Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Colocalization of GLUT2 Glucose Transporter, Sodium/glucose Cotransporter, and γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase in Rat Kidney With Double-Peroxidase Immunocytochemistry

Glucose is reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate in the proximal segment of the renal tubule in two stages. The first stage is uphill transport across the brush border membrane by Na+-glucose cotransport and the second stage is downhill transport across the basolateral membrane by facilitated diffusion. Genes for both a renal Na+-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) and a renal facilitated glucose transporter (GLUT2) have been cloned and sequenced. To examine whether SGLT1 and GLUT2 colocalize to the same tubular epithelial cells in rat kidney, double-immunoperoxidase studies with dual chromogens and paraformaldehyde perfusion-fixed frozen sections of rat kidney were performed. Antipeptide antisera were prepared against rat GLUT2 (amino acids 510–522) and rabbit SGLT1 (amino acids 402–420). Proximal tubules were identified immunocytochemically with an antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the 21 amino acids at the COOH-terminal of the heavy chain of rat γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, which is a proximal tubule-specific enzyme. The anti-GLUT2 antiserum strongly stained the basolateral membrane of 46% of cortical tubules, whereas the SGLT1 antiserum stained the brush border of 56% of the cortical tubules. The γ-glutamyl transpeptidase antiserum also stained the brush border of 51% of the cortical tubules. GLUT2 and SGLT1 colocalized to 40% of cortical epithelium, but 16% of cortical epithelial cells were immunopositive for brush border SGLT1 and immunonegative for basolateral GLUT2. These γ-glutamyl transpeptidase staining results suggest that at least 50% of the tubules in the cortex are proximal tubules and that SGLT1 and GLUT2 colocalize to most proximal tubules. The fact that SGLT1 antiserum immunoreacted with tubules unreactive to the GLUT2 antiserum suggests that either the SGLT1 epitope is conserved on a related brush border protein or that there is another GLUT transporter responsible for the exit of sugar from these proximal tubule cells.
Maternal and congenital syphilis in rural Haiti.

OBJECTIVES A study was conducted to assess the prevalence of maternal syphilis and estimate the rate of congenital syphilis in five rural villages surrounding Jeremie, Haiti. METHODS This research was a retrospective observational study. Data were extracted from the Haitian Health Foundation's public health database and verified through original clinical paper records, death certificates, midwife reports, and discussions with community health workers. Data were analyzed by chi-square analysis, bivariate correlations, and two-tailed t-test for independent samples. RESULTS Of the 410 women tested for syphilis, 31 (7.6%) were sero-reactive. Average gestation at time of testing was 25 weeks, which correlated with entry into prenatal care at an average of 23 weeks. Women who tested positive during pregnancy were more likely to have had a negative pregnancy outcome than those who did not (chi square = 16.4; P < 0.0001). The estimated rate of congenital syphilis in the region was 767 per 100,000 live births. CONCLUSIONS Maternal syphilis is prevalent in rural Haiti. This prevalence combined with late entry into prenatal care contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes and a high estimated rate of congenital syphilis. More research is needed on congenital syphilis and prenatal-careseeking practices of rural Haitian women in order to understand the impact of maternal syphilis in the region and improve pregnancy outcomes.
The role of community programmes and mass events in promoting physical activity to patients

The challenge for physical activity promotion in clinical contexts is finding ways of encouraging patients to become more active. Brief advice in primary care is effective, in the short term, in increasing physical activity, but is only provided by a few clinicians on a regular basis. The possibilities for public health approaches include others in the practice providing brief advice, or referral to community facilities and programmes. Even these have limited evidence regarding their population reach. Therefore, innovative and alternative solutions are required. This review discusses three potential contributors: clinician advocacy for and engagement in physical activity as role models, referral to mass community participation events, and encouraging attendance at health fairs. These will not solve the inactivity crisis, but could add new approaches for clinicians, in advising their patients to initiate and try to become more physically active.
Persistent Systemic Inflammation is Associated with Poor Clinical Outcomes in COPD: A Novel Phenotype

Background Because chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous condition, the identification of specific clinical phenotypes is key to developing more effective therapies. To explore if the persistence of systemic inflammation is associated with poor clinical outcomes in COPD we assessed patients recruited to the well-characterized ECLIPSE cohort (NCT00292552). Methods and Findings Six inflammatory biomarkers in peripheral blood (white blood cells (WBC) count and CRP, IL-6, IL-8, fibrinogen and TNF-α levels) were quantified in 1,755 COPD patients, 297 smokers with normal spirometry and 202 non-smoker controls that were followed-up for three years. We found that, at baseline, 30% of COPD patients did not show evidence of systemic inflammation whereas 16% had persistent systemic inflammation. Even though pulmonary abnormalities were similar in these two groups, persistently inflamed patients during follow-up had significantly increased all-cause mortality (13% vs. 2%, p<0.001) and exacerbation frequency (1.5 (1.5) vs. 0.9 (1.1) per year, p<0.001) compared to non-inflamed ones. As a descriptive study our results show associations but do not prove causality. Besides this, the inflammatory response is complex and we studied only a limited panel of biomarkers, albeit they are those investigated by the majority of previous studies and are often and easily measured in clinical practice. Conclusions Overall, these results identify a novel systemic inflammatory COPD phenotype that may be the target of specific research and treatment.
Alteration of glycine receptor immunoreactivity in the auditory brainstem of mice following three months of exposure to radiofrequency radiation at SAR 4.0 W/kg

The increasing use of mobile communication has triggered an interest in its possible effects on the regulation of neurotransmitter signals. Due to the close proximity of mobile phones to hearing-related brain regions during usage, its use may lead to a decrease in the ability to segregate sounds, leading to serious auditory dysfunction caused by the prolonged exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. The interplay among auditory processing, excitation and inhibitory molecule interactions plays a major role in auditory function. In particular, inhibitory molecules, such a glycine, are predominantly localized in the auditory brainstem. However, the effects of exposure to RF radiation on auditory function have not been reported to date. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of exposure to RF radiation on glycine receptor (GlyR) immunoreactivity (IR) in the auditory brainstem region at 835 MHz with a specific absorption rate of 4.0 W/kg for three months using free-floating immunohistochemistry. Compared with the sham control (SC) group, a significant loss of staining intensity of neuropils and cells in the different subdivisions of the auditory brainstem regions was observed in the mice exposed to RF radiation (E4 group). A decrease in the number of GlyR immunoreactive cells was also noted in the cochlear nuclear complex [anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN), 31.09%; dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), 14.08%; posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN), 32.79%] and the superior olivary complex (SOC) [lateral superior olivary nucleus (LSO), 36.85%; superior paraolivary nucleus (SPN), 24.33%, medial superior olivary nucleus (MSO), 23.23%; medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), 10.15%] of the mice in the E4 group. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) analysis also revealed a significant threshold elevation of in the exposed (E4) group, which may be associated with auditory dysfunction. The present study suggests that the auditory brainstem region is susceptible to chronic exposure to RF radiation, which may affect the function of the central auditory system.
AIDS TO MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

THIS is the second of the three volumes of the twelfth edition of this popular manual to be published. The revised order of dissection now used calls for little change in the present volume. The use of the Paris Nomenclature (1955) is continued, but the more familiar terms in common British usage are retained where thought desirable. For example, the "innominate" vessels are referred to as such in the text, with the term "brachiocephalic" as an alternative. This effort to maintain continuity of usage is very welcome. Despite the sad loss of the editor, whose death earlier this year marks the end of an association with this manual extending back to the ninth edition in 1935, it is to be hoped that the publishers will have Volume II on the thorax and abdomen on sale before the start of the coming Michaelmas Term. This would allow the complete edition to be used throughout by students starting anatomical studies at that time, and would simplify their problems by giving them a single terminology to master. The present volume can be recommended to all wishing an up-to-date manual on the anatomy of the head and neck. W. R. M. M.
Hepatic encephalopathy: An updated approach from pathogenesis to treatment

Summary One of the most serious complications of chronic or fulminant liver failure is hepatic encephalopathy (HE), associated most commonly with cirrhosis. In the presence of chronic liver disease, HE is a sign of decompensation, while in fulminant liver failure its development represents a worrying sign and usually indicates that transplantation will be required. Despite the significance of HE in the course of liver disease, the progress in development of new therapeutic options has been unremarkable over the last 20 years. An up-to-date review regarding HE, including both research and review articles. HE is a serious and progressive, but potentially reversible, disorder with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities and motor disturbances that ranges from mild alteration of cognitive and motor function to coma and death. Although a clear pathogenesis is yet to be determined, elevated ammonia in serum and the central nervous system is the mainstay for pathogenesis and treatment of HE. Management includes early diagnosis and prompt treatment of precipitating factors. Clinical trials and extensive clinical experience have established the efficacy of diverse substances in HE treatment. Novel therapies with clinical promise include: L-ornithine L-aspartate, sodium benzoate, phenylacetate, AST-120, and the molecular adsorbent recirculating system. Eventually, liver transplantation is often the most successful long-term therapy for HE.
Motion selectivity and the contrast-response function of simple cells in the visual cortex

Abstract The responses of simple cells were recorded from the visual cortex of cats, as a function of the position and contrast of counterphase and drifting grating patterns, to assess whether direction selectivity can be accounted for on the basis of linear summation. The expected responses to a counterphase grating, given a strictly linear model, would be the sum of the responses to the two drifting components. The measured responses were not consistent with the linear prediction. For example, nearly all cells showed two positions where the responses approached zero (i.e. two “null phase positions”); this was true, even for the most direction selective cells. However, the measured responses were consistent with the hypothesis that direction selectivity is a consequence of the linear spatiotemporal receptive-field structure, coupled with the nonlinearities revealed by the contrast-response function: contrast gain control, halfwave rectification, and expansive exponent. When arranged in a particular sequence, each of these linear and nonlinear mechanisms performs a useful function in a general model of simple cells. The linear spatiotemporal receptive field initiates stimulus selectivity (for direction, orientation, spatial frequency, etc.). The expansive response exponent enhances selectivity. The contrast-set gain control maintains selectivity (over a wide range of contrasts, in spite of the limited dynamic response range and steep slope of the contrast-response function). Rectification conserves metabolic energy.
Sacral agenesis and caudal spinal cord malformations.

Thirty-three children and one adult with sacral agenesis (SA) were studied by computed tomographic myelography and/or magnetic resonance imaging and were monitored for a mean period of 4.7 years. Four children had the OEIS (concurrent omphalocele, cloacal exstrophy, imperforate anus, and spinal deformities) complex, and three others had VATER (vertebral abnormality, anal imperforation, tracheoesophageal fistula, and renal-radial anomalies) syndrome. All patients shared some of the characteristic features of SA, namely, a short, intergluteal cleft, flattened buttocks, narrow hips, distal leg atrophy, and talipes deformities. Neurologically, lumbosacral sensation was much better preserved than the motor functions, and urinary and bowel symptoms were universal. The level of the vertebral aplasia was correlated with the motor but not with the sensory level. The important neuroimaging findings of SA were as follows: 1) 12 patients (35%) had nonstenotic, tapered narrowing of the caudal bony canal, and 2 patients had hyperostosis indenting the caudal thecal sac; 2) 16 patients (47%) had nonstenotic, tapered narrowing and shortening of the dural sac, but 3 patients (9%) had true, symptomatic dural stenosis, in which the cauda equina was severely constricted by a pencil-sized caudal dural sac; 3) the coni could be divided into those ending above the L1 vertebral body (Group 1, 14 patients) and those ending below L1 (Group 2, 20 patients). Thirteen of 14 Group 1 coni were club or wedge-shaped, terminating abruptly at T11 or T12, as if the normal tip was missing. All 20 Group 2 coni were tethered: 13 were tethered by a thick filum; 2 were extremely elongated and had a terminal hydromyelia; 3 were terminal myelocystoceles; and 2 were tethered by a transitional lipoma. High blunt coni were highly correlated with high (severe) sacral malformations (sacrum ending at S1), but low-lying tethered coni were highly correlated with low sacral malformations (S2 or lower pieces present). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Activation of the Prolyl Hydroxylase Oxygen-sensor Results in Induction of GLUT1, Heme Oxygenase-1, and Nitric-oxide Synthase Proteins and Confers Protection from Metabolic Inhibition to Cardiomyocytes*

Recently an oxygen-sensing/transducing mechanism has been identified as a family of O2-dependent prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing enzymes (PHD). In normoxia, PHD hydroxylates a specific proline residue that directs the degradation of constitutively synthesized hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. During hypoxia, the cessation of hydroxylation of this proline results in less degradation and thus increases hypoxia-inducible factor-1α protein levels. In this study we have examined the consequences of activating the PHD oxygen-sensing pathway in cultured neonatal myocytes using ethyl-3,4 dihydroxybenzoate and dimethyloxalylglycine, inhibitors that, similar to hypoxia, inhibit this family of O2-dependent PHD enzymes. Increased glucose uptake and enhanced glycolytic metabolism are classical cellular responses to hypoxia. Ethyl-3,4 dihydroxybenzoate treatment of cardiomyocyte cultures for 24 h increased [3H]deoxy-4-glucose uptake concurrent with an induction of GLUT1 protein. In addition, ethyl-3,4 dihydroxybenzoate, dimethyloxalylglycine, and hypoxia treatments were found to induce protein levels of nitricoxide synthase-2 and heme oxygenase-1, two important cardioregulatory proteins whose expression in response to hypoxic conditions is poorly understood. In conjunction with these changes in gene expression, activation of the PHD oxygen-sensing mechanism was found to preserve myocyte viability in the face of metabolic inhibition with cyanide and 2-deoxyglucose. These results point to a key role for the PHD pathway in the phenotypic changes that are observed in a hypoxic myocyte and may suggest a strategy to pharmacologically induce protection in heart.
Six Year Studies of Growth and Development of an Electroencepholographic Laboratory in Prison

The incidence of epilepsy in a criminally oriented society has been the subject of conjecture and prejudice for centuries. I t is typical of human thought to blame that which we do not understand for that which we do not wish to accept. As our understanding of epilepsy has improved since the clinical description by Hughlings Jackson (1) and the development of the electroencephalograph (EEG) as a laboratory confirmation of abnormal brain wave patterns specific to varied forms of epilepsy, we have become suspicious that earlier writers grossly exaggerated the dangerously violent and antisocial propensities of epileptics as a whole. In the past thirty-five years of EEG development (as the modern electronic wizard that supercedes clinical judgment) there has been a tendency to exonerate the epileptic especially the convulsive type from antisocial behavior. That the common convulsive types of epilepsy are not associated with abnormal behavior more than they are associated with normal behavior stands logical to reason. However, most authorities are reluctant to excuse those forms of epilepsy that have mental and personality changes such as “post traumatic,” “post encephalitic,” “temporal lobe,” “diencephalic,” “borderline” and “epileptoid,” as being unimportant in the consideration of antisocial behavior. Martin Roth ( 2 ) states, “Yet the changes of mood, the alterations of personality, the step like changes in affect, the diminished frustration tolerence and the loss of emotional control leading to increased impulsiveness, the blunting of sensibility, and the increased egocentricity which are prominent features in chronic epileptics are far more important in determining the quality of their social adjustment than their seizures are. ” There has been an EEG laboratory in the Department of Corrections of the State of Illinois since 1964. It is located in the hospital section of the largest of the eight institutions the Stateville Branch which has a population of approximately 2,000 inmates. However, the laboratory has serviced all branches with a combined population ranging between four and five thousand inmates. Incarcerated juveniles of the Department of Corrections have been included in the service of the laboratory during 1971 increasing our total available source of referral to approximately 6,000. All are adjudicated offenders with the vast majority (approximately 95 percent) being for felonious crimes in contrast to misdemeanors. The representative classification studies of these persons are shown in Figures 1 and 2 . Referrals for EEG have been made by physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists. Figure 3 shows the source of the referrals. SB stands for Stateville Branch where the laboratory is located. The declining percentage of usage of the laboratory by the largest institution having approximately onethird of the available referral source with the
Toward Unified Control of a Powered Prosthetic Leg: A Simulation Study

This brief presents a novel control strategy for a powered knee-ankle prosthesis that unifies the entire gait cycle, eliminating the need to switch between controllers during different periods of gait. A reduced-order discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) is used to define virtual constraints that continuously parameterize periodic joint patterns as functions of a mechanical phasing variable. In order to leverage the provable stability properties of hybrid zero dynamics (HZD), hybrid-invariant Bézier polynomials are converted into unified DFT virtual constraints for various walking speeds. Simulations of an amputee biped model show that the unified prosthesis controller approximates the behavior of the original HZD design under ideal scenarios and has advantages over the HZD design when hybrid invariance is violated by mismatches with the human controller. Two implementations of the unified virtual constraints, a feedback linearizing controller, and a more practical joint impedance controller produce similar results in simulation.
Improved Enumeration of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Mesophilic Dairy Starter Cultures by Using Multiplex Quantitative Real-Time PCR and Flow Cytometry-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

ABSTRACT Nucleic acid-based assays were developed to enumerate members of the three taxa Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, L. lactis subsp. lactis, and Leuconostoc spp. in mesophilic starter cultures. To our knowledge the present is the first study to present a multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) strategy for the relative enumeration of bacteria. The multiplex qPCR strategy was designed to quantify the target DNA simultaneously relative to total bacterial DNA. The assay has a high discriminatory power and resolves concentration changes as low as 1.3-fold. The methodology was compared with flow cytometric fluorescence in situ hybridization (FLOW-FISH) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactopyranoside (X-Gal)-calcium citrate agar-based plate counting. For enumeration by FLOW-FISH, three new probes having the same specificity as the qPCR assay were designed and established. A combination with flow cytometry greatly reduced the time consumed compared to manual enumeration. Both qPCR and FLOW-FISH yielded similar community compositions for 10 complex starter cultures, with all detected subpopulations being highly significantly correlated (P < 0.001). Correlations between X-Gal-calcium citrate agar-based CFU and qPCR-derived counts were highly significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) for the number of acidifiers versus L. lactis subsp. cremoris and for Leuconostoc spp. as quantified by the two techniques, respectively. This confirmed that most acidifiers in the studied PROBAT cultures are members of L. lactis subsp. cremoris. Quantitative real-time PCR and FLOW-FISH were found to be effective and accurate tools for the bacterial community analysis of complex starter cultures.