Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HE4-test of urine and body fluids for diagnosis of gynecologic cancer

ABSTRACT Introduction: Serum epididymis protein 4 (HE4) level is a useful biomarker for the management of ovarian and endometrial cancer patients. Urine HE4-test, with its easier access than serum test, has emerged as a new method with promising application for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Areas covered: This review summarizes data regarding the detection and alteration of HE4 in urine samples collected from ovarian cancer patients and controls. The performance and limitation of the assay and potential direction of future study are also discussed. Expert commentary: Several studies have demonstrated an appreciable efficiency of urine HE4-test in the discrimination of ovarian cancer patients from general population. However, the data is based on small cohorts, and the performance of urine HE4-test need to be validated in larger groups. An algorithm incorporating other important factors may allow a quantitative assessment of cancer possibility. Future studies on the HE4 renal secretion and HE4 degradation dynamics in urine are also required for the establishment of standard protocols for the application of urine HE4-test in clinical settings.
Acute Kidney Injury in Children and Its Potential Consequences in Adulthood

While emerging evidence indicates that the incidence of both acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is rising, and the etiologies are dramatically changing, relatively little is currently known regarding the potential for transition from AKI to CKD. In both situations, early intervention can significantly improve the dismal prognosis. Fortunately, recent data have validated a multidimensional AKI classification system for children, and led to the investigation of the chronic kidney sequelae in many pediatric populations with AKI, or at risk for AKI (children with hemolytic uremic syndrome, neonates or those exposed to repeated nephrotoxic medications). The purpose of this article is to review the changing epidemiology of pediatric AKI and its potential effect on the development of CKD in children.
The True Contact Area Between Solids

A new method for observing the points of real contact between two solid surfaces is described. A metallized glass surface is pressed into contact with the specimen, the glass surface being deformed locally at the points of contact. The opposite side of the metallized surface is examined through the glass by phase contrast microscopy, the deformations showing bright on a dark background. Deformations of a few angstroms in depth are detectable if their lateral extension is above the resolving limit of the microscope. Nominally flat, ground, polished, and lapped specimens of silver steel have been examined. With each specimen true contact was made within regions the sizes and distribution of which were determined by the general undulations of the surface and by the magnitude of the applied load. The differences lay in the distribution of the local contact areas within the general regions. With the polished specimen true contact was made over almost the whole of the general region but with the ground specimen it was confined to a few isolated areas along the grinding ridges. True contact with the lapped specimens was made at a very great number of areas each a few microns in linear dimension.
Consistency of Recall for Deployment-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective:To examine the temporal consistency of self-reported deployment-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. Setting:In-person interviews at US Army installations (postdeployment); phone interviews (long-term follow-up). Participants:A total of 378 US Army soldiers and veterans deployed to Iraq; 14.3% (n = 54) reported TBI with loss of consciousness during an index deployment. Design:Participants were evaluated after returning from deployment and again 5 to 9 years later. Main Measures:Temporal consistency of TBI endorsement based on TBI screening interviews; PTSD Checklist, Civilian Version. Results:The concordance of deployment-related TBI endorsement from the postdeployment to long-term follow-up assessment was moderate (&kgr; = 0.53). Of the 54 participants reporting (predominantly mild) TBI occurring during an index deployment, 32 endorsed TBI inconsistently over time. More severe PTSD symptoms at postdeployment assessment were independently associated with discordant reporting (P = .0004); each 10-point increase in PCL scores increasing odds of discordance by 69% (odds ratio = 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.26). Conclusions:Deployment-related TBI may not be reported reliably over time, particularly among war-zone veterans with greater PTSD symptoms. Results of screening evaluations for TBI history should be viewed with caution in the context of PTSD symptom history.
The effect of dimiristoylphosphatidylethanol on the rotational mobility of n-(9-Anthroyloxy) stearic acid in neuronal and model membranes

The aim of this study was to provide a basis for examining the molecular mechanism for the pharmacological action of ethanol. We studied di¬myristoyl¬phosphatidylethanol (DMPEt)’s effects on specific locations of n-(9-anthroyloxy) palmitic acid or stearic acid (n-AS) within phos¬pholipids of synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles isolated from bovine cerebral cortex (SPMV) and liposomes of total lipids (SPMVTL) and phospholipids (SPMVPL) extracted from SPMV. DMPEt increased rotational mobility (increased disordering) of hydrocarbon interior, but it decreased mobility (increased ordering) of membrane interface, in native and model membranes. The degree of rotational mobility in accordance with the carbon atom numbers of phospholipids comprising neuronal membranes was in the order at the 16, 12, 9, 6 and 2 position of aliphatic chain present in phospholipids. The sensitivity of increasing or decreasing effect of rotational mobility of hydrocarbon interior or surface region by DMPEt differed depending on the neuronal and model membranes in the descending order of SPMV, SPMVPL and SPMVTL.
Thermal refugia against coral bleaching throughout the northern Red Sea

Tropical reefs have been impacted by thermal anomalies caused by global warming that induced coral bleaching and mortality events globally. However, there have only been very few recordings of bleaching within the Red Sea despite covering a latitudinal range of 15° and consequently it has been considered a region that is less sensitive to thermal anomalies. We therefore examined historical patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) and associated anomalies (1982–2012) and compared warming trends with a unique compilation of corresponding coral bleaching records from throughout the region. These data indicated that the northern Red Sea has not experienced mass bleaching despite intensive Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) of >15°C‐weeks. Severe bleaching was restricted to the central and southern Red Sea where DHWs have been more frequent, but far less intense (DHWs <4°C‐weeks). A similar pattern was observed during the 2015–2016 El Niño event during which time corals in the northern Red Sea did not bleach despite high thermal stress (i.e. DHWs >8°C‐weeks), and bleaching was restricted to the central and southern Red Sea despite the lower thermal stress (DHWs < 8°C‐weeks). Heat stress assays carried out in the northern (Hurghada) and central (Thuwal) Red Sea on four key reef‐building species confirmed different regional thermal susceptibility, and that central Red Sea corals are more sensitive to thermal anomalies as compared to those from the north. Together, our data demonstrate that corals in the northern Red Sea have a much higher heat tolerance than their prevailing temperature regime would suggest. In contrast, corals from the central Red Sea are close to their thermal limits, which closely match the maximum annual water temperatures. The northern Red Sea harbours reef‐building corals that live well below their bleaching thresholds and thus we propose that the region represents a thermal refuge of global importance.
Depletion‐Resistant CD4 T Cells Enhance Thymopoiesis During Lymphopenia

Lymphoablation is routinely used in transplantation, and its success is defined by the balance of pathogenic versus protective T cells within reconstituted repertoire. While homeostatic proliferation and thymopoiesis may both cause T cell recovery during lymphopenia, the relative contributions of these mechanisms remain unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of the thymus during T cell reconstitution in adult allograft recipients subjected to lymphoablative induction therapy. Compared with euthymic mice, thymectomized heart allograft recipients demonstrated severely impaired CD4 and CD8 T cell recovery and prolonged heart allograft survival after lymphoablation with murine anti‐thymocyte globulin (mATG). The injection with agonistic anti‐CD40 mAb or thymus transplantation only partially restored T cell reconstitution in mATG‐treated thymectomized mice. After mATG depletion, residual CD4 T cells migrated into the thymus and enhanced thymopoiesis. Conversely, depletion of CD4 T cells before lymphoablation inhibited thymopoiesis at the stage of CD4−CD8−CD44hiCD25+ immature thymocytes. This is the first demonstration that the thymus and peripheral CD4 T cells cooperate to ensure optimal T cell reconstitution after lymphoablation. Targeting thymopoiesis through manipulating functions of depletion‐resistant helper T cells may thus improve therapeutic benefits and minimize the risks of lymphoablation in clinical settings.
The Effects of Climate Change on Cardiac Health

The earth's climate is changing and increasing ambient heat levels are emerging in large areas of the world. An important cause of this change is the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases. Climate changes have a variety of negative effects on health, including cardiac health. People with pre-existing medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease (including heart failure), people carrying out physically demanding work and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. This review evaluates the evidence base for the cardiac health consequences of climate conditions, with particular reference to increasing heat exposure, and it also explores the potential further implications.
Conventional PKCs regulate the temporal pattern of Ca2+ oscillations at fertilization in mouse eggs

In mammalian eggs, sperm-induced Ca2+ oscillations at fertilization are the primary trigger for egg activation and initiation of embryonic development. Identifying the downstream effectors that decode this unique Ca2+ signal is essential to understand how the transition from egg to embryo is coordinated. Here, we investigated whether conventional PKCs (cPKCs) can decode Ca2+ oscillations at fertilization. By monitoring the dynamics of GFP-labeled PKCα and PKCγ in living mouse eggs, we demonstrate that cPKCs translocate to the egg membrane at fertilization following a pattern that is shaped by the amplitude, duration, and frequency of the Ca2+ transients. In addition, we show that cPKC translocation is driven by the C2 domain when Ca2+ concentration reaches 1–3 μM. Finally, we present evidence that one physiological function of activated cPKCs in fertilized eggs is to sustain long-lasting Ca2+ oscillations, presumably via the regulation of store-operated Ca2+ entry.
Formaldehyde and cancer risk: a quantitative review of cohort studies through 2006.

BACKGROUND Occupational exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with excess risk of nasopharyngeal and selected other cancers. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed and pooled the results of cohort studies published through February 2007. RESULTS There were 5651 deaths from all cancers observed in six cohorts of industry workers and six of professionals, with a pooled relative risk (RR) of 0.95 for industry workers and of 0.87 for professionals. Nine deaths from nasopharyngeal cancer in three cohorts of industry workers yielded a pooled RR of 1.33, which declined to 0.49 after excluding six cases from one US plant. The pooled RR for lung cancer was 1.06 in industry workers and 0.63 in professionals. Corresponding values were 1.09 and 0.96 for oral and pharyngeal, 0.92 and 1.56 for brain, 0.85 and 1.31 for all lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers, and 0.90 and 1.39 for leukemia. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive review of cancer in industry workers and professionals exposed to formaldehyde shows no appreciable excess risk for oral and pharyngeal, sinonasal or lung cancers. A non-significantly increased RR for nasopharyngeal cancer among industry workers is attributable to a cluster of deaths in a single plant. For brain cancer and lymphohematopoietic neoplasms there were modestly elevated risks in professionals, but not industry workers.
A Randomized Multicenter Phase II Study of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Patients with a History of Breast Cancer, Premalignant Lesions, or Benign Breast Disease

Obesity, a cause of subclinical inflammation, is a risk factor for the development of postmenopausal breast cancer and is associated with poorer cancer outcomes. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that treatment with DHA would reduce the expression of proinflammatory genes and aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis, in benign breast tissue of overweight/obese women. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase II study of DHA given for 12 weeks to overweight/obese women with a history of stage I–III breast cancer, DCIS/LCIS, Paget's disease, or proliferative benign breast disease was carried out. In this placebo controlled trial, the primary objective was to determine whether DHA (1,000 mg by mouth twice daily) reduced breast tissue levels of TNFα. Secondary objectives included evaluation of the effect of DHA on breast tissue levels of COX-2, IL1β, aromatase, white adipose tissue inflammation, and gene expression by RNA-seq. Red blood cell fatty acid levels were measured to assess compliance. From July 2013 to November 2015, 64 participants were randomized and treated on trial (32 women per arm). Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells were detected following treatment with DHA (P < 0.001) but not placebo. Treatment with DHA did not alter levels of TNFα (P = 0.71), or other biomarkers including the transcriptome in breast samples. Treatment with DHA was overall well-tolerated. Although compliance was confirmed, we did not observe changes in the levels of prespecified biomarkers in the breast after treatment with DHA when compared with placebo. Cancer Prev Res; 11(4); 203–14. ©2018 AACR. See related editorial by Fabian and Kimler, p. 187
Associations between the autonomic nervous system and the second derivative of the finger photoplethysmogram indices.

AIM The indices of the second derivative of the finger photoplethysmogram(SDPTG) denote stiffness of large arteries, peripheral vascular resistance and vascular aging. However, the association between the autonomic nervous activity and the SDPTG indices has not yet been elucidated. METHODS The SDPTG and heart rate variability(HRV) were consecutively measured in the sitting position on the day before surgery in 168 patients 18-89 years of age. The relationships between the SDPTG indices(b/a, c/a, d/a and e/a) and HRV indices(power spectral analysis and time domain analysis parameters) were analyzed. The relationships between c/a and atherosclerosis-based conditions and risk factors for atherosclerosis were also evaluated. RESULTS The SDPTG index b/a was negatively associated and the d/a index was positively associated with the low-frequency(LF)(R=-0.44 and 0.42, respectively) and high-frequency(HF) components(R=-0.31 and 0.35, respectively). The SDPTG index c/a was also positively associated with the LF(R=0.40) and HF(R=0.44) components. A multivariate regression analysis showed that the LF, HF and heart rate were independent determinants of the c/a. Furthermore, the c/a values were significantly lower in the patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia than in those without these diseases, and a reduced c/a was significantly associated with increased serum triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a decrease in c/a is associated with a reduced baroreflex response of the peripheral vasomotor activity and a decreased cardiac parasympathetic activity. Furthermore, a decrease in c/a was found to be associated with atherosclerosis-based conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia.
Gasoline Drive-Offs: Designing a Less Convenient Environment

Recent studies of convenience store crime have focused on robberies, but gasoline thefts are a troublesome and often overlooked public policy problem that drain valuable police resources. An analysis of calls for service from 38 convenience stores in Austin, TX reveals that gasoline drive-qffs account for 48% of all convenience store calls. This paper ties the environmental characteristics and business practices of convenience stores to reported gasoline drive-qffs. The findings suggest that removing signs from windows, installing brighter lights and instituting a pay-first policy can deter such crimes. Over just a two-year period, an Austin, TX convenience store was criminally victimized not once, not twice, but 385 times (Austin Police Department. 1090). Ninety percent of these victimizations were gasoline drive-offs (offenders filling their tanks with gas and driving off without paying); the others consisted of shoplifting, disturbances and acts of criminal mischief. Why is this store so attractive to criminals—particularly those who steal gas? It could be that the store is located in a high-crime neighborhood. Or perhaps the clerks are fearful of crime and are therefore vulnerable to victimization. And there is always the possibility that the store has certain business practices that encourage particular crimes. Patrol officers spend thousands of hours responding to convenience store incidents. In the year 1990 alone, Austin convenience stores reported over 6.000 thefts (Austin Police Department. 1990). The strain on patrol officers* time in responding to convenience store calls for service translates into higher costs for police services as cities are pressured to hire more Address correspondence to: Nancy G. LaVigne, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102.
Spatial genetic structure within populations and management implications of the South American species Acacia aroma (Fabaceae)

The identification of factors that structure intraspecific diversity is of particular interest for biological conservation and restoration ecology. All rangelands in Argentina are currently experiencing some form of deterioration or desertification. Acacia aroma is a multipurpose species widely distributed throughout this country. In this study, we used the AFLP technique to study genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and fine-scale spatial genetic structure in 170 individuals belonging to 6 natural Argentinean populations. With 401 loci, the mean heterozygosity (HE = 0.2) and the mean percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL = 62.1%) coefficients indicated that the genetic variation is relatively high in A. aroma. The analysis with STRUCTURE showed that the number of clusters (K) was 3. With Geneland analysis, the number of clusters was K = 4, sharing the same grouping as STRUCTURE but dividing one population into two groups. When studying SGS, significant structure was detected in 3 of 6 populations. The neighbourhood size in these populations ranged from 15.2 to 64.3 individuals. The estimated gene dispersal distance depended on the effective population density and disturbance level and ranged from 45 to 864 m. The combined results suggest that a sampling strategy, which aims to maintain a considerable part of the variability contained in natural populations sampled here, would include at least 3 units defined by the clusters analyses that exhibit particular genetic properties. Moreover, the current SGS analysis suggests that within the wider management units/provinces, seed collection from A. aroma should target trees separated by a minimum distance of 50 m but preferably 150 m to reduce genetic relatedness among seeds from different trees.
Adaptation kinetics in bacterial chemotaxis

Cells of Escherichia coli, tethered to glass by a single flagellum, were subjected to constant flow of a medium containing the attractant alpha-methyl-DL-aspartate. The concentration of this chemical was varied with a programmable mixing apparatus over a range spanning the dissociation constant of the chemoreceptor at rates comparable to those experienced by cells swimming in spatial gradients. When an exponentially increasing ramp was turned on (a ramp that increases the chemoreceptor occupancy linearly), the rotational bias of the cells (the fraction of time spent spinning counterclockwise) changed rapidly to a higher stable level, which persisted for the duration of the ramp. The change in bias increased with ramp rate, i.e., with the time rate of change of chemoreceptor occupancy. This behavior can be accounted for by a model for adaptation involving proportional control, in which the flagellar motors respond to an error signal proportional to the difference between the current occupancy and the occupancy averaged over the recent past. Distributions of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation intervals were found to be exponential. This result cannot be explained by a response regular model in which transitions between rotational states are generated by threshold crossings of a regular subject to statistical fluctuation; this mechanism generates distributions with far too many long events. However, the data can be fit by a model in which transitions between rotational states are governed by first-order rate constants. The error signal acts as a bias regulator, controlling the values of these constants.
Development of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Parkinson’s disease: confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, validity and sensitivity to change

The aim of this study was to validate the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Parkinson’s disease (TSK-PD). This was a cross-sectional evaluation of the psychometric properties of an adapted questionnaire. The psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis, reliability by internal consistency (Cronbach’s &agr;) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient), construct validity by comparing TSK-PD with the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), the Movement Disorder Society – Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (Pearson’s correlations), and sensitivity to change by calculating the smallest detectable change. The questionnaire was administered to 132 patients with Parkinson’s disease. Factor analysis confirmed a two-factor (harm and activity avoidance), 13-item solution, which led to an acceptable data-model fit. Internal consistency (&agr;=0.94) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, model 2.1=0.90) were good. Construct validity showed a close correlation between the TSK-PD and FES-I (r=−0.710); a moderate correlation with the MDS-UPDRS (r=0.513); moderate to close correlations with HADS-D (r=0.443) and HADS-A (r=0.626); moderate correlations with the mental subscales of the SF-36 (r=−0.327 to −0.563); and poor correlations with the physical subscales of the SF-36 (r=−0.236 to −0.248). The smallest detectable change was 11. The TSK-PD had a good factorial structure and satisfactory psychometric properties. Its use is recommended for clinical and research purposes.