Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
One‐year inhalation toxicity study of formaldehyde in male rats with a damaged or undamaged nasal mucosa

To study the effect of bilateral intranasal electrocoagulation damage on the susceptibility of rats to formaldehyde vapour, male Wistar rats with a damaged or undamaged nasal mucosa were exposed to atmospheres containing 0, 0.1, 1 or 10 ppm formaldehyde vapour during 6 h/day, 5 days/wk for 13 or 52 weeks.
Shared genetic factors may not explain the raised risk of comorbid inflammatory diseases in multiple sclerosis

Background: Comorbid inflammatory conditions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suggest shared risks with MS. Objective: To estimate if the risk of immune-mediated disease in MS patients and their parents is increased. Methods: Swedish register data were analysed using Cox regression to estimate immune-mediated disease risk among 11284 fathers and 12006 mothers of MS patients, compared with 123158 fathers and 129409 mothers of index subjects without MS. Similar analyses were conducted among 20276 index subjects with MS and 203951 without. Results: Parents of patients with MS did not have a significantly altered immune-mediated disease risk. Patients with MS had a consistently raised risk for several immune-mediated diseases: ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, polyarthritis nodosa and pemphigoid. The risk was more pronounced for diseases diagnosed subsequent to MS onset. Conclusion: The increased occurrence of other immune-mediated diseases in MS patients may not be due to shared genetic factors and surveillance bias is likely to be the main or possibly the entire explanation. If not entirely explained by surveillance bias, a modestly raised occurrence of comorbid diseases may be due to shared environmental risks or factors related to MS disease characteristics.
Islet transplantation in seven patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus using a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen.

BACKGROUND Registry data on patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who undergo pancreatic islet transplantation indicate that only 8 percent are free of the need for insulin therapy at one year. METHODS Seven consecutive patients with type 1 diabetes and a history of severe hypoglycemia and metabolic instability underwent islet transplantation in conjunction with a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen consisting of sirolimus, tacrolimus, and daclizumab. Islets were isolated by ductal perfusion with cold, purified collagenase, digested and purified in xenoprotein-free medium, and transplanted immediately by means of a percutaneous transhepatic portal embolization. RESULTS All seven patients quickly attained sustained insulin independence after transplantation of a mean (+/-SD) islet mass of 11,547+/-1604 islet equivalents per kilogram of body weight (median follow-up, 11.9 months; range, 4.4 to 14.9). All recipients required islets from two donor pancreases, and one required a third transplant from two donors to achieve sustained insulin independence. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin values were normal after transplantation in all recipients. The mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (a measure of fluctuations in blood glucose concentrations) was significantly decreased after the attainment of insulin independence (from 198+/-32 mg per deciliter [11.1+/-1.8 mmol per liter] before transplantation to 119+/-37 mg per deciliter [6.7+/-2.1 mmol per liter] after the first transplantation and 51+/-30 mg per deciliter [2.8+/-1.7 mmol per liter] after the attainment of insulin independence; P<0.001). There were no further episodes of hypoglycemic coma. Complications were minor, and there were no significant increases in lipid concentrations during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our observations in patients with type 1 diabetes indicate that islet transplantation can result in insulin independence with excellent metabolic control when glucocorticoid-free immunosuppression is combined with the infusion of an adequate islet mass.
Genomic profiling reveals different genetic aberrations in systemic ALK‐positive and ALK‐negative anaplastic large cell lymphomas

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a T/null‐cell neoplasm characterized by chromosomal translocations involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene (ALK). Tumours with similar morphology and phenotype but negative for ALK have been also recognized. The secondary chromosomal imbalances of these lymphomas are not well known. We have examined 74 ALCL, 43 ALK‐positive and 31 ALK‐negative, cases by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and locus‐specific alterations for TP53 and ATM were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Chromosomal imbalances were detected in 25 (58%) ALK‐positive and 20 (65%) ALK‐negative ALCL. ALK‐positive ALCL with NPM‐ALK or other ALK variant translocations showed a similar profile of secondary genetic alterations. Gains of 17p and 17q24‐qter and losses of 4q13‐q21, and 11q14 were associated with ALK‐positive cases (P = 0·05), whereas gains of 1q and 6p21 were more frequent in ALK‐negative tumours (P = 0·03). Gains of chromosome 7 and 6q and 13q losses were seen in both types of tumours. ALCL‐negative tumours had a significantly worse prognosis than ALK‐positive. However no specific chromosomal alterations were associated with survival. In conclusion, ALK‐positive and negative ALCL have different secondary genomic aberrations, suggesting they correspond to different genetic entities.
Spoliation and Clinical Performance of Monthly vs. Three Monthly Group II Disposable Contact Lenses

Twelve subjects were fitted with a high water content, nonionic contact lens (Pilkington Barnes-Hind “Precision UV”), which was either replaced every month for 3 months or worn for 3 consecutive months before replacement occurred. Visual quality, high and low contrast acuity, and comfort were unaltered with either replacement schedule, but overall satisfaction was significantly greater with the shorter replacement schedule (p=0.04). Front surface wettability revealed a large amount of intersubject variability and was reduced at the 3-month visit with the longer replacement period lenses (p=0.003). Visible deposits also increased with longer replacement times (p<0.05). Laboratory-based analytical results showed that both gross lipid and gross extractable protein significantly increased in the 3-month lenses compared with the 1-month lenses, with 44% less lipid accumulation and 60% less protein deposition occurring with the shorter replacement time. The results support the replacement of high water content lenses on a monthly ba
A semi-quantitative survey of macroinvertebrates at selected sites to evaluate the ecosystem health of the Olifants River

This study was conducted to evaluate the ecosystem health of the Olifants River by means of semi-quantitative surveys of the macroinvertebrates at 7 selected sites in the catchment. These surveys were performed during the high- and low-flow seasons for 2 consecutive years. Macroinvertebrates were collected by using a net consisting of a 30 cm square steel frame with a sturdy handle, to which a Perlon gauze net with a mesh of 1 mm was attached. Semi-quantitative surveys were done by sampling the vegetation, as well as the substratum, with the net at each site for approximately 15 min. The pH, water temperature and conductivity were measured in situ at each site during the different surveys. Samples were fixed and preserved in 90% ethanol and thereafter sorted, identified up to family level and counted. The specimens were categorised as tolerant, moderately sensitive or highly sensitive, according to the guidelines set by the South African Scoring System Version 5 (SASS5). Although a total of 95 taxa were recovered during this study, only 7 of these taxa were categorised as highly sensitive, it can be concluded that the water of the Olifants River is in a poor state of health as revealed by the macroinvertebrate assemblages. Keywords : Olifants River, macroinvertebrates, river health
CATARACT DEVELOPMENT AFTER EMBRYONIC AND FETAL X-IRRADIATION.

Studies of atomic bomb sequelae in Japan (1-6) have revealed that the lens of the eye is particularly radiosensitive and that the incidence of radiation-induced cataracts is considerably greater than of other cataracts in the normal population. Many studies have been made by the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, and five separate but related conferences were organized by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission to study radiation cataracts (7). Cases have been reported in the medical literature of human cataracts suspected as being caused by some irradiation incidental to treatment (8-16). The problem is of such practical importance that a great deal of research has been reported on other forms such as rabbits (17-19), dogs (20), and goats and pigs (21). The adult Swiss white mouse has been very useful in these studies (22-28), since it is abundantly available, its small size permits large numbers in limited space, and it appears to be susceptible to X-irradiation cataracts with low incidence compared with some other forms. Some mice, namely the C57 black/6 strain, normally have eye anomalies in about 10 % of its population and so are not satisfactory for cataract studies. Since 1955 (29) a few studies on the relation of embryonic and fetal X-irradiation to the subsequent development of radiation cataracts in mice have been reported (30-38), but there has been no systematic study of the relation of X-irradiation and cataractogenesis of the embryonic eye at the different gestation periods. This is a report of such a study.
Conservation of the 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol biosynthesis locus among fluorescent Pseudomonas strains from diverse geographic locations

The broad-spectrum antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (PHL) is a major determinant in the biological control of a range of plant pathogens by many fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. A 4.8-kb chromosomal DNA region from Pseudomonas fluorescens Q2-87, carrying PHL biosynthetic genes, was used as a probe to determine if the PHL biosynthetic locus is conserved within PHL-producing Pseudomonas strains of worldwide origin. The phl gene probe hybridized with the genomic DNA of all 45 PHL-producing Pseudomonas strains tested, including well-characterized biocontrol strains from the United States and Europe and strains isolated from disease-suppressive soils from Switzerland, Washington, Italy, and Ghana. The PHL producers displayed considerable phenotypic and genotypic diversity. Two phenotypically distinct groups were detected. The first produced PHL, pyoluteorin, and hydrogen cyanide and consisted of 13 strains from almost all locations sampled in the United States, Europe, and Africa. The second produced only PHL and HCN and consisted of 32 strains from the U.S. and European soils. Analysis of restriction patterns of genomic DNA obtained after hybridization with the phl gene probe and cluster analysis of restriction patterns of amplified DNA coding for 16S rRNA (ARDRA) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers indicated that the strains that produced both PHL and pyoluteorin were genetically highly similar. In contrast, there was more diversity at the genotypic level in the strains that produced PHL but not pyoluteorin. ARDRA analysis of these strains indicated two clusters which, on the basis of RAPD analysis, split into several subgroups with additional polymorphisms. In general, the occurrence of phenotypically and genotypically similar groups of PHL producers did not correlate with the geographic origin of the isolates, and highly similar strains could be isolated from diverse locations worldwide.
Unified modelling and analysis of collaboration business process based on Petri nets and Pi calculus

Collaboration business processes enable organisations to communicate, interact and cooperate with each other to achieve their business goals. It becomes more and more important to model and analyse collaboration business processes to guarantee their correctness and consistence. Among various formal methods, Petri nets have become one of the major formal methods due to its strong mathematical foundation, rich analysis techniques and graphical representations. Pi calculus, a branch of process algebra, has been proved to be more capable in modelling interactions and mobility. In this paper, we introduce a mapping model between these two formal methods, which integrates the local flow model of Petri nets and the interaction model of Pi calculus to describe collaboration business processes. The state graphs of Petri nets and Pi calculus are combined together to analyse the structure soundness of the unified model. A collaborative reduction tool is developed to support the unified modelling and analysis method.
Design, assembly and calibration of a microcontroller-based Geiger-Muller doserate meter

This article explains the design, assembly and calibration of a basic Geiger-M uller dose rate meter. The detector was elaborated using a Texas Instruments MSP430 low-power microcontroller, auxiliary analog front-end and high voltage electronics, as well as a commercial Geiger-M¨ uller tube as the detector, which was calibrated to measure the ambient dose rate equivalent. The main objective of this research is to produce a high-quality and low-cost option for radiation detection in delicate environments, such as hospitals, and hazardous wastes storage centers. So that accidents regarding radiation can be prevented. At the end of the day, a functional prototype was built and tested, successfully demonstrating the proof of concept and surpassing expected performance and accuracy.
Organization of valve pocket thrombi and the anomalies of double thrombi and valve cusp involvement

Organization and resolution were studied histologically in 48 valve pocket thrombi from femoral veins. The great majority were essentially single structures and the overlying cusps were normal and uninvolved, Thrombus adherence to the distal part of the vein wall in the pocket is followed by cellular and vascular invasion and progressive organization. At the same time many thrombi continue to grow by proximal addition, whilst others regress fully to fibrous intimal plaques. Central fibrinolytic changes are frequent. Focal organic fragmentation following endothelial cell surfacing is not uncommon and is a potential cause of thrombus detachment.
Expression of cyclooxygenase 1 and cyclooxygenase 2 in human synovial tissue: differential elevation of cyclooxygenase 2 in inflammatory joint diseases.

OBJECTIVE To compare the expression of the cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2, in synovial tissue samples between patients with inflammatory arthritis (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis [RA], ankylosing spondylitis [AS], or psoriatic arthritis [PsA]) and patients with osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS Paraffin-embedded sections of synovial tissue from patients with OA (n = 18), RA (n = 35), AS (n = 9), and PsA (n = 16) were immunostained for COX-1 and COX-2. Staining intensity was quantified videodensitometrically from specific synovial cell areas. In addition, samples of OA and RA synovial tissue were analyzed for levels of COX-1 and COX-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Strong COX-2 immunostaining was observed in synovial blood vessel endothelium, synovial lining cells, chondrocytes, and subsynovial fibroblast-like cells in patients with inflammatory arthritides. In the blood vessels, the mean (+/-SD) optical density (MOD) of staining was elevated, especially in AS samples (2.73 +/- 0.63), but also in PsA (1.99 +/- 0.66) and RA samples (1.54 +/- 0.73), in comparison with OA synovial tissue (0.84 +/- 0.30; P < 0.01 versus other groups). COX-1 staining was almost exclusively localized in synovial lining cells, with no significant differences in the MOD between the diseases. COX-2 mRNA expression was higher in RA than in OA samples (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of COX-2, but not the expression of COX-1, was found to be elevated in a disease-related pattern in the synovial tissue from patients with RA, AS, or PsA in comparison with OA samples, and was especially high in AS synovial tissue. These results may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of different arthritic diseases, and may have implications for the use of selective COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory joint symptoms.
School Physical Education, Extracurricular Sports, and Lifelong Active Living

The purpose of this article is to examine the role of school-based extracurricular initiatives in facilitating immediate and long-term positive impact on physical activity, healthy behavior, and obesity in children. A critique of the role of various sports-related initiatives that have been developed to address the obesity epidemic currently facing children within the United States is provided, with a specific emphasis on intramural sports as a preferred mechanism to encourage long-term involvement in sport and physically active pursuits. The article presents support for the notion that a physical education curriculum that includes intramurals before, during, and after school can help children learn the skills to enjoy participation in a variety of sports designed to facilitate lifelong active living.
Isotope effect and resistivity in the Hubbard model for d-wave superconductivity.

For spin-fluctuation-induced d-wave superconductivity in a two-dimensional Hubbard model we calculate the suppression of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, the isotope exponent \ensuremath{\alpha}, and the enhancement of the resistivity \ensuremath{\rho} due to additional phonon interaction. The smallest ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ suppression and the largest \ensuremath{\alpha} values are obtained for interactions ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{2}$F(q,\ensuremath{\omega}) which are enhanced at q=0. For a reasonably large coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathit{p}}$ the enhancement of \ensuremath{\rho} yields qualitative agreement with the data on ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. However, the largest values of \ensuremath{\alpha} (\ensuremath{\sim}0.2) lie at the lower limit of the measured values for reduced-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ materials. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Direct measurement of soluble CD4 binding to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 virions: gp120 dissociation and its implications for virus-cell binding and fusion reactions and their neutralization by soluble CD4

We have analyzed the binding of soluble CD4 (sCD4) to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions (isolates IIIB and RF) at 4 and 37 degrees C by using a combination of gel exclusion chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detection systems. The sCD4 binding curve at 37 degrees C indicates that the affinity of the interaction of sCD4 with gp120 on the virion surface is indistinguishable from the affinity of sCD4 for the equivalent concentration of soluble gp120. At 4 degrees C, however, the affinity of sCD4 for virion-bound gp120 but not for soluble gp120 is reduced by about 20-fold. Binding of sCD4 (greater than 0.2 microgram/ml) to virions at 37 degrees C but not 4 degrees C induces the rapid dissociation of a major proportion of gp120 from gp41 on the virion surface. This dissociation requires occupancy by sCD4 of multiple (probably two) binding sites on a gp120-gp41 oligomer. At 37 degrees C there are two components to the neutralizing action of sCD4 on HIV-1; reversible, competitive inhibition at low sCD4 concentrations (less than 0.2 microgram/ml) and essentially irreversible inhibition due to gp120 loss at higher sCD4 concentrations. At 4 degrees C, sCD4 neutralizes HIV infectivity by competitive inhibition alone. These findings may have implications for the HIV-CD4+ cell binding and fusion reactions and the mechanism by which sCD4 blocks infectivity.
Hepatic sinusoidal cells in health and disease: update from the 14th International Symposium

This review aims to give an update of the field of the hepatic sinusoid, supported by references to presentations given at the 14th International Symposium on Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid (ISCHS2008), which was held in Tromsø, Norway, August 31–September 4, 2008. The subtitle of the symposium, ‘Integrating basic and clinical hepatology’, signified the inclusion of both basal and applied clinical results of importance in the field of liver sinusoidal physiology and pathophysiology. Of nearly 50 oral presentations, nine were invited tutorial lectures. The authors of the review have avoided writing a ‘flat summary’ of the presentations given at ISCHS2008, and instead focused on important novel information. The tutorial presentations have served as a particularly important basis in the preparation of this update. In this review, we have also included references to recent literature that may not have been covered by the ISCHS2008 programme. The sections of this review reflect the scientific programme of the symposium (http://www.ub.uit.no/munin/bitstream/10037/1654/1/book.pdf): 1. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. 2. Kupffer cells. 3. Hepatic stellate cells. 4. Immunology. 5. Tumor/metastasis. Symposium abstracts are refered to by a number preceded by the letter A.
IL-7 Induces Immunological Improvement in SIV-Infected Rhesus Macaques under Antiviral Therapy1

Despite efficient antiretroviral therapy (ART), CD4+ T cell counts often remain low in HIV-1-infected patients. This has led to IL-7, a crucial cytokine involved in both thymopoiesis and peripheral T cell homeostasis, being suggested as an additional therapeutic strategy. We investigated whether recombinant simian IL-7-treatment enhanced the T cell renewal initiated by ART in rhesus macaques chronically infected with SIVmac251. Six macaques in the early chronic phase of SIV infection received antiretroviral treatment. Four macaques also received a 3-wk course of IL-7 injections. Viral load was unaffected by IL-7 treatment. IL-7 treatment increased the number of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells expressing activation (HLA-DR+, CD25+) and proliferation (Ki-67+) markers. It also increased naive (CD45RAbrightCD62L+) T cell counts by peripheral proliferation and enhanced de novo thymic production. The studied parameters returned to pretreatment values by day 29 after the initiation of treatment, concomitantly to the appearance of anti-IL-7 neutralizing Abs, supporting the need for a nonimmunogenic molecule for human treatment. Thus, IL-7, which increases T cell memory and de novo renewal of naive T cells may have additional benefits in HIV-infected patients receiving ART.
Status of the Mussel Fauna of the Poteau River and Implications for Commercial Harvest

Abstract The Poteau River, a major tributary of the Arkansas River, flows through the Ouachita Uplands of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. The river has been harvested for mussels, historically by the Caddo Indians and recently for the pearl industry. We documented the current distribution and abundance of mussels in the river, compared this with historical distributions and examined whether the river can sustain current levels of commercial harvest. The Poteau River retains a rich mussel fauna of 35 species. However, mussel abundance is much lower than in surrounding rivers. Mean total mussel densities in the largest beds in the river are 3.8 individuals/m2. Densities of the two commercially harvested species, Megalonaias nervosa (washboard) and Amblema plicata (threeridge), are only 0.15 and 1.25 individuals/m2, respectively. Mussel size distributions indicate very low recent recruitment of both M. nervosa and A. plicata. The majority of M. nervosa exceed the shell height limit of 4 inches established by the state of Oklahoma and, thus, are not protected by this regulation. Our data indicate that the Poteau River cannot sustain commercial mussel harvest. A recently established mussel sanctuary should be retained and further commercial harvest of mussels should be avoided.