Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Food-web mediated export of biogenic carbon in oceans: hydrodynamic control

This paper describes an approach to determine, using a small number of food-web or hydrodynamic variables, the partitioning of phytoplankton production among 3 carbon fluxes, i.e. remineralization within the euphotic zone, food-web transfer, and sinking to depth of organic particles. In order to do so, the flows of biogenic carbon in the marine pelagic environment are reduced to 5 broad path\z~ays, which are ordered along a continuum of decreasing export relative to primary production. At one end of the continuum, ungrazed phytoplankton is exported to depth and, at the other, biogenic carbon is remineralized within the bacteria-microzooplankton loop. In the present paper, export of biogenic carbon from the euphotic zone includes food-web transfer of primary production and downward flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) into deep waters. A simple model and data from the literature lead to the conclusions that: (1) the export characteristics of pelagic ecosystems are largely determined by the size structure of primary production and the matching (or, conversely, segregation) between primary production and grazing and (2) total export from the euphotic zone is a function of the delivery of mechanical energy to the upper water column whereas the partitioning of total export between foodweb transfer and sinking of POC is controlled by temporal variations in depth of the surface mixed layer Food-web transfer is significant for marine resources and sinking of POC may contribute to the regulation of climate change (sequestration at depth of biogenic carbon).
Blunt Multiple Trauma (ISS 36), Femur Traction, and the Pulmonary Failure‐Septic State

Fifty-six blunt multiple trauma patients (HTI-ISS 22-57) were studied for the effects of immediate versus delayed internal fixation of a femur or acetabular fracture on the pulmonary failure septic state. The pulmonary failure septic state may be defined as an alveolar arterial oxygen tension difference greater than 100, plus fever and leukocytosis. These patients were divided into four groups. Group I (N = 20) had immediate internal fixation, postoperative ventilatory support, and was sitting up at 30 hours. Group II (N = 20) had 10 days of femur traction and postoperative ventilatory support. Group III (N = 9) was immediately extubated after surgery and had 30 days of femur traction. Group IV (N = 7) had special circumstances that should increase the duration of the pulmonary failure septic state. These four groups of patients were statistically identical by 20 different criteria on admission except that Group I had more recognized chest injuries than Group II (12 vs. 9). Group I required 3.4 +/- 2.6 days of ventilator support and 7.5 +/- 3.8 intensive care unit (ICU) days; they had 12 +/- 8.8 elevated white counts, 3.8 +/- 4 febrile days, 0.05 positive blood cultures per patient, four fracture complications out of 93 fractures, 59 injections of narcotics, and 23 +/- 8.6 acute care days. Ten days of femur traction doubled the duration of the pulmonary failure septic state relative to Group I at a statistically significant level for nine out of 10 criteria, while increasing the number of positive blood cultures by a factor of 10, the number of fracture complications by a factor of 3.5, and the use of injectable narcotics by a factor of 2. Thirty days of femur traction increased the duration of the pulmonary failure septic state relative to Group I by a factor of 3 to 5 for all criteria at a statistically significant level, while increasing fracture complications by a factor of 17, positive blood cultures by a factor of 74, and the use of narcotics by a factor of 2. Group IV, which had four out of seven immediate internal fixations, behaved similarly to Group II. Femoral shaft traction should be avoided in the blunt multiple trauma patients because it greatly increases the cost of care and the risk of multiple systems organ failure. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The Acute Effects of Heavy and Light Resistances on the Flight Time of a Basketball Push-Pass During Upper Body Complex Training

Mathews, M, O'Conchur, C, and Comfort, P. The acute effects of heavy and light resistances on the flight time of a basketball push-pass during upper body complex training. J Strength Cond Res 23(7):1988-1995, 2009-The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of high-load and low-load complex training on upper-body performance-determined by the flight time of a basketball push-pass. Twelve competitive male athletes (21.8 ± 4.5 years, 82.0 ± 11.7 kg, 181.6 ± 5.6 cm), with at least 6 months weight training experience and no musculoskeletal disorders, undertook 3 testing conditions. Condition 1 involved 5 repetitions at 85% of a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press; Condition 2 involved 5 repetitions of a 2.3-kg medicine ball push-pass; and Condition 3 was the control, where participants rested for the equivalent time of the other conditions (∼20 seconds). Each condition was preceded and followed by an electronically timed basketball push-pass. Results indicate a significant (3.99%, P = 0.001) reduction in flight time following the completion of Condition 1 (85% 1RM) but no significant changes (1.96%, P = 0.154) were seen following Condition 2 (medicine ball push-pass). Furthermore, there was a significant difference (P = 0.016) between Condition 1 (85% 1RM) and Condition 2 (medicine ball throw). This study appears to confirm previous research suggesting that high loads are required to elicit a potentiation effect. For those athletes wishing to produce a short-term enhancement of power, they should consider loads in the region of 85% 1RM. Results with the lower load showed greater variation, with some individuals responding and others not. Because there appears to be an individual potentiation response to lighter loads, we recommend that, when equipment is limited, athletes and coaches experiment with a range of loads when performing contrast training.
Addition of Gentamicin or Rifampin Does Not Enhance the Effectiveness of Daptomycin in Treatment of Experimental Endocarditis Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the activity of daptomycin combined with either gentamicin or rifampin against three methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates in vitro and one isolate in vivo against a representative strain (MRSA-572). Time-kill experiments showed that daptomycin was bactericidal against these strains at concentrations over the MIC. Daptomycin at sub-MIC concentrations plus gentamicin at 1× and 2× the MIC yielded synergy, while the addition of rifampin at 2 to 4 μg/ml resulted in indifference (two strains) or antagonism (one strain). The in vivo activity of daptomycin (6 mg/kg of body weight once a day) was evaluated ± gentamicin (1 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.] every 8 h [q8h]) or rifampin (300 mg i.v. q8h) in a rabbit model of infective endocarditis by simulating human pharmacokinetics. Daptomycin plus gentamicin (median, 0 [interquartile range, 0 to 2] log10 CFU/g vegetation) was as effective as daptomycin alone (0 [0 to 2] log10 CFU/g vegetation) in reducing the density of bacteria in valve vegetations (P = 0.83), and both were more effective than daptomycin plus rifampin (3 [2 to 3.5] log10 CFU/g vegetation; P < 0.05) for the strain studied. In addition, daptomycin sterilized a ratio of vegetations that was similar to that of daptomycin plus gentamicin (10/15 [67%] versus 9/15 [60%]; P = 0.7), and both regimens did so more than daptomycin plus rifampin (3/15 [20%]; P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). No statistical difference was noted between daptomycin plus gentamicin and daptomycin alone for MRSA treatment. In the combination arm, all isolates from vegetations remained susceptible to daptomycin, gentamicin, and rifampin. Sixty-one percent of the isolates (8/13) acquired resistance to rifampin during monotherapy. In the daptomycin arm, resistance was detected in only one case, in which the daptomycin MIC rose to 2 μg/ml among the recovered bacteria. In conclusion, the addition of gentamicin or rifampin does not enhance the effectiveness of daptomycin in the treatment of experimental endocarditis due to MRSA.
Immortalized Myeloid Suppressor Cells Trigger Apoptosis in Antigen-Activated T Lymphocytes1

We described a generalized suppression of CTL anamnestic responses that occurred in mice bearing large tumor nodules or immunized with powerful recombinant viral immunogens. Immune suppression entirely depended on GM-CSF-driven accumulation of CD11b+/Gr-1+ myeloid suppressor cells (MSC) in secondary lymphoid organs. To further investigate the nature and properties of MSC, we immortalized CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells isolated from the spleens of immunosuppressed mice, using a retrovirus encoding the v-myc and v-raf oncogenes. Immortalized cells expressed monocyte/macrophage markers (CD11b, F4/80, CD86, CD11c), but they differed from previously characterized macrophage lines in their capacities to inhibit T lymphocyte activation. Two MSC lines, MSC-1 and MSC-2, were selected based upon their abilities to inhibit Ag-specific proliferative and functional CTL responses. MSC-1 line was constitutively inhibitory, while suppressive functions of MSC-2 line were stimulated by exposure to the cytokine IL-4. Both MSC lines triggered the apoptotic cascade in Ag-activated T lymphocytes by a mechanism requiring cell-cell contact. Some well-known membrane molecules involved in the activation of apoptotic pathways (e.g., TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, Fas ligand, TNF-α) were ruled out as candidate effectors for the suppression mechanism. The immortalized myeloid lines represent a novel, useful tool to shed light on the molecules involved in the differentiation of myeloid-related suppressors as well as in the inhibitory pathway they use to control T lymphocyte activation.
Calcium Metabolism in Newborn Animals: The Interrelationship of Calcium, Magnesium, and Inorganic Phosphorus in Newborn Rats, Foals, Lambs, and Calves

Extract: The plasma concentrations of calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and magnesium were studied during the early postnatal period in a rodent (rats), in ruminants (lambs and calves), and in foals. Decreases in plasma calcium after birth were observed only in newborn rats and foals. In rats the postnatal fall in plasma calcium level was already evident 1 hr after cesarean section (9.20 mg/100 ml) as opposed to 11.90 mg/100 ml in utero) and reached a nadir within 6 hr (−4.05 mg/100 ml). Newborn foals showed a small decrease in plasma calcium (−0.73 mg/100 ml) 48 hr after birth. In the four species, plasma inorganic phosphorus increased in the days after birth; plasma magnesium levels were only slightly affected over the first week of life. In ruminants and in foals, the high plasma calcitonin levels were not always related to plasma calcium, nor with plasma inorganic phosphorus over the first week of life. Newborn calves showed at birth detectable levels of plasma parathyroid hormone, similar to those found in their mothers, with individual values ranging from 0.80–3.50 ng/ml. These results are discussed in light of the well known early neonatal hypocalcemia occurring in normal human newborns.Speculation: The parathyroid status at birth is species dependent. In some species, it has been suggested that in utero, high plasma calcium levels inhibit the parathyroid function before birth, but other unknown factors may be involved in this suppression. The maturity of the renal cortex adenyl cyclase activity in the early postnatal period is also species dependent and the degree of renal immaturity is not sufficient to explain the postnatal increase in plasma inorganic phosphorus.
Why is Violence More Common Where Inequality is Greater?

Abstract: The most well‐established environmental determinant of levels of violence is the scale of income differences between rich and poor. More unequal societies tend to be more violent. If this is a relation between institutional violence and personal violence, how does it work and why is most of the violence a matter of the poor attacking the poor rather than the rich? This paper begins by showing that the tendency for rates of violent crime and homicide to be higher where there is more inequality is part of a more general tendency for the quality of social relations to be poorer in more hierarchical societies. Research on the social determinants of health is used to explore these relationships. It is a powerful source of insights because health is also harmed by greater inequality. Because epidemiological research has gone some way towards identifying the nature of our sensitivity to the social environment and to social status differentials in particular, it provides important insights into why violence is related to inequality. The picture that emerges substantiates and explains the common intuition that inequality is socially corrosive. With an evolutionary slant, and informed by work on ranking systems in non‐human primates, this paper focuses on the sharp distinction between competitive social strategies appropriate to dominance hierarchies and the more affiliative social strategies associated with more egalitarian social structures. The implications for policy seem to echo the importance to the quality of life of the three inter‐related dimensions of the social environment expressed in the demand for “liberty, equality, fraternity. ”
Impaired processing of FLP and NLP peptides in carboxypeptidase E (EGL‐21)‐deficient Caenorhabditis elegans as analyzed by mass spectrometry

Biologically active peptides are synthesized from inactive pre‐proproteins or peptide precursors by the sequential actions of processing enzymes. Proprotein convertases cleave the precursor at pairs of basic amino acids, which are then removed from the carboxyl terminus of the generated fragments by a specific carboxypeptidase. Caenorhabditis elegans strains lacking proprotein convertase EGL‐3 display a severely impaired neuropeptide profile ( Husson et al. 2006 , J. Neurochem.98, 1999–2012). In the present study, we examined the role of the C. elegans carboxypeptidase E orthologue EGL‐21 in the processing of peptide precursors. More than 100 carboxy‐terminally extended neuropeptides were detected in egl‐21 mutant strains. These findings suggest that EGL‐21 is a major carboxypeptidase involved in the processing of FMRFamide‐like peptide (FLP) precursors and neuropeptide‐like protein (NLP) precursors. The impaired peptide profile of egl‐3 and egl‐21 mutants is reflected in some similar phenotypes. They both share a severe widening of the intestinal lumen, locomotion defects, and retention of embryos. In addition, egl‐3 animals have decreased intestinal fat content. Taken together, these results suggest that EGL‐3 and EGL‐21 are key enzymes for the proper processing of neuropeptides that control egg‐laying, locomotion, fat storage and the nutritional status.
Factors Affecting 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration in Response to Vitamin D Supplementation

Sun exposure is the main source of vitamin D. Due to many lifestyle risk factors vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is becoming a worldwide health problem. Low 25(OH)D concentration is associated with adverse musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal health outcomes. Vitamin D supplementation is currently the best approach to treat deficiency and to maintain adequacy. In response to a given dose of vitamin D, the effect on 25(OH)D concentration differs between individuals, and it is imperative that factors affecting this response be identified. For this review, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify those factors and to explore their significance in relation to circulating 25(OH)D response to vitamin D supplementation. The effect of several demographic/biological factors such as baseline 25(OH)D, aging, body mass index(BMI)/body fat percentage, ethnicity, calcium intake, genetics, oestrogen use, dietary fat content and composition, and some diseases and medications has been addressed. Furthermore, strategies employed by researchers or health care providers (type, dose and duration of vitamin D supplementation) and environment (season) are other contributing factors. With the exception of baseline 25(OH)D, BMI/body fat percentage, dose and type of vitamin D, the relative importance of other factors and the mechanisms by which these factors may affect the response remains to be determined.
COX‐2‐Mediated Regulation of VEGF‐C in Association With Lymphangiogenesis and Lymph Node Metastasis in Lung Cancer

The mechanisms underlying the effects of COX‐2 on tumor lymphangiogenesis remain largely undefined. Here, the human lung cancer cell lines A549, 95D, Anip973, and AGZY83‐a with different metastatic capacities were investigated by immunostaining, western blotting, and real‐time RT‐PCR. We observed increased expressions of COX‐2 and VEGF‐C in the three highly metastatic cell lines compared with the less metastatic AGZY83‐a cell line. The COX‐2‐specific inhibitor Celecoxib suppressed VEGF‐C expression whereas the main COX‐2 metabolite PGE2 elevated VEGF‐C expression in Anip973 and AGZY83‐a cells in positive and negative experiments. To determine the functional link to COX‐2 more specifically and elucidate the mechanistic pathway, we used a siRNA to knock down the high COX‐2 expression in Anip973 cells and transfected a COX‐2 cDNA to enhance the low COX‐2 expression in AGZY83‐a cells, and then treated the cells with EP1/EP4 agonists or antagonists, respectively. The results revealed that the EP1/EP4 agonists significantly increased VEGF‐C production in the COX‐2‐knockdown Anip973 cells. In contrast, the EP1/EP4 antagonists diminished VEGF‐C production in the COX‐2‐overexpressing AGZY83‐a cells. Furthermore, animal models provided evidence that Celecoxib decreased VEGF‐C expression, lymphangiogenesis, and lymph node metastases in Anip973 cells, whereas PGE2 treatment increased the same factors in the parental AGZY83‐a cells. A positive correlation between COX‐2 and VEGF‐C was also confirmed in vivo. The present data suggest that COX‐2 regulates VEGF‐C expression via the PGE2 pathway, and that EP1/EP4 receptors are involved in PGE2‐mediated VEGF‐C production. Thus, COX‐2 may represent a candidate gene for blocking tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tissue-culture assay of antibodies to heat-liable Escherichia coli enterotoxins.

Abstract Serums of volunteers challenged orally with either toxigenic or invasive strains of Escherichia coli were analyzed for antibody content by means of an adrenal tumor-cell tissue-culture system and by the standard rabbit ileal-loop method. The tissue-culture assay system depends on the ability of specific antibody to neutralize the morphogenic effects of heat-labile Esch. coli enterotoxins. Six of seven volunteers receiving the toxigenic strains demonstrated fourfold or greater increases in antibody titers to heat-labile Esch. coli enterotoxins by the tissue-culture method, whereas eight of nine receiving the invasive Esch. coli strains did not demonstrate any such increases. These results compared favorably with those obtained by the ileal-loop method. The adrenal cell morphologic assay method can be used in seroepidemiologic and clinical studies designed to assess the importance of heat-labile enterotoxigenic Esch. coli diarrheal disease. (N Engl J Med 291:117–121, 1974)
Early outcomes of thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke in a South African tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND Stroke is an important cause of death and disability in sub-Saharan Africa. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolysis is effective in treating acute ischaemic stroke, but may not be a viable option in developing countries. METHODS We assessed the short-term outcomes and safety of tPA for the treatment of stroke at Groote Schuur Hospital from the year 2000. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke with onset of stroke symptoms within 4.5 hours of receiving thrombolysis were included. Exclusion criteria were based on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) rt-PA trial protocol (upper age limit was 75 years). Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients achieving significant early neurological recovery defined as an improvement of 4 or more points on the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score and functional independence defined as a modified Rankin score of 2 or less at discharge. The primary safety measures were the rates of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (SICH) and death. RESULTS From January 2000 to February 2011 42 patients were thrombolysed, with a mean time to tPA infusion of 160 minutes (standard deviation (SD) 50; range 60 - 270). By discharge the median NIHSS score fell from 14 (interquartile range (IQR) 10.5 - 17) to 7.5 (IQR 1 - 15); 28 (66.7%) achieved significant neurological improvement, and 17 (40.5%) were functionally independent. Two patients (4.8%) suffered SICH and there were 3 (7.1%) deaths. CONCLUSION Thrombolysis in routine clinical practice in a South African setting has similar safety and early efficacy outcomes to controlled trials and open-label studies in developing and developed countries.
99mTc-DMSA renal scan and 99mTc-DTPA renography findings in patients with horseshoe kidneys: experience of a single institute

Purpose: Horseshoe kidney is a congenital malformation that is found incidentally in many of the asymptomatic patients undergoing 99m Tc- DTPA renography and 99m Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans in the nuclear nephrology division of National Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (NINMAS). Scan findings of year 2012 and 2013 are demonstrated in this study. Methods: Few of the patients had known ultrasound reports of ectopic positioned or non-visualized kidney and mostly referred to our institute for 99m Tc-DTPA renogram. Each diuretic renogram consisted of dynamic renal scan images obtained with camera in both anterior and posterior positions and15% window centered at 140 keV using 64 X 64matrix. Acquisition started with bolus injection of 99m Tc-DTPA and dynamic images were acquired at 16-seconds/ frame for 75 frames. Intravenous injection of furosemide (1 mg / kg body weight) was given between 10-15 minutes of the study. They each underwent a 99m Tc-DMSA renal cortical scan to confirm the horseshoe kidney. Results: In a 2-year period, 14 patients (5 children and 9 adults) with horseshoe kidney were found with age ranging from 6 to 43 yrs (mean + SD,23.93 ± 9.19) and a male to female ratio of 9:5.Nearly one third of patients (35.8%) were asymptomatic. Urinary tract infections or infection like symptoms were present in five (35.8 %), whereas few showed vague symptoms like flank pain (7.1 %), abdominal pain (7.1 %), gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea (7.1 %), abdominal distension and fullness (7.1 %). Three kidneys (21.42 %) showed stasis of radioactive urine in the renal pelvic region prior to diuretic injection, suggesting functional obstruction. Only one kidney (7.17 %) showed frank unilateral hydronephrosis and 2(14.28%) showed obstructive nephropathy. There was no incidence of bilateral hydronephrosis. Gross parenchymal disease was seen in 2 (14.28%) and mild parenchymal insufficiency in 4 (28.57%). In 2 (14.28%) cases normal renal function with low GFR were observed. 35.71% patients show horseshoe kidneys with normal function and GFR with variation of sizes of two distinct kidneys. Of the 14 patients, asymmetrical renal cortical function between the two kidneys was found in10 (71.4%). Conclusion: 99m Tc-DMSA renal scan and diuretic renogram with 99m Tc-DTPA are the simple techniques for the assessment of the patency of horseshoe shaped kidneys, because they can evaluate functional anatomy and urodynamics. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjnm.v17i1. 22488 Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 17(1): 25-29, January 2014