Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymmetrical flagellar rotation in Borrelia burgdorferi nonchemotactic mutants

The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi has bundles of periplasmic flagella subpolarly located at each cell end. These bundles rotate in opposite directions during translational motility. When not translating, they rotate in the same direction, and the cells flex. Here, we present evidence that asymmetrical rotation of the bundles during translation does not depend upon the chemotaxis signal transduction system. The histidine kinase CheA is known to be an essential component in the signaling pathway for bacterial chemotaxis. Mutants of cheA in flagellated bacteria continually rotate their flagella in one direction. B. burgdorferi has two copies of cheA designated cheA1 and cheA2. Both genes were found to be expressed in growing cells. We reasoned that if chemotaxis were essential for asymmetrical rotation of the flagellar bundles, and if the flagellar motors at both cell ends were identical, inactivation of the two cheA genes should result in cells that constantly flex. To test this hypothesis, the signaling pathway was completely blocked by constructing the double mutant cheA1∷kan cheA2∷ermC. This double mutant was deficient in chemotaxis. Rather than flexing, it failed to reverse, and it continually translated only in one direction. Video microscopy of mutant cells indicated that both bundles actively rotated. The results indicate that asymmetrical rotation of the flagellar bundles of spirochetes does not depend upon the chemotaxis system but rather upon differences between the two flagellar bundles. We propose that certain factors within the spirochete localize at the flagellar motors at one end of the cell to effect this asymmetry.
Broca's region subserves imagery of motion: A combined cytoarchitectonic and fMRI study

Broca's region in the dominant cerebral hemisphere is known to mediate the production of language but also contributes to comprehension. Here, we report the differential participation of Broca's region in imagery of motion in humans. Healthy volunteers were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they imagined movement trajectories following different instructions. Imagery of right‐hand finger movements induced a cortical activation pattern including dorsal and ventral portions of the premotor cortex, frontal medial wall areas, and cortical areas lining the intraparietal sulcus in both cerebral hemispheres. Imagery of movement observation and of a moving target specifically activated the opercular portion of the inferior frontal cortex. A left‐hemispheric dominance was found for egocentric movements and a right‐hemispheric dominance for movement characteristics in space. To precisely localize these inferior frontal activations, the fMRI data were coregistered with cytoarchitectonic maps of Broca's areas 44 and 45 in a common reference space. It was found that the activation areas in the opercular portion of the inferior frontal cortex were localized to area 44 of Broca's region. These activations of area 44 can be interpreted to possibly demonstrate the location of the human analogue to the so‐called mirror neurones found in inferior frontal cortex of nonhuman primates. We suggest that area 44 mediates higher‐order forelimb movement control resembling the neuronal mechanisms subserving speech. Hum. Brain Mapping 11:273–285, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Eversion Thrombectomy for Portal Vein Thrombosis During Liver Transplantation

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) has been seen as an obstacle to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), but recent data suggest that favorable results may be achieved in this group of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence, management, and survival of patients with PVT undergoing primary OLT with thrombectomy. Between October 1990 and August 2000, 468 liver transplantations were performed in our center and portal vein thrombosis was present in 38 patients (8.1%). Preoperative diagnosis, extension, intraoperative management, postoperative recurrence of portal vein thrombosis, and 1‐year actuarial survival rates were retrospectively studied. Preoperative diagnosis was made in 17 cases (44.7%). In all patients, portal flow was restored after portal vein thrombectomy, followed by usual end‐to‐end portal anastomosis. All patients received preventive low‐weight heparin from day 2 to hospital discharge, and then aspirin. Rethrombosis was observed in one patient with extended splanchnic thrombus. The 1‐year actuarial patient survival rate was 83.7%, and did not significantly differ from the patients without portal vein thrombosis (86.7%). Our results suggest that portal vein thrombosis is often partial and thus difficult to diagnose preoperatively; it can be managed successfully during surgery by thrombectomy, except when there is complete splanchnic veins thrombosis; and it did not affect 1‐year survival.
Ganciclovir-Resistant Cytomegalovirus Infections among Lung Transplant Recipients Are Associated with Poor Outcomes despite Treatment with Foscarnet-Containing Regimens

ABSTRACT Ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are reported infrequently among lung transplant recipients receiving extended valganciclovir prophylaxis. We performed a single-center, retrospective review of ganciclovir-resistant CMV infections in a program that employed valganciclovir prophylaxis for ≥6 months after lung transplant. CMV infections were diagnosed in 28% (170/607) of patients. UL97 mutations were detected in 9.4% (16/170) of CMV-infected patients at a median of 8.5 months posttransplant (range, 5 to 21) and despite prophylaxis for a median of 7 months (range, 4 to 21). UL97 mutations were canonical; 25% (4/16) of strains carried concurrent UL54 mutations. Ganciclovir-resistant CMV was more likely with breakthrough infections (75% [12/16] versus 19% [30/154]; P = 0.00001) and donor positive/recipient negative (D+/R−) serostatus (75% versus 45% [69/154]; P = 0.03). The median whole-blood CMV load was 4.13 log10 copies/cm3 (range, 2.54 to 5.53), and 93% (14/15) of patients had low-moderate immune responses (Cylex Immunoknow). Antiviral therapy was successful, failed, or eradicated viremia followed by relapse in 12% (2/16), 31% (5/16), and 56% (9/16) of patients, respectively. Eighty-seven percent (14/16) of patients were treated with foscarnet-containing regimens; toxicity developed in 78% (11/14) of these. Median viral load half-life and time to viremia eradication among foscarnet-treated patients were 2.6 and 23 days, respectively, and did not correlate with protection from relapse. Sixty-nine percent (11/16) of patients developed CMV pneumonitis, and 25% (4/16) died of it. Serum viral load was independently associated with death among foscarnet-treated patients (P = 0.04). In conclusion, ganciclovir-resistant CMV infections remained a major cause of morbidity and mortality following lung transplantation. Foscarnet-based regimens often eradicated viremia rapidly but were ineffective in the long term and limited by toxicity.
The fate mapping of the eleventh and twelfth day mouse otocyst: An in vitro study of the sites of origin of the embryonic inner ear sensory structures

An experiment was undertaken to determine which sensory structures of the mouse embryo inner ear developed from what portion of the mouse otocyst. Otocysts of gestation days 10, 11, 12 and 13 were divided by surgical dissection into six anatomical groups: dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior, medial and lateral halves. They were organ cultured separately. After a period of ten days, the explanted tissues were harvested and processed histologically for microscopic analysis. The surgical control specimens fixed at the time of explanation were composed of undifferentiated ectodermal cells for tissues of gestation days 10, 11, and 12. Otocysts of gestation day ten showed no gross morphological differentiation. Otocysts of gestation days 11 and 12 showed, during the course of their subsequent growth, that the three semicircular ducts and their associated cristae developed from the dorsal and lateral halves. Only the anterior and posterior canals and cristae originated from the medial portion. The posterior half gave rise to the posterior crista and the anterior half provided for the development of the anterior and lateral cristae. The cochlear duct and its sensory epithelium developed in all the anatomical groups except the dorsal half. The utricle developed in the dorsal section of the middle third of the otocyst, while the utricular macula developed in the anterior half of the same section of the otocyst. The saccule and its macula differentiated from the ventral section of the middle third of the anterior half.
Increased Poly(ADP-Ribosyl)ation in Skeletal Muscle Tissue of Pediatric Patients with Severe Burn Injury: Prevention by Propranolol Treatment

Activation of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has been shown to promote cellular energetic collapse and cellular necrosis in various forms of critical illness. Most of the evidence implicating the PARP pathway in disease processes is derived from preclinical studies. With respect to PARP and burns, studies in rodent and large animal models of burn injury have demonstrated the activation of PARP in various tissues and the beneficial effect of its pharmacological inhibition. The aims of the current study were to measure the activation of PARP in human skeletal muscle biopsies at various stages of severe pediatric burn injury and to identify the cell types where this activation may occur. Another aim of the study was to test the effect of propranolol (an effective treatment of patients with burns) on the activation of PARP in skeletal muscle biopsies. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation was measured by Western blotting for its product, poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR). The localization of PARP activation was determined by PAR immunohistochemistry. The results showed that PARP becomes activated in the skeletal muscle tissue after burns, with the peak of the activation occurring in the middle stage of the disease (13-18 days after burns). Even at the late stage of the disease (69-369 days after burn), an elevated degree of PARP activation persisted in some of the patients. Immunohistochemical studies localized the staining of PAR primarily to vascular endothelial cells and occasionally to resident mononuclear cells. There was a marked suppression of PARP activation in the skeletal muscle biopsies of patients who received propranolol treatment. We conclude that human burn injury is associated with the activation of PARP. We hypothesize that this response may contribute to the inflammatory responses and cell dysfunction in burns. Some of the clinical benefit of propranolol in burns may be related to its inhibitory effect on PARP activation.ABBREVIATIONS-NO-nitric oxide; O2−-superoxide; ONOO−-peroxynitrite anion; PAR-poly(ADP-ribose) polymer; PARP-poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase
Association between colonization with group B streptococci during pregnancy and preterm delivery among Danish women.

OBJECTIVE We studied the relationship between group B streptococcal colonization and preterm delivery. STUDY DESIGN In this prospective study at a single hospital in Odense, Denmark, cervicovaginal cultures were obtained at < or = 24 weeks' gestation from all the women, at delivery from women with preterm deliveries, and from a random sample of women delivering at term. RESULTS In 2846 singleton births, there was no significant association between group B streptococcal colonization at <or = 24 weeks' gestation and preterm birth. After adjustment for the risk factors for preterm delivery, more women with preterm delivery (12/84, 14%) were colonized at delivery with group B streptococci than women with term deliveries (22/300, 7%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.8). Group B streptococcal colonization at < or = 24 weeks' gestation and at delivery was significantly less likely to occur in the presence of normal vaginal flora. CONCLUSION Group B streptococcal colonization at delivery, but not at < or = 24 weeks' gestation, was associated with preterm delivery.
Antioxidant status of Adult Nigerian Asthmatics: Implications for Prognosis

Serum antioxidant status of 50 (19M, 31F) adult asthmatic patients, aged 40 to 50yr and attending the medical outpatient clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, has been assessed, by measurement of serum ascorbic acid, copper, zinc, albumin, uric acid and magnesium levels, to determine the relationship between antioxidant status and severity of bronchial asthma. Twenty-five (25) age matched adults (IOM, 15F) served as controls. The test subjects were classified into two groups (I &2) based on the degree of respiratory distress. Questionnaires were also used to obtain data on subjects' fruit and vegetable intake. Fruit and vegetable intake was similar in patients and controls, 96% and 100% respectively reporting adequate intake. Copper (Cu) level was not significantly different between patients and control subjects, but was significantly higher in female asthmatics than in males (p < 0.05). Magnesium (Mg) level was also lower in asthmatics than in control subject (p < 0.001). Plasma Zinc level was not different between patients and control (p > 0.05). The levels of the other antioxidants, vitamin C, uric acid and albumin were all lower in asthmatics than in controls (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.001) respectively. The magnesium level of group 2 (severe asthmatics) was lower than in controls (p < 0.05) unlike moderate asthmatics (group I) which do not differ significantly from controls. These findings support the emerging concept that antioxidants are consumed in this inflammatory disease and that a corresponding increase in antioxidant supply may improve prognosis for bronchial asthma.
Osteoarthritis in cynomolgus macaques: A primate model of naturally occurring disease

The objective of the present study was to determine if naturally occurring osteoarthritis of the knee joints that is similar to the condition in humans develops in cynomolgus macaques. Knee joints from 58 young adult (mean age, 7.4 years) female cynomolgus macaques were studies with x‐ray densitometry, high‐detail radiography, and histology. The animals studied were subjects in a triad designed to examine the effects of the administration of sex steroids on atherosclerosis; except for a control group, the monkeys had been either ovariectomized or treated with sex steroids for 2 years. Therefore, the data were analyzed to determine if these treatments, both of which can influence bone density, affected the severity of osteoarthritis. There was a high prevalence of osteoarthritic lesions, morphologically similar to those seen in humans. Bone changes were more common and severe than cartilage changes and morphologically appeared to precede the cartilage changes. Treatment with testosterone resulted in increased body weight, body mass index, and bone mineral content in the femur and tibia but did not affect the severity of osteoarthritis. These data indicate that naturally occurring osteoarthritis developed in the knee joints of cynomolgus macaques; these animals may be a useful model for the study of osteoarthritis in humans.
Mutation analysis of the CACNA1A calcium channel subunit gene in 27 patients with sporadic hemiplegic migraine.

BACKGROUND Familial hemiplegic migraine is a rare autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura that in half of the families is caused by mutations in the CACNA1A gene on chromosome 19p13. In sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM), that is, hemiplegic migraine without affected family members, the contribution of the CACNA1A gene is unknown. OBJECTIVE To investigate the involvement of the CACNA1A calcium channel subunit gene in SHM. METHODS We screened 27 patients with SHM for mutations in the CACNA1A gene by a combination of single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and sequence analysis. RESULTS One patient with SHM also had ataxia, nystagmus, and cerebellar atrophy on computed tomography and carried a T666M mutation. Another patient with SHM who had no cerebellar signs carried an R583Q mutation. No mutations or interictal neurological abnormalities were found in the remaining 25 patients with SHM. CONCLUSIONS Most patients with SHM do not have a CACNA1A mutation. The results of this study, combined with the findings reported in the literature, show that the presence of cerebellar symptoms in addition to the hemiplegic attacks increases the chance of finding a CACNA1A mutation. In addition, to our knowledge, we have found a first patient with SHM without cerebellar signs with a mutation.
Morphological Integration in Mammalian Limb Proportions: Dissociation between Function and Development

During mammalian evolution, fore- and hindlimbs underwent a fundamental reorganization in the transformation from the sprawled to the parasagittal condition. This caused a dissociation between serial and functional homologues. The mobilized scapula functions as the new proximal forelimb element and is functionally analogous to the femur of the hindlimb. Tarsus and metatarsus built a new functional hindlimb element that is functionally analogous to the forearm of the forelimb. Morphological covariation between serially homologous fore- and hindlimb elements can conflict with biomechanical demands when certain intralimb proportions are required for the postural stability of motion. The limb proportions of 189 mammalian species were examined to test whether intralimb proportions are governed by a general principle that corresponds to biomechanical predictions. Morphological covariation between functionally analogous and serially homologous fore- and hindlimb elements was tested by a correlation analysis. A clear relationship exists between the proportions of the first and the third elements of each limb, while the middle element is less involved in alterations of intralimb proportions. Hindlimb proportions are largely uniform across mammals and correspond to biomechanical predictions regarding postural stability. The greater variability in forelimb proportion is likely be the expression of various adaptations but might results also from constraints due to the shared developmental programs with the hindlimb.
Possession vs. Direct Play: Evaluating Tactical Behavior in Elite Soccer

Measuring and evaluating tactical behavior is one of the main goals in performance analysis in professional soccer. A specific tactical approach may present the difference between winning and losing, especially in the highest level of competition. So fare tactical behavior is mostly determined by using one or two variables, like ball possession or number of passes. Within this study, we introduce a new index (Index of Offensive Behavior, IOB) that combines different variables of offensive actions to evaluate tactical behavior. To evaluate the indexes data of 676 official games (German Bundesliga 2009/10, & 2010/11, FIFA World Cup 2010) were analysed using the “MathBall”- notation software (Algorithma Ltd., 2009). IOB was able to reliable distinguish the two common tactical approaches in soccer: possession and direct play. Furthermore, we could show that successful teams prefer possession play and that game control (measured via Index of Game Control, IOC) is the most important variable of success irrespective of the tactical approach.
Intrusions of autobiographical memories in individuals reporting childhood emotional maltreatment

Background During childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) negative attitudes are provided to the child (e.g., “you are worthless”). These negative attitudes may result in emotion inhibition strategies in order to avoid thinking of memories of CEM, such as thought suppression. However, thought suppression may paradoxically enhance occurrences (i.e., intrusions) of these memories, which may occur immediately or sometime after active suppression of these memories. Objective Until now, studies that examined suppressive coping styles in individuals reporting CEM have utilized self-report questionnaires. Therefore, it is unclear what the consequences will be of emotion inhibition styles on the intrusion of autobiographical memories in individuals reporting CEM. Method Using a thought suppression task, this study aimed to investigate the experience of intrusions during suppression of, and when no longer instructed to actively suppress, positive and negative autobiographical memories in individuals reporting Low, Moderate, and Severe CEM compared to No Abuse (total N = 83). Results We found no group differences during active suppression of negative and positive autobiographical memories. However, when individuals reporting Severe CEM were no longer instructed to suppress thinking about the memory, individuals reporting No Abuse, Low CEM, or Moderate CEM reported fewer intrusions of both positive and negative autobiographical memories than individuals reporting Severe CEM. Finally, we found that intrusions of negative memories are strongly related with psychiatric distress. Conclusions The present study results provide initial insights into the cognitive mechanisms that may underlie the consequences of childhood emotional maltreatment and suggests avenues for successful interventions. For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files under Reading Tools online
Attachment and emotion regulation in substance addictions and behavioral addictions

Background Risky behaviors have been related to emotional regulation and attachment, which may constitute risk factors for developing an addictive behavior. However, there may also be differences between substance and non-substance-related addictions. Aims This study aimed to examine the relationship of emotional regulation and attachment, with substance (alcohol and drug abuse), and non-substance-related addictions (gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use) in adolescents and emerging adults. The study also aimed to examine gender differences for such predictors. Methods The sample comprised 472 students aged 13–21 years recruited from high schools and vocational education centers. Results Findings demonstrated that emotion regulation was predictive of all addictive behaviors assessed in this study (alcohol and drug abuse, gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use), whereas attachment predicted non-substance-related addictions (gambling disorder, video game addiction, and problematic Internet use). In addition, gender differences were found, with females scoring significantly higher in maternal and peer attachment, whereas males scored significantly higher in gambling disorder and video game addiction. Conclusion The findings may be useful for preventive and clinical interventions conducted with youth regarding addictive behaviors.
A systematic review of antistreptococcal interventions for guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis

Background Guttate psoriasis is closely associated with preceding or concurrent streptococcal infection. Some authorities have claimed that chronic plaque psoriasis may also be made worse by infection. In view of this many dermatologists have recommended using antibiotics for psoriasis, particularly guttate type. Some dermatologists have also recommended tonsillectomy for psoriasis in patients with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis.