Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium supplementation and rectal mucosal proliferation: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Data from studies using rodents suggest that dietary calcium inhibits bile acid-induced mucosal damage and experimental carcinogenesis in the large bowel. However, in humans, the effect of dietary calcium and calcium supplementation on proliferation and carcinogenesis in the large bowel has been unclear. PURPOSE To assess the effect of calcium supplementation on rectal mucosal proliferation in humans, we conducted a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial. METHODS Participants were part of a larger multicenter chemoprevention trial; all were at high risk for large-bowel neoplasia, with at least one large-bowel adenoma removed endoscopically within the 3 months before study entry but with no known polyps remaining. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive daily either 3000 mg of calcium carbonate (providing 1200 mg elemental calcium) or an identical-appearing placebo tablet. During a scheduled endoscopy 6-9 months after random assignment (approximately 1 year after the qualifying endoscopy), rectal mucosal samples were obtained from 333 patients (173 assigned to calcium and 160 assigned to placebo). Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling indices (LIs) were computed as the measure of proliferation in specimens from 146 patients receiving calcium and 129 patients receiving placebo. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling was used to measure proliferation in a smaller number of specimens (27 calcium-receiving and 31 placebo-receiving participants). For each scorable crypt having at least one labeled cell (or surrounded by crypts with at least one labeled cell), a crypt LI was calculated as the number of labeled cells divided by the total number of crypt cells. Crypt LIs were averaged to produce a participant's average LI. RESULTS The overall unadjusted mean PCNA LIs (+/- SE) were similar in the calcium and placebo groups (3.85% +/- 0.08% versus 3.92% +/- 0.08%, respectively, P = .30). The overall unadjusted mean BrdU LIs (+/- SE) were 3.88% +/- 0.30% in the calcium group and 3.54% +/- 0.21% in the placebo group (P = .54). PCNA labeling indices in the most luminal 40% of the crypt were small but, if anything, were higher in the calcium group. There was no patient subgroup within which calcium had an antiproliferative effect; the overall findings persisted among patients with high and low calcium intake, high and low fat intake, and high and low fiber intake. CONCLUSIONS Calcium supplementation does not decrease rectal mucosal proliferation, as measured by PCNA (and BrdU) immunohistochemistry, in patients with previous large-bowel adenomas. This study, therefore, does not provide evidence for an anticarcinogenic effect of calcium.
Contaminant retention characteristics of fly ash–bentonite mixes

It is important to determine the contaminant retention characteristics of materials when assessing their suitability for use as liners in landfill sites. Sand–bentonite mixtures are commonly used as liners in the construction of landfill sites for industrial and hazardous wastes. Sand is considered to be a passive material with a negligible chemical retention capacity; fly ash, however, offers the additional advantage of adsorbing the heavy metals present in landfill leachates. There have been few studies of the contaminant retention characteristics of fly ash–bentonite mixes. The study reported here determined the contaminant retention characteristics of different fly ashes, bentonite and selected fly ash–bentonite mixes for Pb2+ using 24 h batch tests. The tests were conducted by varying the initial concentrations of metal ions under uncontrolled pH conditions. The efficiency of the removal of Pb2+ by the different types of fly ash and fly ash–bentonite mixes was studied. The influence of multiple sources of fly ash on the retention characteristics of fly ash–bentonite mixes was investigated.
The Oligo-Acyl Lysyl Antimicrobial Peptide C12K-2β12 Exhibits a Dual Mechanism of Action and Demonstrates Strong In Vivo Efficacy against Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori has developed antimicrobial resistance to virtually all current antibiotics. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop new anti-H. pylori therapies. We recently described a novel oligo-acyl-lysyl (OAK) antimicrobial peptidomimetic, C12K-2β12, that shows potent in vitro bactericidal activity against H. pylori. Herein, we define the mechanism of action and evaluate the in vivo efficacy of C12K-2β12 against H. pylori after experimental infection of Mongolian gerbils. We demonstrate using a 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (fluorescent probe) uptake assay and electron microscopy that C12K-2β12 rapidly permeabilizes the bacterial membrane and creates pores that cause bacterial cell lysis. Furthermore, using nucleic acid binding assays, Western blots, and confocal microscopy, we show that C12K-2β12 can cross the bacterial membranes into the cytoplasm and tightly bind to bacterial DNA, RNA, and proteins, a property that may result in inhibition of enzymatic activities and macromolecule synthesis. To define the in vivo efficacy of C12K-2β12, H. pylori-infected gerbils were orogastrically treated with increasing doses and concentrations of C12K-2β12 1 day or 1 week postinfection. The efficacy of C12K-2β12 was strongest in animals that received the largest number of doses at the highest concentration, indicating dose-dependent activity of the peptide (P < 0.001 by analysis of variance [ANOVA]) regardless of the timing of the treatment with C12K-2β12. Overall, our results demonstrate a dual mode of action of C12K-2β12 against the H. pylori membrane and cytoplasmic components. Moreover, and consistent with the previously reported in vitro efficacy, C12K-2β12 shows significant in vivo efficacy against H. pylori when used as monotherapy. Therefore, OAK peptides may be a valuable resource for therapeutic treatment of H. pylori infection.
Routine Urine Culture in Febrile Young Children key

Objective: To assess the usefulness of the routine urine culture in febrile young children. setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital design: One year’s prospective study from October 2009 to September 2010 Patients: 334 febrile young children who were less than 5 years of age, who were admitted to the paediatric ward. Results: Out of 334 febrile children, 27 cases were diagnosed to have UTI , with overall estimated prevalence of 8.08%. Of the 27 patients with UTI, 17 (62.96%) cases had a provisional diagnosis which was other than UTI. One or the other symptoms which were referable to the urinary tract were present only in 52% of the patients with UTI. In 24% of the children with UTI, no other sign which was referable to the urinary tract was present, other than fever. A low yield was obtained in patients with respiratory infection (2.18%), neuroinfection (3.70%) and with enteric fever (3.84%). Of the 52 patients with gastroenteritis (GE), 5(9.61%) cases had UTI. Female patients with GE are particularly at an increased risk of UTI (23.52%). A high yield was obtained in patients with a provisional diagnosis of UTI (47.61%). Out of 31 patients who presented with fever with no apparent source, 7(22.58%) cases showed a significant growth on urine culture. Conclusion: Urinary tract infection should be considered as a potential cause of fever in children below 5 years of age. A high yield was obtained whenever UTI was suspected, or in patients with fever with no apparent source and in female children with gastroenteritis. Routine Urine Culture in Febrile Young Children key Words: Febrile, urine culture, urinary tract infection, young children original article developing countries. With a view on the above concerns, this study was under taken. METHODs Inclusion Criteria: Febrile children who were less than 5 years of age, who were admitted to the paediatric ward with an axillary temperature of ≥ 37.4oC within 24 hours of admission, were included in the study. Exclusion Criteria: Those children who had received antibiotics or had undergone bladder catheterization within 48 hours prior to the admission were excluded. A detailed history was taken and clinical examination was done in all the cases to find out the cause of the fever, with special emphasis being given to the symptoms of UTI. Necessary investigations were carried out to find the cause of the fever. The perineum and the genitalia were washed with soap and water. A freshly voided, clean catch, mid stream urine sample was collected in sterile containers for urinalysis and culture. The urine was collected by catheterization in those children who could not void urine within 24 hours after admission, after taking aseptic p ed ia tr ic s s ec tio n
A natural HIV p17 protein variant up‐regulates the LMP‐1 EBV oncoprotein and promotes the growth of EBV‐infected B‐lymphocytes: Implications for EBV‐driven lymphomagenesis in the HIV setting

Human immunodeficiency virus p17 matrix protein is released by infected cells and may accumulate within lymphoid tissues where it may deregulate the biological activities of different cell populations by binding to CXCR1 and CXCR2 cellular receptors. S75X, a natural p17 variant, was recently shown to enhance the malignant properties of lymphoma cells. We investigated a reference p17 protein and the S75X variant for their ability to bind to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐infected primary and fully transformed B‐lymphocytes and trigger downstream effects of potential pathogenic relevance. We demonstrate that EBV infection of primary B‐lymphocytes or the ectopic expression of the latent membrane protein‐1 viral oncoprotein in EBV‐negative B‐cells up‐regulates CXCR2, but not CXCR1. Multispectral imaging flow cytometry showed that EBV‐infected primary B‐cells more efficiently bind and internalize p17 proteins as compared with activated B‐lymphocytes. The S75X variant bound more efficiently to EBV‐infected primary and fully transformed B‐lymphocytes compared with reference p17, because of a higher affinity to CXCR2, and enhanced the proliferation of these cells, an effect associated with cyclin D2 and D3 up‐regulation and increased interleukin‐6 production. Notably, the S75X variant markedly up‐regulated latent membrane protein‐1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels and enhanced the activation of Akt, ERK1/2 and STAT3 signaling, thereby contributing to EBV+ B‐cell growth promotion. These results indicate that EBV infection sensitizes B‐lymphocytes to CXCR2‐mediated effects of p17 proteins and provide evidence supporting a possible contribution of natural p17 variants to EBV‐driven lymphomagenesis in the human immunodeficiency virus setting.
Molecular characterization of mutations causing β -thalassemia in Faisalabad Pakistan using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR)

BACKGROUND : Faisalabad is the third biggest city of Pakistan. Majority of the population is Punjabi while other ethnic groups are in minority. AIMS : The present study was undertaken to find the mutations causing β -thalassemia in Faisalabad Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A total of 285 β -globin alleles from 143 unrelated families having at least one transfusion-dependent child were analyzed by using amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR). RESULTS : FSC-8/9 (+G) and IVS-I-5 (G ®C) were the most common mutations. The allele frequency for FSC-8/9 (+G) was 38.59% while frequency for IVS-I-5 (G ®C) was 37.89%. The high frequency (76.48%) of IVS-I-5 (G ®C) and FSC-8/9 (+G) on various alleles provides a strong evidence of intermarriages. CONCLUSIONS : By using ARMS-PCR, the mutations were successfully characterized in 95.79% of subjects, while 4.21% remain to be characterized. This study will facilitate the implementations of genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis in the population of Faisalabad.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in immunocompromised hosts: A diagnostic challenge

The number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States declined by 45% between 1993 and 2006. This decline occurred disproportionately among United States–born persons (66%) compared to foreign-born individuals, among whom the number of cases actually increased by 5%. In solid-organ transplant recipients, the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection worldwide ranges between 0.35% and 15%, depending on the level of endemicity. This rate can be 36to 74-fold greater than that in the general population. The majority of MTB cases after transplantation represent reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), although acquisition of primary TB infection posttransplant and transmission of MTB via the transplanted organ are infrequent possibilities. Active TB in the posttransplantation setting can pose a number of challenges: atypical presentation leading to a delay in diagnosis, therapy associated with drug interactions and toxicities, graft rejection, and formidable morbidity and mortality. This is of particular concern in both patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation and liver transplant recipients, given the hepatotoxicity of several anti-TB medications and their associated drug interactions with immunosuppressants. In this issue of Liver Transplantation, Holty et al. present a systematic review and meta-analysis of TB in liver transplant recipients. They included cases of active MTB infection following liver transplantation as well as transplant candidates or recipients who received 6 months of therapy for LTBI prior to transplantation. The prevalence of active TB in liver transplant recipients was 1.3%. Extrapulmonary infection was seen in 67%, multiorgan involvement was seen in 27%, and 31% died. Tuberculin skin test (TST) results were as follows: a) Among 38 cases of posttransplant active TB with known pretransplant TST status, 37% were TST-positive, 53% were negative, and 11% were anergic; among 17 of these patients who had a posttransplant TST, only 35% were positive. b) In 3 studies with 2972 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 31% of the patients had a pretransplant TST, and 13% of these were positive. None of the TST-positive patients who received isoniazid therapy for at least 6 months developed active TB, whereas 7 TST-positive patients developed active disease without such therapy (mean follow-up, 54 months). Short-term mortality in patients with active posttransplant TB was 31%, with 65% of deaths directly attributed to MTB infection. Because reactivation of LTBI represents the majority of posttransplant cases of active TB, it is prudent to screen and identify such patients before transplantation for consideration of appropriate therapy for LTBI. Until recently, TST was the only test available for LTBI diagnosis. As noted previously, TST was notoriously insensitive: 64% of patients with posttransplant active TB were either TST-negative or anergic prior to transplantation, and 65% of patients had a negative posttransplant TST in the setting of active TB. TST has
Enolase of Streptococcus pneumoniae Binds Human Complement Inhibitor C4b-Binding Protein and Contributes to Complement Evasion

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a pathogen that causes severe local and life-threatening invasive diseases, which are associated with high mortality rates. Pneumococci have evolved several strategies to evade the host immune system, including complement to disseminate and to survive in various host niches. Thus, pneumococci bind complement inhibitors such as C4b-binding protein (C4BP) and factor H via pneumococcal surface protein C, thereby inhibiting the classical and alternative complement pathways. In this study, we identified the pneumococcal glycolytic enzyme enolase, a nonclassical cell surface and plasminogen-binding protein, as an additional pneumococcal C4BP-binding protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated that human, but not mouse, C4BP bound pneumococci. Recombinant enolase bound in a dose-dependent manner C4BP purified from plasma, and the interaction was reduced by increasing ionic strength. Enolase recruited C4BP and plasminogen, but not factor H, from human serum. Moreover, C4BP and plasminogen bound to different domains of enolase as they did not compete for the interaction with enolase. In direct binding assays with recombinant C4BP mutants lacking individual domains, two binding sites for enolase were identified on the complement control protein (CCP) domain 1/CCP2 and CCP8 of the C4BP α-chains. C4BP bound to the enolase retained its cofactor activity as determined by C4b degradation. Furthermore, in the presence of exogenously added enolase, an increased C4BP binding to and subsequently decreased C3b deposition on pneumococci was observed. Taken together, pneumococci specifically interact with human C4BP via enolase, which represents an additional mechanism of human complement control by this versatile pathogen.
Thermal conductivity of a shearing fluid.

A recently derived Green-Kubo formula for the thermal conductivity of a shearing fluid has been used to calculate the thermal conductivity of a strongly shearing Lennard-Jones fluid in the limit of zero temperature gradient. Using nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics simulation methods, we find that the diagonal elements of the thermal-conductivity tensor are independent of the strain rate y up to approximately γ=1.0. At higher strain rates, the xx and yy elements increase weakly with strain rate while the zz element decreases weakly. The xy and yx elements of the thermal-conductivity tensor decrease, initially linearly, with increasing strain rate from their equilibrium value of zero. These results are in agreement with conclusions obtained from symmetry arguments
Prevalence and genotype of Mycoplasma bovis in beef cattle after arrival at a feedlot.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis infection in the lungs of cattle at various times after arrival at a feedlot, to measure the relationship between clinical disease status and the concentration and genotype of M bovis within the lungs, and to investigate changes in the genotype of M bovis over time. SAMPLE Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 328 healthy or pneumonic beef cattle and 20 M bovis isolates obtained from postmortem samples. PROCEDURES The concentration of M bovis in BALF was determined via real-time PCR assays, and M bovis isolates from BALF were genotyped via amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. RESULTS Prevalence of M bovis in BALF was 1 of 60 (1.7%) at arrival to a feedlot and 26 of 36 (72.2%) and 36 of 42 (85.7%) at ≤ 15 days and 55 days after arrival, respectively. Neither the concentration nor the AFLP type of M bovis in BALF was correlated with clinical disease status. The M bovis AFLP type differed between early and later sampling periods in 14 of 17 cattle. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The findings implied spread of M bovis among calves and suggested that host factors and copathogens may determine disease outcomes in infected calves. Chronic pulmonary infection with M bovis may represent a dynamic situation of bacterial clearance and reinfection with strains of different AFLP type, rather than continuous infection with a single clone. These findings impact our understanding of why cattle with chronic pneumonia and polyarthritis syndrome inadequately respond to antimicrobial treatment.
Hybrid Cascaded Multilevel Inverter (HCMLI) With Improved Symmetrical 4-Level Submodule

This letter proposes an improved symmetrical 4-level submodule as a basic cell for generating multiple dc voltage levels. A hybrid cascaded multilevel inverter (HCMLI) topology is formed by the combination of n submodules and a full-bridge. A comparative analysis against the recent multilevel inverters reveals that the proposed topology requires less number of switches and dc sources. In addition, the proposed submodule reduces the number of conducting switch and gate driver requirements compared to the widely used half-bridge submodule. To validate the operation of the proposed HCMLI topology, experimental results of a 9-level single-phase inverter controlled by selective harmonic elimination pulse-width-modulation is presented.
Proteins in the gas phase

Proteins are complex macromolecules that evolved over billions of years to be active in aqueous solution. Water is a key element that stabilizes their structure, and most structural studies on proteins have thus been carried out in aqueous environment. However, recent experimental approaches have opened the possibility to gain structural information on proteins from gas‐phase measurements. The obtained results revealed significant structural memory in proteins when transferred from water to the gas phase. However, after several years of experimental and theoretical research, the nature of the structural changes induced by vaporization, the exact characteristics of proteins in the gas phase, and the physicochemical forces stabilizing dehydrated proteins are still unclear. We will review here these issues using both experimental and theoretical sources of information. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of insulating barriers on AC breakdown voltage in inhomogeneous field

In this study, the effect of insulating barriers on the breakdown voltage of air in inhomogeneous field is observed. Tests are conducted in order to measure the 50 Hz AC breakdown voltage of small air gaps (up to 50 mm) formed by hemispherically capped rod-plane electrodes with an insulating barrier between them. Energized rod and grounded plane gaps are studied with the flat insulating barriers that have three different diameters. The results of the test series show how the breakdown voltage varies with the distance between the electrodes, the size and the material of the barrier, the relative position of the electrodes and the barrier between them. As a result, all three materials show nearly same effect when they are used as a barrier, the breakdown voltage varies due to the size of the barriers and the maximum flashover voltages are observed when the barriers are positioned at the nearest point to the rod electrode and the small sized barriers become effective only in very small air gaps
Systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction: from risk factors to overt heart failure

Because life expectancy and the prevalence of risk factors such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes are rising globally, heart failure (HF) is growing into a major health problem. Impairment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function as well as systolic function appear very early in the course of heart disease. Recent HF guidelines, therefore, place special emphasis on the detection of subclinical LV dysfunction and the timely identification of risk factors for HF. Conventional echocardiography combined with new imaging techniques such as tissue Doppler and tissue tracking are sensitive tools to detect early subclinical deterioration of LV function. Community-based studies revealed a higher prevalence of LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction using the new echocardiographic imaging techniques. Future prospective studies will clarify the hitherto unknown prognosis associated with early symptom-free LV dysfunction.
Short‐term treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder with naltrexone: an open‐label preliminary study

Eight patients (6 men and 2 women) with chronic post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were treated with naltrexone 100–200 mg/day. Seven patients completed 2 weeks of treatment. A subtle and clinically insignificant improvement was noted in intrusive and hyperarousal symptoms (p < 0.05 for both), but not in avoidance symptoms. All patients demonstrated side effects which limited the targeted dose. It is suggested that the subtle positive effect of naltrexone and the hypersensitivity of these patients to its side effects do not encourage the use of naltrexone in the treatment of PTSD patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.