Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-8 Is a Powerful Prognostic Predictor of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Dialytic Patients

Background: Cohort studies have demonstrated an association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) appears to be not only the plasma expression of the acute-phase response but also a direct pathogenetic mediator of the atherosclerotic process. Methods: To evaluate the role of IL-8 in predicting outcome, 76 chronic dialytic patients were prospectively followed for 18 months. At baseline, blood samples were taken for analysis of high-sensitivity CRP, IL-6, IL-8 and other standard laboratory analyses. Results: Median IL-8 was 5.2 mg/l, therefore near half of the patients had IL-8 values within the range of ‘normal limits’. IL-6 and CRP were significantly correlated (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) and a positive correlation was also found between IL-6 and IL-8 (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient between IL-6 and CRP was 0.43 (p < 0.001) and 0.50 (p < 0.001) in patients without and with history and/or clinical signs of cardiovascular disease, respectively. After a follow-up of 1.5 years, 8 patients had died from cardiovascular causes and another 7 patients for other reasons; furthermore 9 major nonfatal cardiovascular events were recorded. Stepwise regression analysis showed IL-8 as the strongest independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular events (p = 0.0025) even after adjustment for age and dialytic age, followed by IL-6 and CRP (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Despite a small population and a relatively short follow-up period, this study firstly demonstrated that IL-8 is a powerful independent predictive factor for cardiovascular and overall mortality cause in ESRD patients.
Effect of chronic wheel running on the fatty acid composition of phospholipids and triacylglycerols in rat serum, skeletal muscle and heart.

AIM The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long-term wheel running on the fatty acid composition of phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TG) in rat serum, skeletal muscle (soleus and extensor digitorum longus) and heart. METHODS To this end, the relevant tissues of 11 trained male Wistar rats were compared with those of 14 untrained ones. RESULTS There were several significant differences between the two groups regarding the concentrations and percentages of individual fatty acids in serum PL and TG, with most differences appearing in the fatty acid distribution of PL. Monounsaturated fatty acids of muscle PL were significantly lower in the trained rats. Estimated elongase activity was significantly higher, whereas Delta(9)-desaturase activity was significantly lower in the trained muscles. Monounsaturated fatty acids of PL were also significantly lower in the trained hearts. The fatty acid composition of PL in the skeletal muscles and the heart adapted to training in a comparable manner, whereas most of the changes in the fatty acid profile of TG were tissue-dependent. Judging from the magnitude of the effect sizes and the percentage differences between trained and untrained animals, there were many large effects of chronic exercise on the fatty acid composition of the tissues examined. CONCLUSION Long-term wheel running modified the fatty acid profile of PL and TG in rat serum, skeletal muscle and heart, and could thus be considered as a modulator of tissue fatty acid composition.
Perceptual assimilation and free classification of German vowels by American English listeners

In order to investigate listeners’ perceptual patterns regarding segments from an unfamiliar language, researchers commonly employ perceptual assimilation tasks. These tasks investigate the perceptual similarity of non-native sounds to L1 sounds, but do not provide information on the perceived similarity among non-native sounds. In order to examine how German vowels are perceived by naive American English listeners, both in their similarity to L1 vowels and to each other, this study employs a perceptual assimilation task and a free classification task, a tool previously used for investigating perceived (dis-)similarities of stimuli. The perceptual assimilation results largely replicate previous findings on American English assimilation of German vowels; however, the free classification results suggest that assimilation patterns are not reliable indicators of the German vowels’ perceptual similarity to each other. These results indicate that free classification offers an efficient means of gathering corroborating data that can be used to enhance cross-linguistic perception research.
Evaluation of Quality Production Parameters and Mating Behavior of Novel Genetic Sexing Strains of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most important pest of fruits and vegetables in tropical and subtropical countries. The sterile insect technique (SIT) as a component of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) approaches is being used for the successful management of this pest. VIENNA 8 is a genetic sexing strain (GSS) that has a white pupae (wp) and temperature sensitive lethal (tsl) mutation, the latter killing all female embryos when eggs are exposed to high temperatures (34°C). The use of this GSS permits production and the release of only males which has increased the cost effectiveness of the SIT several fold for this pest. An efficient method of identification of recaptured sterile males can further increase the cost effectiveness of the SIT for this pest. Therefore, VIENNA 8-Sergeant2 (Sr2) strain and the transgenic strain VIENNA 8–1260 having visible markers were constructed. All three strains were evaluated for egg production, egg hatch, and egg sterility parameters under semi mass-rearing conditions and mating competitiveness in field cages. VIENNA 8–1260 females produced significantly fewer eggs as compared with the two other strains, which produced similar numbers of eggs. However, egg hatch of all strains was similar. Egg hatch of eggs produced by untreated females that had mated with adult males that had been irradiated with 100 Gy as pupae 2 days before emergence, was different for the three strains, i.e., egg hatch of 0.63%, 0.77%, 0.89% for VIENNA 8, VIENNA 8–1260, and VIENNA 8-Sr2, respectively. Differences in male mating competitiveness of the three strains against wild-type males were gradually reduced with successive generations under semi mass-rearing conditions. However, VIENNA 8 males adapted faster to laboratory conditions as compared with VIENNA 8-Sr2 and VIENNA 8–1260 males with respect to mating competitiveness. VIENNA 8 males of the F10 generation were equally competitive with wild-type males, whereas the mating competitiveness of VIENNA 8-Sr2 and VIENNA 8–1260 males was similar but lower as compared with wild-type males. Males from all three strains copulated earlier than wild-type males. Results are discussed in relation with the potential benefits of incorporating novel strains for more effective SIT application.
Locus ceruleus lesion by local 6-hydroxydopamine infusion causes marked and specific destruction of noradrenergic neurons, long-term depletion of norepinephrine and the enzymes that synthesize it, and enhanced dopaminergic mechanisms in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex

The local stereotaxic microinfusion of 5 micrograms of 6- hydroxydopamine in the region of the nucleus locus ceruleus causes severe loss of noradrenergic neurons with little evidence of nonspecific tissue reaction or destruction that could be detected by conventional light microscopic methods. Such lesion is accompanied by a marked and long-term depletion of norepinephrine and comparable loss of activity of its synthesizing enzymes, dopamine beta-hydroxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase, in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex. Locus ceruleus lesion was also found to increase tissue levels of dopamine and its metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, in the ipsilateral cortex. These results add further evidence to support the hypothesis that enhanced dopaminergic mechanisms may play a central role in compensating for chronic cortical noradrenergic denervation.
Response to Open Peer Commentaries on “A Broader View of Justice”

My target article calls attention to the narrow view of justice that dominates the bioethics literature, and urges a broader view. As bioethicists, we often conceive of justice using a medical model. A medical model addresses justice at a particular point in time, namely, when someone who is already sick and needing health care seeks access to scarce or expensive services. The medical model frames the justice question as a question about how to fairly distribute those services. I propose that we take a broader view. A broader view requires looking upstream and asking how disease and suffering came about. The broader approach I propose asks how social determinants affect the health of a population. When social determinants of health are the result of decisions individuals make, rather than random or natural events, they raise justice concerns. Rather than focusing exclusively on the distribution of health care to people who are already sick, as a medical model does, the social model of justice I support requires us to also ask whether risk for disease and early death is itself fairly distributed. This target article generated seven open peer commentaries. These raised several distinct questions, which I will treat separately. First, however, I want to clear up two important misinterpretations of my position. Some commentators interpreted the call for a broader view of justice as implying a rejection of the important questions that a medical model of justice addresses. This is not my claim. Instead, the target article points out (Jecker 2008, p. 2) that a medical model works well for a variety of situations, such as when an exotic medical service first becomes available; or when there exists a sudden increase in demand or a sudden decrease in supply; or where problems of production result in a shortage of medical resources. However, the target article notes that a medical model does not work well for every situation. Notably, it misses important justice issues that arise before people become sick. It is misleading to state, as Goold and Solomon (2008, p. 11) do, that I “propose bioethics move away from work on rationing and questions of justice for those who are already ill,” or that I wish to “sideline” discussions of rationing and the distribution of scarce health care resources. It is also misleading to at-
Thermohydrologic behavior at an underground nuclear waste repository

We present a multiscale model that simulates coupled thermal and hydrological behavior driven by radioactive decay heat from a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. We use this model to evaluate repository performance for different designs with respect to major thermal design goals (e.g., keeping waste packages dry). A locally boiling or globally boiling design uses rock dry out to create dry (low relative humidity (RH)) conditions around waste packages for a long period of time. A subboiling design eliminates boiling in the host rock (possibly reducing uncertainty) but is less effective at maintaining dry conditions. The addition of backfill increases the duration of RH reduction significantly without added boiling in the host rock but at the cost of higher waste package temperatures. The interaction between engineering design variables and natural system factors that affect thermohydrologic behavior is highly nonlinear. As a consequence, designs that differ by seemingly small details can result in markedly different thermohydrologic behavior and consequently repository performance, whereas with regards to other details, large differences may have little or no effect.
IL-17 and IFN-γ production in peripheral blood following BCG vaccination and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in human.

BACKGROUND During Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, cells of the immune system rely on cytokines to regulate the activity of other immune and structural cells such as IFN-gamma and IL-4. Recent studies suggest that Th17 cells secreting IL-17 may play a potential role in tuberculosis (TB) development. AIM To assess the effect of IL-17 on TB development, we provide a systematic review on the production of IL-17, IFN-gamma and IL-4 in infants or children vaccinated with BCG and in TB patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature relevant with IL-17 and IFN-gamma production with or without IL-4 on human TB was retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, BIOSIS Previews and the China Biomedicine Literature Databases (CBM) using the search terms "Interleukin-17 or Th17 cells" and "Tuberculosis". The information of included studies, the production of IL-17 and IFN-gamma responding to antigens in the peripheral blood in vitro, was independently extracted by the first two researchers and subsequently qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS Nine studies from a total of 226 retrieved publications met the criteria. These included studies showed that BCG vaccination induced dramatically high level of IL-17 similar to IFN-gamma; The level of IL-17 and IFN-gamma were low while IL-4 was high in patients with active TB; IL-17 and IFN-gamma had a similar trend of increase during the conversion from active to latent TB while IL-4 inclined to decrease in this process. CONCLUSIONS IL-17 acts as an effector molecule similar to IFN-gamma after BCG vaccination and Mtb infection to protect human against TB. The current findings do not support IL-17 as an inducer of tissue damage in TB.
Deletion between direct repeats in T7 DNA stimulated by double-strand breaks

An in vitro system based on extracts of Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T7 was used to study genetic deletions between directly repeated sequences. The frequency of deletion was highest under conditions in which the DNA was actively replicating. Deletion frequency increased markedly with the length of the direct repeat both in vitro and in vivo. When a T7 gene was interrupted by 93 bp of nonsense sequence flanked by 20-bp direct repeats, the region between the repeats was deleted in about 1 out of every 1,600 genomes during each round of replication. Very similar values were found for deletion frequency in vivo and in vitro. The deletion frequency was essentially unaffected by a recA mutation in the host. When a double-strand break was placed between the repeats, repair of this strand break was often accompanied by the deletion of the DNA between the direct repeats, suggesting that break rejoining could contribute to deletion during in vitro DNA replication.
Expression of a novel high-affinity purine nucleobase transport function in mutant mammalian T lymphoblasts

The single nucleoside transport function of mouse S49 lymphoblasts also transports purine bases (B. Aronow and B. Ullman, J. Biol. Chem. 261:2014-2019, 1986). This transport of purine bases by S49 cells is sensitive to inhibition by dipyridamole (DPA) and 4-nitrobenzylthioinosine, two potent inhibitors of nucleoside transport. Therefore, wild-type S49 cells cannot salvage low hypoxanthine concentrations in the presence of 10 microM DPA and 11 microM azaserine; the latter is a potent inhibitor of purine biosynthesis. Among a mutagenized wild-type population, a cell line, JPA2, was isolated which could proliferate in 50 microM hypoxanthine-11 microM azaserine-10 microM DPA. The basis for the survival of JPA2 cells under these selective conditions was expression of a unique, high-affinity purine nucleobase transport function not present in wild-type cells. JPA2 cells could transport 5 microM concentrations of hypoxanthine, guanine, and adenine 15- to 30-fold more efficiently than parental cells did. Kinetic analyses revealed that the affinity of the JPA2 transporter for all three purine bases was much greater than that of the wild-type nucleobase transport system. Moreover, nucleobase transport in JPA2 cells, unlike that in parental cells, was insensitive to inhibition by DPA, 4-nitrobenzylthioinosine, sulfhydryl reagents, and nucleosides. No alterations in nucleoside transport capability, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate levels, or purine phosphoribosyltransferase enzymes were detected in JPA2 cells. Thus, JPA2 cells express a novel nucleobase transport capability which can be distinguished from the nucleoside transport function by multiple biochemical parameters.
Design and Implementation of a WSN-Based Intelligent Light Control System

Recently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been widely discussed in many applications. In this paper, we propose a WSN-based intelligent light control system for indoor environments. Wireless sensors are responsible for measuring current illuminations. Two kinds of lighting devices, namely whole lighting and local lighting devices, are used to provide background and concentrated illuminations, respectively. Users may have various illumination requirements according to their activities. An illumination requirement is as the combination of background and concentrated illumination demands and users' locations. We propose a decision algorithm to determine the proper illuminations of devices to satisfy users. Then a closed-loop device control algorithm is applied to adjust the llumination levels of lighting devices. The prototyping results verify that our ideas are practical and feasible.
Screening for Prostate Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

DESCRIPTION Update of the 2008 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on screening for prostate cancer. METHODS The USPSTF reviewed new evidence on the benefits and harms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer, as well as the benefits and harms of treatment of localized prostate cancer. RECOMMENDATION The USPSTF recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer (grade D recommendation). This recommendation applies to men in the general U.S. population, regardless of age. This recommendation does not include the use of the PSA test for surveillance after diagnosis or treatment of prostate cancer; the use of the PSA test for this indication is outside the scope of the USPSTF.
Early detection of testicular cancer: An introduction.

Testicular tumciurs constitute an important medical problem, especially in the younger age grniup. The incidence of testicular germ cell tumours has increased markedly in the Western World during the last half century (Anon 1968: Clemmesen 1969, 198 I ) . Although modern radiotherapy and chemotherapy have increased the siirvival rate of patients with malignant germ cell tumours these treatments have severe side effects and we ‘should aim to detect these tumours early enough for cure to be possible by orchidvctomy alone -’ (Anon 1980). Thus early detection of testicular cumours is a matter which involves all phvsiciam who deal with patients at iisk. namely patients with testicular maldescent. testicular atrophy or infertility. Ideally the cancer should be detected at a time when the patient is under the care of an mdrologist, urologist, endocrinologist or paediatrician and before clinical symptoms are present. Recent advances in early detection of testicular germinal tumours have developed from studies of testicular biopsies from inl’ertile men with n o clinical signs of testicular tumours. There is very little doubt that the germ cells showing the histological pattern which we now recognize as carcinoma-in-situ of the testis (Skakkebzk 1972) are identical to some of the germ cells which have previously been described by pathologists in tcsticular tissue adjacent to germ cell tumours (see review by Mark & Hedinger 19651 or in association with testicular tumoui scars in patients with metastatic germ cell tumours (Azzopardi et al. 1961). Although these authors suggested that the atypical germ cells resulted from effects of the tumour (Mark & Hedinger 3965) or stated that their ‘significance could not be established’ (Azzopardi et id. 1961) there is now evidence, however, that these atypical germ cells are in fact forerunners of invasive perm cell turnours (Skakkebzk 1972, 1978; Niiesch-Bachmann & Hedinger 1977). Not all atypical germ cells are carcinoma-in-situ cells. I t is important to remember that abnormal spermatogonia may be found in normal men and abnormal,
Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome associated with retinal vasculitis

Purpose A recent study revealed thickening of the inner retinal layers in acute stage of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS); however, the pathogenesis is still unknown. We report two cases with MEWDS whose funduscopy showed obvious retinal vasculitis. Methods Case reports. Results Healthy myopic 16- and 27-year-old women were the cases under study. In both cases, funduscopic examination revealed multiple, faint, small, subretinal white dots at the posterior pole to the midperiphery and macular granularity oculus dexter. Retinal vascular sheathing was also observed at midperiphery. Late-phase fluorescein angiography revealed leakages corresponding to the vascular sheathing. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography revealed the discontinuity of the ellipsoid zone corresponding to the white dots and increased macular choroidal thickness. One month later, these white dots and retinal sheathing spontaneously resolved in both cases. Three months later, impairments of the outer retinal morphology and the visual acuity were restored. Conclusion These results suggest that retinal vasculitis possibly plays a role in the pathogenesis of thickened inner retinal layers in acute stage of MEWDS.
Navigation with auditory cues in a virtual environment

The authors use 3D sound to help navigate an immersive virtual environment and report results of user tests obtained with a game-like application. The results show that auditory cues help in navigation, and auditory navigation is possible even without any visual feedback. The best performance is obtained in audiovisual navigation where auditory cues indicate the approximate direction and visual cues help in the final approach.
Assessment of periodontal status among eunuchs residing in Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh, India: a cross-sectional study.

AIM To assess the periodontal status among eunuchs residing in Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Based on convenient non-probability snow ball sampling technique, all the self-identifi ed eunuchs residing in the city of Bhopal along with a matched control consisting of cross section of the general population residing in the same locality where these eunuchs live was examined to assess the periodontal status of the population by using WHO oral health assessment proforma 1997. All the obtained data was entered into a personal computer on Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed by using a software; SPSS version 20. Data comparison was done by applying chi square test, ANOVA and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 639 subjects comprised of 207 eunuchs, 218 males and 214 females. The overall gingival and periodontal disease prevalence was 87.3% with calculus and shallow pocket contributing a major part i.e., 67%. Among study participants, 56.9% males were having highest prevalence for calculus. Whereas, eunuchs were having highest prevalence for bleeding (17.4%), shallow pocket (22.7%) and deep pocket (9.7%). However, highest of 19.7% males and 10.1% eunuchs were having attachment loss of 4-5 mm and 6-8 mm respectively. However, 6.3% eunuchs were having attachment loss of 12 mm or more. CONCLUSION The results of the current study showed poor periodontal status among eunuch population with most of the population requiring simple therapy. This indicates that comprehensive oral hygiene instruction and dental prophylaxis need to be initiated.