of diagnosis for pancreatic cancer is 69 years in Nordic males, whereas the average age of diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is 40–50 years, however, many cases overlap in age. By radiology, the evaluation of a pancreatic mass, that is, the differential diagnosis between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer is often difficult. Preoperative needle biopsies are difficult to obtain and are demanding to interpret. New blood based biomarkers are needed. The accuracy of the only established biomarker for pancreatic cancer, CA 19‐9 is rather poor in differentiating between benign and malignant mass of the pancreas. In this study, we have performed mass spectrometry analysis (High Definition MSE) of serum samples from patients with chronic pancreatitis (13) and pancreatic cancer (22). We have quantified 291 proteins and performed detailed statistical analysis such as principal component analysis, orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis and receiver operating curve analysis. The proteomic signature of chronic pancreatitis versus pancreatic cancer samples was able to separate the two groups by multiple statistical techniques. Some of the enriched pathways in the proteomic dataset were LXR/RXR activation, complement and coagulation systems and inflammatory response. We propose that multiple high‐confidence biomarker candidates in our pilot study including Inter‐alpha‐trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H2 (Area under the curve, AUC: 0.947), protein AMBP (AUC: 0.951) and prothrombin (AUC: 0.917), which should be further evaluated in larger patient series as potential new biomarkers for differential diagnosis.
An insect-like mushroom body in a crustacean brain

Mushroom bodies are the iconic learning and memory centers of insects. No previously described crustacean possesses a mushroom body as defined by strict morphological criteria although crustacean centers called hemiellipsoid bodies, which serve functions in sensory integration, have been viewed as evolutionarily convergent with mushroom bodies. Here, using key identifiers to characterize neural arrangements, we demonstrate insect-like mushroom bodies in stomatopod crustaceans (mantis shrimps). More than any other crustacean taxon, mantis shrimps display sophisticated behaviors relating to predation, spatial memory, and visual recognition comparable to those of insects. However, neuroanatomy-based cladistics suggesting close phylogenetic proximity of insects and stomatopod crustaceans conflicts with genomic evidence showing hexapods closely related to simple crustaceans called remipedes. We discuss whether corresponding anatomical phenotypes described here reflect the cerebral morphology of a common ancestor of Pancrustacea or an extraordinary example of convergent evolution.
Aberrant status and clinicopathologic characteristic associations of 11 target genes in 1,321 Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Background The aberrant status of target genes and their associations with clinicopathologic characteristics are still unclear in primary lung adenocarcinoma. Methods The common mutations and translocations of nine target genes were evaluated in 1,247 specimens of surgically-resected primary lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expressions of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in 731 specimens. The frequency of the aberrations and their associations with clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Results Overall, 952 (76.3%) of 1,247 patients harbored at least one target mutation or translocation: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (729, 58.5%), v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) (83, 6.7%), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) (82, 6.6%), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) (23, 1.8%), phosphoinositide-3-kinase catalytic alpha polypeptide (PIK3CA) (20, 1.6%), Ret proto-oncogene RET (15, 1.2%), ROS proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) (12, 1.0%), B-raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) (9, 0.7%), neuroblastoma RAS viral (v-ras) oncogene homolog (NRAS) (3, 0.2%). Fourteen (1.9%) of 731 patients were PD-1 positive and 95 (13.0%) were PD-L1 positive in tumor cells. In men and smokers, there were more frequent KRAS mutations (both P<0.001) and PD-L1 positive tumors (P<0.001, P=0.005, respectively), and less frequent EGFR mutations (P=0.049, <0.001, respectively). In ground-glass opacity (GGO) or ground-glass nodules (GGN), there were more HER2 (P=0.033) but less EGFR (P=0.025) and PIK3CA mutations (P=0.012), and ALK translocations (P=0.014). EGFR (P<0.001), KRAS mutations (P=0.004) and PD-L1 positive tumors (P=0.046) were more frequent in older patients, while HER2 (P<0.001), ALK (P=0.005) and ROS1 aberrations (P=0.044) were less frequent. Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma was significantly associated with KRAS and ALK aberrations (both P<0.001), while solid predominant adenocarcinoma was associated with ROS1 translocations (P=0.036) and PD-L1 expression (P<0.001). KRAS, HER2, and ALK aberrations were scarce in patients with EGFR mutations (all P<0.001), while PD-L1 positive tumors positively correlated with ALK translocations (P=0.031) and negatively correlated with HER2 mutations (P=0.019). Conclusions Most patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma harbored target gene aberrations. The frequency of each alteration differed in patients depending on clinicopathologic characteristics.
Prevalence of Fissured Tongue in a South Indian Population - A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Tongue is an indicator of oral and general health. Fissured tongue is a common normal variant which does not require any treatment. Clinically, fissures are of varying depth up from 2 mm to 6 mm usually on the dorsal aspect at times extending onto the margins. Objectives: The objectives of the study are: 1. To determine the prevalence of fissured tongue, 2. To assess the most prevalent pattern of fissured tongue in patients visiting a dental school, 3. To assess the possible association between the occurrence of fissured tongue with age, sex, habits, symptoms and medical illness. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 500 patients, who visited the OPD of a dental school in South India. Fissured tongue was diagnosed clinically based on the presence of grooves on the dorsal and lateral aspects of the tongue and also the pattern of fissure. The subjects were interviewed for their habit history, symptoms related to tongue lesions and medical history. Statistical analysis: Chi square test was done to assess the relation between fissured tongue with age, sex, habits, symptoms and medical illness. Results: Out of the 500 patients screened, fissured tongue was present in 65 cases. 44 were males and 21 were females. Overall tongue fissures were present in 13%. The fissures were found to be least in the 10-20 year age group, 2 (3.07%) and it was most prevalent in the 21-40 age group, 25 (38.46%), followed by 41- 60, 22 (33.84%) and 61-80, 16 (24.61%) years of age. The most prevalent pattern of fissure was found to be central longitudinal fissuring, 32 (49.23%), followed by transverse fissures arising from a central fissure 10 (15.38%), then type I, 9 (13.84%) type V, 9 (13.84%), type VI, 4 (6.15%) and type III, 1 (1.53%). The least prevalent pattern was type III, double fissures. In our study 100% of our patients were asymptomatic. In our study 20% and 13.8% of fissured tongue was found in patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. There was no significant association of fissured tongue with systemic conditions. Prevalence of fissured tongue in patients with tobacco chewing, tobacco smoking and alcohol intake were 4.6%, 1.5%, and 1.5% respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence was seen more in the elderly age group and in the males. Central longitudinal fissuring was the most prevalent pattern seen. The fissured tongue was asymptomatic in all our patients. The occurrence of fissured tongue showed no association with any systemic conditions and habits.
Plasma carotenoids as a useful indicator of vitamin A status.

We do not agree with the view that “plasma carotenoids give no information about vitamin A status and that in healthy subjects plasma carotenoids and vitamin A values are not correlated” (1). In black Africa and many developing countries, several food consumption surveys have shown that most of the vitamin A in the diet is of vegetable origin, that is, carotenoids. Plasma carotenoids are a useful indicator of the recent intake of carotenoids and therefore of the vitamin A status. To our knowledge vitamin A deficiency does not exist in forest areas where carotenoid intake and therefore plasma carotenoids are high. On the contrary, xerophthalmia is found in savanna regions where carotenoid intake and plasma carotenoids are low. liquid containers and 2) the samples are later transfered to a -7OC deep freeze. In these conditions we have not noticed any degradation of plasma carotenoids and vitamin A for several months. We are presently arranging our data for publication.
The Use of Telmisartan and the Incidence of Cancer.

BACKGROUND A meta-analysis reported an 8% increased risk of cancer with the use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), but subsequent meta-analyses and observational studies did not confirm this risk. However, telmisartan comprised 85% of the data in the original meta-analysis. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine whether the use of telmisartan, compared with other ARBs, is associated with an increased risk of cancer. METHODS We used the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink to assemble a cohort of all patients newly treated with ARBs between 2000 and 2008, and followed until December 2010. Time-dependent cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of cancer associated with telmisartan, compared with other ARBs, adjusted for potential confounders. Secondary analyses assessed the risk with each of the 4 most common cancers (lung, breast, prostate, colorectal). RESULTS The cohort consisted of 62,109 new ARB users, which included 3,438 telmisartan and 58,671 other ARB users. Compared with other ARBs, telmisartan use was not associated with an increased risk of cancer overall (16.3 vs. 15.0 per 1,000 person-years, respectively; adjusted HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.81-1.06) or by cancer site (lung, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.55-1.51; breast, HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.90-1.82; prostate, HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.53-1.18; colorectal, HR: 1.41, 95% CI 0.95-2.10). CONCLUSIONS Compared with other ARBs, telmisartan is not associated with an increased risk of cancer. This study provides reassurance as to the short-term safety of telmisartan.