Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of calpain and caspase systems activities during ageing of two bovine muscles by degradation patterns of αII spectrin and PARP-1.

The activities of calpain and caspase systems during ageing in Longissimus lumborum (LL) and Infraspinatus (IS) muscles of Italian Simmental young bulls (Bos taurus) were assessed. Samples from 10 animals were collected within 20 min of exsanguination (T0), after 48 h (T1) and 7 days (T2) post mortem. Calpain and caspase activity were evaluated based on the formation of αII spectrin cleavage products of 145 kDa (SBDP145) and 120 kDa (SBDP120), respectively. Caspase activity was also assessed by the presence of poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) cleavage product. At T0, LL showed higher levels of SBDP145 than IS (P < 0.01), while SBDP120 and PARP-1 degradation products were similar between muscles. At T1, no difference was found in the level of SBDP145 between muscles, while SBDP120 and PARP-1 cleavage products were not detected. At T2 neither αII spectrin nor PARP-1 cleavage products were found. LL and IS showed different proteolysis after slaughter that was influenced more by calpain than caspase activity, which was detectable only in the early post mortem period.
Does tamsulosin facilitate expulsion of distal ureteric calculus following lithotripsy?

The authors in this randomized control trial have investigated whether addition of tamsulosin can facilitate clearance of distal ureteric stone following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). [1] Sixty-one consecutive patients (38 men and 23 women) with single distal radiopaque ureteral calculus of 6 mm or more in diameter were enrolled. To reach a 0.8 power in the study, it was estimated that for a signiÞ cance level (α) of 0.05 and effect size of 0.35, a sample size of 64 patients was required. The differences between the two groups were tested using the χ2-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. The analysis was done on intension to treat basis. After ESWL they were randomized into two groups. Nonsteroidal antiinß ammatory drug (diclofenac 50 mg) was given to both the groups upon demand. In addition, all the patients in group B (n = 30) received once a day tamsulosin (0.4 mg). Follow-up visits were performed at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after ESWL, evaluation included a plain X-ray KUB and an ultrasound. EfÞ cacy of tamsulosin was evaluated in terms of success rate, stone-free rate, time to expulsion of fragments, and use of diclofenac. Two patients from the tamsulosin group experienced dizziness and one withdrew from the study. The success rate was 58 and 67% for the control and the tamsulosin group, respectively. The stone-free rate was 52 and 63%, respectively. The mean time to expulsion of the fragments was 13.22 days in group A and 12.95 days in group B. The success rate, stone free rate, and time to expulsion of fragments were not statistically signiÞ cant (P > 0.05). The mean diclofenac dose was 119 mg in group A and 57 mg in group B which was statistically signiÞ cant (P = 0.02). Despite the relatively small number of patients, authors clearly showed that tamsulosin following ESWL in this speciÞ c subgroup of patients did not result in improved success and stone-free rate. In contrast, a signiÞ cantly reduced need for analgesics was found.
Sustained ELABELA Gene Therapy in High-salt Diet-induced Hypertensive Rats.

BACKGROUND Elabela (ELA) is a recently identified apelin receptor agonist essential for cardiac development, but its biology and therapeutic potential are unclear. In humans, ELA transcripts are detected in embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, kidney, heart and blood vessels. ELA through the apelin (APJ) receptor promotes angiogenesis in vitro, relaxes murine aortic blood vessels and attenuates high blood pressure in vivo. The APJ receptor when bound to its original ligand, apelin, exerts peripheral vasodilatory and positive inotropic effects, conferring cardioprotection in vivo. METHODS This study initially assessed endogenous ELA expression in normal and diseased rats and then characterized the effects of long-term ELA gene delivery by adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vectors on cardiorenal function in Dahl salt-sensitive rats (DS) on a high-salt diet over 3 months. RESULTS Endogenous ELA was predominantly expressed in the kidneys, especially in the renal collecting duct cells and was not affected by disease. Rat ELA was overexpressed in the heart via AAV9 vector by a single intravenous injection. ELA-treated animals showed delayed onset of blood pressure elevation. Prior to high-salt diet, a reduction in the fractional sodium and chloride excretion was observed in rats given the AAV9-ELA vector. After three months on a high-salt diet, ELA preserved glomerular architecture, decreased renal fibrosis and suppressed expression of fibrosis-associated genes in the kidneys. CONCLUSION ELA is constitutively expressed in renal collecting ducts in rats. Sustained AAV-ELA expression may offer a potential long-term therapy for hypertension and renal remodeling.
Different Patterns of DNA Fragmentation and Degradation of Nuclear Matrix Proteins during Apoptosis Induced by Radiation, Hyperthermia or Etoposide1

Abstract Dynlacht, J. R. , Roberts, Z. V. , Earles, M. , Henthorn, J. and Seno, J. D. Different Patterns of DNA Fragmentation and Degradation of Nuclear Matrix Proteins during Apoptosis Induced by Radiation, Hyperthermia or Etoposide. Several nuclear matrix proteins are substrates for proteolytic cleavage during apoptosis. Using Western blotting, the temporal patterns of cleavage of three nuclear matrix proteins (lamin B, NUMA and the nucleoporin TPR) were compared in HL60 cells induced to undergo apoptosis after irradiation, heat shock or treatment with etoposide. Flow cytometry was used to compare the kinetics of post-cleavage degradation of lamin B, NUMA and TPR after irradiation, and to correlate DNA fragmentation with protein degradation in cells induced to undergo apoptosis with different agents. During radiation-induced apoptosis, cleavage and subsequent degradation of lamin B, NUMA and TPR occurred with different kinetics. Low-molecular-weight DNA fragmentation occurred subsequent to the initiation of NUMA cleavage, coincided with lamin B cleavage, but occurred before more extensive degradation of lamin B and NUMA. A similar sequence was observed for cells treated with etoposide. However, during heat-induced apoptosis, cleavage of lamin B and NUMA occurred much sooner compared to other agents, with NUMA cleaved into multiple fragments within 15 min after heating. We conclude that the hierarchical sequence and kinetics of degradative events contributing to nuclear disassembly during apoptosis are highly dependent on the inducing agent. Furthermore, the nuclear pore complex, like the nuclear lamina and internal nuclear matrix, is a target for proteolytic cleavage.
Impact of age at onset and duration of illness on the expression of comorbidities in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients usually experience comorbidities including tics, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder, and mood and anxiety disorders. The present report verifies how age at onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and duration of illness are associated with comorbid diagnoses in OCD patients. METHOD Psychiatric comorbidity was assessed using a structured clinical interview in 161 consecutive outpatients referred for treatment between 1996 and 2001 who met DSM-IV criteria for OCD. Age at onset and duration of illness were retrospectively assessed by direct interviews. RESULTS An earlier age at onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms was associated with tic disorders, while longer illness duration was associated with depressive disorder (major depressive disorder or dysthymia) and social phobia. CONCLUSION Age at onset and duration of OCD illness are meaningful variables affecting the expression of comorbidities in OCD. Tic disorders and OCD may share common etiologic pathways. Depressive disorders, in contrast, may be secondary complications of OCD.
Comorbidity and Impact of Chronic Spinal Pain in Nigeria

Study Design. A cross-sectional survey of households selected using multistage stratified sampling. Objective. This paper investigates the prevalence of chronic spinal pain, its profile of comorbidity, and its impact on role disability in Nigeria. Summary of Background Data. Study was conducted in 21 states representing 57% of the national population. A probability sample (n = 2143) was interviewed. Methods. Self-reports of chronic spinal pain, other pain conditions, as well as comorbid medical conditions were obtained. Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 3, was used to evaluate mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Functional role impairment was assessed with questions about days out of role. Results. Chronic spinal pain was present in 16.4% (95% confidence interval, 14.5%–18.5%) of the sample. Prevalence increased with age of respondents, with 1 in 3 persons 60 years of age and older reporting chronic spinal pain. Persons with chronic spinal pain were at elevated risk to have chronic pain at other anatomic sites, to have a range of medical comorbidities, and to have mood and substance use disorders. Even though about one third of the decrement in functional role performance associated with chronic pain condition was attributable to demographics and comorbid conditions, chronic spinal pain was independently associated with significant role impairment. Conclusion. Chronic spinal pain is a common problem in the Nigerian community, and persons 60 years of age and older may be at particularly elevated risk. Chronic spinal pain is associated with increased probability of comorbid physical and mental disorders. These comorbid conditions partly but do not fully explain the disability associated with chronic spinal pain, which therefore constitutes a substantial health burden on the society.
Effects of Approximation and Close-Fitting Technique of Corona Model on Neon Soft X-Ray Emission in 3-kJ Plasma Focus

In plasma focus (PF), the thermodynamic parameters such as ion fraction α, effective ionic charge number Zeff, and effective specific heat ratio y at different temperatures may be calculated by corona model (CM). In the Lee model code, the neon Zeff and y are stored in subroutines using convenient tables and polynomials derived from the CM (we call this approach approximated CM). In this paper, the thermodynamic parameters of the CM are close fitted to the data, thus replacing the approximate CM data with a more accurate close-fitting CM (CFCM). The comparisons of the Lee model code using the approximated CM and CFCM subroutines are conducted, with the main emphasis on optimum neon soft X-ray (SXR) emission and their properties. The suitable focus pinch temperature window of 200-500 eV is applied to generate the optimum neon SXR yield (Ysxr). The optimum neon Ysxr is found to be 3.19 and 3.49 J at the optimum pressure P0 = 3.1 torr with approximated CM and CFCM subroutines, respectively. A high optimum value of SXR yield is obtained using CFCM subroutines in the Lee model, which is nearer to the experimental value compared with the approximated CM subroutines. The use of CFCM in the Lee model contributes to better estimation for further numerical experiment studies and gives confidence that the model is sufficiently realistic in describing the PF dynamics and SXR emission.
[Italian cardiologists and tobacco smoking. A survey on the prevalence and knowledge of smoking and strategies for smoking cessation in a cohort of Italian cardiologists].

BACKGROUND Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death. Its cessation is the most cost-effective strategy for reducing long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although both healthcare professionals and the general population are aware of the detrimental effects of smoking on health, more than 25% of Italians are current smokers. Recent surveys showed that almost 50% of smoker patients relapse to smoke after having been discharged for acute coronary syndrome. Physicians who smoke may be a barrier for effective cessation interventions. Thus, it is important to assess cardiologists' attitude toward smoking habits and the implementation of smoking cessation programs. METHODS The survey "Italian cardiologists and smoking habits" has been held in 2013 during the 44° National Congress of the Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO) to assess cardiologists' smoking status, their level of knowledge about smoking cessation interventions and their involvement in the management of smoking cessation. Out of more than 1200 cardiologists attending the ANMCO congress, 610 subjects (aged 51 ± 11 years) answered an anonymous 35-item questionnaire; they were asked to declare their smoking status (9.5% current smokers). RESULTS Among doctors who attended the survey, 58% correctly indicated smoking as an addiction and 45% regularly advised their patients to stop smoking. The majority of cardiologists (93%) reported a positive attitude toward smoking cessation strategies, 62% of them thought that cardiologists themselves should treat smoking dependence, though specific tools (70%) and education for the management of smoking cessation are lacking (66%). Two thirds of the entire sample of ANMCO cardiologists declared their willingness to participate in specialized educational programs. CONCLUSIONS More than a half of Italian cardiologists are aware that smoking is an addiction. Although they feel themselves yet inadequate toward this approach, they are favorable to implement their own knowledge and skills toward smoking cessation.
On the Attainable Set for a Scalar Nonconvex Conservation Law

We deal with a Cauchy problem for a scalar conservation law in one space dimension. The flux function is assumed to be nonconvex, in particular, to have a single inflection point. We consider a compactly supported initial datum and regard it as a control. The main result of the paper states sufficient conditions for a function $v$ to be attained at a fixed time $T$ by a trajectory of the conservation law.
Association of AIM, a Novel Apoptosis Inhibitory Factor, with Hepatitis via Supporting Macrophage Survival and Enhancing Phagocytotic Function of Macrophages*

A hallmark of many inflammatory diseases is the destruction of tissue cells by infiltrating hematopoietic cells including lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. The regulation of apoptosis of both target tissue cells and the infiltrating cells is one of the key events that defines the initiation and the progression of inflammation. However, the precise picture of the apoptosis regulation of the cells at the inflammatory sites is still unclear. We recently isolated a novel apoptosis inhibitory factor, termed AIM, which is secreted exclusively by tissue macrophages. In this report, we present unique characteristics of AIM associated with liver inflammation (hepatitis), identified by introducing an experimental hepatitis in both AIM-transgenic mice, which overexpress AIM in the body, and normal mice. First, endogenous AIM expression in macrophages is rapidly increased in response to inflammatory stimuli. Second, AIM appears to inhibit the death of macrophages in the inflammatory regions, judging by the remarkably increased number of macrophages observed in the liver from transgenic mice. In addition, we show that AIM also enhances the phagocytosis by macrophages, which emphasizes the multifunctional character of AIM. All these findings strongly provoke an idea that AIM may play an important role in hepatitis pathogenesis in a sequential manner; first AIM expression is up-regulated by inflammatory stimuli, and then in an autocrine fashion, AIM supports the survival of infiltrating macrophages as well as enhances phagocytosis by macrophages, which may result in an efficient clearance of dead cells and infectious or toxic reagents.
The Effect of the Left Stellate Ganglion on Sympathetic Neural Remodeling of the Left Atrium in Rats Following Myocardial Infarction

The neural remodeling of the atrium plays an important role in the initiation of atrial fibrillation after myocardial infarction (MI); however, the effects of the left stellate ganglion (LSG) on the neural remodeling of the atrium remain incompletely understood. Thus, this study investigated the mechanism by which the LSG mediates sympathetic neural remodeling of the left atrium (LA) in rats after MI.
Adaptive Immune-like γ/δ T Lymphocytes Share Many Common Features with Their α/β T Cell Counterparts

To better apprehend γ/δ T cell biological functions in the periphery, it appears crucial to identify markers highlighting the existence of distinct phenotypic and functional γ/δ T cell subsets. Interestingly, the expression of CD44 and Ly-6C subdivides murine peripheral γ/δ T cells into several subsets, with Ly-6C− CD44hi γ/δ T cells corresponding to the IL-17–producing CD27− γ/δ T cell subset exhibiting innate-like features. By comparing the other subsets to naive and memory CD8+ α/β T cells, in this study, we show that Ly-6C− or + CD44lo and Ly-6C+CD44hi γ/δ T cells greatly resemble, and behave like, their CD8+ α/β T cell counterparts. First, like memory CD8+ α/β T cells, Ly-6C+CD44hi γ/δ T cells are sparse in the thymus but largely increased in proportion in tissues. Second, similarly to naive CD8 α/β T cells, CD44lo γ/δ T cells are poorly cycling in vivo in the steady state, and their proportion declines with age in secondary lymphoid organs. Third, CD44lo γ/δ T cells undergo spontaneous proliferation and convert to a memory-like Ly-6C+CD44hi phenotype in response to lymphopenia. Finally, CD44lo γ/δ T cells have an intrinsic high plasticity as, upon appropriate stimulation, they are capable of differentiating nonetheless into Th17-like and Th1-like cells but also into fully functional Foxp3+ induced regulatory T cell–like γ/δ T cells. Thus, peripheral CD27+ γ/δ T cells, commonly considered as a functionally related T cell compartment, actually share many common features with adaptive α/β T cells, as both lineages include naive-like and memory-like lymphocytes with distinct phenotypic, functional, and homeostatic characteristics.
Cigarette smoking in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: positive association only with ANA positivity

Smoking is well known to contribute to the pathogenesis and severity of some systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases and especially to the production of certain autoantibodies. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease, affecting primarily the exocrine glands. It may also cause extraglandular involvement in some cases. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of smoking habits in our cohort of pSS patients and to investigate whether the frequencies of autoantibody positivity and extraglandular involvement were significantly different between patients with and without smoking. In this cross-sectional study, 207 patients with pSS (F/M 203/4), fulfilling the United States-European Consensus Criteria, and 602 healthy controls (F/M 534/68) were included. Patients and controls were classified into five groups: never smokers, current smokers, former smokers; ever smokers, and passive smokers. The χ2 and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis; a p value of less than 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. While the frequency of current smokers was significantly lower in the pSS group compared with the healthy controls (11.6 vs 22.3%), the frequencies of former smokers (30.4 vs 11.8%), ever smokers (42.0 vs 34.1%), and passive smokers (47.3 vs 37.5%) were significantly higher in the pSS group compared with the healthy controls. In pSS patients, only antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity was significantly associated with smoking habits, while there was no significant association with other autoantibodies or with the presence of extraglandular involvement. We found that in pSS patients smoking was significantly associated only with ANA positivity. Unlike the deleterious effects of smoking upon disease severity and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (CCP) antibody production in rheumatoid arthritis, we could not find any association of smoking with extraglandular involvement and/or anti-Ro/anti-La antibody positivity in pSS. These results are indeed in line with the limited number of previous studies reported in the literature. Further studies with higher numbers of pSS patients are required to confirm the seemingly negative association of smoking with pSS.
Comparison between two protocols for thawed embryo transfer: natural cycle versus exogenous hormone replacement

Abstract Introduction: There are two most popular protocols for Frozen Embryo Transfer: the natural and the E2&P4 replacement cycles. There is still a controversy whether one is superior over the other. Purpose: To compare the outcome in patient groups undergoing FET following these protocols. Methods: About 1235 FET cycles were retrospectively analyzed during a period of 12 years. In 798 cycles (group A), the natural cycle protocol was used, and in 437 cycles (group B), the exogenous E2&P4 administration protocol was used. Results: The average patient age was 32.11 ± 0.27 years in group A and 32.94 ± 0.19 years in group B (p < 0.05). The endometrial thickness was 9.54 ± 0.11 mm and 8.95 ± 0.13 mm in groups A and B, respectively (p < 0.001). The peak serum E2 level was 162.51 ± 8.97 pg/mL and 250.78 ± 33.67 pg/mL in groups A and B, respectively (p < 0.001). The implantation, clinical pregnancy, and ongoing pregnancy rates in groups A and B were 6.47%, 12.91%, and 10.4% versus 4.26%, 8.47%, and 5.95%, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Natural endometrial preparation yields better outcome in compare with exogenous E2&P4 in FET cycles with higher endometrial thickness, implantation, and clinical pregnancy rates.