Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay to Measure Serum Ferritin and the Relationship between Serum Ferritin and Nonheme Iron Stores in Cats

Serum ferritin concentration correlates with tissue iron stores in humans, horses, calves, dogs, and pigs but not in rats. Because serum iron and total iron-binding capacity can be affected by disorders unrelated to iron adequacy (such as hypoproteinemia, chronic infection, hemolytic anemia, hypothyroidism, and renal disease), serum ferritin is probably the most reliable indicator of total body iron stores in larger species. To test the hypothesis that serum ferritin might be correlated with tissue iron levels in cats, we developed a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that uses two monoclonal antibodies in a sandwich arrangement to measure feline serum ferritin. The recovery of purified ferritin added to feline sera ranged from 94% to 104%; the within-assay coefficient of variability was 8.4%, and the assay-to-assay variability was 13.2%. Mean serum ferritin from 40 apparently healthy cats was 76 ng ml (SD = 24 ng/ml). Serum ferritin concentration was significantly correlated (P < 0.001, n = 101, r = 0.365) with the nonheme iron in the liver and spleen (expressed as milligrams of iron per kilogram of body weight), as determined by Pearson product-moment correlation analysis. Because serum iron can decrease in diseases other than iron deficiency, the combination of serum iron and serum ferritin should provide sufficient evidence to differentiate anemia of chronic inflammation from anemia of iron deficiency in the cat.
Effect of probiotic and prebiotic as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on productive and carcass traits of broiler chicks

The application of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters in livestock diet threatens consumer health and has arisen into a controversial issue worldwide. Thus,this study was designed to investigate the impact of probiotic and prebiotic as growth promoter agents compared to antibiotic on performance and carcass traits of broiler chicks. A total of two hundred and forty,one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four treatments with four replicates of fifteen chicks based on a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control, experimental groups receiving 3 mg/kg flavophospholipol, 15mg/kg Protoxin TM and, 1 g/kg manna oligosaccharide as AGP, probiotic and prebiotic, respectively.Body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were recorded at 2 week intervalsto week 7of the experiment. At 42 d, two birds per replicate were slaughtered for determination of carcass yield and internal organ weights.Diet supplementationwith probiotic and prebiotic increased body weight of broilers at 28 and 42 d of age (P<0.05) compared to control birds. Broilers fed probiotic statistically consumed more feed over the entire experimental periods. Feed efficiency improved slightly in different periodsin supplemented groups compared to control birds. Carcass yield and relative organ weights were not influenced by dietary treatments, but inclusion of prebiotic and antibiotic in the diet significantly reduced the weight of abdominal fat pad of birds in comparison to control birds. The results obtained in this study indicated that dietary inclusion of probiotic and prebiotic supported a superior performance of chicksand can be applied as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions in broilers diet.
Diverse roles for the third complementarity determining region of the heavy chain (H3) in the binding of immunoglobulin Fv fragments to DNA, nucleosomes and cardiolipin

Autoantibodies to DNA and chromatin employ junctional diversity and somatic mutations to generate or enhance antigen recognition. To define the role of diversity generating mechanisms in the etiology of autoantibodies to nuclear antigens, the heavy (H) chain of a murine autoantibody, 3H9, was used in its somatically mutated or germ‐line form in conjunction with its own or with heterologous CDR3 (H3) domains. The resulting H chains were expressed together with the 3H9 light (L) chain as single‐chain Fv (scFv) in Escherichia coli and assayed for binding to DNA, nucleosomes, or cardiolipin by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. All recombinant scFv exhibited nearly identical binding to cardiolipin. In contrast, the binding to nuclear antigens was drastically reduced by the reversion of mutations in 3H9 or the exchange of H3, such that only 3H9 itself bound strongly to single‐stranded DNA, double‐stranded DNA and nucleosomes. The results illustrate diverse interactions between a single combining site and different autoantigens. The analysis of these interactions suggests that the 3H9 VH domain, as encoded by the germ line, directs binding to cardiolipin, whereas structural determinants of H3, in concert with the remainder of the combining site, guide the maturation of antibody binding toward nuclear autoantigens.
Evaluation of antibiotics for treatment of cattle infected with Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate antibiotics for treatment of cattle with leptospirosis caused by Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS 42 healthy mixed-breed cattle. PROCEDURE Cattle were inoculated via conjunctival instillation with L. borgpetersenii serovar hardjo. After infection and urinary shedding of L. borgpetersenii were confirmed, cattle were treated with various antibiotics. To determine effectiveness of antibiotic treatment, urinary shedding of L. borgpetersenii was monitored for 4 to 6 weeks after administration of antibiotics, using darkfield microscopic examination, microbial culture, immunofluorescence testing, and a polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS All inoculated cattle developed leptospirosis and shed leptospires in their urine. The following antibiotic treatments resulted in elimination of urinary shedding of leptospires: a single injection of oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg 19 mg/lb] of body weight, IM), tilmicosin (10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb], SC), or a combination product that contained dihydrostreptomycin-penicillin G (25 mg/kg [11.4 mg/lb], IM) or multiple injections of ceftiofur sodium (2.2 or 5 mg/kg [1 or 2.3 mg/lb], IM, once daily for 5 days, or 20 mg/kg, IM, once daily for 3 days). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Successful resolution of leptospirosis in cattle by administration of dihydrostreptomycin-penicillin G confirms results obtained by other investigators. Three other antibiotics (oxytetracycline, tilmicosin, and ceftiofur) also were effective for resolving leptospirosis and may be useful substitutes for dihydrostreptomycin, an antibiotic that is no longer available for use in food-producing animals in the United States. Cost, safety, and withdrawal times of these various treatment options need to be considered.
Correlates of Frailty Among Homeless Adults

Frailty, a relatively unexplored concept among vulnerable populations, may be a significant issue for homeless adults. This cross-sectional study assessed correlates of frailty among middle age and older homeless adults (N = 150, 40-73). A Pearson (r) bivariate correlation revealed a weak relationship between frailty and being female (r = .230, p < .01). Significant moderate negative correlations were found between frailty and resilience (r = −.395, p < .01), social support (r = −.377, p < .01), and nutrition (r = −.652, p < .01). Furthermore, Spearman’s rho (rs) bivariate correlations revealed a moderate positive relationship between frailty and health care utilization (rs = .444, p < .01). A stepwise backward linear regression analysis was conducted and in the final model, age, gender, health care utilization, nutrition, and resilience were significantly related to frailty. Over the next two decades, there is an anticipated increase in the number of homeless adults which will necessitate a greater understanding of the needs of this hard-to-reach population.
Model analysis of the contrasting effects of GM‐CSF and G‐CSF treatment on peripheral blood neutrophils observed in three patients with childhood‐onset cyclic neutropenia

Human cyclic neutropenia (CN) is a rare haematological disorder characterized by regular fluctuation in the serial count of blood neutrophils. The oscillations occur at subnormal levels with a stable 3‐week period. To reduce the risk of serious infections during the severe neutropenic nadir phases (<0.25 ×109 neutrophils/l) patients are usually treated with recombinant growth factors. Compared with G‐CSF, which has been shown to enhance the amplitudes substantially, the response to GM‐CSF is poor: neutrophil numbers are not amplified, the cycles remain unchanged or are dampened. However, two cases with a modest neutrophil increase have been reported in the literature. In a recently published clinical study the different effects of GM‐CSF and G‐CSF application have been investigated in the same patients. Based on a mathematical model of CN we previously proposed, the detailed neutrophil data measured in this study are analysed by simulation. The contrasting clinical results can be quantitatively explained by the model concept of regulatory control together with possible individual feedback defects, i.e. abnormally reduced mitotic responsiveness of granulopoietic progenitor cells to GM‐CSF and G‐CSF.
HEPATOCELLULAR DYSFUNCTION OCCURS EARLIER THAN THE ONSET OF HYPERDYNAMIC CIRCULATION DURING SEPSIS

Studies indicate that hepatocellular dysfunction occurs at 2 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP, i.e., sepsis model) despite the increased cardiac output (CO) and hepatic perfusion. It, however, remains unknown whether hepatocellular function is depressed earlier than the onset of hyperdynamic circulation in sepsis. To determine this, rats were subjected to sepsis by CLP. At . 5, 1, 1.5, or 2 h after CLP, CO was measured by dye dilution. Hepatocellular function (i.e., maximum velocity of indocyanine green clearance and the efficiency of the active transport) was determined using an in vivo indocyanine green clearance technique. Microvascular blood flow was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. To determine whether there is any association between hemodynamics and prostaglandins (PGs), plasma levels of PGE2 and PGI2 were measured by radioimmunoassay. The results indicate that hepatocellular function decreased significantly as early as 1.5 h after CLP. Cardiac output and microvascular blood flow in the liver and small intestine, however, increased and vascular resistance decreased at 2 h after CLP. Thus, hepatocellular dysfunction occurs earlier than the occurrence of hyperdynamic circulation during sepsis. Although circulating PGE2 levels were not altered, plasma PGI2 increased significantly at 2 h after CLP. The elevated circulating PGI2 levels, therefore, may be partially responsible for the decreased vascular resistance and increased tissue perfusion at 2 h after CLP. Our findings also suggest that cellular dysfunction, observed in the very early stage of sepsis, is not due to any hyperdynamic circulation/hypermetabolism-related events, but may be associated with the release of proinflammatory cytokines.
Peak Alignment in Falling Accents in Estonian

This study investigates the extent to which tonal alignment contributes to the differentiation between quantity degrees in Estonian. For this purpose, the temporal displacement of tone targets was measured in read sentences consisting of accented words followed by different numbers of syllables. The accented word was produced with a falling melody and varied over the three possible vowel quantities in Estonian: short, long, and overlong. In agreement with studies for other languages, the accented word's pitch-accent was timed to occur earlier when there were fewer syllables in the tail. In addition, the peak of the overlong quantity degree was proportionally timed earliest, the peak of the short quantity degree latest and the peak of the long quantity degree in between these two. The general conclusion is that quantity and the post-focal context in Estonian influences the way in which the tone targets are segmentally aligned.
A New Model for Olfactory Placode Development

The peripheral nervous system of vertebrate animals arises primarily from the interaction of cranial neural crest and sensory placodes. Placodes are described as thickenings of ectoderm that arise through cell division during neural tube formation. The olfactory sensory system is one component of the peripheral nervous system that arises from paired sensory placodes during development. The olfactory placodes give rise to the primary sensory neurons, support cells and basal cells of the olfactory epithelium. Recent evidence from work in zebrafish and chick suggests that the olfactory and auditory placodes arise from large fields of cells that converge to form the sensory placode. The olfactory placodes arise from within the neural plate, and cell division is apparent only after the sensory placodes are morphologically distinct. As the olfactory placode is forming, its precursors must segregate from their neighboring fields which will give rise to the adenohypophyseal placode, cranial neural crest, and telencephalon. Analysis has shown that the endocrine cells thought to arise from the olfactory placode originate in the neighboring adenohypophyseal and cranial neural crest domains. The borders separating the domains are plastic, where cells sort as they move, and cell fate is dependent on the identity of neighbors once the cells have converged to form the sensory placode. Thus there is degeneracy built into the system such that cells accommodate changes in the environment until cell migrations controlling the formation of the sensory placodes are complete.
Role of brainstem serotonin in analgesia produced by low-intensity exercise on neuropathic pain after sciatic nerve injury in mice

Abstract Physical exercise is a low-cost, safe, and efficient intervention for the reduction of neuropathic chronic pain in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms for how exercise reduces neuropathic pain are not yet well understood. Central monoaminergic systems play a critical role in endogenous analgesia leading us to hypothesize that the analgesic effect of low-intensity exercise occurs through activation of monoaminergic neurotransmission in descending inhibitory systems. To test this hypothesis, we induced peripheral nerve injury (PNI) by crushing the sciatic nerve. The exercise intervention consisted of low-intensity treadmill running for 2 weeks immediately after injury. Animals with PNI showed an increase in pain-like behaviors that were reduced by treadmill running. Reduction of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) synthesis using the tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor para-chlorophenylalanine methyl ester prevented the analgesic effect of exercise. However, blockade catecholamine synthesis with the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine had no effect. In parallel, 2 weeks of exercise increased brainstem levels of the 5-HT and its metabolites (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid), decreased expression of the serotonin transporter, and increased expression of 5-HT receptors (5HT-1B, 2A, 2C). Finally, PNI-induced increase in inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta, in the brainstem, was reversed by 2 weeks of exercise. These findings provide new evidence indicating that low-intensity aerobic treadmill exercise suppresses pain-like behaviors in animals with neuropathic pain by enhancing brainstem 5-HT neurotransmission. These data provide a rationale for the analgesia produced by exercise to provide an alternative approach to the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
Imaging of blunt vascular neck injuries: a clinical perspective.

OBJECTIVE We will review the common injuries and anatomic distributions of blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs) of the neck, explain the grading criteria, and discuss the corresponding management. Artifacts associated with BCVI on CT will also be examined. CONCLUSION Identifying common injury patterns and anatomic distributions associated with BCVI can help decide the grade and management earlier and reduce the risk for potential complications. Recognizing the common artifacts associated with BCVI helps the reader successfully recognize a true BCVI.
Effects of Short-term Exposure to the DDT Metabolite p,p′-DDE on Bone Tissue in Male Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

Experimental studies as well as studies in free-ranging animals have shown that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) impair bone tissue composition and strength. The aim of the present study was to expand our studies on bone tissue in a new group of animals by investigating whether bone tissue in frogs is an additional potential target of EDCs. Adult male European common frogs (Rana temporaria) were divided into 5 groups (n = 20) and injected (sc, single injection) with p,p′-DDE, a total dose of 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg of p,p′-DDE/kg body weight, respectively. A control group was treated with the vehicle (corn oil). Two weeks after injection the frogs were euthanized and samples taken. The diaphysis of the excised left femur was scanned using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and cortical variables, such as cortical bone mineral density (BMD), cortical cross-sectional area (CSA), and periosteal circumference, were determined. In addition, biomechanical three-point bending of the bones was conducted, with the load being applied to the same point as where the pQCT measurement was performed. The results from the pQCT measurements show that bone tissue in male frogs exposed to p,p′-DDE is negatively affected. A significant decrease in cortical BMD at the diaphysis was observed in frogs exposed to 1 mg p,p′-DDE. However, the biomechanical testing of the bones showed no significant differences between exposed and control group. Although this is the only study performed to date examining the possible relationships between EDCs and negative effects on frog bones, it supports both previous experimental findings in rodents and findings in free-ranging animals.
Detection and identification of Mycobacterium species by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from paraffin-embedded tissue compare to AFB staining in pathological sections.

BACKGROUND Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a recent, rapid and reliable method in the detection of causative organism. The authors tried to determine the possibility of using PCR technique as an alternative way to detect mycobacterial DNA from paraffin-embedded tissue to avoid repeated biopsy from the patient. MATERIAL AND METHOD Paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, the corresponding histopathologic slides, and cultural results were retrospectively searched for according to the patient's records, the granuloma clinic, Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand from 1994-2000. One hundred and thirty-one tissue blocks and slides were found but only 120 cultural results were retrieved Histologic sections were reviewed for AFB findings and PCR was done using 16S rRNA sequences to detect M. tuberculosis by one-tube nested technique and multiplex PCR for M. marinum and M. fortuitum complex. RESULTS The causative organisms were identified by AFB staining in pathologic sections 31.29%, by PCR 35.87%, and by culture 30.00% of tested samples. The sensitivity of PCR when compared to AFB result was 29.26%, specificity 61.11% but when compared to cultural results, the sensitivity of PCR was 66.67% and AFB sensitivity was 41.66% with specificity 76.19% and 72.61% respectively. CONCLUSION The low sensitivity of the PCR method may be due to formalin fixation, deparaffinization process, DNA extraction method, the use of 16S rRNA-based primers and the length of the expected product, and the tissue type that may have Taq polymerase inhibitor. Therefore, PCR should be used to augment the information of the conventional method in the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection.
Unemotional traits predict early processing deficit for fearful expressions in young violent offenders: an investigation using continuous flash suppression

Background Research evidence suggests that cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in social information processing may underlie the key aspects associated with the emergence of aggression and psychopathy. Despite extensive research in this field, it is unclear whether this deficit relates to general attentional problems or affects early stages of information processing. Therefore, the aim was to explore the link between aggression, psychopathic traits, and the early processing deficits in young antisocial violent offenders (YAVOs) and healthy controls (CTLs). Method Participants were presented with rapidly changing Mondrian-like images in one eye, while a neutral or emotional (happy, angry, fearful, disgusted, surprised, sad) face was slowly introduced to the other eye. Participants indicated the location in which the face had appeared on the screen, reflecting the time when they became aware of the stimulus. The relative processing advantage was obtained by subtracting mean reaction times for emotional from neutral faces. Results The results indicated that individuals with higher levels of unemotional traits tended to exhibit an extensive early processing disadvantage for fearful facial expressions; this relationship was only evident in the YAVO as opposed to the CTL sample. Conclusions These findings indicate that an emotion processing deficit in antisocial individuals is present even at the most basic levels of processing and closely related to certain psychopathic traits. Furthermore, this early processing deficit appears to be highly specific to fearful expressions, which is consistent with predictions made by influential models of psychopathy. The clinical significance and potential implications of the results are discussed.
A functional approach to syntax: in generative description of language

Come with us to read a new book that is coming recently. Yeah, this is a new coming book that many people really want to read will you be one of them? Of course, you should be. It will not make you feel so hard to enjoy your life. Even some people think that reading is a hard to do, you must be sure that you can do it. Hard will be felt when you have no ideas about what kind of book to read. Or sometimes, your reading material is not interesting enough.
Are overweight women at increased risk of obesity following pregnancy?

Longitudinal studies suggest that women who already have a high BMI are at greater risk of maternal obesity than their lighter counterparts. The aim of the present study was to investigate this possibility by examining the relationship between reproductive history and maternal BMI in a community of 627 women from South Africa with a high prevalence of obesity. Standardized questionnaires were used to obtain detailed sociodemographic and behavioural information, while maternal weight and height were both measured at the time of the interview. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that maternal age (r2 0·015, P = 0·001), smoking status (r2 0·012, P = 0·036), and social support (r2 0·011, P = 0·006) were all independently associated with maternal BMI. If overweight women were at increased risk of maternal obesity, then the positive relationship between reproductive history and maternal BMI should be enhanced in this relatively obese community, yet the ANCOVA models showed no independent association between gravidity and maternal BMI after controlling for the effects of confounding factors. Although previous longitudinal studies have found a positive association between prepregnant weight and long-term weight gain, this relationship might arise because overweight women gain more weight over a fixed period of time than normal weight women, and therefore they may appear to be at greater risk of pregnancy-related weight gains. Overweight women are at greater risk of weight gain generally, but there is little unequivocal evidence to suggest that they are at any increased risk of maternal obesity, when compared with women of lower BMI.