Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Headache attributed to intracranial tumours: A prospective cohort study

Between January 2007 and March 2008, we prospectively studied all patients operated on for intracranial tumours in our Department of Neurosurgery. Preoperatively, all patients were interviewed by a neurologist to collect headache characteristics. Measurements of tumour and oedema volume were made using dedicated software for magnetic resonance imaging studies. Tumour histopathology was established by histological examination postoperatively. If headache improved postoperatively, a diagnosis of ‘headache attributed to intracranial neoplasm’ was made, according to the 2004 International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association of headache with potential risk factors. We studied 206 subjects. The prevalence of tumour headache was 47.6%. Intracranial tumour headache was non-specific and in most cases could not be classified by current ICHD-II diagnostic criteria for primary headache syndromes. Its prevalence varied depending on volume, location and type of tumour, as well as on the patient's previous headache history.
Immunoreactive myelin basic protein in the cerebrospinal fluid in neurological disorders

Cerebrospinal fluid from 582 persons was analyzed by a double‐antibody radioimmunoassay for the presence of material cross‐reactive with peptide 43‐88 of human myelin basic protein (BP). In a group of 104 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), 23 of 33 individuals clinically judged to have had an exacerbation within two weeks prior to the time CSF was obtained had detectable material ranging from 2 to 200 ng/ml. In the remaining 71 MS patients who either were stable or had had an exacerbation more than two weeks before, only 1 patient had a marginally elevated level of immunoreactive material. CSF from 53 persons with cerebrovascular disease was studied, and 13 of 29 with recent infarctions had values of 2 to 540 ng/ml. The degree of elevation in strokes generally paralleled the predicted volume of the lesions, but the amounts detected did not correlate quite so closely temporally with onset as they did with the periods of active disease in MS. Of the remaining 425 patients, 29 had immunoreactive material of 2 to 400 ng/ml in their CSF. Most of these patients with detectable material had acute diseases known to affect the myelin sheath. Eight of 10 persons with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis had no detectable material. The presence in CSF of material cross‐reactive with BP peptide 43‐88 does not have diagnostic specificit for MS but can be used as a means for determining recent myelin injury. The type of BP peptide formed and mechanisms for clearance of BP and BP peptides may be important in determining the biological consequences following release of this potentially immunogenic material from the central nervous system.
Independent evolution of the env and pol genes of HIV‐1 during zidovudine therapy

Objective: To determine the effect that selection for antiviral resistance in the HIV‐1 pol gene has on the level of variation and pattern of evolution in the V3 region of env. Design: Proviral genomes obtained from two patients before, during and after the termination of zidovudine (ZDV) therapy (approximately 2 years) were amplified and sequenced in pol and env, and the evolution of the V3 hypervariable region compared with that of the reverse transcriptase domain of pol. Methods: Gene fragments were polymerase chain reaction‐amplified from patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Nucleotide sequencing was carried out using T7 DNA polymerase and dye‐labelled terminators on an automated DNA sequencer. Sequences were analysed using maximum likelihood phylogenetic techniques. Results: Both patients showed multiple resistance‐associated mutations after 1 year of ZDV therapy. Sequence diversity in V3 showed no reduction during the period of treatment. Substantial change continued to occur in this region and multiple lineages were present in both patients, in contrast to the single lineage observed in the pol gene of one (patient 74), a difference confirmed by likelihood ratio tests. Conclusions: There is no evidence from this study that selection due to antivirals has any significant impact on the evolution of the env gene. The independence in the evolution of these genes implies that recombination was occurring between the two genes during the study period. Such independent evolution should be allowed for in developing strategies for HIV therapy involving multiple target genes.
Down's syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: clinical features and response to treatment

AIMS To examine the clinical and biological features of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children with Down's syndrome (DS), to compare their survival with other children, and to determine if entry to trials and survival has improved. METHODS Examination of presenting features and response to treatment in patients treated in two consecutive national trials, MRC UKALL X and XI. RESULTS The proportion of children with DS was significantly higher in UKALL XI (1.9%) than UKALL X (0.9%). Children with DS tended to be under 10 years and to have the common ALL subtype. Cytogenetic analysis showed that favourable features, such as high hyperdiploidy and t(12;21) were less frequent but also that there was a lack of translocations associated with a poor prognosis. Children with DS showed no increase in risk of relapse at any site but their survival and event free survival were inferior to other children. These results were caused by an increased number of infective deaths during remission (11% compared to 2%). At five years overall survival was 73% in DS children compared with 82% in other children; event free survival was 53% compared to 63% in non-DS children. CONCLUSIONS Entry of children with DS to national trials has increased and survival has improved. However they remain at risk of relapse and also of treatment related mortality. These findings emphasise the need for both intensive chemotherapy and optimal supportive care.
Two-vortex equilibrium in the flow past a flat plate at incidence

Abstract The two-dimensional inviscid incompressible steady flow past an inclined flat plate is considered. A locus of asymmetric equilibrium configurations for vortex pairs is detected. It is shown that the flat geometry has peculiar properties compared to other geometries: (i) in order to satisfy the Kutta condition at both edges, which ensures flow regularity, the total circulation and the force acting on the plate must be zero; and (ii) the Kutta condition and the free vortex equilibrium conditions are not independent of each other. The non-existence of symmetric equilibrium configurations for an orthogonal plate is extended to more general asymmetric flows.
Ex vivo analysis of phenotype and TCR usage in relation to CD45 isoform expression on cytomegalovirus‐specific CD8+ T lymphocytes

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen which sets up a lifelong persistent infection and which can lead to significant disease in the immunosuppressed. The immunological mechanisms controlling CMV in the long term are not defined completely, but CD8+ T lymphocytes are thought to play an important role. Antiviral CD8+ T lymphocytes may exist in very large pools in healthy individuals. Although the detailed composition of these pools is not completely understood, there is known to be heterogeneity, in particular of CD45 isoform expression. We have therefore investigated the CD8+ T‐lymphocyte response against CMV directly ex vivo using Class I tetramers combined with stains for a range of phenotypic markers followed by four‐colour flow cytometric analysis. In particular, we examined expression of these phenotypic markers in relation to the expression of CD45 isoforms. We found that a spectrum of phenotypes exists stably, from CD45R0high/RAlow through CD45RAhigh/R0low, and that expression of other surface markers such as CD28 and CD62L, and also TCR usage, may vary in parallel with CD45 isoform expression. In some individuals, expansions of antigen‐specific CD8+ T lymphocytes bearing specific TCR Vβ chains were restricted to cells of particular CD45 isoforms. Immunity against CMV comprises a large population of CD8+ T lymphocytes with heterogeneous potential, a spectrum in which CD45 isoform expression may play a central role.
Seriatopora Diversity Preserved in Upper Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in Southern Japan

Coral reefs worldwide are facing increasing stress due to drastic changes in their environment. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have been considered as a potential refuge from several major stressors, such as warm-water bleaching events. However, their role as a subsequent source of larvae remains unclear for many species, particularly as genetic differentiation of corals over depth has frequently been observed. In 1998 and 2001, two severe bleaching events around Okinawa Island in Japan resulted in major changes to the shallow reefs, including the local “extinction” of species such as Seriatopora hystrix at Sesoko Island. However, recently this species was found to be present in abundance at mesophotic depths in the area, despite no clear signs of recovery being observed in the adjacent shallow waters. Here, we assessed the genetic diversity of Seriatopora from this deep population and provide a comparison with populations from shallow to mesophotic depths in other parts of the Ryukyu archipelago, to understand their depth specificity and their importance in genetic diversity conservation of affected shallow populations. High levels of genetic diversity were observed in both shallow and mesophotic Seriatopora populations for both the nuclear (internal transcribed spacer 2, ITS2) and the mitochondrial (hypervariable open reading frame, ORF) marker, with no clear partitioning of haplotypes over depth or across locations in the archipelago. Both ITS2 and ORF suggest the presence of potential cryptic species and the discrepancy between the markers could reflect hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting. Although associated endosymbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) all shared the same mitochondrial haplotype (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, COI), the nuclear ribosomal ITS2 revealed slight potential habitat partitioning between the genotypes, with a small decrease of C59 Symbiodinium types below 10 m depth and a mirrored increase in C1/C78a-related types. The relative absence of depth-specific host lineages and the substantial overlap between shallow and deep Symbiodinium types indicate that Okinawan MCEs may act as a refuge preserving genotypic diversity of bleaching-sensitive coral such as Seriatopora, and on the long-term may have the potential to contribute to shallow-water recolonization of this species.
Spermine and Spermidine Alter Gene Expression and Antigenic Profile of Borrelia burgdorferi

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, responds to numerous host-derived signals to alter adaptive capabilities during its enzootic cycle in an arthropod vector and mammalian host. Molecular mechanisms that enable B. burgdorferi to detect, channel, and respond to these signals have become an intense area of study for developing strategies to limit transmission/infection. Bioinformatic analysis of the borrelial genome revealed the presence of polyamine transport components (PotA, PotB, PotC, and PotD), while homologs for polyamine biosynthesis were conspicuously absent. Although potABCD is cotranscribed, the level of PotA was elevated under in vitro growth conditions mimicking unfed ticks compared to the level in fed ticks, while the levels of PotD were similar under the aforementioned conditions in B. burgdorferi. Among several polyamines and polyamine precursors, supplementation of spermine or spermidine in the borrelial growth medium induced synthesis of major regulators of gene expression in B. burgdorferi, such as RpoS and BosR, with a concomitant increase in proteins that contribute to colonization and survival of B. burgdorferi in the mammalian host. Short transcripts of rpoS were elevated in response to spermidine, which was correlated with increased protein levels of RpoS. Transcriptional analysis of rpoZ and B. burgdorferirel (relBbu; bb0198) in the presence of spermidine revealed the interplay of multiple regulatory factors in B. burgdorferi gene expression. The effect of spermidine on the levels of select borrelial proteins was also influenced by serum factors. These studies suggest that multiple host-derived signals/nutrients and their transport systems contribute to B. burgdorferi adaptation during the vector and vertebrate host phases of infection.
Pratiques culturales, ruissellement et erosion diffuse sur les plateaux limoneux du nord ouest de l'europe. Application aux intercultures du pays de caux

La modification des pratiques culturales en interculture est souvent evoquee pour lutter contre les inondations boueuses que connaissent les plaines limoneuse du nord-ouest de l'europe. Pour aller dans ce sens nous approfondissons la caracterisation des etats du milieu a l'origine du ruissellement et de l'erosion diffuse des parcelles en interculture ainsi que le classement, par rapport au ruissellement et a l'erosion diffuse, des pratiques inter-culturales. Nous definissons 5 itineraires techniques inter-culturaux, representatifs de la diversite agricole regionale et contrastes quant aux comportements attendus pour le ruissellement et l'erosion diffuse. Les itineraires techniques sont testes, deux annees de suite, sous pluies naturelles, sur des surfaces de 20 m#2. Pour accroitre la gamme des etats testes nous faisons aussi varier les etats a la recolte (couverture du sol par les residus et etat structural de l'horizon anthropique). Par une methode de regression lineaire multiple, nous montrons que les variables proposees expliquent plus de 50% de la variabilite des resultats de ruissellement par sequence pluvieuse. En revanche, les resultats sont moins bons pour les departs de terre. Sur la duree de l'interculture, nous caracterisons chaque itineraire technique par la succession des etats du sol obtenus sous l'action conjuguee des techniques culturales et du climat. Nous identifions ainsi des trajectoires d'etats distinctes pour les 5 itineraires techniques testes. Les differences de trajectoires d'etats entre itineraires techniques se traduisent par des differences de courbe de cumul de ruissellement et d'erosion diffuse. Le rapport des valeurs extremes obtenues pour les differentes situations culturales est voisin de 10 pour le ruissellement et de 50 pour les departs de terre. Le classement final des itineraires techniques est relativement stable pour les deux annees d'essai. Ce classement montre que le ruissellement et l'erosion diffuse ne sont pas systematiquement correles. Des mesures complementaires effectuees sur de plus grandes longueurs indiquent que le classement obtenu sur les parcelles de 20 m#2 ne semble pas etre modifie par la longueur de pente.
Mitogen-activated Protein (MAP) Kinase Is Regulated by the MAP Kinase Phosphatase (MKP-1) in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Angiotensin II stimulates hypertrophic growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and activates many growth-promoting kinases such as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. A novel transcriptionally regulated phosphatase, MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), is induced by angiotensin II in VSMC and selectively dephosphorylates MAP kinase in vitro. Using actinomycin D and antisense oligonucleotides targeted to MKP-1, we demonstrate that MKP-1 regulates MAP kinase in VSMC. Both actinomycin D and MKP-1 antisense oligonucleotides inhibited MKP-1 mRNA expression and caused prolonged activation of the p42 and p44 MAP kinases as measured by in-gel-kinase assays and Western blot. For example, MAP kinase activity 120 min after angiotensin II treatment was 30% (range 25-35%), 79%, and 74% of maximum in control, actinomycin D-treated (3 μg/ml, 30 min), and antisense oligonucleotide-treated (300 nM, 6 h) cells, respectively. A sense oligonucleotide was without effect (34%). MKP-1 antisense oligonucleotides did not affect the activity of MEK indicating that sustained activation of MAP kinase was due to inhibition of MKP-1 expression. These findings demonstrate that inactivation of MAP kinase by angiotensin II is mediated predominantly by MKP-1, suggesting an important role for MKP-1 and other related phosphatases in the regulation of MAP kinases in VSMC.
Sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA genes among isolates of Ascaridia galli originating from Guangdong, Hunan and Yunnan provinces, China

Abstract The present study examined sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 (cox3) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 4 (nad1 and nad4), among Ascaridia galli isolates from different geographical localities in China. A portion of cox3 (pcox3), nad1 (pnad1) and nad4 (pnad4) genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) separately from adult A. galli individuals and the amplicons were subjected to sequencing from both directions. The length of the sequences of pcox3, pnad1 and pnad4 were 408 bp, 471 bp and 333 bp, respectively. The intraspecific sequence variations within A. galli were 0–1.7% for pcox3, 0–2.8% for pnad1 and 0–3.4% for pnad4. The A+T contents of the sequences were 67.16–67.65% (pcox3), 67.09–67.94% (pnad1) and 69.91–71.77% (pnad4). The interspecific sequence differences among members of the Ascaridida were significantly higher, being 13.2–30.9%, 12.8–29.0% and 15.1–34.1% for pcox3, pnad1 and pnad4, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using combined sequences of pcox3, pnad1 and pnad4, with three different computational algorithms (Bayesian analysis, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony), all revealed distinct groups with high statistical support. These findings demonstrated the existence of intraspecific variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences among A. galli isolates from different geographical regions in China, and have implications for studying molecular epidemiology and population genetics of A. galli.
In vitro binding of human T-cell leukemia virus rex proteins to the rex-response element of viral transcripts

Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-I, HTLV-II) rex protein function is required for the cytoplasmic expression of incompletely spliced viral transcripts encoding structural proteins. The effect is mediated by a cis-acting rex-response element (RRX) which is located near the 3' end of all viral mRNAs. We show that rex polypeptides of HTLV-I and HTLV-II expressed in Escherichia coli are capable of specifically binding RRX-containing transcripts of both viruses in cell-free assays. Binding analyses with deletion variants of rex proteins revealed a domain with RNA-binding activity in the first 77 N-terminal amino acids. Removal of a basic peptide of 19 amino acids from the N terminus abrogated RNA binding, whereas a beta-galactosidase fusion protein containing this peptide bound to the RRX. These results suggest that direct binding of rex protein to the RRX is important for rex-mediated regulation of viral gene expression and that a short stretch of positively charged amino acids contributes to the specific binding of rex to its target RNA.
Molecular analysis of myocilin and optineurin genes in Korean primary glaucoma patients

To investigate the underlying genetic influences of primary glaucoma in Korea, molecular analysis was performed in 112 sporadic cases, and results compared with healthy controls. The myocilin (MYOC) and optineurin (OPTN) genes were directly sequenced in 112 unrelated patients, including 17 with primary open-angle glaucoma, 19 with juvenile open-angle glaucoma, and 76 with normal tension glaucoma. Healthy unrelated Korean individuals (n=100) were used as the non-selected population control. A total of three MYOC and four OPTN variants potentially associated with primary glaucoma were identified in 4 and 18 patients, respectively. A novel variant of MYOC, p.Leu255Pro, was predicted to be potentially pathogenic by in silico analysis. Another, p.Thr353Ile, has been previously reported. These two missense variants were detected in patients with a family history of glaucoma. Combined heterozygous variants p.[Thr123=;Ile288=] were identified in 2 of 112 (2%) patients but not in healthy controls. Among OPTN variants, a novel variant p.Arg271Cys was identified. Homozygous p.[Thr34=;Thr34=] (4/112, 4%), homozygous p.[Met98Lys;Met98Lys] (4/112, 4%), or combined heterozygous p.[Thr34=;Arg545Gln] (9/112, 8%) was significantly associated with the development of primary glaucoma [odds ratio (OR)=8.768, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.972–38.988; relative risk=1.818, 95% CI=1.473–2.244; P=0.001]. The present study provides insight into the genetic or haplotype variants of MYOC and OPTN genes contributing to primary glaucoma. Haplotype variants identified in the present study may be regarded as potential contributing factors of primary glaucoma in Korea. Further studies, including those on additional genes, are required to elucidate the underlying pathogenic mechanism using a larger cohort to provide additional statistical power.
Year : 2009 Reorganization and Preservation of Motor Control of the Brain in Spinal Cord Injury : A Systematic Review

Reorganization of brain function in patients with CNS damage has been identified as one of the fundamental mechanisms involved in the recovery of sensori-motor function. Spinal cord injury (SCI) brain mapping studies during motor tasks aim for assessing the reorganization and preservation of brain networks involved in motor control. Revealing the activation of cortical and sub-cortical brain areas in patients with SCI can indicate principal patterns of brain reorganization when the neurotrauma is distal to the brain. This review assessed brain activation after SCI in terms of intensity, volume, and somatotopic localization, as well as preservation of activation during attempted and/or imagined movements. Twenty-five studies meeting the inclusion criteria could be identified in MEDLINE (1980 to January 2008). Relevant characteristics of studies (level of lesion, time after injury, motor task) and mapping techniques varied widely. Changes in brain activation were found in both cortical and subcortical areas of SCI subjects. In addition, several studies described a shift in the region of brain activation. These patterns appeared to be dynamic and influenced by the level, completeness and time after injury, as well as extent of clinical recovery. In addition, several aspects of reorganization of brain function following SCI resembled those reported in stroke. This review demonstrates that brain networks involved in different demands of motor control remain responsive even in chronic paralysis. These findings imply that therapeutic strategies aiming for restoring spinal cord function even in chronic SCI can build on a preserved competent brain control. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2008. 0688 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-20965 Originally published at: Kokotilo, K J; Eng, J; Curt, A (2009). Reorganization and Preservation of Motor Control of the Brain in Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. Journal of Neurotrauma, 26(11):2113-2126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2008. 0688