Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soft tissue calcium and magnesium content in acute pancreatitis in the dog: calcium accumulation, a mechanism for hypocalcemia in acute pancreatitis.

The mechanism of hypocalcemia in acute pancreatitis remains unknown despite continued investigative work over the past several decades. Because acute pancreatitis is accompanied by multiple systemic manifestations and alterations of plasma membranes, the possibility that an abnormal translocation of calcium from extracellular to intracellular compartments could play a role in hypocalcemia of acute pancreatitis was investigated in dogs. Acute pancreatitis was induced by injecting bile into the pancreatic duct. Plasma calcium, magnesium, and amylase concentrations were determined. Calcium and magnesium contents were also measured in biopsy specimens of pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, and kidney before and after induction of acute pancreatitis. As expected, hypocalcemia and hyperamylasemia occurred 6 hours after induction of pancreatitis, and persisted throughout the experiment, 13 to 25 hours. Plasma magnesium concentration fell at 6 and 18 hours, and returned to an almost normal level by the end of the study. A significant elevation in calcium content of pancreas (71%), liver (24%), and muscle (112%), and 25% reduction of calcium in kidney were observed in dogs with histologic signs of pancreatitis. However, tissue magnesium concentration fell in pancreas (18%) but remained unchanged in the other tissues investigated. No significant changes in any variables were detected in sham-operated animals. In another group of dogs in which the accessory pancreatic duct was not occluded when bile was injected, the histologic lesions were extremely mild, although the plasma calcium concentration and the pancreatic calcium and magnesium contents were altered just as much as in the severely affected dogs. Data suggest that the hypocalcemia of acute pancreatitis may be the result, at least in part, of accumulation of calcium in soft tissues. The decreased calcium content in kidney could be related to hypocalcemia. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Infectious bronchitis virus and brown shell colour: Australian strains of infectious bronchitis virus affect brown eggshell colour in commercial laying hens differently

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study was to assess any effect of wild and vaccine Australian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains on shell colour in brown-shelled eggs. In Experiment 1, eggs were collected from day 1 to day 13 post-inoculation (p.i.) from unvaccinated laying hens challenged with IBV wild strains T and N1/88 and from a negative control group of hens. In Experiment 2, eggs were collected from 2 to 22 days p.i. from unvaccinated and vaccinated laying hens challenged with either a wild or a vaccine strain of IBV. In Experiment 1, there was a significant effect (P < 0.05) of day p.i. and of viral strain on shell reflectivity, L* and protoporphyrin IX (PP IX) in eggshells, with and without cuticle. The mean PP IX/g of shell with and without cuticle was significantly higher on day 1 p.i. compared to day 7, after which PP IX increased with day p.i. In Experiment 2, shell reflectivity and L* increased and PP IX decreased with increased day p.i. until day 12. Shell reflectivity and L* decreased slightly after day 12 and increased again towards day 22. Shell reflectivity, L* and PP IX were not significantly different for eggshells from unvaccinated and vaccinated laying hens in the intact eggshell, but were significantly different in shells from which cuticle had been removed. In conclusion, the IBV strains reduced the intensity of brown shell colour to different extents with a lower amount of PP IX in eggshells.
Accessing clinical services and retention in care following screening for hypertension and diabetes among Malawian adults: an urban/rural comparison

Objective: Interventions to impact on the burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, include screening of asymptomatic adults, but little is known about the subsequent course of clinical care. We report on the uptake of referral for clinical assessment and retention in care, following a large urban/rural population screening program in Malawi. Methods: Adult residents were screened for raised blood pressure and raised fasting blood glucose at a demographic surveillance site in rural Karonga District and in urban Area 25, Lilongwe with well supported chronic care clinics. Successful uptake was defined as presenting for clinical assessment within 6 weeks of referral, and nonattenders were followed at home. Logistic regression was used to examine association of uptake with demographic and clinical factors. Retention was assessed using survival analysis techniques. Results: A total of 27 305 participants were screened for hypertension and diabetes between May 2013 and September 2015. Of these, 4075 (14.9%) were referred for suspected hypertension (3640), diabetes (172), or both (263). Among those referred, 2480 (60.9%), reported for clinical assessment. Factors associated with uptake of care included being female, rural residency, older age, unemployment, prior medication, and diabetes. Retention, for those enrolled in care following a formal clinical assessment, was associated with the final diagnosis following clinical assessment, rural residency, and older age. Conclusion: Screening for hypertension and diabetes identifies large numbers of individuals who need further clinical assessment, but strategies are needed to ensure better linkage and retention into care.
Preliminary studies on calcium lactate as an anticaries food additive.

Enamel dissolution, Orofax and rat caries studies were carried out to assess the effects of calcium lactate in reducing the cariogenicity of four commercially used candies. When used at the 5% level, calcium lactate was effective in reducing enamel dissolution by as much as 43% in fermenting candy-saliva mixtures. In Orofax studies it reduced the amount of in vitro caries by as much as 87%. In a rat caries study, a test group fed a chocolate caramel candy containing 1.5% calcium lactate produced reductions of 38 and 17% in number and 47 and 31% in severity of smooth surface (buccolingual) and sulcal lesions, respectively, as compared to a control group fed the same candy without additive. These findings plus the fact that calcium lactate is a tasteless, nontoxic chemical compound, commonly used in a number of food products, all indicate that calcium lactate my be considered an effective anticaries food additive.
Ketamine Alters Lateral Prefrontal Oscillations in a Rule-Based Working Memory Task

Acute administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists in healthy humans and animals produces working memory deficits similar to those observed in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether they also lead to altered low-frequency (≤60 Hz) neural oscillatory activities similar to those associated with schizophrenia during working memory processes. Here, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) and single-unit activity from the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) of three male rhesus macaque monkeys while they performed a rule-based prosaccade and antisaccade working memory task both before and after systemic injections of a subanesthetic dose (≤0.7 mg/kg) of ketamine. Accompanying working-memory impairment, ketamine enhanced the low-gamma-band (30–60 Hz) and dampened the beta-band (13–30 Hz) oscillatory activities in the LPFC during both delay periods and intertrial intervals. It also increased task-related alpha-band activities, likely reflecting compromised attention. Beta-band oscillations may be especially relevant to working memory processes because stronger beta power weakly but significantly predicted shorter saccadic reaction time. Also in beta band, ketamine reduced the performance-related oscillation as well as the rule information encoded in the spectral power. Ketamine also reduced rule information in the spike field phase consistency in almost all frequencies up to 60 Hz. Our findings support NMDAR antagonists in nonhuman primates as a meaningful model for altered neural oscillations and synchrony, which reflect a disorganized network underlying the working memory deficits in schizophrenia. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Low doses of ketamine, an NMDAR blocker, produce working memory deficits similar to those observed in schizophrenia. In the lateral prefrontal cortex, a key brain region for working memory, we found that ketamine altered neural oscillatory activities in similar ways that differentiate schizophrenic patients and healthy subjects during both task and nontask periods. Ketamine induced stronger gamma (30–60 Hz) and weaker beta (13–30 Hz) oscillations, reflecting local hyperactivity and reduced long-range communications. Furthermore, ketamine reduced performance-related oscillatory activities, as well as the rule information encoded in the oscillations and in the synchrony between single-cell activities and oscillations. The ketamine model helps link the molecular and cellular basis of neural oscillatory changes to the working memory deficit in schizophrenia.
Sexual Difference in Early Fetal Crown-Rump Length versus Gestational Age in Pregnancies Arising from in vitro Fertilization

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of fetal sex on the crown-rump length (CRL) derived from pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization without the uncertain conception dating in the first trimester. With ultrasonography, we performed 334 and 353 examinations, on 88 male and 102 female fetuses, respectively. The relationship between gestational age and fetal CRL was explored with regression analysis: male CRL (mm) = 1.13 × gestational age (days) – 47.39 (r = 0.97), female CRL = 1.11 × gestational age – 46.44 (r = 0.97). These regression lines were mutually included in the 95% confidence intervals for each other. Our results indicate no statistically significant difference in the CRL between the two sexes, being supportive of using the identical fetal CRL criterion regardless of fetal sex for gestational age assessment with ultrasonography in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Short-Term Endocrinological Results after Gamma Knife Surgery of Pituitary Adenomas

We report our preliminary results after the radiosurgical treatment of 25 secreting pituitary adenomas with a mean follow-up of 20 months (range 6–36 months). Fifteen acromegalic patients showed a decrease of 65% in mean growth hormone (GH) levels after 6 months and of 77% after 12 months. Only 3 patients (20%) are considered to be in remission (mean GH and IGF1 level into the normal range). A decrease of prolactin (PRL) was noted in 46% and 64% at 6 and 12 months after radiosurgery in 4 patients with prolactinomas. There was no case of PRL normalizaion. At present 3/4 patients have individual PRL levels slightly above the normal range. A normalization of Urinary Free Cortisol (UFC) was noticed in 4/6 (66%) patients Cushing’s disease within 6–12 months. Pituitary deficiency was noticed in this series in 4/25 patients (16%) who received subtotal or total pituitary irradiation for large postoperative remnants of secreting adenomas poorly defined on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Targeted, Deep Sequencing Reveals Full Methylation Profiles of Multiple HPV Types and Potential Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer Progression

Background: Invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and its premalignant phase (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; CIN1-3) are distinguished by gynecologic and pathologic examination, yet no current methodologies can predict precancerous lesions that are destined to progress to ICC. Thus, development of reliable assays to assess patient prognosis is much needed. Methods: Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA methylation is significantly altered in cervical disease. Using an HPV enrichment approach and next-generation DNA sequencing, methylation status was characterized in a case–case comparison of CIN (n = 2 CIN1; n = 2 CIN2; n = 20 CIN3) and ICC (n = 37) samples. Pyrosequencing validated methylation changes at CpGs of interest in a larger sample cohort (n = 61 CIN3; 50 ICC). Results: Global viral methylation, across HPV types, was significantly higher in ICC than CIN3. Average L1 gene methylation in 13 different HPV types best distinguished CIN3 from ICC. Methylation levels at individual CpG sites as a quantitative classifier achieved a sensitivity and specificity of >95% for detecting ICC in HPV 16 samples. Pyrosequencing confirmed significantly higher methylation of these CpGs in E1 of HPV 16 in ICC compared with CIN3. Conclusions: Global HPV methylation is significantly higher in ICC than CIN3, with L1 gene methylation levels performing best for distinguishing CIN3 from ICC. Methylation levels at CpGs in the E1 gene of HPV 16 (972, 978, 1870, and 1958) can distinguish between CIN3 and ICC. Impact: Higher methylation at specific E1 CpGs may associate with increased likelihood of progression to ICC in HPV 16–positive CIN3 lesions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 642–50. ©2017 AACR.
Quantification of Multifidus Atrophy and Fatty Infiltration Following a Minimally Invasive Microdiscectomy

Background Multifidus muscle degeneration and atrophy have been demonstrated following traditional open spine surgery. The purpose of this study was to quantify multifidus muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration following a 1-level minimally invasive (MIS) lumbar discectomy. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 24 patients who underwent a primary 1-level MIS microdiscectomy were reviewed. Demographics, operative levels, and time from surgery to imaging were assessed. Total and lean cross-sectional areas (CSA), T1-signal intensity ratio between the multifidus and psoas muscles, and lean-to-total CSA ratio were measured. Pre- and postoperative values were compared within each patient utilizing paired sample T-tests. Results The mean age was 47.8±14.2 years. MRI was obtained 182.5±194.4 days following index surgery. On the ipsilateral side, total CSA decreased at the index level (-4.9%) and the lean CSA decreased at the index (-6.2%), inferior pedicle (-13.0%), and inferior disc levels (-18.6%). On the contralateral side, no significant decreases in total or lean CSA were demonstrated. T1-signal intensity ratios increased at all levels, but the differences were not statistically significant. The lean-to-total CSA ratio was decreased at the superior disc (-5.2%), inferior pedicle (-8.4%), and inferior disc levels (-17.2%) on the ipsilateral side and at the contralateral inferior disc level (-5.3%). Conclusions Primary 1-level MIS discectomy results in minimal short-term atrophy and fatty infiltration of the multifidus at the index level. Total CSA atrophy was mainly confined to the ipsilateral side at the index level. Lean CSA atrophy was observed mainly at and below the index level on the ipsilateral side. Fatty infiltration, as measured by the lean-to-total CSA ratio, ranged 1.2-17.2% on the ipsilateral and 0-5.3% on the contralateral side with greater fat content demonstrated caudally to the surgical level. Clinical Relevance Overall, the majority of the multifidus muscle appears to be radiographically preserved following an MIS lumbar discectomy.
Stages of Change, Decisional Balance, and Self-Efficacy across Four Health Behaviors in a Worksite Environment

Purpose. This study examined differences in decisional balance and self-efficacy scores across the five stages of change and across four health behaviors (exercise, protection from sun exposure, smoking, and dietary fat consumption), and explored the relationship between the frequency of subjects at each stage across four health behaviors. Design. Data for this study were collected as part of a health behavior survey of employees. Setting. The study was conducted in a municipal government worksite in Arizona. Subjects. A total of 393 employees completed the survey. The sample was predominantly white (84.9%) and male (64.4%), with an average age of 42.2 years and a median annual household income of between $40,000 and $59,999. Measures. Previously validated questions to measure stages of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy were administered, along with questions about demographic variables. Results. Significant differences were found for decisional balance and self-efficacy scores across the five stages of change, but they were not significantly different between the four health behaviors. A minority of subjects (18.6%) were in the same stage of change for all four health behaviors. Conclusions. This study provides preliminary evidence that there is considerable stage specificity across multiple health behaviors. Because employees at each stage of change possess differences in terms of their pros, cons, and self-efficacy, wellness programs need to focus on stage-specific interventions.
Response to: ‘Patterns of PD-L1 expression and CD8 T cell infiltration in gastric adenocarcinomas and associated immune stroma’

We read with interest the manuscript by Thompson et al recently published in Gut 1 highlighting the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) within the stromal compartment of gastric adenocarcinomas (GC). This study showed that PD-L1 is rather expressed by stromal than neoplastic cells and primarily at the tumour margin of PD-L1positive GC. Moreover, they identified a high proportion of CD8+ T cells within these areas that, in contrast to previous studies, correlated with worse progression-free survival and overall survival.1 We fully agree with their findings because of very similar results obtained regarding PD-L1 expression in a well-characterised cohort of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). 2 Immunohistochemical PD-L1 staining revealed marked PD-L1 expression in 17 of 59 cases (30.4%) (figure 1A). Furthermore, pan-cytokeratin/PD-L1 costainings validated that in 76.5% of the PD-L1positive subgroup PD-L1 is predominantly or exclusively expressed …
Accuracy and precision of patient positioning for pelvic MR-only radiation therapy using digitally reconstructed radiographs

Background and Purpose. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has in recent years emerged as an imaging modality to drive precise contouring of targets and organs at risk in external beam radiation therapy. Moreover, recent advances in MRI enable treatment of cancer without computed tomography (CT) simulation. A commercially available MR-only solution, MRCAT, offers a single-modality approach that provides density information for dose calculation and generation of positioning reference images. We evaluated the accuracy of patient positioning based on MRCAT digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) by comparing to standard CT based workflow. Materials and Methods. Twenty consecutive prostate cancer patients being treated with external beam radiation therapy were included in the study. DRRs were generated for each patient based on the planning CT and MRCAT. The accuracy assessment was performed by manually registering the DRR images to planar kV setup images using bony landmarks. A Bayesian linear mixed effects model was used to separate systematic and random components (inter- and intra-observer variation) in the assessment. In addition, method agreement was assessed using a Bland–Altman analysis. Results. The systematic difference between MRCAT and CT based patient positioning, averaged over the study population, were found to be (mean [95% CI]) −0.49 [−0.85 to −0.13] mm, 0.11 [−0.33 to +0.57] mm and −0.05 [−0.23 to +0.36] mm in vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions, respectively. The increases in total random uncertainty were estimated to be below 0.5 mm for all directions, when using MR-only workflow instead of CT. Conclusions. The MRCAT pseudo-CT method provides clinically acceptable accuracy and precision for patient positioning for pelvic radiation therapy based on planar DRR images. Furthermore, due to the reduction of geometric uncertainty, compared to dual-modality workflow, the approach is likely to improve the total geometric accuracy of pelvic radiation therapy.
Network-Based Methods for Identifying Key Active Proteins in the Extracellular Electron Transfer Process in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 can transfer electrons from the intracellular environment to the extracellular space of the cells to reduce the extracellular insoluble electron acceptors (Extracellular Electron Transfer, EET). Benefiting from this EET capability, Shewanella has been widely used in different areas, such as energy production, wastewater treatment, and bioremediation. Genome-wide proteomics data was used to determine the active proteins involved in activating the EET process. We identified 1012 proteins with decreased expression and 811 proteins with increased expression when the EET process changed from inactivation to activation. We then networked these proteins to construct the active protein networks, and identified the top 20 key active proteins by network centralization analysis, including metabolism- and energy-related proteins, signal and transcriptional regulatory proteins, translation-related proteins, and the EET-related proteins. We also constructed the integrated protein interaction and transcriptional regulatory networks for the active proteins, then found three exclusive active network motifs involved in activating the EET process—Bi-feedforward Loop, Regulatory Cascade with a Feedback, and Feedback with a Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI)—and identified the active proteins involved in these motifs. Both enrichment analysis and comparative analysis to the whole-genome data implicated the multiheme c-type cytochromes and multiple signal processing proteins involved in the process. Furthermore, the interactions of these motif-guided active proteins and the involved functional modules were discussed. Collectively, by using network-based methods, this work reported a proteome-wide search for the key active proteins that potentially activate the EET process.
Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and serum cytokine levels

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified diesel engine exhaust (DEE) as a human lung carcinogen. Given that inflammation is suspected to be an important underlying mechanism of lung carcinogenesis, we evaluated the relationship between DEE exposure and the inflammatory response using data from a cross‐sectional molecular epidemiology study of 41 diesel engine testing workers and 46 unexposed controls. Repeated personal exposure measurements of PM2.5 and other DEE constituents were taken for the diesel engine testing workers before blood collection. Serum levels of six inflammatory biomarkers including interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐6, IL‐8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1β, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)‐1 were analyzed in all subjects. Compared to unexposed controls, concentrations of MIP‐1β were significantly reduced by ∼37% in DEE exposed workers (P < 0.001) and showed a strong decreasing trend with increasing PM2.5 concentrations in all subjects (Ptrend < 0.001) as well as in exposed subjects only (Ptrend = 0.001). Levels of IL‐8 and MIP‐1β were significantly lower in workers in the highest exposure tertile of PM2.5 (>397 µg/m3) compared to unexposed controls. Further, significant inverse exposure‐response relationships for IL‐8 and MCP‐1 were also found in relation to increasing PM2.5 levels among the DEE exposed workers. Given that IL‐8, MIP‐1β, and MCP‐1 are chemokines that play important roles in recruitment of immunocompetent cells for immune defense and tumor cell clearance, the observed lower levels of these markers with increasing PM2.5 exposure may provide insight into the mechanism by which DEE promotes lung cancer. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:144–150, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.