Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local recall responses in the stomach involving reduced regulation and expanded help mediate vaccine‐induced protection against Helicobacter pylori in mice

Helicobacter pylori is recognised as the chief cause of chronic gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancer in humans. With increased incidence of treatment failure and antibiotic resistance, development of prophylactic or therapeutic vaccination is a desirable alternative. Although the results of vaccination studies in animal models have been promising, studies in human volunteers have revealed problems such as ‘post‐immunisation gastritis’ and comparatively poor responses to vaccine antigens. The focus of this study was to compare the gastric and systemic cellular immune responses induced by recombinant attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium‐based vaccination in the C57BL/6 model of H. pylori infection. Analysis of lymphocyte populations in the gastric mucosa, blood, spleen, paragastric LN and MLN revealed that the effects of vaccination were largely confined to the parenchymal stomach rather than lymphoid organs. Vaccine‐induced protection was correlated with an augmented local recall response in the gastric mucosa, with increased proportions of CD4+ T cells, neutrophils and reduced proportions of CD4+ Treg. CD4+ T cells isolated from the stomachs of vaccinated mice proliferated ex vivo in response to H. pylori antigen, and secreted Th1 cytokines, particularly IFN‐γ. This detailed analysis of local gastric immune responses provides insight into the mechanism of vaccine‐induced protection.
Prevalence of prednisolone (non)compliance in adult liver transplant recipients

Limited evidence is available concerning (non)compliance with the immunosuppressive regimen in adult liver transplant recipients. In our study we prospectively assessed prednisolone (non)compliance in 108 adult liver transplant recipients using electronic event monitoring (EEM) in an outpatient setting. The EEM is a pill bottle fitted with a cap containing a microelectronic circuit that registers date and time of bottle openings and closings. Median taking compliance was 100% (range 60–105%), median dosing compliance was 99% (range 58–100%); median timing compliance (TIC) was 94% (42–100%). A drug holiday (DH) of ≥48 h was found in 39% of the patients of ≥72 h in 16% of the patients. Using EEM in liver transplant recipients, we found an overall high level of compliance for prednisolone, except that TIC was low in about one third of the patients. Age below 40 years was found a significant risk factor for decreased TIC and for DHs of ≥48 h.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 in epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the more prevalent neurologic disorders in the world, affecting approximately 50 million people of different ages and backgrounds. Epileptic seizures propagating through both lobes of the forebrain can have permanent debilitating effects on a patient's cognitive and somatosensory brain functions. Epilepsy, defined by the sporadic occurrence of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), is often accompanied by inflammation of the brain. Pronounced increases in the expression of key inflammatory mediators (e.g., interleukin ‐1β [IL‐1β], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFα], cyclooxygenase‐2 [COX‐2], and C‐X‐C motif chemokine 10 [CXCL10]) after seizures may cause secondary damage in the brain and increase the likelihood of repetitive seizures. The COX‐2 enzyme is induced rapidly during seizures. The increased level of COX‐2 in specific areas of the epileptic brain can help to identify regions of seizure‐induced brain inflammation. A good deal of effort has been expended to determine whether COX‐2 inhibition might be neuroprotective and represent an adjunct therapeutic strategy along with antiepileptic drugs used to treat epilepsy. However, the effectiveness of COX‐2 inhibitors on epilepsy animal models appears to depend on the timing of administration. With all of the effort placed on making use of COX‐2 inhibitors as therapeutic agents for the treatment of epilepsy, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases there has yet to be a selective and potent COX‐2 inhibitor that has shown a clear therapeutic outcome with acceptable side effects.
Concordance Between Anal and Oral Human Papillomavirus Infections Among Young Men Who have Sex With Men

Prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections was assessed among 1033 young men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 18-26 years. HPV (any type) was detected in 742 (71.8%) anal specimens and 101 (9.8%) oral specimens. Although HPV was detected in specimens from both anatomical sites in 83 (8.0%) participants, type-specific concordance for at least 1 HPV type was found in only 35 (3.4%) participants. HIV and smoking were associated with higher prevalence at both sites and frequency of concordant types. Coinfections of identical HPV types were rare, suggesting independent infection events and/or different modes of clearance.
Replantation of the amputated nose.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of replantation in the treatment of nasal amputations. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING A university medical center. RESULTS In no case did the replant survive completely, and in all cases revision surgery was required. However, in all cases, the resulting deformity was less than the original defect. In our pediatric patients, reconstruction with cartilage grafting and a midline forehead flap was successful and demonstrated proportionate and appropriate growth. CONCLUSIONS It is our belief that replantation serves many therapeutic functions. At the very least, there is the psychological/emotional factor that is involved in attempting to replace a native body part that has been severed. Also, it is difficult to persuade parents and patients that the amputated tissue that has been handled with kid gloves by paramedics, maintaining its pink "alive" color, is ultimately doomed to failure. Forehead flaps and conchal cartilage grafts are more willingly accepted after a "failed" replantation than as primary reconstructions. In every instance, we believe, the ultimate defect will be smaller than the original deformity. Certainly, the need for vestibular lining reconstruction is far less. Thus, the ultimate healed defect from the replantation greatly facilitates final nasal reconstruction.
Osteoid osteoma: percutaneous laser ablation and follow-up in 114 patients.

PURPOSE To retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of interstitial laser ablation (ILA) as a curative treatment of osteoid osteoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ethical review board approval was obtained for the retrospective study. Informed consent was waived. From June 1994 to June 2004, 114 patients (mean age, 22.3 years) suspected of having osteoid osteoma underwent ILA with a diode laser (805 nm). An optical fiber was introduced into the nidus of the osteoid osteoma, and 400-3000 J of energy was delivered, depending on the size and location of the nidus. Twelve spinal osteoid osteomas were treated; in five of these cases, the nidus was located fewer than 8 mm from the adjacent nerve roots, and slow epidural or periradicular infusion of normal saline was used to avoid thermal damage to neurologic structures. Pain was evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS) and medication. ILA was considered successful (score, 0) when complete pain relief was achieved (VAS score, <1) without medication. RESULTS One week after ILA, 112 patients had a score of 0. One week after ILA, one patient had pain that persisted for 2 months because of reflex sympathetic dystrophy. At follow-up (mean, 58.5 months; range, 13-130 months), six patients had recurrence of pain from 6 weeks to 27 months after the initial ILA. These recurrences were treated successfully with a second ILA. Only one unsuccessful treatment was encountered. CONCLUSION Percutaneous ILA is an effective treatment for osteoid osteoma.
Variations in hypertension control in indigent rural primary care clinics in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE To examine blood pressure control and prescribing practices in the treatment of hypertension, including the use of sample medications, in rural populations. DESIGN Retrospective chart review of 296 hypertensive patients and surveys of primary care providers serving these patients. SETTING Twenty-seven rural, primary care clinics in North Carolina. OUTCOME MEASURE Blood pressure control, with the practice site as the unit of analysis. RESULTS An average of 29% of patients per clinic had blood pressures that were inadequately controlled. Wide variations existed between clinics in blood pressure control and medication costs. Thirty-two percent of all blood pressure medications used were either angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or calcium channel blockers compared with 26% use of diuretics. Virtually all clinics used sample antihypertensive agents and reported that sample medications were an important source of free medications for their indigent patients. Reported sample use by practice was positively correlated with the mean daily hypertensive medication costs. Variations in blood pressure control were not explained by any measured variables, although the sample size was small. CONCLUSIONS Large variations exist within rural North Carolina primary care clinics in blood pressure control and medication costs. We need to study further the relationships of new antihypertensive agents, medication costs, and sample use with blood pressure control, health care costs, and other patient outcomes.
A finite element study of stress distributions in normal and osteoarthritic knee joints.

OBJECTIVE To study the stress distributions in normal and osteoarthritic knee joints using the finite element method (FEM). MATERIAL AND METHOD Three normal and three varus knee joints are included in the study. Computed tomography (CT) images of the lower extremities are used to create 3D geometric models consisting of bones, articular cartilages, menisci, and knee ligaments. Each of the lower extremities includes the femur, tibia, fibula, and talus. Each 3D geometric model is adjusted to the normal standing configuration with the help of its corresponding 2D radiographic image. After that, 3D finite element (FE) models are created from the adjusted 3D geometric models. FEM is then used to obtain stress distributions on the articular cartilages. In the analysis, the displacements on the posterior calcaneal articular surface of the talus are fully fixed. A vertical concentrated force equal to the body weight is applied at the femoral head. RESULTS In the normal knee joints, the maximum normal stresses on the articular cartilages in the lateral compartments are always higher than those in the medial compartments. In the varus knee joints, the opposite results are observed. However, in each normal knee joint, the stress distribution on the whole articular cartilage is moderately uniform. On the contrary, in each varus knee joint, comparatively high magnitudes of the normal stress are found on a large area of the articular cartilage in the medial compartment. CONCLUSION Varus knee joints have higher stresses in the medial compartments while normal knee joints have higher stresses in the lateral compartments. This pilot study shows that FE studies are comparable to cadaveric studies. FEM can be used as an alternative method for studying and examining knee joints of patients.
Ca2+ buffering at a drosophila larval synaptic terminal

A quantitative analysis of Ca2+ dynamics requires knowledge of the Ca2+‐binding ratio (κS); this has not been measured at Drosophila synaptic terminals or any invertebrate synaptic terminal. We measured κS at a Ib motor terminal in Drosophila larvae comparing single‐AP Ca2+ transients in synaptic terminals that contained varying concentrations of the Ca2+ indicator, Oregon Green 488 BAPTA‐1 (OGB‐1). Using a linear single‐compartment model, κS was calculated based upon the effect of [OGB‐1] on the time constant (τdecay) for the decay of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). This gave a κS of 77 indicating that nearly 99% of entering Ca2+ is immediately bound by endogenous fast Ca2+ buffers. Extrapolation to zero [OGB‐1] gave a τdecay of 46 ms and a Ca2+‐removal rate constant of 1641 s−1 for single APs. We calculated that a single AP produced an increase in [Ca2+]i of 196 nM and an increase in the total intracellular [Ca2+](free + bound) of 15.3 μM for measurements made in 1.0 mM external Ca2+. The increase in [Ca2+]i for AP trains was 185 nM/ 10 Hz; this gave a Ca2+ extrusion rate constant of 827 s−1, which likely reflects the activity of the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase. Experiments were performed to examine the effect of altering external Ca2+ or Mg2+ on Ca2+ influx at these terminals. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ascending sensory, but not other long‐tract axons, regenerate into the connective tissue matrix that forms at the site of a spinal cord injury in mice

Mice exhibit a unique wound healing response following spinal cord injury in which the lesion site fills in with a connective tissue matrix. Previous studies have revealed that axons grow into this matrix, but the source of the axons remained unknown. The present study assesses whether any of these axons were the result of long tract regeneration. C57Bl/6 mice received crush injuries and were allowed to survive for 6 weeks to 7 months. Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected into the somato‐motor cortex to trace descending corticospinal tract (CST) axons, into the midbrain to label descending brainstem pathways including the rubrospinal and reticulospinal tracts, or into the L5 dorsal root ganglion to trace ascending projections of first‐order sensory neurons. Spinal cords from other mice were prepared for immunocytochemistry using antibodies against neurofilament protein (NF), 5‐HT to reveal descending serotonergic axons, calcitonin gene‐related protein (CGRP) to reveal ascending sensory axons, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) to assess the distribution of molecules that are inhibitory to axon growth. NF immunostaining revealed axons in the connective tissue matrix at the lesion site, confirming previous studies that used protargol staining. CST axons did not enter the connective tissue matrix, but did sprout extensively in segments adjacent to the injury site. Rubrospinal and reticulospinal tract axons also did not grow into the lesion site. 5‐HT‐positive axons extended to the edge of the lesion, and a few axons followed astrocyte processes into the margins of the lesion site. In contrast to the other pathways, BDA‐labeled ascending sensory axons did extend into and arborized extensively within the connective tissue matrix, although the subgroup of ascending axons that are positive for CGRP did not. These results indicate that the connective tissue matrix is permissive for regeneration of some classes of ascending sensory axons but not for other axonal systems. J. Comp. Neurol. 462:431–449, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Feasibility of utilizing a commercial eye tracker to assess electronic health record use during patient simulation

Numerous reports describe unintended consequences of electronic health record implementation. Having previously described physicians’ failures to recognize patient safety issues within our electronic health record simulation environment, we now report on our use of eye and screen-tracking technology to understand factors associated with poor error recognition during an intensive care unit–based electronic health record simulation. We linked performance on the simulation to standard eye and screen-tracking readouts including number of fixations, saccades, mouse clicks and screens visited. In addition, we developed an overall Composite Eye Tracking score which measured when, where and how often each safety item was viewed. For 39 participants, the Composite Eye Tracking score correlated with performance on the simulation (p = 0.004). Overall, the improved performance was associated with a pattern of rapid scanning of data manifested by increased number of screens visited (p = 0.001), mouse clicks (p = 0.03) and saccades (p = 0.004). Eye tracking can be successfully integrated into electronic health record–based simulation and provides a surrogate measure of cognitive decision making and electronic health record usability.
Auditory evoked potentials of adults who do or do not show a significant right ear advantage in dichotic listening

The Halwes Fused Dichotic Words Test was used to divide a sample of university students into a group having a statistically significant right ear advantage (REA) and a group having either a significant left ear advantage or a non-significant ear asymmetry (NREA). Of these participants, 30 (14 REA, 16 NREA) had electrical potentials measured from temporal, central, and frontal sites as series of brief tones were presented monaurally. No behavioural response was required. Group differences were found in the latency but not the amplitude of the averaged event-related responses. The REA group showed faster conduction to the right hemisphere than to the left hemisphere. In both groups the amplitude of left hemisphere responses was greater for right ear stimulation than for left ear stimulation. The results for amplitude indicate that the crossed auditory pathway is a superior conductor of information to the left hemisphere but not to the right hemisphere. Group differences, however, are related only to the speed with which information reaches the right hemisphere.
Epigenetic modulation by TFII‐I during embryonic stem cell differentiation

TFII‐I transcription factors play an essential role during early vertebrate embryogenesis. Genome‐wide mapping studies by ChIP‐seq and ChIP‐chip revealed that TFII‐I primes multiple genomic loci in mouse embryonic stem cells and embryonic tissues. Moreover, many TFII‐I‐bound regions co‐localize with H3K4me3/K27me3 bivalent chromatin within the promoters of lineage‐specific genes. This minireview provides a summary of current knowledge regarding the function of TFII‐I in epigenetic control of stem cell differentiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3056–3060, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Physical inactivity during leisure time among older adults--Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2005.

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study provides prevalence estimates of inactivity by select characteristics among older adults. METHODS Respondents > or =50 years of age were selected from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 185,702). RESULTS Overall, 30.0% of older adults did not engage in leisure-time physical activity. Within each racial/ethnic group, the prevalence of inactivity was highest among Hispanic men (41.9%) and women (42.4%). Among men with and without disabilities, chronic disease conditions associated with inactivity were angina or coronary artery disease. Among women with disabilities, chronic disease conditions associated with inactivity were stroke and diabetes; among women without disabilities only diabetes was significantly associated with inactivity. CONCLUSION Regular physical activity is an important means to maintaining independence, because it substantially reduces the risk for developing many diseases; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; and can reduce the risk for falling. Health care providers are encouraged to discuss concerns regarding physical activity with their patients.
Anti-IFI16 antibodies and their relation to disease characteristics in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective Several studies have shown the presence of anti-IFI16 antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren Syndrome (SjS), systemic sclerosis (SSc) and other autoimmune diseases. However, the significance of anti-IFI16 antibodies in SLE has not been fully characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between anti-IFI16 antibodies and clinical and serologic parameters of SLE. Methods An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was used to measure anti-IFI16 antibodies in the sera of 168 SLE patients, 46 patients with any type of primary glomerulonephritis (GN) and 182 healthy controls (HCs). Associations between anti-IFI16 antibodies and clinical and serologic parameters of SLE were statistically evaluated using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Significantly higher anti-IFI16 titres were observed in SLE patients compared to both non-SLE GN and HCs (median levels: 270.1 U/ml vs 132.1 U/ml, p = 0.001, and 52.9 U/ml, p < 0.0001, respectively). With cut-off levels corresponding to the 95th percentile of the control population (113 U/ml), 63% of the SLE patients tested positive for anti-IFI16 autoantibodies, compared to just 24% of patients with primary non-SLE GN and 5% of HCs. The presence of anti-IFI16 antibodies inversely correlated with proteinuria (univariate analysis) and C3 hypocomplementaemia (univariate and multivariate analyses). Conclusions The inverse correlations observed between anti-IFI16 positivity, proteinuria and C3 hypocomplementaemia suggest that anti-IFI16 antibodies do not contribute to renal inflammation in SLE; indeed they may even prevent complement consumption. Anti-IFI16 antibodies hold the potential to serve as a new biomarker of disease activity in SLE.
Importance of a Novel Oxidative Mechanism for Elimination of Brain Cholesterol

The brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body. Brain cholesterol is characterized by a very low turnover with very little exchange with lipoproteins in the circulation. Very recently we showed that there is a continuous age-dependent flux of 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol from the human brain into the circulation (Lütjohann, D., Breuer, O., Ahlborg, G., Nennesmo, I., Sidén, Å., Diczfalusy, U., and Björkhem, I. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 93, 9799–9804). Here we measured the rate of synthesis of cholesterol as well as the conversion of cholesterol into 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol in rat brain in vivo with use of an18O2 inhalation technique and mass isotopomer distribution analysis. Cholesterol synthesis was found to correspond to 0.03 ± 0.01% of the pool per h. Conversion of cholesterol into 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol was of a similar magnitude, about 0.02% of the pool per h. Brain microsomes converted endogenous cholesterol into 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol at a similar rate when incubated in the presence of NADPH. When incubated with whole homogenate and subcellular fractions of rat brain, there was no significant conversion of tritium-labeled 24-hydroxycholesterol into more polar products. Plasma from 18O2-exposed rats contained 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol with an enrichment of 18O similar to that in 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol in the brain. The results suggest that the present 24(S)-hydroxylase mediated mechanism is most important for elimination of cholesterol from the brain of rats. There is a slow conversion of brain cholesterol into 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol with a rapid turnover of the small pool of the latter oxysterol due to leakage to the circulation (half-life of brain 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol is about 0.5 days as compared with 2–4 months for brain cholesterol). It is evident that the 24(S)-hydroxylation greatly facilitates transfer of cholesterol over the blood-brain barrier and that this hydroxylation may be critical for cholesterol homeostasis in the brain.