Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Urea Concentration on Growth of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-Strain Mycoplasma)

The effect of urea on growth of Ureaplasma urealyticum type VIII was studied by cultivating the organisms in a dialysate broth, prepared from soy peptone and autoclaved yeast, supplemented with 5% dialyzed horse serum, 100 mM 2-(N-morpholino)ethane sulfonic acid buffer (pH 5.75), and defined amounts of urea. Without urea, growth did not occur. Total growth was directly related to urea concentration. The least amount of urea that supported growth was 0.032 mM, which resulted in 3 × 104 colony-forming units per ml. The maximum yield of organisms, 8.0 × 107 colony-forming units per ml, was observed at 32 mM urea. Growth was limited not only by urea concentration, but also by the buffer capacity of the medium. The maximum amount of 2-(N-morpholino)ethane sulfonic acid buffer that could be employed was 100 mM; at higher concentrations, growth was inhibited. The yield of U. urealyticum was small even in medium with 32 mM urea and 100 mM 2-(N-morpholino)ethane sulfonic acid buffer: 0.63 mg of protein per liter of culture containing 5 × 1010 total colony-forming units. The molar growth yield was 20 mg of protein per mol of urea. The growth rate was also a function of urea concentration. Generation times ranged from 8 h at 0.032 mM urea to 1.6 h at 3.2 mM urea, where the substrate level was saturating. The Ks value for growth was 2.0 × 10−4 M urea. Thus, urea is a growth-limiting factor for U. urealyticum, but remarkably large amounts of this substrate are required.
Effects of vitamin E and fat supplementation on concentration of vitamin E in plasma and milk of sows and in plasma of piglets.

Twenty-seven (Yorkshire) gilts, on a corn-soybean diet up to 57 d of gestation, were assigned to 3 treatment groups. Group 1 received no fat, Group 2 were supplemented with 5% tallow and Group 3 with 5% fish oil. Each group was supplemented with 0.1 ppm Se and 22, 44 or 88 IU of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg of feed. Samples of gilts' blood were taken at 57, 78 and 99 days of gestation, parturition, 14 and 28 d later. Similarly, first colostrum and milk (14 and 28 days postpartum) were sampled. Blood samples were also taken from the newborn piglets and at 14 and 28 d post natally. Increasing gilts' dietary vitamin E concentrations during gestation and lactation increased alpha-tocopherol levels in the plasma (P < 0.05). No statistical difference was observed (P > 0.05) in gilts' plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration at any blood sampling time among dietary fat treatments. Dietary fat did not affect alpha-tocopherol concentrations in colostrum or milk (P > 0.05). Overall the effect of vitamin E supplementation was linear in the milk at 14 and 28 d of sampling. The level of alpha-tocopherol in the colostrum was much higher than in milk. At birth piglet tocopherol concentrations were very low, perhaps because little tocopherol crosses the placental barrier. At day 14 piglet plasma tocopherol concentrations increased about 4-fold (P < 0.01) with a tendency for a greater concentration in piglets sucking gilts receiving higher levels of alpha-tocopherol. Dietary effects were not found to be significant (P > 0.05).
Peritoneal Sclerosis: One or Two Nosological Entities?

The frequency, pathology, animal models, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria, therapy and prevention of peritoneal sclerosis are reviewed. Many of these aspects have a bimodal configuration which suggests that peritoneal sclerosis, usually considered a single pathology in peritoneal dialysis, is actually two distinct nosological entities: simple sclerosis and sclerosing peritonitis. The former is very frequent, with minor anatomical alterations and low clinical impact; it is reproducible in animals by means of peritoneal dialysis, and is clearly due to the poor biocompatibility of peritoneal dialysis solutions. The latter is rare, with radical anatomical alterations and high mortality requiring valid methods of diagnosis, therapy and prevention; it can only be reproduced in animal models by means other than peritoneal dialysis and seems to be due to factors both related and unrelated to peritoneal dialysis.
Methodological Aspects of Focus Groups in Health Research

Although focus groups are commonly used in health research to explore the perspectives of patients or health care professionals, few studies consider methodological aspects in this specific context. For this reason, we interviewed nine researchers who had conducted focus groups in the context of a project devoted to the development of an electronic personal health record. We performed qualitative content analysis on the interview data relating to recruitment, communication between the focus group participants, and appraisal of the focus group method. The interview data revealed aspects of the focus group method that are particularly relevant for health research and that should be considered in that context. They include, for example, the preferability of face-to-face recruitment, the necessity to allow participants in patient groups sufficient time to introduce themselves, and the use of methods such as participant-generated cards and prioritization.
Analysis of the mechanism of lipoprotein(a) assembly

We have assessed the ability of a battery of purified recombinant apolipoprotein(a) (r‐apo(a)) derivatives to bind to immobilized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) by ELISA. Removal of the apo(a) kringle IV type 8 and type 9 sequences dramatically reduced apo(a) binding to LDL. The binding of apo(a) to LDL was effectively inhibited by arginine, lysine, the lysine analogue ε‐aminocaproic acid and proline; comparable inhibition was observed using the 17K and KIV5–8 r‐apo(a) derivatives, suggesting a direct role for sequences contained in the latter species in mediating the initial non‐covalent interactions which precede specific disulfide bond formation. We also determined that r‐apo(a) binds directly to a synthetic apoB peptide spanning amino acid residues 3732–3745; this interaction appeared to be mediated by sequences present in apo(a) kringle IV types 8 and 9, and could be inhibited by arginine, lysine and proline. The results of this study indicate that the efficiency of Lp(a) assembly is a direct function of the initial non‐covalent interactions between apo(a) and LDL; in addition, these studies suggest that Cys3734 in apoB mediates covalent linkage with apo(a) by virtue of the ability of the apoB sequences surrounding this residue to directly interact with apo(a) KIV type 9.
The changing landscape of surgery for Parkinson's Disease

Neurosurgical interventions have been used to treat PD for over a century. We examined the changing landscape of surgery for PD to appraise the value of various procedures in the context of advances in our understanding and technology. We assessed the number of articles published on neurosurgical procedures for PD over time as an albeit imprecise surrogate for their usage level. We identified over 8,000 publications associated with PD surgery. Over half the publications were on DBS. The field of DBS for PD showed a rapid rise in articles, but is now in a steady state. Thalamotomy and, to a lesser extent, pallidotomy follow a biphasic publication distribution with peaks approximately 30 years apart. Articles on gene therapy and transplantation experienced initial rapid rises and significant recent declines. Procedures using novel technologies, including gamma knife and focused ultrasound, are emerging, but are yet to have significant impact as measured by publication numbers. Pallidotomy and thalamotomy are prominent examples of procedures that were popular, declined, and re‐emerged and redeclined. Transplantation and gene therapy have never broken into clinical practice. DBS overtook all procedures as the dominant surgical intervention and drove widespread use of surgery for PD. Notwithstanding, the number of DBS articles appears to have plateaued. As advances continue, emerging treatments may compete with DBS in the future. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Rescuing Melanoma Epitope-Specific Cytolytic T Lymphocytes from Activation-Induced Cell Death, by SP600125, an Inhibitor of JNK: Implications in Cancer Immunotherapy1

Activation-induced cell death (AICD) as well as programmed cell death (PCD) serve to control the expansion of activated T cells to limit untoward side effects of continued effector responses by T cells and to maintain homeostasis. AICD of T cells in tumor immunotherapy can be counterproductive particularly if the activated T cells undergo apoptotic death after the very first secondary encounter of the specific epitope. We examined the extent to which tumor epitope-specific CTLs that are activated and expanded in an in vitro-matured dendritic cell-based primary stimulation protocol undergo AICD following their first secondary encounter of the cognate epitope. Using the MART-127–35 epitope as a prototype vaccine epitope, we also examined whether these CTLs could be rescued from AICD. Our results demonstrate that a substantial fraction of MART-127–35 epitope-specific primary CTLs undergo AICD upon the very first secondary encounter of the cognate epitope. The AICD in these CTLs is neither caspase dependent nor is it triggered by the extrinsic death signaling pathways (Fas, TNFR, etc.). These CTLs, interestingly, could be rescued from AICD by the JNK inhibitor, SP600125. We also found that SP600125 interferes with their IFN-γ response but does not block their cytolytic function. The rescued CTLs, however, regain their capacity to synthesize IFN-γ if continued in culture without the inhibitor. These observations have implications in tumor immunotherapy and in further studies for regulation of AICD in CTLs.
Vegetación de los Andes áridos del norte de Chile

Se realiza un estudio de la vegetacion del Altiplano y Puna aridos de Chile (24-25o S) utilizando la metodologia fitosociologica deBraun-Blanquet. Se proponen nuevos limites altitudinales de los pisos de vegetacion en este territorio: supratropical (3.400-3.800 m), orotropical (3.800-4.200 m), criorotropical (4.200-4.700 m), atermico (> 4.700 m). Como resultado del analisis fitosociologico, fueron reconocidas las siguientes grandes unidades floristicas de vegetacion: Ambrosio artemisioidis-Atriplicion imbricatae all. nov. (matorrales deserticos), Calamagrostietea vicunarum Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (pajonales y matorrales bajos xeromorficos), Anthochloo lepidulae-Dielsiochloetea floribundae Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (vegetacion de roquedales y suelos con solifluxion) y, Plantagini rigidae-Distichietea muscoidis Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (vegas y bofedales alto-andinos). Se identificaron doce asociaciones floristicas, cada una de las cuales se describe en terminos de su composicion especifica, fisionomia general, distribucion geografica, rango altitudinal y condiciones ambientales. El area de estudio se encuentra en una zona de transicion climatica. No obstante, la hipotesis de una consecuente transicion floristica no se ve sustentada, puesto que la flora y vegetacion del area de estudio revela fuertes afinidades con el elemento andino subtropical, y no con el elemento andino mediterraneo.
Effects of Diacetoxyscirpenol and Fusaric Acid on Poults: Individual and Combined Effects of Dietary Diacetoxyscirpenol and Fusaric Acid on Turkey Poult Performance

Turkey poults were randomly placed in batteries and fed one of four dietary treatments: control (C); control plus 4ppm diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS); control plus 300ppm Fusaric Acid (FA); and control plus 4ppm DAS and 300ppm FA (FD). There were 10 poults per pen with 6 replicate pens per treatment. Individual BW, BW gains (BWG) and feed consumption by pen were determined at d6, d12, and d18. Period and cumulative feed to gain were calculated. Mouth lesions were scored for treatments at d18. On d18 poults were euthanized for determination of organ weights and jejunal histomorphometrics. FA had no effect on BW or BWG at any period compared to C. Poults fed FD had reduced BW and BWG compared to C, while poults fed DAS had lower BW than all treatments at every period. Poults fed FA or C had better feed to gain (P<0.05) than poults fed DAS or FD at d6. There were no differences among the treatments at d12 or d18. Poults fed FA had significantly lower relative intestine wt than poults fed the other diets, and significantly higher relative bursa wt at d18 when compared to poults fed DAS or FD. DAS, FA and FD altered intestinal architecture. Poults fed DAS or FD had higher mouth lesion scores than poults fed FA or C, but mouth lesion scores in DAS and FD poults were not different from each other. Dietary DAS resulted in decreased poult performance, while dietary FA had little or no effect. Fusaric acid fed in combination with DAS resulted in some protective effect towards DAS.
Efficiency of a third serial sputum smear examination in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Moldova and Uganda.

SETTING Twenty-four and 30 tuberculosis (TB) microscopy laboratories in Moldova and Uganda, respectively. OBJECTIVE To estimate the workload required to identify one additional case of TB with a third serial sputum smear examination. METHODS Retrospective laboratory register study to determine the prevalence and the incremental yield of TB cases from a third serial sputum smear examination among suspects in Moldova and Uganda, with the reciprocal of the product of these two fractions providing the number of examinations required to identify one additional TB case. RESULTS In Moldova, 9% (1141/12525) and in Uganda 20% (7280/36054) of suspects met the TB case definition with at least one positive sputum smear. The incremental yield from the third examination was 4% in Moldova and 3% in Uganda. To detect one additional TB case on a third smear, 273 examinations (95%CI 200-389) in Moldova and 175 (95%CI 153-222) in Uganda were thus required. This corresponded to an average of 11 days (8-16) and 7 days (6-9), respectively, to diagnose one additional case of TB. CONCLUSION In both countries, the third serial sputum smear examination was inefficient in diagnosing sputum smear-positive TB.
Detectionof a 2-Macroglobulin-AssociatedProteasesin the Plasmaof Patientswith RheumatoidArthritis

In previouswork a polyclonalB cellactivatorhas been detectedinthe serum of patientswith rheumatoidarthritis (RA). This activatoris associatedwith a2-macroglobulin (a2M)and itsactivity isblockedby lOWMr trypsininhibitors, which suggests thatitmay be a protease-a2M complex. Here we determinedthe possibility of developinga routine clinical chemistry test for detection of this complex in patients’ blood. We measured with chromogenic substrates the total proteolytic activity of citrated plasma and of the a2M immunoabsorbed from plasma. Low-Mr substratescontaining Arg were degraded much better by plasma from RA patientsthan by plasma from patientswith other arthritides. LOWMr substrates containing Leu, Lys, or Gly or the large-Mr substrateAzocoll were not degraded by RA patients’ plasma. a2M from RA patients’ plasma attached to a solid-phase immunoabsorbent degraded an Arg-containing tripeptide much betterthan did the a2M from normal donors,from patientswithsystemiclupuserythematosus,or from those withjointinflammationof other,“non-autoimmune” origin. Althoughthe enzyme associatedwitha2M in the plasma from RA patients appeared to be similar to trypsin, the differences in optimal pH, cation concentration, degradation of Lyscontaining substrates, and biological activity suggest otherwise. We speculate that the a2M-protease complexes are generated in the immune system and contribute to the inflammatory and autoimmune phenomena in RA.
Effective use of the TSPY gene-specific copy number in determining fetal DNA in the maternal blood of cynomolgus monkeys.

Since the available concentration of single-copy fetal genes in maternal blood DNA is sometimes lower than detection limits by PCR methods, the development of specific and quantitative PCR detection methods for fetal DNA in maternal blood is anticipated, which may broaden the methods that can be used to monitor pregnancy. We used the TaqMan qPCR amplification for DYS14 multi-copy sequence and the SRY gene in maternal blood plasma (cell-free DNA) and fractional precipitated blood cells (cellular DNA) from individual cynomolgus monkeys at 22 weeks of pregnancy. The availability of cell-free fetal DNA was higher in maternal blood plasma than that of cellular DNA from fractional precipitated blood cells. There was a significantly higher (P < 0.001) mean copy number of fetal male DYS14 from maternal plasma (4.4 × 10(4) copies/mL) than that of detected fetal cellular DNA from fractional blood cell pellets. The sensitivity of the DYS14 PCR assay was found to be higher than that of the SRY assay for the detection of fetal DNA when its presence was at a minimum. The DYS14 assay is an improved method for quantifying male fetal DNA in circulating maternal blood in the primate model.
Archaeology and Bantu linguistics

Abstract The archaeological evidence for the spread and development of the Iron Age in eastern and southern Africa is re‐examined, and two distinct streams are recognized in the Early Iron Age Industrial Complex. The inception of the later Iron Age in most of this region is shown to have taken place around the eleventh century A.D., and a marked degree of similarity is noted in the later Iron Age industries from northern Zambia southwards. This picture is compatible in many respects with that of the spread and development of the Bantu languages, particularly as described by C. Ehret. It is suggested, however, that Ehret is mistaken in several important points, notably with regard to chronology and the part played by speakers of Sudanic languages in the spread of Iron Age culture to south‐central Africa. In conclusion, archaeological and linguistic evidence is used to produce a provisional outline of the Iron Age history of eastern and southern Africa.
Sexual function: a comparison between male renal transplant recipients and hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION For all the studies into the sexual health of kidney transplant recipients, there is a paucity of controlled studies regarding the difference in the sexual relationship of kidney transplant recipients and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients under hemodialysis. AIM We compared the sexual function of kidney transplant recipients and ESRD patients under hemodialysis in male patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The patients' sexual function was assessed using the Relationship and Sexuality Scale. METHOD In this case-controlled study, 89 male renal transplant recipients and 25 male hemodialysis patients were randomly selected from the outpatient clinic of Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2006. The two groups were not significantly different in terms of age, living place, level of education, duration of ESRD (months), ESRD cause, and somatic comorbidities (Ifudu index). RESULTS The renal transplant patients in comparison with the hemodialysis group reported a better overall sexual relationship (17.3 +/- 0.6 vs. 21.6 +/- 1.4; P = 0.001), and all subscales including sexual function (9.9 +/- 0.3 vs. 11.4 +/- 0.6; P = 0.03), sexual frequency (6.3 +/- 0.3 vs. 7.4 +/- 0.6; P = 0.04), and sexual fear (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.5; P = 0.001). In addition, kidney recipients had significantly more sexual intercourse in a 2-week period prior to the study (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS In our male population, kidney transplant recipients, in comparison with the ESRD patients under hemodialysis, reported a better sexual relationship.
Effects and mechanisms of angiotensin II receptor blockade with telmisartan in a normotensive model of mesangioproliferative nephritis.

BACKGROUND Renoprotective actions of angiotensin receptor blockers are not well established in normotensive, low-grade proteinuric glomerular diseases. We examined the effect of low-dose telmisartan (LT) and high-dose telmisartan (HT) versus conventional antihypertensive therapy in the rat anti-Thy1.1 model of glomerulonephritis. METHODS Rats were randomized on Day 4 after disease induction to no treatment (CT, control), LT or HT or hydrochlorothiazide + hydralazine (HCT + H). RESULTS All rats remained normotensive: HT and HCT + H reduced blood pressure by 15-20%. LT, HT and HCT + H reduced glomerular endothelial cell proliferation and glomerular and interstitial matrix deposition on Day 14. Only HT reduced podocyte damage and tubular cell dedifferentiation on Day 9 and mesangial cell activation on Day 14. By gene expression analysis arrays, we identified discs-large homolog 1 and angiopoietin-like 4 as potential mediators of the HT effects. In addition, we identified several pathways possibly related to the pleiotropic effects of HT, including growth factor signalling, mammalian target of rapamycin signalling, protein ubiquitination, the Wnt-beta catenin pathway and hypoxia signaling. CONCLUSIONS In summary, treatment with HT, initiated after the induction of disease, ameliorates glomerular and tubulointerstitial damage. We provide the first comprehensive insight into the mechanisms underlying the renoprotective effect of high-dose angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Our study lays the basis for future investigations on novel pathways affected by ARBs in renal disease.
Halothane-verapamil causes regional myocardial dysfunction in the dog.

Regional myocardial function was studied using sonomicrometry in six mongrel dogs, anaesthetized with halothane (1% inspired), as increasing doses of verapamil were given i.v. In addition to a gradual increase in end-diastolic length and a reduction in systolic shortening, an abnormal (paradoxical) contraction pattern appeared in the apical region. This occurred in the absence of coronary artery damage and at coronary perfusion pressures unlikely to result in ischaemia. Administration of verapamil in the presence of halothane results in regional dysfunction similar to that caused by the intracoronary administration of nifedipine.
Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Metastasis to Axillary Lymph Nodes

Purpose: Clinical and pathologic prognostic factors do not always accurately predict disease outcome. Patients with early-stage breast cancer may harbor clinically significant but undetected systemic disease. We hypothesized that a multimarker quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT) assay could detect circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients with early-stage breast cancer and correlate with sentinel lymph node (SLN) and non-SLN metastasis status. Experimental Design: Blood samples from 90 women with the American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I to III breast cancer and 39 age-matched normal healthy volunteers were assessed by qRT for mRNA expression of three markers: stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1), N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNacT), and melanoma antigen gene family-A3 (MAGE-A3). CTC biomarker detection was correlated with overall axillary LN (ALN), SLN, and non-SLN histopathology status. Results: CTCs were detected in 39 of 90 (43%) patients, but not in normal volunteers. At least one CTC biomarker was detected in 10 of 35 (29%) stage I patients, 19 of 42 (45%) stage II patients, and 10 of 13 (77%) stage III patients. In multivariate analysis, only lymphovascular invasion and ≥2 CTC biomarkers detected significantly correlated with ALN metastasis [odds ratio (OR), 12.42; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 3.52-43.77, P < 0.0001; and OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.69-8.89, P = 0.001, respectively]. The number of CTC biomarkers detected similarly correlated with SLN and non-SLN metastasis status (P = 0.0004). At least one CTC biomarker was detected in 10 of 11 (91%) patients with non-SLN metastases. Conclusion: The detection of CTCs offers a novel means to assess the presence of systemic disease spreading relative to SLN and ALN histopathology status.