Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cut to the chase: a review of CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase‐4's (DPP4) entanglement in the immune system

CD26/DPP4 (dipeptidyl peptidase 4/DP4/DPPIV) is a surface T cell activation antigen and has been shown to have DPP4 enzymatic activity, cleaving‐off amino‐terminal dipeptides with either L‐proline or L‐alanine at the penultimate position. It plays a major role in glucose metabolism by N‐terminal truncation and inactivation of the incretins glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP) and gastric inhibitory protein (GIP). In 2006, DPP4 inhibitors have been introduced to clinics and have been demonstrated to efficiently enhance the endogenous insulin secretion via prolongation of the half‐life of GLP‐1 and GIP in patients. However, a large number of studies demonstrate clearly that CD26/DPP4 also plays an integral role in the immune system, particularly in T cell activation. Therefore, inhibition of DPP4 might represent a double‐edged sword. Apart from the metabolic benefit, the associated immunological effects of long term DPP4 inhibition on regulatory processes such as T cell homeostasis, maturation and activation are not understood fully at this stage. The current data point to an important role for CD26/DPP4 in maintaining lymphocyte composition and function, T cell activation and co‐stimulation, memory T cell generation and thymic emigration patterns during immune‐senescence. In rodents, critical immune changes occur at baseline levels as well as after in‐vitro and in‐vivo challenge. In patients receiving DPP4 inhibitors, evidence of immunological side effects also became apparent. The scope of this review is to recapitulate the role of CD26/DPP4 in the immune system regarding its pharmacological inhibition and T cell‐dependent immune regulation.
Preoperative visualization of the artery of Adamkiewicz by dual-phase CT angiography in patients with aortic aneurysm.

To improve our ability to visualize the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA), we developed a modified intravenous CT angiography technique, which we refer to as right atrial CT (RA-CT) angiography. In this study, AKA detection rate and visualization of the arterial continuity from the aorta to the anterior spinal cord artery (ASA) was evaluated using RA-CT angiography.We performed RA-CT angiography in 110 patients with abdominal, thoracic descending, or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. In RA-CT angiography, contrast medium with a high iodine concentration (370 mg/dl) was injected twice into the right atrium at a high injection rate (8.0 ml/sec), and two CT scans, starting at 20 sec after the first injection and at 35 sec after the second injection, respectively, were performed. All CT images were obtained using an 8- or 16-detector CT scanner at a slice thickness of 0.625 mm. The AKA was defined as the largest radiculomedullary artery with a characteristic hairpin turn, and with continuity from the aorta to the ASA.The AKA with hairpin turn was detected in all patients (100%), and continuity from the aorta to the ASA was confirmed in 99 of the 110 patients (90.0%). The AKA arose between Th8 and L1 in 86 of these patients (86.8%), and originated from the left side in 71 patients (71.7%). RA-CT angiography may be useful for visualizing the AKA and the arterial continuity from the aorta to the ASA in patients with aortic aneurysm, although the use of more advanced CT machines will provide safe and easy identification of the AKA and arterial continuity with a small amount of contrast medium and a single scan.
Primary CD56 positive lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract

Primary CD56 positive lymphoma of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rare. Genotypically, these tumors can be classified into natural killer (NK)‐like T‐cell lymphoma or NK cell lymphoma by the presence or absence of T‐cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement. However, they have a considerable degree of morphologic and immunophenotypic overlap, making a definitive diagnosis difficult.
Factors That Alter Rumen Microbial Ecology

Ruminant animals and ruminal microorganisms have a symbiotic relationship that facilitates fiber digestion, but domestic ruminants in developed countries are often fed an abundance of grain and little fiber. When ruminants are fed fiber-deficient rations, physiological mechanisms of homeostasis are disrupted, ruminal pH declines, microbial ecology is altered, and the animal becomes more susceptible to metabolic disorders and, in some cases, infectious disease. Some disorders can be counteracted by feed additives (for example, antibiotics and buffers), but these additives can alter the composition of the ruminal ecosystem even further.
The Effect of Xenobiotic Exposure on Spontaneous Autoimmunity in (SWR × SJL)F1 Hybrid Mice

F1 hybrids of SWR (H-2 q ) and SJL (H-2 s ) mice spontaneously develop a lupuslike condition in an age-dependent manner, and these two H-2 haplotypes also confer susceptibility to induction of systemic autoimmunity by heavy metals such as mercury, silver, and gold with anti-fibrillarin antibodies (AFA) as marker. The aim of this study was to determine how the mixing of two susceptible genomes might influence expression of idiopathic and induced autoimmunity over a period of 14 mo of exposure to mercury and silver. Spontaneous autoimmunity first appeared as antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in females at 10 wk of age and in males at 10 mo of age, and was followed by development of anti-chromatin antibodies. Antibodies to double-stranded DNA developed in 60% of males and 20% of females. Thirty percent of males and 10% of females developed a coarsely speckled ANA pattern associated with high titers of anti-Sm antibodies. Glomerular immune complex (IC) deposits and a proliferative glomerulonephritis were seen at 17 mo of age. The F1 hybrids treated with metals showed no exaggeration of spontaneous autoimmunity. However, the metals suppressed the spontaneous development of anti-Sm and antichromatin antibodies. The metal-induced AFA, linked to the H-2 s and H-2 q haplotype, reached a maximum after 3–4 mo of treatment and then declined; 33% of the silver-treated hybrids finally became AFA-negative, despite continuous treatment. The decline in ANoA during metal treatment is contrary to the situation in metal-treated SJL mice. This indicates that dominant SWR background genes suppressed induction of certain autoimmune traits in the (SWR × SJL)F1 hybrid mice. This work was supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council, Branch of Medicine (project 9453), to P.Hultman, and by NIH grants ES09802, ES08080, ES08666, and ES07511. We thank Robert L. Rubin, The Scripps Research Institute, for supplying chromatin preparations, and Elham Nikookhesal for technical assistance. Yngve Åberg, PhD, provided statistical assistance.
Daily use of the physio dialysis system: long-term experience.

BACKGROUND Hypovolaemia has been implicated as a major causal factor of morbidity during haemodialysis (HD). In order to avoid the appearance of destabilising hypovolaemia a biofeedback control system for intra-HD blood volume (BV) change modelling has been developed (Hemocontrol, Hospal Italy). It is based on an adaptive controller incorporated into a HD machine (Integra, Hospal Italy). The Hemocontrol biofeedback system (HBS) monitors BV contraction during HD with an optical device; furthermore, HBS modulates BV contraction rates (by adjusting the ultrafiltration rate--UFR) and the refilling rate (by adjusting dialysate conductivity--DC) in order to obtain the desired pre-determined BV trajectories. METHODS Nineteen patients prone to hypotension (7 males, 12 females, mean age 64.5 +/- 3.0 SEM years, on maintenance HD for 80.5 +/- 13.2 months) volunteered for the prospective study which aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of bicarbonate HD treatmentequipped with HBS, as a whole (HBS),with the gold standard, bicarbonate treatment, equipped with a constant UFR and DC (BD). The study included one period of 6 months of BD always preceding a follow-up period of HBS treatment ranging from 14 to 30 months (mean 24.0 +/- 1.6). RESULTS The overall occurrence of symptomatic hypotension and muscle cramps was significantly less in HBS treatment. Self-evaluation of intra- and inter-HD symptoms (the worst score was o and the best one 10) did reveal a statistically significant difference, as far as post-HD fatigue is concerned (6.2 +/- 0.2 in HBS vs. 4.3 +/- 0.1 in BD treatment, p < 0.0001). No difference between the two treatments was observed when comparing pre- and post-HD lying blood pressure, heart rate, body weights and body weight changes. CONCLUSIONS HBS is an effective treatment. Hypovolaemia-associated morbidity occurs less in BD treatment than HBS. Furthermore, HBS is a safe treatment in the medium-term because these results are achieved without potentially harmful changes in blood pressure, body weight and serum sodium concentration.
Heart diseases and long-term risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease: a population-based CAIDE study.

BACKGROUND Many cardiovascular risk factors are shown to increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the impact of heart disease on later development of dementia is still unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) related to midlife and late-life atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), and coronary artery disease (CAD) in a population-based study with a follow-up of over 25 years. METHODS Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study includes 2000 participants who were randomly selected from four separate, population-based samples originally studied in midlife (1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987). Re-examinations were carried out in 1998 and 2005-2008. Altogether 1,510 (75.5%) persons participated in at least one re-examination, and 127 (8.4%) persons were diagnosed with dementia (of which 102 had AD). RESULTS AF in late-life was an independent risk factor for dementia (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.05-6.47; p = 0.039) and AD (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.04-6.16; p = 0.040) in the fully adjusted analyses. The association was even stronger among the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 non-carriers. Late-life HF, but not CAD, tended to increase the risks as well. Heart diseases diagnosed at midlife did not increase the risk of later dementia and AD. CONCLUSION Late-life heart diseases increase the subsequent risk of dementia and AD. Prevention and effective treatment of heart diseases may be important also from the perspective of brain health and cognitive functioning.
Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate is an ATP-receptor antagonist in freshly isolated rat cardiomyocytes.

Although extracellular ATP is considered to exert a positive inotropic action on the myocardium through purinoceptors, very little information is available regarding interventions which may modify the actions of ATP on the heart. We report here that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), an active form of vitamin B6, shows antagonism towards ATP-induced positive inotropic effect in isolated perfused rat hearts, ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+] in freshly isolated adult cardiomyocytes and ATP-binding in cardiac sarcolemma; ED50 for PLP in each of these cases varied from 10-15 microM. PLP (5-50 microM) was observed to antagonize the positive inotropic effect of ATP but did not modify the action of isoproterenol in the isolated perfused heart. Preincubation of cardiomyocytes with 1-50 microM PLP prevented the ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner but showed no effect on the KCl-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Creatine phosphate and Na2HPO4 as well as vitamin B6-related compounds, such as pyridoxine, pyridoxal, 4-deoxypyridoxine and isonicotinic acid hydrazide showed no effect on the ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, different concentrations of PLP (1-50 microM) were shown to inhibit the specific ATP gamma S binding at both the high and low affinity sites in the cardiac sarcolemmal membrane; adrenoceptor and Ca2+-channel inhibitors did not affect the ATP-binding. It is concluded that PLP may antagonize the actions of ATP on the heart in a selective manner and both pyridoxal and phosphate moieties are essential for its action. Furthermore, it is suggested that PLP may serve as a valuable tool for monitoring the role of purinoceptors in cellular function.
Teacher’s Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom

Previous studies have highlighted the impacts of environmental factors (teacher’s autonomy support) and individual factors (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom) on academic engagement. This study aimed to investigate these variables and examine the relations among them. Three structural equation models tested the multiple mediational roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom in the relation between teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, in math. A total of 637 Chinese middle school students (313 males, 324 females; mean age = 14.82) voluntarily participated in this study. Results revealed that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom played important and mediating roles between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and student engagement. Specifically, these three individual variables partly mediated the relations between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral and cognitive engagement, while fully mediating the relation between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and emotional engagement. These findings complement and extend the understanding of factors affecting students’ engagement in math.
Between-Eye Asymmetry in Keratoconus

Purpose. To report baseline differences between eyes on key variables in the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study cohort compared with a retrospectively assembled group of myopic contact lens wearers without ocular disease. Methods. A total of 1,079 keratoconus patients who had not undergone a penetrating keratoplasty in either eye before their baseline visit were enrolled and examined at baseline. Records from 330 contact lens-wearing myopes were reviewed. Corneal curvature (keratometry), visual acuity, refractive error (manifest refraction), and corneal scarring were measured. Results. The mean differences between keratoconic eyes are as follows (better eye–worse eye for each variable, separately). Flat keratometry: −3.59 ±4.46 D and steep keratometry: −4.35 ±4.41 D; high-contrast best-corrected visual acuity: 7.30 ±6.83 letters; low-contrast best-corrected visual acuity: 8.53 ±7.51 letters; high-contrast entrance visual acuity: 9.03 ±8.40 letters; low-contrast entrance visual acuity: 9.43 ±7.88 letters; spherical equivalent refractive error: 3.15 ±3.84 D; and refractive cylinder power 1.55 ±1.42 D. Twenty-one percent of the keratoconus patients had corneal scarring in only one eye. There is an association between patient-reported unilateral eye rubbing and greater asymmetry in corneal curvature, and between a history of unilateral eye trauma and greater asymmetry in corneal curvature and refractive error, with the rubbed/traumatized eye being the steeper eye most of the time. Conclusions. Keratoconus is asymmetric in the CLEK Study sample.
Observed positive parenting behaviors and youth genotype: Evidence for gene–environment correlations and moderation by parent personality traits

Abstract Gene–environment correlations (rGE) have been demonstrated in behavioral genetic studies, but rGE have proven elusive in molecular genetic research. Significant gene–environment correlations may be difficult to detect because potential moderators could reduce correlations between measured genetic variants and the environment. Molecular genetic studies investigating moderated rGE are lacking. This study examined associations between child catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype and aspects of positive parenting (responsiveness and warmth), and whether these associations were moderated by parental personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) among a general community sample of third, sixth, and ninth graders (N = 263) and their parents. Results showed that parent personality traits moderated the rGE association between youths' genotype and coded observations of positive parenting. Parents with low levels of neuroticism and high levels of extraversion exhibited greater sensitive responsiveness and warmth, respectively, to youth with the valine/valine genotype. Moreover, youth with this genotype exhibited lower levels of observed anger. There was no association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype and parenting behaviors for parents high on neuroticism and low on extraversion. Findings highlight the importance of considering moderating variables that may influence child genetic effects on the rearing environment. Implications for developmental models of maladaptive and adaptive child outcomes, and interventions for psychopathology, are discussed within a developmental psychopathology framework.
Osteoarthritis in cynomolgus macaques II. Detection of modulated proteoglycan epitopes in cartilage and synovial fluid

The purpose of the present study was to determine the usefulness of the monoclonal antibodies 7‐D‐4 and 3‐B‐3 as biomarkers of severity of naturally occurring osteoarthritis in the knee joints of adult cynomolgus macaques. The antibodies were used to immunolocate chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan epitopes in articular cartilage or synovial fluid from knee joints with a range in severity of osteoarthritis. The joints were examined radiographically, grossly, microradiographically, and histologically to characterize the severity of disease, and the results of three different methods of proteoglycan analysis (immunohistochemistry, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blot analysis) were compared. Subjectively, the degree of positive immunostaining for 7‐D‐4 was minimal in normal sites and increased as damage to articular cartilage increased. The scores for 7‐D‐4 immunostaining in the medial tibial plateau (the site most severely involved in this model) were correlated significantly with severity of damage to articular cartilage (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.50), thus supporting the subjective observations. The ratio of 7‐D‐4 to sulfated glycosaminoglycans in synovial fluid also was correlated with the score for 7‐D‐4 immunostaining in the medial tibial plateau (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.54) and with the score for 3‐B‐3 immunostaining in the medial femoral condyle (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.65). There were no significant correlations among scores for 3‐B‐3 immunostaining, severity scores, and the ratios of 3‐B‐3 to sulfated glycosaminoglycans in the synovial fluid. By Western blot analysis, both epitopes were sensitive markers of early cartilage damage in young adult monkeys but were less sensitive in older monkeys. This work provides evidence that measurement of the epitope recognized by 7‐D‐4 in synovial fluid or, by immunohistochemical or Western blot methods, in articular cartilage has potential use as a marker of severity of naturally occurring osteoarthritis.
Bundesweite repräsentative Erhebung und Analyse der verbreiteten Produktions- und Vermarktungssysteme und Aufbau eines bundesweiten Praxis-Forschungs-Netzwerkes im ökologischen Gartenbau

An der generellen Ausdehnung des okologischen Landbaues in Deutschland in den letzten zehn Jahren hat auch der Gartenbau partizipiert. Uber die aktuelle Situation, die zuruckliegende Entwicklung und uber Entwicklungspotentiale des Sektors liesen sich allerdings bisher nur unzureichende Angaben machen, da fur den okologischen Gartenbau lediglich hoch aggregierte Daten oder Fallstudien zu speziellen Einzelfragen vorlagen. Auch die Auswertung der vorliegenden amtlichen Statistiken erlaubt nur Aussagen uber die gartenbaulich genutzten okologischen Produktionsflachen, nicht jedoch uber die Anzahl, die Struktur und die Situation der Gartenbaubetriebe. Diese bestehenden Forschungslucken wurden mit dem hier vorgestellten Projekt geschlossen, welches drei Schwerpunktstudien umfasst. 1) Mit der ersten Studie wird eine umfassende Struktur- und Situationsanalyse zum okologischen Gartenbau in Deutschland aus soziookonomischer Sicht vorgelegt. Dazu wurde eine Expertenbefragung mit 22 Vertreter des okologischen Gartenbaus und der ihm vor- und nachgelagerten Bereichen durchgefuhrt, sowie in einer bundesweiten Betriebsbefragung insgesamt 204 okologische Produktionsbetriebe besucht und befragt. Dabei wurden verschiedenste unternehmensinterne und –externe Daten gewonnen und die Einstellungen und Erwartungen der Unternehmer und ihrer Familien im Hinblick auf vorhandene Entwicklungspotentiale und Umstellungshindernisse erfragt. 2) Es wurden zwei Modelle typischer Betriebe fur den okologischen Gemusebau entwickelt. Mittels dieser Modelle lassen sich zum einen Angaben uber den Status Quo der Wettbewerbsfahigkeit der okologischen Produktion machen, zum anderen dienen die Modelle der Simulation von moglichen Politikfolgen und potentiellen Auswirkungen von Marktentwicklungen. 3) Basierend auf einer Befragung von 200 Betriebsleitern okologisch und konventionell wirtschaftender Betriebe wurde untersucht, welchen Einfluss das Informationsverhalten auf die Umstellungsentscheidung und den Umstellungsverlauf haben. Diese Schwerpunktstudie orientiert sich an adoptionstheoretischen Uberlegungen und vorangegangenen Untersuchungen zum Innovationsverhalten von Entscheidungstragern im Bereich Gartenbau und Landwirtschaft.
Dental practitioner rural work movements: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION There is a globally observed unequal distribution of dental and other health practitioners between urban and rural areas in OECD countries. Dental practitioners provide important primary healthcare services to rural populations. Workforce shortages and stability issues in underserved areas can have negative effects on rural communities. Strategies used to fix the dental practitioner workforce maldistribution need to be investigated. METHOD The study had primary focus on Australia and included relevant international literature. Databases used were PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Informit, Web of Science, Scopus and Summon. Search terms included dental practitioner, rural, remote, retention, recruitment and strategies. RESULTS Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles described a total of eight different positive factors and 12 negative factors towards rural practice. The positive factors related to the nature of the type of clinical work being a 'challenge', close social and professional support networks, enjoyment of rural lifestyle and successful integration into the rural community. The negative factors mentioned included social and professional isolation, workload and type of clinical work, access to further education opportunities, access to facilities, education for children and job opportunities for a partner, and inability to integrate into the rural community. The articles that analysed recruitment incentives described three strategies currently used to influence recruitment, all of which were financial or contractual in nature. Articles mentioning retention factors described seven long-term retention motivators; of these, six of them were personal reasons. The most commonly mentioned motivational factor for recruitment and retention of the rural dental practitioner workforce was the effect of prior rural exposure for dental practitioners. CONCLUSIONS The results of this review indicate that the most important influences on rural dental practitioner workforce recruitment and retention were a combination of financial reimbursement and personal reasons. There was also a large influence of rural medical workforce research on untested assumptions and drivers of the rural dental practitioner workforce. The high recruitment rate compared with the low retention rate indicates that current strategies were not effective in addressing rural dental practitioner workforce shortages in the long term.