Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Next-generation DNA sequencing reveals that low fungal diversity in house dust is associated with childhood asthma development.

UNLABELLED Dampness and visible mold in homes are associated with asthma development, but causal mechanisms remain unclear. The goal of this research was to explore associations among measured dampness, fungal exposure, and childhood asthma development without the bias of culture-based microbial analysis. In the low-income, Latino CHAMACOS birth cohort, house dust was collected at age 12 months, and asthma status was determined at age 7 years.The current analysis included 13 asthma cases and 28 controls. Next-generation DNA sequencing methods quantified fungal taxa and diversity. Lower fungal diversity (number of fungal operational taxonomic units) was significantly associated with increased risk of asthma development: unadjusted odds ratio(OR) 4.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–22.1). Control for potential confounders strengthened this relationship. Decreased diversity within the genus Cryptococcus was significantly associated with increased asthma risk (OR 21.0, 95% CI 2.16–204). No fungal taxon (species, genus, class) was significantly positively associated with asthma development, and one was significantly negatively associated. Elevated moisture was associated with increased fungal diversity, and moisture/mold indicators were associated with four fungal taxa. Next-generation DNA sequencing provided comprehensive estimates of fungal identity and diversity, demonstrating significant associations between low fungal diversity and childhood asthma development in this community. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Early life exposure to low fungal diversity in house dust was associated with increased risk for later asthma developmen tin this low-income, immigrant community. No individual fungal taxon (species, genus, or class) was associated with asthma development, although exposure to low diversity within the genus Cryptococcus was associated with asthma development. Future asthma development studies should incorporate fungal diversity measurements, in addition to measuring individual fungal taxa. These results represent a step toward identifying the aspect(s) of indoor microbial populations that are associated with asthma development and suggest that understanding the factors that control diversity in the indoor environment may lead to public health recommendations for asthma prevention in the future.
Response of mouse thymic cells to radiation after transfusion of mesenchymal stem cells

AbstractThymic lymphoma is a highly invasive and even metastatic cancer. This study investigated the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transfusion on cell cycle, cell proliferation, CD3 expression, mutation frequency of T cell receptor using mouse model of thymic lymphoma.C57BL/6J young mouse models of thymoma were injected with MSCs. Six months later, the thymus was taken for pathological examination and flow cytometry studies. The cells were labeled with anti-CD4, CD8, CD3, propidium iodide, or CFDA-SE, cell cycle, proliferation kinetics, and mutation frequency of T cell receptor, respectively.Pathologic results showed that control had clear corticomedular structure with regularly shaped lymphocytes. After radiation, the thymus structure was completely destroyed, with lymphoid tumor cells diffusely distributed and heavily stained, and large nuclei. Transfusion of MSCs resulted in normal thymus structure. Cytometry studies showed that there were more CD4-/CD8- T cells in the thymus of irradiated mice than in control; transfusion of MSCs led to reduced CD4-/CD8- T cells. In irradiated mice, there were less CD4+/CD8+ T cells than in control and MSCs transfusion groups. It was observed that there were more cells arrested in G1 phase in the thymus cells and CD4-/CD8- T cells in irradiated mice than in other 2 groups, whereas there were more cells arrested in S phase in CD4+/CD8+ and CD4+/CD8- T cells in irradiated mice than in the other mice. In the thymus cells, and CD4+/CD8+ and CD4+/CD8- T cells, irradiated mice group had significantly less parent, G2, G3, and G4 cells, and more cells at higher generations, and also higher proliferation index. In CD4-/CD8- T cells, irradiated mice had significantly more parent, G2, and G3 cells, and less G4, G5, G6, and propidium iodide, as compared with the other 2 groups. The expression of CD3 in CD4/CD8 T cells was significantly higher than in control. MSCs transfusion improved CD3 expression, but was still less than the control. Irradiation resulted in very high mutation frequency of T cell receptor, which was barely affected by MSCs transfusion.Mesenchymal stem cell transfusion is able to restore the cell cycle and cell proliferation, but not CD3 expression and mutation frequency of T cell receptor in irradiated mice to control level.
An Investigation of Procedural Radiation Dose Level Awareness and Personal Training Experience in Communicating Ionizing Radiation Examinations Benefits and Risks to Patients in Two European Cardiac Centers.

PURPOSE Cardiac interventional practitioners need to be appropriately informed regarding radiation dose quantities and risks. Communicating benefit-risk information to patients requires attention as specified in Basic Safety Standards Directive 2013/59/Eurotom. This study investigated the awareness of procedural radiation dose levels and the impact of personal training experience in communicating ionizing radiation benefit-risks to patients. METHODOLOGY A questionnaire, consisting of 28 questions, was distributed directly to adult and pediatric interventional cardiology specialists at specialized cardiovascular imaging centers in Dublin, Ireland and Milan, Italy. RESULTS A total of 18 interventional cardiologists (senior registrar to consultant grades with between 2 y to over 21 y experience in cardiac imaging) participated. The majority of participants (n = 17) stated that parents of pediatric and adult patients should be informed of the potential benefits and risk. All participants indicated they had radiation safety training; however, 50% had not received training in radiation examination benefit-risk communication. Despite this, 77.8% (n = 14) participants indicated a high confidence level in successfully explaining risks and/or benefits of cardiac imaging procedures. When asked to estimate effective dose (ED) values for common cardiac imaging procedures less than 50% identified appropriate dose ranges. All participants underestimated procedural dose values based on recent European data. 50% (n = 9) participants answered all questions correctly for a number of true or false radiation risk statements. CONCLUSION Benefit-risk communication training deficits and inaccurate understanding of radiation dose levels was identified. Further research and training to support clinicians using radiation on a daily basis is required.
Inhibition of groups 1 and 2 CD1 molecules on human dendritic cells by Leishmania species

Dendritic cells are potent immune‐activating cells, which traditionally are thought of as presenters of protein antigen to lymphocytes to initiate an immune response. Recently, another mechanism of immune surveillance, the detection of lipid antigens, has been found to be mediated by the nonpolymorphic family of CD1 molecules. There are two different CD1 families, Group 1 consisting of CD1a, CD1b and CD1c, and Group 2 consisting only of CD1d. Leishmania donovani‐infected dendritic cells have previously been demonstrated to exhibit decreased surface levels of Group 1 CD1 molecules and are no longer able to initiate a CD1b‐restricted T cell response. In contrast to L. donovani, which disseminates to the visceral organs, L. major remains localized, forming a cutaneous lesion. We investigate here whether L. major, the aetiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, also inhibits CD1 expression. We demonstrate that infection of human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells with either L. major or L. donovani results in transcriptional down‐regulation of both Groups 1 and 2 CD1 molecules. Furthermore, infection of monocytes during differentiation results in a cell phenotype similar to undifferentiated monocytes. Finally, we demonstrate that this down‐regulation is not mediated by lipophosphoglycan or other phosphoglycans.
Chemistry of Organophosphonate Scale Growth lnhibitors: 2. Structural Aspects of 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-Tricarboxylic Acid Monohydrate (PBTC.H2O)

Industrial water systems often suffer from undesirable inorganic deposits, such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate(s), magnesium silicate, and others. Synthetic water additives such as phosphonates and phosphonocarboxylates are the most important and widely utilized scale inhibitors in a plethora of industrial applications. The design of efficient and cost-effective inhibitors, as well as the study of their structure and function at the molecular level are important areas of research. This study reports the crystal and molecular structure of PBTC (PBTC = 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid), one of the most widely used scale inhibitors in the cooling water treatment industry. Triclinic PBTC monohydrate crystallizes in the P 1 space group with cell dimesions, a =7.671(1) Å, b = 8.680(1) Å, c = 9.886(1) Å, α = 65.518(2) deg, β = 71.683(2) deg, γ = 76.173(2) deg, V = 564.20(11) Å3, and Z = 2. Bond distances in the -PO3 moiety are 1.4928(10) Å for the P=O double bond and 1.5294(10) Å and 1.5578(10) Å for the two -P-O(H) groups. P-C and C-O bond lengths fall in the normal range. A network of hydrogen bonds are formed between the water molecule of crystallization, the -P-OH and the -COOH groups.
MRI In rectal cancer: Correlations between MRI features and molecular markers Ki‐67, HIF‐1α, and VEGF

To investigate whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values acquired from diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW‐MRI) are correlated with molecular markers Ki‐67, hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in rectal cancer (RC).
Effects of hormone therapy on the endometrium.

Hormone therapy induces a variety of histologic changes in the endometrium. Histologic patterns encountered in the most commonly used hormonal regimens are described. Oral contraceptives are associated with inactive, atrophic, or pseudosecretory glands and edematous stroma, decidual reaction without spiral arterioles, and stromal granulocytes. A high-potency progesterone may induce marked stromal and vascular hyperplasia and stromal myomatous nodules. Ovulation induction therapy accelerates the maturation of the stroma and is often associated with a discrepancy between the glands showing early secretory changes and an edematous, decidualized stroma. Hormone replacement therapy may stimulate endometrial proliferation if estrogens are used alone and produce endometrial hyperplasia and neoplasia. When estrogen and progesterone regimens are used, a wide range of histologic pattern may be found in various combinations: proliferative and secretory endometrium, glandular and adenomatous hyperplasia, stromal hyperplasia and decidual transformation, glandular metaplasia, atrophic endometrium, and any of the above with endometrial atrophy. Progesterone therapy for endometrial hyperplasia and neoplasia is followed by secretory changes of the endometrium, mostly subnuclear vacuoles, decidual reaction, and sometime squamoid "morules. " Secretory changes seen after progesterone therapy in the endometrium do not rule out residual carcinoma. For hormone therapy for breast carcinoma, tamoxifen acts as an antiestrogen on the breast but often acts as an estrogen agonist on the endometrium; tamoxifen therapy may be associated with endometrial hyperplasia, polyps, adenomyosis, adenomatous hyperplasia, and adenocarcinoma.
Autobacteriographic studies of clarithromycin and erythromycin in mice

The antimicrobial activity of clarithromycin was compared with that of erythromycin in experimentally infected mice by whole-body autobacteriography. In mice with systemic staphylococcal infections, the number of vital microbes in the body was relatively low in the early period after oral administration of erythromycin, but increased thereafter to the levels found in nonmedicated control mice. On the other hand, with clarithromycin treatment, a significantly smaller number of microbes was evident throughout the body. The microbes were scarcely seen in the parenchyma of any organs during the examination period. This potent antimicrobial activity of clarithromycin compared with that of erythromycin was further demonstrated in mice with respiratory infections. On the other hand, to examine the distribution properties of both antibiotics in the whole body, an autoradiographic study was carried out with [N-methyl-14C]clarithromycin and [N-methyl-14C]erythromycin. Both labeled antibiotics were distributed widely throughout the body after oral administration in both uninfected control mice and mice with systemic infections. However, the radioactivity was more marked and persistent for [14C]clarithromycin than it was for [14C]erythromycin, particularly in the lungs. The observations described above indicate the superior in vivo antimicrobial activity of clarithromycin compared with that of erythromycin and suggest that the superiority of clarithromycin is largely attributed to its favorable distribution properties. The advantages of whole-body autobacteriography, coupled with whole-body autoradiography, are discussed.
Myocardial mass and volume measurement of hypertrophic left ventricles by MRI--study in dialysis patients examined before and after dialysis.

Techniques to reliably quantify left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMM) are mandatory for monitoring therapy in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The purpose of this study was to measure LVMM and volumes by cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to assess acute changes through hemodialysis as a model for different loading states. Seven dialysis patients with LVH were examined before and immediately after hemodialysis. All MR imaging was done with a steady-state free precession (SSFP) cine sequence (TrueFISP; TR, 3.2 ms; TE, 1.6 ms; flip angle, 60 degrees; slice thickness, 8 mm). LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), and LVMM were determined by slice summation after manual planimetry in short axes. A significant reduction of end-diastolic volume (EDV) (mean pre, 140 mL; post, 109 mL; p < 0.01), end-systolic volume (ESV) (49 mL-->42 mL; p < 0.05), and stroke volume (91 mL-->66 mL; p < 0.01) through dialysis was revealed by MRI. Ejection fraction did not change significantly. A slight decrease in LVMM was detected in all patients (mean pre, 184 g; post, 177 g; p < 0.05). Intra- and interobserver variability for EDV, ESV, and LVMM were 1.3 +/- 6.2 mL, -0.9 +/- 4.1 mL, -1.4 +/- 3.9 g, and 3.3 +/- 7.5 mL, 2.6 +/- 5.0 mL, -2.4 +/- 4.6 g, respectively. Standard error of estimation (SEE) was +/- 2.3 mL, +/- 2.0 mL, +/- 1.6 g, and +/- 2.6 mL, +/- 2.1 mL, and +/- 2.0 g for intra- and interobserver variability. In conclusion, cine MRI is a reliable technique for LVMM measurement that is independent of LV loading status. This method allows for detection of small changes, which is crucial for accurate therapy monitoring in LVH. Left ventricular myocardial mass and volumes decrease significantly during hemodialysis.
Effects of air pollution on blood pressure and heart rate variability: a panel study of vehicular traffic controllers in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

AIMS Evaluating the effects of air pollution on Sao Paulo city's vehicular traffic controllers by means of risk indicators for cardiovascular diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-four hour blood pressure recordings and an electrocardiogram were obtained in 48 healthy, non-smoking vehicular traffic controllers, aged 31-55 years, during three periods: winter 2000, summer 2001, and winter 2001. Effects of air pollutants on the outcomes were estimated using linear regression based on generalized estimated equations, controlling for age, body mass index, humidity, and temperature. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in CO (1.1 p.p.m.) was associated with increases of 2.6 mmHg (95% CI 1.0, 4.2), 1.8 mmHg (95% CI 0.8, 2.8), and 2.4 mmHg (95% CI 1.1, 3.6) in systolic, diastolic, and mean 24 h ambulatory blood pressures. SO(2) also had relevant effects on blood pressure. On heart rate variability, an IQR increase of SO2 (9.6 microg/m3) was negatively associated with the standard deviation (SD) of normal RR intervals (SDNN) -7.93 ms (95% CI -15.3, -0.6). CONCLUSION This study supplies biological plausibility for observational studies on air pollution-related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Derivatives of Eisenstein series and generating functions for arithmetic cycles

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Development of performance evaluation tests for environmental research (PETER): complex counting test.

This study is the first in a program to develop a battery of Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (PETER). Nineteen volunteer subjects were tested daily for 3 weeks on a complex task requiring the operator to keep simultaneous track of several things with changing states. Average daily performances are reported as well as reliabilities of three main types: 1) internal consistency of the test; 2) sensitivity--the ability to differentiate subjects, and 3) stability--consistency of measurement over repeated sessions. The results showed that, on this task, learning was accomplished quickly, and performance stayed level for 3 weeks. The cross-tidal reliability for this test was found relatively stable after 3 d of practice, with a decline of only r=. 94 to r=. 79 over 11 d. This task is further noted as having several characteristics which make it particularly suitable for use in environmental research. It is concluded that the complex counting test can be recommended for use in environmental and other time-course research.
Rescuing Transient Corticospinal Terminations and Promoting Growth with Corticospinal Stimulation in Kittens

Development of corticospinal (CS) terminations is activity dependent. In the cat, activity-dependent refinement of termination topography occurs between weeks 3 and 6. Initially, sparse terminals are present in the gray matter bilaterally, including the motor nuclei. By week 6, virtually all motor nuclear terminations are eliminated, as are most ipsilateral terminations. In this study, we determined whether electrical stimulation of CS axons could be used to rescue transient terminations and promote their growth. We implanted microwires in the pyramid or spinal white matter to stimulate CS axons (2 hr/d, 330 Hz, 45 msec burst, 2 sec intervals) for 2-3 weeks during the refinement period. CS terminations were traced using wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Animals were killed after week 6. Stimulation produced dense terminations bilaterally, including within the motor nuclei. Termination density was least in lamina 1 and ventral lamina 9. Reticular formation stimulation produced a control (i.e., nonstimulated) termination pattern. To determine whether CS stimulation affected development of the nonstimulated CS system, we traced terminations from the contralateral cortex using biotinylated dextran amine. Compared with controls or after reticular formation stimulation, there was a shift in the distribution of terminations of the nonstimulated side to more dorsal laminas, which is where the stimulated CS system had fewer terminals. This distribution shift is consistent with competition for termination space between the CS systems on both sides. Our findings indicate that activity can be harnessed to bias CS axon terminal development. This has important implications for using activity to modify motor system organization after perinatal CNS trauma.
ISCHEMIC AND PEROXYNITRITE PRECONDITIONING EFFECTS IN CHRONIC HYPOXIC RAT LUNG

Chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension is characterized by vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling and impaired endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production. Although ischemic preconditioning of the lung leads to protective effect against ischemic reperfusion injury, the mechanisms of this protection are not well documented in the lung. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic hypoxia on preconditioning induced by ischemia or peroxynitrite in isolated rat lungs. The isolated rat lung, from exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 21 days, was mounted on a modified Langendorff perfusion apparatus. Lungs were preconditioned by either 5 minutes' ischemia and 5 minutes' reperfusion or 10 μ M peroxynitrite prior to 2 hours of normothermic ischemia. Although ischemia-reperfusion or peroxynitrite preconditioning markedly reduced KCl responses on perfusion pressure, phenylephrine-induced responses were not significantly modified. Pretreatment of the hypoxic lungs with peroxynitrite scavenger, uric acid, or poly (ADP-ribose) synthase inhibitors (PARS), 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) or nicotinamide, did not modify the KCl- and phenylephrine-induced responses in chronic hypoxic lungs. There were also no marked differences either in wet to dry weight ratio or malondialdehyde levels of chronic hypoxic lungs. These results imply that preconditioning does not occur in the chronic hypoxic rat lungs.
Polyamine depletion of the MTW9 mammary tumor and subsequent elevation of spermidine in the sera of tumor-bearing rats as a biochemical marker of tumor regression.

Polyamine levels were measured in livers, tumors, sera, and tumor interstitial fluids of rats with growing mammary tumors, as well as in rats at various times after the initiation of tumor regression obtained by hormonal deprivation. Although there were traces of putrescine and spermine in the sera of tumor-bearing animals, spermidine was the only polyamine that could be found consistently in measurable amounts. Decreases in both liver and tumor levels of spermidine parallel the elevation of spermidine in the serum. The period of maximal tumor regression, i.e. , within 48 hr of removal of hormonal support, corresponds with the time of the highest levels of spermidine in serum and in tumor interstitial fluid. These data indicate that intracellular spermidine levels, which increase during tumor growth, are lowered by excretion during regression and that spermidine levels in the serum reflect tumor cell death.