Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective Oral Vaccination against Infectious bursal disease virus Using the Major Viral Antigenic Protein VP2 Produced in Pichia pastoris

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes economically important immunosuppressive disease in young chickens. The self-assembling capsid protein (VP2) from IBDV strain IR01 was expressed in Pichia pastoris resulting in the formation of homomeric, 23-nm infectious bursal disease subviral particles (IBD-SVPs) with a yield of 76 mg/l before and 38 mg/l after purification. Anti-IBDV antibodies were detected in chickens injected with purified IBD-SVPs or fed with either purified IBD-SVPs or inactivated P. pastoris cells containing IBD-VP2 (cell-encapsulated). Challenge studies using the heterologous classical IBDV strain (MB3) showed that intramuscular vaccination with 20 µg purified IBD-SVPs conferred full protection, achieved complete virus clearance and prevented bursal damage and atrophy, compared with only 40% protection, 0–10% virus clearance accompanied by severe atrophy and substantial bursal damage in mock-vaccinated and challenge controls. The commercial IBDV vaccine also conferred full protection and achieved complete virus clearance, albeit with partial bursal atrophy. Oral administration of 500 µg purified IBD-SVPs with and without adjuvant conferred 100% protection but achieved only 60% virus clearance with adjuvant and none without it. Moderate bursal damage was observed in both cases but the inclusion of adjuvant resulted in bursal atrophy similar to that observed with live-attenuated vaccine and parenteral administration of 20 µg purified IBD-SVPs. The oral administration of 250 mg P. pastoris cells containing IBD-VP2 resulted in 100% protection with adjuvant and 60% without, accompanied by moderate bursal damage and atrophy in both groups, whereas 25 mg P. pastoris cells containing IBD-VP2 resulted in 90–100% protection with moderate bursal lesions and severe atrophy. Finally, the oral delivery of 50 µg purified IBD-SVPs achieved 40–60% protection with severe bursal lesions and atrophy. Both oral and parenteral administration of yeast-derived IBD-VP2 can therefore induce a specific and protective immune response against IBDV without affecting the growth rate of chickens.
The hLAMP-1-Positive Particulate Matrix Involved in Cardiac Mesenchyme Formation in the Chick Does Not Include BMP-2

Early heart development involves the transformation of endocardial cells in the atrioventricular canal and outflow tract regions into mesenchymal cells, a process called endocardial mesenchymal transformation (EMT). This process is initiated by factors, termed the particulate matrix, that are secreted by the myocardium. The particulate matrix causes a subset of endocardial cells to hypertrophy, lose their cell-cell contacts, form migratory processes, transform into mesenchymal cells, and migrate into the underlying endocardial cushions. The particulate matrix can be extracted using EDTA and the EDTA extract can initiate the EMT process. Earlier reports from our laboratory have shown that the particulate matrix can be detected with the hLAMP-1 antibody in immunostaining and Western blot analysis. In addition, similar proteins have been isolated from the growth media of stage 15-16 chick embryo myocardial cultures (MyoCM). Since other investigators have identified a possible role for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 during the EMT process in the heart, we asked whether BMP-2 is a part of the chick hLAMP-1-positive particulate matrix. To answer this question, we double stained stage 15-16 chick embryo sections with hLAMP-1 and BMP-2 antibodies. We found that BMP-2 signals do not colocalize with hLAMP-1-stained particles. In addition, using immunoprecipitation-Western blot analysis, we demonstrated no association of BMP-2 with the hLAMP-1-bound fraction of the EDTA extract or MyoCM. Our results indicate that BMP-2 is not a component of the hLAMP-1-positive particulate matrix in the chick.
Ammonium Transport Proteins with Changes in One of the Conserved Pore Histidines Have Different Performance in Ammonia and Methylamine Conduction

Two conserved histidine residues are located near the mid-point of the conduction channel of ammonium transport proteins. The role of these histidines in ammonia and methylamine transport was evaluated by using a combination of in vivo studies, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and potential of mean force (PMF) calculations. Our in vivo results showed that a single change of either of the conserved histidines to alanine leads to the failure to transport methylamine but still facilitates good growth on ammonia, whereas double histidine variants completely lose their ability to transport both methylamine and ammonia. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated the molecular basis of the in vivo observations. They clearly showed that a single histidine variant (H168A or H318A) of AmtB confines the rather hydrophobic methylamine more strongly than ammonia around the mutated sites, resulting in dysfunction in conducting the former but not the latter molecule. PMF calculations further revealed that the single histidine variants form a potential energy well of up to 6 kcal/mol for methylamine, impairing conduction of this substrate. Unlike the single histidine variants, the double histidine variant, H168A/H318A, of AmtB was found to lose its unidirectional property of transporting both ammonia and methylamine. This could be attributed to a greatly increased frequency of opening of the entrance gate formed by F215 and F107, in this variant compared to wild-type, with a resultant lowering of the energy barrier for substrate to return to the periplasm.
Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV) in a Spanish community sample of children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND There is a growing interest in designing instruments to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV) has showed to be a valid in the evaluation of OCD in clinical and nonclinical populations. The main goal in this study was to analyze factor structure and psychometric properties of the OCI-CV in a community Spanish sample. METHOD Data were collected from 914 children/adolescents with a mean age of 13.01 (SD = 1.96; Males = 51.3%). Exploratory factor analysis was carried out in order to study the internal structure of the OCI-CV Spanish version. Further, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the total score and the factors obtained were examined. Finally, age and gender differences were also explored. RESULTS Exploratory factor analysis yielded a similar structure to the original OCI-CV with the following six factors: Washing/Checking, Obsession, Ordering, Doubting, Neutralizing, and Hoarding. The internal consistency was strong for the total score, but moderate for the subscales. The Spanish version of the OCI-CV showed evidences of test-retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. CONCLUSION The Spanish version of the OCI-CV is an instrument with adequate psychometric properties to assess obsessions and compulsions in Spanish children/adolescents.
The psychology of system justification and the palliative function of ideology

In this chapter, we trace the historical and intellectual origins of system justification theory, summarise the basic assumptions of the theory, and derive 18 specific hypotheses from a system justification perspective. We review and integrate empirical evidence addressing these hypotheses concerning the rationalisation of the status quo, the internalisation of inequality (outgroup favouritism and depressed entitlement), relations among ego, group, and system justification motives (including consequences for attitudinal ambivalence, self-esteem, and psychological well-being), and the reduction of ideological dissonance. Turning to the question of why people would engage in system justification--especially when it conflicts with other interests and motives--we propose that system-justifying ideologies serve a palliative function in that they reduce anxiety, guilt, dissonance, discomfort, and uncertainty for those who are advantaged and disadvantaged.
Dual Roles for Splice Variants of the Glucuronidation Pathway as Regulators of Cellular Metabolism

Transcripts of the UGT1A gene, encoding half of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes, undergo alternative splicing, resulting in active enzymes named isoforms 1 (i1s) and novel truncated isoforms 2 (i2s). Here, we investigated the effects of depleting endogenous i2 on drug response and attempted to unveil any additional biologic role(s) for the truncated novel UGT proteins. We used an integrated systems biology approach that combines RNA interference with unbiased global genomic and proteomic screens, and used HT115 colorectal cancer cells as a model. Consistent with previous evidence suggesting that i2s negatively regulate i1s through protein–protein interactions, i2-depleted cells were less sensitive to drug-induced cell death (IC50 of 0.45 ± 0.05 µM versus 0.22 ± 0.03 µM; P = 0.006), demonstrating that modulation of i2 levels meaningfully impacts drug bioavailability and cellular response. We also observed reduced production of reactive oxygen species by 30% (P < 0.05), and an enhanced expression (>1.2-fold; P < 0.05) of several proteins, such as hemoglobin α genes and superoxide dismutase 1, that have network functions associated with antioxidant properties. Interaction proteomics analysis of endogenous proteins from the cellular model, mainly in human intestine but also in kidney tissues, further uncovered interactions between i2s (but not i1s) and the antioxidant enzymes catalase and peroxiredoxin 1, which may influence antioxidant potential through sequestration of these novel partners. Our findings demonstrate for the first time dual roles for i2s in the cellular defense system as endogenous regulators of drug response as well as in oxidative stress.
Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in TP53 subtypes of bladder carcinoma cell lines treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine

Currently, the combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine is considered a standard chemotherapeutic protocol for bladder cancer. However, the mechanism by which these drugs act on tumor cells is not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of these two antineoplastic drugs on the apoptotic index and cell cycle kinetics of urinary bladder transitional carcinoma cell lines with wild-type or mutant TP53 (RT4: wild type for TP53; 5637 and T24: mutated TP53). Cytotoxicity, cell survival assays, clonogenic survival assays and flow cytometric analyses for cell cycle kinetics and apoptosis detection were performed with three cell lines treated with different concentrations of cisplatin and gemcitabine. G1 cell cycle arrest was observed in the three cell lines after treatment with gemcitabine and gemcitabine plus cisplatin. A significant increase in cell death was also detected in all cell lines treated with cisplatin or gemcitabine. Lower survival rates occurred with the combined drug protocol independent of TP53 status. TP53-wild type cells (RT4) were more sensitive to apoptosis than were mutated TP53 cells when treated with cisplatin or gemcitabine. Concurrent treatment with cisplatin and gemcitabine was more effective on transitional carcinoma cell lines than either drug alone; the drug combination led to a decreased cell survival that was independent of TP53 status. Therefore, the synergy between low concentrations of cisplatin and gemcitabine may have clinical relevance, as high concentrations of each individual drug are toxic to whole organisms.
Laparoendoscopic single-site partial nephrectomy without ischemia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) ensures excellent oncologic and functional outcomes in small renal masses. Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) is one of the major advances in the evolution of minimally invasive surgery. We describe our initial surgical experience and assess the feasibility of LESS unclamp-NSS. PATIENTS AND METHODS From April to September 2009, all consecutive patients with solitary, exophytic, enhancing, small (≤4.0 cm) renal masses and normal contralateral kidney were selected to receive LESS unclamp-NSS. A multichannel port provided intra-abdominal transperitoneal access. Rigid and articulable instruments were used for dissection, tumor exposure, and excision under normal renal perfusion. Perioperative, pathologic, hematologic data together with a subjective evaluation of pain and scar were collected and evaluated. RESULTS Six patients underwent LESS unclamp-NSS (mean operative time, 148 min; mean blood loss, 201 mL; mean renal masses size, 2.1cm). One patient needed conversion to standard laparoscopy because of excessive bleeding. Postoperatively, a cerebrovascular accident developed in one patient. No transfusion was necessary. Pathologic examination revealed two clear-cell carcinoma, three benign cysts, and one angiomyolipoma (surgical margin positive). A 2.7 g/dL hemoglobin level decrease was recorded with minimal pain and great patient satisfaction. Mean length of stay was 6 days. CONCLUSION LESS unclamp-NSS in selected renal masses is feasible, provides postoperative outcomes overlapping the standard counterpart, and ensures subjective satisfaction. Additional trocars should be considered for the hemostatic stitches and for liver retraction. A wider experience and longer follow-up are necessary to establish the role of this technique.
The influence of corneoscleral topography on soft contact lens fit.

PURPOSE To evaluate the influence of peripheral ocular topography, as evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT), compared with traditional measures of corneal profile using keratometry and videokeratoscopy, on soft contact lens fit. METHODS Ocular surface topography was analyzed in 50 subjects aged 22.8 years (SD ±5.0) using videokeratoscopy (central keratometry, corneal height, and shape factor) and OCT to give both full sagittal cross-sections of the cornea and cross-sections of the corneoscleral junctions. Corneoscleral junction angle, corneal diameter, corneal sagittal height, and scleral radius were analyzed from the images. Horizontal visible iris diameter and vertical palpebral aperture were analyzed from digital slit lamp images. Lens fit was graded after 30 minutes wear of a -2.50 D commercially available standard hydrogel (etafilcon A, modulus 0.30 MPa) and silicone hydrogel (galyfilcon A, 0.43 MPa) design of similar geometries (8.30-mm base curve, 14.0-mm diameter). RESULTS The mean horizontal corneal diameter was 13.39 mm (SD ±0.44). In many cases, there was a tangential transition at the corneoscleral junction. The corneoscleral shape profile analyzed from cross-sectional OCT images contributed significantly (P < 0.001) to the prediction of soft contact lens fit compared with keratometry and videokeratoscopy, accounting for up to 24% of the variance in lens movement. The fit of the stiffer material silicone hydrogel lens was better able to be predicted and was more varied than the hydrogel contact lens. CONCLUSIONS The extra peripheral corneoscleral data gained from OCT characterization of ocular surface architecture provide valuable insight into soft contact lens fit dynamics.
Combining Data From Liver Disease Scoring Systems Better Predicts Outcomes of Patients With Alcoholic Hepatitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Several models have been used to determine prognoses of patients with alcoholic hepatitis. These include static systems (the Maddrey discriminant function; age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, creatinine [ABIC] score; and model for end-stage liver disease [MELD] score) and dynamic models (the Lille model). We aimed to combine features of all of these models to develop a better method to predict outcomes of patients with alcoholic hepatitis. METHODS We collected data from several databases of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis treated with corticosteroids in France and the United Kingdom to create a model to predict patient survival (derivation cohort, n = 538 patients). We compared the performances of 3 joint-effect models (Maddrey+Lille, MELD+Lille, and ABIC+Lille) to determine which combination had the best prognostic value, based on known patient outcomes. The model was validated using data from trials of the effects of corticosteroids in patients in the United States, France, Korea, and Belgium (n = 604 patients). RESULTS We created a joint-effect model to predict patient survival after 2 and 6 months; in the derivation and validation cohorts it predicted outcome significantly better than either static or dynamic models alone (P < .01 for all comparisons). The joint model accurately predicted patient survival regardless of patient risk level. The MELD+Lille combination was better than the Maddrey+Lille or ABIC+Lille combination in predicting patient survival, with Akaike information criterion values of 1305, 1313, and 1312, respectively. For example, based on the MELD+Lille combination model, the predicted 6-month mortality of complete responders with MELD scores of 15-45 (Lille score, 0.16) was 8.5% to 49.7%, compared with 16.4%-75.2% for nonresponders (Lille score, 0.45). According to the joint-effect model, for 2 patients with the same baseline MELD score of 21, the patient with a Lille score of 0.45 had a 1.9-fold higher risk of death than the patient with a Lille score of 0.16 (23.7% vs 12.5%). CONCLUSIONS By combining results from static and dynamic scoring systems for liver disease, we can better predict outcomes of patients with alcoholic hepatitis, compared with either model alone. This may help patient management and design of clinical trials.
IMPACT OF BRAIN BIOPSY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH NONNEOPLASTIC UNDIAGNOSED NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

OBJECTIVEWe sought to assess the diagnostic yield, complication rates, and therapeutic impact of open brain biopsy and serial stereotactic brain biopsy in the management of patients with nonneoplastic neurological conditions in which conventional investigations did not yield a definitive diagnosis. METHODSA retrospective case note analysis was undertaken in consecutive patients undergoing brain biopsy at The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery during a 15-year period. The diagnostic yield, prebiopsy diagnostic category, biopsy technique (open versus stereotactic), complication rates, and impact on clinical management were assessed. Biopsies were grouped into one of five categories: diagnostic, suggestive, nonspecific, normal, or nondiagnostic. RESULTSThirty-nine patients underwent biopsy. The diagnostic yield (combined diagnostic and suggestive) of targeted serial stereotactic biopsy was 64% (seven of 11 patients); in the open brain biopsy group, the diagnostic yield was 46% (13 of 28 patients). The prebiopsy diagnosis was confirmed in 100% (three of three patients) stereotactic biopsy patients and 75% (nine of 12 patients) of open biopsy patients. Two patients (7%) in the open biopsy group had short-term complications. The clinical impact was similar in both groups: nine of 28 (32%) open biopsy patients and four of 11 (36%) stereotactic biopsy patients. CONCLUSIONDespite the low clinical impact, diagnostic brain biopsy should be considered in patients with nonneoplastic undiagnosed neurological disorders. Patients with neuroimaging abnormalities should preferentially undergo targeted biopsy.
Correcting Sampling Oscilloscope Timebase Errors With a Passively Mode-Locked Laser Phase Locked to a Microwave Oscillator

In this paper, we describe an apparatus for correcting the timebase errors when calibrating the response of an equivalent-time sampling oscilloscope using a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser that is phase locked to a microwave signal generator. This enables us to simultaneously correct both the random jitter and the systematic timebase distortion in the oscilloscope. As a demonstration of the technique, we measure the electrical pulse generated by a fast photodiode that is excited by our laser. We show that the pulse that is reconstructed using our technique has significantly lower uncertainty than the pulse that is reconstructed using a separate correction for timebase distortion followed by jitter deconvolution.
Characterization of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins from human breast cancer cells.

The insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGF-BPs) are structurally and immunologically distinct from the IGF type 1 or type 2 receptors and are characterized by two major forms: a large, GH-dependent BP found in human plasma (Mr = 150 k) and a small GH-independent BP (Mr = 28-42 k) present in human plasma, amniotic fluid, and HEP G2 cells. Using affinity cross-linking techniques, we have identified several binding proteins secreted by human breast cancer cell lines (Hs578T, MDA-231, T-47D, and MCF-7). Under nonreducing conditions these proteins migrated at an apparent Mr = 35, 28, 27, and 24 k, while reducing conditions revealed bands of apparent Mr = 35, 32, 27, and 24 k. Competitive binding studies in T-47D-conditioned media demonstrated that these BPs bound more IGF-II than IGF-I, and that IGF-II potently inhibited binding of either IGF-I or -II. Immunological studies using a polyclonal antibody against the HEP G2 small BP revealed no immunoreactive BP in conditioned media from MCF-7 and T-47D and only slight immunoreactivity in conditioned media from Hs578T and MDA 231. Analysis by Northern blot, using a probe from the cDNA sequence of the HEP G2 BP, demonstrated that Hs578T and MDA-231 cell lines contained small amounts of the 1.65 kilobase mRNA characteristic of the HEP G2 BP, while MCF-7 and T-47D tested negative. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Enhanced thermal conductivity of polyamide 6/polypropylene (PA6/PP) immiscible blends with high loadings of graphite

In this study, flake graphite was dispersed in immiscible polyamide 6/polypropylene (PA6/PP) blends to improve their thermal conductivity. Blends of PA6/PP were prepared in different relative fractions and thermal conductivity of the graphite-containing blends showed enhanced values for immiscible blends when compared with those of mono-PA6-based composites at the same graphite loading fractions. Moreover, a PA6/PP mass ratio of 8/2 showed better dispersion of graphite and less interfacial defects, resulting in better heat conduction ability when compared with other immiscible blends. At graphite loading of 40 wt%, thermal conductivity of PA6/PP/graphite composite reached 2.896 W/mK, which is nearly 40% higher than that of mono-PA6/graphite composite. Morphology and melt rheology measurements confirmed that flake graphite began to form thermally conductive network at 30 wt% in immiscible blends which is crucial to the improvement of thermal conductivity.