Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct Detection of eae-Positive Bacteria in Human and Veterinary Colorectal Specimens by PCR

ABSTRACT A PCR test based on the amplification of aneae-specific sequence was designed and evaluated for its ability to directly detect homologous sequences in enteropathogenicEscherichia coli and Citrobacter spp. (amplification of eae open reading frame, 178 bp) in sections of the intestines of humans and animals with colonic lesions. Positive PCR results were observed with eae-positive reference strains of E. coli and Citrobacter rodentium (Citrobacter freundii biotype 4280). Known eae-negative reference strains of E. coli and other laboratory strains of enteric bacteria were negative by the amplification test. The sensitivity of the PCR for detection of eae-positive E. coli andC. rodentium was between 1 and 2 CFU. To detect these sequences directly from sections of fixed colon from human and veterinary sources, PCR conditions were modified by the addition of 0.1 mM 8-methoxypsoralen to eliminate extraneous bacterial DNA from the PCR amplification cocktail without added template. Sections of colon from three pigs experimentally affected with colon lesions due to enteropathogenic (attaching and effacing) E. coli were PCR positive for bacterial eae genome. Sections from control animals were negative. Sections of colon from one of 18 biopsies from confirmed AIDS patients and from 22 of 35 colorectal cancer patients were PCR positive for bacterial eae genome. The PCR test was a simple and quick method of detecting bacterial eaegenome in human and veterinary clinical specimens. This method may remove the need for initial culture and detection of the gene by DNA probing from potential associated lesions. The clear relationship of bacteria containing the eae gene with colonic lesions in the pigs and mice indicates that a similar relationship is possible for human patients having similar lesions.
Preterm delivery and risk for early language delays: a sibling-control cohort study.

BACKGROUND Studies suggest that preterm delivery is a risk factor for early language delays, but knowledge is scarce about the persistence of the delays and whether the association is of a linear kind. To resolve this, effects of confounding risk factors that are both shared within a family and pregnancy specific need to be distinguished from effects of preterm delivery. Our study examines the association between early gestational age and language outcomes, using a sibling-control design. METHODS The sample comprises 22,499 siblings from the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort Study, recruited between 1999 and 2008. Mothers rated child language comprehension and production at 18 and 36 months. Analyses compared siblings discordant on gestational age group (early preterm, delivery at week 22-33; late preterm, 34-36; early term, 37-38; full term, >38) and type of onset of delivery (spontaneous; provider-initiated), and compared these findings with conventional cohort analyses. RESULTS The findings revealed inverse linear relations between the gestational age groups, and persistent but diminishing language delays. Effects of preterm delivery were substantial on both language production and comprehension at 18 months. By 36 months, the effects of preterm delivery were weaker, but still extensive, in particular for language production in provider-initiated births. When comparing sibling-control with cohort analyses, preterm group was less important among spontaneous births, but remained important in provider-initiated births. Familial and pregnancy risk factors partly explained this. CONCLUSIONS Distinctive factors seem to underlie effects of preterm delivery across spontaneous and provider-initiated births.
RESTRICTED FEEDING ENTRAINS RHYTHMS OF INFLAMMATION-RELATED FACTORS WITHOUT PROMOTING AN ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE

A restricted schedule of food access promotes numerous metabolic and physiological adaptations to optimize the biochemical handling of nutrients. The restricted feeding activates responses in hypothalamic and midbrain areas, as well as in peripheral organs involved in energy metabolism. A restricted feeding schedule (RFS) is associated with marked behavioral arousal coincident with the food anticipatory activity (FAA) and extreme hyperphagia during food access. Food restriction is also accompanied by changes in an array of stress-related parameters, such as increase in corticosterone, slower rate in body weight gain, and reduction in retroperitoneal and epididymal adipose tissue. During RFS, the liver shows a diversity of biochemical and physiologically adaptations that are advantageous for food ingestion and processing, as well as for adequate nutrient distribution to other tissues. Taking into account the probable relationship between stressful conditions and the metabolic adaptations in the liver, we addressed whether an acute-phase response (APR), or a pro-inflammatory state, occurred after three weeks of 2 h food restriction. First, we compared the circulating levels of inflammation markers (interleukin-1α, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α), and APR proteins (C-reactive protein and fibrinogen) in rats under food restriction to those in rats treated with lipopolysacharide, a strong inducer of the APR. Second, the influence of RFS on the daily rhythms of systemic cytokines and APR proteins was characterized. Third, we tested if the feeding condition (22 h fasting and 2 h refeeding) influences these parameters. Finally, we assessed if a local stressed state was established in the liver associated with the restricted feeding by measuring the activation of the transcriptional factor NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells). The results showed that the following occurred during RFS: no APR was implemented; food restriction modified the rhythmic 24 h fluctuations of IL-1α, IL-6, TNF-α, and fibrinogen; simple fasting-refeeding modulated the level of IL-1α, IL-6, and fibrinogen, but this effect was not observed before and after food access in rats with restricted food; and food restriction produced a significant peak in NF-κB signal in the liver (including its translocation into the nuclei of hepatocytes) that was dependent on feeding condition, as it was coincident with the time after food access. In conclusion, the stress condition associated with RFS is not sufficient to induce an APR, but it could be related to a local stress-response within the liver (Author correspondence: mdiaz@inb.unam.mx).
The facilitation and hindrance of psychological change for youth in residential care

11 This study was an exploration into aspects residential group care programs for youth that facilitate and hinder development of self-esteem, relationship building, internal locus of control, and academic achievement. The purpose of the study was to generate practical information that could be used by practitioners working in the field of child and youth care in the context of residential group care programs. The research method involved interviewing 12 adults that had lived in residential care programs when they were teenagers. The Critical Incident Technique was used to elicit incidents from the 12 participants. iii Table of
Levels and risk assessment of chemical contaminants in byproducts for animal feed in Denmark

With aim to provide information on chemical contaminants in byproducts in animal feed, the data from an official control by the Danish Plant Directorate during 1998–2009, were reviewed and several samples of citrus pulp and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) were additionally collected for analysis and risk assessment. The levels of contaminants in the samples from the official control were below maximum limits from EU regulations with only a few exceptions in the following groups; dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in fish-containing byproducts and dioxins in vegetable and animal fat, hydrogen cyanide in linseed, and cadmium in sunflowers. The levels of pesticides and mycotoxins in the additionally collected samples were below maximum limits. Enniatin B (ENN B) was present in all DDGS samples. The hypothetical cases of carry-over of contamination from these byproducts were designed assuming total absorption and accumulation of the ingested contaminant in meat and milk and high exposure (a byproduct formed 15–20% of the feed ration depending on the species). The risk assessment was refined based on literature data on metabolism in relevant animal species. Risk assessment of contaminants in byproducts is generally based on a worst-case approach, as data on carry-over of a contaminant are sparse. This may lead to erroneous estimation of health hazards. The presence of ENN B in all samples of DDGS indicates that potential impact of this emerging mycotoxin on feed and food safety deserves attention. A challenge for the future is to fill up gaps in toxicological databases and improve models for carry-over of contaminants.
An adaptive neural network controller for nonlinear MIMO discrete-time systems

In this paper, a multivariable adaptive control approach is proposed for a class of unknown nonlinear multi-variable discrete-time systems. An equivalent model in affine-like form is first derived for the original nonaffine discrete-time systems. Then, feedback linearization adaptive control is implemented based on the affine-like equivalent model identified with neural networks. A new NNs weight updating method is proposed based on idea of
The effect of Gn-RH on the pregnancy rate of artificially inseminated cows

One hundred and nine pure bred Holstein Friesians were injected intramuscularly with 0.125 mg of a synthetic Gn-RH analogue at the time of the first service to study the effect of Gn-RH on the fertility of inseminated cows. Sixty-four cows or 58.7 per cent were diagnosed as pregnant after one insemination compared to 54 animals or 49.5 per cent in the untreated control group. Total pregnancy rate of 81.65 per cent was 8.3 per cent higher than in the controls, while the services per conception rate improved from 1.49 to 1.39. Gn-RH administration at the time of oestrus could improve herd fertility through its including effect on follicular rupture and regulatory influence on ovarian function.
Pharmacogenetics of the lipodystrophy syndrome associated with HIV infection and combination antiretroviral therapy

Introduction: Antiretroviral drugs have been associated with several toxicities that limit their success. Of the chronic toxicities, the lipodystrophy syndrome is of special concern due to the metabolic alterations that can accompany it. Why some patients treated with a particular antiretroviral regimen develop lipodystrophy, while others do not, is a medical mystery, but it has been suggested that individuals may (or may not) have a genetically conditioned predisposition. Pharmacogenetics is the science that studies how the genetic composition of individuals can give rise to interindividual variations in response to drugs and drug toxicity. Areas covered: This article reviews the published investigations on the association between host genetic determinants in treated HIV-infected patients and the presence of lipodystrophy. Studies were identified through a PubMed database search. Case-control and longitudinal studies into pharmacogenetic association were selected. Areas covered include the data on the genetic variants of mitochondrial parameters, cytokines, adipokines, proteins involved in adipocyte biology and proteins involved in stavudine metabolism. Expert opinion: Most studies provide inconsistent data due to partial genetic evaluation, different assessment of lipodystrophy and low number of patients evaluated. The pharmacogenetics of lipodystrophy in HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral drugs still belongs in the research laboratory.
Technical and biological complications/failures with single crowns and fixed partial dentures on implants: a 10-year prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES To assess prospectively over 10 years the incidences of technical and/or biological complications and failures occurring in a cohort of consecutive partially edentulous patients with fixed reconstructions on implants of the ITI Dental Implant System. METHODS Eighty-nine patients were available, 34 (38.2%) were male, 55 (61.8%) were female. At the 10-year examination (range 8-12 years), they were 58.9 years old (range 28-88 years). RESULTS Single crowns (SC): 48 patients had been restored with 69 SC on 69 implants. Five of the implants with the crowns were lost because of biological failures. Two crowns (2.9%) were remade because of technical failures. Total failure amounted to seven (10%). Implant borne fixed partial dentures (I-I FPD): In 29 patients who had been restored with 33 implant borne suprastructures, the total number of failed I-I FPD was 2 (6.1%). Tooth-implant borne fixed partial dentures (I-T FPD): In 21 patients, 22 mixed tooth-implant borne reconstructions were constructed. The number of failed FPD reached 7 (31.8%). Statistically significantly fewer biological failures occurred with I-I FPD compared with the I-T FPDs (ANOVA, Bonferroni, P=0.022). The I-T FPDs experienced statistically significantly more frequent technical failures compared with the other two groups of suprastructures (P=0.003, 0.031). Consequences of complications: The occurrence of loss of retention as a complication increased the odds ratio (OR) to 17.6 (P<0.001) to end up in a technical failure. Similarly, the event of a porcelain fracture increased the OR for the suprastructure to be a failure at 10 years to 11.0 (P< or =0.004). Treatment of periimplantitis increased the OR to 5.44 (P< or =0.011) to result in a biological failure compared with implants in which this type of treatment was not applied. CONCLUSION The three groups of suprastructures demonstrated marked differences in their patterns of failures and complications. Complications increased the risk for failure. Support by CRF, University of Berne, Switzerland.
Anthropometric asymmetry in normal and mentally retarded males.

Anthropometric asymmetry was considered in a sample of 202 normal and about 200 mentally retarded males. In addition to height, 11 bilateral measurements of bone, soft tissue and strength were taken. Differences between bilateral measurements were analysed in terms of absolute and signed differences, and in terms of the differences corrected for height. Mentally retarded individuals show greater anthropometric asymmetry than normal individuals in both absolute measurements and those corrected for height. The distributions of the differences, both absolute and signed, are also broader in the retarded, and variances of the left-right differences are greater than variances associated with measurement. Left-right differences between the normal and retarded males occur primarily in the upper extremity; in contrast, side differences in the lower extremity are not great. Within the mentally retarded sample, there are no significant left-right differences among different I.Q. groups. However, there are significant differences among aetiological categories, and those with neurological impairment are more structurally asymmetrical.
Association of Uric Acid With Vascular Stiffness in the Framingham Heart Study.

BACKGROUND Uric acid is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension or stroke. It remains unknown if uric acid is associated with arterial stiffness in the general population. METHODS We analyzed the association between serum uric acid levels and measures of arterial stiffness such as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF PWV), carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (CR PWV) and augmentation index (AI) in 4,140 participants from the Generation 3 Framingham cohort using linear regression. RESULTS Mean (SD) age was 40.0 (8.8) years and mean (SD) serum uric acid levels were 5.3 (1.5) mg/dl. Mean (SD) CF PWV was 7.0 (1.4) m/s. Individuals in the highest quartile of uric acid were more likely to be male, have a higher prevalence of hypertension, higher BMI, fasting glucose and insulin, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Multivariate adjusted means of CF PWV were 6.90, 6.94, 7.06, and 7.15 m/s for uric acid quartile 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. In unadjusted analysis each 1mg/dl increase in uric acid was associated with higher CF-PWV (β = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.25, 0.29; P < 0.0001). This was attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, BMI, fasting glucose, insulin, animal protein intake, and eGFR (β= 0.06; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.09; P < 0.0007). There was no association between serum uric acid levels and AI upon adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Serum uric acid levels are significantly associated with CF PWV and CR PWV in a younger Caucasian population.
Ketone body production and disposal: effects of fasting, diabetes, and exercise.

Turnover studies performed during progressive fasting in normal subjects indicate that the production rate and the concentration of KB rise markedly during the early phase of fasting and start reaching a plateau after about 5 days. In addition to increased production, a reduction in the metabolic clearance rate of KB contributes to the hyperketonemia. This reduced metabolic clearance rate reflects essentially the progressive saturation of muscular ketone uptake that occurs with increasing ketonemia. The hormonal and metabolic environment of fasting plays only a minor role in this process, since a fall in KB metabolic clearance similar to that observed during fasting is observed if hyperketonemia is artificially induced in the postabsorptive state by the infusion of exogenous ketones. As extraction of KB by muscle becomes limited during ongoing fasting, KB are preferentially taken up by the brain to serve as a substrate replacing glucose. The remarkable stability of ketonemia during prolonged fasting is maintained through the operation of a negative feedback mechanism whereby KB tend to restrain their own production rate. The antilipolytic and insulinotropic effects of KB are instrumental in this process. This homeostatic mechanism maintains ketogenesis only slightly above the maximal metabolic disposal rate, the difference corresponding to urinary excretion, which is always below 10% of total turnover under physiologic conditions. When type I insulin-deprived diabetic patients are compared at the same KB concentration with control subjects with fasting ketosis, the characteristics of KB kinetics are comparable in the two groups. The maximal KB removal capacity is identical in the two situations, and it is not possible to identify a ketone removal defect specific to diabetes. Thus, these data favor the concept that excessive production of KB represent the main factor leading to uncontrolled hyperketonemia. It should be realized that a production exceeding only slightly that prevailing during prolonged fasting is sufficient to cause a progressive build-up in concentration, leading to uncontrolled diabetic ketosis. In the overnight-fasted state, a prolonged exercise (2 h) performed at moderate intensity (50% VO2 max) stimulates the capacity of muscle to extract ketones from blood as evidenced by a stimulation of the metabolic clearance rate. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Modelling the US swap spread

The dynamics between five-year US Treasury bonds and interest rate swaps are examined using bivariate threshold autoregressive (BTAR) models to determine the drivers of spread changes and the nature of the lead–lag relation between the two instruments. This model is able to identify the economic – or threshold – value that market participants consider significant before realigning their portfolios. Specifically, three different regimes are identified: when the swap spread in the previous week is either high or low, the Treasury bond market leads the swap market. However, when the swap spread is low, none of the markets leads each other. Thus, yield movements are shown to be governed by the direction and magnitude of the change in the swap spread, which in turn provides an economic insight into the rebalancing between swap and bond portfolios.
Ascorbic acid modulates cell migration in differentiated HL-60 cells and peripheral blood leukocytes.

SCOPE The impact of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) on the chemokinesis (CK) and chemotaxis (CT) of HL-60 cells and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS HL-60 cells were differentiated with DMSO, retinoic acid (RA), vitamin D, or L-AA. Chemokinesis and chemotaxis of differentiated HL-cells were assayed. Vitamin D3-treated HL-60 cells (dHL-60vitD3 cells) and RA-treated cells (dHL-60RA cells) acquired monocyte/macrophage-like and neutrophil-like phenotypes, respectively. DMSO induced the differentiation of an intermediate phenotype (dHL-60DMSO cells), whereas L-AA downregulated neutrophil markers (dHL-60L-AA cells). dHL-60DMSO cells had increased CK and potent CT in gradients of IL-8 and N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP). dHL-60RA cells and dHL-60L-AA cells migrated less toward IL-8 and fMLP; dHL-60vitD3 cells preferably responded to fMLP. L-AA enhanced CK of dHL-60DMSO cells and was a weak chemo-attractant. In human leukocytes, IL-8 and fMLP triggered receptor-mediated chemotaxis. CXCR2 and fMLPR were downregulated by IL-8 and fMLP, respectively. L-AA stimulated chemotaxis although significantly less than IL-8 and fMLP. IL-8 targeted chemotaxis was enhanced both in HL-60 cells and leukocytes when cells were incubated with L-AA. CONCLUSION L-AA modulated chemokinesis and had significant chemo-attractant properties, which were independent on fMLP or IL-8 receptors. The results suggest that L-AA improves leukocyte function in innate immune responses.
Regulation of laminin‐associated integrin subunit mRNAs in rat spinal motoneurons during postnatal development and after axonal injury

Two important prerequisites for successful axon regeneration are that appropriate extracellular molecules are available for outgrowing axons and that receptors for such molecules are found in the regenerating neuron. Laminins and their receptors in the integrin family are examples of such molecules, and laminin‐associated integrin subunits α3, α6, α7, and β1 mRNAs have all been detected in adult rat motoneurons. We have here, by use of in situ hybridization histochemistry, examined the normal postnatal development of the expression in motoneurons of these mRNAs and integrin β4 mRNA, all of which have been associated with laminin‐2. We studied the regulation of these mRNAs, 1–42 days after two types of axotomy in the adult rat (sciatic nerve transection, SNT; ventral root avulsion, VRA) and 1–10 days after SNT in the neonatal animal. During postnatal development, there was a distinct shift in the integrin composition from a stronger expression of the α6 subunit to a very clear dominance of α7 in the adult. All types of axotomy in the adult rat induced initial (1–7 days) large up‐regulations of α6, α7 and β1 subunit mRNAs (250–500%). Only minor changes for α3 mRNA were seen, and β4 mRNA could not be detected at all in motoneurons. After adult SNT, the α7 and β1 subunits were up‐regulated throughout the studied period, and the α6 subunit mRNA was eventually normalized. After VRA, however, the α7 and β1 levels peaked earlier than after SNT and were normalized at 42 days, whereas α6 mRNA was up‐regulated longer than after SNT. Neonatal SNT had much smaller effects on the expression of the studied subunits. The results suggest that an important part of the response to axotomy of motoneurons is to up‐regulate receptors for laminin. The developmental shift in integrin subunit composition and the various responses seen in the lesion models indicate that different isoforms of laminin play a role in the regenerative response. J. Comp. Neurol. 428:294–304, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.