Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A study of cognitive functions in female elderly patients with osteoporosis: a multi-center cross-sectional study

Objectives: To investigate changes of cognitive performances in female elderly patients with osteoporosis and to determine whether any impairments can be attributed to dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 277 postmenopausal women, who were divided into an osteoporosis patients group (n = 170) and an age, gender and educational history matching control group (n = 107). All the subjects completed a set of neuropsychological tests for the elderly for cognitive assessment, which included measures of executive function, episodic memory, attention and processing speed, semantic memory, and visuospatial construction. Blood biomarkers for osteoporosis, as well as diurnal rhythms of cortisol levels were used as cognitive performance correlation parameters in linear multivariate regression analyses. Results: Individuals with osteoporosis had poorer cognitive scores (P < 0.001). When dividing the osteoporosis patients according to their Mini-Mental State Examination scores into mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal cognitive (NC) performance groups, Auditory Verbal Learning trial 1–5 scores were lower (P = 0.006) and Trail Making Test-A scores were higher (P = 0.05) in the MCI compared to the NC group. Further comparison of the MCI and NC groups revealed that declarative memory was inversely associated with cortisol levels (P < 0.001), but this association became marginal when 25-hydroxy vitamin D was included in the linear multivariate regression analyses (P = 0.06). Conclusions: Patients with osteoporosis are prone to cognitive impairments especially declarative memory deficits. The cognitive impairment may be the result of HPA axis dysregulation but 25-hydroxy vitamin D serum concentrations might be compensatory or even a potent contributing factor.
Peritoneal and Systemic Inflammation: The Benefits of Using Biocompatible Peritoneal Dialysis Fluids

28 When peritoneal dialysis (PD) was extended to the treatment of end-stage renal disease, it could be used only for a short period, since the main complication was the risk of peritoneal inflammation. Improvement in delivery systems has since reduced the overall rate of infection, and the number of patients that have been continuously treated by PD for more than 5 years has markedly increased. Sclerotic syndromes and peritoneal membrane failure are the most common complications currently observed in long-term PD patients. Exposure to conventional PD fluids (PDFs) with poor biocompatibility may result in a type of “chemical peritonitis” in response to a low level of “biotolerance. ” Peritoneal fibroblasts, mesothelial cells, and, in particular, endothelial cells act as a filtration barrier but also have an effect on intraperitoneal inflammation, as also do leukocytes and macrophages. The direct toxicity of PDFs on peritoneal cells has been suggested as being one of the major factors implicated in the loss of peritoneal membrane integrity, thereby leading to ultrafiltration failure. In addition to their negative peritoneal effects, conventional PDFs have also been reported as having deleterious systemic effects due to the diffusion of dextrose-derived compounds from the peritoneal cavity into the systemic circulation. In order to improve the biocompatibility of PDF by increasing glucose stability during heat sterilization, new dextrose–bicarbonate/lactate solutions have been developed in the form of a doublechambered bag system. Dextrose (pH 3) is contained in one of the chambers to reduce its degradation and oxidation when exposed to high temperatures. In this issue of Peritoneal Dialysis International, Pajek et al. have compared in a randomized controlled trial the short-term effects of a new dextrose–bicarbonate/lactate solution with that of a conventional PDF on peritoneal and systemic inflammation (1). These authors demonstrated that expression of the makers of macrophage inflammatory activation, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and CD14, in effluent was comparable when patients were treated with either the new dextrose–bicarbonate/lactate preparation or conventional PDF. Compared to conventional PDF exposure, a higher expression of HLA-DR was observed in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) when they were exposed to PERITONEAL AND SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION: THE BENEFITS OF USING BIOCOMPATIBLE PERITONEAL DIALYSIS FLUIDS
Long-term effect of body weight-supported treadmill training in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is of long-term benefit for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTING Inpatient rehabilitation unit for neurologic diseases in Japan. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-four patients (Hoehn and Yahr stages 2.5 or 3) who were not demented (Mini-Mental State Examination score, >27). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive either a 45-minute session of BWSTT (up to 20% of body weight supported) or conventional physical therapy (PT) for 3 days a week for 1 month. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Outcome measures were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Measures included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), ambulation speed (s/10 m), and number of steps taken for a 10-m walk as a parameter for stride length. RESULTS Four patients needed modification of medications in the follow-up period. Twenty patients (BWSTT, n=11; PT, n=9) without modified medications were analyzed for functional outcome. Age, duration of PD, gender, and doses of medications were comparable. There was no difference in the baseline UPDRS (BWSTT=33.3; PT=32.6), speed (BWSTT=10.8; PT=11.5), and steps (BWSTT=23.4; PT=22.8). The BWSTT group had significantly greater improvement than the PT group (Mann-Whitney U test, Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparison) in ambulation speed at 1 month (BWSTT=8.5; PT=10.8; P<.005); and in the number of steps at 1 (BWSTT=20.0; PT=22.7; P<.005), 2 (BWSTT=19.5; PT=22.4; P<.005), 3 (BWSTT=20.1; PT=23.1; P<.005), and 4 months (BWSTT=21.0; PT=23.0; P=.006). CONCLUSIONS BWSTT has a lasting effect specifically on short-step gait in PD.
The effects of sex ratio on sexual competition in the European lobster

During the breeding season an individual's access to mates may be affected by operational sex ratios, causing strong variation in mating success. We manipulated adult sex ratios of the European lobster, Homarus gammarus, to test the predictions of models that relate sexual competition to (1) the sex ratio, (2) the time that an individual is not available to mate and (3) 'collateral investment', whereby two males contribute to a single clutch. The model predictions proved to be relatively insensitive to collateral investment. Male-male competition predominated in the male-biased but not in the female-biased sex ratio. This matches the predictions of one model that incorporates an extended period of female receptivity because the time that a male was unavailable to mate was small compared to the time spent by females in cohabitation and parental care. Although females increased their competitiveness when males were in the minority, male competition remained high. The insensitivity of male-male competition to sex ratios may be due to an upper limit to the costs that males can afford when there is a serious risk of injury, preventing males from increasing their aggression when females are in short supply. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Identification of p58IPK as a novel neuroprotective factor for retinal neurons.

PURPOSE Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident chaperone protein p58(IPK) plays a vital role in regulation of protein folding and biosynthesis. The goal of this study was to examine the role of p58(IPK) in retinal neuronal cells under normal and stressed conditions. METHODS Retinal expression of p58(IPK), retinal morphology, apoptosis, ER stress, and apoptotic gene expression were examined in p58(IPK) knockout (KO) and/or wild-type (WT) mice with or without intravitreal injection of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA). In in vitro experiments, differentiated R28 retinal neuronal cells transduced with adenovirus encoding p58(IPK) (Ad-p58(IPK)) or control virus (Ad-LacZ) were exposed to tunicamycin (TM) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Levels of ER stress, apoptosis, and cell survival were evaluated. RESULTS Chaperone protein p58(IPK) is expressed predominantly in retinal ganglion cells (RGC), inner retinal neurons, and the photoreceptor inner segments. Mice lacking p58(IPK) exhibited increased CHOP expression and loss of RGCs with aging (8-10 months). Intravitreal injection of NMDA induced retinal ER stress and increased p58(IPK) expression in WT mice; this resulted in greater ER stress and enhanced RGC apoptosis in p58(IPK) KO mice. In cultured R28 cells, overexpression of p58(IPK) significantly reduced eIF2α phosphorylation, decreased CHOP expression, and alleviated the activation of caspase-3 and PARP. Overexpression of p58(IPK) also protected against oxidative and ER stress-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, p58(IPK) downregulated the proapoptotic gene Bax and upregulated the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 expression in stressed R28 cells. CONCLUSIONS Our study has demonstrated a protective role of p58(IPK) in retinal neurons, which may act in part through a mechanism involving modulation of ER homeostasis and apoptosis, particularly under conditions of cellular stresses.
Influence of mechanical trauma of blood and hemolysis on PFA-100 testing

Although the appropriate quality of samples is essential for platelet function testing, information is lacking on interference from mechanical trauma of blood and hemolysis on PFA-100 analyzer. Citrated blood collected from nine healthy volunteers was divided into three aliquots. The first aliquot (‘A’) was processed without further manipulation, whereas the second and third were subjected to mechanical trauma by two (‘aliquot B’) or four passages (‘aliquot C’) through a very fine needle (30 gauge) to produce hemolysis and cell trauma mimicking poor sample collection. Samples were tested on PFA-100 and Advia 2120, and plasma then separated and tested for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and hemolysis index. Negligible hemolysis was present in aliquot A (hemolysis index 0.2 ± 0.1, cell-free hemoglobin 0–0.5 g/l), whereas an increasing amount was present in aliquots B (hemolysis index of 13.1 ± 1.8, cell-free hemoglobin 6.0–6.5 g/l) and C (hemolysis index 24.0 ± 1.1, cell-free hemoglobin 11.5–12.0 g/l). Increases in LDH, and concomitant reductions in platelet and red blood cell counts were observed in aliquots B and C. In hemolyzed aliquots B, four out of nine samples yielded ‘flow obstruction’ with both PFA-100 agonist cartridges, whereas the closure times were dramatically prolonged in the remaining five samples. In hemolyzed aliquots C, flow obstruction was recorded in six of nine samples for collagen and ADP and all samples for collagen and epinephrine, whereas closure times of collagen and ADP in the remaining three samples were dramatically prolonged. Mechanical trauma of blood causing hemolysis makes PFA-100 testing unreliable. When flow obstructions are observed, the potential presence of hemolysis should be investigated.
Oral Health plays a role on Oral Fibrinolytic Activity

Background: In spite of the high incidence of gingivitis and periodontal disease in the hemophiliac population, few are known about the influence of oral health condition as risk factor for bleeding after dental extraction in this patient population. The aim of this report is to use a group of patients under oral anticoagulation as a model of acquired bleeding disorder to show the importance of local fibrinolytic activity in the oral cavity, and propose, based on these data, a safe approach for dental extraction and other dental procedures in hemophilia patients. Patients and methods: Twelve patients were submitted to twenty dental extractions. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of the periodontal microbiota in binding and fibrinogen degradation, which might have a role on oral fibrinlysis. Oral health was measured using Gingival Index and Plaque Index which are based on recording the level of gingival inflammation due the presence of soft debris and/or mineralized deposits on the indexed teeth, respectively. Samples of non-stimulated saliva were collected before and after extraction. Samples of peripheral blood and alveolar blood were collected for fibrinolytic activity analysis, using the Fibrin Plate Method. The results showed a higher fibrinolytic activity on the alveolar blood samples when compared with the peripheral blood (p=0.006) samples. This activity also showed a positive correlation with the oral health indexes (Gingival Index and Plaque Index p<0.05). Salivary fibrinolytic activity showed a significant increase after the tooth extraction. Oral fibrinolytic activity was increased after tooth extraction and it was not related to oral health indexes. Conclusion: The fibrinolytic activity presented on the site of extraction was correlated with the level of gingival inflammation demonstrated by the oral health index of the extracted tooth. The fibrinolytic activity in the surgical site can represent a risk factor for secondary or late bleeding after dental extraction in patient with inherited bleeding disorder.
Selegiline Orally Disintegrating Tablets in Patients With Parkinson Disease and "Wearing Off" Symptoms

Background: Selegiline orally disintegrating tablet (ODT; Zelapar) is a selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitor developed as an adjunct to levodopa (LD) for Parkinson disease. Most patients on long-term LD therapy eventually experience deterioration at the end of the LD dosing interval, with predictable "wearing off" and "on-off" fluctuations. Methods: We conducted a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design trial of selegiline ODT. The primary efficacy point was reduction in the percentage of average daily "off" time. Secondary measures included reductions in daily off hours and total daily off time, Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I), and Patient Global Impression-Improvement (PGI-I). Patients on LD received selegiline ODT (1.25 mg/d for 6 weeks, then 2.5 mg/d for 6 weeks) or placebo. Safety and tolerability were measured. Results: The intent-to-treat population included 98 patients receiving selegiline ODT and 50 patients receiving placebo. Combined efficacy results for weeks 10 and 12 revealed an 11.6% reduction in percentage of daily off time for selegiline ODT versus a 9.8% reduction for placebo (NS). PGI-I detected a statistically significant difference between treatment groups in favor of selegiline ODT (P = 0.02), whereas CGI-I detected a strong trend toward improvement (P = 0.06). Selegiline ODT was safe and well tolerated. Conclusions: This study showed no significant difference in improvement in percentage of off time with selegiline ODT versus placebo. Some clinical impressions (e.g., PGI-I, CGI-I) improved. This result contrasts with an identically designed study that showed a significant improvement in off time with selegiline ODT. A combined analysis of both studies suggested overall efficacy.
Evaluation of the role of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 as a host factor in murine coronavirus discontinuous transcription and genome replication

Viruses with RNA genomes often capture and redirect host cell components to assist in mechanisms particular to RNA-dependent RNA synthesis. The nidoviruses are an order of positive-stranded RNA viruses, comprising coronaviruses and arteriviruses, that employ a unique strategy of discontinuous transcription, producing a series of subgenomic mRNAs linking a 5′ leader to distal portions of the genome. For the prototype coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1 has been shown to be able to bind in vitro to the negative strand of the intergenic sequence, a cis-acting element found in the leader RNA and preceding each downstream ORF in the genome. hnRNP A1 thus has been proposed as a host factor in MHV transcription. To test this hypothesis genetically, we initially constructed MHV mutants with a very high-affinity hnRNP A1 binding site inserted in place of, or adjacent to, an intergenic sequence in the MHV genome. This inserted hnRNP A1 binding site was not able to functionally replace, or enhance transcription from, the intergenic sequence. This finding led us to test more directly the role of hnRNP A1 by analysis of MHV replication and RNA synthesis in a murine cell line that does not express this protein. The cellular absence of hnRNP A1 had no detectable effect on the production of infectious virus, the synthesis of genomic RNA, or the quantity or quality of subgenomic mRNAs. These results strongly suggest that hnRNP A1 is not a required host factor for MHV discontinuous transcription or genome replication.
Safety and Immunogenicity of a High‐Titered Canarypox Vaccine in Combination With rgp120 in a Diverse Population of HIV‐1‐Uninfected Adults: AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Group Protocol 022A

&NA; To test the safety and immunogenicity of a high‐titered preparation of ALVAC‐HIV vCP205 in both high‐risk and low‐risk persons and to evaluate variations in dosing schedule, we conducted a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind trial of this vector in combination with recombinant subunit gp120 in 150 HIV‐1‐seronegative volunteers. The high‐titered ALVAC vaccine was well tolerated; adverse events were minimal and not influenced by dosing. At day 728, the cumulative probability of a cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte (CTL) response was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64%‐89%) among volunteers receiving vaccine, and the net amount attributable to vaccination was 50% (CI: 16%; 74%). The net probability of a repeated positive CTL response by day 728 was 50% (CI: 21%; 64%). There was a significant difference in CTL response at day 182 between volunteers who had received four doses versus three doses of vCP205 (42% vs. 24%, p = .052). The CTL response was similar in high‐risk volunteers and vaccinia‐naive volunteers compared with vacciniaimmune volunteers. Neutralizing antibody responses were detected in 95% of vaccinees at day 287, with higher geometric mean titers in recipients of sequential versus simultaneous dosing of the two vaccines and in vaccinia‐naive volunteers. This hightitered preparation of ALVAC‐HIV vCP205 in combination with gpl20 was safe and immunogenic in a diverse group of HIV‐1‐seronegative volunteers.
GLUCOSE METABOLISM IN PROGRESSIVE NONFLUENT APHASIA WITH AND WITHOUT PARKINSONISM

Progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA) is one of the language variants of frontotemporal dementia.1 Previously, PNFA, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) were regarded as separate disease entities because of their distinctive clinical features and different anatomic involvement: left perisylvian area in PNFA,2 basal ganglia and dorsal midbrain in PSP, and perirolandic area in CBD.3 However, recent studies show that the 3 disorders share tauopathy and clinical features such as language disturbance and parkinsonism in common.4 Furthermore, one disorder even evolves into others along the course of disease progression.5 One of the typical examples of this evolution is that PNFA can develop into CBD or PSP.6 Therefore, we hypothesized that the topography of glucose hypometabolism in patients with PNFA with parkinsonism (PNFA+P) would differ from those without parkinsonism (PNFA-P), even before evolving into PSP or CBD. That is, PNFA+P would have more glucose hypometabolism in the basal ganglia, midbrain, or perirolandic areas that are known to be affected in PSP or CBD. ### Methods. #### Subjects. We retrospectively found a total of 21 patients with PNFA who underwent clinical evaluations, including neuropsychological tests and [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET (FDG-PET) within a 3-month interval at a university-affiliated hospital. All patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for PNFA proposed …
SUBSTRUCTURE WITHIN THE SSA22 PROTOCLUSTER AT z ≈ 3.09

We present the results of a densely sampled spectroscopic survey of the SSA22 protocluster at z ≈ 3.09. Our sample with Keck/LRIS spectroscopy includes 106 Lyα emitters (LAEs) and 40 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z = 3.05–3.12. These galaxies are contained within the 9′ × 9′ region in which the protocluster was discovered, which also hosts the maximum galaxy overdensity in the SSA22 region. The redshift histogram of our spectroscopic sample reveals two distinct peaks, at z = 3.069 (blue; 43 galaxies) and z = 3.095 (red; 103 galaxies). Furthermore, objects in the blue and red peaks are segregated on the sky, with galaxies in the blue peak concentrating toward the western half of the field. These results suggest that the blue and red redshift peaks represent two distinct structures in physical space. Although the double-peaked redshift histogram is traced in the same manner by LBGs and LAEs, and brighter and fainter galaxies, we find that 9 out of 10 X-ray AGNs in SSA22, and all 7 spectroscopically confirmed giant Lyα “blobs,” reside in the red peak. We combine our data set with sparsely sampled spectroscopy from the literature over a significantly wider area, finding preliminary evidence that the double-peaked structure in redshift space extends beyond the region of our dense spectroscopic sampling. In order to fully characterize the three-dimensional structure, dynamics, and evolution of large-scale structure in the SSA22 overdensity, we require the measurement of large samples of LAE and LBG redshifts over a significantly wider area, as well as detailed comparisons with cosmological simulations of massive cluster formation.
Effect of frying process on fatty acid composition and iodine value of selected vegetable oils and their blends

The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of the frying media and storage time on the fatty acid composition (FAC) and iodine value (IV) of deep-fat fried potato chips. The frying experiment was conducted at 180oC for five consecutive days. Six frying media were considered as the main treatments: refined, bleached, deodorized (RBD) palm olein (A), canola oil (C), RBD palm olein/sesame oil (AB, 1:1 w/w), RBD palm olein/canola oil (AC, 1:1, w/w), sesame oil/canola oil (BC, 1:1, w/w), and RBD palm olein/sesame oil/canola oil (ABC, 1:1:1, w/w/w). The initial degrees of unsaturation of the consumed oils, A, C, AB, AC, BC, and ABC, were 58.6, 94.0, 68.0, 72.2, 87.7, and 75.8 (g/100 g), respectively. The fatty acid analysis showed that there was a decrease in both the linolenic acid (C18:3) and linoleic acid (C18:2) contents, whereas the palmitic acid (C16:0) increased with a prolonged frying time. The chemical analysis showed that there was a significant (p < 0.05) difference in terms of the IV for each frying oil during the five consecutive days of frying (day 0 to 5). Oil C had the least stability in terms of deep-fat frying due to a high level of unsaturated fatty acids. Conversely, oil AC had the best stability due to the smallest reduction of the C18:2/C16:0 ratio and the IV.