Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Purification and Characterization of Oligomeric Envelope Glycoprotein from a Primary R5 Subtype B Human Immunodeficiency Virus

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a major public health problem throughout the world, with high levels of mortality and morbidity associated with AIDS. Considerable efforts to develop an effective vaccine for HIV have been directed towards the generation of cellular, humoral, and mucosal immune responses. A major emphasis of our work has been toward the evaluation of oligomeric (o-gp140) forms of the HIV type 1 (HIV-1) envelope protein for their ability to induce neutralizing antibody responses. We have derived stable CHO cell lines expressing o-gp140 envelope protein from the primary non-syncytium-inducing (R5) subtype B strain HIV-1US4. We have developed an efficient purification strategy to purify oligomers to near homogeneity. Using a combination of three detectors measuring intrinsic viscosity, light scattering, and refractive index, we calculated the molecular mass of the oligomer to be 474 kDa, consistent with either a trimer or a tetramer. The hydrodynamic radius (Rh ) of o-gp140 was determined to be 8.40 nm, compared with 5.07 nm for the monomer. The relatively smaller Rh of the oligomer suggests that there are indeed differences between the foldings of o-gp140 and gp120. To assess the structural integrity of the purified trimers, we performed a detailed characterization of the glycosylation profile of o-gp140, its ability to bind soluble CD4, and also its ability to bind to a panel of monoclonal antibodies with known epitope specificities for the CD4 binding site, the CD4 inducible site, the V3 loop, and gp41. Immunogenicity studies with rabbits indicated that the purified o-gp140 protein was highly immunogenic and induced high-titer, high-avidity antibodies directed predominantly against conformational epitopes. These observations confirm the structural integrity of purified o-gp140 and its potential as a vaccine antigen.
Experimental equations of state for calcium, strontium, and barium metals to 20 kbar from 4 to 295 K.

Piston-displacement measurements have been used to determine the equations of state of high-purity calcium and strontium (both fcc) and barium (bcc) metals to 20 kbar from 4 to 295 K. For each metal, the results have roughly 1% accuracy for the {ital P}=0 bulk modulus at 295 K and for the total volume change with pressure. The results also give the change with temperature of both the {ital P}=0 volume and the isothermal bulk modulus for these metals. While the bulk moduli for calcium and strontium are dependent only on the volume, those for barium show a significant temperature dependence with decreasing volume. Specifically, the bulk modulus for barium at 10 kbar is roughly 3% smaller at 295 K than would be predicted from the 0-K value at the same volume. Differences between the pressure-volume relations for bare samples and for those which were jacketed with indium metal are not understood.
A comparison of glyburide and insulin in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND Women with gestational diabetes mellitus are rarely treated with a sulfonylurea drug, because of concern about teratogenicity and neonatal hypoglycemia. There is little information about the efficacy of these drugs in this group of women. METHODS We studied 404 women with singleton pregnancies and gestational diabetes that required treatment. The women were randomly assigned between 11 and 33 weeks of gestation to receive glyburide or insulin according to an intensified treatment protocol. The primary end point was achievement of the desired level of glycemic control. Secondary end points included maternal and neonatal complications. RESULTS The mean (+/-SD) pretreatment blood glucose concentration as measured at home for one week was 114+/-19 mg per deciliter (6.4+/-1.1 mmol per liter) in the glyburide group and 116+/-22 mg per deciliter (6.5+/-1.2 mmol per liter) in the insulin group (P=0.33). The mean concentrations during treatment were 105+/-16 mg per deciliter (5.9+/-0.9 mmol per liter) in the glyburide group and 105+/-18 mg per deciliter (5.9+/-1.0 mmol per liter) in the insulin group (P=0.99). Eight women in the glyburide group (4 percent) required insulin therapy. There were no significant differences between the glyburide and insulin groups in the percentage of infants who were large for gestational age (12 percent and 13 percent, respectively); who had macrosomia, defined as a birth weight of 4000 g or more (7 percent and 4 percent); who had lung complications (8 percent and 6 percent); who had hypoglycemia (9 percent and 6 percent); who were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (6 percent and 7 percent); or who had fetal anomalies (2 percent and 2 percent). The cord-serum insulin concentrations were similar in the two groups, and glyburide was not detected in the cord serum of any infant in the glyburide group. CONCLUSIONS In women with gestational diabetes, glyburide is a clinically effective alternative to insulin therapy.
In vitro Treatment with cis-[Ru(H-dcbpy-)2(Cl)(NO)] Improves the Endothelial Function in Aortic Rings with Endothelial Dysfunction.

PURPOSE The ruthenium complex cis-[Ru(H-dcbpy-)2(Cl)(NO)] (DCBPY) is a nitric oxide (NO) donor and studies suggested that the ruthenium compounds can inactivate O2-. The aim of this study is to test if DCBPY can revert and/or prevent the endothelial dysfunction. METHODS Normotensive (2K) and hypertensive (2K-1C) wistar rats were used. To vascular reactivity study, thoracic aortas were isolated, rings with intact endothelium were incubated with: DCBPY: 0.1; 1 and 10μM, DCBPY plus hydroxocobalin (NO scavenger) or tempol during 30 minutes, and concentration effect curves to acetylcholine were performed. The potency values (pD2) and maximum effect (ME) were analyzed. The O2- was generated using hypoxantine xantine oxidase and the reduction of cytochrome c, NO consumption by O2- and the effect in avoid NO consumption was measured. RESULTS In 2K-1C DCBPY at 0.1; 1 or 10μM improved the relaxation endothelium dependent induced by acetylcholine in aortic rings compared to control 2K-1C, and also improved ME. In rings from 2K incubation with DCBPY (0.1; 1.0 and 10 μM) did not change pD2 or ME. Incubation with 0.1 μM of DCBPY plus hydroxocobalamin did not modify the potency and ME in 2K-1C compared to DCBPY (0.1 μM). DCBPY and SOD inhibits the reduction of cytochrome c and inhibited the NO consumption by O2-, showing that O2- has been removed from the solution. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that DCBPY at a lower concentration (0.1 µM) is not an NO generator, but can inactivate superoxide and improves the endothelial function.
Safety and effectiveness of stent implantation without predilation for small coronary arteries

The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and effectiveness of stenting without predilation (direct stenting) in small (< 2.5 mm) coronary arteries. Clinical and angiographic data from the multicenter randomized PREDICT trial was examined. Direct stenting was performed on 42 small and 158 large vessels. Predilation was performed prior to stenting for 37 small vessels. In the small‐vessel group, mean reference vessel diameter was 2.24 ± 0.19 mm for direct stenting vs. 2.24 ± 0.22 mm for predilation (P = NS). Mean reference vessel diameter was 3.17 ± 0.48 mm in the large‐vessel group. Device success for direct stenting was similar for small vs. large vessels (90.5% vs. 92.4%; P = NS). At 180 days, a trend toward increased MACE between small vs. large vessels in the direct‐stenting group was observed (26.8% vs.16.7%; P = NS), and significantly higher target lesion revascularizations (TLRs) in the small‐vessel group (19.5% vs.7.7%; P = 0.03) were observed. In small vessels, differences in device success rate (90.5% vs. 100 %; P = NS) and lesion success rate (100% vs. 100%; P = NS) for direct stenting vs. predilation were not significant. At 180 days, no differences between direct stenting and predilation for MACE (26.8% vs. 29.7%; P = NS) or TLR (22.0% vs. 21.6%; P = NS) were seen in small vessels, although binary angiographic restenosis rate tended to be higher in direct‐stenting group (38.2% vs. 18.5%; P = NS). Direct stenting of small vessels can be performed safely and successfully in selected cases. Restenosis rates may be higher for small vessel treated by direct stenting compared to predilation. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2003;59:455–458. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nanoscale lubricants for magnetic disk drives

In the present study, we deposited the mixed lubricant, which consists of a strongly bonded lubricant phase and a mobile lubricant phase, on a carbon overcoat. The islands of FDTS (perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane) self-assembled monolayer were introduced as a strongly bonded lubricant phase and the Fomblin Z03 lubricant as a mobile phase. The friction and durability properties of 2.5-in magnetic disks coated with 15-angstrom-thick mixed lubricants were investigated using a ball-on-disk tribotester and compared with disks coated with 15-angstrom-thick Zdol lubricants. The mixed lubricant exhibits superior wear properties compared to Fomblin Zdol. This may occur because the FDTS networks act as a barrier against the displacement of the mobile Z03 molecules, and the mobility of Z03 molecules is higher than that of Zdol molecules, which allows Z03 to replenish into the lubricant-depleted area at a higher rate.
H+/ATP stoichiometry of cowpea Rhizobium sp. strain 32H1 cells grown under nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-nonfixing conditions

The obligate aerobe Cowpea Rhizobium sp. strain 32H1 in axenic culture is able to fix N2 when grown under 0.2% O2 but not when grown under 21% O2. It was, therefore, of interest to investigate ATP synthesis in these cells grown under the two conditions. When respiring in buffers having pHs ranging from 6 to 8.5, cells grown under either O2 tension maintained an intracellular pH more alkaline than the exterior. The transmembrane chemical gradient of H+ (delta pH) was essentially the same under both conditions of growth, decreasing from ca. 90 mV at medium pH 6 to ca. 30 mV at pH 8.5. However, the transmembrane electrical gradient (delta psi) was significantly higher in cells grown under 21% O2 (150 to 166 mV) than in cells grown under 0.2% O2, the latter being 16 mV at pH 6 and increasing to 88 mV at pH 8.5. Therefore, the proton motive force of 21% O2-grown cells ranged from 237 mV at external pH 6 to 185 mV at pH 8.5, compared with a proton motive force of 114 to 121 mV in the 0.2% O2-grown cells. The cells grown in 0.2% O2 had the same proton motive force whether tested at 21 or at 0.2% O2. The phosphorylation potential, calculated from the intracellular ATP, ADP, and Pi concentrations, was 424 mV in the 21% O2-grown cells and 436 mV in the 0.2% O2-grown cells. Thus, the 21% O2-grown cells translocated 1.8 to 2.3 H+/ATP synthesized by the H+-ATPase, whereas the H+/ATP ratio for 0.2% O2-grown cells was 3.7 to 3.8.
Meta-analysis in the assessment of treatment outcome

Randomized clinical trials provide the most reliable estimates of the benefits and harms of treatments. Limited sample sizes restrict their power to allow informative analyses of secondary outcomes, or patient subgroups. The overall results of trials only apply to the average patient and clinical application ignores the individual patient differences. Meta-analysis in the context of a systematic review can produce more precise estimates of effect by combining the results of primary studies. This is particularly valuable for investigating rare, but important outcomes such as suicide. Variations between the trial-specific results can be investigated by meta-regression. Individual patient data meta-analyses (IPDMAs) are potentially much more powerful designs because they allow analysis of patient-level variables. As more genetic factors are identified that might account for treatment variability between individuals, IPDMAs offer a powerful strategy that can be used on existing trial data sets. Despite practical difficulties, IPDMAs are increasingly being conducted.
Maternal sepsis: Opportunity for improvement

Maternal sepsis is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Maternal sepsis can be a severe complication of pregnancy, which, if untreated, can rapidly progress to shock and eventually death. Maternal sepsis is also associated with an increased risk of newborn death, with maternal fever intra partum increasing the odds of neonatal mortality approximately 10 times. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) systematic analysis of global, regional, and sub-regional estimates of the causes of maternal death found that sepsis accounted for 10.7% (5.9–18.6) of all maternal deaths. Estimates varied between high-income countries (4.7%, 2.4–11.1) and low-income countries (10.7%, 5.9–18.6). The 2009–2012 MBBRACE United Kingdom (UK) Confidential Enquiry found that almost a quarter of the women who died had sepsis. Think Sepsis, a key message from the report, advocates for key actions for diagnosis and management of sepsis at an early stage. These include: timely recognition, fast administration of intravenous antibiotics and quick involvement of experts. While there has been a decrease in the number of deaths due to genital tract sepsis (classified as ‘direct’), sepsis due to other causes (classified as ‘indirect’) remains amongst the leading causes of maternal death in the UK. Despite the high burden of maternal morbidity and mortality from maternal sepsis, definitions remain unclear and there is conflicting data on associated factors and outcomes. As recently as February 2016, medical sepsis was re-defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. As a consequence, maternal sepsis definitions are also being re-examined. We discuss the newly launched WHO guidelines on peripartum infections and two recently published papers from the UK and US that attempt to examine these key issues.
Survey of QoS Routing Protocols in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

The emergence of Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) has stimulated the refocusing of research from conventional scalar Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to WMSNs. Currently, because of their prevalence WMSNs are used in different applications. Due to the unique features of WMSNs, fulfilling Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for a variety of applications is the challenge. QoS routing is a backbone of WMSNs and plays a vital role in satisfying QoS requirements. The performance of QoS routing depends upon the selection of an optimal path or paths. Path selection is based on evaluation of a cost function using various routing metrics. A careful blend of such metrics in a routing cost function guarantees a committed level of QoS. This survey uses number of routing metrics as criteria for categorizing state-of-the-art QoS WMSNs routing techniques. In addition, open issues and future research directions to further develop efficient routing protocols to guarantee QoS are discussed.
Homocysteine Concentrations in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Without Cardiovascular Disease : Relationship to Metabolic Parameters and Diabetic Complications

The increased coronary heart disease (CAD) risk in subjects with type 2 diabetes was partly explained by an association with established risk factors like hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity. An increased plasma homocysteine level was accepted as an important risk factor for vascular disease, including coronary atherosclerosis. However, there was no data about the importance of homocysteine levels in type 2 diabetic patients without CAD. The aim of this study was, to determine the association between plasma homocysteine concentrations and metabolic parameters and diabetic complications in type 2 diabetic patients without CHD.
Carbon Nanotubes Filled With Ternary Chalcohalides

Since the discovery by S. Iijima in 1991 [1] various potential applications have been pro‐ posed for carbon nanotubes (CNTs): sensors, field emission displays, nanometer-sized semi‐ conductor devices and hydrogen storage media. There is a huge literature stream related to nanotube research. On a fundamental level, there are still challenges to mass-produce con‐ trolled nanostructures at reasonable cost and new features. There is also a great demand for control versatile electronic characteristics of CNTs. One strategy is to use the CNTs them‐ selves, controlling useful properties via their radii and morphologies. An alternative ap‐ proach leading to new features of CNTs, i.e. directional action on their versatile electronic characteristics, is based on filling them with condensed substances from a wide range of ma‐ terials [2-8]. CNTs are sp2 graphene carbon cylinders capable of hosting a variety of species, including 1D crystals of metals, metal salts and oxides; semiconductors; superconductors; and chains of fullerene or endofullerene molecules (see Refs. cited in [7,8]). Such objects are distinguished in their unique physical and chemical properties from both hollow nanotubes and the encapsulated substances, which permits one to purpose-tailor "nanowires" and "nanotubes" with unique physical and chemical properties.
Renal artery stenting may not be appropriate for patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis

Introduction This study compared aortorenal bypass to renal artery stenting to determine the most efficacious and financially sound method for treating patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS). Methods A decision analysis using direct and indirect costs, and value of statistical life (VSL) was completed. Direct costs were obtained using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), indirect costs from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and VSL from the Department of Transportation. A variance-based sensitivity analysis was completed to assess the accuracy of the decision analysis. Results Aortorenal bypass has a 95% five-year patency, a 98% 30-day survival, a 26% rate of overall complications, and a 70% five-year dialysis-free survival. Renal artery stenting has a 56% five-year patency, a 99% 30-day survival, a 40% rate of complications, and a 65% five-year dialysis-free survival. Renal artery stenting has an overall cost of $305,370 and aortorenal bypass has an overall cost of $103,453 per patient. After accounting for VSL, renal artery stenting has a negative value of −$182,270 and aortorenal bypass has a value of $415,881. Conclusions Lower five-year patency and higher rate of complications from renal artery stenting that ultimately lead to significantly lower five-year dialysis-free survival.
Adjuvant arthritis as a model of inflammatory cachexia.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether adjuvant arthritis (AA) leads to changes in body composition and cytokine production similar to those seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS AA was induced in Lewis rats using Freund's complete adjuvant. Body cell mass was measured by determining the concentration of total exchangeable potassium using 42K gavage. Splenocyte production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) was measured by bioassay. Weight and food intake were also measured. RESULTS Animals that developed AA lost 6% of their body weight by the onset of clinically evident arthritis (day 14; P < 0.01) and lost 20% by the end of the inflammatory phase of AA (day 28; P < 0.0001). Body cell mass fell 24.7 +/- 8.6% (mean +/- SEM) in animals with AA, but did not change significantly in controls (increase of 6.3 +/- 7.9%) (P < 0.03). Pair-fed animals lost one-fourth of the weight lost by the animals with AA (P < 0.01), indicating that anorexia alone does not explain inflammatory cachexia. Weight loss was correlated with TNF alpha production by spleen mononuclear cells (r = 0.68, P < 0.007), and a weaker correlation was seen with IL-1 production (r = 0.45, P < 0.04). CONCLUSION AA in rats is a useful model of inflammatory cachexia that mimics the human pathophysiology in important ways, and is consistent with cytokine-driven cachexia in chronic inflammatory arthritis.
Evidence for post‐transcriptional regulation of interleukin‐5 by dexamethasone

Interleukin‐5 (IL‐5) is a T helper type 2 cytokine, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic diseases such as asthma. Both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and primary human T cells display similar patterns of IL‐5 expression when stimulated with both phorbol‐12‐myristate 13‐acetate and phytohaemagglutinin. The expression of IL‐5 stimulated by these agents was shown to require de novo transcription and translation. However, although dexamethasone was a potent inhibitor of both IL‐5 release and messenger RNA accumulation from PBMC and T cells, dexamethasone had no effect on the luciferase activity of a reporter construct under the control of an IL‐5 promoter region transiently transfected into primary human T cells. Furthermore, dexamethasone appeared to decrease the stability of IL‐5 messenger RNA and this effect was dependent upon de novo transcription. Taken together, the results presented here suggest that, whilst transcriptional processes predominantly regulate IL‐5 release, the mechanism by which dexamethasone inhibits IL‐5 is post‐transcriptional.
Optimum feed composition of broiler breeder diets to maximise progeny performance.

Recent research to define a measure of chick quality has evaluated the effects of incubation conditions, breeder age and genotype on progeny growth and survival. Nutritional research has focused on defining the optimum concentration of maternal dietary nutrients for progeny growth, mortality and immune status. There is a research requirement to bring these two areas together to better understand optimum maternal nutrition for maximum chick quality. Recent research suggests that nutritional concentrations for vitamin D are higher for optimum progeny performance than for egg production. Research also suggests that increased breeder dietary concentrations of zinc, manganese and selenium may benefit progeny performance. Low energy density diets improved progeny growth in young broiler breeders and liveability in offspring of older broiler breeders. There is evidence that different broiler breeder genotypes may have different responses to maternal nutrient concentrations. Further research to quantify the relationships between broiler growth, mortality and immune status in relation to maternal dietary nutrient concentrations in different broiler breeder genotypes is warranted.
[Detection of fecal peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta and cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA in screening of colorectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the detection of fecal PPAR-delta and COX-2 mRNA in screening of colorectal cancer. METHODS Fifty-one patients with colorectal cancer and 21 healthy controls were included in this study. Total RNA was isolated from the fecal samples. Expression of PPAR-delta and COX-2 mRNA was determined by RT-PCR, and its value in screening of colorectal cancer was investigated. RESULTS The positive detection rate of fecal PPAR-delta and COX-2 mRNA in colorectal cancer patients was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. In 47 colorectal cancer patients and 19 healthy controls with positive fecal ACTB mRNA expression, the sensitivity of fecal PPAR-delta mRNA, COX-2 mRNA and PPAR-delta mRNA plus COX-2 mRNA detection in diagnosing colorectal cancer was 76.6%(36/47), 80.9%(38/47) and 91.5%(43/47) respectively; the specificity was 63.2%(12/19), 84.2%(16/19) and 89.5%(17/19) respectively. CONCLUSION The combination detection of fecal PPAR-delta and COX-2 mRNA is effective in screening human colorectal cancer and is better than detection of single marker alone.