Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Progressive increase of SCCA‐IgM immune complexes in cirrhotic patients is associated with development of hepatocellular carcinoma

About 3–4% of cirrhotic patients develop primary liver cancer every year. Specific serologic markers have not yet been identified for screening of high risk patients. The serpin squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) is overexpressed in liver cancer and circulating SCCA‐IgM complexes have been described in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to assess the behavior of SCCA‐IgM in relation to HCC development in patients with cirrhosis. A retrospective, longitudinal study was conducted in a cohort of prospectively followed cirrhotic patients. Two groups with similar clinical profile at presentation were studied : group A included 16 patients who developed HCC during a median follow up of 4 years; group B included 17 patients who did not develop HCC during the same time interval. Circulating SCCA‐IgM immune complexes were determined using a recently standardized ELISA assay. At presentation similar levels of SCCA‐IgM complexes [mean ± SD: 267.40 ± 382.25 U/ml vs. 249.10 ± 446.90 U/ml, p = 0.9006] and of alpha‐fetoprotein [AFP; 24.11 ± 59.04 IU/ml vs. 10.91 ± 23.34 IU/ml, p = 0.3995] were detected in group A and in group B. The increase over time (ϕ) of SCCA‐IgM, assessed within at least one year before clinical diagnosis of HCC, was remarkably higher in group A than in group B (mean ± SD = 280.05 ± 606.71 (U/ml)/year vs. −37.92 ± 95.94 (U/ml)/year, p = 0.0408), while AFP increase was not significantly different (11.89 ± 23.27 (IU/ml)/year vs. 3.67 ± 11.46 (IU/ml)/year, p = 0.2179). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for the rate of change in the levels of both markers and the diagnostic accuracy measured as AUROC was higher for SCCA‐IgM ϕ (0.821) than for AFP ϕ (0.654). In conclusion, the progressive increase of SCCA‐IgM over time was associated with liver tumor development, suggesting that monitoring the behavior of SCCA‐IgM might become useful to identify cirrhotic patients at higher risk of HCC development. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association between anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use in adolescents.

BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, affecting approximately 10% of individuals throughout life; its onset can be detected since early childhood or adolescence. Studies in adults have shown that anxiety disorders are associated with alcohol abuse, but few studies have investigated the association between anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use in early ages. OBJECTIVE To evaluate if anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use in young subjects. METHODS A total of 239 individuals aged 10-17 years were randomly selected from schools located in the catchment area of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used to evaluate the presence of anxiety symptoms, and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), to evaluate alcohol use. RESULTS One hundred twenty-seven individuals (53.1% ) reported having already used alcohol. Of these, 14 individuals showed problematic alcohol use (5.8% ). There was no association between lifetime use of alcohol and anxiety symptoms, but mean SCARED scores in individuals with problematic alcohol use was higher if compared to those without problematic use, even after adjustment for age and gender (29.9±8.5 vs. 23.7±11.8, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Despite the limitation of a cross-sectional design, our study suggests that anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use early in life.
A Nanocurrent Power Management IC for Multiple Heterogeneous Energy Harvesting Sources

This paper presents a fully autonomous power converter IC for energy harvesting from multiple and multitype sources, such as piezoelectric, photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and RF transducers. The converter performs an independent self-adapting input power tracking process for each source. The peak power conversion efficiency measured during single-source operation is 89.6%. With all sources enabled, the intrinsic current consumption is as low as 47.9 nA/source. A self-starting battery-less architecture has been implemented in a 0.32-μm STMicroelectronics BCD technology with a 2142 μm × 2142 μm die area. The IC only requires a single-shared inductor and an external storage capacitor for the basic working configuration. With respect to other multisource energy harvesters, this design specifically introduces a series of nanopower design techniques for extreme minimization of the intrinsic consumption during operation. The small chip size combined with the limited number of required external component, the high conversion efficiency, and the state-of-the-art intrinsic nanocurrent consumption make the IC suitable for many critical applications with very limited available power, such as wearable devices or unobtrusive wireless sensor networks.
Research activities and interests of dietitians.

A survey was conducted to ascertain research involvement and interests of dietitians. The survey questionnaire was developed and mailed to 1200 dietitian members of The American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.). Usable responses numbered 424 (35.3%); 84% were A.S. P.E. N. members 5 years or less. Currently 46% and previously 17% of respondents served on nutrition support (NS) teams. Two-thirds of the group either completed or were enrolled in a graduate program. Only one-half of the respondents had statistics and/or research methodology courses. Half the group spent no time in research, 10% gave 10-50 hr/week and nearly 80% wanted to spend more time in this activity. One-fifth were principal investigators (PI), 27% were co-investigators and 29% had collected data for others. Although 16% wrote proposals, fewer than 10% had projects approved and/or funded; co-investigators were more successful than PIs in this regard. Several (22.2%) presented research papers or posters and 36% gave seminars, case studies, or short presentations. One-fifth (20.8%) published research articles and 20.3% published other works. More than 80% expressed interest in collaborative research, perhaps because many felt they lacked skills needed to develop research designs, write proposals, analyze data, obtain funding, and get published. Most said research was not rewarded, of a low priority, and generally ignored by the dietetics department; 60.5% had great interest in research and 37.1% had adequate research opportunities. No significant differences were observed for those with graduate degrees or for members of NS teams but A.S. P.E. N. dietitians appeared to be more active in research than other dietitians.
Morphology and Ventilatory Function of Gills in the Carpet Shark Family Parascylliidae (Elasmobranchii, Orectolobiformes)

We examined gill morphology and ventilatory function in the carpet shark family Parascylliidae using 14 preserved specimens of Parascyllium ferrugineum, P. variolatum, P. collare and Cirrhoscyllium japonicum, and two live specimens of P. ferrugineum and P. variolatum. Morphological examinations revealed eight morphological characteristics related to the fifth gill, based on comparisons with other elasmobranchs, viz. large fifth gill slit without gill filaments, anatomical modifications in the fourth ceratobranchial cartilage and coraco-branchialis muscle, and the hypaxialis muscle associated with the fifth gill arch. Ventilation examinations using dyed seawater and prey items showed different water flows through the gill slits for respiration and prey-capture actions. For respiration, water sucked into the mouth was expelled equally through the first to fourth gill slits via a “double-pump” action, there being no involvement of the fifth gill slit. In prey-capture, however, water sucked into the mouth was discharged only via the widely opened fifth gill slit. This form of water flow is similar to that in other benthic suction-feeding sharks (e.g., Chiloscyllium plagiosum), except for the active water discharge by wide expansion and contraction of the fifth parabranchial cavity. The latter is dependent upon the morphological modifications of the fourth and fifth gill arches, derived phylogenetically as a mechanistic suction specialization in Parascylliidae.
Ultrastructural morphometric of gap junctions during differentiation of stratified squamous epithelium.

The presence of gap junctions in stratified epithelia has now been extensively documented, but there have been few attempts to quantify them. In the present report, samples of hamster cheek pouch mucosa were processed for electron microscopy and electron micrographs from defined basal, spinous and granular layers were obtained. Using a combination of direct measurement and stereological intersection counting techniques, the relative surface areas of peripheral gap junctions (i.e. those in direct contact with the epithelial plasma membrane) and annular gap junctions (i.e. those present as complete, approximately circular profiles within the epithelial cell cytoplasm) were determined. Following estimation of the plasma membrane surface area of 'average' epithelial cells from each of the defined strata, relative values were transformed into absolute data. Data from peripheral and annular junctions were pooled to provide an estimate of total gap junctions area. Relative surface area estimates were similar for peripheral, annular and total gap junctions, in that values were invariably highest in the spinous layer and lowest in the granular layer. Absolute data indicate that there is more than a threefold increase in the area of membrane differentiated into gap junctions in the average spinous cell when compared with the average basal cell. Values for total gap-junctional areas in the average granular cell are reduced somewhat with respect to the average spinous cell and this is effected by a decrease in the area of peripheral gap junctions. We conclude that there is synthesis of gap junctions between basal and spinous cells, which is followed by evidence of degradation between spinous and granular cells. The magnitude of the estimates of area is comparable to those obtained from other stratified and non-stratified epithelia and it would thus appear that gap junctions may play a significant role in cellular control processes in all viable epithelial strata.
Reduced exercise capacity in early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Role of skeletal muscle

Abstract Our objective was to correlate skeletal muscle mass (SM) with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) descriptors of exercise capacity in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and compare ALS CPET data with those of patients with mitochondrial myopathy (MM) and normal subjects (N). Twenty-four early-stage ALS patients (63±11 years) underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis of body composition, resting spirometry, and ramp CPET. Six MM and six N were used as controls (56 ± 7 and 63 ± 4 years, respectively). Results showed that ALS SM index was similar to that of N (9.0±2.1 kg/m2 vs. 10.4±1.9 kg/m2, respectively; p = n.s.), whereas peak VO2/kg SM was significantly lower (41.5 ± 11.6 ml/kg/min vs. 57.8 ± 7.5 ml/kg/min, respectively; p < 0.01). However, the heart rate/VO2 slope did not differ between ALS and N, being significantly higher in MM than in both ALS and N (6.1 ± 1.4 beats/ml/kg/min vs. 4.2 ± 1.1 beats/ml/kg/min vs. 3.8 ± 2.0 beats/ml/kg/min, respectively; both p < 0.01), excluding a marked skeletal muscle metabolic impairment in ALS. Neither cardiovascular nor ventilatory dysfunction was detected in ALS. Early-stage ALS patients show a SM similar to N, but with a reduced peak VO2/kg SM. Such a reduced peripheral O2 utilization is consistent with deconditioning as the main cause of impaired exercise capacity in this population.
Bleeding on probing. A predictor for the progression of periodontal disease?

Bleeding on probing (BOP) is a widely used criterion to diagnose gingival inflammation. The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate its prognostic value in identifying sites at risk for periodontal breakdown during the maintenance phase of periodontal therapy. 55 patients who had been treated for advanced periodontitis participated in a recall system for at least 4 years, at regular intervals of 3-5 months. At the start of every appointment, BOP to the bottom of the pocket was registered at 4 sites of every tooth. A random selection of 1054 pockets was made and subdivided into 5 categories according to the incidence of BOP during the last 4 recall appointments. All pockets with a BOP incidence of 4/4 and 3/4 were selected, while only interproximal sites with a BOP incidence of 2/4, 1/4 and 0/4 were chosen. Subsequently, these categories were grouped according to whether or not the attachment level had been maintained from the time prior to the last 4 recall visits. Greater than or equal to 2 mm was defined as loss of clinical attachment. The results indicated that pockets with a probing depth of greater than or equal to 5 mm had a significantly higher incidence of BOP. Patients with 16% or more BOP sites had a higher chance of loosing attachment. Pockets with an incidence of BOP of 4/4 had a 30% chance of loosing attachment. This chance decreased to 14% with BOP of 3/4, 6% with BOP of 2/4, 3% with BOP of 1/4 and 1.5% with BOP of 0/4. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Xerostomia following radiotherapy of the head and neck affects vocal function.

PURPOSE To investigate whether xerostomia induced by wide-field radiotherapy (RT) of the head and neck affects vocal function. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing 20 patients with early glottic cancer treated by limited RT of the larynx to 20 patients receiving wide-field RT of the primary tumor site and the lymphatic system of the entire head and neck, including the salivary glands. Salivary and vocal functions, as well as responses to questionnaires on xerostomia and quality of life were compared between groups. Twenty healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and smoking status were included as controls. RESULTS The wide-field RT patients showed high xerostomia-related symptom scores and significantly lower values of whole salivary flow rate compared to the limited RT and healthy patients (P < .001). Subjective vocal dysfunction and stroboscopic abnormality were observed in the wide-field RT group (P < .05), but acoustic or aerodynamic profiles showed no significant difference among groups (P > .05). Subjective and objective salivary gland hypofunction was significantly correlated to vocal dysfunction. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that xerostomia following extensive RT of the head and neck can affect vocal function. In the treatment of head and neck malignancies, efforts to prevent post-RT xerostomia would be anticipated to contribute to the preservation of vocal function.
An Src-protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor to reduce cisplatin ototoxicity while preserving its antitumor effect

Ototoxicity remains a major dose-limiting side effect of cisplatin. The current studies were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel Src-protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor in protecting the ear from cisplatin ototoxicity without compromising cisplatin’s antitumor effects. The Src inhibitor has been shown to be effective in protecting the ear from noise-induced hearing loss. Three studies were carried out to determine whether this compound has otoprotective activity in rats treated with cisplatin. The first two studies used the Src inhibitor as a cotreatment with single doses of cisplatin in Fischer 344/NHsd rats and nude rats, respectively. Cochlear damage was assessed by auditory brainstem response threshold shifts and outer hair cell loss. The third study was carried out in nude rats with implanted HT-29 tumors, and the Src inhibitor was administered as a cotreatment with a lower dose of cisplatin. Cochlear damage and changes in tumor volume were assessed in the third study. In the first two studies, cotreatment with the Src inhibitor reduced cisplatin-induced hearing loss significantly. In the third study, little hearing loss was induced because of the use of a lower dose of cisplatin. However, cotreatment with the Src inhibitor did not exert a negative effect on cisplatin’s slowing of tumor growth in the treated rats. The findings suggest that the Src inhibitor may provide an effective cotreatment with cisplatin to reduce cisplatin’s ototoxicity, without compromising its antitumor capability.
Electron-beam-induced deposition and post-treatment processes to locally generate clean titanium oxide nanostructures on Si(100)

We have investigated the lithographic generation of TiOx nanostructures on Si(100) via electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and local Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). In addition, the fabricated nanostructures were also characterized ex situ via atomic force microscopy (AFM) under ambient conditions. In EBID, a highly focused electron beam is used to locally decompose precursor molecules and thereby to generate a deposit. A drawback of this nanofabrication technique is the unintended deposition of material in the vicinity of the impact position of the primary electron beam due to so-called proximity effects. Herein, we present a post-treatment procedure to deplete the unintended deposits by moderate sputtering after the deposition process. Moreover, we were able to observe the formation of pure titanium oxide nanocrystals (<100 nm) in situ upon heating the sample in a well-defined oxygen atmosphere. While the nanocrystal growth for the as-deposited structures also occurs in the surroundings of the irradiated area due to proximity effects, it is limited to the pre-defined regions, if the sample was sputtered before heating the sample under oxygen atmosphere. The described two-step post-treatment procedure after EBID presents a new pathway for the fabrication of clean localized nanostructures.
Modulation of vascular tone by endothelin‐1: role of preload, endothelial integrity and concentration of endothelin‐1

1 Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) has been shown to exert both arterial relaxant and constrictor effects. To examine the mechanisms of these divergent effects, rat aortic rings were suspended in an organ bath (baseline preload, 5 g) and exposed to ET‐1 (10−11 to 10−7 m). ET‐1 contracted these rings in a concentration‐dependent fashion. 2 When aortic rings were contracted with noradrenaline (NA) to 1 g of tension, ET‐1 caused further contraction of these rings. In rings precontracted to 2 to 4 g of tension, low concentrations of ET‐1 (10−11 to 10−9 m) caused a significant relaxation, but high concentrations (≥5× 10−9 m) caused a marked contraction, indicating both relaxant and contractile effects of ET‐1 depending on the preload and ET‐1 concentration. 3 To determine the mechanism of ET‐1‐induced relaxation, aortic rings were pretreated with the cyclo‐oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA) an inihibitor of synthesis of endothelium‐derived relaxing factor (EDRF), or oxyhaemoglobin (Hb) which decreases the activity of EDRF, prior to their exposure to ET‐1. Both indomethacin and l‐NMMA markedly (P < 0.01) attenuated ET‐1‐induced relaxation, whereas Hb totally abolished it. Removal of the endothelium from aortic rings also abolished ET‐1‐mediated relaxation. 4 The relaxant effect of ET‐1 in NA‐precontracted rings was associated with marked accumulation of guanosine 3′:5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP), whereas ET‐1‐induced contraction of quiescent rings was not. 5 In manually stretched rings (4 g of tension), ET‐1 caused only concentration‐dependent contraction, but no cyclic GMP accumulation. 6 Thus, ET‐1 contracts rat aortic rings with intact endothelium and those which are passively stretched. However, stimulation of rat aortic rings with NA to modest tension alters the contractile effect of ET‐1 to a potent relaxant effect. The ET‐1‐mediated relaxation in this setting appears to be endothelium‐dependent and is related to release of both cyclo‐oxygenase products and EDRF.
Uptake of 18F-Fluorocholine, 18F-FET, and 18F-FDG in C6 Gliomas and Correlation with 131I-SIP(L19), a Marker of Angiogenesis

Targeting extracellular structures that are involved in angiogenic processes, such as the extra domain B of fibronectin, is a promising approach for the diagnosis of solid tumors. The aim of this study was to determine uptake of the 18F-labeled PET tracers 18F-fluorocholine (N,N-dimethyl-N-18F-fluoromethyl-2-hydroxyethylammonium), 18F-fluoro-ethyl-l-tyrosine (FET), and 18F-FDG in C6 gliomas of the rat and to correlate it with uptake of the anti–extra domain B antibody 131I-SIP(L19) as a marker of neoangiogenesis. Methods: C6 gliomas were orthotopically induced in 17 rats. Uptake of all tracers was measured using quantitative autoradiography, and uptake of 18F-fluorocholine, 18F-FET, and 18F-FDG was correlated with uptake of 131I-SIP(L19) on a pixelwise basis. Results: The mean 131I-SIP(L19), 18F-fluorocholine, 18F-FET, and 18F-FDG standardized uptake values in the tumor and the contralateral normal cortex (in parentheses) were 0.31 ± 0.22 (not detectable), 2.00 ± 0.53 (0.49 ± 0.07), 3.67 ± 0.36 (1.42 ± 0.22), and 7.23 ± 1.22 (3.64 ± 0.51), respectively. The 131I-SIP(L19) uptake pattern correlated best with 18F-fluorocholine uptake (ż = 0.80, averaged ż-transformed Pearson correlation coefficient) and 18F-FET uptake (ż = 0.79) and least with 18F-FDG (ż = 0.37). Conclusion: One day after intravenous injection, 131I-SIP(L19) displayed a very high tumor-to-cortex ratio, which may be used in the diagnostic work-up of brain tumor patients. Of the 3 investigated 18F tracers, 18F-fluorocholine and 18F-FET correlated better with the pattern of 131I-SIP(L19) uptake than did 18F-FDG. Whether this means that 18F-fluorocholine and 18F-FET are better suited than 18F-FDG to monitor antiangiogenic therapy should be investigated in future studies.
Gryllotalpicola soli sp. nov., isolated from soil.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, short rod-shaped, non-flagellated and mesophilic strain, KIS12-7(T), isolated from a soil sample collected from Daecheong-Island in Ongjin County, Republic of Korea, was studied using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the novel strain was a member of the genus Gryllotalpicola, showing more than 97.0 % sequence similarity with Gryllotalpicola daejeonensis RU-04(T) (98.0 %), Gryllotalpicola koreensis RU-16(T) (97.7 %) and Gryllotalpicola kribbensis PU-02(T) (97.3 %). However, DNA-DNA relatedness values demonstrated that strain KIS12-7(T) could be clearly distinguished from closely related species of the genus Gryllotalpicola. The cell-wall peptidoglycan of strain KIS12-7(T) was of the type B2 and the acyl type was acetyl. The predominant menaquinones were MK-11 and MK-10. Polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unknown phosphoglycolipid, one unknown glycolipid, one unknown phospholipid and one unknown lipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 72.1 mol%. On the basis of the evidence presented, strain KIS12-7(T) is a representative of a novel species of the genus Gryllotalpicola, and the name Gryllotalpicola soli sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is KIS12-7(T) ( = DSM 27182(T) = KACC 17302(T) = NBRC 109659(T)).