Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“COMPARISON OF A RAPID SEMI-QUANTITATIVE LATEX AGGLUTINATION SLIDE METHOD AGAINST QUANTITATIVE PARTICLE ENHANCED TURBIDIMETRIC IMMUNOASSAY FOR MEASUREMENT OF C- REACTIVE PROTEIN”

Serum C - reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase marker in humans that is useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory disease. CRP measurement also helps in differential diagnosis, in the management of neonatal septicaemia and meningitis where standard microbiological investigations are very much time-consuming. Reliable method (Automated particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay) are preferable for routine evaluation of human serum CRP levels. Using such expensive methods in health centres in rural areas is not possible. The aim of this to evaluate whether human CRP levels could be measured by rapid method (Latex agglutination slide method) and compared with reliable method (particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay). The study included 400 participants, who attended Shree Krishna Hospital, Karamsad, whose CRP levels were done by particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method in Siemens Dimension Clinical Chemistry Analyzer, RxL and Xpand and compared by rapid method (Latex Agglutination slide method), that will be useful in health centres in rural areas where expensive instruments are not available. We used SPSS for data analysis and Endnote X7 for references management. In present study, out of 400 (217 male and 183 female) participants, we found 337 participants had positive CRP levels (≥0.3 mg/dl) and 63 participants had negative CRP levels (<0.3 mg/dl) by particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method, whereas 303 had positive CRP levels (≥0.6mg/dl) and 97 had negative CRP levels (<0.6mg/dl) by Latex Agglutination slide method. The correlation was positive between two methods with (r = 0.764, P -value <0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 89.9%, 100%, 100%, and 64.94%, respectively, for the Latex Agglutination slide method, and 100%, 64.9%, 89.91% and 100%, respectively, for the particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method. Serum C- reactive protein (CRP) levels can be reliably measured using the particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method, but it is expensive, so we can use Latex agglutination slide method in rural areas for primary diagnosis only. Key Words: CRP, Latex Agglutination slide method, particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method.
Effects of Exercises on IL-6 and GLUT4 Expression in Diabetic Rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders worldwide. Empirical evidence has shown exercise to be of value in ameliorating symptoms of diabetes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms involved have not been well-studied. Aim: To evaluate the effects of continuous and interval exercises on blood glucose and insulin levels and on IL-6 and GLUT4 expression in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Old Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were randomly divided into three groups; namely, the patient (non-exercise control) group, the interval exercise group, and the continuous exercise group. The blood insulin level was measured using a specific ELISA kit, whereas the blood glucose level was determined with an AutoAnalyzer apparatus. Expression of the IL-6 and GLUT4 genes in skeletal muscle was determined using real-time PCR. All data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The expression of IL-6 and GLUT4 was significantly decreased in skeletal muscle of the diabetic rats (p < 0.001). Continuous (9.97-fold; p = 0.000) and interval (7.11-fold; p = 0.000) exercises significantly increased the expression of IL-6 relative to that in the animals of the patient group. Furthermore, continuous (9.36-fold; p = 0.000) and interval (7.65-fold; p = 0.001) exercises also significantly increased the expression of GLUT4 relative to that of the patient group. Both types of exercise training were associated with a significant decrease in the blood glucose and insulin levels compared with the levels in the patient group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Diabetes is significantly associated with IL-6 and GLUT4 downregulation, but this can be reversed through continuous and interval exercises, which also help to lower the blood glucose and insulin levels significantly.
The use of CAA for formative and summative assessment – student views and outcomes

A study was carried out to examine the effects of introducing formative CAA on the summative assessment results. Twenty six students studying Farm Animal Production were given the option of using self-assessment tutorials in QuestionMark Perception. Each tutorial consisted of 10 randomly selected questions on either beef production or sheep production. Feedback was provided to the student after the completion of the tutorials. Uptake was variable, with 38% (n=10) of the students choosing not to use the self-assessment tutorials. Significant positive correlations were found between the use of beef production tutorials and marks in the beef production section of the summative assessment (rs = 0.69, P < 0.01) and also between the use of the sheep production tutorials and marks in the sheep production section (rs = 0.59, P < 0.01). The positive correlations between the marks for the beef and poultry sections of the exam (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) and the sheep and poultry sections (r = 0.36, P < 0.1) suggest that it may have been either the more academically able or the more motivated students who were choosing to use the tutorials. A questionnaire was completed by 24 of the students. For students who used the self-assessment tutorials, the responses given in the questionnaire were mostly positive, and in favour of the use of the self-assessment tests. One concern was the nature of the feedback given in the tutorials, and this is undergoing further investigation during the current semester.
Correlation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 with Markers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction in End-Stage Renal Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Objective: This study was design to evaluate the correlation between FGF-23 and other cardiovascular risk factors (markers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation) in ESRD patients with T2DM on PD. Method: Sixty serum samples collected (four times, at weeks 0, 8, 10, and 18) from 15 patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and ESRD on PD were analysed to study the relationship between the levels of FGF-23 and markers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. ELISA kits were used to quantitate Endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble vascular adhesion molecule, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), FGF-23, C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) and cluster of differentiation 146 (CD 146). The association between FGF-23, mineral metabolites, and markers of inflammation were analyzed using Spearman correlations. Linear regression models were used to examine the univariate and multivariate adjusted associations between FGF-23 as primary exposure and individual inflammatory markers [including IL-6, PAI-1 and CD146] as the dependent variables. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for factors associated with mineral metabolism such as serum phosphate, Ca×PO4 product, and LDL concentration. Two-sided p values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Result: FGF-23 was positively correlated with phosphate (r=0.57; p<0.0001) and Ca×PO4 product (r=0.61; p<0.0001). FGF-23 showed the strongest correlation with IL-6 (r=0.32; p<0.05), PAI-1 (r=0.21; p<0.05) and CD 146 (r=0.29; p<0.05). In univariate and multivariate regression analysis, FGF-23 was significantly associated with IL-6, PAI-1, and CD 146. These results were qualitatively unchanged in the model that was further adjusted for Ca×PO4 product, serum phosphate, and LDL. Conclusion: Our results indicate that FGF-23 impacts the cardiovascular health of T2DM patients on PD through mechanisms, which are independent from phosphate levels and linked directly to inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
Medical and nutritional aspects of a rehabilitating California gray whale calf

A week-old, 760 kg, 4.2 m neonatal gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) was transported on 11 January 1997 to SeaWorld of California in San Diego for rehabilitation. Initial emergency therapy consisted of intramuscular corticosteroids and warm water and dextrose administered via stomach tube. Within 2 hrs the whale was alert, at which time an artificial milk formula was fed via gastric intubation. Within 8 days, the whale was nursing from an artificial nurser, finally weaning by 7‐8 mo of age onto solid food consisting of a mix of krill, herring, squid, and smelt. During the 436 days of rehabilitation, the whale gained 7968 kg and grew 4.87 m. Overall daily weight gains averaged 18 kg/ day, average lengthening was 1.2 cm/day, and caloric intake required to maintain these gains averaged 30 kcal/kg. These numbers currently stand alone as there is no similar gray whale data for comparison.
Serum urocortin in preterm labor is it an effective biomarker?

Background: Preterm labor classically defined as delivery before completed 37 gestational weeks. Urocortin a biomarker that have raised recent research interest is a 40-amino acid neuropeptide related to the corticotrophin-releasing factor molecular family. Interestingly urocortin is produced by gestational tissue such as amnion and chorion predictability of preterm labor by biomarker assay could enhance management levels particularly in cases of preterm labor that are considered a frequent clinical scenario in obstetric practice. Aim of the study was to assess and evaluate the serum levels of urocortin predictability capacity in cases that develop preterm labor.Methods: The current research clinical trial was conducted in a prospective way there was two research groups 60 study subjects had threatened preterm labor and 60 normal research study subjects that delivered at term. Comparative analysis was performed for urocortin assay conducted in both research groups in correlation to gathered clinical data obtained from both research groups.Results: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) between preterm and term delivery research groups as regards plasma urocortin level (pg/ml) as a predictor of pre term delivery showing that a cut-off point level >101.3 pg/ml in which statistical sensitivity=88.33%, statistical specificity=75%, positive predictive value=77.9, negative predictive value=86.5. Conclusions: This research finding reveal that maternal serum urocortin is an effective biomarker in predictability of preterm labor; however future research studies should be multicentric in fashion putting in consideration the racial and ethnic differences besides the impact of BMI on maternal serum urocortin indices.
Prognosis of microsatellite instability and/or mismatch repair deficiency stage III colon cancer patients after disease recurrence: Results of an accent meta-analysis of seven studies.

3525 Background: Microsatellite instable/deficient mismatch repair (MSI) metastatic colorectal cancers have been reported to be of poor prognosis. The interaction between MSI and BRAFV600E mutation complicates the picture. Methods: Patients with resected stage III CC from 7 studies with disease recurrence and data available for MSI and BRAFV600E status were analyzed. The primary endpoint was survival after recurrence (SAR) to assess the prognostic roles of MSI and BRAFV600E, respectively. Associations of markers with SAR were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for clinicopathologic features (data collected 12/1998 to 11/2009). Results: Among 2630 patients with cancer recurrence (1491 men [56.7%], mean age, 58.5 [19-85] years), multivariable analysis revealed that patients with MSI tumors (n = 220) had significantly better SAR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.98; P = .029) than patients with microsatellite stable /proficient MMR (MSS) tumors (n = 1766). This was also observed when looking at patients treated by the standard FOLFOX adjuvant regimen only (aHR, 0.76; 0.58-1.00; P = .048). Same trends were observed when looking at MSI/dMMR patients outcome in BRAFV600E wild-type (aHR, 0.84; P = .10) and mutant (aHR, 0.88; P = .43) subgroups separately, without reaching statistical significance. As previously described poor SAR was observed in BRAFV600E mutants vs wild type patients (n = 244; aHR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.73-2.46; P < .0001) and this was also true in BRAFV600E mutants MSI/dMMR patients (n = 77, aHR, 2.65 ; 95% CI, 1.67-4.21; p < .0001). Other factors associated with a poor SAR were : olderage, male gender, T4/N2, proximal primary tumor location, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and early recurrence (by 1y increase). Conclusions: In stage III colon cancer patients recurring after adjuvant chemotherapy and before the era of immuno-oncologic agents, MSI/dMMR was associated with a better survival compared to MSS. BRAFV600E mutation seems to be a poor prognostic factor for both MSI/dMMR and MSS/pMMR patients.
A modified recursive partitioning analysis for predicting overall survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and central nervous system metastases.

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of brain metastases. Nonetheless, patients with central nervous system (CNS) spread are poorly represented in clinical trials. We sought to evaluate the overall survival (OS) of patients with NSCLC and CNS metastases. Methods Patients with NSCLC and CNS metastases treated at A. C. Camargo Cancer Center from January 2007 to December 2017 were selected. The primary endpoint was OS following the diagnosis of CNS metastasis. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to calculate OS. Prognostic factors were assessed by the Cox Proportional Hazards model. As an exploratory analysis, a survival tree was generated based upon the two most statistically significant variables in the multivariate model and one additional clinically meaningful variable. Results In total, 311 patients were included. Median OS was 10.3 months (95% CI, 8.7-13.1 months). ECOG performance status 2-4 (HR 2.12; 95% CI, 1.40-3.20; P<0.01) and the absence of a driver mutation (HR 3.30; 95% CI, 1.85-5.90; P<0.01) were strongly associated with worse OS. A Modified Recursive Partitioning Analysis (mRPA) was developed based on the curves generated by the survival tree. mRPA stratified our cohort in four subgroups with significantly different OS (3.1 to 43 months) and it outperformed both RPA and GPA in predicting OS in our population. Conclusions OS in our cohort was better than previously reported. However, prognosis is widely variable and is mostly dictated by performance status and the presence of a driver mutation.
Effect of daily supplementation with ubiquinol on muscle coenzyme Q10 concentrations in Thoroughbred racehorses

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is essential for mitochondrial aerobic production of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation, but has had little study in horses. Its biologically active form is ubiquinol. We evaluated the effects of daily supplementation with ubiquinol on gluteal muscle CoQ10 concentrations and an indicator of phosphorylation status, citrate synthase (CS), in fit Thoroughbreds. Six horses received either 1 g ubiquinol daily for 3 weeks followed by 21 days without supplement, or had a 3 week unsupplemented period followed by 3 weeks of supplementation. A seventh horse received the same diet as the other horses, but no supplement, and served as a negative control. Middle gluteal muscle biopsies were obtained before feeding at day 0 (baseline), and after 10 and 21 days of each period. Muscle CoQ10 concentration was determined by HPLC with UV detection at 275 nm. CS was measured spectrophotometrically at 37 °C and related to mitochondrial CoQ10 concentration. Results (mean ± standard deviation) were analysed by 2-way RM ANOVA for effects of supplementation and time (P<0.05). Muscle baseline and non-supplemented CoQ10 concentrations prior to beginning supplementation were not different (458±156 pmol/mg protein). Values increased from 413±276 (baseline) to 977±227 pmol/mg after 10 days supplementation (P=0.03), but not thereafter (21 days: 867±194 pmol/mg; P=0.31). CS activity increased in concert with CoQ10 concentration (P=0.02; baseline: 67±18, 10 days: 155±68, 21 days: 163±78 nmol/(min.mg)). Muscle CoQ10 concentration was strongly correlated with CS activity (P=0.002; r2=0.53). Discontinued supplementation decreased muscle CoQ10 concentration and tended towards significance (P=0.06). Daily dietary supplementation with 1 g ubiquinol increased gluteal muscle [CoQ10] from day 0 to day 10, but not from days 10 to 21, possibly indicating saturation of mitochondria with ubiquinol. Associated increases in CS activity suggested aerobic metabolic capacity was enhanced with supplementation. Discontinuing supplementation decreased CoQ10 concentration.
MYH9 overexpression correlates with clinicopathological parameters and poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of myosin 9 (MYH9) in epithelial ovarian cancer and to explore its correlation with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). A total of 265 cases of paraffin-embedded ovarian cancer tissues and 41 paratumor tissues which had been pathologically confirmed at the Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from 2009 to 2017 were included in the present study. MYH9 expression was investigated with immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody specific for MYH9. MYH9 expression is associated with disease progression free and overall survival in epithelial ovarian cancer patients; and the expression of MYH9 is associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, lymph node metastasis, intraperitoneal metastasis, survival status (at last follow-up), intraperitoneal recurrence, residual tumor size and ascites with tumor cells. Moreover, in a multivariate model MYH9 overexpression was an independent predictor of poor survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. MYH9 may be a candidate that plays a oncogenic role in epithelial ovarian cancer. MYH9 is a useful independent prognostic marker in epithelial ovarian cancer, and it may provide a candidate target therapy treatment of ovarian cancer in the future.
Adverse childhood experiences: associations with educational attainment and adolescent health, and the role of family and socioeconomic factors. Analysis of a prospective cohort study

Background Experiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACE) is a risk factor for many adverse outcomes. However, the role of family and socioeconomic factors in these associations is often overlooked. Methods and findings Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we assess associations of ACE between birth and 16 years (sexual, physical or emotional abuse, emotional neglect, parental substance abuse, parental mental illness or suicide attempt, violence between parents, parental separation, bullying, and parental criminal conviction) with educational attainment at 16 years (n=9,959) and health at age 17 years (depression, obesity, harmful alcohol use, smoking and illicit drug use, n=4,917). We explore the extent to which associations are robust to adjustment for family and socioeconomic factors, whether associations differ according to socioeconomic factors, and estimate the proportion of adverse educational and health outcomes attributable to ACE, family or socioeconomic measures. There were strong associations of ACE with lower educational attainment and higher risk of depression, drug use and smoking. Associations with educational attainment attenuated after adjustment but remained strong. Associations with depression, drug use and smoking were not altered by adjustment. Associations of ACE with harmful alcohol use and obesity were weak. We found no evidence that associations differed by socioeconomic factors. Between 5-15% of the cases of adverse educational and health outcomes occur amongst people experiencing 4+ ACE, and between 1-19% occur in people whose mothers have a low level of education. Conclusions This study demonstrates strong associations between ACE and lower educational attainment and worse health that are independent of family and socioeconomic factors. Our findings imply that interventions that focus solely on ACE or solely on socioeconomic deprivation, whilst beneficial, would miss most cases of adverse educational and health outcomes. Intervention strategies should therefore target a wide range of relevant factors, including ACE, socioeconomic deprivation, parental substance use and mental health.
The Deubiquitinating Enzyme USP37 Stabilizes CHK1 to Promote the Cellular Response to Replication Stress

The deubiquitinating enzyme USP37 is known to contribute to timely S-phase onset. However, it is not clear if USP37 is essential beyond S-phase entry despite expression and activity of USP37 peaking within S-phase. Here, we determine that USP37-depleted cells exhibited altered S-phase kinetics and harbored increased levels of the replication stress and DNA damage markers γH2AX and 53BP1 in response to perturbed replication. Depletion of USP37 also reduced cellular proliferation and led to increased sensitivity to agents that induce replication stress. Underlying the increased sensitivity, we found that the checkpoint kinase CHK1 is destabilized in the absence of USP37, attenuating its function. We further demonstrated that USP37 deubquitinates and stabilizes CHK1. Our data contribute to an evolving understanding of UPS37 as a multifaceted regulator of genome regulation.
Antibacterial effects of vancomycin in combination with methicillin against methicillin-resistant and methicillinsensitive Staphylococcus aureus

Background and aims: Staphylococcus aureus is considered as a frequent cause of infections. Therefore, antibacterial agents including β-lactam are normally used to treat these infections while the emergence of antibiotic resistance is one of the major clinical problems in this respect. Accordingly, combination antibacterial therapy is one way to alleviate this problem. As a result, the present study aimed to investigate the combined effects of vancomycin and methicillin on clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillinsensitive S. aureus (MSSA). In addition, a series of follow-up studies were performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 hospitalized patients from various clinical samples such as pus/wound swabs, blood, urine and sputum during a 6-month period in 2017. To this end, the antibacterial activities of vancomycin and methicillin, alone and in combination were investigated against MRSA and MSSA. Eventually, the inhibitory effects of vancomycin and methicillin alone and in combination were studied on the growth profile of MRSA and MSSA, as well as the expression of mecA gene. Results: Based on the results, the significant synergistic and partial synergistic activity with fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) and fractional bactericidal concentration (FBC) indexes ranged from 0.27-0.938 and 0.313-0.844, respectively, in the combination of vancomycin and methicillin in MRSA and MSSA isolates. Further, the obtained data indicated that the combination of vancomycin and methicillin had a synergistic effect against MRSA isolates (P<0.01). The expression levels of the mecA gene were down-regulated by 5.25- fold in the combination of vancomycin and methicillin in MRSA isolate (P<0.001). Conclusion: In general, these events may reflect the potential uses of vancomycin and methicillin combination against MRSA. However, a greater understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of vancomycin and methicillin in combination could contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies.