Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Characterization of a Babesia Species Identified in a North American Raccoon

Piroplasmosis was first described in raccoons (Procyon lotor) in 1926, and the official description of a small piroplasm as Babesia lotori was done in 1981. Babesia microti-like gene sequences have been characterized in raccoons in both North American and Japan. It is well documented that the microscopic appearance of piroplasms does not always accurately predict the genotype and phylogenetic classification. Discrepancies using phenotype to predict genotype have been reported most frequently when evaluating small piroplasms. We amplified and sequenced the full-length 18S rRNA gene from a small piroplasm identified in a raccoon and used this sequence for phylogenetic analyses. Based on these analyses, the organism was placed in the Babesia sensu stricto clade, confirming that it is a true Babesia sp. This documents that at least two Babesia spp. can infect raccoons. The data generated in this study can be used to design molecular diagnostic tests for detection of this Babesia sp. , which will be useful for epidemiologic and comparative phylogenetic studies. As piroplasmosis has been documented with increased frequency in humans in recent years, the results of this study will aid in the recognition of zoonotic babesiosis.
First attempt to produce experimental Campylobacter concisus infection in mice.

AIM To infect mice with atypical Campylobacter concisus (C. concisus) for the first time. METHODS Three separate experiments were conducted in order to screen the ability of five clinical C. concisus isolates of intestinal origin and the ATCC 33237 type strain of oral origin to colonize and produce infection in immunocompetent BALB/cA mice. The majority of the BALB/cA mice were treated with cyclophosphamide prior to C. concisus inoculation to suppress immune functions. Inoculation of C. concisus was performed by the gastric route. RESULTS C. concisus was isolated from the liver, ileum and jejunum of cyclophosphamide-treated mice in the first experiment. No C. concisus strains were isolated in the two subsequent experiments. Mice infected with C. concisus showed a significant loss of body weight from day two through to day five of infection but this decreased at the end of the first week. Histopathological examination did not consistently find signs of inflammation in the gut, but occasionally microabscesses were found in the liver of infected animals. CONCLUSION Transient colonization with C. concisus was observed in mice with loss of body weight. Future studies should concentrate on the first few days after inoculation and in other strains of mice.
Addition of Transdermal or Inhaled Long-Acting β 2-Agonists in Adult Asthmatic Patients Treated with Inhaled Corticosteroids: Switchover Study from Tulobuterol Patch to Salmeterol Dry Powder Inhaler

Sixty-four patients with persistent asthma receiving 200 to 800 μ g of fluticasone propionate daily were enrolled in this switchover study. The patients applied a tulobuterol patch 2 mg every 24 hours for 4 weeks followed by inhalation of salmeterol 100 μ g bid for 4 weeks. The mean values for morning and evening peak expiratory flow improved significantly compared with baseline during the 4 weeks of tulobuterol patch treatment. Further improvement was seen on switching to salmeterol treatment, which was significant even in the first week, and continued until the final week of the study. Use of salmeterol alone resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second %FEV1 from baseline, with 51% of patients feeling that the treatment was effective (vs. 37% on tulobuterol). These data suggest that salmeterol can achieve better control in asthmatic patients after switching from using tulobuterol patches.
Incision of the Anulus Fibrosus Induces Nerve Root Morphologic, Vascular, and Functional Changes: An Experimental Study

Study Design The effects on nerve root structure, vasculature, and function after incision of the adjacent disc was studied in a dog model. Objectives To see if only incision of the disc per se is sufficient for inducing similar changes. Summary of Background Data It is well known that nucleus pulposus will induce nerve root structural and functional changes in experimental situations. In these previous studies, relatively large amounts of nucleus pulposus were applied. Methods The left L7 nerve root was exposed and mobilized in 10 dogs. In five dogs, the adjacent L6‐L7 disc was incised, and in five other dogs, the disc was not incised. After 7 days, nerve conduction velocity was recorded, and specimens were obtained for histologic evaluation. Results The nerve conduction velocity was significantly lower in the incision group (13 ± 14 m/sec) compared with the nonincision group (73 ± 5 m/sec). Structural changes of the axons were more pronounced in the incision group, however, the degree and distribution was too limited to fully account for the neurophysiologic reactions observed. There also were obvious signs of capillary stasis with an increased number and diameter of the intraneural capillaries in the incision group. Conclusions The present study indicated that incision of the anulus fibrosus is sufficient to induce significant morphologic and functional changes and that vascular mechanisms may be of importance for the observed changes. These experimental data suggest that leakage of nucleus pulposus material from anular tears, with injury to adjacent nerve roots, might be one pathophysiologic mechanism in patients with low back pain and sciatica but with no radiologic or surgical evidence of disc herniation.
Bleeding and Subsequent Anemia: A Precipitant for Cerebral Infarction

Background and Objectives: The relationship between bleeding and subsequent anemia (BSA) and the occurrence of stroke has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the characteristics of stroke associated with BSA. Methods: We studied 16 consecutive patients with acute stroke associated with anemia (hemoglobin level on admission ≤9.0 g/dl) and compared their stroke subtypes with those of 32 control subjects. Results: The cause of anemia was upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 11 patients (ulcers in 8; carcinomas in 2, and hemorrhagic gastritis in 1), bleeding from a hemorrhoid in 2, uterine cervical bleeding in 1, ecchymosis probably related to medication in 1, and chronic blood drainage in 1. At least 10 patients had a history of recent (<1 week), active bleeding. Clinical and imaging studies showed that all the patients had infarcts and none had intracerebral hemorrhages. Thirteen patients had infarcts in the region of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) (total MCA region in 2; partial, cortical area in 5; subcortical area in 5, and lenticulostriate artery region in 1), 2 had anterior cerebral artery (ACA) region infarction, and 1 had cerebellar infarction. All 11 patients who underwent vascular imaging studies showed significant stenosis and/or occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) (n = 5), the MCA (n = 4), both the ICA and MCA (n = 1), or the ACA (n = 1). Of the different stroke subtypes (large vessel infarction (LVI), small vessel infarction, cardiogenic embolic infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage), LVI was significantly (p < 0.05) more frequent in patients with stroke associated with BSA than in the controls, even though the demographics and risk factors were similar in each group. Conclusions: The close temporal relationship between the bleeding and the onset of stroke, as well as the predominance of the LVI subtype in the BSA-associated group as compared to controls, suggest that BSA may precipitate atherothrombotic cerebral infarction. A hemodynamic alteration, enhanced thrombosis or a combination of these appears to be the pathogenic mechanism.
Nebulization of Antiinfective Agents in Invasively Mechanically Ventilated Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Nebulization of antiinfective agents is a common but unstandardized practice in critically ill patients. Methods: A systematic review of 1,435 studies was performed in adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. Two different administration strategies (adjunctive and substitute) were considered clinically relevant. Inclusion was restricted to studies using jet, ultrasonic, and vibrating-mesh nebulizers. Studies involving children, colonized-but-not-infected adults, and cystic fibrosis patients were excluded. Results: Five of the 11 studies included had a small sample size (fewer than 50 patients), and only 6 were randomized. Diversity of case-mix, dosage, and devices are sources of bias. Only a few patients had severe hypoxemia. Aminoglycosides and colistin were the most common antibiotics, being safe regarding nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity, but increased respiratory complications in 9% (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.18; I2 = 52%), particularly when administered to hypoxemic patients. For tracheobronchitis, a significant decrease in emergence of resistance was evidenced (risk ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.64; I2 = 0%). Similar findings were observed in pneumonia by susceptible pathogens, without improvement in mortality or ventilation duration. In pneumonia caused by resistant pathogens, higher clinical resolution (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.30 to 2.96; I2 = 0%) was evidenced. These findings were not consistently evidenced in the assessment of efficacy against pneumonia caused by susceptible pathogens. Conclusions: Performance of randomized trials evaluating the impact of nebulized antibiotics with more homogeneous populations, standardized drug delivery, predetermined clinical efficacy, and safety outcomes is urgently required. Infections by resistant pathogens might potentially have higher benefit from nebulized antiinfective agents. Nebulization, without concomitant systemic administration of the drug, may reduce nephrotoxicity but may also be associated with higher risk of respiratory complications.
UNITE: a database providing web-based methods for the molecular identification of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Identification of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi is often achieved through comparisons of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences with accessioned sequences deposited in public databases. A major problem encountered is that annotation of the sequences in these databases is not always complete or trustworthy. In order to overcome this deficiency, we report on UNITE, an open-access database. UNITE comprises well annotated fungal ITS sequences from well defined herbarium specimens that include full herbarium reference identification data, collector/source and ecological data. At present UNITE contains 758 ITS sequences from 455 species and 67 genera of ECM fungi. UNITE can be searched by taxon name, via sequence similarity using blastn, and via phylogenetic sequence identification using galaxie. Following implementation, galaxie performs a phylogenetic analysis of the query sequence after alignment either to pre-existing generic alignments, or to matches retrieved from a blast search on the UNITE data. It should be noted that the current version of UNITE is dedicated to the reliable identification of ECM fungi. The UNITE database is accessible through the URL http://unite.zbi. ee
Amentoflavone Inhibits Experimental Tumor Metastasis Through a Regulatory Mechanism Involving MMP-2, MMP-9, Prolyl Hydroxylase, Lysyl Oxidase, VEGF, ERK-1, ERK-2, STAT-1, nm23 and Cytokines in Lung Tissues of C57BL/6 Mice

Amentoflavone has been shown to inhibit tumor metastasis in vivo, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, C57BL/6 mice were injected once with B16F-10 melanoma cells via tail vein followed by amentoflavone treatment (50mg/kg BW) for 10 consecutive days. Twenty-one days after tumor injection, animals were euthanized, and tumor metastasis was found to confine in the lungs. As compared with the tumor controls, amentoflavone treatment significantly lowered the number of lung nodules (p<0.001). Amentoflavone treatment markedly decreased the mRNA expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, prolyl hydroxylase, lysyl oxidase, VEGF, ERK-1, ERK-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and GM-CSF in lung tissues. However, amentoflavone treatment increased the mRNA expression of STAT-1 and nm23 in lung tissues. Also in vitro studies indicate that amentoflavone treatment inhibits tumor cell invasion and migration. These results show that amentoflavone treatment reduces experimental tumor metastasis and suggest that such an action is associated with attenuation of tumor invasion, proliferation and angiogenesis.
Comparison of media for isolation of mouse anaerobic faecal bacteria

A study was made to determine suitable plate-in-bottle media for enumeration and isolation of the anaerobic faecal bacteria of mice. Comparison of non-selective media indicated that colony counts were higher on M-SM10, M10 and M-M98-5 than on EG, W & E medium and BHI, and those on M-SM10 were always the highest. Bacteroidaceae counts on M-SM10, M10, M-M98-5 were particularly high. On the other hand, in chloroform-treated faeces which contain only Clostridial spores, colony counts were higher on EG and W & E medium than on M-SM10, M10 and M-M98-5. These results indicate that suitable non-selective media vary according to the bacterial species to be enumerated and isolated.
Cognitive Strategy and Ability in Endurance Activities

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether elite athletes utilize associative strategies and, on the other hand, if nonelite athletes prefer to use dissociative strategies. 60 athletes were interviewed and the Schomer's 1986 method of measurement was used to measure association and dissociation. Analysis showed no significant differences in the total associative and dissociative scores among the three different abilities. However, a significant difference was found concerning the use of dissociative strategy between men and women.
Endovascular Treatment of Femoral-Popliteal Disease

Available and improved options for the treatment of femoral-popliteal disease have increased over the last decade. Even though most patients suffering from claudication due to femoral-popliteal disease are treated with aggressive medical and noninvasive methods, patients with limb-threatening disease and severely lifestyle-limiting symptoms are treated with invasive treatments, which include endovascular treatment options. Unfortunately, the unique forces involved in this vascular segment have challenged the long-term patency and clinical effectiveness of these treatments. The purpose of this brief review is to discuss treatment strategies and options for patients with femoral-popliteal disease. Included in this discussion will be the review of data from recent published studies and late-breaking trials as it pertains to certain treatment strategies.
Functional Comparison of the K+-Cl−Cotransporters KCC1 and KCC4*

The K+-Cl−cotransporters (KCCs) are members of the cation-chloride cotransporter gene family and fall into two phylogenetic subgroups: KCC2 paired with KCC4 and KCC1 paired with KCC3. We report a functional comparison inXenopus oocytes of KCC1 and KCC4, widely expressed representatives of these two subgroups. KCC1 and KCC4 exhibit differential sensitivity to transport inhibitors, such that KCC4 is much less sensitive to bumetanide and furosemide. The efficacy of these anion inhibitors is critically dependent on the concentration of extracellular K+, with much higher inhibition in 50 mm K+ versus 2 mmK+. KCC4 is also uniquely sensitive to 10 mmbarium and to 2 mm trichlormethiazide. Kinetic characterization reveals divergent affinities for K+(K m values of ∼25.5 and 17.5 mm for KCC1 and KCC4, respectively), probably due to variation within the second transmembrane segment. Although the two isoforms have equivalent affinities for Cl−, they differ in the anion selectivity of K+ transport (Cl− > SCN− = Br− > PO4 −3 > I−for KCC1 and Cl− > Br− > PO4 −3 = I− > SCN−for KCC4). Both KCCs express minimal K+-Cl−cotransport under isotonic conditions, with significant activation by cell swelling under hypotonic conditions. The cysteine-alkylating agentN-ethylmaleimide activates K+-Cl− cotransport in isotonic conditions but abrogates hypotonic activation, an unexpected dissociation of N-ethylmaleimide sensitivity and volume sensitivity. Although KCC4 is consistently more volume-sensitive, the hypotonic activation of both isoforms is critically dependent on protein phosphatase 1. Overall, the functional comparison of these cloned K+-Cl− cotransporters reveals important functional, pharmacological, and kinetic differences with both physiological and mechanistic implications.
Estrogen receptor alpha, but not beta, plays a major role in 17beta-estradiol-induced murine cholesterol gallstones.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Cholesterol gallstones are more common in women than men, and exposure to oral contraceptive steroids and conjugated estrogens increases the risk for gallstones. It is hypothesized that estrogen enhances cholesterol cholelithogenesis by augmenting functions of hepatic estrogen receptors (ERs). METHODS To investigate molecular mechanisms of how estrogen influences cholesterol gallstones, we studied gonadectomized AKR/J mice of both genders that were implanted subcutaneously with pellets releasing 17beta-estradiol at 0, 3, or 6 microg/day and that were fed a lithogenic diet for 12 weeks. To test the hypothesis that ERs play a pivotal role in mediating lithogenic actions of estrogen and to dissect the potential pathophysiologic roles of each receptor subtype, ERalpha and ERbeta, in the formation of gallstones, we investigated gonadectomized mice treated with synthetic ER subtype-selective agonists or antagonists. RESULTS 17beta-estradiol promoted gallstone formation by up-regulating hepatic expression of ERalpha but not ERbeta, and the lithogenic actions of estrogen can be blocked completely by the antiestrogenic ICI 182,780. The ERalpha-selective agonist propylpyrazole, but not the ERbeta-selective agonist diarylpropionitrile, augmented hepatic cholesterol output that resulted in cholesterol supersaturated bile and gallstones. Similar to the 17beta-estradiol treatment, tamoxifen significantly increased biliary cholesterol secretion and gallstone prevalence in both gonadectomized females and males. CONCLUSIONS The hepatic ERalpha, but not ERbeta, plays a critical role in 17beta-estradiol-induced cholesterol gallstones. Our findings may offer a new approach to treat gallstones by inhibiting hepatic ER activity with a liver-specific, ERalpha-selective antagonist.
Asymptotic properties of the high-order Yule-Walker estimates of sinusoidal frequencies

The asymptotic properties of the high-order Yule-Walker (HOYW) estimator of sinusoidal frequencies are analyzed. An explicit formula for the covariance matrix of the HOYW frequency estimation error is derived. The effects on estimation accuracy of the number of YW equations, the model order, and a certain weighting matrix are investigated analytically. The optimally weighted HOYW estimator is described. The analysis presented together with the already existing empirical evidence provides enough motivation for the use of an overdetermined and high-order Yule-Walker estimator. >
Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in the Adoptive Transfer Model of Essential Modifier-Binding Domain Peptides B k Antineuroinflammatory Effect of NF-Fung,

It has been shown that peptides corresponding to the NF- (cid:1) B essential modiﬁer-binding domain (NBD) of I (cid:1) B kinase (cid:2) or I (cid:1) B kinase (cid:3) speciﬁcally inhibit the induction of NF- (cid:1) B activation without inhibiting the basal NF- (cid:1) B activity. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of NBD peptides in inhibiting the disease process in adoptively transferred experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Clinical symptoms of EAE were much lower in mice receiving wild-type (wt)NBD peptides compared with those receiving mutated (m)NBD peptides. Histological and immunocytochemical analysis showed that wtNBD peptides inhibited EAE-induced spinal cord mononuclear cell invasion and normalized p65 (the RelA subunit of NF- (cid:1) B) expression within the spinal cord. Analysis of lymph node cells isolated from donor and recipient mice showed that wtNBD peptides but not mNBD peptides were able to shift the immune response from a Th1 to a Th2 proﬁle. Consistently, wtNBD peptides but not mNBD peptides inhibited the encephalitogenicity of myelin basic protein-speciﬁc T cells. Furthermore, i.p. injection of wtNBD peptides but not mNBD peptides was also able to reduce LPS- and IFN- (cid:4) -induced expression of inducible NO synthase, IL-1 (cid:3) , and TNF- (cid:2) in vivo in the cerebellum. Taken together, our results support the conclusion that NBD
ANTAGONISM BY MANGANESE OF ISOPRENALINE DILATATION OF THE GUINEA‐PIG ISOLATED TRACHEA

1. Manganese (0.5‐100 μmol/1) was found to be a potent inhibitor of the dilator effect of isoprenaline on the isolated tracheal muscle of the guinea‐pig. Above these concentrations the inhibitory action of Mn2+ diminished and no inhibition occurred above 1000 μmol/I Mn2+. Thus a bell‐shaped dose‐response curve resulted for the inhibition of isoprenaline by Mn2+. The antagonism was surmountable but apparently noncompetitive.
Shoot development in Quercus suber L. somatic embryos

SummaryN6-Benzyladenine (BA; 0.04–4μM) application to germinated Quercus suber somatic embryos considerably increased caulinar apex elongation frequency and maintained active growth in the plantlets, although it did not have a significant effect on the percentage of shoots with normal morphology. The addition of 0.5 μM indoleacetic acid together with the cytokinin did not have any effect. The use of a low concentration (0.04 μM) of BA allowed the appropriate radicle elongation in all germinating somatic embryos, but higher concentrations arrested this elongation.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism (Val66Met) and the early response to antidepressant in Chinese Han population.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a genetically complex and heterogeneous disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests that brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. A functional nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism that causes an amino-acid substitution of valine to methionine is located in the coding exon of BDNF gene at amino acid position 66 (Val66Met, rs6265) (Sen et al., 2003). The BDNF Val/Met polymorphism has become a main target for pharmacogenetic studies because of its role in the pathophysiology of MDD. In this study, we investigated the association between treatment outcome with different antidepressants [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and venlafaxine] and BDNF Val/Met polymorphism in a prospective naturalistic setting in Chinese Han population.
Guidance for exposure design of human studies addressing health risk evaluations of mobile phones

Conflicting results have recently emerged from human provocation studies that addressed the possible health hazards of radio frequency (RF) field exposure from mobile phones. Different findings may have resulted from exposures that are poorly defined and difficult to compare. The aim of this study was to develop guidelines to facilitate the development of exposure systems for human volunteer studies which lead to reproducible results and which provide maximum relevance with respect to the assessment of the safety of mobile technology. The most important exposure parameters are discussed such as the signal, field distribution, and field strength, as well as the minimum requirements for the setup and dosimetry. Bioelectromagnetics 25:524–529, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.