Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complement regulator factor H in multiple sclerosis

A recent proteomic study published in this journal demonstrated lower cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) expression of factor H (fH), an important complement regulator, along with two other complement proteins, in active multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We have previously demonstrated raised serum fH levels in MS and here, an extended analysis, quantifying fH in CSF, demonstrates no change in fH levels in active disease, but significantly raised levels in progressive disease. These findings support our previous work showing raised serum fH in patients with progressive MS, and our results predict that CSF fH levels will be raised rather than reduced in active disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 2653–2654, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elevated levels of the complement regulator protein CD59 in severe acute pancreatitis

Objective. Complement activation occurs in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and may contribute to the development of organ failure. Because a number of enzymes are released during AP that could influence the complement inhibitor CD59, the purpose of this study was to examine serum levels of CD59 in relation to severity of AP. Material and methods. Twelve patients with severe AP had organ failure (referred to as the grade 2 group). For each of them, we found 2–3 age-matched AP patients who served as controls (n=27). Of these, a total of 13 had mild AP (grade 0 group) and 14 severe AP without organ failure (grade 1 group). Blood samples were collected at admission and on days 1 and 3–7 post-admission. Grade 2 patients were compared with grade 0 and grade 1 patients. CD59 levels were measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Results. At admission, median CD59 levels were significantly higher (p=0.002) in grade 2 patients (median 104.2 ng/ml, range 26.1–186.3) than in grade 0 patients (37.3, range 30.3–75.9) and grade 1 patients (38.6, range 19.9–96.1). CD59 levels remained higher in grade 2 patients than in grade 0 and 1 patients on day 1 (p=0.001) and days 3–7 (p=0.002). The CD59 levels correlated significantly (p<0.05) with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (R=0.40) and APACHE II scores (R=0.32) on admission. Conclusions. Organ failure and severity of AP are associated with elevated serum levels of CD59.
Binding of the Streptococcal Surface Glycoproteins GspB and Hsa to Human Salivary Proteins

ABSTRACT GspB and Hsa are homologous surface glycoproteins of Streptococcus gordonii that bind sialic acid moieties on platelet membrane glycoprotein Ibα. Since this species is an important member of the oral flora, we examined the direct binding of these adhesins to human salivary proteins. Both GspB and Hsa bound low-molecular-weight salivary mucin MG2 and salivary agglutinin. Hsa also bound several other salivary proteins, including secretory immunoglobulin A. Screening of six oral streptococcal isolates revealed that at least two of the strains expressed GspB homologues. These results indicate that GspB-like adhesins may be important for oral bacterial colonization.
Changes of local and systemic hemorheological properties in intestinal ischemia‐reperfusion injury in the rat model

The aim of this study was to investigate intestinal ischemia‐reperfusion and its local and systemic hemorheological relations in the rat. Ten anaesthetized female CD outbred rats were equally divided into 2 experimental groups. (1) Ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R): the superior mesenterial artery was clipped for 30 minutes. After removing the clip, 60 minutes of the reperfusion was observed before extermination. Blood samples were taken from the caudal caval vein and from the portal vein before ischemia, 1 minute before and after clip removal, and at the 15th, 30th, and 60th minutes of the reperfusion. (2) Sham operation: median laparotomy and blood sampling were done according to the timing as in I/R group. Hematological parameters, red blood cell aggregation, and deformability were determined. Leukocyte count and mean volume of erythrocytes increased slightly but continuously in portal venous samples during the reperfusion period. Red blood cell aggregation values were higher in portal blood by the end of ischemia, and then became elevated further comparing to the caval venous blood. Both in caval and portal venous samples of I/R group red blood cell deformability significantly worsened during the experimental period compared to its base and Sham group. In portal blood red blood cell deformability was impaired more than in caval vein samples. Histology showed denuded villi, dilated capillaries, and the inflammatory cells were increased after a 30 minutes ischemia. In conclusion, intestinal ischemia‐reperfusion causes changes in erythrocyte deformability and aggregation, showing local versus systemic differences in venous blood during the first hour of reperfusion. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2010.
Retraining the addicted brain: a review of hypothesized neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness-based relapse prevention.

Addiction has generally been characterized as a chronic relapsing condition (Leshner, 1999). Several laboratory, preclinical, and clinical studies have provided evidence that craving and negative affect are strong predictors of the relapse process. These states, as well as the desire to avoid them, have been described as primary motives for substance use. A recently developed behavioral treatment, mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP), was designed to target experiences of craving and negative affect and their roles in the relapse process. MBRP offers skills in cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention integrated with mindfulness meditation. The mindfulness practices in MBRP are intended to increase discriminative awareness, with a specific focus on acceptance of uncomfortable states or challenging situations without reacting "automatically. " A recent efficacy trial found that those randomized to MBRP, as compared with those in a control group, demonstrated significantly lower rates of substance use and greater decreases in craving following treatment. Furthermore, individuals in MBRP did not report increased craving or substance use in response to negative affect. It is important to note, areas of the brain that have been associated with craving, negative affect, and relapse have also been shown to be affected by mindfulness training. Drawing from the neuroimaging literature, we review several plausible mechanisms by which MBRP might be changing neural responses to the experiences of craving and negative affect, which subsequently may reduce risk for relapse. We hypothesize that MBRP may affect numerous brain systems and may reverse, repair, or compensate for the neuroadaptive changes associated with addiction and addictive-behavior relapse.
4-Guanidino-2,4-dideoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid is a highly effective inhibitor both of the sialidase (neuraminidase) and of growth of a wide range of influenza A and B viruses in vitro

The sialidase (neuraminidase) inhibitor 4-guanidino-2,4-dideoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid (4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en) has been examined for the ability to inhibit the growth of a wide range of influenza A and B viruses in vitro in comparison with amantadine, rimantadine, and ribavirin. 4-Guanidino-Neu5Ac2en inhibited plaque formation by laboratory-passaged strains of influenza A and B viruses, with 50% inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.014 microM. A wider range of values (0.02 to 16 microM) was obtained with more recent clinical isolates, but in all cases 4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en inhibited influenza A and B virus replication at lower concentrations than amantadine, rimantadine, or ribavirin. Inhibition by 4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en was not obviously affected by the passage history of the viruses or by resistance to amantadine or rimantadine. 4-Guanidino-Neu5Ac2en was a very potent inhibitor of the sialidases of all the influenza viruses examined, with 50% inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.00064 to 0.0079 microM. No cytotoxicity was observed with 4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en at up to 10 mM. 4-Guanidino-Neu5Ac2en therefore represents a new potent and selective inhibitor of influenza A and B virus sialidase activity and replication in vitro.
Widespread and Long-Lasting Alterations in GABAA-Receptor Subtypes after Focal Cortical Infarcts in Rats: Mediation by NMDA-Dependent Processes

Impairment of inhibitory neurotransmission has been reported to occur in widespread, structurally intact brain regions after focal ischemic stroke. These long-lasting alterations contribute to the functional deficit and influence long-term recovery. Inhibitory neurotransmission is primarily mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors assembled of five subunits that allow a variety of adaptive changes. In this study, the regional distribution of five major GABAA-receptor subunits (α1, α2, α3, α5, and γ2) was analyzed immunohistochemically 1, 7, and 30 days after photochemically induced cortical infarcts. When compared with sham-operated controls, a general and regionally differential reduction in immunostaining was found within the cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus of both hemispheres for almost all subunits. Within ipsilateral and contralateral neocortical areas, a specific pattern of changes with a differential decrease of subunits α1, α2, α5, and γ2 and a significant upregulation of subunit α3 was observed in the contralateral cortex homotopic to the infarct. This dysregulation was most prominent at day 7 and still present at day 30. Interestingly, a single application of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate–receptor antagonist MK-801 during lesion induction completely blocked these bihemispheric alterations. Cortical spreading depressions induced by topical application of KCl do not change GABAA-receptor subunit expression. As alterations in subtype distribution crucially influence inhibitory function, ischemia-induced modifications in GABAA-receptor subtype expression may be of relevance for functional recovery after stroke.
Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale

In this article, we present a French adaptation and validation of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS). The sample was composed of 310 French adults. We found that the ADHS scores demonstrated good reliability as well as adequate temporal stability. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a bifactorial structure of the scale. The two factors (agency and pathways) were highly correlated, but discriminant validity was established by comparing their shared variance against their average extracted variance. Multiple-group CFAs revealed evidence of configural, metric, scalar, and factorial invariance across genders. ADHS total scores as well as scores on agency and pathways were significantly and negatively related to hopelessness, negative affectivity, anxiety, and depressive mood and positively correlated with optimism and positive affect. We believe these findings show evidence for the construct validity of the ADHS.
Localization of beckwith‐wiedemann and rhabdoid tumor chromosome rearrangements to a defined interval in chromosome band 11p15.5

Chromosome rearrangements have provided useful landmarks to identify disease loci and have served as starting points for positional cloning strategies for candidate genes. We have used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to map three Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) breakpoints and a rhabdoid tumor breakpoint more precisely. These breakpoints mapped to the interval between D11S679 and the insulin‐like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene on 11p15.5. A cosmid (c15‐2) was identified that mapped centromeric to the BWS t(11;16) and the rhabdoid tumor‐associated t(11;22), telomeric to the BWS t(11;22), and was found to span the BWS‐associated inv(11) breakpoint. Pulsed‐field gel analysis placed all four breakpoints into a 250‐675 kb interval distal to D11S679 and at least 270 kb centromeric to the IGF2 and H19 loci. These data locate all three BWS rearrangements and the rhabdoid tumor t(11;22) breakpoint in the same region of 11p 15.5, suggesting that they may be affecting the same locus or closely linked loci. Cosmid c15‐2 provides a well‐defined starting point in the search for candidate disease genes.
Vision as a Fundamentally Statistical Machine

As a vital driving force of systems neuroscience, visual neuroscience had its conceptual framework established more than 40 years ago based on Hubel and Wiesel’s groundbreaking work on the receptive-field properties of visual neurons (Hubel & Wiesel, 1977). This framework was subsequently strengthened by David Marr's influential book (Marr, 2010). In this paradigm, visual neurons are conceived to perform bottom-up, imagebased processing to build a series of symbolic representations of visual stimuli. This paradigm, however, is deeply misleading since the generative sources in the threedimensional (3D) physical world of any stimulus, to which visual animals must respond successfully, cannot be determined by image-based processing (due to the inverse optics problem). This is perhaps the reason why "Now, thirty years later, the main problems that occupied Marr remain fundamental open problems in the study of perception" (Marr, 2010), as assessed by two prominent vision scientists and Marr's close associates.
Bioavailability of vitamin E compounds in lambs.

A study was carried out to assess the bioavailabilities of several forms of vitamin E in lambs. A total of 40 lambs was allotted to eight dietary groups of five each and supplemented or not daily for 60 d with equimolar amounts of different vitamin E compounds as follows: 1) control, no supplemental vitamin E, 2) DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, 3) D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, 4), D-alpha-tocopheryl succinate, 5) D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1,000 succinate (TPGS), 6) DL-alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate, 7) DL-alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate+ TPGS, or 8) D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate + TPGS. During these 60 d, serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations in the control lambs remained constant and lower (P less than .05) than in lambs that received all treatments. Various indices of bioavailability, including Cmax-C(i) (concentration maximum-concentration initial), Ct-C(i) (concentration terminal-concentration initial), areas under the serum concentrations profiles, and pooled increment were higher (P less than .05) with D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate+ TPGS than in the other groups, suggesting a synergism between these forms. No such effect was observed between nicotinate and TPGS. For the TPGS, a water-soluble form of vitamin E, the indices of bioavailability were lower (P less than .05) than for the other groups. D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate resulted in a bioavailability that outranked all the other forms of vitamin E, except those of D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate + TPGS. A slightly higher bioavailability index was observed for D-alpha-tocopheryl succinate than for DL-alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Secondary Procedures in Replantation

Abstract The success of replantation surgery is not judged by survival of the replanted part, but by the functional outcome attained. Hence, primary repair of all injured structures is the preferred aim. At times, constraints induced by the ischemia time and nature of injury preclude primary repair. In such situations, secondary procedures are inevitable. Secondary procedures are also frequently required to improve the function and appearance of the replanted extremity. The incidence of secondary procedures will vary with the level of replantation and the type of patient population. Secondary procedures are difficult because they carry risk of injury to the vital neurovascular structures that now lay at nonanatomical locations. Nevertheless, when indicated and performed with caution they could significantly raise the functional status of the individuals.
Evaluation of dietary habits during pregnancy

Objective: Pregnancy is a special period of increased nutritional needs during which conscious nutritional support is required. Insufficient and imbalanced nutrition in this period of life causes serious conditions that affect both child and mother. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between pregnancy and nutrition/nutritional habits during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, a questionnaire was conducted on a voluntary basis to pregnant women who were admitted to the Pregnancy Outpatient Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital. Questions about general information, pregnancy-related information, thoughts and knowledge about breastfeeding, nutritional habits, and meal frequency were asked to pregnant women. Three hundred fourteen questionnaires were assessed in the study. SPSS for Windows Version 16.0 and MS-Excel 2007 were used for statistical evaluations. P<0.05 was accepted as statistical significance. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and number of pregnancies; level of education and income levels; number of children and history of caesarian section as an additional problem within previous pregnancies. The change of nutritional habits during pregnancy was examined; we found that consumption of fruits (51%) and vegetables (40.8%) increased the most, while intake of tea (26.1%) and redmeat (21%) mainly decreased during pregnancy. It was found that during pregnancy 20.4% of pregnant women had never consumed fish, 13.1% abstained from red meat, and 12.4% excluded white meat from their diet. Conclusions: We believe that this study will help to raise awareness about adequate and balanced nutrition during pregnancy and to define special nutritional recommendations.
Emerging human middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus causes widespread infection and alveolar damage in human lungs.

Acknowledgment: The authors are grateful to Rosalind Simmonds, the staff within the Nuclear Medicine and Histopathology Department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, Cambridge. They acknowledge the help of the Histopathology Departments at the Royal Brompton and Princess Alexandra Hospitals. They also thank the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and BRC Core Biochemistry Assay Laboratory and acknowledge the support of the National Institute for Health Research, through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The study was approved by Cambridgeshire Research Ethics Committee (09/H0308/ 119) and the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee of the UK (83/3130/25000).
Seroprevalence of HIV Infection and Associated Factors Among Newly Incarcerated Prisoners in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Poor socio-economic condition of prisoners and practices at risk of getting transmissible diseases in most prisons contribute to the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. The objectives of this study were to determine HIV seroprevalence among newly incarcerated persons, to describe their risk behaviors, and to identify factors associated with HIV infection. We conducted a cross-sectional study from January 2014 to February 2014 at the biggest prison of Abidjan called “House of Judgement and Correction of Abidjan” (HJCA). Study population included newly incarcerated persons aged more than 18 years. Overall, 370 people were included after an informed consent. Findings showed that 13% of inmates used drug; 8.3% of them using injectable drugs. The vast majority of respondents (97.3%) experienced sexual intercourse and 31.9% had multiple sexual partners. More than half (50.6%) of respondents did not use condom, and among those who use it, 73.6% used it irregularly. During their last sexual intercourse, 71.8% of respondents did not use condom. Overall, 7.9% of respondents were HIV positive. Factors associated with HIV positive status were history of herpes zoster (adj. OR=16.66, 95% CI: 2.66-104.08, p=0.003), history of STIs (adj. OR=8.82, 95% CI: 3.25-23.95, p<0.001), history of tuberculosis (adj. OR=6.49, 95% CI: 1.06-39.79, p=0.043), and having had more than one sexual partner over the last 12 months (adj. OR=8.11, 95% CI: 1.75-37.51, p=0.007). Promoting safer behaviors, routine HIV screening among prisoners, care for HIV-positive people, and improved living conditions in prisons are needed measures to control HIV / AIDS in prison environment in Ivory Coast.
Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Uterine Leiomyomas

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the contrasting data between estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) in uterine leiomyomas, endo‐metrium and myometrium. Uteri were obtained from 30 women undergoing hysterectomy for uterine leiomyomas (24 premenopausal and 6 postmenopausal patients). Cytosolic and nuclear ER and PgR were analysed in uterine tissues by the method of single saturation point assay at a final concentration 5 nM of [3H‐17P]estradiol and [3H]ORG‐2058. Our results confirm that leiomyomas undergo changes similar to those observed in other uterine tissues during the menstrual cycle. The ER levels show decreased values during the postovulatory phase. After subdividing leiomyomas according to their topographic criteria, as submucous or subserosal, we observed that ER and PgR are significantly more numerous in submucous than in subserosal myomas, both in proliferative and in the secretive phase of the cycle. These results agree with the hypothesis that leiomyomas have a different etiology and may explain why some myomas decrease after progestin therapy (submucous), while others (subserosal) remain unchanged.
Enhanced biodegradation of phenanthrene by a marine bacterium in presence of a synthetic surfactant

The biodegradation of phenanthrene by the marine strain Sphingomonas sp. 2MPII (DSMZ 11572) was enhanced by the solubilizating properties of the nonionic surfactant Tween 80. After 197 h of incubation, 85 ± 4% of the initial amount of phenanthrene (0.4 g l−1) was biodegraded in presence of Tween 80 (0.5 g l−1) as opposed to 52 ± 5% without this synthetic surfactant. These results confirm that the activity of the strain 2MPII is limited by the bioavailability of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) substrate in the aqueous phase. Tween 80 appears to be efficient in increasing the bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds such as PAHs.