Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arabinogalactan present in the mountain celery seed extract potentiated hypolipidemic bioactivity of coexisting polyphenols in hamsters

Context: Previously, we showed the essential oils (EO) of the mountain celery [Cryptotaenia japonica Hass (Umbelliferae)] seeds (MCS) to be a prominent hypolipidemic agent. Objective: We hypothesized the aqueous extract (AE) of its seeds could also exhibit a comparable nutritional effect. Materials and methods: Experiments were carried out for compositional analysis, antioxidant assay, and hypolipidaemic assay with AE in hamsters. Results: AE contained soluble arabinogalactan (AGal) with molecular weight (MW) 878 kDa. AE also was enriched in polyphenolics and flavonoids, reaching 30.4 and 2.20 mg/100 g, respectively. AGal consisted of eight monosaccharides (in mols %), galactose (28.75), arabinose (24.84), glucose (17.91), mannose (6.93), ribose (6.03), fucose (5.83), xylose (5.30), and rhamnose (4.41), with average MW 878 kDa. In vitro, AE showed potent ferrous chelating and DPPH scavenging effects but only moderate H2O2 scavenging capability. In hamsters, AE exhibited promising hypolipidemic bioactivity, in particular, the HDL-C and hepatic unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) biosynthesis regarding oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acids. Discussion and conclusion: The presence of AGal enhanced the hypolipidemic and antioxidative bioactivity of MCS. MCS is feasibly beneficial to the hepatic de novo UFA synthesis and the hypolipidemics as evidenced by hamster model.
Clinical relevance of the expression of P-glycoprotein on peripheral blood lymphocytes to steroid resistance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE P-glycoprotein (P-gp) of membrane transporters leads to drug resistance by the exclusion of intracellular drugs, including corticosteroids. Some patients with highly active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) show poor response to corticosteroids; however, the mechanisms of steroid resistance remain unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical relevance of P-gp expression on lymphocytes to steroid resistance in patients with active SLE. METHODS Flow cytometric analyses of the expression of P-gp on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 20 normal volunteers and 80 SLE patients were performed. Steroid-exclusion analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was conducted by using radioisotope-labeled dexamethasone. RESULTS P-gp was expressed at significantly high levels on most of the peripheral blood lymphocytes from SLE patients, whereas normal lymphocytes had only marginal expression. The quantity of P-gp on SLE lymphocytes correlated with the disease activity in each patient, as estimated by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Furthermore, in SLE patients whose SLEDAI scores were >12 despite taking >0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisolone, P-gp expression on lymphocytes was markedly increased, and intracellular dexamethasone in their PBMCs was significantly decreased. However, intensive immunosuppressive treatment in these SLE patients resulted in successful control of disease activity, which occurred in parallel with a marked reduction of P-gp on lymphocytes. CONCLUSION The overexpression of P-gp on lymphocytes might lead to exclusion of corticosteroids from lymphocytes, resulting in steroid resistance in patients with highly active SLE. Reduction of P-gp expression achieved by intensive immunosuppressive treatment overcame the steroid resistance. We therefore propose that measurement of P-gp expression on lymphocytes is useful in the assessment of steroid resistance and is a good marker for indicating the need for intensive immunosuppressive treatment in patients with highly active SLE.
Localization of Renin in Juxtaglomerular Cells of Rabbit and Dog Through the Use of the Fluorescent‐Antibody Technique

Canine antisera to rabbit and hog renin were coupled to several fluorescein dyes. The antiserum was immunologically adsorbed once each with rabbit-liver and with bone-marrow powder, thereby removing excess dye and eliminating nonspecific staining. Mounted frozen-dried sections of kidneys from sodium- deficient rabbits (in which hyperplasia and hypergranulation of juxtaglomerular [JG] cells were present), from control rabbits, from a sodium-deficient dog, and from sodium-deficient rats were treated with the adsorbed labeled antiserum. Ultraviolet microscopy (direct technique) revealed an intense yel low-green fluorescence sharply limited to the granules of the juxtagloinerular cells in all sections studied from kidneys of rabbit and dog. JG granules in rats did not fluoresce, an observation in accord with the species spe cificity of renin. The indirect (“sandwich”) method was also employed (with adsorbed, labeled, rabbit antiserum to canine globulin), and although slight staining of gloinerular epithelium resulted, that in the JG granules was far more intense. In our hands, the faint glornerular staining was not blocked by prior treatment with unlabeled renin. Staining of JG granules in any kidney paralleled the intensity of JG granulation by light microscopy and the amount of extractable renin in the same kidney. JG-granule staining (direct and indirect techniques) was blocked by neutralization of the antirenin with renin. Heterogenous anti sera (to insulin; to human gamma globulin) failed to stain. Other rabbit tissues (heart, lung, liver) similarly treated with labeled antirenin never stained. If this work can be repeated with immunologically pure renin, the evidence presented here, together with previously published studies from this and other laboratories, will establish beyond any reasonable doubt that the source of renin in the kidney is the juxtaglomerular cell, as postulated first by Goormagh tigh nearly a quarter of a century ago.
Towards a targeted, risk‐based, antifungal strategy in neutropenic patients

The major issues in the management of fungal infection are prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Our main goal must remain prevention, but for a number of reasons prophylaxis against invasive fungal infection (IFI), in the neutropenic patient, remains controversial. We consider this aim to be desirable, given the high mortality rates associated with established infection, due in part to inadequacies and substantial delays in diagnosis. In a meta-analysis Bow et al (1997), found a mortality rate of 47% in patients with invasive fungal infection. In a more recent prospective EORTC survey, Denning et al (1999) found that the 3-month mortality rate in patients with invasive aspergillosis was 64%. However, clinical trials of antifungal prophylaxis have failed to show a reduction in overall mortality in almost every case, other than those conducted in the highest risk patients. Fuel was recently added to the fire of this debate by the publication of a further meta-analysis on the role of prophylaxis and empirical treatment (Gotzsche & Johansen, 1997). We have criticized this report for a number of reasons (Kibber et al, 1997) but do support the contention that more studies are needed using modern diagnostic tools, including PCR, as end-points, given the inadequacy of conventional antemortem methods. In particular, we feel that consideration should be given to the study of targeted prophylaxis and treatment in defined risk groups.
High Dynamic Range Characterization of the Trauma Patient Plasma Proteome*S

Although human plasma represents an attractive sample for disease biomarker discovery, the extreme complexity and large dynamic range in protein concentrations present significant challenges for characterization, candidate biomarker discovery, and validation. Herein we describe a strategy that combines immunoaffinity subtraction and subsequent chemical fractionation based on cysteinyl peptide and N-glycopeptide captures with two-dimensional LC-MS/MS to increase the dynamic range of analysis for plasma. Application of this “divide-and-conquer” strategy to trauma patient plasma significantly improved the overall dynamic range of detection and resulted in confident identification of 22,267 unique peptides from four different peptide populations (cysteinyl peptides, non-cysteinyl peptides, N-glycopeptides, and non-glycopeptides) that covered 3654 different proteins with 1494 proteins identified by multiple peptides. Numerous low abundance proteins were identified, exemplified by 78 “classic” cytokines and cytokine receptors and by 136 human cell differentiation molecules. Additionally a total of 2910 different N-glycopeptides that correspond to 662 N-glycoproteins and 1553 N-glycosylation sites were identified. A panel of the proteins identified in this study is known to be involved in inflammation and immune responses. This study established an extensive reference protein database for trauma patients that provides a foundation for future high throughput quantitative plasma proteomic studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie systemic inflammatory responses.
The significance of clinicopathological aspects of tumor for the detection of liver micrometastasis in patients with colorectal cancer

Background: Colorectal tumor is one of the main causes of death in our country. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinicopathological aspects of tumor and the presence of hepatic micrometastasis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: Forty two patients with CRC were evaluated in the study surgical treatment was performed and liver biopsy was taken for the evaluation of micrometastasis by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction. The variables that have been evaluated were: Patient's gender, patients age at the time of diagnosis, size and location of tumor, tumor-node-metastasis stage and grade of the primary tumor, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular and neural invasion, presence of macrometastasis and carcinoembryonic antigen level prior to surgery. After 1 year patients were called and asked to come back to the clinic for elective colonoscopy to evaluate the surgical site for recurrence of tumor and survival. All variables were compared between patients in whom liver micrometastasis were present in comparison with patients without liver micrometastasis. Results: Of the studied patients (6 with positive micrometatsis and 36 without micrometstasis), 38 were alive after 1 year (6 with positive micrometatsis and 32 without micrometstasis) and the difference was not significant between groups with or without micrometastasis (P = 0.52). In four of survived patients colonoscopy was abnormal, however this difference was not also significant between groups (P = 0.59). Conclusion: Clinicopathologic aspect of tumor was not different in CRC patients with and without hepatic micrometastasis.
Epidemiologic Analysis of Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Epidemiologists have conducted nationwide surveys, such as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) and the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), to estimate the prevalence of either the individual or the concurrent consumption of and dependence on alcohol and tobacco. These estimates indicated that for both alcohol and tobacco, use was already relatively high among the youngest respondents, peaked among young adults, and declined in older age groups. A similar pattern existed for concurrent alcohol and tobacco use. Moreover, these estimates showed only moderate gender differences. With respect to dependence, the age-related prevalence patterns differed somewhat for alcohol and tobacco, with the prevalence of tobacco dependence relatively lower among the youngest respondents compared with the prevalence of alcohol dependence. The age-related pattern for concurrent alcohol and tobacco dependence was similar to that found for tobacco dependence.
Identifying Government Spending Shocks: It&Apos;S All in the Timing

Do shocks to government spending raise or lower consumption and real wages? Standard VAR identification approaches show a rise in these variables, whereas the Ramey-Shapiro narrative identification approach finds a fall. I show that a key difference in the approaches is the timing. Both professional forecasts and the narrative approach shocks Granger-cause the VAR shocks, implying that the VAR shocks are missing the timing of the news. Simulations from a standard neoclassical model in which government spending is anticipated by several quarters demonstrate that VARs estimated with faulty timing can produce a rise in consumption even when it decreases in the model. Motivated by the importance of measuring anticipations, I construct two new variables that measure anticipations. The first is based on narrative evidence that is much richer than the Ramey-Shapiro military dates and covers 1939 to 2008. The second is from the Survey of Professional Forecasters, and covers the period 1969 to 2008. All news measures suggest that most components of consumption fall after a positive shock to government spending. The implied government spending multipliers range from 0.6 to 1.1.
Shelf-life of chilled chicken legs treated with lysozyme :

The study investigated the effect of spraying chicken legs with skin with lysozyme solutions of varying activity on their microbiological stability and organoleptic features. Lysozyme was applied at concentrations ranging from 3000 to 48000 U/ml. The effect of storage time at the temperature of +4C on the total aerobic bacterial count, coli titre, the occurrence of enterococci, anaerobic sporeforming bacilli and pathogenic staphylococci was analyzed, along with the examination of sensory quality attributes. The investigations showed that the addition of lysozyme resulted in a considerable inhibition of growth of the initial aerobic bacterial counts and a limitation of disadvantageous organoleptic changes during cold storage of samples. Lysozyme solution with the activity of 48000 U/ml caused a 20-fold reduction in the initial aerobic bacterial count. Sensory examination showed that samples subjected to the action of lysozyme and stored for 120 h under cold storage conditions did not differ qualitatively from fresh elements. The obtained results showed that lysozyme might be an effective agent extending shelf-life of portioned poultry meat.
2-[1-(2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-6-methoxyphenol monohydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C22H20N2O4·H2O, comprises a substituted benzimidazole molecule and a water molecule of crystallization. The dihedral angles between the benzimidazole ring system and the two outer benzene rings are 16.54 (4) and 86.13 (4)°. The dihedral angle between the two hydroxy-substituted benzene rings is 82.20 (5)°. In the crystal structure, intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, involving the hydroxy groups and water molecules, form R 4 4(8) ring motifs, and link symmetry-related molecules into extended chains along the c axis. The crystal structure is further stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, weak C—H⋯π and π–π stacking [centroid–centroid = 3.6495 (6)–3.7130 (6) Å] interactions. Intramolecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N interactions are also present.
P95 HER2 fragments and breast cancer outcome

HER2 is a 185-kDa transmembrane oncoprotein encoded by the HER2 gene. It is located on chromosome 17q21 and is overexpressed in approximately 15% of invasive breast cancers. In addition, it is a poor prognostic factor for survival and disease progression. Approximately 30% of HER2-positive tumors also express a series of carboxy-terminal HER2 fragments known as p95HER2, in addition to the full-length HER receptor. Previous studies have found that p95HER2 represents an independent prognostic marker in patients with HER2-positive disease. Moreover, p95HER2 status might be a decisive factor when choosing between different therapies because p95HER2 fragment-positive tumors are resistant to trastuzumab but respond to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as lapatinib, as do p95HER2-negative tumors. p95HER2 fragments arise through at least two different mechanisms: proteolytic shedding of the full-length p185HER2 receptor extracellular domain and translation of HER2 mRNA from internal initiation codons. The present review is based primarily on recent studies suggesting p95HER2 constitutes a new surrogate marker for an aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer subtype with distinct clinical and biological features.
Electrically elicited visual evoked potentials in Argus II retinal implant wearers.

PURPOSE We characterized electrically elicited visual evoked potentials (eVEPs) in Argus II retinal implant wearers. METHODS eVEPs were recorded in four subjects, and analyzed by determining amplitude and latency of the first two positive peaks (P1 and P2). Subjects provided subjective feedback by rating the brightness and size of the phosphenes. We established eVEP input-output relationships, eVEP variability between and within subjects, the effect of stimulating different areas of the retina, and the maximal pulse rate to record eVEPs reliably. RESULTS eVEP waveforms had low signal-to-noise ratios, requiring long recording times and substantial signal processing. Waveforms varied between subjects, but showed good reproducibility and consistent parameter dependence within subjects. P2 amplitude overall was the most robust outcome measure and proved an accurate indicator of subjective threshold. Peak latencies showed small within-subject variability, yet their correlation with stimulus level and subjective rating were more variable than that of peak amplitudes. Pulse rates of up to (2)/3 Hz resulted in reliable eVEP recordings. Perceived phosphene brightness declined over time, as reflected in P1 amplitude, but not in P2 amplitude or peak latencies. Stimulating-electrode location significantly affected P1 and P2 amplitude and latency, but not subjective percepts. CONCLUSIONS While recording times and signal processing are more demanding than for standard visually evoked potential (VEP) recordings, the eVEP has proven to be a reliable tool to verify retinal implant functionality. eVEPs correlated with various stimulus parameters and with perceptual ratings. In view of these findings, eVEPs may become an important tool in functional investigations of retinal prostheses. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00407602.) Dutch Abstract.
Herbal self-medication use in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2.

BACKGROUND/AIM A considerable number of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM) turn to self-medication using medicinal plants, preparations, and medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate self-medication using medicinal plants and the potential influence of health care professionals' advice or media information regarding the use of herbal dietary supplements with hypoglycemic effect in a population of patients with type 2 DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS This research, in the form of an analytic cross-sectional study, was conducted in 6 pharmacies in the territory of Nis, Serbia, during October 2013. The criterion set for the study was to include patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who used pharmacotherapy in addition to herbal supplements. RESULTS Surveyed women showed a statistically significant difference in the frequency of using herbal supplements compared to men (P < 0.001). More frequent symptoms of hypoglycemia were reported in the group of diabetic respondents who used herbal dietary supplements (P < 0.05). The media was most responsible for influencing decisions about self-medication that included the use of herbal dietary supplements. CONCLUSION The role of health professionals is indispensable and very important, especially when the media is a potential cause of seeking self-medication.
Inferring gene regulatory relationships from gene expression data

In order to understand how genes affect each others expression, we want to infer regulatory relationships between genes and use these genes to build gene regulatory networks. Several algorithms exist for inferring regulatory relationships between genes. One of the state of the art algorithms is Trigger, but Trigger seems to produce unsatisfactorily high probability estimates in some cases. In this thesis we analyze several issues of Trigger which are related to the estimation of the local false discovery rate, which Trigger uses to calculate its probability estimates. We show that even though Trigger is able to identify regulation relationships, the issues lead to an overestimation of the probabilities for regulation relationships. We will also demonstrate that a new approach using Bayes factors for correlation matrices can be applied to this problem and does not suffer from these issues. We apply the new algorithm, which we call BFCM, to an experiment in yeast in order to show that it is able to produce rich and biologically coherent information about the underlying gene regulatory relationships. The new algorithm produces more conservative probability estimates than Trigger, and is able to identify new regulation relationships.
Caractérisation des systèmes de production sur les sites d’aménagements hydro-agricoles dans le doublet Dangbo-Adjohoun au sud du Bénin

La maitrise de l’eau a des fins agricoles constitue un enjeu de taille dans les pays comme le Benin ou les besoins alimentaires sont en nette progression dans un contexte d’incertitudes climatiques. La presente recherche vise a caracteriser les systemes de production sur les amenagements hydro-agricoles dans le doublet Dangbo-Adjohoun situe dans la basse vallee de l’Oueme. Les enquetes de terrain ont ete conduites dans huit (8) arrondissements (Kessounou, Houedomey, Gbeko, Zoungue, Gangban, Kode, Deme et Azowlisse) aupres de 254 exploitants des sites d’amenagement hydro-agricole. Les informations qualitatives et quantitatives ont ete recueillies par un questionnaire elabore a cet effet. Le traitement des donnees a ete fait par le test de Kruskal-Wallis pour tester la difference significative ou non entre les superficies emblavees sous les differents modes de faire valoir. Ainsi, l’analyse factorielle des correspondances simples a ete utilisee pour decrire la specificite au sein des arrondissements au regard des classes de superficie d’une part et des modes de faire valoir d’autre part. Le test d’homogeneite a permis de determiner la tendance des systemes de production. Les resultats d’analyse ont revele l’existence de quatre (4) types de systemes de production : le systeme de production pluviale, les systemes de production irriguee, les systemes de production des cultures de decrue et les systemes de production de la peche continentale. Pour cette recherche, le systeme de production pluviale qui se pratique sur le plateau n’a pas ete pris en compte. Par ailleurs, les superficies amenagees varient d’un arrondissement a un autre en fonction des modes d’acces a la terre. Ainsi, l’heritage a la superficie moyenne la plus elevee, 5.78 ha suivi de proprietes collectives 1.64 ha, l’achat et l’emprunt ont respectivement les plus faibles superficies, 0.98 et 0.75 ha. Cette etude a montre les systemes de production qui contribuent au developpement des amenagements hydro-agricoles dans la plaine inondable. Mots cles : Dangbo-Adjohoun (vallee de l’Oueme), amenagements hydro-agricoles, caracteristiques, systemes de production agricole.