Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
α1,3-Galactosyltransferase Gene-Knockout Pig Heart Transplantation in Baboons with Survival Approaching 6 Months

Background. The recent generation of α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout (GalT-KO) pigs has allowed investigation of the survival of GalT-KO pig organs in nonhuman primates. Methods. Heterotopic heart transplantation from GalT-KO pigs was carried out in baboons (n=8) using a human antihuman CD154 monoclonal antibody-based immunosuppressive regimen. Results. In six of the eight cases, graft survival extended to between approximately 2 and 6 months. All grafts developed thrombotic microangiopathy (TM). In particular, the clinical course of one baboon in which the graft functioned for 179 days is summarized. This baboon received aspirin (40 mg on alternate days) from day 4 in addition to heparin, which may have been a factor in the delay of onset and progression of TM and in prolonged graft survival. Maintenance therapy with anti-CD154 mAb, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone was associated with persistently low numbers of CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ cells. Despite persisting depletion of these cells, no infectious complications occurred. Conclusions. It remains to be established whether TM is related to a very low level of natural preformed or T-cell-induced antibody deposition on the graft, inducing endothelial activation and injury, or to molecular incompatibilities in the coagulation mechanisms between pig and baboon, or to both. However, function of a pig organ in a baboon for a period approaching six months, which has not been reported previously, lends encouragement that the barriers to xenotransplantation will eventually be overcome.
Crystal Structure of the Rabies Virus Nucleoprotein-RNA Complex

Negative-strand RNA viruses condense their genome into a helical nucleoprotein-RNA complex, the nucleocapsid, which is packed into virions and serves as a template for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex. The crystal structure of a recombinant rabies virus nucleoprotein-RNA complex, organized in an undecameric ring, has been determined at 3.5 angstrom resolution. Polymerization of the nucleoprotein is achieved by domain exchange between protomers, with flexible hinges allowing nucleocapsid formation. The two core domains of the nucleoprotein clamp around the RNA at their interface and shield it from the environment. RNA sequestering by nucleoproteins is likely a common mechanism used by negative-strand RNA viruses to protect their genomes from the innate immune response directed against viral RNA in human host cells at certain stages of an infectious cycle.
Membrane fusion proteins of enveloped animal viruses

In a living cell membrane-bound compartments are continuously either separated or united through fusion reactions, and literally thousands of such reactions take place every minute. The formation of membrane vesicles from pre-existing membranes, and their fusion with specific acceptor membranes, constitute a prerequisite for the transport of most impermeant molecules and macromolecules into the cell by endocytosis, out of the cell by exocytosis, and between the cellular organelles (Palade, 1975; Silverstein, 1978; Evered & Collins, 1982). Less frequent, but equally crucial, are fusion events in fertilization, cell division, polykaryon formation, enucleation, etc. (for reviews see Poste & Nicholson, 1978). Although a great deal is known about the properties and consequences of individual forms of membrane fusion in cellular systems, and about fusion in artificial lipid membranes, the molecular basis for the reactions remain largely unclear.
Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in nursing home residents in Bolu, Turkey.

BACKGROUND This study aimed (a) to provide information on methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) Staphylococcus aureus colonization ratio in residents of nursing homes; (b) to determine the effect of hand-washing education given to nursing home residents and employees on nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus (NCSA) and (c) to obtain probable risk factors for MRSA colonization of residents in two nursing homes. METHODS Seventy-nine volunteers (24 females and 55 males) from Bolu nursing homes were included in the study. Nasal samples were taken with sterile swabs from the anterior nares. Staphylococcus aureus strains were identified using classical methods and genotyping of methicillin resistant strains was done using Arbitrary Primed PCR (AP-PCR). Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined by disk diffusion methods according to NCCLS standards. After first nasal samples were taken, all employees and residents of nursing homes were educated about the methods of hand hygiene over two days. RESULTS With hand-washing education, the decrease of NCSA rate (initially 43%; after education, 21%) was significant (p < 0.05) while decrease of MRSA carriage (initially 5%, after education 1%) was not (p > 0.05). MRSA carriage was significantly correlated with presence of skin lesions, prior hospitalization within the last six months, and antibiotics usage within the last six months. AP PCR results suggested that residents' carriage of MRSA was the result of the same source. CONCLUSION MSSA and MRSA colonization rates were found to be 38% and 5% in nursing homes, respectively. These ratios can decrease with simple precautions like hand-washing after a short education period
Produktion und Perzeption von Hutkonturen im Deutschen

Dieser Artikel untersucht die intonatorischen Eigenschaften von Hutkonturen im Deutschen. Die Hutkontur wird aus der Sicht der Sprachproduktion und -perzeption beschrieben und vom Intonationsmuster neutraler Satze mit einem einzigen Satzakzent abgegrenzt. Wahrend Satze mit I-Topiks von ProbandInnen als zweigipflige (Hut-)Kontur wahrgenommen werden, horen sie in Satzen mit neutralen Topiks lediglich eine Hervorhebung auf dem Fokusexponenten. Es wird dafur argumentiert, dass es sich bei dem steigenden Akzent der Hutkontur um einen Kontrastakzent handelt, der zusammen mit dem Kontext die Interpretation von Alternativen auslost. Der Aufsatz ist folgendermasen gegliedert: In Abschnitt 1 wird das Intonationsmuster der Hutkontur vorgestellt. Abschnitt 2 untersucht verschiedene Konstruktionen, von denen man annimmt, dass sie im Deutschen als Hutkontur produziert werden, und stellt Uberlegungen zu ihrer Informationsstruktur an. Es wird angenommen, dass bei den Hutkonturen stets Kontrastierung im Spiel ist (vgl. Abschnitt 3). Abschnitt 4 beschreibt die Ergebnisse aus einem Intonationsexperiment. Die Aufnahmen deutscher Muttersprachler werden im akustischen Sprachsignal analysiert und fur Perzeptionstests (Abschnitt 5) genutzt. Der Vergleich von akustischen und auditiven Daten erlaubt eine bessere Einordnung bisheriger Aussagen zu Hutkonturen in der linguistischen Literatur. Abschnitt 6 schlieslich beleuchtet das Zusammenwirken von Kontext, Intonation und Interpretation in Hutkonturauserungen.
Amphiregulin is an essential mediator of estrogen receptor α function in mammary gland development

Most mammary gland development occurs after birth under the control of systemic hormones. Estrogens induce mammary epithelial cell proliferation during puberty via epithelial estrogen receptor α (ERα) by a paracrine mechanism. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling has long been implicated downstream of ERα signaling, and several EGFR ligands have been described as estrogen-target genes in tumor cell lines. Here, we show that amphiregulin is the unique EGF family member to be transcriptionally induced by estrogen in the mammary glands of puberal mice at a time of exponential expansion of the ductal system. In fact, we find that estrogens induce amphiregulin through the ERα and require amphiregulin to induce proliferation of the mammary epithelium. Like ERα, amphiregulin is required in the epithelium of puberal mice for epithelial proliferation, terminal end buds formation, and ductal elongation. Subsequent stages, such as side-branching and alveologenesis, are not affected. When amphiregulin−/− mammary epithelial cells are in close vicinity to wild-type cells, they proliferate and contribute to all cell compartments of the ductal outgrowth. Thus, amphiregulin is an important paracrine mediator of estrogen function specifically required for puberty-induced ductal elongation, but not for any earlier or later developmental stages.
Circulating endothelin-1 reduces splanchnic and renal blood flow and splanchnic glucose production in humans.

The effect of minimal changes in circulating plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) was studied in 12 healthy subjects receiving either 60 min of ET-1 (0.2 pmol.kg-1.min-1) or physiological saline intravenously. Blood was drawn from arterial, renal, and central hepatic vein catheters. Arterial ET-1-like immunoreactivity (ET-1-LI) increased from 4.7 +/- 0.4 (SE) to 8.6 +/- 1.0 pmol/l during ET-1 infusion. After 10 min, plasma ET-1-LI had increased to 6.12 +/- 0.29 pmol/l. For comparison the plasma ET-1-LI level was 12.9 +/- 4.2 pmol/in five patients with sepsis syndrome. Mean arterial blood pressure rose from 92 +/- 3 to 99 +/- 4 mmHg. Estimated splanchnic and renal blood flows fell by 18 +/- 5 and 10 +/- 3%, respectively, and splanchnic glucose production fell by 42 +/- 6% within 10 min of the ET-1 infusion and differed compared with corresponding control values. Only estimated splanchnic blood flow had increased 60 min after the ET-1 infusion. No change in splanchnic uptake of lactate or glycerol was seen. In conclusion, we suggest that circulating ET-1 with small or no demonstrable change in plasma concentration interferes with vasoactivity and splanchnic glycogenolyses in health and possibly pathophysiological conditions.
Female workers and in vivo lung monitoring: a simple model for morphological dependence of counting efficiency curves

This paper addresses the question of the morphological dependence of counting efficiency curves for in vivo lung monitoring of workers, with a particular focus on the case of female workers for whom different chest girth and cup size are considered. A library of 24 female torsos, with chest girth varying from 85 to 120 and cup size from A to F, was constructed using mesh and NURBS formats. The anatomical realism and usefulness of these models for simulating in vivo counting measurements are illustrated and simulations are reported for a typical 4-germanium (Ge) counting system. A simple analytic formula describing the relation between efficiency curves obtained for each female phantom is given. This formula uses the mass attenuation coefficient for adipose tissue and two parameters which are dependant on lung volume and breast weight. The model is tested against Monte Carlo simulated data, experimental data obtained with the Livermore phantom and published data. The model correctly describes the efficiency curve and, since the parameters depend on the counting geometry, it is shown how to estimate them from experimental measurements.
Comparison of two bioelectrical impedance devices and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate body composition in heart failure.

BACKGROUND The utilisation of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in heart failure can be affected by many factors and its applicability remains controversial. The present study aimed to verify the adequacy of single-frequency BIA (SF-BIA) and multifrequency BIA (MF-BIA) compared to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for evaluating body composition in outpatients with heart failure. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 55 patients with stable heart failure and left ventricle ejection fraction ≤45% were evaluated for fat mass percentage, fat mass and fat-free mass by DEXA and compared with the results obtained by SF-BIA (single frequency of 50 kHz) and MF-BIA (frequencies of 20 and 100 kHz). RESULTS MF-BIA and DEXA gave similar mean values for fat mass percentage, fat mass and fat-free mass, whereas values from SF-BIA were significantly different from DEXA. Both SF-BIA and MF-BIA measures of body composition correlated strongly with DEXA (r > 0.8; P < 0.001), except for fat mass assessed by SF-BIA, which showed a moderate correlation (r = 0.760; P < 0.001). MF-BIA also showed a better agreement with DEXA by Bland-Altman analysis in all measurements. However, both types of equipment showed wide limits of agreement and a significant relationship between variance and bias (Pitmans's test P > 0.05), except MF-BIA for fat-free mass. CONCLUSIONS Compared with DEXA, MF-BIA showed better accuracy than SF-BIA, although both types of equipment showed wide limits of agreement. The BIA technique should be used with caution, and regression equations might be useful for correcting the observed variations, mainly in extreme values of body composition.
Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and its relationship with serum malondialdehyde and lipid profile in preeclampsia

Objective: To investigate Helicobacter pylori seropositivity rate in preeclamptic and healthy pregnants. Additionally, we compared serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and lipid profile between H. pylori‐positive and negative cases. Method: This study included 53 preeclamptic and 30 healthy pregnants. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL‐C) and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL‐C), MDA, and H. pylori Ig G antibodies were measured. Results: Preeclampsia group had higher serum MDA levels compared with healthy pregnants (P<0.001). While the rate of H. pylori seropositivity was 43/53 (81%) in the preeclampsia group, this was 18/30 (% 60) in normal pregnants (odds ratio (OR), 2.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–7.82; P=0.036). We further divided the preeclampsia group as H. pylori‐positive and H. pylori‐negative subgroups. In H. pylori‐positive group, serum TC (P<0.01) and LDL‐C (P<0.01) levels were significantly higher than those of H. pylori‐negative group. Mean MDA concentration was higher in H. pylori‐positive group than that of H. pylori‐negative group (P<0.001). Conclusion: H. pylori‐positive pregnants may have a high risk for preeclampsia and H. pylori may be one of the causes for high MDA levels in preeclampsia. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 23:219–222, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of cell‐associated tissue factor concentration on the anticoagulant activity of dabigatran. A possible explanation for the reduced incidence of intracranial bleeding

The Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) trial demonstrated that, compared with warfarin, dabigatran offers superior protection against stroke and systemic embolism and reduces the risk of life-threatening and intracranial bleeding (Connolly et al , 2009). The study also revealed a higher rate of myocardial infarction in the dabigatran group, a ﬁnding conﬁrmed by a recent meta-analysis (Uchino & Hernandez, 2012).
Complete Genome Sequence of Cedecea neteri Strain SSMD04, a Bacterium Isolated from Pickled Mackerel Sashimi

ABSTRACT We report here the complete genome sequence of C. neteri SSMD04, a strain isolated from pickled mackerel sashimi, sequenced by third-generation sequencing technology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documentation that reports the complete genome of Cedecea neteri.
Factors Associated With Mortality in Combat‐related Pelvic Fractures

&NA; Pelvic fractures were sustained by ≥26% of service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008. To determine factors associated with patient mortality following combat‐related pelvic fracture (CRPF), the Joint Theater Trauma Registry database was searched to identify service members who survived CRPF sustained in the year 2008 (group 1), and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System was searched to identify nonsurvivors of such trauma in the same year (group 2). Stable pelvic ring injuries were associated with a lower mortality rate than were unstable injuries when controlling for large‐vessel and anatomic brain injuries (43% and 85%, respectively; P < 0.05). Associated injuries that were significant predictors of mortality included large‐vessel, anatomic brain, cardiopulmonary, and solid organ abdominal (P < 0.05). Compared with a similar cohort of nonsurvivors, persons who survive CRPF have less severe pelvic fractures and associated injuries. In addition, pelvic fractures secondary to direct combat (ie, blast‐related blunt injury, penetrating injury) were significantly more lethal than were those caused by mechanisms analogous to civilian trauma.
Tropical and Extratropical predictions of the summer and autumn Niño3.4Index: a comparison

Abstract. The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is the main source of the predictability skill in many regions of the world for seasonal and interannual timescales. Longer lead predictability experiments of Nino3.4 Index using simple statistical linear models have shown an important skill loss at longer lead times when the targeted season is summer or autumn. We develop different versions of the model substituting some its variables with others that contain tropical or extratropical information, produce a number of hindcasts with these models using two different predictions schemes and cross validate them. We have identified different sets of tropical or extratropical predictors, which can provide useful values of potential skill. We try to find out the sources of the predictability by comparing the sea surface temperature (SST) and heat content (HC) anomalous fields produced by the successful predictors for the 1980–2012 period. We observe that where tropical predictors are used the prediction reproduces only the equatorial characteristics of the warming (cooling). However, where extratropical predictors are included, the predictions are able to simulate the absorbed warming in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ).
Removal of Default State-Associated Inhibition during Repetition Priming Improves Response Articulation

Behavior is a product of both the stimuli encountered and the current internal state. At the level of the nervous system, the internal state alters the biophysical properties of, and connections between, neurons establishing a “network state. ” To establish a network state, the nervous system must be altered from an initial default/resting state, but what remains unclear is the extent to which this process represents induction from a passive default state or the removal of suppression by an active default state. We use repetition priming (a history-dependent improvement of behavioral responses to repeatedly encountered stimuli) to determine the cellular mechanisms underlying the transition from the default to the primed network state. We demonstrate that both removal of active suppression and induction of neuron excitability changes each contribute separately to the production of a primed state. The feeding system of Aplysia californica displays repetition priming via an increase in the activity of the radula closure neuron B8, which results in increased bite strength with each motor program. We found that during priming, B8 received progressively less inhibitory input from the multifunctional neurons B4/5. Additionally, priming enhanced the excitability of B8, but the rate at which B8 activity increased as a result of these changes was regulated by the progressive removal of inhibitory input. Thus, the establishment of the network state involves the induction of processes from a rested state, yet the consequences of these processes are conditional upon critical gating mechanisms actively enforced by the default state.
RECENT ADVANCES IN RESEARCH ON RADIOFREQUENCY FIELDS AND HEALTH

Since the Royal Society of Canada report on potential health risks of radiofrequency (RF) fields from wireless telecommunications in the spring of 1999, there have been several newly published reports on risks associated with the use of mobile phones. This article provides a summary of scientific research on the potential health effects of radiofrequency fields that has been reported since the original Royal Society report was published. This update also discusses several earlier results not included in the original report.
Influenza-attributable mortality in Australians aged more than 50 years: a comparison of different modelling approaches

SUMMARY This study aimed to compare systematically approaches to estimating influenza-attributable mortality in older Australians. Using monthly age-specific death data together with viral surveillance counts for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, we explored two of the most frequently used methods of estimating excess influenza-attributable disease: Poisson and Serfling regression models. These approaches produced consistent age and temporal patterns in estimates of influenza-attributable mortality in older Australians but some variation in the magnitude of the disease burden. Of Australians aged >50 years, average annual estimated influenza-attributable deaths (all cause) ranged from 2314 to 3457 for the Serfling and Poisson regression models, respectively. The excess influenza-attributable disease burden was substantial under all approaches.
Cross-lingual Name Tagging and Linking for 282 Languages

The ambitious goal of this work is to develop a cross-lingual name tagging and linking framework for 282 languages that exist in Wikipedia. Given a document in any of these languages, our framework is able to identify name mentions, assign a coarse-grained or fine-grained type to each mention, and link it to an English Knowledge Base (KB) if it is linkable. We achieve this goal by performing a series of new KB mining methods: generating “silver-standard” annotations by transferring annotations from English to other languages through cross-lingual links and KB properties, refining annotations through self-training and topic selection, deriving language-specific morphology features from anchor links, and mining word translation pairs from cross-lingual links. Both name tagging and linking results for 282 languages are promising on Wikipedia data and on-Wikipedia data.
Genome-wide transcriptional profiling reveals connective tissue mast cell accumulation in bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

RATIONALE Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a major complication of premature birth. Risk factors for BPD are complex and include prenatal infection and O(2) toxicity. BPD pathology is equally complex and characterized by inflammation and dysmorphic airspaces and vasculature. Due to the limited availability of clinical samples, an understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of this disease and its causal mechanisms and associated biomarkers is limited. OBJECTIVES Apply genome-wide expression profiling to define pathways affected in BPD lungs. METHODS Lung tissue was obtained at autopsy from 11 BPD cases and 17 age-matched control subjects without BPD. RNA isolated from these tissue samples was interrogated using microarrays. Standard gene selection and pathway analysis methods were applied to the data set. Abnormal expression patterns were validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We identified 159 genes differentially expressed in BPD tissues. Pathway analysis indicated previously appreciated (e.g., DNA damage regulation of cell cycle) as well as novel (e.g., B-cell development) biological functions were affected. Three of the five most highly induced genes were mast cell (MC)-specific markers. We confirmed an increased accumulation of connective tissue MC(TC) (chymase expressing) mast cells in BPD tissues. Increased expression of MC(TC) markers was also demonstrated in an animal model of BPD-like pathology. CONCLUSIONS We present a unique genome-wide expression data set from human BPD lung tissue. Our data provide information on gene expression patterns associated with BPD and facilitated the discovery that MC(TC) accumulation is a prominent feature of this disease. These observations have significant clinical and mechanistic implications.