Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Análise do perfil genético e funcional das citocinas IL-23, IL-17, IL-12 E IFN-γ e suas relações com a osteoporose primária Pós-menopausa

Osteoporosis (OP) is an osteometabolic and multifactorial disease related to genetic factors in more than half of the diagnosed cases. Recent genome-wide association study have confirmed the close relationship between bone homeostasis and the immune system, confirming the influence of several cytokines and their pathways associated with phenotypes OP-related. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL17A, IL23R, IL12 and IFN-γ genes, to validate these findings and to clarify the role of these genes in postmenopausal OP susceptibility and therapeutic response to OP, besides we validate the RPLP0 and B2M genes as reference to OP functional studies. In addition, in vitro assays were performed in osteocarcoma cells (SaOs-2) to study the cytokine expression profile and calcification processes. Our results showed the SNPs IL23R + 2284 (A> C) (rs10889677), IL17A + 672 (G> A) (rs7747909), IL12B +1188 (T> G) (rs3212227) and IFN-γ (Rs2069705) were associated with bone turnover markers in patients treated with bisphosphonate, IFN-γ rs2069705 was associated with susceptibility to OP and the cytokine IFN-γ with increase in the viability and calcification process of SaOs-2. After these analyzes, we can demonstrate the importance of SNPs studied in the susceptibility and therapeutic decision in OP besides showing the role of IFN-γ in the process of calcification in bone cells.
A simple performance analysis of ℓ1 optimization in compressed sensing

It is well known that compressed sensing problems reduce to solving large under-determined systems of equations. If we choose the elements of the compressed measurement matrix according to some appropriate probability distribution and if the signal is sparse enough then the l1 optimization can recover it with overwhelming probability (see, e.g. [4], [6], [7]). In fact, [4], [6], [7] establish (in a statistical context) that if the number of measurements is proportional to the length of the signal then there is a sparsity of the unknown signal proportional to its length for which the success of the l1 optimization is guaranteed. In this paper we introduce a novel, very simple technique for proving this fact. Furthermore, in addition to being very simple the new technique provides very good values for proportionality constants. In some cases, the presented analysis, although very simple, provides the best currently known values for the proportionality constants.
Age and Influenza-Specific Pre-Vaccination Antibodies Strongly Affect Influenza Vaccine Responses in the Icelandic Population whereas Disease and Medication Have Small Effects

Influenza vaccination remains the best strategy for the prevention of influenza virus-related disease and reduction of disease severity and mortality. However, there is large individual variation in influenza vaccine responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of gender, age, underlying diseases, and medication on vaccine responses in 1,852 Icelanders of broad age range who received trivalent inactivated influenza virus vaccination in 2012, 2013, or 2015. Hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and microneutralization (MN) titers were measured in pre- and post-vaccination sera. Of the variables tested, the strongest association was with level of pre-vaccination titer that explained a major part of the variance observed in post-vaccination titers, ranging from 19 to 29%, and from 7 to 21% in fold change (FC), depending on the strain and serological (HAI or MN) analysis performed. Thus, increasing pre-vaccination titer associated with decreasing FC (P = 1.1 × 10−99–8.6 × 10−30) and increasing post-vaccination titer (P = 2.1 × 10−159–1.1 × 10−123). Questionnaires completed by 87% of the participants revealed that post-vaccination HAI titer showed association with repeated previous influenza vaccinations. Gender had no effect on vaccine response whereas age had a strong effect and explained 1.6–3.1% of HAI post-vaccination titer variance and 3.1% of H1N1 MN titer variance. Vaccine response, both fold increase and seroprotection rate (percentage of individuals reaching HAI ≥ 40 or MN ≥ 20), was higher in vaccinees ≤37 years of age (YoA) than all other age groups. Furthermore, a reduction was observed in the H1N1 MN titer in people ≥63 YoA, demonstrating a decreased neutralizing functionality of vaccine-induced antibodies at older age. We tested the effects of underlying autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases and did not observe significant associations with vaccine responses. Intake of immune modulating medication did not show any association. Taken together, our results show that previous encounter of influenza vaccination or infection, reflected in high HAI and MN pre-vaccination titer has the strongest negative effect on vaccine responses measured as FC and the strongest positive effect on post-vaccination titer. Increasing age had also an effect but not gender, underlying disease or medication.
Propofol pretreatment attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in rats by activating the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of propofol pretreatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the role of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway in this procedure. Survival was determined 48 h after LPS injection. At 1 h after LPS challenge, the lung wet- to dry-weight ratio was examined, and concentrations of protein, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined using the bicinchoninic acid method or ELISA. Lung injury was assayed via lung histological examination. PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in the lung tissue were determined by Western blotting. Propofol pretreatment prolonged survival, decreased the concentrations of protein, TNF-α, and IL-6 in BALF, attenuated ALI, and increased PI3K and p-Akt expression in the lung tissue of LPS-challenged rats, whereas treatment with wortmannin, a PI3K/Akt pathway specific inhibitor, blunted this effect. Our study indicates that propofol pretreatment attenuated LPS-induced ALI, partly by activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.
“Why be normal?”: Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls

The introduction of practice theory into sociolinguistics is an important recent development in the field. The community of practice provides a useful alternative to the speech-community model, which has limitations for language and gender researchers in particular. As an ethnographic, activity-based approach, the community of practice is of special value to researchers in language and gender because of its compatibility with current theories of identity. An extension of the community of practice allows identities to be explained as the result of positive and negative identity practices rather than as fixed social categories, as in the speech-community model. The framework is used here to analyze the linguistic practices associated with an unexamined social identity, the nerd, and to illustrate how members of a local community of female nerds at a US high school negotiate gender and other aspects of their identities through practice. My thanks to Janet Holmes, Chris Holcomb, Stephanie Stanbro, and members of the Ethnography/Theory Group at Texas A&M University for comments on and discussion of the ideas in this article.
Virtual Simulations as Preparation for Lab Exercises: Assessing Learning of Key Laboratory Skills in Microbiology and Improvement of Essential Non-Cognitive Skills

Objective To investigate if a virtual laboratory simulation (vLAB) could be used to replace a face to face tutorial (demonstration) to prepare students for a laboratory exercise in microbiology. Methods A total of 189 students who were participating in an undergraduate biology course were randomly selected into a vLAB or demonstration condition. In the vLAB condition students could use a vLAB at home to ‘practice’ streaking out bacteria on agar plates in a virtual environment. In the demonstration condition students were given a live demonstration from a lab tutor showing them how to streak out bacteria on agar plates. All students were blindly assessed on their ability to perform the streaking technique in the physical lab, and were administered a pre and post-test to determine their knowledge of microbiology, intrinsic motivation to study microbiology, and self-efficacy in the field of microbiology prior to, and after the experiment. Results The results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups on their lab scores, and both groups had similar increases in knowledge of microbiology, intrinsic motivation to study microbiology, as well as self-efficacy in the field of microbiology. Conclusion Our data show that vLABs function just as well as face to face tutorials in preparing students for a physical lab activity in microbiology. The results imply that vLABs could be used instead of face to face tutorials, and a combination of virtual and physical lab exercises could be the future of science education.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTELLIGENT INSTRUCTIVE SYSTEM: (Scholastic Tutor (St*)

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) is an act of impacting knowledge while computer teaches or acts as the tutors which is a supplement to human teachers. The ability to teach each student based on their individual abilities a major advantage posed by ITS and that is why it is being embraced in this work. This work describes the design of an Intelligent Tutoring System that was tagged Scholastic tutor (St*), which has the individual learning and collaborative problem-solving modules. The individual tutoring module was designed to provide appropriate lessons to individuals based on his/her background knowledge level, interest, and learning style and assimilation rate prior to using the tutoring system. A software agent is used to monitor and process these parameters, arrange the learning topic, and exercises, for each individual. The collaborative problem-based tutoring module was designed to present tutorial problems and provides facilities to assist learners with some useful information and advice for problem solving. This is because the present lecturing methodology which is the conventional teaching methodology provides an interactive classroom setting that promotes the open exchange of ideas and allows for the lecturer to communicate directly with the students but has a great disadvantage of not teaching all the students according to their own learning rate and pace.
Determination of the Ankle-brachial Index in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with an Automatic Oscillometric Device

An altered ankle-brachial index (ABI) is an indicator of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Usually the measurement of the systolic pressure in both brachial arteries and pedal pulses is performed with a continuous-wave Doppler ultrasound. Recently an oscillometric automated device is available to measure ABI. This instrument is a simple to use, fast and accurate method suitable for common use in clinical practice. 701 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended consecutively in office were studied by 24 General Practitioners (GPs). 74 patients had an abnormal ABI (≤ 0.90), 240 a borderline ABI (0-90-0.99) and 7 patients ABI ≥ 1.40. All these patients received a Doppler ultrasound examination and 117 had an asymptomatic PAD. GPs reported that the device was easy to use and that it can be an useful instrument of early diagnosis of PAD in daily practice.
In vitro antibacterial effect of deconex and sodium hypochlorite against bacterial taxa isolated from dental units

Purpose: Dental unit’s environment and relevant instruments are a major source of infectious diseases caused by a variety of microorganisms. The application of various disinfectants is one of the most effective methods for reducing or eliminating microbial contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of deconex and sodium hypochlorite against bacterial taxa isolated from dental unit’s environment of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, southwest of Iran. Methods: In order to evaluate the quality of disinfection, sampling was performed from different parts of 100 clinical units. For bacterial recovery and isolation, samples were enriched and cultured onto different microbiological culture media. Species identification was carried out using phenotypic and molecular methods (16S rDNA sequence analysis). In vitro activity of sodium hypochlorite and deconex were determined by the broth micro-dilution method. Results: According to conventional techniques, Bacillus spp (48%) was the most frequently encountered isolates, followed by staphylococcus spp (26%). By using both techniques, Bacillus subtilis was the most frequently encountered species (n=23, 21%), followed by Bacillus licheniformis (n=8, 7.4%), Streptococcus pneumonia (n=8, 7.4%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=8, 7.4%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (n=8, 7.4%) and Staphylococcus warneri. The highest levels of contamination were observed in oral medications. The deconex had lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) concentration in comparasion to sodium hypochlorite, which showed that deconex was a much more potent disinfectant. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of the present in vitro study showed that deconex had promising results for decontamination of the tested microorganism, and it is recommended for disinfecting of dental units and environment. In this study, the high percentage of dental unit’s contamination showed the need to improve disinfection procedures, sterilization systems, and the use of an appropriate concentration of deconex and sodium hypochlorite for dental units decontamination .
Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in cancer patients.

Background Malignancy-associated secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (MSSP) poses significant challenges due to limited survival. By assessing risk factors associated with a MSSP recurrence, there is potential to identify patients who could benefit from early intervention intended to prevent recurrence. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with MSSP. The primary outcome was time to MSSP recurrence. We used a competing risk model to identify risk factors associated with MSSP recurrence. Results A total of 2,532 patients were diagnosed with pneumothorax, with 114 having MSSP but only 96 were evaluable for the time-to-recurrence analysis. Of the 96 patients, 9 (9.4%) patients experienced recurrent MSSP, and 58 (60.4%) patients died during the study's follow-up period. The estimated cumulative incidence (CI) of MSSP considering death as a competing risk was 10.1% at 15 months. The univariable model identified the following covariates as associated with MSSP recurrence: mediastinal shift (HR 12.30, 95% CI: 3.44-43.91, P<0.001), distance from lung apex to thoracic cupola (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P=0.003), and distance between visceral and chest wall at the hilum (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P=0.026). Conclusions Although the incidence of MSSP recurrence was found to be low, clinical factors such as sarcoma, the associated mediastinal shift, greater distance from lung apex to thoracic cupola, greater distance between visceral and chest wall at the hilum were found to be risk factors for MSSP recurrence.
Physical and Functional Interaction between Hck Tyrosine Kinase and Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor C3G Results in Apoptosis, Which Is Independent of C3G Catalytic Domain*

The hematopoietic cell kinase Hck is a Src family tyrosine kinase expressed in cells of myelomonocytic lineage, B lymphocytes, and embryonic stem cells. To study its role in signaling pathways we used the Hck-SH3 domain in protein interaction cloning and identified C3G, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1 and R-Ras, as a protein that associated with Hck. This interaction was direct and was mediated partly through the proline-rich region of C3G. C3G could be co-immunoprecipitated with Hck from Cos-1 cells transfected with Hck and C3G. C3G was phosphorylated on tyrosine 504 in cells when coexpressed with Hck but not with a catalytically inactive mutant of Hck. Phosphorylation of endogenous C3G at Tyr-504 was increased by treatment of human myelomonocytic THP-1 cells with mercuric chloride, which is known to activate Hck tyrosine kinase specifically. Coexpression of Hck with C3G induced a high level of apoptosis in many cell lines by 30–02 h of transfection. Induction of apoptosis was not dependent on Tyr-504 phosphorylation or the catalytic domain of C3G but required the catalytic activity of Hck. Using dominant negative constructs of caspases we found that caspase-1, -8, and -9 are involved in this apoptotic pathway. These results suggest that C3G and Hck interact physically and functionally in vivo to activate kinase-dependent and caspase-mediated apoptosis, which is independent of catalytic domain of C3G.
Functional traits determine trade-offs and niches in a tropical forest community

How numerous tree species can coexist in diverse forest communities is a key question in community ecology. Whereas neutral theory assumes that species are adapted to common field conditions and coexist by chance, niche theory predicts that species are functionally different and coexist because they are specialized for different niches. We integrated biophysical principles into a mathematical plant model to determine whether and how functional plant traits and trade-offs may cause functional divergence and niche separation of tree species. We used this model to compare the carbon budget of saplings across 13 co-occurring dry-forest tree species along gradients of light and water availability. We found that species ranged in strategy, from acquisitive species with high carbon budgets at highest resource levels to more conservative species with high tolerances for both shade and drought. The crown leaf area index and nitrogen mass per leaf area drove the functional divergence along the simulated light gradient, which was consistent with observed species distributions along light gradients in the forest. Stomatal coordination to avoid low water potentials or hydraulic failure caused functional divergence along the simulated water gradient, but was not correlated to observed species distributions along the water gradient in the forest. The trait-based biophysical model thus explains how functional traits cause functional divergence across species and whether such divergence contributes to niche separation along resource gradients.
Prevention of TNBS‐induced colitis by different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains is associated with an expansion of &ggr;&dgr;T and regulatory T cells of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes

Background: Probiotics may protect against inflammatory bowel disease through regulation of lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) function. Data are lacking on possible involvement of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether different probiotic mixtures prevented gut inflammatory disease and the role of both IELs and LPLs. Methods: BALB/c mice received 2 probiotic mixtures orally for 3 weeks, as Mix1 (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum), or Mix2 (Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis). Colitis was induced by intrarectal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Probiotics in stools were analyzed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Colon subpopulations of IELs and LPLs were assayed by flow cytometry. Serum cytokines were measured by cytometric bead array (CBA). Results: All probiotics colonized the intestine. The 2 mixtures prevented the TNBS‐induced intestinal damage, and Mix1 was the most effective. The Mix1 protection was associated with a reduction in CD4+ cells of IELs and LPLs, an increase in &ggr;&dgr;T cells of IELs, and a decrease in &ggr;&dgr;T cells of LPLs. An expansion of T regulatory (Treg) cells of IELs was induced by Mix1 and Mix2. Both probiotic mixtures inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐&agr; and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)‐1 production and upregulated interleukin (IL)‐10. In addition, Mix1 prevented the TNBS‐induced increase of IL‐12 and interferon (IFN)‐&ggr;. Conclusions: The 2 probiotic mixtures were able to prevent the TNBS‐induced colitis; the L. acidophilus and B. longum mixture was the most effective. Other than an involvement of LPLs, our results report a novel importance of the IELs population in probiotic protection. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009
Ameliorative role of Teucrium polium extract on γ-radiation toxicity in brain of albino rats

The impairment to the healthy brain tissue is a crucial factor limiting the application of radiation therapy in patients with nervous system neoplasms. Teucrium polium (TP) L. (family Lamiaceae), a wild-growing flowering plant, has beneficial curative properties. The flavonoids of TP have many valuable biological activities. This study aims atinvestigating theameliorative effect of TP extract on γ-radiation toxicity in brain of albino rats. Thirty adult male albino rats were used. Ionizing irradiation was performed by whole body exposure of rats to 8Gy. TP was administered by intragastric tube in a dose of 200mg/kg body weight. Animals were divided into five groups: Group I (control), Group II (TP), Group III (γ-irradiated), Group IV (TP+γ-irradiated) and Group V (TP+γ-irradiated+TP). The action of TP extract was investigated after one week post irradiation by measuring serum liver and renal functions, and oxidative stress parameters in brain tissue. Moreover, serum S100B and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain tissue were measured, in addition tohistopathological examination. TP at a dose of 200mg/kg body weight did not have hepatotoxic or nephrotoxic effects.TP extract significantly ameliorated γ-radiation-induced brain damage by improving radiationinduced oxidative stress. The role of the extract was confirmed by improvement of the levels of S100B in the serum and BDNF in the brain as well as amelioration of histopathological changes induced by radiation. The administration of TP before and after irradiation was more effective than administration only before irradiation. These results revealed that the administration of TP extract might ameliorate γ-radiation-induced brain injury by the attenuation of oxidative stress, the regulation of BDNF and the suppression of S100B.
A diagnostic test for heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia: detection of platelet microparticles using flow cytometry

Based on our previous observation that heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) sera can generate platelet microparticles from washed platelets in a heparin‐dependent fashion, we developed a test for HIT using flow‐cytometry to measure heparin‐dependent platelet microparticle formation. During the developmental phase of the assay the optimal physical conditions for microparticle generation were defined. 133 sera were then evaluated using the microparticle assay and the serotonin release assay to determine the threshold for defining a positive result that gave optimal sensitivity and specificity. The microparticle assay was then prospectively evaluated against the serotonin release assay in 202 sera referred to our laboratory for HIT testing. Overall agreement between the two assays was 96% (Cohen‘s kappa = 0.91). When the clinical data were reviewed on patients whose sera gave discrepant results between the two assays, no case of HIT was detected by one assay and missed by the other. The platelet microparticle assay is as accurate as the serotonin release assay and may be a useful non‐radioactive test for HIT.