Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase mRNAs in vivo and in vitro by polymerase chain reaction.

Rapid and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays based upon the competitive template technique have been developed for human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR; E.C.1.5.1.3) and thymidylate synthase (TS; E.C.2.1.1.45) mRNAs. In various tumor cell lines and clinical tumor biopsies, TS mRNA levels correlated with TS levels as determined by [3H]-fluorodeoxyuridylate binding. Levels of DHFR and TS mRNAs, determined by PCR, correlated with mRNA quantitation by conventional dot blot methodology. The ratio of TS/DHFR mRNAs in a number of human carcinoma cell lines varies from 0.4 to 9.9 but ranges from 1 to greater than 1.5 x 10(3) in a number of tumor samples. Differences in the TS/DHFR mRNA ratio in tumors as compared with cultured cells reflects low levels of DHFR mRNA in some tumors. In patients treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin, mRNA levels for TS increased approximately an order of magnitude in tumor samples 4 and 24 hr after drug treatment, whereas TS levels decreased. These results have significance for the biochemical pharmacology of antifolates and fluorinated pyrimidines in vivo and the relevance of cell culture models for antifolate chemotherapy and drug resistance.
Lipid and other management to improve arterial disease and survival in end stage renal disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Arterial disease is common in advancing renal failure, culminating in myocardial infarction with cardiac failure, strokes and peripheral and renal artery disease. Attention to cardiac and arterial disease may slow deterioration of renal function. Management of risk factors can reduce these sequelae. Areas covered: Modifiable risk factors for arterial disease and relevant pharmacotherapies. Expert opinion: Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in renal failure. Statins are viewed as essential in symptomatic coronary disease and have been shown in non-renal patients to improve survival after myocardial infarction. Cochrane recommends statins in renal failure but not in end stage renal disease or transplant patients. Large well powered clinical trials focussed specifically on renal patients failed to demonstrate cardiovascular outcome or mortality benefits of statins when compared to placebo. Other lipid lowering pharmacotherapies are weaker and adverse effects may account for the absence of net clinical benefit in non-renal patients in published clinical trials. Patients should be started on a statin after myocardial infarction, regardless of lipid levels, but the risk of adverse effects in advanced renal failure with its comorbidities predicates employing only essential doses. Optimal antihypertensive and antithrombotic pharmacotherapy are also priorities.
Moderate wine consumption is associated with better cognitive test results: a 7 year follow up of 5033 subjects in the Tromsø Study

Arntzen KA, Schirmer H, Wilsgaard T, Mathiesen EB. Moderate wine consumption is associated with better cognitive test results: a 7 year follow up of 5033 subjects in the Tromsø Study. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122 (Suppl. 190): 23–29. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Tissue Distribution of Human Monoamine Oxidase A and B mRNA

Abstract: Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B play important roles in the metabolism of biogenic amines. Northern analysis using 32P‐labeled subfragments of human liver MAO A and B cDNA clones detected a 5‐ and a 3‐kb transcript, respectively, in most human tissues examined. However, fetal heart and thymus express minute amounts of MAO A transcript, whereas fetal brain, muscle, thymus, spleen, meninges, and placenta express minute amounts of MAO B transcript. Small intestine and placenta express, in addition to the MAO A 5‐kb transcript, a 2‐kb transcript, which may arise from an alternative polyadenylation site. MAO A and B transcripts are expressed in similar regions of adult human brain. The highest concentrations of these transcripts were located in frontal cortex and locus coeruleus. This study demonstrates the tissue‐specific distribution of the MAO genes and will provide insight into the physiological functions of MAO A and B.
Relationship between Ice Nucleation Frequency of Bacteria and Frost Injury.

Not every cell of a given bacterial isolate that has ice-nucleating properties can serve as an ice nucleus at any given time and temperature. The ratio between the number of ice nuclei and number of bacterial cells in a culture (i.e. nucleation frequency) was found to vary with incubation temperature, growth medium composition, culture age, and genotype. Optimal conditions for ice nucleus production in vitro included incubation of the bacterial cells at 20 to 24 degrees C on nutrient agar containing glycerol. The relationship between nucleation frequency and frost injury was examined by subjecting corn seedlings to -4 degrees C immediately after they were sprayed with bacterial suspensions with different nucleation frequencies and by following both ice nucleus concentration and bacterial population size on leaves of corn seedlings as a function of time after bacterial application. The amount of frost injury to growth chamber-grown corn seedlings at -4 degrees C was a function of the number of ice nuclei active at that temperature on the leaves. The number of ice nuclei, in turn, is the product of the nucleation frequency and population size of ice-nucleation-active bacteria present on the leaves.
First Experience with a New Stapes Clip Piston in Stapedotomy

Objective: Hearing results after 23 implantations of a newly designed titanium-clip stapes piston prosthesis (the àWengen Clip Piston prosthesis) in patients with otosclerosis were evaluated. This new type of stapes piston was designed to avoid the crimping onto the incus in stapedotomy. This one clip fits all designs and enables solid fixation by clicking the prosthesis onto the long process of the incus without crimping. Study Design: A retrospective pilot study was carried out by microcomputer of the preoperative and postoperative audiological results of patients in whom the titanium-clip stapes piston prosthesis was implanted. Setting: Ear, nose and throat department of Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Patients: 23 Patients underwent a stapedotomy for hearing improvement suffering from otosclerosis. implantations of a newly designed titanium-clip stapes piston prosthesis (the àWengen Clip Piston prosthesis) in patients with otosclerosis were evaluated. Intervention(s): The stapedotomy was performed with the àWengen Clip Piston prosthesis. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pre and postoperative audiograms were used to evaluate the hearing gain improvement with the new stapes piston. Especially we looked at the airbone gap closure and the sensorineural hearing after the surgical procedure and compared these with the ones before surgery. Results: The hearing results showed a closure of the pure-tone average air-bone gap to within 10 dB in 56.6% of cases (10 of 23 implantations) and to within 20 dB in 100% (23 of 23 implantations). A residual air-bone gap of greater than 20 dB was seen in the present pilot study. Postoperative overclosure of bone-conduction thresholds was discovered only for the frequency of 2 kHz. Sensorineural hearing loss greater than 10% did not occur, and there was no decline in the speech discrimination. Conclusions: The use of a newly designed titanium-clip stapes piston prosthesis with a diameter of 0.4 mm gives good results in cases of stapedotomy for otosclerosis. The titanium-clip design is a new development in the evolution of stapes piston prostheses. Surgical introduction, placement, and fixation are not always easy, depending on the anatomy of the middle ear and the thickness of the fixation area on the long process of the incus.
Tear of the posterior tibial tendon causing asymmetric flatfoot: radiologic findings.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the preoperative radiographic appearance of the acquired asymmetric flatfoot caused by a tear of the posterior tibial tendon. These radiographic changes reflect the loss of tendon function and the development of flatfoot deformity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Preoperative radiographs of 30 patients (mean age, 48 years) with surgically proved complete tears of the posterior tibial tendon were evaluated. Erect anteroposterior and lateral views of the feet were obtained in all patients and were frequently supplemented with anteroposterior views of the ankles to evaluate valgus tilt. Calcaneal plantar, talocalcaneal, and talometatarsal angles were measured on radiographs and compared with the measurements in normal control subjects. Additional osseous and soft-tissue abnormalities were also evaluated. RESULTS Findings on preoperative radiographs of the foot were abnormal in 50% of patients. These abnormalities included decreased calcaneal plantar angle (50%), increased lateral talometatarsal angle (47%), increased anterior talocalcaneal angle (43%), and increased lateral talocalcaneal angle (13%). Bone and soft-tissue abnormalities included osteoporosis (37%), medial soft-tissue swelling (27%), tarsal osteoarthritis (20%), distal tibial proliferative changes (7%), and the presence of accessory navicular bones (17%). CONCLUSION Multiple abnormalities of the intertarsal relationships are seen as a result of tears of the posterior tibial tendon with the development of hindfoot valgus, midfoot abduction, and forefoot pronation.
Recurrent acute mastoiditis – a retrospective national study in Sweden

Abstract Conclusions: Recurrences were seen in 5% of all patients with acute mastoiditis (AM). Mastoidectomy had been performed in the majority of the patients with recurrences at their first episode of AM. Compared with the group with a single episode of AM, the recurrent group exhibited more subperiosteal and ear canal abscesses, although they were not more severely ill. It appears from this study that previous mastoidectomy itself could predispose patients to recurrent AM (rAM), perhaps due to easier access to the mastoid cavity and/or due to a reduction in mucosal lining. Objective: To retrospectively study the incidence and characteristics of rAM in Sweden. Methods: Data from patients with rAM were reviewed and compared with data from patients with a single episode of AM during 1993–2007 in 33 ear, nose and throat departments in Sweden. Results: Of 798 cases fulfilling the criteria for AM, 36 patients (5%) had experienced one or more recurrences, of which 4 patients (11%) had concurrent cholesteatoma. More than 50% of the patients had their first episode of AM before the age of 2 years. There was a highly significant difference between the two groups concerning the frequency of mastoidectomies and subperiosteal/retroauricular abscesses. However, other clinical characteristics, including severe complications, did not differ significantly. The majority of recurrences were treated conservatively with myringotomy and intravenous antibiotics, and also with aspiration/incision if a subperiosteal/retroauricular abscess was present.
Evaluation of the Brazilian population's intake of antioxidant nutrients and their relation with the nutritional status.

Introduction: The study of dietary antioxidants has gained prominence owing to the elucidation of the deleterious effects of oxidative stress to the human body. Objective: To evaluate the Brazilian population's intake of antioxidant nutrients and their association with the nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including secondary data on food consumption of 33,459 individuals from both sexes, aged 10 years or older, from all Brazilian regions based on microdata of the "2008-2009 Household Budget Survey, Brazilian Dairy Survey. " The content of vitamins E, A, and C; zinc; manganese; copper; and selenium from 188 food items, divided into 12 groups, according to the habitual consumption form was analyzed. The means of antioxidant nutrient intake according to the nutritional status were compared using Bonferroni's t-test. Results: Higher percentages of insufficient intake of vitamins than antioxidant minerals were seen. A significant difference in the intake of vitamin E as to the nutritional status was noticed, wherein the intake in overweight individuals was lower than in those with proper weight. Participants with low weight presented lower intake of almost all antioxidant minerals, except for copper, in which the intake of participants with low weight was equal to those with normal weight. Conclusion: High percentages of insufficient intake of antioxidant nutrients were observed in the studied population, especially vitamins. It was also found that the intake of antioxidant nutrients varied based on nutritional status, gender, and life stage.
Sex Differentiation and Germ Cell Production in Chimeric Pigs Produced by Inner Cell Mass Injection into Blastocysts

Abstract This study aimed at collecting background knowledge for chimeric pig production. We analyzed the genetic sex of the chimeric pigs in relation to phenotypic sex as well as to functional germ cell formation. Chimeric pigs were produced by injecting Day 6 or Day 7 inner cell mass (ICM) cells into Day 6 blastocysts. Approximately 20% of the piglets born from the injected blastocysts showed overt coat color chimerism regardless of the embryonic stage of donor cells. The male:female sex ratio was 7:2 and 6:1 in the chimeras derived from Day 6 and Day 7 ICM cells, respectively, showing an obvious bias toward males. When XX donor cells were injected into XY blastocysts at the same embryonic stage, the phenotypic sex of the resulting chimera was male with no germ-line cells formed from the donor cell lineage. On the other hand, when the donor was XY and the recipient blastocyst was XX, the phenotypic sex of the chimera was male, and germ-line cells were derived only from the donor cells. The combination of XY donor cells and XY blastocysts produced some chimeras in which the donor cell lineage did not contribute to germ-line formation even when it appeared in coat color. When the embryonic stage of the donor was advanced by 1 day in the XY-XY combination, 100% of the germ-line cells of the chimeras were derived from the donor cell lineage. These data showed that characteristics of sex differentiation and germ cell formation in chimeric pigs are similar to those in chimeric mice.
H2B ubiquitination: Conserved molecular mechanism, diverse physiologic functions of the E3 ligase during meiosis

ABSTRACT RNF20/Bre1 mediated H2B ubiquitination (H2Bub) has various physiologic functions. Recently, we found that H2Bub participates in meiotic recombination by promoting chromatin relaxation during meiosis. We then analyzed the phylogenetic relationships among the E3 ligase for H2Bub, its E2 Rad6 and their partner WW domain-containing adaptor with a coiled-coil (WAC) or Lge1, and found that the molecular mechanism underlying H2Bub is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to mammals. However, RNF20 has diverse physiologic functions in different organisms, which might be caused by the evolutionary divergency of their domain/motif architectures. In the current extra view, we not only elucidate the evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanism underlying H2Bub, but also discuss the diverse physiologic functions of RNF20 during meiosis.
Powerful rules governing the euro: the perverse logic of German ideas

ABSTRACT Ideas are at their most powerful as an explanatory variable when they lead agents to go against any broadly reasonable interpretation of their material self-interests. They become even more intriguing when they are instrumental in actually causing a crisis, in which actors undercut their own stated goals and then continue to make matters worse by sticking to those same ideas, even in the light of clear evidence that the policies they inspire are not working. This contribution shows two dynamics between power and ideas to explain Germany's behavior during the euro crisis. The first dynamic examines the changing macroeconomic consensus on how to conduct monetary and fiscal policy that governed the euro from 1999 to 2012. The second dynamic shows how a strict adherence to Germany's ordoliberal ideas of budgetary rules and structural reform turned a containable Greek fiscal problem into a full-blown systemic sovereign debt crisis.
Synthesis of eugenol-based selective membrane for hemodialysis

Research on the synthesis of eugenol-based imprinted hemodialysis membranes has been undertaken. This study aims to produce eugenol-based urea selective membrane for hemodialysis. Eugenol containing functional groups of N and S tied with urea mixed with Poly Viniyl Acetate (PVA), Poly Ethylene Glycol Diglicidyl Ether (PEGDE) crosslinker and 1 Methyl 2 Pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent was heated at 110° to form hydrogel. The hydrogel was then reconstituted in the NMP and fed into the petridisc to form the membrane. The membrane was released the urea bonded with distilled water to obtain Molecularly Imprinted Membrane (MIM)-urea. The resulting MIM urea was characterized using FTIR, SEM. MIM urea was used to transport urea, creatinine and vitamin B-12. The research variables were thickness of membrane and comparison of transport result with NIM (Non Imprinted Membrane). The results obtained were MIM urea transported urea better than NIM. The result obtained was the thinner the membrane the better the urea transport. Membrane was also capable of transporting creatinine but not of transporting vitamin B-12.
Activation of the Insulin Gene Promoter through a Direct Effect of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α*

Maturity onset diabetes of the young, subtype 1 (MODY1), is associated with defective glucose-dependent insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. MODY1 is caused by mutation in the transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α). To understand better the MODY1 phenotype, we tested whether HNF4α was able to modulate directly the insulin gene promoter. Transfection of cultured 293T cells with an HNF4α expression vector led to 10-fold activation of a cotransfected reporter plasmid containing the rat insulin I gene promoter. Computer analysis revealed a potential HNF4α-binding site between nucleotides −57 and −69 of the promoter; mutation of this sequence led to reduced ability of HNF4α to activate the promoter. The ability of HNF4α to bind this sequence was confirmed using gel shift analysis. In transfected INS-1 beta cells, mutation of either the HNF1α site or the HNF4α site in the insulin gene promoter led to 50–75% reduction in reporter gene activity; expression of dominant negative HNF4α led to significant reduction in the activity of wild type and both mutated promoters. Thus, in addition to the previously described indirect action of HNF4α on insulin gene expression mediated through elevated HNF1α levels, HNF4α also activates the insulin gene directly, through a previously unrecognized cis element.
Phenotypic switching and filamentation in Candida glabrata.

Candida glabrata switches spontaneously, reversibly and at high frequency among the following four phenotypes distinguishable by graded colony colouration on CuSO(4)-containing agar: white (Wh), light brown (LB), dark brown (DB) and very dark brown (vDB). These phenotypes also differ in a graded fashion in the level of expression of the metallothionein gene MTII (WhvDB), the frequency of switching (Wh>LB>DB>vDB) and colouration on phloxine B-containing agar (Wh>LB>DB>vDB). Switching among the four graded phenotypes is referred to as 'the core switching system'. An additional switch phenotype, 'irregular wrinkle' (IWr), has been identified, which exhibits a highly wrinkled colony morphology. The characteristics of IWr suggest that switching to and from this phenotype represents a second high-frequency switching system. A microscopic analysis revealed that during the first 3 days of colony development, cells in the centres of Wh, LB, DB and vDB colonies expressed almost exclusively the budding yeast phenotype. After 3 days, however, pseudohyphae and cells extending tubes accumulated, so that by 7 days the proportions of these two cellular phenotypes reached 40-50% and 10-20%, respectively. In contrast, IWr colonies were composed almost exclusively of pseudohyphae through the first 6 days of colony development. After 6 days, IWr colonies began to accumulate both budding yeast cells and tubes. The tubes formed by C. glabrata reached lengths of up to six cell diameters, but the tubes did not represent traditional compartmentalized hyphae. Tube growth ended when the tube tip expanded to form a bud. Tubes then functioned as corridors for daughter nucleus migration to the apical bud, and were ultimately left uncompartmentalized and nucleus free. Core switching, pseudohypha formation and tube formation occurred in a majority of 62 tested clinical isolates, demonstrating that these developmental programmes are general characteristics of most strains of C. glabrata.
Prediction of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated children undergoing neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of static and dynamic variables for the prediction of fluid responsiveness in children under general anaesthesia. METHODS Thirty-three mechanically ventilated children received 10 ml kg(-1) colloid for 10 min while stable during surgery. Arterial pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure (CVP), and pleth variability index (PVI), in addition to variation in systolic pressure, pulse pressure (including Δdown and Δup), respiratory aortic blood flow velocity (ΔVpeak), and inferior vena cava diameter were measured before and after volume expansion. Patients were classified as responders to fluid loading if their stroke volume index (SVI) increased by at least 10%. RESULTS There were 15 volume responders and 18 non-responders. Of the variables examined, ΔVpeak (r=0.516, P=0.004) and PVI (r=0.49, P=0.004) before volume expansion were significantly correlated with changes in SVI. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that PVI and ΔVpeak predicted fluid responsiveness. Areas under the ROC curves of PVI and ΔVpeak were statistically larger than that of CVP (P=0.006 and 0.014, respectively). However, those of other variables were similar to that of CVP. CONCLUSIONS ΔVpeak and PVI can be used to predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated children under general anaesthesia. The other static and dynamic variables assessed in this study were not found to predict fluid responsiveness significantly in children. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01364103.