Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cutting Edge: Persistent Fetal Microchimerism in T Lymphocytes Is Associated with HLA-DQA1*0501: Implications in Autoimmunity1

The host’s MHC genotype plays a critical role in susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. We previously proposed that persistent fetal microchimerism from pregnancy contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma. In the current study, we investigated whether the specific host MHC genotype is associated with persistent microchimerism among T lymphocytes in women with scleroderma and in healthy women. Fetal microchimerism among T lymphocytes was strongly associated with HLA DQA1*0501 of the mother (odds ratio (OR) = 13.5, p = 0.007, p corrected (pc) = 0.06) and even more strongly with DQA1*0501 of the son (OR = ∞; p = 0.00002, pc = 0.0002). This is the first description of an association between persistent fetal microchimerism in maternal T lymphocytes and specific HLA class II alleles. Although the association was observed in both healthy women and in women with scleroderma, the finding suggests an additional route by which HLA genes might contribute to susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
Insect-Microbe Mutualism without Vertical Transmission: a Stinkbug Acquires a Beneficial Gut Symbiont from the Environment Every Generation

ABSTRACT The broad-headed bug Riptortus clavatus (Heteroptera: Alydidae) possesses a number of crypts at a posterior midgut region, which house a dense population of a bacterial symbiont belonging to the genus Burkholderia. Although the symbiont is highly prevalent (95 to 100%) in the host populations, the symbiont phylogeny did not reflect the host systematics at all. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying the promiscuous host-symbiont relationship despite the specific and prevalent association, we investigated the transmission mode and the fitness effects of the Burkholderia symbiont in R. clavatus. Inspection of eggs and a series of rearing experiments revealed that the symbiont is not vertically transmitted but is environmentally acquired by nymphal insects. The Burkholderia symbiont was present in the soil of the insect habitat, and a culture strain of the symbiont was successfully isolated from the insect midgut. Rearing experiments by using sterilized soybean bottles demonstrated that the cultured symbiont is able to establish a normal and efficient infection in the host insect, and the symbiont infection significantly improves the host fitness. These results indicated that R. clavatus postnatally acquires symbiont of a beneficial nature from the environment every generation, uncovering a previously unknown pathway through which a highly specific insect-microbe association is maintained. We suggest that the stinkbug-Burkholderia relationship may be regarded as an insect analogue of the well-known symbioses between plants and soil-associated microbes, such as legume-Rhizobium and alder-Frankia relationships, and we discuss the evolutionary relevance of the mutualistic but promiscuous insect-microbe association.
Current direction specificity of continuous theta-burst stimulation in modulating human motor cortex excitability when applied to somatosensory cortex

The present study examines the influence of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) on corticospinal excitability within primary motor cortex (M1) using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Two groups of subjects participated and both received continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) over SI. One group received cTBS oriented to induce anterior-to-posterior (AP) followed by posterior-to-anterior (PA) current flow in the cortex and the other group received cTBS in the opposite direction (PA–AP). Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were measured from the first dorsal interosseous muscle of the left and right hand before and at three time points (5, 25, 45 min) following cTBS over left-hemisphere SI. CTBS over SI in the AP–PA direction increased contralateral MEPs at 5 and 45 min with a near significant increase at 25 min. In contrast, PA–AP cTBS decreased contralateral MEPs at 25 min. We conclude that cTBS over SI modulates neural output directed to the hand with effects that depend on the direction of induced current.
Defined Subunit Arrangement and Rab Interactions Are Required for Functionality of the HOPS Tethering Complex

Within the endomembrane system of eukaryotic cells, multisubunit tethering complexes together with their corresponding Rab‐GTPases coordinate vesicle tethering and fusion. Here, we present evidence that two homologous hexameric tethering complexes, the endosomal CORVET (Class C core vacuole/endosome transport) and the vacuolar HOPS (homotypic vacuole fusion and protein sorting) complex, have similar subunit topologies. Both complexes contain two Rab‐binding proteins at one end, and the Sec1/Munc18‐like Vps33 at the opposite side, suggesting a model on membrane bridging via Rab‐GTP and SNARE binding. In agreement, HOPS activity can be reconstituted using purified subcomplexes containing the Rab and Vps33 module, but requires all six subunits for activity. At the center of HOPS and CORVET, the class C proteins Vps11 and Vps18 connect the two parts, and Vps11 binds both HOPS Vps39 and CORVET Vps3 via the same binding site. As HOPS Vps39 is also found at endosomes, our data thus suggest that these tethering complexes follow defined but distinct assembly pathways, and may undergo transition by simple subunit interchange.
Study of claim identification model in international project based on process control ideology

This paper tends to explore the issues relevant to contractor's claims opportunity identification. According to the condition of construction in FIDIC 1999, a process control-based model is presented in which the claims risk analysis, contract state analysis, event analysis, schedule analysis and cost analysis were combined in conjunction with the system of identifying claim opportunities at contract signing stage, construction stage and completion stage. The model is useful to improve the efficiency of contractor's claim disposal, and keep contractor from missing the best timing of claim.
Alcohol abuse in abused and neglected children followed-up: are they at increased risk?

OBJECTIVE To examine whether childhood victimization leads to increased risk of alcohol abuse in young adulthood and whether there are differential responses by gender and type of abuse. METHOD Substantiated cases of child abuse and/or neglect from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern metropolitan county area were matched on the basis of age, race, sex and approximate family social class with a group of nonabused and nonneglected children and followed prospectively into young adulthood. Subjects were located and administered a 2-hour interview consisting of a series of structured and semistructured questions, rating scales and a psychiatric assessment using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Findings are based on completed interviews with 1,068 subjects (611 abused and/or neglected and 457 controls). RESULTS No relationship between childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse in men. A significant bivariate relationship for women was found, and the relationship persists when controlling for parental alcohol and/or drug problems, childhood poverty, race and age. CONCLUSIONS The connection between early childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse seems less robust and more complex than hypothesized.
Remaining Useful Lifetime Estimation for Aero-Engines Based on Wiener-Process with Integrated Lifetime Data and Degradation Data

In this paper, we address a wiener-process degradation model to estimate the remaining useful lifetime of aero-engines. The measurement error and unit-to-unit variability are taken into account in the proposed degradation model and the RUL estimation is derived by the concept of first hitting time. Typically, the unknown parameters of the degradation model were estimated based on historical degradation data. This paper presents a Bayesian framework to estimate the unknown parameters by using the historical lifetime data. Once the newly monitored degradation data of aero-engine are obtained, the parameters of the degradation model and the remaining useful lifetime estimation are updated by using the Kalman filter algorithm. Lastly, the proposed model is demonstrated on CFM56 series aero-engines, and the results show that our proposed model can reduce the uncertainty and improve the accuracy of remaining useful lifetime estimation.
Hospital nurses' occupational exposure to blood: prospective, retrospective, and institutional reports.

OBJECTIVES This study examined nurses risk of exposure to blood resulting from injuries with needles and sharps, the methods of estimating those risks, and the factors affecting risks. METHODS Nurses on 40 medical units in 20 hospitals in cities with a high incidence of AIDS were studied. Percutaneous injuries were documented for every shift during a 30-day period. These prospective reports were compared with retrospective and institutional reports. Factors affecting the likelihood of injuries were explored. RESULTS Based on the prospective reports, the rate of injuries to staff nurses was 0.8 per nurse-year. Prospective and retrospective rates were similar, while institutional rates were significantly lower. Factors associated with increased injuries included recapping needles and temporary work assignments. Working in hospitals characterized by professional nurse practice models and taking precautions to avoid blood contact were associated with fewer injuries. CONCLUSIONS Injuries from needlesticks are more common than institutional reports suggest and do not occur at random. Diminishing the frequency with which nurses recap needles, increasing precautions they take, reducing use of temporary nursing personnel, and implementing organizational changes may lower the odds of nurses being injured.
Dopamine D 4 receptor isoform mRNA and protein are expressed in the rat cortical collecting duct

Sun, Duo, Teresa W. Wilborn, and James A. Schafer. Dopamine D4 receptor isoform mRNA and protein are expressed in the rat cortical collecting duct. Am. J. Physiol. 275 (Renal Physiol. 44): F742–F751, 1998. —We reported previously [Am. J. Physiol. 271 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 40): F391–F400, 1996] that dopamine inhibits vasopressin (AVP)-dependent water permeability and Na1 transport in the rat cortical collecting duct (CCD) apparently through a D4 dopamine receptor. The present experiments used RT-PCR of total RNA extracted from microdissected rat CCD to determine whether the D4 and D1A dopamine receptor isoforms are expressed. Specific primers were used to amplify three regions of the D4 cDNA. All three gave products with 98–100% nucleotide identity to the known rat D4 sequence; however, there was an extra 6-bp insert at the 38 end of the second transmembrane region that was identical to the human and mouse sequences but which had not been documented in the rat sequence. D4 receptor protein was also localized exclusively to the CCD and medullary collecting ducts by immunohistochemistry. Two regions of the D1A dopamine receptor message were also amplified by RT-PCR of RNA from rat CCD and were verified by sequencing and immunohistochemistry. We conclude that both D4 and D1A dopamine receptors are expressed in the rat CCD, but the physiological effects are attributable to a D4 receptor.
High‐dose Gd‐DTPA vs. Bis‐Gd‐mesoporphyrin for monitoring laser‐induced tissue necrosis

To compare Bis‐Gd‐mesoporphyrin (Bis‐Gd‐MP), a contrast agent with a reported high affinity to necrotic tissue, with high‐dose gadopentate dimeglumin (Gd‐DTPA) for defining laser‐induced muscle and liver necrosis by contrast‐enhanced (CE) MRI.
Development of Modal and Amodal Completion in Infants

Visual completion has been divided into two types: modal and amodal. While psychophysical studies with adults provided several common properties between modal and amodal completion, studies with infants showed differential trends in the development of these perceptual abilities. In the present study, we further examined the development of these two kinds of visual completion in infants aged 3 to 6 months. We created a display composed of a partially overlapping circle and square. The display induced either modal or amodal completion depending on the colour. Infants were familiarised with either the modal or the amodal display. After this familiarisation, the infants were tested on their discrimination between the complete figure and the broken figure. If the infants could perceptually complete the figures in the familiarisation display, they were expected to show a novelty preference for the broken figure. A total of thirty-two infants participated in the present study. Our results suggest that modal completion develops by 3 – 4 months of age, whereas amodal completion develops by 5 – 6 months of age.
Changes in Strains of Mutans Streptococci Induced by Treatment with Chlorhexidine Varnish

Isolates of mutans streptococci were obtained from the dental plaque of ten subjects before and after the subjects had been free of detectable mutans streptococci for a mean period of 14.6 weeks (range, from two to 36 weeks). The mutans streptococci had been rendered undetectable by chlorhexidine varnish treatment. Examination of the restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) patterns of the isolates revealed that all ten subjects had one strain (REA type) after re-appearance of the mutans streptococci that was identical to one that had been present before the varnish treatment. In six of the ten subjects, only one strain was detected both before and after treatment. Each of the other four subjects appeared to gain a new strain after treatment; one of the four appeared to lose one strain, and another, four strains. The ability of strains to persist after the period of undetectability seemed unrelated to their resistance to chlorhexidine or to their ability to exhibit insoluble glucan-mediated adhesion. In the subjects harboring multiple REA types, one-seventh of the tooth surfaces sampled harbored two strains simultaneously, suggesting an inability of either strain to exclude the other aggressively. Overall, the study indicated that every subject receiving chlorhexidine varnish therapy had a primary strain of mutans streptococcus that re-emerged after treatment. In contrast, secondary strains were highly susceptible to being lost or gained.
Root Trifurcation of Upper Permanent Second Molars: Anatomical Aspects of Clinical Interest

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship among the point of greatest depression on the root trifurcationfloor and the furcation openings of the maxillary second molars. Sixty human extracted upper permanent second molars were analyzedand the furcation area were measured using a vertical calliper, and the values regarding the point of deepest depression were recorded.The results showed that the deepest depression in the trifurcation floor of the roots is centrally situated in 11.7% of the cases, whereas88.3% involve mesial-buccal and distal-buccal roots. The distal furcation (F3) had the largest distance from the point of deepest depressionin the trifurcation floor (A), followed by the buccal (F1) and mesial (F2) furcations when point A was below their respective openings. Onthe other hand, the medial furcation (F2) had the largest distance from point A, followed by distal (F3) and buccal (F1) furcations whenpoint A was above their respective openings. KEY WORDS: Molar; Odontometry; Furcation.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Moclobemide Compared with Imipramine in Depressive Disorder (DSM-III): An Austrian Double-blind, Multicentre Study∗

The antidepressant efficacy, tolerability, and safety of moclobemide, a reversible, monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor, were compared with those of imipramine in parallel groups of patients with a major depressive episode, in a 4-week, multicentre (17 centres), randomised study. A total of 381 patients were randomly allocated to either treatment; they were not required to avoid tyramine-rich foods. Drop-out rates were comparable in both groups at about 17%. Judged primarily on the HRSD, no significant differences in efficacy were observed between the groups, but the number of patients presenting with adverse events, as well as the total number of adverse events, was greater with imipramine. Cardiovascular tolerability was satisfactory and physical examination, body weight, and laboratory values were essentially unaffected in both groups.
Induction of HSF1 expression is associated with sporadic colorectal cancer.

AIM To explore the activation of signal transduction pathways related with the carcinogenesis of sporadic colon cancers. METHODS A gene array monitoring the activation of 8 signal transduction pathways (PathwayFinder GEArray) was used to screen the differentially expressed genes between colorectal cancer and normal colon tissues. The differentially expressed genes were further analyzed by RT-PCR, using RNA derived from colorectal cancer and normal colon tissue of 35 patients. RESULTS The expression of HSF1, HSF27, HSP90 and iNOS was increased in colon cancer tissues compared to normal colon tissue using PathwayFinder GEArray. The RT-PCR results showed that the expression of HSF1 was increased in 86% (30/35) patients and the expression of iNOS was increased in 63% (22/35) patients. CONCLUSION The induction of HSF1 gene expression is associated with sporadic colon cancer. HSF1 induces heat shock stress signaling pathway, which might play a role in the carcinogenesis of sporadic colorectal cancer.
Mitochondrial haplogroups in Basque multiple sclerosis patients

Previous studies have suggested that mitochondrial metabolism and/or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be, in conjunction with other genetic or environmental factors, a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). One of these studies establishes that mitochondrial haplogroup JT is a risk factor for developing the disease, in particular the visual manifestations [optic neuritis (ON)]. Nevertheless, as distribution of these haplogroups varies between populations, the observed association may be due to a slanted sample with no physiopathological value. This hypothesis was checked with MS patients, originals from Basque country (this population has peculiar genetic characteristics) and from other Spanish regions. We concluded that such an association does not exist. By contrast, a decrease could be seen in the frequency of the JT haplogroup in the ON group and in the MS-Basque group. That trend could be a protective effect, which needs to be verified in further investigations.
Formation of asymmetric phospholipid membranes via spontaneous transfer of fluorescent lipid analogues between vesicle populations.

A method is presented for generating artificial lipid vesicles bearing an asymmetric distribution of either of the fluorescent lipid analogues 1-acyl-2-[6-[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]caproyl]phosphatidylcholine or 1-acyl-2-[12[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl]amino]dodecanoyl]-phosphatidylcholine, in which the fluorescent lipid is located predominantly in either the outer or inner leaflet of the vesicle bilayer. The procedure is based on the observation that these lipid analogues undergo rapid spontaneous transfer (exchange) between vesicle populations [Nichols, J. W. , & Pagano, R. E. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 2783-2789]. When an excess of nonfluorescent acceptor vesicles is mixed with small unilamellar vesicles containing 5 mol % fluorescent lipid, approximately 50% of the fluorescent lipid is transferred to the acceptor vesicles, whereas if fluorescent multilamellar vesicles are used, only approximately 10% of the analogues is available for transfer. These fractions of fluorescent lipid available for intervesicular transfer correspond closely to the amount of phospholipid residing in the outermost leaflet of the donor vesicles, suggesting that only fluorescent lipids present in the outer surface of the vesicles can spontaneously transfer between vesicles populations. Evidence demonstrating that the movement of the fluorescent lipid between vesicle population is the result of a net transfer process rather than lipid exchange is also presented. A novel assay based on resonance energy transfer is described for determining the size of the exchangeable fluorescent lipid pool, a measure of the degree of asymmetry of these preparations. Finally, for demonstration of the usefulness of asymmetric vesicles in distinguishing various pathways of vesicle-cell association, preliminary results are presented on their interactions with Chinese hamster fibroblasts in vitro.
Aminoglycoside‐derived cationic lipids as efficient vectors for gene transfection in vitro and in vivo

Cationic lipids are at present very actively investigated for gene transfer studies and gene therapy applications. Basically, they rely on the formation of DNA/lipid aggregates via electrostatic interactions between their cationic headgroup and the negatively charged DNA. Although their structure/activity relationships are not well understood, it is generally agreed that the nature of the positive headgroup impacts on their transfection activity. Thus, we have directed our efforts toward the development of cationic lipids with novel cationic moieties. In the present work, we have explored the transfection potential of the lipophilic derivatives of the aminoglycoside kanamycin A. Indeed, aminoglycosides, which are natural polyamines known to bind to nucleic acids, provide a favorable scaffold for the synthesis of a variety of cationic lipids because of their structural features and multifunctional nature.
The influence of health, social support quality and rehabilitation on depression among disabled elders

This study examined the influence of health, social support, disability, and vision rehabilitation services on depression among visually impaired older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services. Participants (n = 95) were interviewed at application and approximately two years later. The first hierarchical regression model focused on concurrent relationships at baseline. The second model used baseline health and social support variables, along with indicators of change in vision and use of rehabilitation services, in order to predict change in depression over time. Findings indicate that being unmarried, in poorer health, having lower quality of relationships with family, and lower stability in friendships were significant independent risk factors for initial depression, explaining 50% of the variance. Decline in depression over time was predicted by younger age, better self-rated health, stability of friendships, and use of rehabilitation services that, along with baseline depression, explained 61% of the variance in depressive symptomatology at the two-year follow-up. Findings highlight the importance of qualitative aspects of social support for older disabled adults, as well as the distinction that needs to be made between factors that predict concurrent mental health status and those predicting change in status over time.