Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lentivirus‐mediated knockdown of aggrecanase‐1 and ‐2 promotes chondrocyte‐engineered cartilage formation in vitro

Chondrocyte‐based tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach for repair of injured cartilage tissues that have a poor self‐healing capacity. However, this technique faces a major limitation: dedifferentiation of chondrocytes occurs following several passages in culture. Aggrecan, a major component of cartilage extracellular matrix, plays an essential role in chondrocyte differentiation. The aim of this study is to determine whether inhibition of chondrocyte aggrecanases, key degradative enzymes for aggrecan in cartilage, could benefit chondrocyte differentiation and the preservation of chondrocyte phenotype within a long‐term period. Lentivirus‐mediated RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to target both aggrecanase‐1 and ‐2 in primary rat chondrocytes, and the transduced cells were seeded into chitosan–gelatin three‐dimensional scaffolds. Histological, morphological, and biochemical analyses were performed at 1–8 weeks post‐implantation to study chondrocyte survival, differentiation, and function. We found that lentivirus‐mediated RNAi notably decreased the abundance of aggrecanase transcripts in chondrocytes but did not affect cell viability. Most importantly, compared to the control constructs seeded with untransduced chondrocytes, the aggrecanase inhibition increased chondrocyte proliferation and reinforced the production of glycosaminoglycans and total collagen, indicative of chondrocyte differentiation. The mRNA expression of chondrocyte marker genes (collagen II and aggrecan) was enhanced by aggrecanase silencing relative to the control. Together our data demonstrate that inhibition of endogenous aggrecanases facilitates chondrocyte differentiation and chondrocyte‐engineered cartilage formation in vitro. The combination of lentiviral delivery system and genetic manipulation techniques provides a useful tool for modulation of chondrocyte phenotype in cartilage engineering. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107:730–736. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Co-variation in soil biodiversity and biogeochemistry in northern and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Data from six sites in Victoria Land (72–77°S) investigating co-variation in soil communities (microbial and invertebrate) with biogeochemical properties showthe influence of soil properties on habitat suitability varied among local landscapes as well as across climate gradients. Species richness of metazoan invertebrates (Nematoda, Tardigrada and Rotifera) was similar to previous descriptions in this region, though identification of three cryptic nematode species of Eudorylaimus through DNA analysis contributed to the understanding of controls over habitat preferences for individual species. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis profiles revealed unexpectedly high diversity of bacteria. Distribution of distinct bacterial communities was associated with specific sites in northern and southern Victoria Land, as was the distribution of nematode and tardigrade species. Variation in soil metazoan communities was related to differences in soil organic matter, while bacterial diversity and community structure were not strongly correlated with any single soil property. There were no apparent correlations between metazoan and bacterial diversity, suggesting that controls over distribution and habitat suitability are different for bacterial and metazoan communities. Our results imply that top-down controls over bacterial diversity mediated by their metazoan consumers are not significant determinants of bacterial community structure and biomass in these ecosystems.
Mispredicting the Endowment Effect: Underestimation of Owners’ Selling Prices by Buyer’s Agents

People tend to value objects more simply because they own them. Prior research indicates that people underestimate the impact of this endowment effect on both their own and other people’s preferences. We show that underestimating the endowment effect and hence owners’ selling prices can lead to suboptimal behavior in settings with economic consequences. Subjects acting as “buyer’s agents” made suboptimally low offers for an owner’s commodity. Although buyer’s agents learned to make increasingly optimal (i.e., higher) offers over repeated interactions with an initial commodity, this learning did not generalize to interactions with a new commodity. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Treatment of Hypertrophy of the Inferior Turbinate: Long-Term Results in 382 Patients Randomly Assigned to Therapy

A number of surgical techniques are commonly performed to control the symptoms of inferior turbinate hypertrophy unresponsive to medical treatment. We report long-term results in 382 patients randomly assigned to receive electrocautery (62), cryotherapy (58), laser cautery (54), submucosal resection without lateral displacement (69), submucosal resection with lateral displacement (94), and turbinectomy (45). Outcomes of objective test results from rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, mucociliary transport time, and secretory immunoglobulin A levels were compared to the symptom scores before and yearly after surgical treatment. These data indicate that submucosal resection with lateral displacement of the inferior turbinate results in the greatest increases in airflow and nasal respiratory function with the lowest risk of long-term complications.
DO BIOMARKERS VARY BY SOCIAL CLASS, EDUCATION AND REGION AND IS MIGRATION IMPORTANT? EVIDENCE FROM A COHORT OF BRITISH ADULTS

Summary The aim of this study was to test whether Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) vary in relation to social class at birth and adulthood, educational level and region of residence, and also with inter-generational social, educational and regional mobility/migration. The study used 5702 adults (2894 males and 2718 females) from the longitudinal British National Child Development Study (all children born in England, Scotland and Wales during the first week in March 1958 with follow-up throughout childhood and adulthood, most recently at 55 years of age). In both sexes BMI and waist circumference tended to increase from social classes I+II to IV+V and higher social class was associated with higher mean FEV1 and PEF. Better-educated adults tended to have lower BMI and waist circumference, and higher mean FEV1 and PEF. Women from Wales had the highest mean BMI and waist circumference but the lowest mean PEF, while women in Scotland had the highest mean systolic blood pressure and the lowest mean FEV1. For men only, FEV1 and PEF showed regional variation and the lowest mean FEV1 was in Wales and the lowest PEF in Yorkshire & Humberside. Inter-generational social mobility was not found to be associated with any of the biomarkers, while educational mobility was related only to FEV1 and PEF. In both sexes, in unadjusted regression analysis regional migrant cohort members tended to have a lower mean BMI than sedentes. Regional male migrants also tended to have a lower waist circumference and a higher FEV1 and PEF than sedentes.
Unpleasant sweet taste: a symptom of SIADH caused by lung cancer

A 56 year old woman with large cell lung carcinoma complained of an unpleasant sweet taste (dysgeusia). She developed hyponatraemia caused by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Dysgeusia disappeared when serum sodium normalised and recurred when hyponatraemia relapsed. Dysgeusia was the initial and only symptom of SIADH in this case.
Immune Deficiency and Cryptosporidiosis in Rats

This study was intended to establish whether there is any relation between immune deficiency and cryptosporidiosis by using an animal model. Forty Rattus norvegicus rats obtained from the Experimental Animal Laboratories of the Ege University Faculty of Medicine were divided into two groups. The first group (n = 20) received corticosteroids (dexamethasone, 1.5 mg, subcutaneously, twice weekly) for eight weeks for immunosuppression, while the control group (n = 20) received no treatment. Drinking water was supplemented with tetracycline (500 mg/L) to avoid secondary infections. The animals were kept in groups of five in separate cages under the same environment and conditions. All the rats were sacrificed following the last injection, and preparations were made from the intestinal materials. All preparations were stained with Kinyoun acid-fast, modified Kinyoun acid-fast and Auramine, and were examined under light microscope. There was no detectable change in appearance and movement in the control group. However, a significant alteration was observed in the group that received corticosteroids d (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.05). The results indicate that cryptosporidiosis and other opportunistic infections may represent a threat in immune deficiency situations.
Use of amniotic membrane as an adjuvant in refractory glaucoma.

PURPOSE To evaluate the results after amnion-shielded trabeculectomy with concomitant use of mitomycin C. METHODS The study comprised patients with severely refractory glaucomas who had previously undergone two or more regular trabeculectomies with mitomycin C and, in one case, cyclodestructive cryotherapy. The patients were admitted for surgery between May 2003 and May 2004. Trabeculectomy was performed through a limbus-based incision in nine eyes of nine patients. Cryopreserved human amniotic membranes obtained from our biobank were impregnated with 0.4 mg/ml mitomycin C and washed for 2 mins in balanced salt solution. One membrane was sutured to the scleral surface and partly positioned under the scleral flap, and another was secured to subconjunctival tissue. RESULTS The mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 32.2 mmHg (range 22-44 mmHg). After a follow-up of 6-18 months (mean 9.8 months), the mean IOP was 16.4 mmHg (range 11-26 mmHg). The mean number of glaucoma medications was reduced from 2.4 preoperatively to 1.4 postoperatively. There were no devastating complications. CONCLUSIONS Amnion-shielded trabeculectomy is a procedure that should be evaluated as an option in refractory glaucoma.
A molecular and serological study of Neospora caninum infection in pigeons from southwest Iran

________________________________________________________________________________________ BAhRAMI, S. , Z. BoRooMANd, A. R. AlBoRZI, M. NAMAvARI, S. B. MouSAvI: A molecular and serological study of Neospora caninum infection in pigeons from southwest Iran. vet. arhiv 86, 815-823, 2016. ABSTRACT neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite with worldwide distribution, mainly implicated as responsible for bovine abortion. There are indications that the presence of birds on cattle farms could be associated with the increase in seroprevalence and abortions related to n. caninum. The present study reports the serological (neospora agglutination test) and molecular (PCR) presence of n. caninum in pigeons. From the 102 samples analyzed, 31 samples (30.39%) were seropositive for n. caninum and the overall molecular prevalence of n. caninum in the brains of the same pigeons was 9.8% (10/102). This is the first report of detection of n. caninum in Iranian pigeons. The results indicate soil contamination due to n. caninum oocysts, because pigeons feed from the ground, and suggest that the meat from the pigeons may be an important source for infection of dogs. Key word: neospora caninum, Neospora agglutination test (NAT), PCR, pigeons, Iran ________________________________________________________________________________________
Comparison of Different Diagnostic Methods of Bacterial Vaginosis Amsels vs Neugent

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a polymicrobial syndrome characterized by replacement of vaginal lactobacilli with predominantly anaerobic micro-organisms such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus and Bacteroides spp. with concurrent decrease in lactobacilli, the dominant constituents in normal vaginal flora (Ling et al., 2009). It’s an extremely common health problem for women, occurring in 35% of women attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics, 15% to 20% of pregnant women, and 5% to 15% of women attending gynaecology clinics (Livengood, 2009). In addition to the troublesome symptoms often associated with a disruption in the balance of vaginal flora, BV is associated with adverse gynecological and pregnancy outcomes. Although BV is often asymptomatic, it still is the most common cause of vaginitis, and hence among the commonest reasons for women to seek International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 5 (2017) pp. 1442-1448 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Immunogenicity of pneumococcal revaccination in patients with chronic disease.

BACKGROUND To prevent serious pneumococcal infections, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for individuals over 24 months of age with chronic predisposing diseases and for healthy older adults. This nonrandomized controlled study in rural Alaska assessed the immunogenicity of revaccination in adults. METHODS Twenty-six adults, 33 to 88 years of age, vaccinated a mean of 7.4 years before this study, were matched to 26 previously unvaccinated subjects by age, number of chronic diseases, sex, and ethnicity. One or more chronic diseases were validated in 62% of subjects (32 of 52). All received a first or second intramuscular dose of pneumococcal vaccine. Antibody levels were determined by radioimmunoassay for 12 pneumococcal capsular serotypes immediately before and 20 to 84 days after vaccination. RESULTS Six to 9 years after primary vaccination, over one third of serotype-specific antibody levels were below 500 ng of antibody nitrogen per milliliter, equal to the percentage in unvaccinated subjects of similar age. Antibody levels against all pneumococcal serotypes rose to similar levels after primary vaccination and revaccination, and 54% and 55%, respectively, of subjects who received primary vaccination and revaccination had at least a 1.4-fold increase in antibody levels. Only the antibody level for serotype 4 remained low. Neither gender nor age affected peak response. For those with chronic diseases, there was a trend toward fewer low antibody levels against three or more serotypes after revaccination (two subjects [13%]) than after primary vaccination (five subjects [31%]). CONCLUSIONS Following the initial immunization of high-risk and elderly patients with pneumococcal polysaccharide, pneumococcal antibody levels appear to wane with time. Primary vaccination and revaccination 6 or more years after a first dose of pneumococcal vaccine stimulate comparable mean antibody levels.
Speech Perception in Congenitally Deaf Children Receiving Cochlear Implants in the First Year of Life

Objective: To investigate whether children implanted in the first year of life show higher levels of speech perception than later-implanted children, when compared at the same ages and to investigate the time course of sensitive periods for developing speech perception skills. More specifically, to determine whether faster gains in speech perception are made by children implanted before 1 year old relative to those implanted at 2 or 3 years. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary academic referral center. Patients: 117 children with congenital profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, with no additional identified disabilities. Intervention: Cochlear implantation in the first, second, or third year of life. Main Outcome Measure: Development curves showing Lexical Neighborhood Test (LNT) word identification scores as a function of age. Results: Children implanted within the first year of life have a mean advantage of 8.2% LNT-easy word scores over those implanted in the second year (p < 0.001) and a 16.8% advantage in LNT-easy word scores over those implanted in the third year of life (p < 0.001). These advantages remained statistically significant after accounting for sex, residual hearing, and bilateral cochlear implant use. When speech perception scores were expressed as a function of "hearing age" rather than chronological age, however, there were no significant differences among the 3 groups. Conclusion: There is a clear speech perception advantage for earlier-implanted children over later-implanted children when compared at the same age but not when compared at the same time after implantation. Thus, the sensitive period for developing word identification seems to extend at least until age 3 years.
Identification of domains involved in nuclear uptake and histone binding of protein N1 of Xenopus laevis.

The karyophilic protein N1 (590 amino acids) is an abundant soluble protein of the nuclei of Xenopus laevis oocytes where it forms defined complexes with histones H3 and H4. The amino acid sequence of this protein, as deduced from the cDNA, reveals a putative nuclear targeting signal as well as two acidic domains which are candidates for the interaction with histones. Using two different histone binding assays in vitro we have found that the deletion of the larger acidic domain reduces histone binding drastically to a residual value of approximately 15% of the complete molecule, whereas removal of the smaller acidic domain only slightly reduces histone complex formation in solution, but infers more effectively with binding to immobilized histones. In the primary structure of the protein both histone‐binding domains are distant from the conspicuous nuclear accumulation signal sequence (residues 531‐537) close to the carboxy terminus which is very similar to the SV40 large T‐antigen nuclear targeting sequence. Using a series of N1 mutants altered by deletions or point mutations we show that this signal is required but not sufficient for nuclear accumulation of protein N1. The presence of an additional, more distantly related signal sequence in position 544‐554 is also needed to achieve a level of nuclear uptake equivalent to that of the wild‐type protein. Results obtained with point mutations support the concept of two nuclear targeting sequences and emphasize the importance of specific lysine and arginine residues in these signal sequences.
The preproghrelin gene is required for the normal integration of thermoregulation and sleep in mice

Peptidergic mechanisms controlling feeding, metabolism, thermoregulation, and sleep overlap in the hypothalamus. Low ambient temperatures and food restriction induce hypothermic (torpor) bouts and characteristic metabolic and sleep changes in mice. We report that mice lacking the preproghrelin gene, but not those lacking the ghrelin receptor, have impaired abilities to manifest and integrate normal sleep and thermoregulatory responses to metabolic challenges. In response to fasting at 17 °C (a subthermoneutral ambient temperature), preproghrelin knockout mice enter hypothermic bouts associated with reduced sleep, culminating in a marked drop in body temperature to near-ambient levels. Prior treatment with obestatin, another preproghrelin gene product, attenuates the hypothermic response of preproghrelin knockout mice. Results suggest that obestatin is a component in the coordinated regulation of metabolism and sleep during torpor.
Büyüme ve İhracat Arasındaki Nedensellik İlişkisi: Türkiye Örneği

Bu calisma Turkiye’de 1990 yilinin ilk ceyreginden 2004 yilinin ilk ceyregi arasindaki donemde ihracat ve buyume arasindaki nedensellik iliskisini arastirmaktadir. Nedensellik iliskisinin tahmin edilmesinde vektor hata duzeltme modeli ve koentegrasyon analizinden yararlanilmistir. Birim kok testleri her serinin seviye degerlerinde duragan olmadigini, serilerin birinci farklarinda ise duraganligin saglandigini gostermektedir. Koentegrasyon testi sonuclari ihracat, ithalat ve buyume arasinda uzun donem denge iliskisinin mevcut oldugunu ve tek bir koentegrasyon vektoru oldugunu gostermektedir. Seriler koentegre olduklarindan nedensellik testinin yapilmasi icin vektor hata duzeltme modeli kullanilmistir. Ampirik sonuclar ihracat ve buyume arasinda tek yonlu bir iliskinin bulundugunu ve bu tek yonlu iliskinin ihracattan buyumeye dogru oldugunu gostermektedir. Ayrica koentegrasyon denklemi uzun donemde ihracatin buyumeyi artirdigini gostermektedir. Bu sonuc ihracatin artirilmasina yonelik politikalarin Turkiye’de buyumeyi artirdigini gostermektedir.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus G-Pseudotyped Lentivirus Vectors Mediate Efficient Apical Transduction of Polarized Quiescent Primary Alveolar Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT We investigated the use of lentivirus vectors for gene transfer to quiescent alveolar epithelial cells. Primary rat alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) grown on plastic or as polarized monolayers on tissue culture-treated polycarbonate semipermeable supports were transduced with a replication-defective human immunodeficiency virus-based lentivirus vector pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) protein and encoding an enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter gene. Transduction efficiency, evaluated by confocal microscopy and quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, was dependent on the dose of vector, ranging from 4% at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 to 99% at an MOI of 50 for AEC grown on plastic. At a comparable titer and MOI, transduction of these cells by a similarly pseudotyped murine leukemia virus vector was ∼30-fold less than by the lentivirus vector. Importantly, comparison of lentivirus-mediated gene transfer from the apical or basolateral surface of confluent AEC monolayers (Rt > 2 kΩ · cm2; MOI = 10) revealed efficient transduction only when VSV-G-pseudotyped lentivirus was applied apically. Furthermore, treatment with EGTA to increase access to the basolateral surface did not increase transduction of apically applied virus, indicating that transduction was primarily via the apical membrane domain. In contrast, differentiated tracheal epithelial cells were transduced by apically applied lentivirus only in the presence of EGTA and at a much lower overall efficiency (∼15-fold) than was observed for AEC. Efficient transduction of AEC from the apical cell surface supports the feasibility of using VSV-G-pseudotyped lentivirus vectors for gene transfer to the alveolar epithelium and suggests that differences exist between upper and lower airways in the polarity of available receptors for the VSV-G protein.