Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel adsorbent of circulating bacterial toxins and cytokines: The effect of direct hemoperfusion with CTR column for the treatment of experimental endotoxemia*

Objectives:The current study examined the ability of a new adsorbent, CTR, to remove enterotoxins, toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), and cytokines from blood and/or serum in vitro and the effects of the extracorporeal treatment with CTR column on mortality rate and inflammatory responses to endotoxic shock in vivo. Design:Laboratory investigation. Setting:University and company experimental laboratory. Materials:CTR is composed of porous cellulose beads to which a hydrophobic organic compound with a hexadecyl alkyl chain has been covalently bound to the surface as a ligand. Human/bovine serum and human blood samples in vitro and Male Wistar rats were used. Interventions:CTR’s ability to adsorb bacterial toxins and cytokines related to sepsis in serum and/or blood was examined with an in vitro batch adsorption protocol. In vivo, male Wistar rats were anesthetized and assigned to one of three groups (n = 14 per group): Escherichia coli endotoxin (15 mg/kg intravenously) alone (endotoxemic), apheresis with control column without CTR for 120 mins (control column), or extracorporeal treatment with CTR column for 120 mins (CTR treatment). Measurements and Main Results:With use of the CTR adsorbent, the adsorption rates were 50% to 90% for enterotoxins, TSST-1, and cytokines such as TNF-&agr; and interleukin (IL)-6 in the batch tests. In vivo, the mortality rates at 8 hrs after endotoxin injection were 92%, 92%, and 14% for the endotoxemic, control column, and CTR treatment groups, respectively. Hypotension and elevated plasma cytokine concentrations and the infiltration of neutrophils of the lungs were less conspicuous in the CTR treatment group than in the other two groups. Conclusions:CTR, a novel adsorbent, effectively adsorbed small- to middle-sized proteins, such as cytokines, enterotoxins, and TSST-1 in vitro. Direct hemoperfusion apheresis with CTR column reduced mortality and had inhibitory effects on the inflammatory responses during endotoxemia in vivo. These findings suggest that extracorporeal blood purification with CTR column may be available to use for patients with sepsis and/or endotoxemia.
MiR-365 promotes hepatoma cell apoptosis through regulating DJ-1-PTEN / PI 3 K / AKT signaling pathway

PI3K/AKT signaling pathway plays an important role in tumor occurrence by reducing cancer cell apoptosis through upregulating Bcl-2 expression. PTEN can negatively regulate PTEN/AKT signaling pathway, while DJ-1 is the negative regulator of PTEN. DJ-1 upregulation is associated with various tumor occurrences. MiR-155 is significantly declined in hepatoma tissue and related to prognosis. Bioinformatics analysis showed the complementary binding site between miR-365 and DJ-1. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-365 in regulating DJ-1-PTEN/PI3K/ AKT signaling pathway and affecting hepatoma cell proliferation and apoptosis. Dual luciferase assay confirmed the targeted relationship between miR-365 and DJ-1. Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HCCLM3, MHCC97-L, and HL-7702 cells were cultured in vitro. Cell proliferation was evaluated by EdU staining. Expressions of MiR-365, DJ-1, PTEN, p-AKT, and Bcl-2 expressions were measured. HCCLM3 cells were divided into five groups, including Scramble NC, miR-365 mimic, si-NC, si-DJ-1, and miR-365 mimic + si-DJ-1 groups. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. MiR-365 targeted inhibited DJ-1 expression. MiR-365 and PTEN significantly downregulated, while p-AKT, Bcl-2 and cell proliferation obviously elevated in HCCLM3 and MHCC97-L cells compared with HL-7702 cells. MiR365 mimic and/or si-DJ-1 transfection markedly reduced DJ-1, p-AKT, and Bcl-2 levels, upregulated PTEN expression, attenuated cell proliferation, and enhanced cell apoptosis. MiR-365 downregulated, while DJ-1 increased in hepatoma cells. MiR-365 overexpression promoted hepatoma cell apoptosis and inhibited proliferation by targeted suppressing DJ-1 expression to elevate PTEN expression and alleviate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activity.
Interaction between Epstein‐Barr virus and a T cell line (HSB‐2) via a receptor phenotypically distinct from complement receptor type 2

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of mononucleosis and several human cancers, infects cells via complement receptor type 2 (CR2, CD21) which also serves as the receptor for the third complement component, C3. Expression of this receptor is restricted to B lymphocytes, immature thymocytes, and certain epithelial cells. In the present investigation, we describe the presence of a seemingly novel EBV receptor which is phenotypically distinct from CR2. Among various leukemic T cells studied, one, HSB‐2, demonstrates no reactivity to several anti‐CR2 antibodies, yet it reacts strongly with EBV as detected by incubation with biotin‐conjugated virus and streptavidin‐phycoerythrin. The virus binding is specific as demonstrated by blocking with anti‐EBV antibodies and with non‐conjugated virus. Aggregated C3 also binds HSB‐2 and is capable of partially inhibiting EBV binding. The absence of CR2 on HSB‐2 is further supported by the lack of expression of specific mRNA, assessed by Northern blotting analysis and polymerase chain reaction. Viral internalization and infection is demonstrated with electron microscopy, with detection of EBV‐DNA by Southern blotting, and with detection of EBNA‐1 transcripts by the polymerase chain reaction. Even though HSB‐2 does not express CR2, it nevertheless displays transcripts which have some homology to a CR2 cDNA probe under low stringency hybridization conditions. This probe encompasses approximately the N‐terminal half of CR2 which includes the EBV‐binding epitope(s). The HSB‐2 message is 5.2 kb, a size distinct from the 4.7‐kb message of B cell CR2s. In contrast, the 5.2‐kb message in not seen, under similar hybridization conditions, with a probe comprising the C‐terminal half of CR2. Collectively, the data indicate that a receptor molecule having distinct phenotypic characteristics from the known CR2 protein on B cells is utilized by EBV to target human T lymphocytes.
Planck's Constant as a Dynamical Field; Position Dependent Planck's Constant in a Frequency-Conserving Schrodinger Equation; Applications of a Feynman Path Integral for Position Dependent Planck's Constant

Subject 1: The constant h is elevated to a dynamical field, coupling to other fields, and itself, through the Lagrangian density derivative terms. The spatial and temporal dependence of h falls directly out of the field equations themselves. Additional constants are necessary to set up the equations, followed by yet more that are generated in the differential equation solutions, and one may not escape the ultimate need of a true constant of some sort. Three solutions are found, two are quantizable, and the third is not quantizable. The third corresponds to a zero momentum classical field that naturally decays spatially to a constant with no ad-hoc terms added to the Lagrangian. An attempt is made to calibrate the constants in the third solution based on experimental data. The three fields are referred to as actons. It is tentatively concluded that the acton origin coincides with a massive body. Subject 2: The Hamiltonian of the Schrodinger equation is replaced by a symmetrizing anti-commutator so that it remains Hermitian when Planck's constant becomes position dependent. It is found that particles statistically avoid regions of higher Planck's constant in the absence of an external potential. Frequency is conserved, and the total frequency equals "kinetic frequency" plus "potential frequency". Energy is conserved only locally with small gradients in Planck's constant. SUBJECT 3: The Feynman path integral with a position dependent Planck's constant is derived with associated alterations of Newton's second law, Newtonian gravity, and the Friedmann equation. The results are used to fit the Earth Flyby Anomaly with good agreement. Discussion of other model calibration schemes on four length scales, and the impact on gravitational waves are discussed.
Caregiver Burden and Quality of Life in Early and Late Stages of Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

Objective Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that affects patients’ quality of life and caregiver burden. The aim of our study was to assess the caregiver burden (CB) in early and late stages of disease and to search if there was a relationship between quality of life and CB. Methods A total of 74 patients who were diagnosed as having IPD by a movement disorder neurologist according to United Kingdom Brain Bank Criteria and their caregivers were randomly selected for participation the study. Staging of PD was performed by the neurologist based on the Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) Scale. Disease severity was determined using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). CB was evaluated using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory (ZCBI). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with IPD and their caregivers. The Short-Form Health Survey instrument (SF-36) was used to evaluate quality of life of the patients. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered to patients to evaluate gross cognitive status. Results Seventy-four patients (male, 58.1%) were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 66.18±8.5 and the mean duration of disease was 67.23±41.8 months. According to the H&Y scale, the patients were divided into two groups; stage I–II as early stage and stage III–V as late stage. Group 1 (H&Y I–II) consisted of 40 patients, and group 2 (H&Y III–V) comprised 34 patients. The mean duration of disease and UPDRS scores were significantly higher in group 2 (p=0.003, p=0.001, respectively). Significant differences were found in group 2 according to BDI. There were significant differences between group 1 and 2 according to SF-36 subdomains such as general health, emotional role, social functioning, pain, and mental health (p=0.019, p=0.038, p=0.005, p=0.004, p=0.014, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between these two groups concerning CB. Conclusion Although CB was found in 35 (47.3%) caregivers in our study, we found no significant differences between the caregivers of patients with early and late-stage IPD patients. We thought that this might be due to strong family relationships and cultural dynamics in Turkey. Burden was found to be higher in depressive patients’ CGs and CGs who had depressive symptoms. It is important to recognize depressive symptoms earlier to protect the relationship between the CG and the patient because the main providers of care are family members.
A phase 2 clinical trial of a vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist shows improved adaptive behaviors in men with autism spectrum disorder

In the VANILLA phase 2 clinical trial, balovaptan treatment resulted in improved adaptive behaviors in adult men with autism. Modulating vasopressin in ASD The neuropeptide vasopressin has been implicated in the regulation of social behaviors in animals and humans. The VANILLA clinical trial evaluated balovaptan, an oral selective vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist, in 223 men with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This 12-week phase 2 trial showed no improvement on the primary endpoint (SRS-2 score) but did show improvement on the secondary outcome measure of adaptive behaviors assessed by the Vineland-II scale (Bolognani et al.). In a related clinical study involving a 4-week intranasal administration of vasopressin to children with ASD, improvements were observed on the SRS-2 primary outcome measure (Parker et al.). Both drugs were well tolerated and had an acceptable safety profile, suggesting that modulating the vasopressin pathway may be a useful therapeutic strategy for ASD. There are no approved pharmacological therapies to address the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), namely, persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. The neuropeptide vasopressin has been implicated in the regulation of social behaviors, and its modulation has emerged as a therapeutic target for ASD. The phase 2 VANILLA clinical trial reported here evaluated balovaptan, an orally administered selective vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist, in 223 men with ASD and intelligence quotient ≥70. The drug was administered daily for 12 weeks and was compared with placebo. Participants were randomized to placebo (n = 75) or one of three balovaptan dose arms (1.5 mg, n = 32; 4 mg, n = 77; 10 mg, n = 39). Balovaptan treatment was not associated with a change from baseline compared with placebo at 12 weeks in the primary efficacy endpoint (Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd Edition). However, dose-dependent and clinically meaningful improvements on the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scales composite score were observed for participants treated with balovaptan 4 or 10 mg compared with placebo. This was driven principally by improvements in the Vineland-II socialization and communication scores. Balovaptan was well tolerated across all doses, and no drug-related safety concerns were identified. These results support further study of balovaptan as a potential treatment for the socialization and communication deficits in ASD.
The determinants of credit spread changes in the euro area

In recent years investors, central bankers, regulators and academics have been studying the markets in default-risky instruments such as corporate bonds, loans or credit derivatives with growing attention. The interest in credit products has increased for a number of reasons. First, credit markets are representative of important structural developments in financial markets. In the United States the shrinking supply of government bonds due to the fiscal surplus has motivated investors to consider alternative assets among fixed income products. In Europe the process of monetary union has increased the pace of integration in the capital markets. Credit markets in the euro area have grown quickly, as the increasing euro-denominated issuance by non-sovereign borrowers indicates. These developments have widened the investment universe and therefore reinforced the importance of analysing corporate bond markets. Furthermore, the changing regulatory framework and the development of new products have generally strengthened the focus on modelling default-risky assets. In particular, the ongoing Basel II process and the rapid development of credit derivatives have motivated researchers to undertake theoretical as well as empirical work on instruments with credit risk.
Assessing chimpanzee personality and subjective well‐being in Japan

We tested whether the cultural background of raters influenced ratings of chimpanzee personality. Our study involved comparing personality and subjective well‐being ratings of 146 chimpanzees in Japan that were housed in zoos, research institutes, and a retirement sanctuary to ratings of chimpanzees in US and Australian zoos. Personality ratings were made on a translated and expanded version of a questionnaire used to rate chimpanzees in the US and Australia. Subjective well‐being ratings were made on a translated version of a questionnaire used to rate chimpanzees in the US and Australia. The mean interrater reliabilities of the 43 original adjectives did not markedly differ between the present sample and the original sample of 100 zoo chimpanzees in the US. Interrater reliabilities of these samples were highly correlated, suggesting that their rank order was preserved. Comparison of the factor structures for the Japanese sample and for the original sample of chimpanzees in US zoos indicated that the overall structure was replicated and that the Dominance, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness domains clearly generalized. Consistent with earlier studies, older chimpanzees had higher Dominance and lower Extraversion and Openness scores. Correlations between the six domain scores and subjective well‐being were comparable to those for chimpanzees housed in the US and Australia. These findings suggest that chimpanzee personality ratings are not affected by the culture of the raters. Am. J. Primatol. 71:283–292, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of Roads on Habitat Quality for Bears in the Southern Appalachians: A Long-term Study

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that gravel roads, not paved roads, had the largest negative effect on habitat quality for a population of American black bears (Ursus americanus) that lived in a protected area, where vehicle collision was a relatively minimal source of mortality. We also evaluated whether road use by bears differed by sex or age and whether annual variation in hard mast productivity affected the way bears used areas near roads. In addition, we tested previous findings regarding the spatial extent to which roads affected bear behavior negatively. Using summer and fall home ranges for 118 black bears living in the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary in western North Carolina during 1981–2001, we estimated both home-range–scale (2nd-order) and within-home-range–scale (3rd-order) selection for areas within 250, 500, 800, and 1,600 m of paved and gravel roads. All bears avoided areas near gravel roads more than they avoided areas near paved roads during summer and fall for 2nd-order selection and during summer for 3rd-order selection. During fall, only adult females avoided areas near gravel roads more than they avoided areas near paved roads for 3rd-order selection. We found a positive relationship between use of roads by adults and annual variability in hard mast productivity. Overall, bears avoided areas within 800 m of gravel roads. Future research should determine whether avoidance of gravel roads by bears affects bear survival.
Molecular identification of Giardia lamblia; is there any correlation between diarrhea and genotyping in Iranian population?

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular identification of Giardia lamblia in patients with diarrhea. Background: Giardiasis caused by Giardia lamblia is a common intestinal disease. Although this parasitic infection found in mammals including human, pets and livestock, but few species within the genus Giardia can infects humans. G. lamblia have seven complex genotypes termed (A-H). Genotype A and B the main causes of human infections. Patients and methods: Sixty seven microscopically positive G. Lamblia samples were collected from clinical laboratories in Isfahan province between June 2013 and February 2014. Extraction of genomic DNA was performed for 65 concentrated cysts and 2 cultured trophozoites. Partial sequences of tpi including 148-bp and 81-bp were amplified for detection the genotypes A and B using RFLP- PCR protocol respectively. Results: PCR results showed that out of 67 patients with giardiasis infection, genotype A (148 bp) was detected in 40 isolates (59.70%) compared to genotype B (81 bp) isolated was detected in 25 isolates (37.31%). Also two isolates (2.98%) had mix infection infected with genotype A and B. By comparing the frequency of genotype A (81.8%) and genotype B (13.6%), we found that genotype A is six times higher prevalence than genotype B in patients with diarrhea. Conclusion: We suggest that using sensitive techniques and larger sample for detection of G. lamblia genotypes and their subtypes would be necessary for investigation the immune system respond and correlation with diarrhea in the future studies in Iran.
Allergenicity assessment of fungal species using immunoclinical and proteomic techniques: a study on Fusarium lateritium

ABSTRACT Airborne fungal spores are extensively reported as the elicitors of respiratory allergies in human. Fusarium lateritium is one such fungal species reported for eliciting significant skin prick results from India. The present study aims to analyze the allergenic potential of F. lateritium followed by the identification of allergens. The total protein of F. lateritium was subjected to 1dimensional (1D) and 2D gel electrophoresis followed by corresponding IgE-specific immunoblots. We found 8 immunoreactive bands/zones in (1D) immunoblot using 11 F. lateritium-sensitised patient sera. In 1D immunoblot, a 34 kDa band was detected in >80% of the patients and hence considered as a potential allergen of F. lateritium. Corresponding 34 kDa spot in 2D-immunoblot was analyzed by mass spectrometric analysis and identified as Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The identified F. lateritium allergen holds the potential to instigate vaccine development for immunotherapy of F. lateritium sensitized patients.
The putative lytic transglycosylase VirB 1 from Brucella suis interacts with the type IV secretion system core components

Received 6 July 2005 Revised 16 August 2005 Accepted 30 August 2005 VirB1-like proteins are believed to act as lytic transglycosylases, which facilitate the assembly of type IV secretion systems via localized lysis of the peptidoglycan. This paper presents the biochemical analysis of interactions of purified Brucella suis VirB1 with core components of the type IV secretion system. Genes encoding VirB1, VirB8, VirB9, VirB10 and VirB11 were cloned into expression vectors; the affinity-tagged proteins were purified from Escherichia coli, and analyses by gel filtration chromatography showed that they form monomers or homo-multimers. Analysis of protein–protein interactions by affinity precipitation revealed that VirB1 bound to VirB9 and VirB11. The results of bicistron expression experiments followed by gel filtration further supported the VirB1–VirB9 interaction. Peptide array mapping identified regions of VirB1 that interact with VirB8, VirB9 and VirB11 and underscored the importance of the C-terminus, especially for the VirB1–VirB9 interaction. The binding sites were localized on a structure model of VirB1, suggesting that different portions of VirB1 may interact with other VirB proteins during assembly of the type IV secretion machinery.
Basis for the Altered Arterial Wall Mechanics in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

SUMMARY Carotid and tail arteries from 20-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were used to compare mechanics and biochemical properties. Measurements of pressure-diameter relations were made on isolated segments under conditions of active (145 mM K+) and passive (0 mM Cu+2 and 2 mM EGTA) smooth muscle. Connective tissue, water and electrolyte contents, and extracellular water spaces were determined. Chemical data were also obtained from segments of thoracic aorta. The passive mechanics of arteries from the SHR were stiffer compared to those from WKY. Total connective tissue content (collagen + elastin) and collagen/elastin ratio were both smaller in the SHR arteries. Differences in the characteristics of the connective tissue matrix other than total content must exist in SHR and WKY arteries. Maximum values of active stress (force/area) developed by SHR arteries were larger and occurred at smaller values of wall strain compared to WKY arteries. The maximum reduction in wall diameter with smooth muscle activation was larger in the WKY arteries, but these constriction responses were better maintained at higher pressures by SHR arteries. Extracellular water space was lower in SHR arteries, while total water content was not different. The fraction of the wall of SHR arteries occupied by smooth muscle cells was larger than that of WKY arteries. When values of maximum active stress were normalized to the relative cell content, no difference was found for SHR and WKY carotids, but SHR tail arteries still produced a significantly larger active cell stress than WKY tail arteries. This suggests that intrinsic differences exist in the properties of smooth muscle cells of SHR and WKY tail arteries.