Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidermal Growth Factor-dependent Regulation of Cdc42 Is Mediated by the Src Tyrosine Kinase*

Treatment of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes the activation of the small GTP-binding protein Cdc42, as well as its phosphorylation in cells. The EGF-dependent phosphorylation of Cdc42 occurs at tyrosine 64 in the Switch II domain and appears to be mediated through the Src tyrosine kinase, because both the expression of a dominant-negative Src mutant (mouse Src(K297R)) and treatment of cells with the Src kinase inhibitor PP2 blocks the EGF-stimulated phosphorylation of Cdc42, whereas expression of an activated Src mutant (Src(Y529F)) promotes phosphorylation in the absence of EGF treatment. The EGF-stimulated phosphorylation of Cdc42 is not required for its activation, nor does it directly affect the interactions of activated Cdc42 with target/effector proteins including PAK, ACK, WASP, or IQGAP. However, the EGF-stimulated phosphorylation of Cdc42 is accompanied by an enhancement in the interaction of Cdc42 with the Rho-GDP dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI). The EGF-stimulated activation of Cdc42 does require activated Src, as well as the Vav2 protein, a member of the Dbl family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Src catalyzes the tyrosine phosphorylation of Vav2, and overexpression of Vav2 together with activated Src (Src(Y529F)) can completely bypass the need for EGF to promote the activation of Cdc42. Thus, EGF signaling through Src appears to have dual regulatory effects on Cdc42: 1) it leads to the activation of Cdc42 as mediated by the Vav2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, and 2) it results in the phosphorylation of Cdc42, which stimulates the binding of RhoGDI, perhaps to direct the movement of Cdc42 to a specific cellular site to trigger a signaling response, because Cdc42-RhoGDI interactions are essential for Cdc42-induced cellular transformation.
Comparative study of selegiline plus L‐dopa–carbidopa versus L‐dopa–carbidopa alone in the treatment of parkinson's disease

The long‐term effect of selegiline (L‐deprenyl) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease has not been clearly delineated. We report on a group of patients whose treatment was initiated with selegiline (n = 43) and then subsequently included L‐dopa‐carbidopa (Sinemet) and in whom an extended period of observation was carried out; they are compared to a group of patients whose treatment consisted of L‐dopa‐carbidopa alone (n ' 39). In each, serial observations of the parkinsonian state and the response to treatment on a yearly basis for a period of 5 years were performed. No significant difference in the Hoehn‐Yahr stage or in the motor subscores of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and gait‐posture was found between the two groups, nor was there a significant difference in the incidence of fluctuating responses or dyskinesias. The group that received combination therapy required less L‐dopa than did the group that received L‐dopa‐carbidopa alone during the first 3 years of treatment and a similar trend was evident in years 4 to 5. We conclude that minimal benefits accrued to the parkinsonian patients from long‐term use of selegiline. No clinical evidence to support the claim of “neuroprotective” properties was found. Selegiline's major usefulness is to modify the fluctuating therapeutic response seen with L‐dopa‐carbiodopa.
Impact of Lower Screening TSH Cutoff Level on the Increasing Prevalence of Congenital Hypothyroidism

Lower cutoff levels in screening programs have led to an increase in the proportion of detected cases of transient hypothyroidism, leading to an increase in the overall prevalence of primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in several countries. We have performed a retrospective evaluation on the data from 251,008 (96.72%) neonates screened for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level in dried blood spot specimens taken 48 h after birth, between 2002 and 2015, using the DELFIA method. A TSH value of 15 mIU/L whole blood was used as the cutoff point until 2010 and 10 mIU/L thereafter. Primary CH was detected in 127 newborns (1/1976) of which 81.1% had permanent and 18.9% had transient CH. The prevalence of primary CH increased from 1/2489 before 2010 to 1/1585 thereafter (p = 0.131). However, the prevalence of permanent CH increased only slightly (p = 0.922), while the transient CH prevalence showed an 8-fold increase after lowering the TSH cutoff level (p < 0.001). In cases of permanent CH, we observed a lower prevalence of thyroid dysgenesis (82.7% vs. 66.7%) and a higher prevalence of a normal in situ thyroid gland (17.3% vs. 33.3%), for the period with a lower TSH cutoff value. Our findings support the impact of a lower TSH cutoff on the increasing prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism.
Sex differences in autism spectrum disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW A strong male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has been observed with striking consistency, but no mechanism has yet to definitively account for this sex difference. This review explores the current status of epidemiological, genetic, and neuroendocrinological work addressing ASD prevalence and liability in males and females, so as to frame the major issues necessary to pursue a more complete understanding of the biological basis for sex-differential risk. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies continue to report a male bias in ASD prevalence, but also suggest that sex differences in phenotypic presentation, including fewer restricted and repetitive behaviors and externalizing behavioral problems in females, may contribute to this bias. Genetic studies demonstrate that females are protected from the effects of heritable and de-novo ASD risk variants, and compelling work suggests that sex chromosomal genes and/or sex hormones, especially testosterone, may modulate the effects of genetic variation on the presentation of an autistic phenotype. SUMMARY ASDs affect females less frequently than males, and several sex-differential genetic and hormonal factors may contribute. Future work to determine the mechanisms by which these factors confer risk and protection to males and females is essential.
Corrective Equations to Self-Reported Height and Weight for Obesity Estimates Among U.S. Adults: NHANES 1999–2008

Purpose: Estimating obesity prevalence using self-reported height and weight is an economic and effective method and is often used in national surveys. However, self-reporting of height and weight can involve misreporting of those variables and has been found to be associated to the size of the individual. This study investigated the biases in self-reporting of height and weight in the U.S. adult population and generated age-adjusted correction equations for self-reported height and weight separately for each ethnic group's specific height and weight quartile sample. Validity of the body mass index (BMI) classification calculated from corrected self-reported height and weight was also examined. Method: Data on self-reporting and direct measurement of height and weight from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2008 were analyzed. The final sample included 11,521 men and 10,905 nonpregnant women who were all U.S. citizens aged 20 years or older. Results: A variation in misreporting of self-reported height and weight depended on the gender, ethnicity, age, and size of the individual. The results from sensitivity and specificity analyses showed that the BMI calculated from corrected values of self-reported height and weight provided more accurate estimations of overweight and obesity than did BMI calculated from self-reported height and weight. Conclusion: In spite of some methodological concerns, the correction equation of self-reported height and weight generated in this study can be utilized as a method for quick assessment of estimating the obesity and overweight prevalence in the U.S. adult population.
Perioperative endovascular internal iliac artery occlusion balloon placement in management of placenta accreta.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of the perioperative placement of occlusion balloons within the internal iliac arteries in reducing intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements during cesarean delivery for women with placenta accreta or its variants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Over a 30-month period, 11 patients with placenta accreta or its variants underwent cesarean delivery after bilateral internal iliac artery occlusion balloon placement (study group). The intraoperative blood loss and transfusion volumes, immediate postoperative change in hemoglobin levels, duration of surgery, and length of ICU stay and hospitalization of this study group were compared with 14 similar patients who underwent cesarean delivery without occlusion balloon placement over a 36-month period (control group). RESULTS The mean intraoperative blood loss in the study group (2,011 mL; range, 400-5,000 mL) was 39.4% less than in the control group (3,316 mL; range, 1,000-4,000 mL) (p = 0.042). The mean volume of blood transfused was 52.1% less in the study group (1,058 mL; range, 0-3,600 mL) than in the control group (2,211 mL; range, 1,190-3,980 mL) (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in the immediate postoperative change in hemoglobin levels (p = 0.44), length of hospitalization (p = 0.203), or ICU admission (p = 0.614). The duration of the surgery was significantly less in the study group (p = 0.046). CONCLUSION Perioperative internal iliac artery occlusion balloon placement is a safe and minimally invasive technique that reduces intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients with placenta accreta and its variants undergoing cesarean delivery.
STUDIES ON THE BRADYCARDIA INDUCED BY BEPRIDIL

1 Bepridil, a novel active compound for prophylactic treatment of anginal attacks, induced persistent bradycardia and a non‐specific anti‐tachycardial effect, the mechanisms of which were investigated in vitro and in vivo. 2 In vitro perfusion of bepridil in the life‐support medium for isolated sino‐atrial tissue from rabbit heart, caused a reduction in action potential (AP) spike frequency (recorded by KCl microelec‐trodes) starting at doses of 5 × 10−6 m. This effect was dose‐dependent up to concentrations of 5 × 10−5 m, whereupon blockade of sinus activity set in. 3 Bepridil at a dose of 5 × 10−6 m, induced a concomitant reduction in AP amplitude (falling from 71±8 mV to 47±6 mV), maximum systolic depolarization velocity (phase 0) which fell from 1.85 ± 0.35 V/s to 0.84 ± 0.28 V/s, together with maximum diastolic depolarization velocity (phase 4) which fell from 38 ± 3 mV/s to 24 ± 5 mV/s. 4 In vivo injection of bepridil at a dose of 5 mg/kg (i.v.) into 6 anaesthetized dogs which had undergone ablation of all the extrinsic cardiac afferent nerve supply, together with a bilateral medullo‐adrenalectomy, caused a marked reduction in heart rate which fell from 98·7 ± 4.2 beats/min to 76 ± 5.3 beats/min sustained for more than 45 min. 5 It is concluded that bepridil reduces heart rate by acting directly on the sinus node. This effect, which results in a flattening of the phase 0 and phase 4 slope, together with a longer AP duration, may be due to an increase in the time constants of slow inward ionic currents (already demonstrated elsewhere), but also to an increased time constant for deactivation of the outward potassium current (Ip).
Topical riboflavin attenuates ultraviolet B‐ and ultraviolet A‐induced immunosuppression in humans

Background: Riboflavin (vitamin B2) plays a key role in cellular energy metabolism. We have observed previously that nicotinamide (vitamin B3), which is also centrally involved in cellular energy restoration after UV irradiation, is highly immune protective in humans. We thus hypothesized that riboflavin might also confer immune protection.
Tricritical and critical end-point phenomena under random bonds.

The effect of bond randomness on tricritical and critical end-point phenomena is studied by renormalization-group theory. In three dimensions, the pure-system tricritical point is replaced by a line segment of second-order transitions dominated by randomness and bounded by a multicritical point and a random-bond tricritical point, which reaches zero temperature at threshold randomness. This topology indicates a violation of the empirical universality principle. The random-bond tricritical point renormalizes onto the fixed distribution of random-field Ising criticality. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
The epidemiology of cataract: a study in Greece

Purpose: We conducted a case–control study to identify risk factors for cataract in the Mediterranean Greek population. Three hundred and fourteen cases and 314 frequency‐matched controls of both genders, aged 45–85, attending the ophthalmology department of a major teaching hospital in Athens, Greece, were included in the study.
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering CONVERSION OF BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE VEGETABLE OIL INDUSTRY INTO BIODIESEL AND ITS USE IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES : A REVIEW

Biodiesel produced from by-products and waste materials can be an economical way of reducing traditional oil consumption and environmental problems. The by-products from the vegetable oil refining industry such as soapstock, acid oil and fatty acid distillates are suitable for producing biodiesel. The present work is a survey related to the use of these by-products to obtain biodiesel, covering not only the traditional and most widely used acid/base catalysis, but also solid and enzymatic catalysis. Details of the techniques are presented and compared. The advantages and drawbacks of the different approaches are mentioned and analyzed. The synthesis and use of by-products from the vegetable oil refining industry are covered in this work. The use of the obtained biodiesel in diesel engines is also included, demonstrating the disparity between the number of papers related to biodiesel production and engine performance assessment.
Validation of proteomic biomarkers previously found to be differentially expressed in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to independently validate proteomic biomarkers previously reported to be differentially expressed in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) compared with controls. This study focused on plasma proteomic biomarkers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study at the University of Nottingham, in which samples from 30 PCOS and 30 control women were analysed by Western blotting. Results: Mean abundance ratios from Western blots of plasma total haptoglobin and haptoglobin beta proteins were 1.25 (CI 1.11–1.4) and 1.24 (CI 1.04–1.44). The mean abundance ratio from the blots of alpha-2 macroglobulin was however 1.05 (CI, 1–1.1). The mean PCOS/control BMI ratio was 1.18 (CI 1.17–1.20). There was no correlation between PCOS/control BMI ratio and alpha-2 macroglobulin, total haptoglobin and haptoglobin beta abundance ratios. There was also no correlation between PCOS/control insulin ratio and alpha-2 macroglobulin, total haptoglobin and haptoglobin beta abundance ratios. Conclusions: Total haptoglobin and haptoglobin beta chain protein abundance was found to be elevated in women with PCOS compared with controls. We were unable to confirm decreased alpha-2 macroglobulin levels as reported in a previous study. Independent validation studies are required to validate early promising proteomic biomarkers in PCOS.
Efficacy of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in spinal surgery: a meta-analysis.

Methods of synthesis How were the studies combined? The studies were primarily combined using a random-effects model. The authors also presented data combined using a fixed-effect model, and undertook a Bayesian meta-analysis to test for potential bias in the analyses. The author also carried out a cumulative meta-analysis using a fixed-effect model. Funnel plots and Rosenthal's test were used to test for publication bias.
Reduced Competition and Altered Feeding Behavior Among Marine Snails After a Mass Extinction

Extinction may alter competitive interactions among surviving species, affecting their subsequent recovery and evolution, but these processes remain poorly understood. Analysis of predation traces produced by shell-drilling muricid snails on bivalve prey reveals that species interactions were substantially different before and after a Plio-Pleistocene mass extinction in the western Atlantic. Muricids edge- and wall-drilled their prey in the Pliocene, but Pleistocene and Recent snails attacked prey only through the shell wall. Experiments with living animals suggest that intense competition induces muricid snails to attack shell edges. Pliocene predators, therefore, probably competed for resources more intensely than their post-extinction counterparts.
Development of an Adenovirus-Based Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine: Preclinical Evaluation of Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Enhanced Disease in a Cotton Rat Model

ABSTRACT The lack of a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a challenging and serious gap in preventive medicine. Herein, we characterize the immunogenicity of an adenovirus serotype 5-based RSV vaccine encoding the fusion (F) protein (Ad5.RSV-F) and the protection provided following immunization with Ad5.RSV-F and assess its potential for producing enhanced disease in a cotton rat (CR) model. Animals were immunized intranasally (i.n.) and/or intramuscularly (i.m.) and subsequently challenged with RSV/A/Tracy (i.n.) to assess protection. Robust immune responses were seen in CRs vaccinated with Ad5.RSV-F given i.m. or i.n. , and these responses correlated with reduced replication of the virus in noses and lungs after challenge. Neutralizing antibody responses following immunization with a single dose of Ad5.RSV-F at 1 × 1011 viral particles (v.p.) elicited antibody titers 64- to 256-fold greater than those seen after natural infection. CRs boosted with Ad5.RSV-F i.n. 28 days after an i.m. dose also had significant increases in neutralizing antibody titers. Antibody affinity for different F-protein antigenic sites revealed substantial differences between antibodies elicited by Ad5.RSV-F and those seen after RSV infection; differences in antibody profiles were also seen between CRs given Ad5.RSV-F i.m. and CRs given Ad5.RSV-F i.n. Ad5.RSV-F priming did not result in enhanced disease following live-virus challenge, in contrast to the histopathology seen in CRs given the formalin-inactivated RSV/A/Burnett vaccine. IMPORTANCE Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infection in infants and young children and a serious health threat in the immunocompromised and the elderly. Infection severity increased in children in an immunization trial, hampering the over 4-decade-long quest for a successful RSV vaccine. In this study, we show that a genetically engineered RSV-F-encoding adenoviral vector provides protective immunity against RSV challenge without enhanced lung disease in cotton rats (CRs). CRs were vaccinated under a number of different regimens, and the immunity induced by the recombinant adenoviral RSV vaccine administered by use of an intramuscular prime-intranasal boost regimen may provide the best protection for young infants and children at risk of RSV infection, since this population is naive to adenoviral preformed immunity. Overall, this report describes a potential RSV vaccine candidate that merits further evaluation in a phase I clinical study in humans.
Psychiatric Symptoms and Health Service Utilization in Rural and Urban Combat Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

This study investigated differences in rural/urban mental health and service use in veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data were obtained from 48 urban and 52 rural residing combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center's outpatient PTSD clinic. Rural and urban groups were compared on health service utilization indices (PTSD, primary and specialty care clinic visits), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, the Mississippi Combat PTSD Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Results indicated a lack of substantive differences between rural and urban combat PTSD patients. The sole difference involved higher dissociation scores among rural patients. Rural combat PTSD patients therefore seem to have similar mental health needs compared with their urban counterparts, with important service delivery implications.
Self-Reported Sleep Difficulties and Self-Care Strategies Among Rural Older Adults

This study examined the use of self-care strategies to address difficulty sleeping among community-dwelling older adults. Data were collected from a series of 18 questionnaires administered to 195 rural African American and white older adults in North Carolina. Participants reported whether they had experienced difficulty sleeping and strategies used to respond to the symptom. The most widely used strategies included ignoring the symptom, staying in bed or resting, and praying. Herb and supplement use were not reported. Ethnicity, income, and education were associated with use of specific self-care strategies for sleep. This variation suggests that older adults may draw on cultural understandings to interpret the significance of difficulty sleeping and influence their use of self-care strategies, including complementary and alternative medicine use. This information may enable health care providers to communicate with the older patients about sleep difficulty strategies to minimize sleep problems.
Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 in progressive Neuro-Behçet's syndrome.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in Behçet's disease, usually called neuro-Behçet's syndrome (NB), is one of the most serious complications of the disease. The present study examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity in patients with NB to explore its relevance to the progressive CNS disease. Paired CSF and serum specimens were obtained from 11 patients who were diagnosed as having progressive NB based on careful clinical observation and from 11 patients with active Behçet's disease but lacking progressive CNS disease. IL-6 levels in the CSF and sera were determined using IL-6-dependent murine hybridoma MH60.BSF2 cells. All 11 patients with progressive NB showed marked elevation of CSF IL-6 activity [0.18-3.90 U/ml, 1.19 +/- 1.18 (mean +/- SD), normal range, <0.010 U/ml]. In contrast, only 5 of the 11 control patients showed very modest CSF IL-6 activity below 0.10 U/ml, and CSF IL-6 was not detected in the other 6 patients. There was no difference in the serum IL-6 activities of patients with progressive NB and control patients. There was no significant correlation of CSF IL-6 activity with serum IL-6 activity, CSF cell counts, CSF total protein levels, or the CSF/serum albumin quotient. These results indicate that persistent chronic CNS inflammation, as evidenced by the enhanced production of IL-6 within the CNS, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of progressive neuropsychiatric manifestations in Behcet's disease.
Inner Strength as Disclosed in Narratives of the Oldest Old

The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of inner strength when very old as narrated by women and men 85 and 90 years old. The authors used a phenomenological hermeneutical method to analyze interviews from 11 women and 7 men, aged either 85 or 90, who scored high on scales measuring phenomena related to inner strength. The following themes emerged from the analysis: feeling competent in oneself yet having faith in others, looking on the bright side of life without hiding from the dark, feeling eased and also being active, being the same yet growing into a new garment, and living in a connected present but also in the past and the future. The authors understood the meaning as Life Goes On—Living It All. To illuminate this meaning further, the authors related the findings to the Aristotelian virtues and the golden mean, and to developmental theory.