Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Picoplankton seasonal variation and community structure in the northeast Adriatic coastal zone.

The bacterial community in coastal waters of northeastern Adriatic Sea was dominated by SAR11 and Sulfitobacter taxa throughout the year. The seasonal distribution of bacterioplankton taxa showed continual differences between surface (0 m) and bottom (27 m) layers. The surface assemblage was represented by Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria, while the bottom assemblage was made up of Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. As SAR11 was more dominant in the bottom layer, its appearance may be linked to northward transport of oligotrophic waters of higher salinity from the south. Gammaproteobacteria appeared only in the surface layer during summer, influenced by higher amounts of nutrients, brought in by the Po River. Synechococcus was the most abundant taxon at the genus level. Dominance of Synechococcus during the whole season agrees with its dominance in terms of abundance determined by flow cytometry, and confirms its utmost importance in the picoplankton community of this area. We found two different types of Synechococcus: one type with high similarity to Synechococcus CC9902, present in the surface and bottom layers, and another one similar to Synechococcus WH7803, present only in the surface layer. Oligotrophic conditions together with complex hydrological features of this area were reflected in diversification and dynamic shifts of surface and bottom assemblages.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Specifically Binds Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa: A Flow Cytometric Method for Ligand-Receptor Interaction

Primary platelet aggregation requires agonist-mediated activation of membrane receptor glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa, binding of fibrinogen to GpIIb/IIIa, and cellular events after fibrinogen binding. This study investigated whether fibrinogen receptor GpIIb/IIIa is also the binding site for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in platelets by using GpIIb/IIIa-coated polystyrene microbeads incubated with various concentrations of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled ligands. Binding was assayed by flow cytometry. Binding of fibrinogen (Fg)-FITC and LDL-FITC to GpIIb/IIIa coated microbeads was concentration dependent, reaching saturation. Binding of LDL-FITC to GpIIb/IIIa coated microbeads was inhibited by fibrinogen. Binding of LDL-FITC or Fg-FITC to freshly isolated platelets gave similar results as those of GpIIb/IIIa coated microbeads. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, the fibrinogen receptor on platelets is also one of the binding sites of LDL on platelets. This rapid and reliable flow cytometric technique using coated microbeads may be used as a first step for the study of all ligand receptor interactions.
Genetic Association Study of Endothelin-1 and Its Receptors EDNRA and EDNRB in Migraine with Aura

The effect of endothelin-1 and its receptors EDNRA and EDNRB in migraine with aura (MA) susceptibility is not established yet. We studied the association between the MA end-diagnosis and three migraine trait components and 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) capturing the variation of endothelin genes in 850 Finnish migraine patients and 890 non-migrainous individuals. The SNPs showing evidence of association were further studied in 648 German migraine patients and 651 non-migrainous individuals. No significant association was detected. However, the homozygous minor genotype (5% in cases) of the EDNRA SNP rs2048894 showed nominal association with MA both in the Finnish sample (P = 0.015) and in the pooled sample [odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-2.32, P = 0.010] when adjusted for gender and sample origin. The trait age of onset < 20 years was also associated with rs2048894 (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.13-2.54, P = 0.011) in the pooled sample. To confirm this finding studies on even larger samples are required.
Rapamycin and MPA, But Not CsA, Impair Human NK Cell Cytotoxicity Due to Differential Effects on NK Cell Phenotype

Cyclosporin A (CsA), rapamycin (Rapa) and mycophenolic acid (MPA) are frequently used for GVHD prophylaxis and treatment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). As NK cells have received great interest for immunotherapeutic applications in SCT, we analyzed the effects of these drugs on human cytokine‐stimulated NK cells in vitro. Growth‐kinetics of CsA‐treated cultures were marginally affected, whereas MPA and Rapa severely prevented the outgrowth of CD56bright NK cells. Single‐cell analysis of NK cell receptors using 10‐color flow cytometry, revealed that CsA‐treated NK cells gained a similar expression profile as cytokine‐stimulated control NK cells, mostly representing NKG2A+KIR−NCR+ cells. In contrast, MPA and Rapa inhibited the acquisition of NKG2A and NCR expression and NK cells maintained an overall NKG2A−KIR+NCR+/− phenotype. This was reflected in the cytolytic activity, as MPA‐ and Rapa‐treated NK cells, in contrast to CsA‐treated NK cells, lost their cytotoxicity against K562 target cells. Upon target encounter, IFN‐γ production was not only impaired by MPA and Rapa, but also by CsA. Overall, these results demonstrate that CsA, MPA and Rapa each have distinct effects on NK cell phenotype and function, which may have important implications for NK cell function in vivo after transplantation.
Lung tumors with distinct p53 mutations respond similarly to p53 targeted therapy but exhibit genotype-specific statin sensitivity

In this study, Turrell et al. perform a comprehensive transcriptional and functional analysis of murine lung tumors with distinct p53 alterations (p53 loss, DNA contact [R270H], or conformational [R172H] mutations) and identified both common therapeutic vulnerabilities and mutation-specific liabilities in these tumors. Overall, their findings provide insight into new therapeutic approaches that may be clinically relevant for patients with mutant p53 lung tumors.
Fixation Patterns in Maculopathy: From Binocular to Monocular Viewing

Purpose. The goal of this study was to explore binocular coordination during fixation in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to investigate whether there is a shift in eye position when the viewing condition changes from binocular to monocular. Methods. Sixteen people with normal vision and 12 patients with AMD were asked to look at a 3 deg fixation target with both eyes and with each eye individually while the fellow eye was covered by an infrared filter. Fixational eye movements were recorded for both eyes with an EyeLink eye-tracker in all conditions. The shift in eye position at the end of every fixation period was calculated for each eye. Results. All people with normal vision as well as the majority of patients had good binocular coordination during fixation in the binocular viewing condition. When the viewing condition changed from binocular to monocular, three patients (25%) had atypical shifts in their eye position. The shift was related to (1) loss of fixational control when the better eye was covered and the worse eye viewed the target or (2) a slow drift of the viewing eye that was associated with a large phoria in the covered eye. Conclusions. Patients with AMD have good binocular ocular motor coordination during fixation. A change in viewing condition from binocular to monocular can lead to disturbances in ocular motor control for some patients, especially in the worse eye.
Musculoskeletal injuries among hospital patient care staff before and after implementation of patient lift and transfer equipment.

OBJECTIVE Using an observational research design and robust surveillance data, we evaluated rates of musculoskeletal (MS) injuries, days away from work, and restricted work days among patient care staff at a medical center and community hospital in the United States over 13 years, during which time a "minimal manual lift" policy and mechanical lift equipment were implemented. METHODS Workers' compensation claims data were linked to human resources data to define outcomes of interest and person-time at risk to calculate rates. Poisson and negative binomial regression with lagging were used to compare outcome rates in different windows of time surrounding the intervention. Patterns of MS injuries associated with patient-handling were contrasted to patterns of other MS injuries that would not be affected by the use of mechanical lift equipment. RESULTS At the medical center, no change in the patient-handling MS injury rate followed the intervention. A 44% decrease was observed at the community hospital. At both hospitals, the rate of days away declined immediately - before it was reasonable for the intervention to have been adopted. CONCLUSIONS Institutional-level changes at the time of the intervention likely influenced observed results with findings only partially consistent with an intervention effect. Observational studies can be useful in assessing effectiveness of safety interventions in complex work environments. Such studies should consider the process of intervention implementation, the time needed for intervention adoption, and the dynamic nature of work environments.
Nonmedical Prescription Analgesic Use and Concurrent Alcohol Consumption among College Students

Background: Research has linked heavy alcohol use with nonmedical prescription analgesic use, but no studies have focused on concurrent use. Objectives: To understand the extent to which alcohol use and nonmedical prescription analgesic use co-occur among college students. Methods: The Timeline Followback method was used to split the sample (n = 1,118) into three groups based on their alcohol and nonmedical prescription analgesic use. Results: Of all nonmedical prescription analgesic users, 58% (n = 90) were concurrent users. Concurrent users consumed more drinks per drinking day (7.5) than non-concurrent (5.8) and alcohol-only users (5.2), and drank more often (74.4% of days in the past six months, vs. 45.7% and 36.8%, respectively). Conclusions and Scientific Significance: Concurrent alcohol and analgesic use is prevalent among nonmedical users of prescription analgesics. Findings suggest a need for heightened awareness and increased research of the risks of coingestion.
[Repeated low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia: effects on hepatic and renal function in beagles].

We studied the effects of repeated low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia for 6 hours. Five beagle dogs received 1.3 MAC (3%) sevoflurane anesthesia. Anesthesia of 6 hours was repeated on at the 7th day after the first anesthesia. Compound A gas samples were collected from the inspiratory limb during anesthesia. Concentrations of serum and renal fluoride, hepatic and renal function parameters were measured during and up to 7 days after the first and second anesthesia. The peak concentration of compound A was 23.7 +/- 3.6 ppm at 2 hours and the same level remained during the anesthesia. Plasma fluoride level exceeded 50 mmol.l-1 during anesthesia and rapidly decreased to the preanesthesia level thereafter. Serum GOT increased slightly only on the first postanesthesia day. No significant changes in other blood chemistry studies were observed. The excretion of renal tubular enzymes did not increase during and after anesthesia. Repeated low flow sevoflurane anesthesia in beagles did not affect hepatic and renal function significantly.
Alterations in the pathogenicity of Escherichia coli K-12 after transfer of plasmid and chromosomal genes from Shigella flexneri

A 140-megadalton plasmid (pWR110), which has previously been associated with virulence in Shigella flexneri, was transferred to Escherichia coli K-12. Segments of S. flexneri chromosomal material were then transferred to the plamid-bearing K-12 strains. The virulence of these transconjugant hybrids was assessed in the HeLa cell model, in ligated rabbit ileal loops, or in the Sereny test. A K-12 strain which harbored only pWR110 invaded HeLa cells, produced minimal lesions in the rabbit ileal mucosa, and was negative in the Sereny test. Plasmid-containing K-12 hybrids which had incorporated various shigella chromosomal regions gave differential reactions in the rabbit ileal loops and in the Sereny test. Analysis of these transconjugants indicated that three regions were linked with virulent phenotypes. These included the his region (when the genes responsible for O-antigen synthesis were cotransferred) and the kcp locus (linked to the lac-gal region). Either of these chromosomal regions was sufficient to allow invasion of the rabbit ileal mucosa. In addition to both of these regions, another shigella chromosomal segment linked to the arg and mtl loci was necessary for fluid production in the rabbit ileal loop and for a positive Sereny reaction. Thus, derivatives of an E. coli K-12 strain, constructed by the stepwise conjugal transfer of a large plasmid and three chromosomal segments from S. flexneri, appeared to contain the necessary determinants for full pathogenicity in a variety of laboratory models.
SopD2 is a Novel Type III Secreted Effector of Salmonella typhimurium That Targets Late Endocytic Compartments Upon Delivery Into Host Cells

Salmonella typhimuriumis a facultative intracellular pathogen that utilizes two type III secretion systems to deliver virulence proteins into host cells. These proteins, termed effectors, alter host cell function to allow invasion into and intracellular survival/replication within a vacuolar compartment. Here we describe SopD2, a novel member of the Salmonella translocated effector (STE) family, which share a conserved N‐terminal type III secretion signal. Disruption of the sopD2 gene prolonged the survival of mice infected with a lethal dose of Salmonella typhimurium, demonstrating a significant role for this effector in pathogenesis. Expression of sopD2 was induced inside host cells and was dependent on functional ssrA/B and phoP/Q, two component regulatory systems. HA‐tagged SopD2 was delivered into HeLa cells in a SPI‐2‐dependent manner and associated with both the Salmonella‐containing vacuole and with swollen endosomes elsewhere in the cell. Subcellular fractionation confirmed that SopD2 was membrane associated in host cells, while the closely related effector SopD was localized to the cytosol. A SopD2 fusion to GFP associated with small tubular structures and large vesicles containing late endocytic markers, including Rab7. Surprisingly, expression of N‐terminal amino acids 1–150 of SopD2 fused to GFP was sufficient to mediate both binding to late endosomes/lysosomes and swelling of these compartments. These findings demonstrate that the N‐terminus of SopD2 is a bifunctional domain required for both type III secretion out of Salmonella as well as late endosome/lysosome targeting following translocation into host cells.
Long non‐coding RNA FOXP4‐AS1 is an unfavourable prognostic factor and regulates proliferation and apoptosis in colorectal cancer

Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common malignancy, and fourth‐leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide, and has a particularly high incidence in Western countries. Recent studies have suggested that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) compose a novel class of regulators of cancer biological processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis. Here, we report that lncRNA FOXP4‐AS1 acts as a functional oncogene in CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, we have attempted to investigate the effects of FOXP4‐AS1 on tumour progression, both in vitro and in vivo.
Use of Family Proxies in Quality of Life Research for Cancer Patients at the End of Life: A Literature Review

One of the main goals of end-of-life care is to achieve the best quality of life (QOL) for patients and their families. Quality of life, therefore, represents a significant outcome indicator to evaluate end-of-life care interventions. However, nonresponse bias and nonrandom missing data in QOL research at the end-of-life limits the generalizability and threatens the internal validity of the study findings. The use of family proxy of patients' QOL has been suggested as a solution. Demonstration of satisfactory levels of agreement between proxies and patients is warranted before family caregivers' or other proxies' assessments can be employed when patients cannot provide their own information. Contrary to the conclusion made by Sprangers and Aaronson [The Role of Health Care Providers and Significant Others in Evaluating the Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Disease: A Review. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 1992, 45, 743–760], it is suggested from this review of literature that terminal cancer patients and their family caregivers agreed at least moderately well on the patients' QOL. The bias introduced by the use of family informants is generally of a modest magnitude. When discrepancies existed, without exception, family caregivers held a more negative view of patients' QOL than did patients. When using family proxies, this is important to remember. The degree of agreement between terminal cancer patients' and their family caregivers' assessments varies as a function of the dimensions of QOL being measured and the patient's health status. However, the accuracy of family caregivers' assessments can be improved by assessing both patients and family caregivers concurrently over time. Several suggestions for future research are provided to better understand the influencing factors of agreement between patient and family assessments and to enhance the quality of statistical analyses on this topic.
Acutely isolated neurons of the rat globus pallidus exhibit four types of high-voltage-activated Ca2+ current.

1. Large, projection-like neurons from the adult (> 3 wk post-natal) rat globus pallidus (GP) were acutely isolated and subjected to whole-cell voltage-clamp (n = 37). Ca2+ currents were isolated pharmacologically in cells with whole-cell capacitances of 15-34 pF. 2. With 5 mM Ba2+ as a charge carrier, whole-cell currents began to activate near -40 mV and peaked near 0 mV. Based on activation threshold and inactivation kinetics, currents appeared to be of the high-voltage-activated type. 3. Cd2+ blocked whole-cell currents with an IC50 near 2 microM. Currents activated at negative potentials were not relatively resistant to Cd2+, supporting the inference that low-voltage-activated currents were not prominent in these neurons. 4. The dihydropyridine, L-channel antagonist, nifedipine (5 microM), reduced peak current by 21 +/- 4% (SD) (n = 10). The dihydropyridine agonist, BayK 8644 (1-2 microM) enhanced peak current and slowed current deactivation (n = 4). 5. The N-channel antagonist, omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx, 2 microM) blocked 25 +/- 7% of the peak whole-cell current (n = 10). The blocks produced by omega-CgTx and nifedipine were additive, blocking an average of 46 +/- 8% of the current (n = 10). 6. The current resistant to the selective N- and L-channel antagonists was partially blocked by the P-channel antagonist omega-agatoxin IVA (omega-AgTx, 100 nM). omega-AgTx blocked about one-half of the current not attributable to N- and L-type channels (22 +/- 5% of the total current, n = 5). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cardiac Perforation and Lead Dislodgement after Implantation of a MR‐Conditional Pacing Lead: A Single‐Center Experience

The purpose of our study was to determine if the rate of lead‐related complications was increased with the Medtronic CapSureFix MRI™ SureScan™ 5086 MRI pacing lead (5086; Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) compared to the previous generation of Medtronic CapSureFix Novus™ 5076 pacing lead (5076).
Evaluation of patient expectations and treatment satisfaction after 1-year tadalafil therapy for erectile dysfunction: the DETECT study.

INTRODUCTION Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a self-reported condition and satisfaction with sexual performance is individual, subjective, and multi-factorial. Treatment success depends on several outcomes. Tadalafil is a long-acting, selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 5 that has been shown to be effective at treating men with ED. AIM To investigate patient's ED treatment expectations at baseline; patient satisfaction with tadalafil treatment after 12 months; factors associated with satisfaction; and effect of early tadalafil treatment satisfaction on tadalafil continuation at 12 months. METHODS The Determinants of Continued Use of Tadalafil study is a 12-month, prospective, pan-European, noninterventional, observational study, which enrolled 1,900 patients with ED wishing to initiate or change their treatment to tadalafil. Assessments were made on predefined treatment outcomes in a routine clinical setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function domain scores (at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 month visit), ED Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) scores (after 1, 6, and 12 months), and patient expectation questionnaire (at baseline visit) were analyzed for these patients. RESULTS Data were available from 1,567 patients (82%) after 12 months, with similar baseline characteristics as the initial cohort. Treatment expectations identified as important included: erection hardness and ability to maintain erection through intercourse completion (>92% of patients); confidence, partner satisfaction, and naturalness (>84% of patients); rapid effect and long duration of treatment (>75% of patients). Continued tadalafil use from 1,319 (84%) patients at 12 months were reported. Total EDITS scores for those continuing treatment was 85.9 (95% CI: 85.1-86.7). Increased satisfaction was associated with higher effectiveness, number of sexual attempts, partner support, good relationships, and good drug tolerance. Treatment satisfaction at 1 month was best predictive of treatment continuation at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS Eighty-four percent of patients reported continued use of tadalafil after 12 months. High satisfaction after first month of treatment was the best predictor of treatment continuation.
Bilateral Superficial Cervical Plexus Block ith 0 . 75 % Ropivacaine Administered Before r After Surgery Does Not Prevent Postoperative ain After Total Thyroidectomy

Background and Objectives: Patients undergoing thyroid surgery need postoperative pain management. Bilateral superficial cervical plexus block by administration of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:200000 epinephrine at the end of surgery has been shown to improve postoperative analgesia. The objective of this study was to assess the analgesic efficacy in the first 36 postoperative hours after total thyroidectomy of bilateral superficial cervical plexus block with 0.75% ropivacaine administered before the incision or on completion of the surgical procedure.
Retina Changes in Choroidal Thickness in Relation to the Severity of Retinopathy and Macular Edema in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Citation: Kim JT, Lee DH, Joe SG, Kim J-G, Yoon YH. Changes in choroidal thickness in relation to the severity of retinopathy and macular edema in type 2 diabetic patients. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:3378–3384. DOI:10.1167/iovs.12-11503 PURPOSE. To assess changes in choroidal thickness in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) using enhanced-depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).