Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antitopoisomerase 1 Antibodies in Systemic Sclerosis

Abstract: Among the multiple autoantibodies identified in the serum of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, three are disease‐specific, mutually exclusive, and helpful to determine the prognosis: anticentromere antibodies, antitopoisomerase 1 antibodies (ATA), and anti‐RNA‐polymerase III antibodies. ATA can be identified through different techniques, including double immunodiffusion (DID) assay, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or immunoblot. Although all of them are commonly used, none of them can be considered as the reference. Herein, we propose a brief description of the different methods available for the detection of ATA. All these studies revealed that ATA, determined by DID assay, ELISA, or immunoblot, are highly specific for SSc although the reported sensitivity is fickle. As we recently reported, patients with ATA had an almost similar phenotype without distinction between the methods of detection, ELISA, and immunoblot, and the use of these two techniques improves the sensitivity without diminishing the specificity. Thus, we may propose that a combination of the immunoblot using HEp‐2 cells antigens and ELISA could be used for the detection of ATA.
Septic arthritis of the ankle joint.

BACKGROUND Septic arthritis of the ankle joint is a rare but serious disease. Very few reports in the literature have mentioned the method of care and treatment results of septic ankle. This study was designed to retrospectively review the treatment results and to analyze the prognostic factors of septic arthritis of the ankle inpatients at our hospital. We also formulated a protocol for the management of septic arthritis of the ankle joint. METHODS All records of those patients with a diagnosis of septic ankle from 1985 to 1997 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 29 patients that met the diagnostic criteria of septic arthritis of the ankle joint (21 male and 8 female patients; 6 children and 23 adults). The average follow-up time was 5.5 years (ranging from 1.5 to 13.7 years). The patients' ages, associated diseases, single or multiple joint(s) involved, timing of treatment, and the final results of these cases were assessed. The infecting organism and drug sensitivity were discussed to determine the proper antibiotics regimen. RESULTS Staphylococcus aureus was the most common infecting microorganism in the septic ankles. Combined therapy with oxacillin and gentamicine was effective against 88.1% of the infecting microorganisms. The poor prognostic factors for septic ankle included a positive bacterial culture, involvement of multiple joints simultaneously, a delay in treatment, and an increased number of associated diseases. In addition, a high proportion of patients with septic ankle had gouty arthritis (43.5%). CONCLUSION Early treatment (symptom duration of less than 5 days) significantly affected the final results. The early recognition and prompt treatment of this condition may reduce morbidity and mortality. Based on our results, oxacillin and gentamicine are recommended as the first-line antibiotics for the management of septic ankle.
PRESENT EFFECTS OF PAST WILDFIRES ON THE DIETS OF STREAM FISH

Abstract We investigated present indirect effects from a decade-old burn on the diets of stream fish. Based on soil instability and burn patterns from a 12–14-year-old wildfire complex, we separated 9 streams into 3 conditions: unburned, burned, and burned/scoured (i.e., experiencing a massive scour event 1 year post-burn). In the streams, we measured light levels and water temperatures, and we estimated fish density and biomass. We removed the digestive tracts from 9–15 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from each stream and used a gravimetric procedure to analyze gut contents. Canopy cover development may dictate the composition of dietary items. Greater amounts of aquatic invertebrates and inorganic material were found in trout from streams with reduced overhead canopy. Further, these streams had lower amounts of terrestrial invertebrates and organic materials in the diets of fish. Although trout abundance was not different among the stream treatments, fire-induced, indirect effects on fish diets were still evident more than a decade after the burn. This suggests that recovery rates for trout assemblages may take longer than predicted and may depend on riparian recovery.
The effects of emotionally intelligent leadership behaviour on emergency staff nurses' workplace empowerment and organizational commitment.

The purpose of this study was to test a model exploring the relationships among emotionally intelligent leadership behaviour, workplace empowerment and commitment. A predictive, non-experimental design was used to test the model in a random sample of 300 emergency staff nurses working in Ontario. A path analysis supported the fully mediated hypothesized model (chi(2)=2.3, df=1, p > . 05; CFI=. 99, IFI=. 99, RMSEA=. 08). Perceived emotionally intelligent leadership behaviour had a strong direct effect on structural empowerment (beta=.54), which in turn had a strong direct effect on organizational commitment (beta=.61).
"Early" virus-specific RNA may contain information necessary for chromosome replication and mitosis induced by Simian Virus 40.

Simian Virus 40 (SV40) induces in "contact-inhibited" tissue culture cells of mouse kidney an abortive infection that leads to the appearance of intra-nuclear SV40-specific tumor (T-) antigen, followed by replication of the mouse-cell chromatin and mitosis, while no viral progeny DNA or capsid protein is produced. Synthesis of "early" SV40-specific RNA ("19S RNA") begins a few hours before the appearance of T-antigen and appears to be switched off after the onset of chromatin replication. As the most simple working hypothesis that can account for the experimental results available, we assume that early SV40 RNA contains information necessary for production of T-antigen and that this antigen (or an unknown early virus-specific function that would simply parallel the appearance of T-antigen) activates or de-inhibits a cellular regulatory element that governs chromosome replication and mitosis. The experimental results agree with the idea that SV40 acts primarily as a mitogen.
Multidisciplinary antimicrobial management teams: the way forward to control antimicrobial resistance in hospitals.

Microbial resistance to anti-infective drugs is recognized as a major public health threat [1,2]. In hospitals, it has become a daily concern for the infectious diseases specialist, microbiologist, pharmacist and infection control team. Several factors are driving the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals, including the selection of resistant mutants by antibiotic exposure, the transfer of genetic determinants of resistance between bacterial strains, and the clonal spread of resistant strains among hospitalized patients within and between institutions. These mechanisms are fuelled by excessive antibiotic use and poor compliance with infection control standards. After outbreaks of nosocomial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains, some of which are resistant to all currently available drugs, these strains become endemic in many regions [1,2]. Infections caused by resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii have been associated with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs [3,4].
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis in immunocompetent adults

Tuberculosis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Although tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs, other organs can also be affected, leading to extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) or disseminated tuberculosis. This study retrospectively analysed the incidence, clinical sites and risk factors for EPT in 252 patients with EPT between 1 January 1991 and 30 June 2003. EPT was defined as clinical, laboratory, imaging, and/or histopathological evidence of mycobacterial infection in a site other than hilar lymph nodes or lung parenchyma. In our study group, tuberculous lymphadenitis (36.5%) was found to be the most common clinical presentation of EPT. 119 (47.2%) patients developed the severe form of EPT, according to the WHO report, and 133 (52.8%) patients developed the less severe form. A case history of pulmonary tuberculosis was found to be a risk factor for the development of EPT (p<0.05). The study showed that EPT is still a public health problem. These findings suggested that pulmonary tuberculosis may play a critical role in the development of EPT. 12-month therapy may be chosen in patients with EPT considering acceptable adverse effects without relapses.
Massive postoperative rhabdomyolysis after uneventful surgery: a case report of subclinical malignant hyperthermia.

MALIGNANT hyperthermia (MH) is generally thought of in its fulminant form, manifesting as severe hypercapnia, uncontrollable hyperthermia, and accompanied by hyperkalemia with cardiac dysrhythmias. We report a case of an adult surgical patient who developed severe postoperative rhabdomyolysis without other symptoms and who was subsequently found by muscle biopsy to be MH susceptible.
Immunocytochemical localization of the dopamine transporter in human brain

The dopamine transporter (DAT) was localized in normal human brain tissue by light microscopic immunocytochemistry by using highly specific monoclonal antibodies. Regional distribution of DAT was found in areas with established dopaminergic circuitry, e.g., mesostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesocortical pathways. Mesencephalic DAT‐immunoreactivity was enriched in the dendrites and cell bodies of neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area. Staining in the striatum and nucleus accumbens was dense and heterogeneous. Mesocortical DAT immunoreactivity in motor, premotor, anterior cingulate, prefrontal, entorhinal/perirhinal, insular, and visual cortices was detected in scattered varicose and a few nonvaricose fibers. Varicose fibers were relatively enriched in the basolateral and central subnuclei of amygdala, with sparser fibers in lateral and basomedial subnuclei. Double‐labeling studies combining DAT and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining in the ventral mesencephalon showed two subpopulations of dopaminergic neurons differentiated by the presence or absence of DAT‐immunoreactivity in the A9 and A10 cell groups. In other dopaminergic cell groups (A11, A13–A15), TH‐positive hypothalamic neurons showed no detectable DAT‐immunoreactivity. However, fine DAT‐immunoreactive axons were scattered throughout the hypothalamus, particularly concentrated along the medial border, with more coarse axons present along the lateral border. These findings demonstrate that most mesotelencephalic dopamine neurons of human brain express high levels of DAT throughout their entire somatodendritic and axonal domains, whereas a smaller subpopulation of mesencephalic dopamine cells and all hypothalamic dopamine cell groups examined express little or no DAT. These data indicate that different subpopulations of dopaminergic neurons use different mechanisms to regulate their extracellular dopamine levels. J. Comp. Neurol. 409:38–56, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interactions of amino acids in renal tubular transport.

The effects of intravenous infusions of l-lysine, l-arginine, l-histidine, l-ornithine and l-cysteine at three rates on the plasma levels and excretions of naturally occurring amino acids were studied in dogs. Conventional clearance techniques were used, and the amino acid concentrations in both plasma and urine were determined by column chromatography. A number of changes were observed in plasma amino acid concentrations, the most striking of which was a 20-fold increase in ornithine following arginine infusion. This increase is probably the result of conversion of arginine to ornithine via the Krebs-Henseleit cycle. Lysine, ornithine, arginine and cystine or cysteine showed marked mutual inhibition of tubular reabsorption. Histidine modestly inhibited reabsorption of these amino acids, and in turn its reabsorption was modestly depressed by them. The basic amino acid infusions also caused modest depression of the reabsorption of glycine and slight depression of that of several other amino acids. The reabsorptive mechanisms for lysine, arginine, ornithine and cystine are closely related and may be identical. There is, however, minor reabsorptive competition between these amino acids and certain others, suggesting that the mechanisms are not completely specific.
Control Performance Assessment and Design of Optimal Control to Harvest Ocean Energy

Different approaches exist to design the optimal control strategy to harvest ocean energy with a point absorber. However, the control paradigm changes if the efficiency of the power takeoff (PTO) is taken into account. The motivation of this paper is twofold. The first objective is to develop a framework that includes the PTO efficiency to determine the optimal control strategy. The second objective is to assess the performance of any control strategy given the PTO efficiency. The performance assessment is based on the upper bound of the deliverable electrical energy of the optimal control strategy. As an example, different PTO efficiencies were considered for a given point absorber model, and extensive simulation results show the annual electrical energy delivered to the grid by the optimal control strategy. The performance of a nonoptimal control strategy is assessed with respect to the optimal control strategy.
Weekly cisplatin or gemcitabine concomitant with radiation in the management of locally advanced carcinoma cervix: results from an observational study.

OBJECTIVE The use of non-platinum drugs in concurrent chemoradiation in carcinoma cervix has not been well explored and hence a two arm study was planned to compare the outcome of concomitant cisplatin or gemcitabine in locally advanced carcinoma cervix. METHODS Thirty six patients were evaluated in this study for response rates and complications. These patients were divided into two arms, sixteen patients in the cisplatin arm and twenty patients in the gemcitabine arm. Cisplatin and gemcitabine were given as i.v. infusion at doses of 40 mg/m(2) and 150 mg/m(2) respectively for five weeks concomitant with radiotherapy. All patients had received pelvic radiotherapy to a dose of 50 Gy/25 fraction/5 weeks by four field box technique followed by high-dose-rate brachytherapy (3 sessions, each of 7.5 Gy to point A). RESULTS Median follow up was of 10.4 months (range, 3 to 36 months) and 10.9 months (range, 2 to 49 months) in the cisplatin and gemcitabine arms, respectively. At first follow up, 68.8% in the cisplatin arm and 70% in the gemcitabine arm had achieved complete response (p=0.93). Similar response rates were noted in different stages in both arms. None of the patients except one developed grade 4 toxicity. Similar toxicity profiles were observed in both arms. Local disease control, distant disease free survival and overall survival was 68.8% vs. 70%, 93.8% vs. 85%, 68.8% vs. 60% in the cisplatin and gemcitabine arms, respectively. CONCLUSION Weekly gemcitabine had similar disease control and tolerable toxicity profile with cisplatin. Gemcitabine may be used as an alternative to cisplatin in patients with compromised renal function.
Growth, visual field, and resolution in the juvenile Limulus lateral eye.

1. Ratliff, F. 1974. Studies on Excitation and Inhibition in the Retina. The Rockefeller University Press, New York. 2. Barlow, R. B. , J. M. Hitt, and F. A. Dodge. 2001. Biol. Bull. 200: 169-176. 3. Barlow, R. B. , L. C. Ireland, and L. Kass. 1982. Nature 296: 65-66. 4. Powers, M. K. , R. B. Barlow, and L. Kass. 1991. Visual Neurosci. 7: 179-189. i of males and females, and not yet a the time in life when l s change their response to visual objects in front of them from
Reticulon 3 interacts with NS4B of the hepatitis C virus and negatively regulates viral replication by disrupting NS4B self‐interaction

The non‐structural protein 4B (NS4B) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein comprising two consecutive amphipathic α‐helical domains (AH1 and AH2). Its self‐oligomerization via the AH2 domain is required for the formation of the membranous web that is necessary for viral replication. Previously, we reported that the host‐encoded ER‐associated reticulon 3 (RTN3) protein is involved in the formation of the replication‐associated membranes of (+)RNA enteroviruses during viral replication. In this study, we demonstrated that the second transmembrane region of RTN3 competed for, and bound to, the AH2 domain of NS4B, thus abolishing NS4B self‐interaction and leading to the downregulation of viral replication. This interaction was mediated by two crucial residues, lysine 52 and tyrosine 63, of AH2, and was regulated by the AH1 domain. The silencing of RTN3 in Huh7 and AVA5 cells harbouring an HCV replicon enhanced the replication of HCV, which was counteracted by the overexpression of recombinant RTN3. The synthesis of viral RNA was also increased in siRNA‐transfected human primary hepatocytes infected with HCV derived from cell culture. Our results demonstrated that RTN3 acted as a restriction factor to limit the replication of HCV.
Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy and Open Distal Pancreatectomy: A Nonrandomized Comparative Study

Although laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) is technically feasible, its benefits remain uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical results of LDP and open distal pancreatectomy (ODP). The medical records of 14 consecutive patients who underwent LDP were reviewed and compared with those of 19 patients who underwent ODP. All patients were treated for benign or borderline malignant disease of the pancreas. Operation time was longer for LDP than for ODP (290.7 vs. 213.8 min, P=0.0022), and postoperative analgesics were administered less frequently for patients who underwent LDP. Patients treated by LDP had earlier recovery of bowel function, shorter time to oral intake, and shorter postoperative hospital stay than those treated by ODP. No difference in morbidity or inflammatory response was observed between the 2 groups. LDP for benign or borderline malignant disease of the pancreas provides benefits without increasing morbidity.
Isolation, characterization, and inhibition kinetics of enolase from Streptococcus rattus FA-1

One aspect in a broad spectrum of possible mechanisms of cariostatic reactions of fluoride is its interaction with the metabolism of oral bacteria. Information on the mechanisms and kinetics of fluoride inhibition of essential enzymes of the glycolytic pathway of the relevant bacteria is lacking. In this work, the isolation and purification of enolase from Streptococcus rattus and its characterization are described. The enzyme has been isolated in a monomeric (22 kilodaltons) and dimeric (49 kilodaltons) form. The Km for 2-phosphoglycerate is 4.35 mM. Fluoride inhibition kinetics have competitive character, while phosphate in concentrations above 2 mM and in the presence of 0.5 mM fluoride alters the inhibition kinetics from competitive to noncompetitive. Without fluoride, 2 mM phosphate has a slight stimulatory effect on the enzyme. Monofluorophosphate has a noncompetitive inhibiting effect on the enzyme. This finding suggests that the effect of phosphate may be due to an additional binding of fluoride to the enolase, resulting in a conformational change of the enzyme.
Effect of enteral versus parenteral nutrition on outcome of medical patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND Early enteral nutrition (EN) in patients receiving mechanical ventilation commonly has been advocated, based mainly on studies conducted in mixed populations of trauma and surgery patients. In this study, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates and outcomes were compared in mechanically ventilated medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving enteral versus parenteral nutrition. METHODS Patients fulfilling inclusion criteria between February 1, 2004, and January 31, 2006, were included. Patients were randomized to enteral or parenteral nutrition (PN) within 48 hours of intubation. Development of ventilator-associated pneumonia, assessment as to whether day feeding goal was attained, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality rates were recorded. RESULTS Of 249 consecutive patients receiving mechanical ventilation, 71 patients were included. Thirty (42.3%) patients received EN, and 41 (57.7%) received PN. There was no difference between groups for age, sex, body mass index, and scores on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II. Ventilator-associated pneumonia rate, ICU and hospital LOS, and mortality rates were similar for both groups. In the parenterally fed group, duration of mechanical ventilation was longer (p = .023), but the feeding goal was attained earlier (p = .012). CONCLUSIONS In mechanically ventilated patients in the medical ICU, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and ICU and hospital mortality rates of patients receiving PN are not significantly different than those in patients receiving EN, and feeding goals can more effectively be attained by PN. Yet, duration of mechanical ventilation is slightly longer in patients receiving PN.
Explaining Lightness Illusions

Grey looks darker when set against white than when set against black. In some complex figures this illusion becomes startling, and can be shown to depend on the perceptual organisation of regions within the image. The most widely accepted explanations of such effects are based on the analysis of the junctions formed where the boundaries of nearby regions meet. Even theories where junctions are not the subject of special concern underline their importance as grouping cues. In this paper I present several new families of figures that challenge both views, and conclude that junctions do not play any crucial role in lightness estimation.