Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Melatonin on Basal and Gonadotropin-Stimulated Progesterone and Estradiol Secretion of Cultured Human Granulosa Cells and in the Superfused Granulosa Cell System

The aim of this study was to explore the direct action of melatonin (Me) on basal and gonadotropin-stimulated progesterone (PG) and estradiol (E2) secretion of human granulosa cells (GCs) cultured in serum-free medium and in a superfused GC system. Human GCs were isolated from preovulatory follicular fluid aspirated from 34 women undergoing in vitro fertilization at the University Women’s Hospital of Tübingen. PG and E2 production was measured in the presence and absence of Me, propranolol, LH or FSH using radioimmunoassay. Statistical analysis of the data was performed by ANOVA and Newman-Keuls test. Me stimulated E2 secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Propranolol did not cause any change in E2 secretion, and when given with Me, it only partially blocked but could not entirely prevent E2 output. There was no statistically significant effect of Me on PG production when Me was administered at concentrations between 10–4 and 10–8 M. However, at 10–3 M Me significantly suppressed PG output of granulosa cells. LH and FSH significantly stimulated the secretion of both steroid hormones. Me significantly reduced LH- and FSH-induced E2 secretion, as well as LH-stimulated PG output, while it caused only a slight, yet significant decrease in PG secretion. In the superfused GC system, FSH and LH resulted in a significant stimulatory effect on PG release. Me did not modify the stimulatory effect of FSH on PG, while it caused some delay in LH-stimulated PG release. Propranolol and Me had no stimulatory effect on PG release. On the basis of our results we suggest that Me has a direct modulatory effect on basal E2 and gonadotropin-stimulated E2 and PG secretion of human GCs. The observed effect may play a physiological role in the regulation of GC function during the menstrual cycle.
The RAI-PC: An assessment instrument for palliative care in all settings

Large numbers of persons in most types of healthcare settings have palliative care needs that have considerable impact on their quality of life. Therefore, InterRAI, a multinational consortium of researchers, clinicians, and regulators that uses assessment systems to improve the care of elderly and disabled persons, designed a standardized assessment tool, the Resident Assessment Instrument for Palliative Care (RAI-PC). The RAI-PC can be used for both the design of individual care plans and for case mix and outcomes research. Some elements of this instrument are taken from the resident assessment instrument (RAI) mandated for use in all nursing homes in the United States and widely used throughout the world. The RAI-PC can be used alone or in conjunction with the other assessment tools designed by the InterRAI collaboration: the RAI for homecare (RAI-HC), for acute care (RAI-AC), and for mental health care (RAI-MH). The objective of this study was to field test and carry out reliability studies on the RAI-PC. After appropriate approvals were obtained, the RAI-PC instrument was field tested on 151 persons in three countries in more than five types of settings. Data obtained from 144 of these individuals were analyzed for reliability. The reliability of the instrument was very good, with about 50 percent of the questions having kappa values of 0.8 or higher, and the average kappa value for each of the eight domains ranging from 0.76 to 0.95. The 54 men and 95 women had a mean age of 79 years. Thirty-four percent of individuals suffered pain daily. Eighty percent tired easily; 52 percent were breathless on exertion; and 19 to 53 percent had one or more other symptoms, including change in sleep pattern, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, anorexia, breathlessness at rest, constipation, and diarrhea. The number of symptoms an individual reported increased as the estimated time until death declined. The “clinician friendly” RAI-PC can be used in multiple sites of care to facilitate both care planning and case mix and outcomes research.
An Off-line Single-Inductor Multiple-Output LED Driver With High Dimming Precision and Full Dimming Range

This paper presents a single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) LED driver with precise dimming and full dimming range. Based on the coordination of a string-level scheme and a system-level dimming scheme, the proposed SIMO LED driver can overcome practical constraints of existing SIMO LED drivers such as limited dimming range and needs for high-current switches. The proposal can achieve dimming precision up to an accuracy of 0.8% and also full dimming range. It has the flexibility of using either phase-shift or synchronous pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) switching for dimming control. The proposed circuit and control operations have been practically verified with a 25-W off-line SIMO-driven LED system. Practical evaluations of its power quality and energy efficiency are also provided.
Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration: results from 118 cases

Several vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors have recently been studied as treatments for neovascular AMD.1 2 Pegaptanib sodium improved visual acuity in 6% of patients at one year;1 Ranibizumab 0.5 mg improved vision by three lines in 33% of patients at one year.2 Michels et al. 3 initially reported the use of intravenous bevacizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and others have found visual improvement and reduction in macular thickness with intravitreal bevacizumab.4–8 We present the results from 118 cases treated with intravitreal bevacizumab based at a single centre. A retrospective review of 115 consecutive patients (118 eyes) based at Southampton Eye Unit, treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for CNV was performed. Lesions of all types irrespective of size or location that were either ineligible for photodynamic therapy (PDT) under the National Health Service (including minimally classic and occult CNV) or those not responding to PDT (classic or predominantly classic CNV with recurrent or persistent CNV activity) were included in the study (table 1). All patients underwent visual acuity testing (best corrected Snellen), slitlamp examination and fundus fluorescein angiography. Central macular thickness (CMT) was assessed using Stratus optical coherence tomography (Carl Zeiss Meditec, USA). View this table: Table 1 Baseline characteristics After discussion about the off-label nature of treatment and the potential risks, informed …
Placental location, postpartum hemorrhage and retained placenta in women with a previous cesarean section delivery: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Objective: Women previously giving birth with cesarean section have an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and retained placenta. The objective of this study was to determine if anterior placental location increased the risk of PPH and retained placenta in such women. Materials and methods: We performed a prospective cohort study on 400 women with cesarean section delivery in a previous pregnancy. Ultrasound examinations were performed at gestational week 28–30, and placental location, myometrial thickness, and three-dimensional vascularization index (VI) were recorded. Data on maternal age, parity, BMI, smoking, gestational week at delivery, induction, delivery mode, oxytocin, preeclampsia, PPH, retained placenta, and birth weight were obtained for all women. Outcome measures were PPH (≥1,000 mL) and retained placenta. Results: The overall incidence of PPH was 11.0% and of retained placenta 3.5%. Twenty-three women (11.8%) with anterior placenta had PPH compared to 12 (6.9%) with posterior or fundal locations. The odds ratio was 1.94, but it did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant risk increase for retained placenta in women with anterior placentae. Seven of eight women with placenta previa had PPH, and four had retained placenta. Conclusions: The overall risk of PPH and retained placenta was high for women with previous cesarean section. Anterior location of the placenta in such women tended to impose an increased risk for PPH but no risk increase of retained placenta. Placenta previa in women with previous cesarean section is associated with a high risk for PPH and retained placenta.
Analysis of cortical and nuclear lens proteins by a combination of paper and starch gel electrophoresis

A comparison of the soluble proteins of lens cortex and nucleus of several adult mammalian lenses, using a combination of paper and starch gel electrophoresis, revealed significant differences in the distribution of alpha and gamma crystallins. At least 2–5 gamma crystallin proteins of different molecular size were not detected in the cortex, but were found in the nucleus. These proteins correspond to the category of embryonic lens protein as defined by Francois and Rabaey ('57). Such a protein is synthesized almost entirely before birth, and thus accumulates mainly in the nucleus of the adult lens. In contrast to the mammalian lens, the adult chick lens contains only one protein which is present in significantly lower concentration in the cortex when compared with the nucleus. This protein is the major beta crystallin component, which is first detected during embryogenesis, at the time of appearance of the primary lens fibers. The reason for the decreased synthesis of these proteins in adult life remains to be elucidated.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A Clinical Review Based on 48 Confirmed Cases, 1943–1986

We reviewed 48 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever seen between 1943 and 1986. The data provided a view of the diverse presentations and manifestations of this disease. Exposure to a rural environment or to dogs was the rule, and over two-thirds of patients specifically remembered tick exposure. Clinical presentation was highly variable. Although fever, headache, and rash were each common, only 62% had the complete triad. Neurological symptoms and signs were common in this series. Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities, particularly leukocytosis, were the rule in those patients who underwent lumbar puncture. Neurologic sequelae occurred in several patients. Multiple other organ systems were involved at presentation or during the course of illness--gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, muscular, hematologic. These manifestations could, and often did, confuse physicians seeing these patients initially. They further accounted for the diverse complications seen. Outcome was good in this series. Mortality rate was 2%, and most patients recovered without sequelae. However, morbidity during hospitalization was often severe. Even in an endemic area with high index of suspicion, the diagnosis of RMSF was often delayed, usually because of failure of the physician to consider this possibility at initial presentation. This series emphasizes the importance of considering RMSF in any febrile patient in an endemic area, regardless of "atypical" presentation or apparent lack of tick exposure.
Historical DNA analysis reveals living descendants of an extinct species of Galápagos tortoise

Giant tortoises, a prominent symbol of the Galápagos archipelago, illustrate the influence of geological history and natural selection on the diversification of organisms. Because of heavy human exploitation, 4 of the 15 known species (Geochelone spp.) have disappeared. Charles Darwin himself detailed the intense harvesting of one species, G. elephantopus, which once was endemic to the island of Floreana. This species was believed to have been exterminated within 15 years of Darwin's historic visit to the Galápagos in 1835. The application of modern DNA techniques to museum specimens combined with long-term study of a system creates new opportunities for identifying the living remnants of extinct taxa in the wild. Here, we use mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite data obtained from museum specimens to show that the population on Floreana was evolutionarily distinct from all other Galápagos tortoise populations. It was demonstrated that some living individuals on the nearby island of Isabela are genetically distinct from the rest of the island's inhabitants. Surprisingly, we found that these “non-native” tortoises from Isabela are of recent Floreana ancestry and closely match the genetic data provided by the museum specimens. Thus, we show that the genetic line of G. elephantopus has not been completely extinguished and still exists in an intermixed population on Isabela. With enough individuals to commence a serious captive breeding program, this finding may help reestablish a species that was thought to have gone extinct more than a century ago and illustrates the power of long-term genetic analysis and the critical role of museum specimens in conservation biology.
Na+–K+ pump stimulation restores carbacholine‐induced loss of excitability and contractility in rat skeletal muscle

Intense exercise results in increases in intracellular Na+ and extracellular K+ concentrations, leading to depolarization and a loss of muscle excitability and contractility. Here, we use carbacholine to chronically activate the nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors to mimic the changes in membrane permeability, chemical Na+ and K+ gradients and membrane potential observed during intense exercise. Intact rat soleus muscles were mounted on force transducers and stimulated electrically to evoke short tetani at regular intervals. Carbacholine produced a 2.6‐fold increase in Na+ influx that was tetrodotoxin (TTX) insensitive, but abolished by tubocurarine, resulting in a significant 36% increase in intracellular Na+, and 8% decrease in intracellular K+ content. The mid region, near the motor end plate, had much larger alterations than the more distal regions of the muscle, and showed a larger membrane depolarization from −73 ± 1 to −60 ± 1 mV compared with −64 ± 1 mV. Carbacholine (10−4m) significantly reduced tetanic force to 31 ± 3% of controls, which underwent significant recovery upon application of Na+–K+ pump stimulators: salbutamol (10−5m), adrenaline (10−5m) and calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP; 10−7m). The force recovery with salbutamol was accompanied by a recovery of intracellular Na+ and K+ contents, and a small but significant 4–5 mV recovery of membrane potential. Similar results were obtained using succinylcholine (10−4m), indicating that Na+–K+ pump stimulation may prevent or restore succinylcholine‐induced hyperkalaemia. The stimulation of the Na+–K+ pump allows muscle to partially recover contractility by regaining excitability through electrogenically driven repolarization of the muscle membrane.
Enteric Nervous System in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genesis : Review

The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is a collection of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract that constitutes the “brain of the gut” and can function independently of the central nervous system. The enteric nervous system encompasses the intrinsic neural circuits of the gastrointestinal tract, which are organized into a vast network of interconnected ganglia distributed into two concentric layers within the gut wall, the outer myenteric or Auerbach’s and the inner submucosal or Meissner’s plexus. Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases have several structural and functional abnormalities of the ENS. Although it has been hypothesized that these abnormalities are secondary to the inflammatory process, i.e. to tissue injury or via the effects of soluble mediators of the inflammatory process itself, the occurrence of lesions in the ENS in macroscopically uninvolved areas may actually suggest that they precede mucosal inflammation. Recent advances have highlighted the ENS as playing a key role in the control of gut immune homeostasis, and that alterations of the ENS could be directly associated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease. When intestinal homeostasis is disrupted by severe inflammation, pathologic changes of ENS neurons and glial cells occur, compromising gut motility and secretion. Filipovic BF1,2*, Milinic N1,2, Milisavljevic N2, Markovic O1,3, Rankovic I4 and Filipovic BR1,5 1Department of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia 2Department of Gastroenterohepatology, Clinical and Hospital Center Bezanijska Kosa, Serbia 3Department of Hematology, Clinical and Hospital Center Bezanijska Kosa, Serbia 4Department of Clinical Centers, Institute of Gastroenterology, Serbia 5Department of Anatomy, Niko Miljanic, Serbia *Corresponding author: Branka F Filipovic, Department of Gastroenterohepatology, Clinical and Hospital Center Bezanijska Kosa, 11 080, Belgrade, Serbia, Tel: +381-11-30-10-750; Fax: +381-11-30-10-750; Email: branka.filipovic3@gmail.com Published Date: December 29, 2015 Gr up SM
Candida tropicalis in human disease

Candida tropicalis is one of the more common Candida causing human disease in tropical countries; the frequency of invasive disease varies by geography causing 3–66% of candidaemia. C. tropicalis is taxonomically close to C. albicans and shares many pathogenic traits. C. tropicalis is particularly virulent in neutropenic hosts commonly with hematogenous seeding to peripheral organs. For candidaemia and invasive candidiasis amphotericin B or an echinocandin are recommended as first-line treatment, with extended-spectrum triazoles acceptable alternatives. Primary fluconazole resistance is uncommon but may be induced on exposure. Physicians in regions where C. tropicalis is common need to be mindful of this lesser-described pathogen.
Survival and Margin Status in Head and Neck Radiation-Induced Sarcomas and De Novo Sarcomas

Objective To describe histologic subtypes and oncologic outcomes among patients with radiation-induced and de novo sarcomas of the head and neck. Study Design Retrospective case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary academic center. Subject and Methods In total, 166 adult patients with sarcoma of the head and neck treated from January 1, 1985, to January 1, 2010, were included. Tumors were characterized as radiation induced (15.1%) vs de novo sarcomas (84.9%). Clinical and tumor characteristics were compared. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Results Radiation-induced sarcomas were more likely to be high grade (P = .006) and advanced stage (P = .03). Chondrosarcoma was more common in de novo tumors (P = .02) while leiomyosarcoma (P = .01), sarcoma not otherwise specified (P = .02), and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (P < .001) were more common in radiation-induced sarcomas. Radiation-induced sarcomas were associated with statistically significantly worse DSS (P = .019) and OS (P = .005) compared with de novo sarcomas, but when only high-grade soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed, neither DSS (P = .48) nor OS (P = .29) differed. Margin status was a significant predictor of survival as both R0 and R1 resections correlated with statistically better DSS and OS compared with R2 (P < .001) resections and patients treated with radiation therapy/chemoradiation therapy alone (P = .005). Conclusion Radiation-induced sarcomas of the head and neck correlate with worse survival compared with de novo tumors; however, when controlling for tumor grade and resection status, there is no statistically significant difference in observed outcomes.
Trehalose Biosynthesis in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and Its Role in Desiccation Tolerance

ABSTRACT Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii forms nitrogen-fixing root nodules on the pasture legume Trifolium repens, and T. repens seed is often coated with a compatible R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii strain prior to sowing. However, significant losses in bacterial viability occur during the seed-coating process and during storage of the coated seeds, most likely due to desiccation stress. The disaccharide trehalose is known to function as an osmoprotectant, and trehalose accumulation due to de novo biosynthesis is a common response to desiccation stress in bacteria. In this study we investigated the role of endogenous trehalose synthesis in desiccation tolerance in R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii strain NZP561. Strain NZP561 accumulated trehalose as it entered the stationary phase due to the combined actions of the TreYZ and OtsAB pathways. Mutants deficient in either pathway showed near-wild-type levels of trehalose accumulation, but double otsA treY mutants failed to accumulate any trehalose. The double mutants were more sensitive to the effects of drying, and their survival was impaired compared to that of the wild type when glass beads were coated with the organisms and stored at relative humidities of 5 and 32%. The otsA treY mutants were also less competitive for nodule occupancy. Gene expression studies showed that the otsA and treY genes were expressed constitutively and that expression was not influenced by the growth phase, suggesting that trehalose accumulation is controlled at the posttranscriptional level or by control of trehalose breakdown rates. Our results indicate that accumulated trehalose plays an important role in protecting R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii cells against desiccation stress and against stress encountered during nodulation.
Endoplasmic reticulum-associated mitochondria–cortex tether functions in the distribution and inheritance of mitochondria

To elucidate the functional roles of mitochondrial dynamics in vivo, we identified genes that become essential in cells lacking the dynamin-related proteins Fzo1 and Dnm1, which are required for mitochondrial fusion and division, respectively. The screen identified Num1, a cortical protein implicated in mitochondrial division and distribution that also functions in nuclear migration. Our data indicate that Num1, together with Mdm36, forms a physical tether that robustly anchors mitochondria to the cell cortex but plays no direct role in mitochondrial division. Our analysis indicates that Num1-dependent anchoring is essential for distribution of the static mitochondrial network in fzo1 dnm1 cells. Consistently, expression of a synthetic mitochondria–cortex tether rescues the viability of fzo1 dnm1 num1 cells. We find that the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) also is a constituent of the Num1 mitochondria–cortex tether, suggesting an active role for the ER in mitochondrial positioning in cells. Thus, taken together, our findings identify Num1 as a key component of a mitochondria–ER–cortex anchor, which we termed “MECA,” that functions in parallel with mitochondrial dynamics to distribute and position the essential mitochondrial network.
Modelling the formation and the long‐term behavior of rip channel systems from the deformation of a longshore bar

A nonlinear numerical model based on a wave- and depth-averaged shallow water equation solver with wave driver, sediment transport, and bed updating is used to investigate the long-term evolution of rip channel systems appearing from the deformation of a longshore bar. Linear and nonlinear regimes in the morphological evolution have been studied. In the linear regime, a crescentic bar system emerges as a free instability. In the nonlinear regime, merging/splitting in bars and saturation of the growth are obtained. In spite of excluding undertow and wave-asymmetry sediment transport, the initial crescentic bar system reorganizes to form a large-scale and shore-attached transverse or oblique bar system, which is found to be a dynamical equilibrium state of the beach system. Thus the basic morphological transitions “Longshore Bar and Trough” → “Rhythmic Bar and Beach” → “Transverse Bar and Rip” described by earlier conceptual models are here reproduced. The study of the physical mechanisms allows us to understand the role of the different transport modes: The advective part induces the formation of crescentic bars and megacusps, and the bedslope transport damps the instability. Both terms contribute to the attachment of the megacusps to the crescentic bars. Depending on the wave forcing, the bar wavelength ranges between 180 and 250 m (165 and 320 m) in the linear (nonlinear) regime.