Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is a positive association between lead exposure and blood pressure supported by animal experiments?

The possible association between low-level lead exposure and blood pressure and the causal nature of any such relationship continue to be debated. A recent meta-analysis of the human model data showed that on average a doubling of blood lead was associated with a rise in blood pressure averaging 1 mm Hg systolic and 0.6 mm Hg diastolic. The older animal studies, however, failed to show a significant pressure increase with massive lead exposure. This review therefore attempts to determine whether the more recent animal studies are supportive of a positive association between lead exposure and blood pressure elevation. Of the 21 animal studies published since 1977, one was carried out in dogs, one in pigeons, and the remainder in various rat strains. In the articles in which all the lead doses had been higher than 1 ppm, the association between blood pressure and exposure was found to be positive in seven, inconsistent in three, absent in four, and negative in one. Of the six animal experiments that employed lead doses not exceeding 1 ppm, five reported a small pressor effect. One of these five positive low-dose studies, however, failed to show a dose-effect relationship when exposure was increased from 0.1 to 1 ppm. In conclusion, most, but not all animal studies published since 1977 found a positive association between blood pressure and lead exposure. However, publication bias may have inflated the number of positive studies appearing in the literature. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Monosynaptic excitatory inputs to spinal lamina I anterolateral‐tract‐projecting neurons from neighbouring lamina I neurons

Spinal lamina I receives nociceptive primary afferent input to project through diverse ascending pathways, including the anterolateral tract (ALT). Large projection neurons (PNs) form only a few per cent of the cell population in this layer, and little is known about their local input from other lamina I neurons. We combined single‐cell imaging in the isolated spinal cord, paired recordings, 3‐D reconstructions of biocytin‐labelled neurons and computer simulations to study the monosynaptic input to large ALT‐PNs from neighbouring (somata separated by less than 80 μm) large lamina I neurons. All 11 connections identified were excitatory. We have found that an axon of a presynaptic neuron forms multiple synapses on an ALT‐PN, and both Ca2+‐permeable and Ca2+‐impermeable AMPA receptors are involved in transmission. The monosynaptic EPSC latencies (1–12 ms) are determined by both post‐ and presynaptic factors. The postsynaptic delay, resulting from the electrotonic EPSC propagation in the dendrites of an ALT‐PN, could be 4 ms at most. The presynaptic delay, caused by the spike propagation in a narrow highly branched axon of a local‐circuit neuron, can be about 10 ms for neighbouring ALT‐PNs and longer for more distant neurons. In many cases, the EPSPs evoked by release from a lamina I neuron were sufficient to elicit a spike in an ALT‐PN. Our data show that ALT‐PNs can receive input from both lamina I local‐circuit neurons and other ALT‐PNs. We suggest that lamina I is a functionally interconnected layer. The intralaminar network described here can amplify the overall output from the principal spinal nociceptive projection area.
Functional Characterization of LMX1B Mutations Associated with Nail-Patella Syndrome

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by dysplastic nails, absent or hypoplastic patellae, elbow dysplasia, and nephropathy. Recently, it was shown that NPS is the result of heterozygous mutations in the LIM-homeodomain gene, LMX1B. Subsequently, many mutations of the LMX1B gene have been reported in NPS patients. However, functional analyses of the mutant proteins have been performed in only a few mutations. Furthermore, the mechanisms of dominant inheritance in humans have not been established. In the present study, we analyzed the LMX1B gene in three Japanese patients with NPS and identified two novel mutations, 6 nucleotide deletion (Δ246Ν 247Q) and V242L. These two mutations are located in the homeodomain of LMX1B. Functional analyses of the LMX1B mutants revealed that these mutants had diminished transcriptional activity and had lost DNA binding ability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that each mutant did not manifest a dominant-negative effect on the transcriptional activity of wild-type LMX1B. These results suggested that NPS is caused by loss-of-function mutations of LMX1B, and haploinsufficiency of LMX1B should be the predominant pathogenesis of NPS in humans.
Diversity and association of psychrophilic bacteria in Antarctic sea ice

The bacterial populations associated with sea ice sampled from Antarctic coastal areas were investigated by use of a phenotypic approach and a phylogenetic approach based on genes encoding 16S rRNA (16S rDNA). The diversity of bacteria associated with sea ice was also compared with the bacterial diversity of seawater underlying sea ice. Psychrophilic (optimal growth temperature, < or = 15 degrees C; no growth occurring at 20 degrees C) bacterial diversity was found to be significantly enriched in sea ice samples possessing platelet and bottom ice diatom assemblages, with 2 to 9 distinct (average, 5.6 +/- 1.8) psychrophilic taxa isolated per sample. Substantially fewer psychrophilic isolates were recovered from ice cores with a low or negligible population of ice diatoms or from under-ice seawater samples (less than one distinct taxon isolated per sample). In addition, psychrophilic taxa that were isolated from under-ice seawater samples were in general phylogenetically distinct from psychrophilic taxa isolated from sea ice cores. The taxonomic distributions of psychrotrophic bacterial isolates (optimal growth temperature, > 20 degrees C; growth can occur at approximately 4 degrees C) isolated from sea ice cores and under-ice seawater were quite similar. Overall, bacterial isolates from Antarctic sea ice were found to belong to four phylogenetic groups, the alpha and gamma subdivisions of the Proteobacteria, the gram-positive branch, and the Flexibacter-Bacteroides-Cytophaga phylum. Most of the sea ice strains examined appeared to be novel taxa based on phylogenetic comparisons, with 45% of the strains being psychrophilic. 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that psychrophilic strains belonged to the genera Colwellia, Shewanella, Marinobacter, Planococcus, and novel phylogenetic lineages adjacent to Colwellia and Alteromonas and within the Flexibacter-Bacteroides-Cytophaga phylum. Psychrotrophic strains were found to be members of the genera Pseudoalteromonas, Psychrobacter, Halomonas, Pseudomonas, Hyphomonas, Sphingomonas, Arthrobacter, Planococcus, and Halobacillus. From this survey, it is proposed that ice diatom assemblages provide niches conducive to the proliferation of a diverse array of psychrophilic bacterial species.
Efficacy of the Carbocyclic 2′-Deoxyguanosine Nucleoside BMS-200475 in the Woodchuck Model of Hepatitis B Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Daily oral treatment with the cyclopentyl 2′-deoxyguanosine nucleoside BMS-200475 at doses ranging from 0.02 to 0.5 mg/kg of body weight for 1 to 3 months effectively reduced the level of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) viremia in chronically infected woodchucks as measured by reductions in serum WHV DNA levels and endogenous hepadnaviral polymerase activity. Within 4 weeks of daily therapy with 0.5 or 0.1 mg of BMS-200475 per kg, endogenous viral polymerase levels in serum were reduced about 1,000-fold compared to pretreatment levels. Serum WHV DNA levels determined by a dot blot hybridization technique were comparably decreased in these treated animals. In the 3-month study, the sera of animals that had undetectable levels of WHV DNA by the dot blot technique were further analyzed by a highly sensitive semiquantitative PCR assay. The results indicate that BMS-200475 therapy reduced mean WHV titers by 107- to 108-fold, down to levels as low as 102 to 103 virions/ml of serum. Southern blot hybridization analysis of liver biopsy samples taken from animals during and after BMS-200475 treatment showed remarkable reductions in the levels of WHV DNA replicative intermediates and in the levels of covalently closed circular viral DNA. WHV viremia in BMS-200475-treated WHV carriers eventually returned to pretreatment levels after therapy was stopped. These results indicate that BMS-200475 should be evaluated in clinical trials for the therapy of chronic human hepatitis B virus infections.
Spatial analysis weighting algorithm using Voronoi diagrams

Data layers that represent geographical constraints in a multidimensional GIS model must be appropriately weighted to effectively account for the diversity as well as the functional and spatial interrelationships between the constraints. This paper presents a spatial analysis weighting algorithm (SAWA) using Voronoi diagrams. The basic functions of the SAWA are defined so that the spatialization of weights is done according to two approaches: a global spatialization method based on the statistical distribution of the original data and a contextual approach where neighbourhood defined by Voronoi diagrams is integrated into the weighting functions. Different simulations on artificial and real maps applied to the problem of shortest path optimisation are analysed. The results show that the effective integration of the spatial dimension in a weighting process is not only possible but also improves the optimisation of shortest paths. Research is continuing to improve the contextual phase of the algorithm.
Removal efficiency and toxicity reduction of 4-chlorophenol with physical, chemical and biochemical methods

Chlorophenols are well-known priority pollutants and many different treatments have been assessed to facilitate their removal from industrial wastewater. However, an absolute and optimum solution still has to be practically implemented in an industrial setting. In this work, a series of physical, chemical and biochemical treatments have been systematically tested for the removal of 4-chlorophenol, and their results have been compared in order to determine the most effective treatment based on removal efficiency and residual by-product formation. Chemical treatments based on advanced oxidation processes (AOP) produced the best results on rate and extent of pollutant removal. The non-chemical technologies showed advantages in terms of complete (in the case of adsorption) or easy (enzymatic treatments) removal of toxic treatment by-products. The AOP methods led to the production of different photoproducts depending on the chosen treatment. Toxic products remained in most cases following treatment, though the toxicity level is significantly reduced with combination treatments. Among the treatments, a photochemical method combining UV, produced with a KrCl excilamp, and hydrogen peroxide achieved total removal of chlorophenol and all by-products and is considered the best treatment for chlorophenol removal.
A comparative neuroanatomic study of retinal projections in two fishes: Astyanax hubbsi (the blind cave fish), and Astyanax mexicanus

Retinofugal projections in the blind cave fish A. Hubbsi and in the highly visual A. Mexicanus were studied with both reduced silver and autoradiographic methods. Contrary to what has been reported for other teleosts, ipsilateral, as well as the generally accepted contralateral, projections were found in A. Mexicanus. Bilateral retinofugal projections were traced to the dorsolateral thalamic nucleus and area pretectalis. Contralateral projections were traced to the lateral geniculate nucleus, nucleus pretectalis, accessory optic nucleus, nucleus corticalis, nucleus opticus hypothalamicus and the superficial layers of the optic tectum (strata opticum, fibrosum and griseum superficiale, and the cellular zone of griseum centrale).
Sn‐protoporphyrin lowers serum bilirubin levels, decreases biliary bilirubin output, enhances biliary heme excretion and potently inhibits hepatic heme oxygenase activity in normal human subjects

Sn‐protoporphyrin, a potent competitive inhibitor of heme oxygenase, the rate‐limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme to bile pigment, was administered to 10 normal volunteers: 8 males and 2 females. A significant decrease in the levels of serum (mean decrease; 38%) and biliary bilirubin (mean decrease: 47%) was demonstrated in all 10 subjects. The decrease in these parameters lasted for a minimum of 4 days after administration of the metalloporphyrin. Sn‐protoporphyrin also facilitated the excretion of endogenous heme in bile during the 24‐ to 48‐hr period following administration of the compound. The metalloporphyrin was rapidly cleared from plasma with a half‐life of 3.4 hr. A small amount (3 to 6%) of Sn‐protoporphyrin was excreted in both urine and bile. The activity of microsomal heme oxygenase was measured in five human liver samples freshly obtained at the time of cholecystectomy and varied from ˜2 to 4 nmoles bilirubin formed per mg protein per hour. The addition of Sn‐protoporphyrin to microsomal heme oxygenase isolated from these liver samples resulted in a dose‐dependent decrease in the activity of this enzyme at concentrations of the metalloporphyrin in the range of 10−7 to 10−9 M. The findings reported here provide strong evidence that the suppression of biliary and serum bilirubin levels and the enhancement of heme excretion in the bile of the normal volunteers examined in this study were due to inhibition of physiological rates of heme oxidation activity by the synthetic heme analog, Sn‐protoporphyrin.
Effects of corticosteroids on bronchodilator action in chronic obstructive lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Short term treatment with corticosteroids does not usually reduce airflow limitation and airway responsiveness in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. We investigated whether corticosteroids modulate the effects of inhaled salbutamol and ipratropium bromide. METHODS: Ten non-allergic subjects with stable disease were investigated; eight completed the randomised, double blind, three period cross over study. Treatment regimens consisted of 1.6 mg inhaled budesonide a day for three weeks, 40 mg oral prednisone a day for eight days, and placebo. After each period cumulative doubling doses of salbutamol, ipratropium, a combination of salbutamol and ipratropium, and placebo were administered on separate days until a plateau in FEV1 was reached. A histamine challenge was then performed. RESULTS: At the end of placebo treatment mean FEV1 was 55.5% predicted after inhaled placebo, 67.9% predicted after salbutamol and 64.0% predicted after ipratropium. Compared with the results after the placebo period the FEV1 with salbutamol increased by 0.7% predicted after treatment with budesonide and by 0.7% predicted after treatment with prednisone; the FEV1 with ipratropium increased by 0.7% predicted after budesonide and by 4.8% predicted after prednisone; none of these changes was significant. After placebo treatment the geometric mean PC20 was 0.55 mg/ml after placebo, 1.71 mg/ml after salbutamol and 0.97 mg/ml after ipratropium. Compared with the placebo period the PC20 with salbutamol was increased by 0.86 doubling concentrations after treatment with budesonide, and by 0.67 doubling concentrations after prednisone; the PC20 with ipratropium increased by 0.03 and 0.34 doubling concentrations after budesonide and after prednisone respectively compared with placebo; none of these changes was significant. CONCLUSIONS: In non-allergic subjects with chronic obstructive lung disease short term treatment with high doses of inhaled or oral corticosteroids does not modify the bronchodilator response to salbutamol or ipratropium or the protection provided by either drug against histamine. Salbutamol produces greater protection from histamine induced bronchoconstriction than ipratropium.
Difference in Peak Weight Transfer and Timing Based on Golf Handicap

Abstract Queen, RM, Butler, RJ, Dai, B, and Barnes, CL. Difference in peak weight transfer and timing based on golf handicap. J Strength Cond Res 27(9): 2481–2486, 2013—Weight shift during the golf swing has been a topic of discussion among golf professionals; however, it is still unclear how weight shift varies in golfers of different performance levels. The main purpose of this study was to examine the following: (a) the changes in the peak ground reaction forces (GRF) and the timing of these events between high (HHCP) and low handicap (LHCP) golfers and (b) the differences between the leading and trailing legs. Twenty-eight male golfers were recruited and divided based on having an LHCP < 9 or HHCP > 9. Three-dimensional GRF peaks and the timing of the peaks were recorded bilaterally during a golf swing. The golf swing was divided into different phases: (a) address to the top of the backswing, (b) top of the backswing to ball contact, and (c) ball contact to the end of follow through. Repeated measures analyses of variance (&agr; = 0.05) were completed for each study variable: the magnitude and the timing of peak vertical GRF, peak lateral GRF, and peak medial GRF (&agr; = 0.05). The LHCP group had a greater transfer of vertical force from the trailing foot to the leading foot in phase 2 than the HHCP group. The LHCP group also demonstrated earlier timing of peak vertical force throughout the golf swing than the HHCP group. The LHCP and HHCP groups demonstrated different magnitudes of peak lateral force. The LHCP group had an earlier timing of peak lateral GRF in phase 2 and earlier timing of peak medial GRF in phases 1 and 2 than the HHCP group. In general, LHCP golfers demonstrated greater and earlier force generation than HHCP golfers. It may be relevant to consider both the magnitude of the forces and the timing of these events during golf-specific training to improve performance. These data reveal weight shifting differences that can be addressed by teaching professionals to help their students better understand weight transfer during the golf swing to optimize performance.
Multiple sublethal chemicals negatively affect tadpoles of the green frog, Rana clamitans

Many habitats may be exposed to multiple chemical contaminants, particularly in agricultural areas where fertilizer and pesticide use are common; however, the singular and interactive effects of contaminants are not well understood. The objective of our study was to examine how realistic, sublethal environmental levels of ammonium nitrate fertilizer (0, 10, 20 mg/L and ammonium chloride control) and the common insecticide carbaryl (0 or 2.5 mg/L) individually and interactively affect the development, size, and survival of green frog (Rana clamitans) tadpoles. We reared tadpoles for 95 d in outdoor 1,000‐L polyethylene ponds. We found that the combination of carbaryl and nitrate had a negative effect on development and mass of tadpoles compared to the positive effect that either contaminant had alone. Presence of carbaryl was generally associated with short‐term increases in algal resources, including ponds exposed to both carbaryl and nitrate. However, with exposure to nitrate and carbaryl, tadpole mass and development were not positively affected as with one chemical stressor alone. The combination of these sublethal contaminants may reduce the ability of amphibians to benefit from food‐rich environments or have metabolic costs. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple stressors when evaluating population‐level responses.
Local Cytokine Response in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Subjects

ABSTRACT The host immune response to Helicobacter pyloriinfection might be of importance with regard to the outcome of infection by this organism, e.g., to explain why only a proportion of infected subjects develop peptic ulcers. In this study we have analyzed the local response of different cytokines—i.e., the proinflammatory interleukin-1β, (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL-8; the immunoregulatory gamma interferon (IFN-γ); and IL-4; and the anti-inflammatory transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)—in antral biopsy specimens from H. pylori-infected duodenal ulcer (DU) patients and asymptomatic (AS) carriers (i.e., with chronic gastritis only). For comparison, biopsy specimens from uninfected healthy individuals were also analyzed. An immunohistochemical technique was used to allow quantification of the cytokine responses as well as identification of the cell types associated with the cytokine expression. We found that the levels of all of the studied cytokines except IL-4 were increased in theH. pylori-infected subjects compared to the levels in the healthy individuals. Our results indicate that the antral cytokine response is of the Th1 type since IFN-γ, but not IL-4, was up-regulated both in H. pylori-infected DU patients and in AS carriers. However, there were no significant differences in either proinflammatory or immunoregulatory cytokine levels when H. pylori-infected subjects with and without peptic ulcers were compared. Some of the cytokines, particularly IL-1β and TGF-β, were also found in the gastric mucosae of healthy, uninfected subjects. We also showed that the gastric epithelium contributes substantially to the antral cytokine response of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 in addition to IL-8.
Coping strategy use: does it predict adjustment to chronic back pain after controlling for catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy for pain control?

OBJECTIVE To explore whether coping strategy use predicted levels of adjustment in chronic low back pain after controlling for the influence of catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy for pain control. METHODS Eighty-four patients with chronic low back pain completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, a pain VAS and the Roland Disability Questionnaire. To derive composite measures of coping, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire subscales, excluding the Catastrophizing subscale and 2 single-item scales, were entered into a principal components analysis. The extent to which scores on the coping measures predicted levels of adjustment after controlling for catastrophic thinking (Catastrophizing subscale) and self-efficacy for pain control (2 single-item scales) was explored using sequential multiple regression analysis. RESULTS Two coping dimensions emerged from the principal components analysis, which were labelled Distraction and Praying or Hoping, and Denial of Pain and Persistence. Scores obtained on these coping measures explained an additional 5% and 13% of the variance in pain intensity and disability, respectively. Interestingly, however, the scores on the coping measures did not predict pain intensity or disability after controlling for the influence of catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy for pain control. CONCLUSION Coping strategy use might only be related to levels of adjustment via the effect it has on catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy for pain control.