Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diffusion-weighted MRI hyperintensity patterns differentiate CJD from other rapid dementias

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI have high sensitivity and specificity for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). No studies, however, have demonstrated how MRI can distinguish CJD from nonprion causes of rapidly progressive dementia (npRPD). We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for CJD compared to a cohort of npRPD subjects. Methods: Two neuroradiologists blinded to diagnosis assessed DWI and FLAIR images in 90 patients with npRPD (n = 29) or prion disease (sporadic CJD [sCJD], n = 48, or genetic prion disease [familial CJD, n = 6, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker, n = 7]). Thirty-one gray matter regions per hemisphere were assessed for abnormal hyperintensities. The likelihood of CJD was assessed using our previously published criteria. Results: Gray matter hyperintensities (DWI > FLAIR) were found in all sCJD cases, with certain regions preferentially involved, but never only in limbic regions, and rarely in the precentral gyrus. In all sCJD cases with basal ganglia or thalamic DWI hyperintensities, there was associated restricted diffusion (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] map). This restricted diffusion, however, was not seen in any npRPD cases, in whom isolated limbic hyperintensities (FLAIR > DWI) were common. One reader's sensitivity and specificity for sCJD was 94% and 100%, respectively, the other's was 92% and 72%. After consensus review, the readers' combined MRI sensitivity and specificity for sCJD was 96% and 93%, respectively. Familial CJD had overlapping MRI features with sCJD. Conclusions: The pattern of FLAIR/DWI hyperintensity and restricted diffusion can differentiate sCJD from other RPDs with a high sensitivity and specificity. MRI with DWI and ADC should be included in sCJD diagnostic criteria. New sCJD MRI criteria are proposed.
Africa: The Cradle of Modern People

This chapter is intended as a survey of the African fossil record relevant to the origin of modern humans. This record has been summarized in detail fairly often over the four decades (e.g., Howell, 1978, 1994; Klein, 1989, 1999, 2009; Cartmill and Smith, 2009; Smith et al., 1989; Wolpoff, 1996; Bräuer, 1984a, 1984b, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2001a, 2001b, 2007, 2008; Bräuer and Rimbach, 1990; Stringer, 2002, 2011; Rightmire, 1976, 1978a, 1978b, 1984a, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001a, 2008, 2009), so the present chapter will seek to cover some of the more recent and smaller finds in more detail while providing a basic overview of the better-known finds. Also considered are some of the attendant issues that surround human evolution during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. These issues include speciation, the impact of genetic data, and the role of climate in the human evolution in Africa. Within 5 years of the publication of Smith and Spencer’s The Origins of Modern Humans: A World Survey of the Fossil Evidence in 1984, knowledge of the timing and pattern of key events in the origin and spread of modern humans had increased substantially. The most plausible interpretation of new data from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was that a common ancestor (a mother in this case) of all modern human mtDNA sequences had lived in Africa between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago (Cann et al., 1987; Stoneking and Cann, 1989; Delson, 1988). These initial findings were confirmed and refined by subsequent studies (Vigilant et al., 1991; Stoneking et al., 1992). At the time, these findings were subjected to criticism by multiregionalists (e.g., Wolpoff, 1989; Smith et al., 1989; Frayer et al., 1993) and some geneticists (Templeton, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997). Nevertheless, the findings from mtDNA were supported by some early, worldwide analyses of polymorphisms in human proteins and blood groups (Jones and Rouhani, 1986; Wainscoat et al., 1986, 1989; Nei and Roychoudhury, 1982, 1993), which also showed a likely African origin of modern humans and a divergence time on the order of 100,000 years between populations, although other contemporary analyses suggested a different pattern (e.g., Excoffier et al., 1987).
Cardiac Autonomic Activity During Human Sleep: Analysis of Sleep Stages and Sleep Cycles

In this study characteristics of cardiac functioning were investigated in nine subjects during their nocturnal sleep. The pre-ejection period and the high frequency component of heart rate variability were used as indices of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system respectively. Heart rate and the autonomic indices were assessed across physiological determined sleep stages and consecutive temporal sleep cycles. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses indicated a significant pattern of heart rate as a function of sleep stages, which was mirrored by parasympathetic activity. Further, a significant decrease of heart rate as a function of sleep cycles was mirrored by an increase of sympathetic activity. Moreover, non-REM/REM differences revealed a dominant role of parasympathetic activity during sleep stages as well as sleep cycles. These findings demonstrate that sympathetic activity is influenced by time asleep, whereas parasympathetic activity is influenced by the depth of sleep.
Degree of Hippocampal Neuron Loss Determines Severity of Verbal Memory Decrease After Left Anteromesiotemporal Lobectomy

Summary: Fifty‐eight left speech dominant adults with medically refractory epilepsy originating from the temporal lobe (28 left, 30 right) were examined using the verbal Selective Reminding Test before and after anteromesiotemporal lobectomy. After neuron density in the excised hippocampal tissue was established, a median split procedure was performed to distinguish patients with severe neuron loss (13 left, 16 right) from those with only mild or moderate neuron loss (15 left, 14 right). The memory of patients with severe left hippocampal neuron loss did not decrease significantly postoperatively. Patients with mild or moderate left hippocampal neuron loss experienced significant verbal memory decrease postoperatively. The magnitude of the verbal memory decrease was not related to recurrence of seizures after operation. Patients undergoing right anteromesiotemporal lobectomy exhibited significant improvements in verbal memory, regardless of the condition of the excised hippocampal tissue. The degree of hippocampal neuron loss determines to a great extent the severity of the verbal memory decrease that follows dominant anteromesiotemporal lobectomy.
Antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and suboptimal response to hepatitis B vaccination.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To analyze the relation between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the antibody response to plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. DESIGN Open-label longitudinal cohort study; blinded laboratory studies. SETTING University-affiliated municipal hospital. PATIENTS Homosexually active men with negative assays for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antigen, and antibody to HBsAg; recruited in a sexually transmitted disease clinic or referred from community practitioners. INTERVENTIONS Immunization with 20 micrograms of plasma-derived hepatitis B virus vaccine intramuscularly, repeated after 1 and 6 months; standardized evaluation at entry and at 1, 2, 6, and 7 months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Low antibody response or nonresponse to vaccination occurred in 7 of 16 HIV-seropositive patients, compared with 6 of 68 HIV-seronegative patients (P = 0.002). Median levels of antibody to HBsAg 7 months after the first vaccine dose were 205.3 sample ratio units for HIV-seronegative patients and 15.5 sample ratio units for HIV-seropositive patients. By multivariate analysis, vaccine response was associated with HIV antibody status and not with cytomegalovirus infection, lymphocyte subset results, or impaired cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity. CONCLUSIONS Infection with HIV is associated with suboptimal antibody response to plasma-derived hepatitis B virus vaccine. Determination of antibody levels after vaccination in HIV-seropositive patients may be warranted.
Effect of vernolide-A, a sesquiterpene lactone from Vernonia cinerea L., on cell-mediated immune response in B16F-10 metastatic melanoma-bearing mice

One of the major reasons for the rapid progression of cancers is the ability of tumor cells to escape from the immune surveillance mechanism of the body. Modulation of immune responses is highly relevant in tumor cell destruction. Effect of vernolide-A on the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response in metastatic condition was studied using C57BL/6 mice model. Administration of vernolide-A enhanced natural killer (NK) cell activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytotoxicity (ACC) and the activity was observed in treated group much earlier compared with the metastatic tumor-bearing control. Administration of vernolide-A significantly enhanced the production of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in metastatic tumor-bearing animals. In addition, vernolide-A significantly down-regulated the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) during metastasis. All these results demonstrate that vernolide-A could enhance the immune response against metastatic progression of B16F-10 melanoma cells in mice.
Self-report vs. objectively assessed physical activity: which is right for public health?

BACKGROUND To examine the agreement between self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity (PA) according to current public health recommendations. METHODS One-hundred and fourteen British University students wore a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor (Actiheart; AHR) to estimate 24-hour energy expenditure over 7 consecutive days. Data were extracted based on population-based MET-levels recommended to improve and maintain health. On day 8, participants were randomly assigned to complete either the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) or the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ). Estimates of duration (IPAQ; N = 46) and frequency (LTEQ; N = 41) of PA were compared with those recorded by the AHR. RESULTS Bland-Altman analysis showed the mean bias between the IPAQ and AHR to be small for moderate-intensity and total PA, however the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were wide. The mean number of moderate bouts of PA estimated by the LTEQ was similar to those derived by the AHR but the 95% LOA between the 2 measures were large. CONCLUSIONS Although self-report questionnaires may provide an approximation of PA at a population level, they may not determine whether an individual is participating in the type, intensity, and amount of PA advocated in current public health recommendations.
Treatment seeking behaviour of smear-positive tuberculosis patients diagnosed in Burkina Faso.

SETTING Yalgado Ouedraogo University Health Centre and National Tuberculosis Centre, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. OBJECTIVE To identify causes and circumstances leading to delays in the diagnosis of sputum-positive tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN A cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2001. Data were collected on reasons for consulting and admission to hospital, health units visited and diagnoses. RESULTS Before obtaining a diagnosis, 24.5% of patients had visited a public health unit, 31% had visited a private health unit, 31% had treated themselves and 6% had visited a traditional healer. In total, 16% of visits to the National Tuberculosis Centre and the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Health Centre were initiated by the patients themselves, 43% by a relative and 41% by a health worker. The average delay to diagnosis was 4 months. Only 24.5% of patients had undergone smear microscopy compared to 44.2% who had undergone chest X-ray. The majority of patients came from the outskirts of Ouagadougou. CONCLUSION Delays in TB diagnosis seem to be due to the lack of awareness of patients and the incompetence of some health workers. Training and supervision of staff and TB information campaigns targeted at the population (transmission, symptoms and treatment) will improve TB control in Burkina Faso.
Expression of peptide YY in all four islet cell types in the developing mouse pancreas suggests a common peptide YY-producing progenitor.

The islets of Langerhans contain four distinct endocrine cell types producing the hormones glucagon, insulin, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide. These cell lineages are thought to arise from a common, multipotential progenitor cell whose identity has not been well established. The pancreatic and intestinal hormone, peptide YY, has been previously identified in glucagon-producing cells in islets; however, transgenic mice expressing Simian Virus 40 large T antigen under the control of the peptide YY gene expressed the oncoprotein in beta, delta and pancreatic polypeptide cells, and occasionally developed insulinomas, suggesting relationships between peptide YY-producing cells and several islet cell lineages. The four established pancreatic islet cell types were examined for coexpression of peptide YY in islets of normal and transgenic mice throughout development. Peptide YY immunoreactivity was identified in the earliest endocrine cells in the fetal pancreas and was coexpressed in each islet cell type during development. Peptide YY showed a high degree of co-localization with glucagon- and insulin-producing cells in early pancreatic development, but by adulthood, peptide YY was expressed in less than half of the alpha cells and was no longer expressed in beta cells. Peptide YY was also coexpressed with somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide when these cell types first appeared, but most delta and pancreatic polypeptide cells continued to express peptide YY throughout development. The use of conditions that distinguish peptide YY from the related peptides, pancreatic polypeptide and neuropeptide Y, as well as the ability of the peptide YY gene to direct expression of a reporter gene in islets of transgenic mice, establishes expression of peptide YY in the earliest pancreatic endocrine cells. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Examination of granule layer cell count, cell density, and single‐pulse brdu incorporation in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures with respect to culture medium, septotemporal position, and time in vitro

Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus is assuming an increasingly important role in supporting hippocampal‐dependent learning and the modulation of mood and anxiety. Moreover, injury to the developing postnatal dentate gyrus has profound effects on neurogenesis and hippocampal learning throughout life. Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures represent an attractive model for studying neurogenesis both in the early postnatal and adult hippocampus, as they retain much of their anatomical and functional circuitry in vitro. Ongoing neurogenesis has been recently demonstrated in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. However, cell proliferation, one of the critical components of neurogenesis, has yet to be characterized in this culture system. We examined single‐pulse S‐phase bromo‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling in the dentate granule layer with respect to the septotemporal position of origin of the slice culture, the medium the cultures were grown in, and the time the cultures were maintained in vitro up to 14 days, when they are believed to have matured to a near adult state. Using single 10‐μm sections through a culture as our reference volume, we report significant effects of septotemporal position on the number of granule layer cells and the number of cells in S‐phase, as estimated by short‐survival (2 hours) BrdU studies. We report a declining rate of BrdU incorporation, evidence of significant structural changes within the granule cell layer, and differences in cell death between culture media over the first 14 days in vitro. We report caution with the use of BrdU cell density and changes in cell number to indirectly estimate proliferation. J. Comp. Neurol. 497:397–415, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Longitudinal Evaluation of Secondary Bone Grafting into the Alveolar Cleft

Objective To longitudinally evaluate the outcome of secondary bone grafting (SBG) using computed tomograms (CTs) and conventional dental radiographs. Subjects Nineteen alveolar clefts from 17 patients were used in this study. Method A two-dimensional evaluation of SBG was performed using dental radiographs at 1 year after SBG by assigning scores of 1 to 4 (from very good to poor) based on postoperative marginal bone level on the alveolar side. On the basis of postoperative marginal bone levels on the nasal side, clefts were also assigned to groups with the bony bridge on or above (group I) or below (group II) a horizontal reference line. Three-dimensional evaluation of the SBG was performed on horizontal CT slices with the residual cortical bone (RCB) ratio before SBG (T0) as well as 1.5 (T1), 3 (T2), 6 (T3), and 12 months (T4) after SBG. Results The RCB ratio at T4 in the group with scores 1 and 2 was significantly smaller than that of score 3. Furthermore, the mean RCB ratio at T4 in group I was significantly smaller than that in group II. Nineteen alveolar clefts were divided into two groups, A and B, based on a cluster analysis of the RCB ratios. Group A showed a continuous decrease in the RCB ratio from T0 to T2, but group B showed a significant decrease only in the period from T0 to T1. Conclusion These results suggested that the RCB ratio might be a useful parameter for evaluation of the bony bridge after SBG.
The 5HTTLPR polymorphism, psychopathologic symptoms, and platelet [3H-] paroxetine binding in bulimic syndromes.

BACKGROUND A short (s) allele in the promoter region of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter gene (5HTTLPR) has been associated with low transcription of the 5-HT transporter protein, and with clinical manifestations including impulsivity, affective disorder, and bulimia nervosa. METHODS We studied implications of the 5HTTLPR s allele for eating symptoms, psychopathologic traits, and platelet [3H-] paroxetine binding in 59 women with bulimia spectrum syndromes. RESULTS Compared with those without it, carriers of the s allele of 5HTTLPR showed significantly more affective instability, behavioral impulsivity, interpersonal insecurity, comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD), and lower density (Bmax) of paroxetine-binding sites. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that proneness to impulsivity, affective dysregulation, and reduced central 5-HT reuptake may (in part) be codetermined by the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. However, given inconsistent 5HTTLPR expression in different populations, we speculate that we may be observing a phenotype (i.e., eating disorder)-dependent manifestation.
Periodontitis and bone mineral density among pre and post menopausal women: A comparative study

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between bone mineral density and periodontitis in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Twenty women between the age group of 45-55 years were selected for this study. Ten premenopausal women with healthy periodontium constituted the control group and 10 postmenopausal women with ≥2mm of clinical attachment loss in >30% of sites constituted the study group. All patients were assessed for plaque index, probing depth and clinical attachment loss. Radiographs (six IOPA and two posterior bitewing) were taken and assessed for interproximal alveolar bone loss. The patients were scanned to assess the bone mineral density of lumbar spine (L2) and femur using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Results: The bone mineral densities of lumbar spine (L2) and femur were significantly lower in the study group than the control group. Osteopenia of the lumbar spine and femur was observed in 60% whereas osteoporosis of lumbar spine was observed in 30% of cases in study group. Conclusion: Increased proportion of osteopenia and osteoporosis cases of lumbar spine and femur in postmenopausal women with periodontitis suggests that there is association between bone mineral density and periodontitis.
Coronary calcification is associated with lower bone formation rate in CKD patients not yet in dialysis treatment

Vascular calcification is a strong prognostic marker of mortality in hemodialysis patients and has been associated with bone metabolism disorders in this population. In earlier stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), vascular calcification also has been documented. This study evaluated the association between coronary artery calcification (CAC) and bone histomorphometric parameters in CKD predialysis patients assessed by multislice coronary tomography and by undecalcified bone biopsy. CAC was detected in 33 (66%) patients, and their median calcium score was 89.7 (0.4–2299.3 AU). The most frequent bone histologic alterations observed included low trabecular bone volume, increased eroded and osteoclast surfaces, and low bone‐formation rate (BFR/BS). Multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, and diabetes, showed that BFR/BS was independently associated with the presence of coronary calcification [p = . 009; odd ratio (OR) = 0.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.036–0.619]. This study showed a high prevalence of CAC in asymptomatic predialysis CKD patients. Also, there was an independent association of low bone formation and CAC in this population. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that low bone‐formation rate constitutes another nontraditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease in CKD patients. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Inelastic neutron scattering investigation of hydrating tricalcium and dicalcium silicate mixture pastes: Ca(OH)_2 formation and evolution of strength

The hydration of controlled tricalcium and dicalcium silicate mixtures was investigated using inelastic neutron scattering. The amount of Ca(OH)_2 produced by each mixture was quantified based on the vibrational mode at approximately 41 meV. The results of compressive strength testing correlate with the amount of Ca(OH)_2 produced and with previous results from quasielastic neutron scattering. These results establish a link between hydration mechanics and the evolution of hydration products leading to desirable properties, such as strength.
Chromatin structure of simian virus 40-pBR322 recombinant plasmids in COS-1 cells

To study the nucleoprotein structure formed by recombinant plasmid DNA in mammalian cells, nuclei were isolated from COS-1 cells after transfection with a recombinant (pJI1) containing pBR322 sequences and a segment of simian virus 40 containing information for a nuclease-sensitive chromatin structure. The nuclei were incubated with DNase I. DNA fragments which were the size of linear pJI1 DNA were isolated, redigested with restriction enzymes, fractionated by electrophoresis, and detected by hybridization with nick-translated segments prepared from the plasmid DNA. Two DNase I-sensitive sites were detected in the simian virus 40 portion of the plasmid at the same sites that were DNase I sensitive in simian virus 40 chromatin prepared late after infection of African green monkey kidney (BSC-1) cells. One site extended from the viral origin of replication to approximately nucleotide 40. The 21-base pair repeated sequences were relatively DNase I resistant. A second site occurred over the single copy of the 72-base pair segment present in this plasmid. These results indicate that the nuclease-sensitive chromatin structure does not depend on the presence of viral structural proteins. In addition, late viral proteins added to pJI1-transfected COS-1 cells by superinfection with simian virus 40 caused no change in the distribution of DNase I-sensitive sites in plasmid chromatin. Analysis of transfected plasmid DNA may provide a general method applicable to the study of the chromatin structure of cloned segments of DNA.