Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serial complement component alterations in acute glomerulonephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Serial determinations of whole serum complement (C') and absolute weight concentrations of the C'1q (11S) portion of the first and the third (C'3), fourth (C'4) and fifth (C'5) components of human complement were carried out in patients with post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other types of nephritis including Henoch–Schonlein (anaphylactoid purpura), Goodpasture's syndrome and chronic glomerulonephritis. Total haemolytic complement was decreased in patients with acute glomerulonephritis and active systemic lupus erythematosus, but distinctly different component patterns occurred which were characteristic for each disease. In acute glomerulonephritis the concentration of C'1q was normal and C'4 was decreased only during the initial phase of illness. More prolonged depressions of C'3 and C'5 occurred which paralleled the whole complement titres. In contrast subjects with active systemic lupus erythematosus had normal C'5 concentrations and decreases in C'1q, C'4 and C'3 with prolonged depression of C'4 being the most consistent finding. Recent evidence has suggested that both post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus share a similar immunopathogenic mechanism involving the deposition in renal glomeruli of immune complexes formed by non-glomerular antigen and specific antibody. If so, the physico-chemical characteristics of the immune complexes differ enough to cause distinctive component alterations. Entirely normal whole complement and component levels were observed in patients with other types of nephritis. In post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis the early return to normal of fourth component concentrations may be a favourable prognostic sign while the persistent depression of this component in systemic lupus erythematosus may be an indication of occult disease activity.
Neither oxidized nor anti‐oxidized low‐density lipoprotein level is associated with atherosclerosis or mortality in hemodialysis patients

It is anticipated that oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and anti‐oxLDL are associated with atherosclerosis and mortality. However, data on this issue are controversial and limited. We aimed to investigate the effect of these two markers on the extent and progression of atherosclerosis and mortality in a group of hemodialysis patients. In this prospective observational study with a follow‐up of 36 months, 124 hemodialysis patients were studied. Ninety‐five patients underwent carotid intima media thickness (CA‐IMT) measurement by B‐Mode ultrasonography both at baseline and at the end of the study. oxLDL and anti‐oxLDL were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The extent and progression of CA‐IMT, along with overall and cardiovascular mortality, were assessed. The mean age at baseline was 54.0 ± 14.8 years, 57.3% male and 20% diabetic. The mean oxLDL and anti‐oxLDL levels were 8.11 ± 3.16 mU/L and 1.30 ± 0.31, respectively. Baseline mean CA‐IMT was 0.82 ± 0.20 mm. Fifteen patients died during a follow‐up period of 28.5 ± 6.6 months, 11 from cardiovascular causes. Only oxLDL, not anti‐oxLDL, was correlated with the extent of atherosclerosis at baseline. However, both had no role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Also, in unadjusted and adjusted models, both parameters were not associated with overall or cardiovascular mortality. Neither oxLDL nor anti‐oxLDL level is associated with the progression of atherosclerosis or mortality in hemodialysis patients.
An Unconditionally Stable ADI Method for the Linear Hyperbolic Equation in Three Space Dimensions

An unconditionally stable alternating direction implicit (ADI) method of O(k 2 +h 2 ) of Lees type for solving the three space dimensional linear hyperbolic equation u tt +2 f u t + g 2 u = u xx + u yy + u zz + f ( x , y , z , t ), 00 subject to appropriate initial and Dirichlet boundary conditions is proposed, where f >0 and g S 0 are real numbers. For this method, we use a single computational cell. The resulting system of algebraic equations is solved by three step split method. The new method is demonstrated by a suitable numerical example.
Soft tissue and pelvic dystocia.

This article has considered the subject of bony pelvic dystocia and soft tissue dystocia. Dystocia most often results from a combination of fetal and pelvic factors. However, on many occasions the size and shape of the pelvis is the initial problem, which encourages the fetus to take up a malposition such as occiput-posterior, and this in turn results in a dysfunctional contraction pattern that may or may not be corrected by oxytocin augmentation--a vicious circle that can only be broken by performance of a cesarean section. With minor degrees of pelvic dystocia, asynclitism and molding of the fetal head can often make a safe vaginal delivery possible. Clinically all pelvises can be categorized into adequate, questionable, and too small. The latter group is the least common and generally includes the congenitally or developmentally abnormal pelvises, and in most cases primary cesarean section should be the mode of delivery. In all other pelvises with a vertex presentation, a trial of labor is indicated because the fetal head is an excellent pelvimeter. With proper fetal monitoring with an intrauterine pressure catheter, with the use of a partograph to assist in the diagnosis of an active-phase arrest, followed by a cesarean section at the appropriate time, there is no increase in fetal or maternal morbidity. If the breech is the presenting part, then there are only two types of pelvis--very adequate and inadequate--and x-ray pelvimetry should be used to help in the classification. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evolution of the hip and pelvis

Man's evolution features two unique developments: growing a huge brain and upright gait. Their combination makes the pelvis the most defining skeletal element to read human evolution. Recent revival in joint preserving hip surgery have brought to attention morphological variations of the human hip that appear similar to hips of extant mammals. In man, such variations can produce hip osteoarthrosis through motion. We reviewed the evolution of the hip and pelvis with special interest in morphology that can lead to motion induced osteoarthrosis in man. The combination of giving birth to big brained babies and walking upright has produced marked differences between the sexes in pelvis and hip morphology, each having their characteristic mode of hip impingement and osteoarthrosis.
End-of-Life Practices in a Tertiary Intensive Care Unit in Saudi Arabia

Our aim was to evaluate end-of-life practices in a tertiary intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia. A prospective observational study was conducted in the medical-surgical intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over the course of the one-year study period, 176 patients died and 77% of these deaths were preceded by end-of-life decisions. Of these, 66% made do-not-resuscitate decisions, 30% decided to withhold life support and 4% withdrew life support. These decisions were made after a median time of four days (Q1 to Q3: 1 to 9) and at least one day before death (Q1 to Q3: 1 to 4). The patients’ families or surrogates were informed for 88% of the decisions and all decisions were documented in the patients’ medical records. Despite religious and cultural values, more than three-quarters of the patients whose deaths were preceded by end-of-life decisions gave do-not-resuscitate decisions before death. These decisions should be made early in the patients’ stay in the intensive care unit.
Frailty and dementia: Common but complex comorbidities

In this issue of Aging and Mental Health, Bilotta and colleagues examine whether frailty is an independent predictor of mortality in people with Alzheimer’s disease. They used a prospective cohort methodology to follow 109 community dwelling older people over the age of 65, each with a DSMIV diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, mostly at the mild or moderate stages, for a year. Each participant had a comprehensive assessment at baseline including measures of weight, activities of daily living, cognition (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE), co-morbidity and their frailty status. Previous studies have examined the relationship between frailty and cognitive impairment but few have focussed on the clinically important population of older people who may have both frailty and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition this article also highlights many important questions regarding the complex inter-relationship between these two common syndromes.
Zearalenones: characterization of the estrogenic potencies and receptor interactions of a series of fungal beta-resorcylic acid lactones.

This study investigates the direct estrogen receptor interactions and the character of the biological activities of three estrogenic resorcylic acid lactones in the immature rat uterus. These compounds are fungal metabolites (P-1492; zearalenone) or derivatives thereof (P-1496 and P-1560; epimeric zearalanols) that have been associated with estrogenizing syndromes in cattle fed mold-infected grain. The compounds compete with estradiol for binding to the cytoplasmic receptor (P- 1496, 13.6%; P-1492, 1.8%; P-1560, 0.8% that of estradiol), and they translocate estrogen receptor sites to the nucleus, with P- 1496 showing the most prolonged nuclear receptor interaction. The three compounds induce the synthesis of the uterine induced protein (P-1496 > P-1560 > P-1492) and increase uterine weight. Direct binding studies with the most potent compound P-1496, in tritium-labeled form indicates a Kd of 1.8 nM (compared to 0.12 nM for estradiol) for interaction with uterine cytoplasmic receptor. Cytoplasmic receptor .
Management of venous thromboembolism – controversies and the future

Despite the availability of comprehensive evidence‐based guidelines there are difficult and controversial areas in the management of venous thromboembolism. Institutions and even countries disagree on the importance of calf vein thrombosis, with some rigorously detecting and treating it and others deliberately not looking for it. The need to treat proximal deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is accepted but which patients with an unprovoked first event should have long‐term anticoagulation has become a difficult clinical decision. We are uncertain how to reduce the incidence of post‐thrombotic syndrome seen in a substantial number of patients. How hard to look for an undiagnosed underlying cancer has become a contentious issue particularly in the United Kingdom following the recent publication of a guideline from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Whilst we are wrestling with these dilemmas we are entering an era of new anticoagulants and have to solve the logistical problems of introducing them into clinical practice despite cost pressures. These issues will be explored in this review.
Systemic mastocytosis with associated clonal hematologic non-mast cell lineage disease ( SM-AHNMD ) involving chronic myelogenous leukemia with complex cytogenetics : A case report and literature review

Systemic mastocytosis with associated clonal hematologic non-mast cell lineage disease (SMAHNMD) is a subtype of systemic mastocytosis (SM) characterized by neoplastic proliferation of mast cells in association with a hematologic neoplasm defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. SM-AHNMD is more commonly associated with myeloid neoplasms such as, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), and occasionally exists with lymphoid neoplasms such as B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and plasma cell dyscrasia. Although SM-AHNMD is more commonly associated with a myeloid malignancy, an association with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is rarely seen. To date, less than a handful of SM-AHNMD associated with CML cases have been reported. We present another case of SM-AHNMD associated with CML and a review of the literature.
Assessment of Indoor-Outdoor Particulate Matter Air Pollution: A Review

Background: Air pollution is a major global environmental risk factor. Since people spend most of their time indoors, the sole measure of outdoor concentrations is not sufficient to assess total exposure to air pollution. Therefore, the arising interest by the international community to indoor-outdoor relationships has led to the development of various techniques for the study of emission and exchange parameters among ambient and non-ambient pollutants. However, a standardised method is still lacking due to the complex release and dispersion of pollutants and the site conditions among studies. Methods: This review attempts to fill this gap to some extent by focusing on the analysis of the variety of site-specific approaches for the assessment of particulate matter in work and life environments. Results: First, the main analogies and differences between indoor and outdoor particles emerging from several studies are briefly described. Commonly-used indicators, sampling methods, and other approaches are compared. Second, recommendations for further studies based on recent results in order to improve the assessment and management of those issues are provided. Conclusions: This review is a step towards a comprehensive understanding of indoor and outdoor exposures which may stimulate the development of innovative tools for further epidemiological and multidisciplinary research.
The search for expiratory obstruction in meat wrappers studied on the job.

We studied the respiratory history questionnaire responses and maximal expiratory flow-volume curves in meat wrappers and control subjects who had worked 12 ± 3 years at their occupation; all subjects regularly cut polyvinyl chloride film with a hot wire and were thus exposed to pyrolysis fumes on the job. One half of the subjects were studied at room temperature, and the rest were studied in a refrigerated work area (2° C). Compared to the control subjects, the wrappers demonstrated a greater prevalence of respiratory complaints and related eye irritation after exposure to fumes. Baseline values for forced vital capacity, forced expired volume in one sec, and expiratory flow at 50 per cent of vital capacity exceeded 70 per cent of predicted values in all but one of 30 wrappers. After one 8-hour shift, forced vital capacity and forced expired volume in one sec remained unchanged (± 10 per cent) in 15 wrappers; maximal flow at 50 per cent of vital capacity decreased by 10 per cent or more in 4 of 15 wrappe.
Two types of tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunoreactive amacrine cell in the rhesus monkey retina

Two types of amacrine cell immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate‐limiting enzyme in the catecholamine (CA)‐synthetic pathway, are described in the rhesus monkey retina with the indirect‐immunofluorescent method. These 2 types of neuron differ in soma size, plane of arborization in the inner plexiform layer, levels of the enzyme TH as quantified by microspectrofluorometry, and population density. Type 1 CA cells have comparatively large cell bodies almost exclusively in the innermost row of the inner nuclear layer; their processes arborize in the outermost stratum of the inner plexiform layer; they give rise to fine predominantly radially oriented fibers in the inner nuclear layer; and there are about 26 type 1 CA cells/mm2. Type 2 CA amacrine cells have relatively small cell bodies located in the inner nuclear layer (44.4%), the inner plexiform layer (35.6%) and the ganglion cell layer (20 %), and their processes arborize in the center of the inner plexiform layer. Although type 2 CA amacrine cells are more numerous (35 cells/mm2) than type 1 CA cells, type 1 CA amacrine cells are 3.5 X brighter than type 2 CA cells and therefore likely to contain 3.5 X more TH. Thus the primate retina contains 2 distinct catecholaminergic neuronal pathways that could have different functional roles in vision.
Post‐transcriptional regulation of albumin gene expression in Xenopus liver.

To clarify on what level of gene expression estrogen represses albumin synthesis in Xenopus hepatocytes, we have analyzed nuclear RNAs and the transcriptional rates in isolated nuclei. Since in nuclear RNA the quantity of albumin mRNA and its precursors does not change and the transcription remains constant during estrogen treatment, we conclude that a posttranscriptional control, possibly involving destabilization of cytoplasmic mRNA, is responsible for the repression of albumin synthesis by estrogen. This post‐transcriptional control is in contrast to the well‐known transcriptional induction of vitellogenin gene activity. The results can be reproduced in liver cube cultures thereby establishing that estrogen interferes directly with hepatic albumin synthesis. In these liver cube cultures albumin mRNA levels are reduced compared with the liver used to set up the culture whereas the transcription of the albumin genes is not influenced. This reveals another post‐transcriptional control of hepatic albumin synthesis.
Rab GTPases act in sequential steps to regulate phagolysosome formation

During apoptosis, apoptotic cells are recognized and quickly engulfed by phagocytes. The internalized cell corpses are enclosed within membrane-bound vesicles called phagosomes. Cell corpse degradation depends on the phagosomes undergoing a maturation process, but regulation of phagosomal maturation is not well understood. Recently, we identified C. elegans Rab GTPase 14 as a novel regulator of apoptotic cell degradation. Loss of rab-14 function affects several steps of phagosome maturation, causing accumulation of persistent cell corpses. RAB-14 and UNC-108 (Rab GTPase 2) function redundantly to regulate phagosome maturation. Three Rabs, RAB-14, UNC-108/RAB2, and RAB-7, act cooperatively to control phagolysosome formation. RAB-14 and UNC-108 recruit lysosomes, while RAB-7 mediates fusion of lysosomes to phagosomes. Our data thus reveal the sequential action of Rab GTPases in regulating tethering, docking and fusion of lysosomes to phagosomes.
Unconventional Secretion is a Major Contributor of Cancer Cell Line Secretomes*

A challenge in achieving optimal management of cancer is the discovery of secreted biomarkers that represent useful surrogates for the disease and could be measured noninvasively. Because of the problems encountered in the proteomic interrogation of plasma, secretomes have been proposed as an alternative source of tumor markers that might be enriched with secreted proteins relevant to the disease. However, secretome analysis faces analytical challenges that interfere with the search for true secreted tumor biomarkers. Here, we have addressed two of the main challenges of secretome analysis in comparative discovery proteomics. First, we carried out a kinetics experiment whereby secretomes and lysates of tumor cells were analyzed to monitor cellular viability during secretome production. Interestingly, the proteomic signal of a group of secreted proteins correlated well with the apoptosis induced by serum starvation and could be used as an internal cell viability marker. We then addressed a second challenge relating to contamination of serum proteins in secretomes caused by the required use of serum for tumor cell culture. The comparative proteomic analysis between cell lines labeled with SILAC showed a number of false positives coming from serum and that several proteins are both in serum and being secreted from tumor cells. A thorough study of secretome methodology revealed that under optimized experimental conditions there is a substantial fraction of proteins secreted through unconventional secretion in secretomes. Finally, we showed that some of the nuclear proteins detected in secretomes change their cellular localization in breast tumors, explaining their presence in secretomes and suggesting that tumor cells use unconventional secretion during tumorigenesis. The unconventional secretion of proteins into the extracellular space exposes a new layer of genome post-translational regulation and reveals an untapped source of potential tumor biomarkers and drug targets.
Stroke rehabilitation at home before and after discharge reduced disability and improved quality of life: a randomised controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate if home-based rehabilitation of inpatients improved outcome compared to standard care. Design: Interventional, randomised, safety/efficacy open-label trial. Setting: University hospital stroke unit in collaboration with three municipalities. Subjects: Seventy-one eligible stroke patients (41 women) with focal neurological deficits hospitalised in a stroke unit for more than three days and in need of rehabilitation. Interventions: Thirty-eight patients were randomised to home-based rehabilitation during hospitalization and for up to four weeks after discharge to replace part of usual treatment and rehabilitation services. Thirty-three control patients received treatment and rehabilitation following usual guidelines for the treatment of stroke patients. Main measures: Ninety days post-stroke the modified Rankin Scale score was the primary endpoint. Other outcome measures were the modified Barthel-100 Index, Motor Assessment Scale, CT-50 Cognitive Test, EuroQol-5D™, Body Mass Index and treatment-associated economy. Results: Thirty-one intervention and 30 control patients completed the study. Patients in the intervention group achieved better modified Rankin Scale score (Intervention median = 2, IQR = 2-3; Control median = 3, IQR = 2–4; P=0.04). EuroQol-5D™ quality of life median scores were improved in intervention patients (Intervention median = 0.77, IQR = 0.66–0.79; Control median = 0.66, IQR = 0.56 – 0.72; P=0.03). The total amount of home-based training in minutes highly correlated with mRS, Barthel, Motor Assessment Scale and EuroQol-5D™ scores (P-values ranging from P<0.00001 to P=0.01). Economical estimations of intervention costs were lower than total costs of standard treatment. Conclusion: Early home-based rehabilitation reduced disability and increased quality of life. Compared to standard care, home-based stroke rehabilitation was more cost-effective.
Spider monkey sleeping sites: Use and availability

The behavior of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at sleeping sites and the characteristics of these sites were studied in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. The spider monkeys tended to congregate just prior to dusk at a number of sleeping sites which were repeatedly used (81.6%), but occasionally they slept in trees which were only used once (18.4%). All of the regularly used sleeping trees were not used concurrently, but rather, there was a rotation between sites. In general, males were not encountered at regularly used sleeping sites as often as other age/sex classes, and when they were in all male subgroups, they did not sleep in repeatedly used sites. The trees used as regular sleeping sites tended to be large, but such trees were common in the group's home range. The size of the subgroups attending repeatedly used sleeping trees was large when food was abundant and small when food was scarce. It is suggested that this relationship reflects that the costs of travelling to the sleeping site would be more easily recovered when food was abundant than when food was scarce.