Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The biochemical characterization of alkaline phosphatase from chemicaland viral-induced thymic lymphomas of C57BL mice.

The alkaline phosphatase activity of a number of chemical- and viral-induced thymic lymphomas from C57BL mice was characterized biochemically according to pH optimum, heat inactivation, the ratio of activity toward two substrates, p -nitrophenyl phosphate and β-glycerophosphate, and electrophoretic mobility in acrylamide gel. Alkaline phosphatase activity from normal liver, spleen, and duodenum was also characterized for comparison. Since this enzyme is not found in thymic lymphocytes of the normal C57BL adult mouse but is usually present in tumor cells, such a characterization of it might be expected to indicate whether the genetic information for the enzyme is of virus or cell origin. Enzyme activity from tumors induced by different chemical agents or by virus did not differ significantly with respect to the first 3 parameters tested and, in addition, resembled the enzyme from spleen in these 3 characteristics. These same characteristics determined for the alkaline phosphatase activity in the normal 16-day embryo thymus were consistent with those found in the tumor and spleen enzymes. Disc-gel electrophoresis performed on the adult normal and tumor tissue extracts showed the major component of the tumor alkaline phosphatase activity to have an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of the normal spleen. A minor component of the tumor alkaline phosphatase activity was found to have a slower mobility than any component of the enzyme from the normal tissues tested. It is concluded that the major component of the alkaline phosphatase activity of this tumor is similar to the alkaline phosphatase activity of the spleen and may represent a cell-coded enzyme which is derepressed in the process of neoplastic transformation.
Bortezomib/dexamethasone followed by autologous stem cell transplantation as front line treatment for light‐chain deposition disease

Limited data has been published on the treatment results in patients with light‐chain deposition disease (LCDD). Whenever possible, high‐dose melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been the first treatment option, achieving somehow better results than conventional therapy. However, and based on the promising results obtained by treating patients with light‐chain amyloidosis with bortezomib/dexamethasone, new treatment options appear in LCDD. Herein, we describe three patients with LCDD treated with bortezomib/dexamethasone followed by high‐dose melphalan and autologous transplantation. We believe that this new approach should be the treatment of choice in this disease. In addition, those patients achieving hematologic complete response after ASCT could benefit from a kidney transplant if the renal impairment requiring dialysis persists.
Insulin resistance in hypertensives: effect of salt sensitivity, renin status and sodium intake

Objective Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA index) is predictive of insulin sensitivity in normal and diabetic patients. This study was designed to see if insulin resistance in hypertensives, measured using the HOMA index, differs, based on salt sensitivity, renin status and sodium intake. Methods Fasting insulin and glucose were determined in subsets of 426 essential hypertensives, and normotensives. HOMA was calculated as fasting glucose (mmol) × fasting insulin (μU/ml)/22.5. Results Four hundred and twenty-six essential hypertensives and normotensives from four HERMES centers form the basis of this report. There was no difference in the HOMA index between hypertensives and normotensives (P = 0.291) or between hypertensives grouped according to blood pressure salt sensitivity (P = 0.153). However, when essential hypertensives were subgrouped by renin status, the low-renin group had significantly lower (P < 0.01) HOMA index than the normal/high-renin group. When normal/high-renin group was divided into modulators and non-modulators, the non-modulators had significantly higher HOMA index (P < 0.001) than other hypertensive subsets. The effect of sodium intake on the HOMA index was significant only for non-modulators (P < 0.002), with salt restriction increasing insulin resistance. Conclusion Insulin sensitivity differs among subsets of essential hypertension, non-modulators being most insulin resistant and the low-renin subset insulin sensitive. Salt restriction might have an adverse effect on insulin sensitivity in non-modulators. The reduction in cardiovascular risk seen in low-renin hypertensives may be related to their increased insulin sensitivity; in contrast, the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors seen in non-modulators may be due to increased insulin resistance.
Safer and Greener Catalysts – Design of High Performance, Biodegradable and Low Toxicity Ionic Liquids

Molten salts which are ionic (i.e. a mixture of cation and anion) in nature and have a melting point below 100 °C are termed as Ionic liquids (ILs). [1] Preferably salts which are liquid at room temperature are called room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). ILs have received great attention in the last couple of decades due to their unique properties such as low va‐ pour pressure, high thermal stability, recyclability, non-flammability, and control over the product distribution. [2,3] Due to the control over fugative emission; ILs can be a replace‐ ment for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are commonly used as solvents in or‐ ganic processes. Since the first ionic liquid was reported, [4] there has been a large number of articles been published with different types of cations and anions. One can easily design 1018 possible structures of ILs by varying cations and anions. This makes them “designer” molecules. [5-9] These designed combinations have already been found useful in different fields of chemistry, such as organic chemistry, [10-14] electrochemistry, [15-19] analytical chemistry, [20-24] and biochemistry. [15,25]
Association of the TaqI A polymorphism of the dopamine D(2) receptor gene with predisposition to neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

OBJECTIVE The pathophysiology of neuroleptic malignant syndrome is mainly explained by a central hypodopaminergic state. The familial occurrence of neuroleptic malignant syndrome suggests the involvement of a genetic mechanism in the predisposition to the syndrome. Therefore, the authors examined the association between the TaqI A polymorphism of the dopamine D(2) receptor gene (DRD(2)), which alters DRD(2) density and function, and the development of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. METHOD The subjects were 15 psychiatric patients who had developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome (12 patients with schizophrenia and three with major depression) and 138 patients with schizophrenia who had never developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The TaqI A genotypes, A1 and A2 alleles, were determined by the polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS The frequency of the A1 allele was significantly higher in the patients who had developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome (56.8%) than in the patients who had not (35.1%). The proportion of the A1 carrier was significantly higher in the patients with neuroleptic malignant syndrome (14 [93.3%] of 15 patients) than in those without the syndrome (79 [57.2%] of 138 patients). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the TaqI A DRD(2) polymorphism is associated with the predisposition to neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Pseudoachondroplasia and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia: Mutation review, molecular interactions, and genotype to phenotype correlations

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) constitute a bone dysplasia family, which is both genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous. The disease spectrum ranges from mild MED, which manifests with pain and stiffness in the joints and delayed and irregular ossification of the epiphyses, to the more severe PSACH, which is characterized by marked short stature, deformity of the legs, and ligamentous laxity. PSACH is almost exclusively caused by mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) whereas various forms of MED are caused by mutations in the genes encoding COMP, type IX collagen (COL9A1, COL9A2, and COL9A3), matrilin‐3 (MATN3), and solute carrier member 26, member 2 gene (SLC26A2). In this review we discuss specific disease‐causing mutations and the clustering of these mutations in functionally and structurally important regions of the respective gene products, genotype to phenotype correlations, and the diagnostic relevance of mutation screening in these osteochondrodysplasias. Hum Mutat 19:465–478, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of Chromium on the Natural Antioxidant Barrier

Hexavalent chromium (VI) compounds are widely used in industry, while trivalent chromium (III) is used as a nutritional supplement. CrVI is generally considered more toxic and carcinogenic than its trivalent form and the toxicity of this metal is associated with free radical processes generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). The detailed mechanism of ROS formation by chromium and its compounds remains largely unknown. This paper investigates the effects of both chromium III and VI on the activity of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), the level of reduced glutathione (GSH), and the ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in human blood. Our study shows that chromium III does not affect the levels of GSH, but it decreases FRAP. It also affects SOD in a dose-dependent manner while having no effect on the activity of GPx. CrVI, on the other hand, causes a decrease of SOD activity, increases the activity of GPx, reduces the level of GSH and, similarly to CrIII, shows a negative effect on FRAP.
Protective effects of Swertia longifolia Boiss. and its active compound, swerchirin, on paracetamol‐induced hepatotoxicity in mice

Aerial parts of Swertia longifolia Boiss. (Gentianaceae), which grows in the north of Iran, were screened for hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol (acetaminophen)‐induced hepatotoxicity in Swiss mice. Pretreatment with total plant extract and swerchirin, the major component of the plant, significantly reduced the elevation of biochemical parameters, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase), the enzymes that are increased by liver damage (P < 0.001). Our results indicated that total plant extract and swerchirin were hepatoprotective in the range of 6–50 mg kg−1 orally.
Activation of Angiotensinogen and Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Gene Expression in the Left Ventricle of Senescent Rats

BackgroundDuring senescence, the plasma angiotensin II concentration is decreased, but the regulation of intracardiac angiotensin II synthesis has never been investigated. The purpose of this work was to determine the cardiac content of both angiotensinogen (ANG) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) mRNAs in 24-month-old Wistar rats. Methods and ResultsTotal cardiac RNAs and known amounts of ANG and ACE mRNA transcripts, used as standards, were hybridized on slot blots with specific cDNA probes. The quantities of ANG and ACE mRNA were evaluated from the regression lines obtained with fragments of ANG and ACE mRNA in vitro transcripts. With aging, while the overall plasma renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity decreased, in the left ventricle (LV) the amounts of ANG and ACE mRNAs were increased by fivefold (P<.01) and 2.5-fold (P<.01), respectively, compared with young adult controls. By contrast, in the right ventricle (RV) the same mRNA levels remained unchanged. In parallel, we also found an enhanced expression of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in the LV but not in the RV. ConclusionsDuring senescence, the depressed circulating RAS activity is in contrast to the increase of both ANG and ACE mRNA levels in the LV. Such an upregulation in both gene activities is more likely to be related to the age-associated changes in arterial compliance rather than to hormonal changes, since (1) this regulation is found only in the LV and (2) the same pattern of regulation is also observed for the ANF mRNA level.
Luteolytic potency of a prostaglandin analogue at different stages of the oestrous cycle in red deer (Cervus elaphus) hinds.

The luteolytic effect of the prostaglandin F2 alpha analogue, cloprostenol, was investigated in red deer by monitoring concentrations of plasma progesterone, the induction of oestrus and ovulation, and fertility. Oestrus was synchronized in 48 adult hinds by intravaginal delivery of exogenous progesterone for 12 days and i.m. injection of 250 iu pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin at progesterone withdrawal. A single i.m. dose of 500 micrograms cloprostenol was administered at day 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16 of the subsequent oestrous cycle (n = 6 hinds per treatment; day 0 = oestrus). Six other hinds were monitored by intensive collection of blood samples between day 16 and day 19 to define changes in plasma progesterone concentrations during spontaneous luteolysis. Samples of jugular blood, collected every second day throughout the study and every 6 h for 78 h from the time of administration of cloprostenol, were analysed for plasma concentrations of progesterone and LH. Oestrus was detected by continuous observation during the period of intensive collection of blood samples and all hinds were subjected to transrectal ultrasonography to assess pregnancy status. On the basis of changes in plasma progesterone concentrations, cloprostenol induced complete luteolysis in all hinds treated on days 8-16 and in five of six hinds treated on day 6. Oestrus, ovulation and conception occurred in 25 (69%), 28 (78%) and 25 (69%), respectively, of hinds treated on days 6-16 inclusive (n = 36). Luteolysis was incomplete in all hinds treated on day 4, and none of the animals exhibited oestrus or ovulated; luteolysis was incomplete for one hind treated on day 6. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A serology-based approach combined with clinical examination of 125 Ro/SSA-positive patients to define incidence and prevalence of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the incidence and prevalence of Ro/SSA-positive subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) in Stockholm County, Sweden (1.8 million inhabitants) and to investigate the frequency of photosensitivity and other clinical manifestations associated with Ro/SSA autoantibodies. METHODS Ro/SSA-positive patients in Stockholm were identified via registry-based searches. All patients who tested positive for the presence of Ro/SSA autoantibodies during 1996-2002 (n = 1,323; 85% women) were identified. A questionnaire was sent to all patients still living in Stockholm in 2003 (n = 1,048). Patients who reported having skin symptoms and photosensitivity (n = 125) underwent a clinical examination. RESULTS Of the 741 (71%) of 1,048 Ro/SSA-positive patients who responded to the questionnaire, 400 (54%) reported having photosensitivity, and of these patients, 125 agreed to be clinically examined. A diagnosis of LE was confirmed in 59 of the 125 patients (SCLE in 20, systemic LE [SLE] in 33, and chronic CLE in 6). Eighty-six patients reported experiencing symptoms consistent with polymorphous light eruption (PLE). Comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and other skin diseases were common. The incidence of Ro/SSA-positive SCLE during the study period was estimated to be 0.7 cases per 100,000 persons per year and the prevalence was approximately 6.2-14 in 100,000 persons. CONCLUSION The incidence of Ro/SSA-positive SCLE in Stockholm County, Sweden is estimated to be 0.7 per 100,000 persons per year as compared with an incidence of SLE in Sweden of 4.8 per 100,000 persons per year. The prevalence is estimated to be 6.2-14 in 100,000 persons. Self-reported photosensitivity commonly corresponds to a history of PLE in Ro/SSA-positive patients, even when the clinical profile of SCLE is absent. Photoprotection should therefore be included in the treatment recommendations for these patients.
Detection of an atypical 7q11.23 deletion in Williams syndrome patients which does not include the STX1A and FZD3 genes

We present two patients with the full Williams syndrome (WS) phenotype carrying a smaller deletion than typically observed. The deleted region spans from the elastin gene to marker D7S1870. This observation narrows the minimal region of deletion in WS and suggests that the syntaxin 1A and frizzled genes are not responsible for the major features of this developmental disorder and provides important insight into understanding the genotype-phenotype correlation in WS.
What is the value of global health electives during medical school?

Purpose: To determine whether global health (GH) electives enhanced the development of medical students and to examine the influence on host communities. Methods: A retrospective survey study was conducted with Queen's University undergraduate medical students who had participated in a GH elective. Participants rated the influence of their elective on the aspects of their professional and personal development and their perceived community impact on a scale of 0–5. Results: The highest rated statements focused on the students’ personal development and whether the elective provided a valuable learning experience (4.39 and 4.07, respectively). Students also reported a heightened level of awareness of social determinants of health (mean rating of 3.98). The statements with the lowest mean ratings involved students’ perceptions of their impact on the communities. Overall, 73.5% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that GH electives are valuable to medical education. Conclusion: GH electives benefit the professional and personal development of medical students. Although students gain significantly from their experience, they are unable to assess the impact of their work on the community. Thus, there is a need to assess the effect from both the perspective of the students and of the community members.
Removal of Reactive Dye from Wastewater by Adsorption Using ECH Cross-Linked Chitosan Beads as Medium

Abstract The feasibility of the removal of reactive dye from wastewater using a novel adsorbent, ECH cross-linked chitosan beads, as medium was examined. The effect of the pH and the initial concentration of the dye (RR222) solution on the adsorption capacity of the ECH cross-linked chitosan beads were also investigated. It was found that the initial dye concentration and the pH of the solution significantly affected the adsorption capacity. An increase in initial dye concentration results in the increase of adsorption capacity while an acidic pH was found to be favorable for the adsorption of dye. It was also found that the equilibrium adsorption of RR222 could be adequately described by using the Langmuir model (r 2 ≥ 0.999). Moreover, results showed that the adsorption rate of RR222 onto ECH cross-linked chitosan beads could be described by using the second-order kinetic model, suggesting that chemical sorption instead of mass transfer was the rate-limiting step for the adsorption process. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir model was extremely high as compared to the data reported in literature; 2252 g/kg at 30°C with a pH of 3.0. Therefore, ECH cross-linked chitosan beads could be a feasible medium for the removal of reactive dye from wastewater and potentially an alternative for the decolorization of wastewater.
Depression and the menopause.

nebulisers are bulky and cumbersome. Dry powder inhalers may provide the answer; the original powder inhalers (Spinhaler and Rotahaler) have the inconvenience that a gelatine capsule containing the drug powder has to be loaded before use, but two new multidose powder inhalers (Diskhaler and Turbohaler) have recently been introduced. The Diskhaler contains eight doses of either salbutamol or beclomethasone dipropionate, while the Turbohaler (known as Turbuhaler in other countries) contains 200 metered doses of terbutaline sulphate in the manner of a metered dose inhaler but without additives of any kind.4 The topical corticosteroid budesonide is available from Turbuhaler in some European countries. Powder inhalers have the further merit that they are breathactuated and can be used satisfactorily by patients who cannot use a metered dose inhaler correctly. Turbohaler, Diskhaler, and other future multidose powder inhalers may provide one key to treating asthma in the coming decades.
Early Virological Failure after Tenofovir + Didanosine + Efavirenz Combination in HIV-Positive Patients upon Starting Antiretroviral Therapy

A prospective, randomized pilot trial was conducted in naive patients comparing three different combinations: zidovudine+lamivudine+lopinavir/ritonavir (arm A) versus tenofovir+lamivudine+efavirenz (arm B) versus tenofovir+didanosine+efavirenz (arm C). HIV-RNA slope (days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28) was slower in arm C with respect to arm B (P<0.0001). Seven out of eight patients (87.5%) reached undetectable HIV-RNA by week 28 in arm A, 10/10 (100%) in arm B and 6/10 (60%) in arm C. Among arm C patients who failed at week 4, one HIV isolate showed 67N and 219Q, and another one showed 210F and 215D substitutions in the HIV reverse transcriptase gene at baseline, respectively. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistance-related mutations appeared first, followed by 65R mutations in all cases. Efavirenz AUC0–24 values were lower in arm C with respect to arm B, especially in patients who failed early. A high virological failure rate after tenofovir+didanosine+efavirenz correlated with a slower HIV-RNA decrease and a peculiar accumulation of resistance mutations. A constellation of factors could be correlated with early failure events in patients receiving this combination such as resistance mutations or polymorphisms present at baseline, low CD4+ T-cell count or advanced disease and unexpectedly low efavirenz plasma levels.
Tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration: two sides of the same coin?

Dysregulation of genes that control cell‐cycle progression and DNA repair is a hallmark of tumorigenesis. It is becoming increasingly apparent, however, that these defects also contribute to degeneration of post‐mitotic neurons under certain conditions. The gene for ataxia‐telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a prototype for this dual mechanism of action, with loss‐of‐function mutations causing not only selective degeneration of cerebellar neurons but also increased susceptibility to breast cancer and hematologic malignancy. Increased dosage of amyloid precursor protein in Down syndrome (trisomy 21) predisposes to dementia of Alzheimer type and may also contribute to acute leukemia and transient myeloproliferative disorder. The gene parkin, loss‐of‐function mutations in which account for about half of cases of early‐onset Parkinson disease, has been identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene by several groups. Parkin is deleted or downregulated in several tumor types, and its re‐expression sensitizes derivative cell lines to inhibitors of cell‐cycle progression. The overlap of molecular pathways implicated in cancer and neurodegeneration challenges long‐held notions about differentiated cellular states and may open the door to novel therapeutic approaches to both groups of disorders. BioEssays 30:719–727, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.