Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevention of bone loss after heart transplantation with antiresorptive therapy: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Heart transplantation, with its attendant glucocorticoid and cyclosporine therapy, has deleterious effects on the skeleton. We have previously reported rapid bone loss and high fracture rates (36% of patients) during the first year after heart transplantation. The bone loss was accompanied by declines in serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and osteocalcin levels and increased urinary excretion of markers of bone resorption (hydroxyproline, pyridinoline, and deoxypyridinoline). We therefore investigated whether bone loss could be prevented by bisphosphonates, agents that inhibit bone resorption. METHODS Serial measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical indexes of mineral metabolism were compared in 18 group A patients who received a single intravenous infusion of pamidronate (60 mg) within 2 weeks of heart transplantation, followed by 4 cycles of oral etidronate (400 mg daily for 14 days every 3 months) and oral calcitriol 0.25 microg daily, to those of 52 patients who previously underwent transplantation (group B) who did not receive antiresorptive therapy. Both groups received elemental calcium 1000 mg and vitamin D 400 IU daily. RESULTS At 12 months after transplantation, there was virtually no lumbar spine bone loss in group A patients, whereas lumbar spine BMD had declined significantly in group B patients (0.2% +/- 0.9% vs 6.8% +/- 1.0%, respectively; P < .0001). Similarly, femoral neck BMD fell by 10.6% +/- 1.1% in group B patients and by only 2.7% +/- 1.4% in group A patients (P < .0001). Three incident vertebral fractures occurred in two group A patients, whereas 17 group B patients sustained 30 incident vertebral fractures, one hip fracture and three episodes of rib fractures (P < .02; test of proportions). With respect to markers of bone resorption, urinary deoxypyridinoline fell by 51% +/- 9% in group A patients and increased by 65% +/- 22% in group B patients by 3 months after transplantation (P < .0001). CONCLUSION In summary, heart transplant recipients treated with bisphosphonates and replacement doses of calcitriol sustained less bone loss and fewer fractures than those treated with calcium and vitamin D. We conclude that bisphosphonate therapy, in conjunction with calcitriol, shows promise for prevention of transplantation-related osteoporosis.
The moderator effect of psychological climate on the relationship between leader – member exchange (LMX) quality and role overload

The aim of the present study was to analyse the moderator influence of psychological climate on the relationship between leader – member exchange (LMX) quality and role overload. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted in a sample of 383 employees. Results showed that LMX quality was negatively related to role overload and that three out of the four climate dimensions considered moderated the LMX – role overload relationship. This relationship was stronger when innovation climate, goals orientation, and rules orientation were high than when these climate dimensions were low.
A New Mouse Model of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2I Homozygous for the Common L276I Mutation Mimicking the Mild Phenotype in Humans

Abstract Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I (LGMD2I) is caused by mutations in the Fukutin-related protein (FKRP) gene, leading to inadequate glycosylation of &agr;-dystroglycan, an important protein linking the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. We created a mouse model of the common FKRP L276I mutation and a hemizygous FKRP L276I knockout model. We studied histopathology and protein expression in the models at different ages and found that homozygous FKRP L276I mice developed a mild progressive myopathy with increased muscle regeneration and fibrosis starting from 1 year of age. This was likely caused by progressive loss of &agr;-dystroglycan–specific glycosylation, which was decreased by 78% at 20 months. The homozygous FKRP knockout was embryonic lethal, but the hemizygous L276I model resembled the homozygous FKRP L276I model at comparable ages. These models emphasize the importance of FKRP in maintaining proper glycosylation of &agr;-dystroglycan. The mild progression in the homozygous FKRP L276I model resembles that in patients with LGMD2I who are homozygous for the L276I mutation. This animal model could, therefore, be relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of and developing a treatment strategy for the human disorder.
Evolution and Biogeography of Deep-Sea Vent and Seep Invertebrates

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps are submarine springs where nutrient-rich fluids emanate from the sea floor. Vent and seep ecosystems occur in a variety of geological settings throughout the global ocean and support food webs based on chemoautotrophic primary production. Most vent and seep invertebrates arrive at suitable habitats as larvae dispersed by deep-ocean currents. The recent evolution of many vent and seep invertebrate species (<100 million years ago) suggests that Cenozoic tectonic history and oceanic circulation patterns have been important in defining contemporary biogeographic patterns.
Depressive symptomatology is in fl uenced by chronotypes

Article history: Received 3 October 2008 Received in revised form 25 February 2009 Accepted 26 February 2009 Available online 13 March 2009 Background: Rhythm disturbances are a frequent clinical manifestation of depression. In recent years a possible relationship between depression and chronotypes has emerged. Specifically eveningness has been proposed as vulnerability factor. The aim of this study was to describe sleep features of depressed patients according to chronotypes and to explore possible associations with the clinical features of depressive episodes. Methods: 100 patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) were included (age: 34±11.74, range: 18– 60 years; female/male:79/21). At admission the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) was administered. Patients were also administered the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: According to MEQ scores patients were classified in three groups: a) eveningness (n=18), b) neither (n=61) and c) morningness type (n=21). The age was different among chronotypes, being morningness-type patients older. The eveningness-type group showed higher scores in suicidal thoughts, more impaired work and activities, higher paranoid symptoms, higher scores on the anxiety cluster (HRSD), while the morningness-type group showed lower proportion of melancholic symptoms (MINI). We did not find association between sleep parameters and specific chronotypes. Limitations: The relatively small sample size and the concurrent assessment of chronotypes and depression may have biased our findings. Conclusions: Our data suggest the idea that chronotypes have an impact on depressive episodes features, with higher severity for the eveningness-type. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Programmed Death 1 Ligand (PD-L) 1 and PD-L2 Limit Autoimmune Kidney Disease: Distinct Roles1

The programmed death 1/programmed death 1 ligand (PD-L) pathway is instrumental in peripheral tolerance. Blocking this pathway exacerbates experimental autoimmune diseases, but its role in autoimmune kidney disease has not been explored. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the programmed death 1 ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2), provide a protective barrier during T cell- and macrophage (Mφ)-dependent autoimmune kidney disease. For this purpose, we compared nephrotoxic serum nephritis (NSN) in mice lacking PD-L1 (PD-L1−/−), PD-L2 (PD-L2−/−), or both (PD-L1/L2−/−) to wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Kidney pathology, loss of renal function, and intrarenal leukocyte infiltrates were increased in each PD-L−/− strain as compared with WT mice. Although the magnitude of renal pathology was similar in PD-L1−/− and PD-L2−/− mice, our findings suggest that kidney disease in each strain is regulated by distinct mechanisms. Specifically, we detected increased CD68+ cells along with elevated circulating IgG and IgG deposits in glomeruli in PD-L2−/− mice, but not PD-L1−/− mice. In contrast, we detected a rise in activated CD8+ T cells in PD-L1−/− mice, but not PD-L2−/− mice. Furthermore, since PD-L1 is expressed by parenchymal and hemopoietic cells in WT kidneys, we explored the differential impact of PD-L1 expression on these cell types by inducing NSN in bone marrow chimeric mice. Our results indicate that PD-L1 expression on hemopoietic cells, and not parenchymal cells, is primarily responsible for limiting leukocyte infiltration during NSN. Taken together, our findings indicate that PD-L1 and PD-L2 provide distinct negative regulatory checkpoints poised to suppress autoimmune renal disease.
Transforming growth factor β2 is negatively regulated by endogenous retinoic acid during early heart morphogenesis

Vitamin A‐deficient (VAD) quail embryos lack the vitamin A‐active form, retinoic acid (RA) and are characterized by a phenotype that includes a grossly abnormal cardiovascular system that can be rescued by RA. Here we report that the transforming growth factor, TGFβ2 is involved in RA‐regulated cardiovascular development. In VAD embryos TGFβ2 mRNA and protein expression are greatly elevated. The expression of TGFβ receptor II is also elevated in VAD embryos but is normalized by treatment with TGFβ2‐specific antisense oligonucleotides (AS). Administration of this AS or an antibody specific for TGFβ2 to VAD embryos normalizes posterior heart development and vascularization, while the administration of exogenous active TGFβ2 protein to normal quail embryos mimics the excessive TGFβ2 status of VAD embryos and induces VAD cardiovascular phenotype. In VAD embryos pSmad2/3 and pErk1 are not activated, while pErk2 and pcRaf are elevated and pSmad1/5/8 is diminished. We conclude that in the early avian embryo TGFβ2 has a major role in the retinoic acid‐regulated posterior heart morphogenesis for which it does not use Smad2/3 pathways, but may use other signaling pathways. Importantly, we conclude that retinoic acid is a critical negative physiological regulator of the magnitude of TGFβ2 signals during vertebrate heart formation.
Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging Examination of Normal Term Neonates: A Pilot Study

This pilot study's aim was to determine, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), if and to what extent asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurs in normal term neonates after uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. Eight normal, term, vaginally delivered infants and three cesarean-section deliveries used as controls underwent cranial MRI. No sedation was administered. Small subdural hematomas of the falx cerebri or tentorium cerebelli were found in half of those with an uneventful vaginal delivery. Pediatric follow-up, on average 3.9 years after the MRI study was performed, demonstrated normal growth and development. It appears that more data is needed to confirm the observation that the intracranial hemorrhages described should not be considered the etiology for neurologic abnormalities present in symptomatic neonates. (J Child Neurol 1999;14:708-710).
Placebo-controlled trials of blood pressure-lowering therapies for primary prevention of dementia.

To the Editor: Hypertension at middle age is a risk factor for vascular and neurodegenerative dementia later in life.1 Because populations are aging, the number of demented patients will grow 2-fold every 20 years, from 24.3 million people in 2000 to 81.1 million by 2040, with >60% living in developing countries.2 The question of whether hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for dementia is therefore of great clinical importance. Our 2007 meta-analysis1 included 4 placebo-controlled trials of blood pressure–lowering therapies for prevention of dementia (18 196 patients and 642 dementia cases). 3,–,6 The common odds ratio was 0.89 (CI, 0.75 to 1.04) and did not reach statistical significance ( P =0.15). However, sensitivity analyses revealed a difference ( P =0.04) that depended on whether active treatment started with or included a diuretic or dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker compared with an inhibitor of the renin system. The pooled …
Intensive alveolar recruitment strategy in the post-cardiac surgery setting: one PEEP level may not fit all.

Low tidal volume ventilation is now a standard of care in ICU patients and in high risk patients in the operating room (OR), since convincing evidence have been provided regarding its benefit on prognosis in these settings (1,2). PEEP setting is less straightforward in ARDS, and, while high PEEP levels are advocated in the more severely hypoxemic patients, the search for a reliable bedside tool to titrate PEEP in an individual ARDS patient is still ongoing (3). In the OR context, the recent PROVHILO trial failed to demonstrate any favorable effect on outcome of high PEEP as compared to low PEEP during open abdominal surgery (4). Recruitment maneuver are even more controversial, either during ARDS where the level of evidence is low, or in the OR where they are often used as a co-intervention in low tidal volume trials. Moreover, a great variability among trials testing recruiting maneuvers exists in terms of timing, frequency, duration, intensity and ventilatory mode, precluding any comparison or generalization of findings. Finally, uncertainties remain regarding the adverse effects of recruitment maneuvers, especially regarding hemodynamic tolerance and risk of ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI).
Emissions of formaldehyde, acetic acid, methanol, and other trace gases from biomass fires in North Carolina measured by airborne Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Biomass burning is an important source of many trace gases in the global troposphere. We have constructed an airborne trace gas measurement system consisting of a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) coupled to a “flow-through” multipass cell (AFTIR) and installed it on a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service King Air B-90. The first measurements with the new system were conducted in North Carolina during April 1997 on large, isolated biomass fire plumes. Simultaneous measurements included Global Positioning System (GPS); airborne sonde; particle light scattering, CO, and CO2; and integrated filter and canister samples. AFTIR spectra acquired within a few kilometers of the fires yielded excess mixing ratios for 10 of the most common trace gases in the smoke: water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, formaldehyde, acetic acid, formic acid, methanol, ethylene, and ammonia. Emission ratios to carbon monoxide for formaldehyde, acetic acid, and methanol were each 2.5±1%. This is in excellent agreement with (and confirms the relevance of) our results from laboratory fires. However, these ratios are significantly higher than the emission ratios reported for these compounds in some previous studies of “fresh” smoke. We present a simple photochemical model calculation that suggests that oxygenated organic compounds should be included in the assessment of ozone formation in smoke plumes. Our measured emission factors indicate that biomass fires could account for a significant portion of the oxygenated organic compounds and HOx present in the tropical troposphere during the dry season. Our fire measurements, along with recent measurements of oxygenated biogenic emissions and oxygenated organic compounds in the free troposphere, indicate that these rarely measured compounds play a major, but poorly understood, role in the HOx, NOx, and O3 chemistry of the troposphere.
Adverse reactions to protamine sulfate during cardiac surgery in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

The incidence of adverse reactions to protamine sulfate range from 0.06% to 27% and vary from mild urticaria to anaphylactic shock and death. In a retrospective analysis of 2996 patients, only four subjects experienced an adverse reaction due to protamine. Two individuals were NPH-insulin-dependent diabetics and two patients had exposure to protamine only during cardiac catheterization. Skin test titrations to protamine were done in three of four patients. One patient had a positive reaction at a 100-micrograms/mL dilution whereas the other two patients had positive reactions at 1000 micrograms/mL. In a comparable number of normal subjects, the threshold for a positive immediate skin response was 1000 micrograms/mL. Since the observed incidence of adverse reactions was 2.9% in NPH-insulin-dependent diabetics and 0.07% in non-diabetics, this represents a nearly 40-fold increased risk for diabetic patients (P less than .005). Skin testing appears to have limited applicability in the assessment of protamine sensitivity.
Adenocarcinoma of the Thymus: Report of Two Cases, Including a Previously Undescribed Mucinous Subtype

We report two cases of primary thymic adenocarcinoma, a very uncommon neoplasm with limited information in the literature. Both patients were men (age 15 and 39 years). The first case was a mucinous carcinoma, a subtype of adenocarcinoma not previously recognized in the thymus. It comprised islands and strips of mucin-rich tumor cells floating in large pools of extracellular mucin. There was transition of carcinomatous epithelium to the attenuated epithelium of a thymic cyst. Immunostaining for high molecular weight cytokeratin furthermore highlighted in one area negatively stained tumor islands wrapped by positively stained residual thymic medullary epithelium, suggesting in situ origin of the carcinoma from the thymic epithelium. The second case was a papillary carcinoma with high nuclear grade and many psammoma bodies. It showed strong immunoreactivity for CD5 and did not stain for CA-125 as well as thyroid, pulmonary, and mesothelial markers. The findings in this study therefore broaden the morphologic spectrum of thymic adenocarcinomas to include a mucinous subtype. Review of the literature indicates that thymic adenocarcinomas usually arise from thymic cyst or type A thymoma, and the clinical outcome is variable.
[Evaluation of biological indicators of hygienic quality in modern dental clinics with a high perceived quality in Catania (Italy)].

A study was performed to evaluate safety and hygienic quality levels in dental clinics in Catania (Sicily, Italy). Microbiological checks of air samples, surfaces and water were performed in seven modern dental clinics with a high perceived quality of care. In total, 16 active dental units were present in the clinics included in the study. Water samples were obtained from dental air-water syringes and directly from the water supply and analyzed to determine aerobic mesophilic bacteria counts, coliform counts and number of legionella unit-forming-colonies. The BART™ system was used to identify Pseudomonas spp. and other biological indicators. Critical levels of one or more indicators were found in the water circuits. In particular, Legionella pneumophila was found in five dental units, associated with Pseudomonas spp. , high mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts and the presence of slime-producing bacteria. The results indicate the need for hygienic quality control checks through the use of appriopriate biological indicators, even in dental clinics with a high perceived quality.
Nonreciprocal Spin Waves in Co-Ta-Zr Films and Multilayers

The propagation of spin waves in single and multilayered ferromagnetic Co-Ta-Zr films is experimentally investigated in this work. Two microstrip antennas placed on top of the magnetic core are used for signal transmission and reception. A metallic ground layer placed on one side of the magnetic film leads to nonreciprocal spin wave dispersion, resulting in a direction-dependent coupling of the antennas. Compared to previous experiments with Ni-Fe films, the higher resistivity of the Co-Ta-Zr reduces the energy dissipation in the device and allows for the incorporation of a thicker magnetic film, thereby increasing the nonreciprocity and the spin wave propagation frequency range. In the case of the Co-Ta-Zr/SiO2 multilayer, the spin wave-mediated coupling of the antennas is strongly dependent on the relative orientation of the magnetizations in the individual layers, and on the application of an external magnetic field.
AGE RELATED DIFFERENCE IN THE LIPID PROFILE IN NORMAL HEALTHY WOMEN

Correspondence : Sukanya Shetty Professor & HOD, Department of Biochemistry, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University, Deralakatte, Mangalore-575018, Karnataka, India Mobile: +91 99864 65255 E-mail : hod.bio. kshema@nitte.edu. in Abstract : Background and objectives : Lipid disorder is a major risk factor for the progression of coronary artery disease. Age alone is a significant predictor of CVD risk in men and women. Before menopause, women have a much lower risk for cardiovascular events compared with men of their age. Reasons for protection from CVD in premenopausal women are complex, but a significant contribution can be assigned to the greater high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in younger women, which is an effect of estrogen. Methods : Fasting blood samples were collected from 40 healthy individuals (40 females divided into 2 groups according to age). Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDLCholesterol were estimated by enzymatic methods and LDL was calculated by Friedewald's equation. Results : The result showed increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-Cholesterol and decrease in HDL-Cholesterol in women in perimenopausal period as compared to women in the younger age group. Conclusion: It can be concluded that serum lipid profile changes can possibly be mediated by changing hormonal profile, especially estrogen which has role in lipid metabolism and indirectly on coronary artery disease.
Phylogenetic Systematics and Biogeography: Using Cladograms in Historical Biogeography Methods

Phylogenetic systematics (or cladistics) was proposed by the German entomologist Willi Hennig (1966). Since its formulation it has had a great impact on taxonomy and other biological disciplines such as biogeography, paleontology, and evolutionary biology. In the case of biogeography, phylogenetic systematics has been fundamental and the basis for several historical biogeography approaches, playing a crucial role in the current status of this biological discipline (Crisci, 2001). The term cladistics was first used by authors such as Camin and Sokal or even Ernst Mayr (Schuh, 2000) and was applied to phylogenetic systematic studies that followed Hennig (1966). Notwithstanding that the term cladistics is currently in common use (even a scientific journal has that name), the word cladist was initially used as pejorative, to refer to those authors who used the methods of Willi Hennig (Schuh, 2000).