Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Expression of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor by Serum-stimulated Fibroblasts, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Cardiac Myocytes

Summary Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) plays an important role in regulating tissue factor (TF)-initiated blood coagulation. Since serum stimulation of fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes in culture increases the expression of TF mRNA and antigen (Ag) in these cells, we hypothesized that serum may also induce increased synthesis of TFPI in these cells to regulate the TF-induced extravascular clotting at an injury site. To test this concept, we used primary isolates of the following human cell types – fetal and adult lung fibroblasts, pulmonary and aortic smooth muscle cells, and cardiac myocytes. Serum-stimulation of these cells resulted in an increased expression of TF mRNA and Ag (8 to10-fold). Upon serum stimulation, expression of TFPI mRNA and Ag was also increased in these cells. However, the increase in TFPI-Ag (6 to 8-fold) was significantly greater than the TFPI mRNA (2 to 3-fold). Notably, increased expression of TFPI persisted after the TF expression had declined. Further, increased synthesis of TFPI initially led to the saturation of heparin-releasable binding sites. TFPI-Ag was detected by Western blotting, 35S-metabolic labeling and activity assays on the conditioned media, heparin-released material from cells, and in cell lysates. TFPI-Ag was also detected by immunofluorescence staining of cells. Actinomycin D partially whereas cycloheximide completely prevented the serum-induced increased expression of TFPI synthesis by these cells, suggesting control primarily at the translational but some at the transcriptional level as well. The Mr of undegraded TFPI in all cases was ~45 kDa and was of full length. TFPI synthesized locally by fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes could play a significant role in regulating TF-initiated extravascular clotting especially since plasma TFPI that may be available at the injury site lacks a portion of the carboxyl segment and is a less efficient inhibitor.
Adenovirus type 8 keratoconjunctivitis – an outbreak and its treatment with topical human fibroblast interferon

SUMMARY An outbreak of keratoconjunctivitis is described which involved at least 186 people; adenovirus type 8 was identified in 50 of the cases. Topical human fibroblast interferon was assessed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which 34 patients participated. Seventeen of the 34 trial patients yielded adenovirus type 8; three were infected with adenovirus type 7. The outbreak was curtailed by control of infection measures: principally careful hand-washing by medical personnel between cases and by discouraging attendance of new cases at the Eye Infirmary. Consequently the trial numbers are small. In addition there was a wide interpatient variation in the severity of infection. Therefore it was not possible to make any statistically valid conclusions concerning the recovery rate of patients receiving interferon or placebo.
Poorest countries experience earlier anthropogenic emergence of daily temperature extremes

Understanding how the emergence of the anthropogenic warming signal from the noise of internal variability translates to changes in extreme event occurrence is of crucial societal importance. By utilising simulations of cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and temperature changes from eleven earth system models, we demonstrate that the inherently lower internal variability found at tropical latitudes results in large increases in the frequency of extreme daily temperatures (exceedances of the 99.9th percentile derived from pre-industrial climate simulations) occurring much earlier than for mid-to-high latitude regions. Most of the world’s poorest people live at low latitudes, when considering 2010 GDP-PPP per capita; conversely the wealthiest population quintile disproportionately inhabit more variable mid-latitude climates. Consequently, the fraction of the global population in the lowest socio-economic quintile is exposed to substantially more frequent daily temperature extremes after much lower increases in both mean global warming and cumulative CO2 emissions.
Mean Platelet Volume as an Inflammatory Indicator in Behçet Disease

We read with interest the letter by Erayman and Sen regarding our article entitled ‘‘Mean Platelet Volume in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis and Behcet Disease. ’’ Behcet disease (BD) is a chronic, multisystemic, inflammatory process with the clinical features of mucocutaneous lesions as well as ocular, vascular, articular, gastrointestinal, neurologic, urogenital, pulmonary, and cardiac involvement. Vascular involvement is an important part of BD complications. We speculated that mean platelet volume (MPV) in BD is related to vascular involvement. Furthermore, we agree that MPV is a widely used marker associated with platelet function based on inflammatory conditions. The MPV also represents platelet function, which is central to processes that are involved in coronary heart disease pathophysiology and endothelial dysfunction. The MPV might be influenced by coronary risk factors including age, obesity, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Some other recent studies have reported that an elevated MPV is linked with peripheral artery disease and stroke, all of which are related to atherosclerosis on the basis of inflammation. Additionally, some inflammatory indicators such as carotid intima–media thickness is widely accepted as a surrogate marker for atherosclerotic disease. Also, arterial stiffness indicates the viscoelastic properties of the vessel wall. It represents vascular damage and is a measure of the degree of atherosclerosis. The inflammatory markers have been shown to reflect atherosclerosis severity and cardiovascular events. In conclusion, we believe that these markers should be evaluated in patients with BD in future studies. References
Micelle Maker: An Online Tool for Generating Equilibrated Micelles as Direct Input for Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Micelles play an important role in both experimental and computational studies of the effect of lipid interactions on biological systems. The spherical geometry and the dynamical behavior of micelles makes generating micelle structures for use in molecular simulations challenging. An easy tool for generating simulation-ready micelle models, covering a broad range of lipids, is highly desirable. Here, we present a new Web server, Micelle Maker, which can provide equilibrated micelle models as a direct input for subsequent molecular dynamics simulations from a broad range of lipids (currently 25 lipid types, including 24 glycolipids). The Web server, which is available at http://www.micellemaker. net, uses error checking routines to prevent clashes during the initial placement of the lipids and uses AMBER’s GLYCAM library for generating minimized or equilibrated micelle models, but the resulting structures can be used as starting points for simulations with any force field or simulation package. Extensive validation simulations with an overall simulation time of 12 μs using eight micelle models where assembly information is available show that all of the micelles remain very stable over the whole simulation time. Finally, we discuss the advantages of Micelle Maker relative to other approaches in the field.
Induction of increased levels of proteoglycan fragments in synovial fluid (SF) and increased levels of stromelysin in cartilage, synovium and SF by intraarticular injection of canine monocyte conditioned medium into dogs.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of the intraarticular injection of canine monocyte conditioned medium (cMCM) into dogs on proteoglycan fragment and stromelysin levels in the joint. METHODS cMCM was injected intraarticularly into dogs, and the levels of proteoglycan fragments in synovial fluid (SF) as well as stromelysin levels in cartilage, synovium, and SF were assessed after 12 h. RESULTS There was a 4-fold increase of proteoglycan fragment levels and a 6-fold increase in stromelysin levels in SF, and a 4.4-fold increase in stromelysin levels in cartilage extracts. Elevated mRNA levels were detected in both synovium and cartilage. By immunofluorescence staining, stromelysin was localized in chondrocytes throughout the cartilage and in synovial cells. CONCLUSION Intraarticular injection of cMCM stimulated the expression of stromelysin mRNA and protein in cartilage and synovium and caused marked increases in stromelysin protein and proteoglycan fragment levels in SF.
Biological Effects and Adaptive Response from Single and Repeated Computed Tomography Scans in Reticulocytes and Bone Marrow of C57BL/6 Mice

This study investigated the biological effects and adaptive responses induced by single and repeated in vivo computed tomography (CT) scans. We postulated that, through the induction of low-level oxidative stress, repeated low-dose CT scans (20 mGy, 2 days/week, 10 weeks) could protect mice (C57BL/6) from acute effects of high-dose radiation (1 Gy, 2 Gy). The micronucleated reticulocyte (MN-RET) count increased linearly after exposure to single CT scans of doses ranging from 20 to 80 mGy (P = 0.033). Ten weeks of repeated CT scans (total dose 400 mGy) produced a slight reduction in spontaneous MN-RET levels relative to levels in sham CT-scanned mice (P = 0.04). Decreases of nearly 10% in γ-H2AX fluorescence levels were observed in the repeated CT-scanned mice after an in vitro challenge dose of 1 Gy (P = 0.017) and 2 Gy (P = 0.026). Spontaneous apoptosis levels (caspase 3 and 7 activation) were also significantly lower in the repeated CT-scanned mice than the sham CT-scanned mice (P < 0.01). In contrast, mice receiving only a single CT scan showed a 19% elevation in apoptosis (P < 0.02) and a 10% increase in γ-H2AX fluorescence levels after a 2-Gy challenge (P < 0.05) relative to sham CT controls. Overall, repeated CT scans seemed to confer resistance to larger doses in mice, whereas mice exposed to single CT scans exhibited transient genotoxicity, enhanced apoptosis, and characteristics of radiation sensitization.
Medical students' experience in practical skills is far from stakeholders' expectations

This study compares medical graduates' experience in practical skills with a range of stakeholders' expectations. A questionnaire listing 58 practical skills was sent out to a group of graduating medical students. The medical students were asked to indicate their experience in each skill during medical school. A similar questionnaire was sent out to five groups of stakeholders asking for their expectations regarding graduates' experience. The stakeholders were: faculty members; consultants at clinical departments with interns in training; general practitioners; nurses; recently graduated junior doctors. A total of 472 questionnaires were sent out and 315 (67%) were returned. Medical graduates showed substantial variation in level of experience, and their experience was substantially lower than the expectations of the stakeholders. Nurses and junior doctors tended to have higher expectations compared with faculty members and consultants. Differences between our results and reports in the literature from elsewhere emphasize the importance of performing local needs assessments, and in this process stakeholders apart from faculty members should be involved.
Decompressive Surgery for Typical Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Between 1991 and 1992, 103 consecutive patients (average age, 65 years) underwent decompressive surgery for treatment of typical lumbar spinal stenosis. Clinical results at 1-year followup revealed that four patients had revision surgery. At 2-to 5-years followup, there were no additional revision surgeries. Two patients underwent revision surgery for a deep infection, and two underwent revision surgery for a superficial infection. Outcome results showed that 77 patients completed the questionnaire, 15 were lost to followup and 11 died. Postoperative results showed that 64 of 77 patients had no or mild pain, 72 of 77 patients stated that they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their overall results of surgery, and 73 of 77 were satisfied with pain relief. Younger patients had greater improvement in function and a greater reduction in severity scores. However, satisfaction was similar in both groups. Survivorship results (failure was revision surgery) showed at the end of 4 years, a patient had a 95% chance of not having revision surgery. Statistically, there was no association between outcome and cofactors such as scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, number of levels decompressed, discectomy, or smoking. Satisfaction rates for older patients were similar to patients younger than 65 years although physical function scores and severity scores were less.
5‐HT 1A and 2A receptor positive cells in the cerebella of mice and human and their decline during aging

This study evaluated the 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptor positive cells in the cerebella of mice and human by immunocytochemistry. Mice were of ages 1, 3, and 12 months whereas the human subjects were divided into two groups, a younger 57–78 years old group and an older 82–91 years old group. Both 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptor positive cells were observed in the molecular and granular layers of the cerebella of mice and human. Although there was a decline in these positive cells during aging, no regional difference in the positive cells were observed in the anterior, middle, and posterior regions of the cerebella. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of Manual Lymph Drainage on the Course of Serum Levels of Muscle Enzymes After Treadmill Exercise

Schillinger A, Koenig D, Haefele C, Vogt S, Heinrich L, Aust A, Birnesser H, Schmid A: Effect of manual lymph drainage on the course of serum levels of muscle enzymes after treadmill exercise. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2006;85:516–520. Objective:Improving muscular recovery after exercise is an important topic in sports medicine. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of manual lymph drainage on the course of serum levels of muscle enzymes after an extended treadmill exercise. Design:Fourteen recreational athletes (seven women, seven men) were included in the study. The participants underwent a graded exercise test on a treadmill ergometer to determine the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT). Seven days after the graded exercise test, all subjects performed 30 mins of treadmill exercise at an intensity equivalent to IAT. The subjects were randomized into two groups of seven persons. One group was treated with manual lymph drainage (ML), whereas the control group (CG) received no treatment after the endurance exercise at IAT level. Results:After an increase immediately after exercise, a fast decrease in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentration was observed, with significantly lower values for LDH after 48 hrs in the subjects having received lymph drainage treatment. The course of creatine kinase (CK) levels was comparable, but did not reach significance. Conclusion:Manual lymph drainage after treadmill exercise was associated with a faster decrease in serum levels of muscle enzymes. This may indicate improved regenerative processes related to structural damage of muscle cell integrity.
Evaluating the predictive value of doublecortin as a marker for adult neurogenesis in canaries (Serinus canaria)

Doublecortin (DCX) is an important microtubule‐associated protein involved in the migration of young neurons into the cortical layers of the brain during early human development. The continued expression of DCX in brain areas with protracted neuron recruitment has promoted this endogenous protein as a popular indirect tool to monitor adult neurogenesis in a variety of species. However, little is known about its possible involvement in other cellular processes and a thorough validation of DCX as a quantitative measure for neurogenesis is generally lacking. Here we investigated the relationship between DCX expression and neuron recruitment in the brains of adult canaries (Serinus canaria), a species well‐known for its adult neurogenesis. We examined the age and functional state of DCX‐labeled cells by using mitotic and neuron‐specific markers, retrograde tracings, and immediate early gene colocalizations. Although DCX expression was high in brain areas implicated in adult neurogenesis, DCX‐expressing neurons were also abundant in regions that do not recruit new neurons. Moreover, DCX expression was observed in adult, active neurons, differentiated projection neurons, and birth‐dated neurons of up to 1 year of age. Season and testosterone treatment affected DCX expression in two song control nuclei, HVC and Area X, but did not correlate with known patterns of neuron recruitment. Together, these results demonstrate that DCX expression is not exclusive to young migrating neurons, and does not predict neuron recruitment equally throughout the canary brain. Therefore, DCX labeling needs careful validation for each brain region separately in each species analyzed when used to quantify adult neurogenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:1299–1315, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
"Tall oil"-derived phytosterols reduce atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice.

We investigated the effects of a "tall oil"-derived phytosterol mixture (TODPM) on the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-deficient mice. TODPM was added at 2% (wt/wt) to the chow of nine mice; the control group had six animals. The diet of all animals contained 9% (wt/wt) fat and 0.15% (wt/wt) cholesterol. After 4 weeks, plasma total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the TODPM-treated mice (26.6 versus 42.0 mmol/L, P < .0001). The mean body weight of the TODPM-supplemented group was significantly higher at week 5 and throughout the study (29.4 versus 27.7 g, P < .05). The experiment was terminated at 18 weeks. Histological examination showed mature atherosclerotic lesions composed of foam cells underlying the endothelium, a mosaic of extracellular glycosaminoglycans, numerous apparently proliferative smooth muscle cells, and foci of cholesterol clefts in the control animals. By contrast, the TODPM-treated mice showed only early lesions containing mainly superficial foam cells. As assessed by morphometry, the lesion area in the aortic sinuses of TODPM-treated animals was less than half that of control animals (P < .0001). This reduced lesion area was accompanied by a substantial reduction in all lesional components, reflecting a delay in progression of atheromatous changes. A strong positive correlation (r = .69, P < .01) was found between plasma total cholesterol levels and lesion area in the aortic sinuses. TODPM also prevented the occurrence of xanthomatosis. We conclude that supplementation of a cholesterol-enriched diet with TODPM significantly lowers plasma cholesterol and retards development of atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice, suggesting a therapeutic potential for the mixture of phytosterols studied.
Ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in male wistar rats: Effects of aqueous leaf extract of Ocimum gratissimum

Ocimum gratissimum leaf is commonly consumed as a spice and sometimes used in folklore medicine in Nigeria and other parts of the world. It has been reported to be rich in natural antioxidants such as flavonoids. The present study sought to evaluate the protective effects of its orally administered aqueous extract (0.2g/kg bwt/day and 0.4g/kg bwt/day for 35 days) on ethanol–induced oxidative stress in male wistar rats. The activities of ALT, AST, GGT and ALP in the serum and liver homogenate were determined. The activities of GST, CAT and SOD as well as the concentrations of MDA and reduced GSH formed due to oxidative stress were also evaluated. Relative to the control group, treatment with ethanol significantly (P<0.05) raised the serum activities of ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and simultaneously lowered the hepatic activities of these enzymes. The level of MDA and GST in the liver were also significantly increased while SOD and CAT activities as well as reduced GSH concentration were markedly (P<0.05) decreased following administration of ethanol. However, the extract especially at a dose of 0.4g/kg of body weight significantly reversed the activity/concentration (near normal) of the analyzed enzymes and molecules. The data of the study suggest that the investigated extract protected the rats against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity.
Mortality from neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

The authors assess the mortality from the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) based on an exhaustive review of 202 published case reports, including a differential assessment of risk factors and protective factors. The results indicate a significant (p less than .05) decrease in mortality since 1984 (11.6% vs. 25% before 1984), which occurs independently of the therapeutic use of dopamine agonists and dantrolene. A significantly (p less than .001) lower rate of mortality from haloperidol-induced NMS (7%) and a high rate of mortality (38.5%) among patients with organic brain syndrome were also found. Myoglobinemia and renal failure are strong predictors of mortality, representing a mortality risk of approximately 50%. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.
BODIPY‐Cholesterol: A New Tool to Visualize Sterol Trafficking in Living Cells and Organisms

Analysis of sterol distribution and transport in living cells has been hampered by the lack of bright, photostable fluorescent sterol derivatives that closely resemble cholesterol. In this study, we employed atomistic simulations and experiments to characterize a cholesterol compound with fluorescent boron dipyrromethene difluoride linked to sterol carbon‐24 (BODIPY‐cholesterol). This probe packed in the membrane and behaved similarly to cholesterol both in normal and in cholesterol‐storage disease cells and with trace amounts allowed the visualization of sterol movement in living systems. Upon injection into the yolk sac, BODIPY‐cholesterol did not disturb zebrafish development and was targeted to sterol‐enriched brain regions in live fish. We conclude that this new probe closely mimics the membrane partitioning and trafficking of cholesterol and, because of its excellent fluorescent properties, enables the direct monitoring of sterol movement by time‐lapse imaging using trace amounts of the probe. This is, to our knowledge, the first cholesterol probe that fulfills these prerequisites.
Exploring the Factors Influencing E-Learning of Turkish EFL Learners through TAM.

The purpose of this study was to understand the attitude of Turkish EFL learners towards technology and to determine the factors influencing the academic achievement of the learners while using technology. Survey method was used to collect data about technology acceptance of the Turkish Foreign Language Learners. This research was conducted at a state-run university in 2012-2013 academic year and subjects were 231 male and 279 female e-language learners from the Vocational Higher School taking up English course through e-learning. According to the results of the research, some of the TAM factors had effects on the academic achievement of the e-learners. It was revealed that while anxiety towards e-learning had a negative effect on academic achievement; perceived ease of use, attitude, satisfaction and self-efficacy had a positive effect on the academic achievement of e-learners. These findings indicated that Turkish EFL learners had a positive attitude towards technology in education.