Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Interleukin-13 and -18 Promoter Polymorphisms in Health Care Workers with Natural Rubber Latex Allergy

It is a matter of debate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the promoter region of interleukin (IL)-13, an IgE regulator, and IL-18, an inducer of immune responses, modulating the respective protein expression, are accompanied by an increased risk of atopy, allergic asthma, and total IgE levels. The suspected associations were noted in health care workers (HCW) with and without latex allergy. IL-13 (−1055C>T) and three IL-18 (−656T>G, −607C>A, −137G>C) SNP were studied in 523 HCW with natural rubber latex (NRL) exposure and diagnosis in the late 1990s. Three hundred and thirty-four HCW displayed NRL sensitization and allergic symptoms, 93 with latex-allergic asthma, and 189 HCW with neither symptoms nor NRL sensitization. SNP analyses were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using newly developed LightCycler assays. Analysis of IL-13 −1055C>T by analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significantly elevated total IgE levels in HCW carrying the CT or TT variant compared with the CC variant. None of the studied SNP showed an association with NRL-specific IgE. The IL-18 variants −656GG and −607CC displayed 99.5% linkage disequilibrium. Frequencies of alleles −656GG and −607CC were elevated in HCW with NRL asthma (48.4%) compared with HCW without symptoms (37.6%). In contrast, IL-18 −137G>C variants displayed an overall homogenous distribution. The association between the IL-13 -1055T allele and elevated total IgE levels confirms the role of a genetic background for total IgE regulation. The studied IL-18 SNP demonstrated no significant association with the clinical outcome, total IgE, or specific IgE in HCW with natural rubber latex allergy.
Frontal Lobe Surgery in the Treatment of Pain: With Consideration of Postoperative Psychological Changes

A, . N ACCOUNT of how bifrontal leukotomy came to be used for the relief of pain has never appeared in medical literature. In 1936 Watts (6) operated on a woman with severe back pain which had confined her to bed for about two years. After operation she was up in a few days and, although she continued to have some pain, she was able to work until 1950. Actually her case was classified in 1936 as conversion hysteria and it was not until 1943, when Watts performed his first leukotomy specifically for the relief of pain, that he realized the full possibilities of this procedure (personal communication). Meanwhile Van Wagenen, in 1941, had carried out the procedure in a patient with pain in a phantom limb following lower quarter amputation (hemipelvectomy) with severe narcotic and alcoholic addiction. Although relieved of his suffering and addiction, this man became such a behavior problem that he has spent most of the intervening years in a state institution, and Van Wagenen has never published the case. The first article to recommend the procedure for relief of suffering connected with nonpsychiatric disease was published by Watts and Freeman in 1946 (17).
STUDYING LARGE- AND SMALL-SCALE ENVIRONMENTS OF ULTRAVIOLET LUMINOUS GALAXIES

Studying the environments of 0.4 < z < 1.2 ultraviolet (UV)-selected galaxies, as examples of extreme star-forming galaxies (with star formation rates (SFRs) in the range of 3–30 M☉ yr−1), we explore the relationship between high rates of star formation, host halo mass, and pair fractions. We study the large- and small-scale environments of local ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLGs) by measuring angular correlation functions. We cross-correlate these systems with other galaxy samples: a volume-limited sample (ALL), a blue luminous galaxy sample, and a luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample. We determine the UVLG comoving correlation length to be r0 = 4.8+11.6−2.4 h−1 Mpc at 〈z〉 = 1.0, which is unable to constrain the halo mass for this sample. However, we find that UVLGs form close (separation <30 kpc) pairs with the ALL sample, but do not frequently form pairs with LRGs. A rare subset of UVLGs, those with the highest FUV surface brightnesses, are believed to be local analogs of high-redshift Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and are called Lyman break analogs (LBAs). LBGs and LBAs share similar characteristics (i.e., color, size, surface brightness, specific SFRs, metallicities, and dust content). Recent Hubble Space Telescope images of z ∼ 0.2 LBAs show disturbed morphologies, signs of mergers and interactions. UVLGs may be influenced by interactions with other galaxies and we discuss this result in terms of other high star-forming, merging systems.
Use of laser capture microdissection to detect integrated HIV-1 DNA in macrophages and astrocytes from autopsy brain tissues

The importance of astrocytes as a reservoir of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the brain remains elusive. By combining immunohistochemistry, laser capture microdissection, and triple-nested Alu-PCR, we demonstrate integrated HIV-1 in astrocytes and macrophages isolated directly from autopsy brain tissues of HIV-1-infected subjects. The ability of HIV-1 to integrate in terminally differentiated astrocytes suggests a permanent reservoir of provirus in brain that will impact the development and likely success of strategies aimed at eradicating HIV-1.
Elevated C-reactive protein in the diagnosis, prognosis, and cause of cancer

The aim of this review is to summarize present evidence of an association between circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and cancer risk, and to evaluate whether elevated circulating CRP levels cause cancer. Additionally, the review provides background information on the acute-phase response, chronic inflammation, the molecular biology, function and measurement of CRP, circulating levels of CRP in health and disease, the principle of Mendelian randomization, the association between circulating levels of CRP and cancer prognosis, and cancer biomarkers. In the Copenhagen General Population Study of approximately 63,500 individuals, the distribution of circulating levels of CRP was markedly skewed to the right with 97% of the participants having CRP levels <10 mg/L. The median plasma CRP concentration was 1.53 mg/L (IQR, 1.14–2.51) and 34% of the participants had circulating CRP levels of ≥ 2 mg/L. Epidemiologic studies suggest that in patients with several types of solid cancers, elevated circulating levels of CRP are associated with poor prognosis, whereas in apparently healthy individuals from the general population, elevated levels of CRP are associated with increased future risk of cancer of any type, lung cancer, and possibly colorectal cancer, but not breast or prostate cancer. The robust association between circulating levels of CRP and cancer risk may be due to (1) causality: elevated CRP levels cause cancer, (2) reverse causality: occult cancer increases CRP levels, (3) or confounding: a third factor, e.g. inflammation, increases both CRP levels and the risk of cancer. Genetic epidemiologic studies (Mendelian randomization studies), which have examined the association between genetic polymorphisms influencing circulating levels of CRP and cancer risk suggest that circulating levels of CRP do not cause cancer. A lack of causality between elevated CRP levels and increased cancer risk does, however, not invalidate the potential clinical use of slightly increased CRP levels to predict risk of certain cancer types, and to improve staging and treatment allocation in patients diagnosed with cancer. Indeed, in a study of the general population, individuals with CRP levels in the highest versus the lowest quintile had a 1.3-fold increased risk of cancer of any type and a 2-fold increased risk of lung cancer. Among individuals diagnosed with cancer during the study period, individuals with a high baseline CRP (>3 mg/L) had an 80% greater risk of early death compared with those with low CRP levels (<1 mg/L). Accordingly, patients with invasive breast cancer and CRP levels >3 mg/L at diagnosis had a 1.7-fold increased risk of death from breast cancer compared to patients with CRP levels <1 mg/L at diagnosis.
Antipseudomonal activity of simulated infusions of gentamicin alone or with piperacillin assessed by serum bactericidal rate and area under the killing curve

The objectives of this study were to (i) determine which of three simulated dosing regimens (gentamicin alone, simultaneous infusions of gentamicin and piperacillin, or staggered infusions of gentamicin and piperacillin) produced the fastest killing rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in serum, using the serum bactericidal rate (SBR) assay; and (ii) describe an alternative method of analysis of killing curves, the area under the killing curve (AUKC). Gentamicin alone or combined with piperacillin was added to heat-inactivated human serum to approximate drug concentrations achieved after the above-mentioned types of infusion. By a microdilution technique, seven strains of P. aeruginosa were exposed to no drug (control) and gentamicin alone or with piperacillin; colony counts were determined at hourly intervals for 5 h, and log10 CFU per milliliter was plotted versus time. Linear regression was used to calculate the slope (SBR) of each timed killing curve for each drug concentration tested alone or in combination. In addition, the AUKC for each curve was calculated. To compare simulated infusion regimens further, the cumulative AUKC (the sum of AUKCs for specific time points along the serum concentration-time curve for each simulated regimen) was calculated. With the SBR assay or AUKC determination, there was a significant increase in the rate of killing of all test strains by the combination compared with gentamicin alone only at gentamicin concentrations which exceeded the MIC (8, 5, and 2.5 micrograms/ml). Mean cumulative AUKC of the simultaneous-infusion regimen was significantly less (indicating faster killing) than either the staggered-infusion regimen or the gentamicin infusion alone. Both the SBR and AUKC have the potential for integration of in vitro microbiologic effects and in vivo pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial agents.
Methanol Extract of Caesalpinia bonducella Induces Apoptosis via Up-Regulation of Bax and Activation of PARP in Ehrlich Ascites Tumor Cells

Nature has endowed plants with the power to cure multitude of diseases. In case of cancer treatment, the search for natural agents with potential antitumor effect has been intensified with time. Here we are reporting analysis of methanol extract of Caesalpinia bonducella (MECB) for its anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect on Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) model In-vivo. MECB at 200 mg/kg concentration was responsible for decrease in the total percent of viable EAT cells (51.6%) and ascites volume (65%) in treated mice. MECB increased the rate of apoptosis with more number of cells exhibiting characteristic features such as membrane blebbing, apoptotic body formation and fragmented DNA which was evident by Giemsa and Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. Alongside, the mice survival time was increased upon MECB treatment. In addition, FACS data suggests that death of MECB treated EAT cells was due to apoptosis and not by necrosis. Furthermore the analysis for molecular mechanism revealed MECB decreased the level of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression while increasing pro-apoptotic Bax level. The immunoblot analysis confirmed the activation PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase), a substrate for executioner caspase-3, which brings about subsequent DNA fragmentation in apoptotic process. These results confirm the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of MECB, which may further translated into therapeutic drug development to combat cancer.
Gender differences in drug-addicted patients in a clinical treatment center of Spain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study explored the characteristics of a representative sample of patients who were addicted to drugs and analyzed the differential profile of addicted women and men. METHODS A sample of 195 addicted patients (95 female and 100 male) who sought outpatient treatment in a Spanish clinical center was assessed. Information on sociodemographic status, consumption patterns and associated characteristics was collected using the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). RESULTS The results showed statistically significant differences between groups. Demographically, the differences were centered on employment, with more labor problems in the female group. Regarding addiction severity, the EuropASI results showed statistically significant differences in both the interviewer severity ratings (ISR) and composite scores (CS). Women experienced more severe impacts in the medical, family social and psychiatric areas. By contrast addicted men had more severe legal problems than addicted females did. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that, women who seek outpatient treatment in a clinical center presented with more severe addiction problems than men did. Moreover, they reported more significant maladjustment in the various aspects of life explored.
A systematic RNA interference screen reveals a cell migration gene network in C. elegans

Cell migration is essential during embryonic development and tissue morphogenesis. During gonadogenesis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, migration of the distal tip cells forms two U-shaped gonad arms. Malformation results if the distal tip cells stop prematurely or follow an aberrant path, and abnormalities are easily visualized in living nematodes. Here we describe the first comprehensive in vivo RNA interference screen for genes required for cell migration. In this non-biased screen, we systematically analyzed 16,758 RNA-interference depletion experiments by light microscopy and identified 99 genes required for distal tip cell migration. Genetic and physical interaction data connect 59 of these genes to form a cell migration gene network that defines distal tip cell migration in vivo.
Nylon biodegradation by lignin-degrading fungi

The biodegradation of nylon by lignin-degrading fungi was investigated. The fungus IZU-154 significantly degraded nylon-66 membrane under ligninolytic conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that four end groups, CHO, NHCHO, CH3, and CONH2, were formed in the biodegraded nylon-66 membranes, suggesting that nylon-66 was degraded oxidatively.
Metabolite quantification and high‐field MRS in breast cancer

In vivo 1H MRS is rapidly developing as a clinical tool for diagnosing and characterizing breast cancers. Many in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated that alterations in concentrations of choline‐containing metabolites are associated with malignant transformation. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to evaluate the role of 1H MRS measurements of total choline‐containing compounds in the management of patients with breast cancer. Current technological developments, including the use of high‐field MR scanners and quantitative spectroscopic analysis methods, promise to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of breast MRS. This article reviews the literature describing in vivo MRS in breast cancer, with an emphasis on the development of high‐field MR scanning and quantitative methods. Potential applications of these technologies for diagnosing suspicious lesions and monitoring response to chemotherapy are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suppression by mycophenolate mofetil of the neointimal thickening caused by vascular injury in a rat arterial stenosis model.

Injury of the rat carotid artery by gentle perfusion of air causes vascular thickening, similar to that seen in the clinic setting in humans after percutaneous angioplasty or bypass surgery to repair injured or diseased blood vessels. In the animal model as well as in patients, this stenosis appears to be the result of smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation. Various cell types in the lesion area may contribute by producing inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules and growth factors. In the present study, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), an inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor with antiproliferative and immunosuppressive properties, was tested for its ability to inhibit this process. With a daily oral dose of 30 mg MMF/kg started 6 days before injury to one carotid artery by air perfusion, MMF reduced cross-sectional areas of total vessel wall (intima-media) thickness by 17% to 25% and of neointimal thickness by 48% to 60% at 14 days after injury in four tests (P < .001 when MMF- and vehicle-treated groups were compared for these thickened areas, n = 29 or 30). In addition, intima/media ratios ranged from 0.26 +/- 0.03 to 0.46 +/- 0.04 for MMF-treated vs. 0.55 +/- 0.05 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 for vehicle-treated animals in the four different tests (P < .001). Starting MMF treatment at either 14 or 0 days before arterial injury made no difference in the degree of reduction, suggesting that any biological process that might be altered by MMF is not one that requires much time to become established. Intima/media ratios were 0.31 +/- 0.04 or 0.34 +/- 0.04 for MMF-treated vs. 0.55 +/- 0.05 or 0.65 +/- 0.07 for vehicle-treated animals (P < .001 for day 14 or 0, respectively, n = 30). Thus, MMF reduced the vascular thickening after carotid artery injury in rats, suggesting that this class of compound may be able to control the pathological processes that lead to restenosis.
Role of Laser Therapy in Dermatology – Clinical Aspects

Background: Laser therapy has become an integral part of therapeutic alternatives in dermatology. Nevertheless, there are only few statistical data on the role of lasers in everyday practice of dermatological clinics. Objective: Analysis of laser patients, indications and lasers used. Methods: We analysed 10,244 patients treated with laser therapy in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Regensburg from 1992 to 2000. This figure represents 9.6 % of all patients seen during that period. Results: Vascular lesions (hemangiomas, port-wine stains, telangiectasias) represented the most common indication (more than 70%) followed by infectious disorders (mostly papillomavirus lesions) as well as the removal of hairs and tattoos. Accordingly, the most frequently used laser was the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (585 nm) followed by the argon ion, the long-pulse tunable flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser, the Q-switch ruby laser, and the CO2-laser. In recent years, the percentage of indications and lasers used has changed significantly, reflecting the development of new lasers and the introduction of new indications. Conclusions: The results confirm the important role of laser therapy in dermatology.
Anatomical basics and variations of the scapula in Turkish adults.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the anatomical basis of the scapula, acromion, os acromiale, coracoid process, coraco-acromial arch, and glenoid cavity in Turkish adults. METHODS We performed the study at the Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Turkey between January 2004 and December 2005. A total of 90 dry bones of the scapula from human cadavers were randomly selected. The length, width, and anterior thickness of the acromion and the acromial facet of the acromioclavicular joint were measured with an electronic caliber and was examined visually. For the radiological evaluation, the posterior anterior and the lateral shoulder radiographs of 90 consecutive adult patients with normal findings were used. These films were evaluated and grouped according to the acromial arch morphology. RESULTS The distribution of the acromial morphologic types according to slope was type I (flat) 10%, type II (curved) 73%, type III (hooked) 17%. Type I was seen in 11%, type II 66%, type III 23% of the specimens. The morphological shape of the tip of the acromion was 31% cobra shaped, 13% square shaped, and 56% intermediate type. The scapulas, coracoid process and the coraco acromial arch were measured. In 72% of the specimen, the glenoid notch of the scapulas were absent and oval shaped, whereas in 28% the notch was well expressed and the glenoid cavity was pear shaped. The mean vertical length of the glenoid cavity was 36.3 +/- 3 mm, and the mean transverse length was 24.6 +/- 2.5 mm. Os acromiale is a rare anatomical condition. Its incidence has been documented in radiographic and anatomical studies to be between 1-15%. The presence of os acromiale was 1% in shoulder radiographs (os pre-acromiale), and in dry bones (os meta-acromiale) CONCLUSION We reported the exact morphological measurements of the bone structures of the scapula in Turkish adult population. Our results present an instructive figures of anatomical preparations and radiological cases that can be used to make a more precise radiological and a differential diagnoses.
EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES AT z ∼ 1.3. IV. SCALING RELATIONS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

We present the Kormendy and mass–size relations (MSR) for early-type galaxies (ETGs) as a function of environment at z ∼ 1.3. Our sample includes 76 visually classified ETGs with masses 1010 < M/M☉ < 1011.5, selected in the Lynx supercluster and in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey/Chandra Deep Field South field; 31 ETGs in clusters, 18 in groups, and 27 in the field, all with multi-wavelength photometry and Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys observations. The Kormendy relation, in place at z ∼ 1.3, does not depend on the environment. The MSR reveals that ETGs overall appear to be more compact in denser environments: cluster ETGs have sizes on average around 30%–50% smaller than those of the local universe and a distribution with a smaller scatter, whereas field ETGs show an MSR with a similar distribution to the local one. Our results imply that (1) the MSR in the field did not evolve overall from z ∼ 1.3 to present; this is interesting and in contrast to the trend found at higher masses from previous works; (2) in denser environments, either ETGs have increased in size by 30%–50% on average and spread their distributions, or more ETGs have been formed within the dense environment from non-ETG progenitors, or larger galaxies have been accreted to a pristine compact population to reproduce the MSR observed in the local universe. Our results are driven by galaxies with masses M ≲ 2 × 1011 M☉ and those with masses M ∼ 1011 M☉ follow the same trends as that of the entire sample. Following the Valentinuzzi et al. definition of superdense ETGs, ∼35%–45% of our cluster sample is made up of superdense ETGs.
Excision biopsy of peripheral lymphadenopathy in children in a community hospital.

hospital. Their distribution according to age and sex is shown in Table 1. The majority were 5- to <10-years of age (40.8%). Of 71 children, 34 (47.9%) had a specific diagnosis and in the remainder, the lymph nodes were reactive. Only nine children (12.7%) were less than 1 year of age, but 4 (44.4%) of those had a specific diagnosis. Nineteen were in the 10- to 12-year age group, and 52.6% had a specific diagnosis. Fourteen children were in the 1- to <5 -year age group, but only 14.3% had a specific diagnosis. Of 71 children, 34 (47.9%) had a specific diagnosis,
Sociodemographic Correlates of Public Perceptions regarding a Smoking Ban in Bars and Restaurants

As the health threat of environmental tobacco smoke is widely recognized, more state and local governments join the passage of ordinances that ban smoking in public establishments. This study investigated public perceptions regarding banning smoking in bars and restaurants among Indiana residents. A representative sample of 529 adult Indiana residents ages 18 or older was interviewed using random-digit dialing after two waves of pilot tests. Of the total respondents, 65% favored the smoking ban in bars and restaurants. Logistic regression analyses indicated that gender, education, and spouse's education were significant predictors for attitudes toward the smoking ban in bars and restaurants.