Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus Encodes Xenoantigens Involved in Porcine Cellular Xenograft Rejection by Mice

Background. Identification of the antigens that stimulate transplant rejection can help develop graft-specific antirejection strategies. The xenoantigens recognized during rejection of porcine cellular xenografts have not been clearly defined, but it has been assumed that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) xenoantigens are involved. Methods. The role of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) as a source of xenoantigens was examined. The authors used morphometry to compare the kinetics of swine leukocyte antigen (SLA)dd pig thyroid xenograft rejection in control mice and mice immunized with PERV+ PK15 cells (porcine kidney epithelial cells), PERV− SLAdd pig peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), PERV virions purified from PK15 cells, and PERV or PERV A pseudotypes produced from infected human 293 cells. The tempo of rejection for cellular xenografts of PERV A pseudotype-producing human 293 cells, uninfected human 293 cells, and PK15 cells in PERV-preimmunized and control mice was also compared. Results. Mice immunized with PK15 cells rejected pig thyroid xenografts significantly faster at day 5 than control mice and mice immunized with pig PBL. This correlated with the amount of PERV RNA and virions produced, but not with the amount of SLAdd class I MHC expressed by PK15 cells. Immunization of mice with PERV virions purified from porcine PK15 cells and with PERV virions or PERV A pseudotypes produced by human 293 cells also induced accelerated xenograft rejection by 5 days. Accelerated rejection induced by virus pretreatment was CD4 T-cell dependent and restricted to PERV-expressing cellular xenografts of porcine or nonporcine origin. Conclusions. PERV acts as a significant source of xenoantigens that target porcine cellular xenografts for rejection.
Workplace Support, Role Overload, and Job Satisfaction of Direct Care Workers in Assisted Living∗

This study aims to enhance our understanding of job satisfaction of direct care workers in assisted living facilities. Low job satisfaction is related to high turnover rates and lower quality of care in assisted living. We integrate two theories of job satisfaction to investigate relationships among workplace support, role overload, and job satisfaction. Data are from a survey of 984 direct care workers in 108 assisted living facilities. Results from multilevel hierarchical linear models (HLM) indicate that job satisfaction varies both within and among facilities. Job satisfaction is negatively associated with role overload, and it is positively associated with institutional support, supervisor instrumental and emotional support, and coworker emotional support. These workplace support measures and role overload are separately and independently associated with job satisfaction. Enhancing job satisfaction of assisted living direct care workers will likely require a multipronged approach that includes improving institutional, supervisor, and coworker support while simultaneously directly addressing role overload.
Functional Analysis of the Single Est1/Ebs1 Homologue in Kluyveromyces lactis Reveals Roles in both Telomere Maintenance and Rapamycin Resistance

ABSTRACT Est1 and Ebs1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are paralogous proteins that arose through whole-genome duplication and that serve distinct functions in telomere maintenance and translational regulation. Here we present our functional analysis of the sole Est1/Ebs1 homologue in the related budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis (named KlEst1). We show that similar to other Est1s, KlEst1 is required for normal telomere maintenance in vivo and full telomerase primer extension activity in vitro. KlEst1 also associates with telomerase RNA (Ter1) and an active telomerase complex in cell extracts. Both the telomere maintenance and the Ter1 association functions of KlEst1 require its N-terminal domain but not its C terminus. Analysis of clusters of point mutations revealed residues in both the N-terminal TPR subdomain and the downstream helical subdomain (DSH) that are important for telomere maintenance and Ter1 association. A UV cross-linking assay was used to establish a direct physical interaction between KlEst1 and a putative stem-loop in Ter1, which also requires both the TPR and DSH subdomains. Moreover, similar to S. cerevisiae Ebs1 (ScEbs1) (but not ScEst1), KlEst1 confers rapamycin sensitivity and may be involved in nonsense-mediated decay. Interestingly, unlike telomere regulation, this apparently separate function of KlEst1 requires its C-terminal domain. Our findings provide insights on the mechanisms and evolution of Est1/Ebs1 homologues in budding yeast and present an attractive model system for analyzing members of this multifunctional protein family.
INVOLVEMENT OF MITOCHONDRIAL PERMEABILITY TRANSITION, GLUTATHIONE STATUS, PENTOSE PHOSPHATE PATHWAY AND OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF FASTING ON THE ISCHAEMIC‐REPERFUSED RAT HEART

1 Fasting, which increases the catabolism of fatty acids, gives functional protection to the ischaemic–reperfused heart. To obtain further knowledge of this cardioprotective effect, changes in mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) were measured by the entrapment of 2‐deoxy‐[3H]‐glucose (2‐DG). We also assessed whether MPT is associated with changes in glutathione status, the activity of glucose‐6‐phosphate‐dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and tissue oxidative damage, estimated by the measurement of Thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS). 2 Spontaneously beating hearts of fed and 24 h fasted rats were Langendorff perfused with Krebs’–Ringer bicarbonate solution (10 mmol/L glucose) and exposed to 25 min global ischaemia, followed by 30 min reperfusion. 3 Ischaemia–reperfusion resulted in a fourfold increase in mitochondrial entrapment of 2‐DG in the fed group. This response was 29% lower in the fasted group, but there were no concomitant changes in total retention of 2‐DG in the heart. Fasting increased the activity of G6PDH by a factor of 1.4 and caused a 2.8‐fold increase in the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione (GSH : GSSG) at the end of the pre‐ischaemic period. Ischaemia–reperfusion did not affect G6PDH activity, but reduced the GSH : GSSG ratio in both the fed and fasted groups by 50%. Therefore, the GSH : GSSG ratio remained higher in the fasted group. Fasting also decreased cellular levels of TBARS by approximately 25%. Lipolysis of endogenous triacylglycerol was increased during the pre‐ischaemic period in the fasted group. 4 These data suggest that the enhancement of fatty acid catabolism that occurs in fasting activates mechanisms that tend to reduce oxidative damage and limit MPT.
Causes of Mortality on a University Hospital Neurology Service

Background:The mortality rate for all patients cared for by inpatient neurology services has not been described. Methods:Quality assurance case discussions of all patients (n = 6012) admitted to a neurology service from 1996 to 2003 were reviewed to determine frequency and causes of mortality. All cases of mortality were reviewed in detail. Results:The majority of patients (98%) survived their admission; 118 patients died. In 95/118 cases, care had been withdrawn at the time of death. In 11 cases, adverse events occurred during the patients’ hospital stay and may have impacted outcome. Few patients (18%) had clear advance directives. Conclusion:Most mortality in this acute care neurology setting occurs in the course of stroke, epilepsy, or complicated tumor management and is managed through withdrawal of care with family participation.
A multi-dimensional residual functional for obtaining the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition coefficients in model reduction

This paper presents a multi-dimensional residual functional for deriving the POD (Proper Orthogonal Decomposition) coefficients of systems described with partial differential equations of one variable in a bidimensional spatial domain, when a POD approach is used for deriving a reduced order model. Model reduction with a POD approach is a technique that uses the signal spectral decomposition and the Galerkin projection for deriving reduced order models. Recently there has been a growing interest in the POD community in the subject of tensor decomposition, since it can address some of the outcomes observed in the current based matrix technique. The main purpose of using tensor decomposition is to derive multidimensional basis functions, which are essential for obtaining a spectral decomposition of the system solution. However, multidimensional basis functions do not match with the residual functional developed in the traditional matrix technique, therefore a generalization of this residual function is needed in order to obtain the POD coefficients.
Self-incompatibility studies in guayule; inheritance.

incompatibility which differs basically from the widespread scheme found in Nicotiana alata and from those of almost all other investigated species (reviewed by STOUT 1938), as will be shown in the following. This became clear at the onset of the present study when it turned out that certain mother-progeny pairs, then available, were reciprocally cross-incompatible. Because these findings could not be reconciled with a system of a single series of oppositional alleles of the nature found in Nicotiana, Trifolium and others, the problem was studied in detail. METHODS AND MATERIALS
Low Oxygen Consumption and High Body Content of Catch Connective Tissue Contribute to Low Metabolic Rate of Sea Cucumbers

Abstract. The energy consumption of echinoderms is low in comparison with that of other invertebrates. We demonstrated this by measuring the oxygen consumption rate per unit of body weight (VO2) of the sea cucumber Actinopyga mauritiana: VO2 was 1/8 that of the “standard” invertebrates. Low energy consumption in echinoderms has been attributed to their high skeletal content and to catch connective tissues (CCTs) that maintain body posture by altering their mechanical properties with little energy expenditure. The former is not applicable to holothurians, and the latter has not been proven experimentally. We postulated that the large content of dermal connective tissue, which maintaines posture economically, contributes to the low energy consumption in holothurians. Body-wall dermis occupied 53.5% of wet body weight, whereas body-wall muscles, including those of tube feet, occupied 5.1%. VO2 of the dermis in the stiff state (2.45 μl · g−1 · h−1) was 1/10 that of the longitudinal body-wall muscle in contraction. The mechanical tests revealed that the stress at an imposed strain of 2% strain was 7 times greater in CCT than in muscles. These results showed that CCT could maintain posture more economically than muscles could. We concluded that the high content of connective tissue with energy-saving posture-maintenance activities contributed to the low energy consumption of holothurians.
Alcohol intake in selected lines of mice: importance of sex and genotype.

Mice selected by McClearn and Kakihana for differences in ethanol-induced sleep time were used as subjects. In Experiment 1, mice from the long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) lines were offered a choice of water or solution GS consisting of 3% glucose and . 16% sodium saccharin (w/v); or a choice of water or solution GS + E that contained GS solution plus 4% ethanol (w/v). In Experiment 2, mice from the first experiment were provided with a three-way choice among water, solution GS, and solution GS + E. In both experiments, SS mice (alcohol-insensitive) consumed more GS + E than LS mice (alcohol-sensitive). In addition, female mice drank considerably more GS + E solution than male mice. Thus, consumption of sweetened ethanol in both a two-way choice (water and GS + E) and a three-way choice (water, GS, and GS + E) is dependent on both genotype and sex. High genetic sensitivity to ethanol was associated with low consumption, and vice versa. Although females consumed more alcohol than males, famales of these lines have not been previously found to show lower sensitivity to acute alcohol administration.
Circum‐Arctic mantle structure and long‐wavelength topography since the Jurassic

The circum‐Arctic is one of the most tectonically complex regions of the world, shaped by a history of ocean basin opening and closure since the Early Jurassic. The region is characterized by contemporaneous large‐scale Cenozoic exhumation extending from Alaska to the Atlantic, but its driving force is unknown. We show that the mantle flow associated with subducted slabs of the South Anuyi, Mongol‐Okhotsk, and Panthalassa oceans have imparted long‐wavelength deflection on overriding plates. We identify the Jurassic‐Cretaceous South Anuyi slab under present‐day Greenland in seismic tomography and numerical mantle flow models. Under North America, we propose the “Farallon” slab results from Andean‐style ocean‐continent convergence around ~30°N and from a combination of ocean‐continent and intraoceanic subduction north of 50°N. We compute circum‐Arctic dynamic topography through time from subduction‐driven convection models and find that slabs have imparted on average <1–16 m/Myr of dynamic subsidence across the region from at least 170 Ma to ~50 Ma. With the exception of Siberia, the main phase of circum‐Arctic dynamic subsidence has been followed either by slowed subsidence or by uplift of <1–6 m/Myr on average to present day. Comparing these results to geological inferences suggest that subduction‐driven dynamic topography can account for rapid Middle to Late Jurassic subsidence in the Slave Craton and North Slope (respectively, <15 and 21 m/Myr, between 170 and 130 Ma) and for dynamic subsidence (<7 m/Myr, ~170–50 Ma) followed by dynamic uplift (<6 m/Myr since 50 Ma) of the Barents Sea region. Combining detailed kinematic reconstructions with geodynamic modeling and key geological observations constitutes a powerful tool to investigate the origin of vertical motion in remote regions.
Comparison of escitalopram vs. citalopram and venlafaxine in the treatment of major depression in Spain: clinical and economic consequences

Abstract Study objective: Population based study to determine the clinical consequences and economic impact of using escitalopram (ESC) vs. citalopram (CIT) and venlafaxine (VEN) in patients who initiate treatment for a new episode of major depression (MD) in real life conditions of outpatient practice. Methods: Observational, multicenter, retrospective study conducted using computerized medical records (administrative databases) of patients treated in six primary care centers and two hospitals between January 2003 and March 2007. Study population: patients >20 years of age diagnosed with a new episode of MD who initiate treatment with ESC, CIT or VEN who had not received any antidepressant treatment within the previous 6 months, and were followed for 18 months or more. Main variables: socio-demographic variables, remission (defined as a patient completing 6 months of therapy), comorbidity, annual health care costs (medical visits, diagnostic and therapeutic tests, hospitalizations, emergency room and psychoactive drugs prescribed) and non-health care costs (productivity losses at work, mainly sick leave and disability). Statistical analyses: logistic regression and ANCOVA models. Results: A total of 965 patients (ESC = 131; CIT = 491; VEN = 343) were identified and met study criteria. ESC-treated patients were younger, with a higher proportion of males, and had a lower specific comorbidity (p < 0.01). ESC-treated patients achieved higher remission rates compared to CIT (58.0% vs. 38.3%) or VEN patients (32.4%), p < 0.001, and had lower productivity work losses compared to VEN patients (32.7 vs. 43.8 days), p = 0.042. No differences in productivity work losses were observed between ESC and CIT patients. Compared to the ESC group, higher costs in average/unit of psychoactive drugs were found in the VEN group (€643.00), p = 0.003, whereas no differences were observed between the ESC and CIT groups (€294.70 vs. €265.20). In the corrected model, total costs (health care and non-health care cost) were lower with ESC (€2276.20) compared to CIT (€3093.80), p = 0.047 and VEN (€3801.20), p = 0.045. Conclusions: ESC appears to be dominant in the treatment of new MD episodes when compared to CIT and VEN, resulting in higher remission rates and lower total costs.
The value of coagulant molecular marker in diagnosis of cerebral infarction after intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective: To discover and analyze the value of coagulant molecular marker in diagnosis of cerebral infarction after intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods: In this study, we selected a total of 42 patients with cerebral infarction after intracerebral hemorrhage as the experiment group; additionally, 42 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were enrolled as the hemorrhage control group; besides, 42 healthy people that were confirmed through relevant examinations were selected as the healthy control group. For patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, before the onset of cerebral infarction, we detected a series of indicators, including plasma Fibrinogen (FIB), Hematocrit (HCT), and plasma Endothelin (ET-1), P-Selectin (P-S), Protein C (PC) and D-Dimer (D-D). Results: In comparison of FIB and P-S, the values in the experiment group were significantly higher than those in the hemorrhage control group and the healthy control group, and the differences had statistical significance (p 0.05). However, the comparison of PC showed that the value in the experiment group was significantly lower than those in other two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Detecting the levels of coagulant molecular markers in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage greatly contributes to the early diagnosis of secondary cerebral infarction and improvement in prognosis, which is worthy being promoted in clinical practice.
Smallpox and smallpox vaccination policy.

campaigns. The introduction of heat-stable lyophilized smallpox vaccine, coupled with the World Health Organization'S drive against the disease, has made vaccination widespread and effective. In the past 25 years, smallpox has been eliminated from North America, Western Europe, Russia, China, North Africa, the Middle East, much of Southeast Asia, most of the new countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and all of South and Central America except parts of Brazil. Formal smallpox eradication campaigns have been initiated in all endemic countries. Figure 1 presents maps of the distribution of endemic smallpox in 1945 and in the first eight months of 1970 (1). In the United States , defense against smallpox has been based upon four principles. First is routine vaccination of the popUlation. Second is vaccina­ tion of travelers. Third is inspection of vaccination certificates of returning travelers and immigrants. Fourth is investigation of suspect smallpox cases, with rapid isolation and control of smallpox importations. Approximately 15 million smallpox vaccinations are performed in the United States each year, about six million of which are primary vaccinations. The total cost of the United States for smallpox prevention, including vaccine production, vacci­ nation fees, time lost from work or school for vaccination, maintenance of the foreign quarantine system, research on smallpox and vaccinia, and med­ ical costs of vaccination complications, is an estimated $147,000,000 (2). There is disagreement about the need for and effectiveness of current United States policies. Kempe has emphasized the dangers of smallpox vac­ cination (3). Dick believes that, in Great Britain, routine population vacci­ nation is less effective and more costly than surveillance of disease intro­ ductions and outbreak control (4). The United States Public Health Ser­ vice's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on the Control of Infectious Diseases recommend routine childhood vaccination. Most state and local health de
Biochemical and Molecular Actions of Nutrients Deficiency in Methionine , Tryptophan , Isoleucine , or Choline Induces Apoptosis in Cultured Cells 1

Cells in culture die by apoptosis when deprived of the essential nutrient choline. We now report that cells (both proliferating PC12 cells and postmitotic neurons isolated from fetal rat brains) undergo apoptosis when deprived of other individual essential nutrients (methionine, tryptophan or isoleucine). In PC12 cells, deficiencies of each nutrient independently led to ceramide accumulation and to caspase activation, both recognized signals of several apoptotic pathways. A similar profile of caspases was activated in PC12 cells deprived of choline, methionine, tryptophan or isoleucine. More than one caspase was involved and these caspases appeared to transmit parallel signals for apoptosis induction because only broad-spectrum caspase inhibitors, but not inhibitors for specific individual caspases inhibited apoptosis in cholineor methionine-deprived cells. The induction of these caspase-dependent apoptosis pathways likely did not involve the same upstream signals. Choline deficiency perturbed choline metabolism but did not affect protein synthesis, whereas amino acid deficiencies inhibited protein synthesis but did not perturb choline metabolism. In addition, a subclone of PC12 cells that was resistant to choline deficiency–induced apoptosis was not resistant to tryptophan deficiency–induced apoptosis. These observations suggest that deficiency of each studied nutrient activates different pathways for signaling apoptosis that ultimately converge on a common execution pathway. J. Nutr. 132: 1840–1847, 2002.
ANTHROPOMETRIC PROFILE AND NUTRITIONAL INTAKE IN PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY.

BACKGROUND quality of life impairments are common in patients with epilepsy, especially due to cardiovascular comorbidities, overweight and obesity. OBJECTIVES to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with epilepsy based on anthropometric measurements and dietary intake. METHODS this cross-sectional study involved 72 patients recruited by convenience from the Epilepsy Clinic of the Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The sample consisted of patients of both genders, aged over 18 years, who had been diagnosed with epilepsy for at least one year. The following variables were investigated: anthropometric measurements (weight and height for the assessment of BMI and nutritional status, waist circumference for the assessment of cardiovascular risk); nutritional intake based on a food frequency questionnaire; socioeconomic status based on the Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria. RESULTS the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 66.7%, and 85.4% of the women had a high cardiovascular risk. Patients displayed a low frequency of seizure control (41.7%), high carbohydrate and protein intakes, as well as low mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes (including omega 3 and 6 fatty acids). No differences in nutritional status or intake were observed between patients with controlled versus uncontrolled seizures. CONCLUSIONS patients with epilepsy have comorbidities risks, as evidenced by their tendency to overweight and obesity, and abdominal obesity. Although seizure control did not appear to be related to nutritional status and intake, the presence of such comorbidities underscores the need for nutritional monitoring and intervention in these patients, with a special focus on macronutrient redistribution and on dietary fatty acid levels.