Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus haemolyticus

ABSTRACT Infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) most frequently occur after the implantation of medical devices and are attributed to the biofilm-forming potential of CoNS. Staphylococcus haemolyticus is the second most frequently isolated CoNS from patients with hospital-acquired infections. There is only limited knowledge of the nature of S. haemolyticus biofilms. The aim of this study was to characterize S. haemolyticus biofilm formation. We analyzed the biofilm-forming capacities of 72 clinical S. haemolyticus isolates. A detachment assay with NaIO4, proteinase K, or DNase was used to determine the main biofilm components. Biofilm-associated genes, including the ica operon, were analyzed by PCR, and the gene products were sequenced. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to elucidate the biofilm structure. Fifty-three isolates (74%) produced biofilms after growth in Trypticase soy broth (TSB) with glucose, but only 22 (31%) produced biofilms after growth in TSB with NaCl. It was necessary to dissolve the biofilm in ethanol-acetone to measure the optical density of the full biofilm mass. DNase, proteinase K, and NaIO4 caused biofilm detachment for 100%, 98%, and 38% of the isolates, respectively. icaRADBC and polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) production were found in only two isolates. CLSM indicated that the biofilm structure of S. haemolyticus clearly differs from that of S. epidermidis. We conclude that biofilm formation is a common phenotype in clinical S. haemolyticus isolates. In contrast to S. epidermidis, proteins and extracellular DNA are of functional relevance for biofilm accumulation, whereas PIA plays only a minor role. The induction of biofilm formation and determination of the biofilm mass also needed to be optimized for S. haemolyticus.
Medically certified sickness absence with insurance benefits in women with and without children

Background: Sickness absence in Sweden is high, particularly in young women and the reasons are unclear. Many Swedish women combine parenthood and work and are facing demands that may contribute to impaired health and well-being. We compared mothers and women without children under different conditions, assuming increased sickness absence in mothers, due to time-based stress and psychological strain. Methods: All women born in 1960–79 (1.2 million) were followed from 1993 to 2003. Information on children in the home for each year was related to medically certified sickness absence with insurance benefits the year after. We used age and time-stratified proportional hazard regression models accounting for the individual's changes on study variables over time. Data were retrieved from national administrative registers. Results: Sickness absence was higher in mothers than in women without children, the relative risks decreased by age, with no effect after the age of 35 years. An effect appeared in lonely women irrespective of age, while in cohabiting women only for the ages 20–25 years. Mothers showed increased sickness absence in all subgroups of country of birth, education, income, sector of employment and place of residence. The relation between number of children and sickness absence was nonlinear, with the highest relative risks for mothers of one child. The upward trend of sickness absence at the end of 1990s was steeper for mothers compared to women without children. Conclusion: Despite the well-developed social security system and child care services in Sweden, parenthood predicts increased sickness absence, particularly in young and in lone women.
A review of the role of telemedicine in the accident and emergency department

A literature search was conducted for articles on the role of telemedicine in accident and emergency work. The search yielded 39 relevant papers, which came from 21 independent groups that had used telemedicine in an emergency medicine setting. The articles showed that telemedicine has been applied in a variety of ways from medical advice for paramedics in the disaster setting, to patient follow-up in the fracture clinic. A variety of communications equipment has been tried, including radio links, telephone, email and mobile wireless videoconferencing devices. All such links have been found to transfer information effectively, but success has sometimes been limited by technical failure and by staff lacking confidence in using the systems. Telemedicine has been used widely to support emergency nurse practitioners in minor injury units. Telemedicine has also been suggested as a way for paramedics to communicate with regional coronary care units quickly, hence enabling them to provide pre-hospital thrombolysis in the field when appropriate. The accident and emergency setting is well suited to the application of telemedicine. Larger trials and cost-effectiveness studies are required in this area.
Resistant starch as a prebiotic and synbiotic: state of the art

Non-infectious diseases such as CHD and certain cancers have become major causes of death and disability in affluent countries. Probiotics (principally lactic acid bacteria; LAB) may assist in lowering the risk of these diseases. Experimental studies with probiotics have given generally inconclusive outcomes for infectious disease and for biomarkers for non-infectious disease. In part this situation may reflect their inability to colonise the adult human gut effectively. Prebiotics can assist in promoting colonisation, and resistant starch (RS), as a high-amylose starch, is a prebiotic and synbiotic. This starch exerts its synbiotic action through adhesion of the bacteria to the granule surface. Consumption of RS assists in recovery from infectious diarrhoea in man and animals. A rice porridge, high in RS, appears to modify the autochthonous porcine large-bowel microflora favourably through lowering Escherichia coli and coliform numbers. Many of the beneficial effects of RS on large-bowel function appear to beexerted through short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) formed by bacterial fermentation. In man LAB are found in relatively highest numbers in milk-fed infants where theprofile of fermentation products differs quite markedly from that in adults. It appearsunlikely that ingestion of current probiotics will alter either total SCFA or the proportions of the major acids. More emphasis needs to be given to the investigation of the effects of complex carbohydrates, including RS, on the autochthonous microflora of the human large bowel.
Clinicopathological prognostic factors and patterns of recurrence in vulvar cancer.

BACKGROUND Vulvar cancer is a rare disease and knowledge on prognostic factors is therefore limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine prognostic variables for recurrence and survival and to identify patterns of recurrence in patients with vulvar cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients (n = 103) with primary vulvar cancer treated at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively analysed regarding the prognostic relevance of different clinicopathological variables. Recurrences were evaluated with regard to their characteristics and localisation. RESULTS Age, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, depth of invasion and involvement of resection margins predicted poor disease-free and overall survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, lymph node status was the most important independent prognostic factor (p = 0.002). No correlation was observed between lymph node metastasis and localization of recurrent disease. Regardless of initial nodal involvement, recurrences occurred primarily in the vulvar region. CONCLUSION Inguinofemoral lymph node status at initial diagnosis is of critical prognostic importance for patients with vulvar cancer. Further tumour biological characteristics need to be identified to stratify patients with nodal involvement for adjuvant radiotherapy of the vulva to prevent local recurrences.
Sex differences in static strength and fatigability in three different muscle groups.

Maximal voluntary static muscle force production was assessed both in strength trials and during 2-min contractions by three muscle groups (right-hand finger flexors [RHF], right-leg extensors [RLE], and both leg extensors [BLE]) in young males (n = 13) and females (n = 14). There was a significant difference (p less than .01) between males and females for RHF strength and BLE strength but no significant difference between sexes for RLE strength. During the 2-min task, impulse (force x time) declined significantly (p less than .001) and there was a significant difference (p less than .001) between muscle groups, but there was no difference between sexes. There was a significant (p less than .05) sex x time interaction for the impulse values indicating that the fatigability was greater in males than females.
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Transcriptome dynamics of developing maize leaves and genomewide prediction of cis elements and their cognate transcription factors

Significance Maize is a major crop and a model plant for studying C4 leaf development. However, its regulatory network of leaf development is poorly understood. We used transcriptomes of developing leaves to study gene-expression dynamics and coexpression to reveal functional transition during maize leaf development. More significantly, we developed methods to predict transcription factor-binding sites (TFBSs) and their cognate transcription factors (TFs) or to use the known Arabidopsis TF–TFBS pairs to predict the maize TF–TFBS pairs. In total, we predicted 1,340 novel TFBSs and 253 new TF–TFBS pairs in maize. Twelve predicted TF–TFBS interactions were validated by functional tests, suggesting that our methods perform well. Our study has significantly expanded our knowledge of the regulatory network of maize leaf development. Maize is a major crop and a model plant for studying C4 photosynthesis and leaf development. However, a genomewide regulatory network of leaf development is not yet available. This knowledge is useful for developing C3 crops to perform C4 photosynthesis for enhanced yields. Here, using 22 transcriptomes of developing maize leaves from dry seeds to 192 h post imbibition, we studied gene up- and down-regulation and functional transition during leaf development and inferred sets of strongly coexpressed genes. More significantly, we developed a method to predict transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and their cognate transcription factors (TFs) using genomic sequence and transcriptomic data. The method requires not only evolutionary conservation of candidate TFBSs and sets of strongly coexpressed genes but also that the genes in a gene set share the same Gene Ontology term so that they are involved in the same biological function. In addition, we developed another method to predict maize TF–TFBS pairs using known TF–TFBS pairs in Arabidopsis or rice. From these efforts, we predicted 1,340 novel TFBSs and 253 new TF–TFBS pairs in the maize genome, far exceeding the 30 TF–TFBS pairs currently known in maize. In most cases studied by both methods, the two methods gave similar predictions. In vitro tests of 12 predicted TF–TFBS interactions showed that our methods perform well. Our study has significantly expanded our knowledge on the regulatory network involved in maize leaf development.
Mechanisms of estrogen receptor antagonism toward p53 and its implications in breast cancer therapeutic response and stem cell regulation

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) plays an important role in the onset and progression of breast cancer, whereas p53 functions as a major tumor suppressor. We previously reported that ERα binds to p53, resulting in inhibition of transcriptional regulation by p53. Here, we report on the molecular mechanisms by which ERα suppresses p53’s transactivation function. Sequential ChIP assays demonstrated that ERα represses p53-mediated transcriptional activation in human breast cancer cells by recruiting nuclear receptor corepressors (NCoR and SMRT) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1). RNAi-mediated down-regulation of NCoR resulted in increased endogenous expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-inhibitor p21Waf1/Cip1 (CDKN1A) gene, a prototypic transcriptional target of p53. While 17β-estradiol (E2) enhanced ERα binding to p53 and inhibited p21 transcription, antiestrogens decreased ERα recruitment and induced transcription. The effects of estrogen and antiestrogens on p21 transcription were diametrically opposite to their known effects on the conventional ERE-containing ERα target gene, pS2/TFF1. These results suggest that ERα uses dual strategies to promote abnormal cellular proliferation: enhancing the transcription of ERE-containing proproliferative genes and repressing the transcription of p53-responsive antiproliferative genes. Importantly, ERα binds to p53 and inhibits transcriptional activation by p53 in stem/progenitor cell-containing murine mammospheres, suggesting a potential role for the ER–p53 interaction in mammary tissue homeostasis and cancer formation. Furthermore, retrospective studies analyzing response to tamoxifen therapy in a subset of patients with ER-positive breast cancer expressing either wild-type or mutant p53 suggest that the presence of wild-type p53 is an important determinant of positive therapeutic response.
Adaptive eLearning modules for cytopathology education: A review and approach

Clinical training imposes time and resource constraints on educators and learners, making it difficult to provide and absorb meaningful instruction. Additionally, innovative and personalized education has become an expectation of adult learners. Fortunately, the development of web‐based educational tools provides a possible solution to these challenges. Within this review, we introduce the utility of adaptive eLearning platforms in pathology education. In addition to a review of the current literature, we provide the reader with a suggested approach for module creation, as well as a critical assessment of an available platform, based on our experience in creating adaptive eLearning modules for teaching basic concepts in gynecologic cytopathology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:944–951. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Role of the polypeptide backbone and post-translational modifications in cross-reactivity of Art v 1, the major mugwort pollen allergen

Abstract Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) is one of the main causes of late summer pollinosis in Europe, with >95% of patients sensitized to the glycoallergen Art v 1. Despite the importance of this allergen, little is known about its cross-reactive behavior. Here we investigated the occurrence of conserved Art v 1 antigenic determinants in sources known to display clinically relevant cross-reactivity with mugwort pollen. For this purpose, monoclonal antibodies specific for a cysteine-stabilized epitope of the Art v 1 defensin domain and for carbohydrates attached to the proline domain were produced by hybridoma and phage display technologies. Using polyclonal Art v 1-specific rabbit sera and antibodies against both the Art v 1 carbohydrate and polypeptide moieties, we could identify cross-reactive structures in pollen from botanically related Asteraceae weeds (Artemisia absinthium, Helianthus annuus and Ambrosia sp.). Homologous allergens were also recognized by IgE from mugwort-sensitized patients and the reactivity could be decreased by serum pre-incubation with natural and recombinant Art v 1. As no cross-reactive structures could be found in foods associated with mugwort pollinosis, we conclude that Art v 1 is poorly involved in mugwort cross-reactivity to food allergens.
Element Stoichiometry of a Mixotrophic Protist Grown Under Varying Resource Conditions

ABSTRACT. The balance of essential elements (e.g. carbon [C], nitrogen [N], and phosphorus [P]) between consumers and their resources influences not only the growth and reproduction of the consumers but also the nutrients they regenerate. Flagellate protists are significant predators of aquatic bacteria and directly influence nutrient flow to higher trophic levels and, through excretion, influence the mineral element composition of dissolved nutrients. Because the element stoichiometry of protists is poorly characterized, we varied the resource composition of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens and used it to grow the mixotrophic bacterivorous flagellate Ochromonas danica. Using a mass balance approach, the element composition of O. danica was found to vary depending upon the nutrient composition of the prey and ranged between 482:36:1 and 80:12:1 (C:N:P molar). Homeostasis plots suggested that flagellate protists weakly regulate their element composition and are likely to regenerate different elements depending upon the nature of the element limiting growth of their prey.
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) Is a Binding Partner of Epithelial Growth Factor-containing Fibulin-like Extracellular Matrix Protein 1 (EFEMP1)

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) is a matrix-bound inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases. Mutations in the Timp-3 gene cause Sorsby fundus dystrophy (SFD), a hereditary macular degenerative disease. The pathogenic mechanisms responsible for the disease phenotype are unknown. In an in vivo quest for binding partners of the TIMP-3 protein in the subretina, we identified epidermal growth factor-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1, also known as fibulin 3) as a strong interacting protein. The COOH-terminal end of TIMP-3 was involved in the interaction. Interestingly, a missense mutation in EFEMP1 is responsible for another hereditary macular degenerative disease, Malattia Leventinese (ML). Both SFD and ML have strong similarities to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness in the elderly population of the Western hemisphere. Our results were supported by significant accumulation and expression overlap of both TIMP-3 and EFEMP1 between the retinal pigment epithelia and Bruch membrane in the eyes of ML and AMD patients. These results provide the first link between two different macular degenerative disease genes and imply the possibility of a common pathogenic mechanism behind different forms of macular degeneration.
On the Finite Sample Performance of the Nearest Neighbor Classifier

The finite sample performance of a nearest neighbor classifier is analyzed for a two-class pattern recognition problem. An exact integral expression is derived for the m-sample risk R/sub m/ given that a reference m-sample of labeled points, drawn independently from Euclidean n-space according to a fixed probability distribution, is available to the classifier. For a family of smooth distributions characterized by asymptotic expansions in general form, it is shown that the m-sample risk R/sub m/ has a complete asymptotic series expansion R/sub m/ ~ R/spl infin/ + /spl Sigma//sup /spl infin///sub k=1/ ckm/sup -k/n/ (m - /spl infin/) where R/spl infin/ denotes the nearest neighbor risk in the infinite-sample limit. Improvements in convergence rate are shown under stronger smoothness assumptions, and in particular, R/sub m/ = R/spl infin/ + O(m/sup -2/n/) if the class-conditional probability densities have uniformly bounded third derivatives on their probability one support. This analysis thus provides further analytic validation of Bellman's curse of dimensionality. Numerical simulations corroborating the formal results are included, and extensions of the theory discussed. The analysis also contains a novel application of Laplace's asymptotic method of integration to a multidimensional integral where the integrand attains its maximum on a continuum of points.
Are Birth Weight, Early Growth, and Motor Development Determinants of Physical Activity in Children and Youth? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this systematic review was to explore whether birth weight, early growth and motor development act as determinants of physical activity in children and youth. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search on the possible early life determinants. A meta-analysis was performed on the association between birthweight and objectively measured physical activity. RESULTS We identified 9 studies examining birth weight, in which none of the studies with objectively measured physical activity observed an association between birth weight and physical activity. The meta-analysis confirmed this result (b=-3.08, 95% CI -10.20, 4.04). The 3 studies examining early growth and physical activity in youth differ in methodology and the results are inconsistent. Two studies suggest an association between earlier motor development and physical activity and sport participation in youth. This was not confirmed in a third study. CONCLUSION Our meta-analysis suggests that birth weight is not an important determinant of physical activity in youth. Available data does not allow firm conclusions whether early growth and motor development act as determinants of physical activity in youth.
Lattice-Mismatched InGaAsP and AlGaInAs Quaternary Materials for Thermophotovoltaic Applications

Experimental results are presented for lattice-mismatched (LMM) In 0.8Ga0. 2As0.76P0. 24 and Al 0.07Ga0. 255In0.675As quaternary materials used in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices. Epistructures were grown on 3-inch diameter InP substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and processed as monolithically interconnected modules (MIMs) using conventional photolithography and chemical wet etching. Electrical characterization of single-bandgap quaternary devices revealed that the two have roughly equivalent electrical performance. Comparable X-ray diffraction data, high voltage factors and fill factors indicate the materials are of high crystalline and electrical quality, and perform comparably to expectations set by long experience with 0.6 eV lattice-mismatched InGaAs devices of similar device design. Integration of the high and low bandgaps into tandem devices has proven problematic, however, suggesting unresolved materials and processing issues