Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of interleukin-1 beta fragment (163-171) on progesterone and estradiol-17 beta release by bovine granulosa cells from different size follicles.

Recent studies indicate that interleukin-1 beta may play a role in ovarian function. To explore this possibility, we examined the effects of a fragment of interleukin-1 beta (163-171 aa) on progesterone and estradiol-17 beta production by bovine granulosa cells from small (< 5 mm) and large (> 8 mm) follicles; in addition we investigated the distribution of monocytes/macrophages, a possible source of interleukin-1 beta in the follicles, to determine a possible relationship between production of the cytokine and its activity. Bovine follicles were divided according to the size, granulosa cells were obtained by aspiration and plated at a density of 10(5) cells/well; then different concentrations of interleukin-1 beta fragment (0, 0.5, 5, 20 ng/ml) with or without bFSH were added for 24 h. Progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) concentrations in media were evaluated by validated RIAs. Interleukin-1 beta (0.5 and 5 ng/ml) stimulated (P < 0.05) P4 output in both small and large follicles, while FSH-induced P4 output was reduced (P < 0.05) in large but not in small follicles by all the concentrations of peptide. FSH-induced E2 output was reduced (P < 0.05) in large, but not in small follicles. Immunohisto- and cytochemistry revealed a higher number of monocytes/macrophages in large follicles. It appears from our data that: (1) interleukin-1 beta fragment may modulate steroidogenesis in bovine granulosa cells depending on the stage of development of the follicle, and (2) the presence of monocytes/macrophages is related to this modulation.
Adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to human small intestinal enterocytes

An improved enterocyte adhesion assay has been used to examine a collection of 44 strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) for their ability to adhere to the brush border of isolated human duodenal enterocytes. Fourteen strains showed good adhesion; in each case the ability to adhere correlated with the production of colonization factor antigen I or II (CFA/I or CFA/II) fimbriae. CFA/II-positive producing coli surface antigens 1 and 3 (CS1 and CS3), coli surface antigens 2 and 3 (CS2 and CS3), and only coli surface antigen 3 (CS3) each showed good adhesion. CS3-mediated brush border attachment of CFA/II-positive ETEC was demonstrated by electron microscopy with monospecific antibody and an immunogold labeling technique. One CFA/I-positive ETEC strain was nonadherent in the assay, as were ETEC producing type 1 somatic fimbriae. Five animal ETEC strains producing K88, K99, F41, and 987P fimbriae were slightly more adhesive than control strains, but adhesion was significantly less than that of CFA-positive ETEC. Twenty five human ETEC strains that lacked CFA/I and CFA/II were nonadherent, suggesting either that the surface antigens responsible for adhesion to human intestinal mucosa in these strains were not being produced or that mucosal receptors for these strains are present in regions of the small intestine other than the duodenum.
Influence of food restriction on neuropeptide-Y, proopiomelanocortin, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone gene expression in sheep hypothalami.

Chronic food restriction decreases secretion of LH as a result of inhibitory influences on secretion of LHRH. We have previously reported that neuropeptide-Y (NPY) may directly or indirectly mediate this inhibitory effect on LHRH secretion. In the study reported here, we tested the hypothesis that long-term food restriction suppresses tonic release of LH as a result of 1) an increase in biosynthetic activity of NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, 2) an increase in activity of neurons that secrete beta-endorphin, and 3) a decrease in biosynthesis of LHRH. To test predictions of the hypothesis, we compared levels of mRNA encoding NPY, proopiomelanocortin (POMC; the precursor peptide of beta-endorphin), and LHRH, as well as tonic secretion of LH in food-restricted and well-nourished ewe lambs. Ten ewe lambs were ovariectomized at 18 wk of age and randomly assigned to receive either 100% nutritional requirements (FED; n = 5), or 30% requirements (R; n = 5) between 18 and 25 wk of age. At 25 wk of age, blood samples were taken every 10 min for 6 h and assayed for LH. The tonic release of LH in R lambs was less than that of FED lambs. Hypothalami were collected 4 days after blood sampling and sectioned at 12 microns for use in in situ hybridization. Radiolabeled molecular probes specific for mRNAs encoding NPY, POMC, or LHRH were hybridized to hypothalamic tissue sections. Levels of NPY mRNA were 88% greater in R vs. FED lambs (p < 0.01), whereas levels of POMC mRNA were 52% lower in R vs. FED lambs (p < 0.01). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Significance and Implications of Capillaritis During Acute Rejection of Kidney Allografts

Background. Anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (a-HLA) cause graft injury identified by C4d in peritubular capillaries. We investigated whether a-HLA relate to episodes of C4d negative acute rejection (AR). Methods. We analyzed 878 kidney recipients transplanted from January 2000 to December 2006. Pretransplant, 36% of these crossmatch negative recipients had a-HLA measured by solid phase assays. Results. AR occurred in 154 patients (18%) and 11 of them (9.4%) were C4d+. Forty-six percent of ARs were diagnosed by protocol biopsy. The risk of C4d-AR was increased in patients with a-HLA class I with donor specificity (DSA-I) (hazard ratio=1.519; confidence interval, 1.02-2.26; P=0.039). DSA-II were not associated with an increased risk of C4d-AR. The relationship between DSA-I and C4d-AR was independent of recipient age, BK nephropathy, and HLA mismatches. Compared with DSA−, in DSA+ recipients C4d-AR were most often histologically “borderline. ” DSA+ was associated with capillaritis in the biopsy (glomerulitis, 6.1% vs. 32%, P=0.003; peritubular capillaritis: 13% vs. 40%, P=0.0009). Compared with no AR, C4d-AR with capillaritis was associated with reduced graft survival (hazard ratio=4.164; confidence interval, 1.763-9.832; P=0.001), independent of other variables. This association was observed even in the cases of borderline AR. Conclusions. DSA-I increases the risk of C4d-AR. The presence of DSA-I or II is associated with capillaritis during AR. Capillaritis is associated with reduced graft survival.
Risk factors for oral mucositis in children receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiencies: A retrospective study

OM is a frequent complication for patients undergoing HSCT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible risk factors for OM in children undergoing HSCT for PI. A retrospective study was carried out on 55 consecutive medical records of patients with PI (including osteopetrosis) who underwent HSCT. Age at the time of HSCT, gender, diagnosis, type of donor, conditioning regimen, engraftment, graft‐versus‐host disease, and severity and duration of OM were collected at the beginning of the conditioning until day 100 post‐HSCT or death. OM was measured using the WHO scale. Patients' age range at the time of HSCT was quite wide; 59.2% of the patients who were under nine months (n = 13) developed OM vs. 87.8% of the patients older than nine months (n = 29) (p = 0.01). T‐cell positive patients had a statistically significant higher risk of developing OM (p = 0.04), as did those receiving a more intensive conditioning regimen (p < 0.01). PI patients undergoing HSCT are at higher risk of developing OM if the PI is a T‐lymphocyte‐positive disease and/or if the HSCT recipient is over nine months of age.
Recent developments in the therapy of irritable bowel syndrome

There is tremendous activity and excitement in the arena of drug development for the treatment of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Pharmacologic therapy has been largely limited to gut acting therapeutic agents including antidiarrheals, laxatives and antispasmodics that primarily target individual symptoms. Various antidepressants have gained popularity although their efficacy in clinical trials has been modest and their clinical utility is limited by untoward side effects. Serotonergic agents have demonstrated efficacy on the global symptoms of IBS; however, recent concerns about safety have severely limited their use. Recent discoveries regarding the pathophysiology of IBS have revealed numerous potential therapeutic targets. Agents under development include newer serotonergic agents and antidepressants; chloride channel, guanylate cyclase, opioid and motilin receptor ligands; various central, peripheral and autonomic neural receptor ligands; and gut immune modulators.
The Impact of Cochlear Implants From the Perspective of Significant Others of Adult Cochlear Implant Users

Objective: To explore the benefits and shortcomings of cochlear implants as perceived by a cochlear implant user's significant other in the context of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Study Design: An open-ended questionnaire concerning the perceived shortcomings and benefits of the implant was completed by the significant others of cochlear implants users. Setting: The study involved the participants of an adult cochlear implant program. Subjects: Significant others as selected by the cochlear implant user. Main Outcome Measure: Nature of effects reported by the significant other relating to both the cochlear implant user and the significant other using the ICF domains. Results: Benefits experienced by the significant others included a decrease in communication burden and an increased participation in life activities. Those affecting the cochlear implant user were related to psychological issues, particularly an increase in confidence. Improved quality of life was reported for both partners. Reported shortcomings predominantly involved the cochlear implant user and were device related. Conclusion: Because family and friends play an important role in how those with a profound hearing impairment cope with the impairment, it is important to acknowledge the impact that an intervention has on those supportive individuals. This study shows that a cochlear implant provides psychosocial and acoustic benefits for the significant other and the cochlear implant user. The ICF was able to accommodate both the auditory and nonauditory impact of the cochlear implant and the residual hearing difficulty.
Role of the Escherichia coli glgX Gene in Glycogen Metabolism

ABSTRACT A role for the Escherichia coli glgX gene in bacterial glycogen synthesis and/or degradation has been inferred from the sequence homology between the glgX gene and the genes encoding isoamylase-type debranching enzymes; however, experimental evidence or definition of the role of the gene has been lacking. Construction of E. coli strains with defined deletions in the glgX gene is reported here. The results show that the GlgX gene encodes an isoamylase-type debranching enzyme with high specificity for hydrolysis of chains consisting of three or four glucose residues. This specificity ensures that GlgX does not generate an extensive futile cycle during glycogen synthesis in which chains with more than four glucose residues are transferred by the branching enzyme. Disruption of glgX leads to overproduction of glycogen containing short external chains. These results suggest that the GlgX protein is predominantly involved in glycogen catabolism by selectively debranching the polysaccharide outer chains that were previously recessed by glycogen phosphorylase.
Structural modifications induced in dentin by femtosecond laser

Abstract. The structural and chemical modifications induced in dentin by ultrafast laser ablation were studied. The laser experiments were performed with a Yb:KYW chirped-pulse-regenerative amplification laser system (560-fs pulse duration, 1030-nm radiation wavelength), fluences in the range 2 to 14 J/cm2, 1-kHz pulse repetition rate, and 5-mm/s scanning speed. The ablation surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The ablation surfaces produced with 2 J/cm2 presented an irregular morphology with exposed dentinal tubules and no evidence of thermal effects. For 7 and 14 J/cm2, the ablation surfaces were covered by a layer of redeposited ablation debris, consisting mainly of amorphous calcium phosphate. This layer is weakly adherent to the underlying tissue and can be easily removed by ultrasonication, revealing a surface with a morphology similar to the one obtained with 2 J/cm2. The constitution of the dentin ablation surfaces is similar to the constitution of pristine dentin, showing that, within this fluence range, the laser treatment does not significantly modify the structure and constitution of dentin. The results achieved suggest an ablation mechanism where collagen is preferentially decomposed by the laser radiation, reducing the tissue cohesive strength and leading, ultimately, to its ablation.
Noradrenaline Triggers Multivesicular Release at Glutamatergic Synapses in the Hypothalamus

The origin of large-amplitude miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) at central synapses remains to be firmly established. Here, we show that at excitatory synapses onto magnocellular neurosecretory cells in the hypothalamus, noradrenaline induces a rapid and robust increase in mEPSC amplitude that requires α1-adrenoceptor activation but is impervious to postsynaptic manipulations that block the putative insertion of AMPA receptors. In response to noradrenaline, mEPSCs exhibit a putative multimodal amplitude histogram distribution that is not attibutable to random temporal summation, the unveiling of a quiescent synapse, or the release of large vesicles. Large-amplitude mEPSCs are sensitive to a high dose of ryanodine and are associated with an enhanced glutamate cleft concentration. Together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that large-amplitude mEPSCs result from the synchronous release of multiple vesicles via rapid presynaptic calcium expulsion from intracellular stores.
Ideal Collaboration: A Conceptual Framework of Community Collaboration

Collaboration has become a central feature of organizational and community landscapes in recent years. Although the concept of collaboration has received much scholarly attention, community collaboration has not been adequately considered and conceptualized as a unique and important form of collaboration. This chapter first offers a conceptual framework for understanding community collaboration that emerges from principles and concepts articulated by the bonafide group perspective and the systems perspective. The 12cell matrix, produced by combining the four constituents of community collaborations identified from a bona fide group perspective (individual representatives, collaboration groups, organizational stakeholders, and the communities within which collaborations are embedded) with the three major categories from the systems perspective (inputs/antecedents, throughputs/processes, and outputs), provides the basis for reviewing what is known from the extant literature about successful or ideal community collaboration and what remains to be known. The framework, thus, serves the heuristic purpose of conceptualizing collaboration, organizing the relevant literature, and suggesting directions for future research, especially about the constitutive role that communication plays in community collaborations.
Neonatal plasma TSH – estimated upper reference intervals for diagnosis and follow up of congenital hypothyroidism

Abstract Age- and method-dependent plasma TSH reference intervals are essential for the diagnosis and management of congenital hypothyroidism. However, accurate reference intervals for plasma TSH have not been adequately defined due to the difficulties in obtaining samples from a healthy paediatric population. To overcome the difficulties in generating such intervals we estimated method-dependent plasma TSH upper-reference intervals by determining the blood spot TSH upper-reference interval from newborn blood spot TSH screening data (N = 10,697) and then derived method-dependent conversion factors for blood spot TSH to plasma TSH concentration from paired-blood spot and plasma TSH measurements. The upper reference interval for blood spot TSH of 3.04 mU/L was obtained from the 97.5th centile of the selected data. Using experimentally-derived conversion factors, estimates of plasma TSH upper reference intervals of 7.6, 6.3, 7.3, 8.3 and 6.5 mU/L were obtained for the Siemens Centaur, Abbott Architect, Roche Elecsys E170, Siemens Immulite 2000 and Beckman access HYPERsensitive TSH assays respectively. These estimated method-dependent plasma TSH upper reference intervals will be of great practical use to clinicians to diagnose and to follow up infants found to have increased blood spot TSH concentrations identified by Newborn Screening programmes.
Abnormalities in normal appearing tissues in early primary progressive multiple sclerosis and their relation to disability: a tissue specific magnetisation transfer study

Background: Patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) often develop severe disability despite low levels of abnormality on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This may relate to diffuse pathological processes occurring in normal appearing brain tissue (NABT) involving both white matter (NAWM) and grey matter (NAGM). Magnetisation transfer imaging (MTI) is capable of identifying these processes and may be particularly informative when applied to patients with early PPMS. Aim: To assess the relationship between abnormalities in NABT identified by MTI and disability and other radiological data in patients with early PPMS. Methods: We studied 43 patients within 5 years of disease onset and 43 controls. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) were scored. Magnetisation transfer ratios (MTR) of NABT, NAWM, and NAGM were calculated and the following MTR parameters were measured: mean, peak height, peak location, and MTR value at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. Proton density, T2, T1, and gadolinium enhancing lesion loads were also calculated. Results: Differences were found between patients and controls in mean, peak height, and peak location of NAWM and NAGM (p⩽0.001). Weak to moderate correlations were found between MTR parameters and disability in both NAWM and NAGM. Strong correlations between MTR parameters and lesion loads were found, particularly in NAWM. Conclusion: MTR abnormalities are seen in NAWM and NAGM in early PPMS and both are associated with disability. NAWM MTR abnormalities are more closely related to conventional MRI measures than those seen in NAGM.
Performance analysis of delayed mobile data offloading with multi-level priority

WiFi offloading is a cost-effective and practical solution to alleviate the problem of highly congested cellular networks. Recent theoretical and experimental studies show that delayed WiFi offloading where traffic can be delayed to increase the chance of meeting WiFi can significantly improve offloading efficiency. Nevertheless, there is no exact analytic model to analyze the offloading benefits with different types of traffic. In this paper, we propose a preemptive priority queuing analytic model for delayed offloading with multi-level priority traffic and derive expressions for the average delay and offloading efficiency of traffic with different priorities as a function of the WiFi availability, deadlines, and other key parameters. At last, we validate the accuracy of our queuing model by simulation in different scenarios and clarify how to choose a suitable deadline for traffic of different priorities.
Depletion of Endogenous Nitric Oxide Enhances Cisplatin-induced Apoptosis in a p53-dependent Manner in Melanoma Cell Lines*

The expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase in melanoma tumor cells was recently shown to correlate strongly with poor patient survival after combination biochemotherapy (p < 0.001). Furthermore, evidence suggests that nitric oxide, a reaction product of nitricoxide synthase, exhibits antiapoptotic activity in melanoma cells. We therefore hypothesized that nitric oxide antagonizes chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Whether nitric oxide is capable of regulating cell growth and apoptotic responses to cisplatin treatment in melanoma cell lines was evaluated. We demonstrate herein that depletion of endogenously produced nitric oxide can inhibit melanoma proliferation and promote apoptosis. Moreover, our data indicate that the depletion of nitric oxide leads to changes in cell cycle regulation and enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells. Strikingly, we observed that the depletion of nitric oxide inhibits cisplatin-induced wild type p53 accumulation and p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 expression in melanoma cells. When cisplatin-induced p53 binding to the p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 promoter was examined, it was found that nitric oxide depletion significantly reduced the presence of p53-DNA complexes after cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, dominant negative inhibition of p53 activity enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Together, these data strongly suggest that endogenously produced nitric oxide is required for cisplatin-induced p53 activation and p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 expression, which can regulate melanoma sensitivity to cisplatin.
Bradycardic response during submersion in infant swimming

The diving response involves reflex bradycardia, apnoea and peripheral vasoconstriction and is known to exist in human infants. The response diminishes with increasing age and has been reported to disappear by the age of 6 mo. This study was performed to analyse the physiological events during natural diving of full‐term healthy infants and describe how these events alter with maturation. Thirty‐six infants were studied during diving exercises in infant swimming. All of the infants who participated showed an immediate decrease in heart rate when submerged. On average, the heart rate decreased by 25% (range –5.0% to –50.7%, p < 0.0001). The bradycardia was sustained during the dive and for some seconds afterwards. The response was often followed by a tachycardia as the bradycardia ceased. A decline of reflex bradycardia was observed with increasing age (p= 0.03), but the response was still clearly evident in infants over the age of 6 mo.
Suppression of Adipocyte Differentiation by Foenumoside B from Lysimachia foenum-graecum Is Mediated by PPARγ Antagonism

Lysimachia foenum-graecum extract (LFE) and its active component foenumoside B (FSB) have been shown to inhibit adipocyte differentiation, but their mechanisms were poorly defined. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms responsible for their anti-adipogenic effects. Both LFE and FSB inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes induced by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonists, accompanied by reductions in the expressions of the lipogenic genes aP2, CD36, and FAS. Moreover, LFE and FSB inhibited PPARγ transactivation activity with IC50s of 22.5 μg/ml and 7.63 μg/ml, respectively, and showed selectivity against PPARα and PPARδ. Rosiglitazone-induced interaction between PPARγ ligand binding domain (LBD) and coactivator SRC-1 was blocked by LFE or FSB, whereas reduced NCoR-1 binding to PPARγ by rosiglitazone was reversed in the presence of LFE or FSB. In vivo administration of LFE into either ob/ob mice or KKAy mice reduced body weights, and levels of PPARγ and C/EBPα in fat tissues. Furthermore, insulin resistance was ameliorated by LFE treatment, with reduced adipose tissue inflammation and hepatic steatosis. Thus, LFE and FSB were found to act as PPARγ antagonists that improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic profiles. We propose that LFE and its active component FSB offer a new therapeutic strategy for metabolic disorders including obesity and insulin resistance.