Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic Sensitivity and Plasmid Profiles of Escherichia coli Isolated from Pediatric Diarrhea

Background: The emergence of drug resistance among diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the pediatric population is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Material and Methods: Isolation and identification of E. coli strains from stool specimens are carried out according to standard techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using disc-diffusion method. Plasmid profiling and conjugation experiments were done to analyze the antibiotic resistance transfer from one bacterium cell to another through plasmid. Results: Out of 170 pediatric diarrheal samples, 105 (61.76%) E. coli strains were isolated. About 90% of E. coli strains were resistant to most of the antimicrobial agents tested. All the isolates were resistant to ampicillin, imipenem and cotrimoxazole and were sensitive to amikacin. The resistance to antibiotics shows 29 different antibiotic resistance patterns. About 67 (64%) strains of E. coli isolates harbored plasmids, and 51 (76.1%) of them were able to transfer their plasmids. The plasmid sizes ranged from 1.0 to 25 kb, the most common plasmid of size 4.8 kb being detected in all the plasmid-harbored E. coli strains. The results of transconjugation show that all the transconjugant colonies were carrying 4.8-kb plasmid and were resistant to ampicillin, imipenem and cotrimoxazole. Conclusion: There is an increase in the prevalence of drug resistance among E. coli isolates, and conjugal transfer of plasmids has greatly contributed to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance among E. coli isolates.
Correlation of clinical and endoscopic indices in IBD patients in University Clinical Hospital Mostar.

BACKGROUND To explore correlation between clinical and endoscopic indices in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS There were 112 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. All patients with diagnosed IBD was established a degree of clinical and endoscopic disease activity. CDAI (Crohn's disease activity index) was used as clinical and SES-CD (Simplified Endoscopic Crohn Disease Index) as endoscopic index for Crohn's disease. For ulcerative colitis Truelov & Witts index was used as clinical and Baron as endoscopic activity index. Correlation of clinical and endoscopic indices were compared in Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Patients were analyzed by clinical entities - CD and UC, according to sex, age, parameters of anemia, duration of disease and education. RESULTS In the total of 112 IBD patients there were 69 patients diagnosed as ulcerative colitis (61.6%) and 43 as Crohn's disease (38.4%). There were 58 (51.8%) women and 54 (48.2%) men. Comparison between endoscopic and clinical indices in CD and UC demonstrated no significant differences in ilnness activity. Endoscopic and clinical disease activity was associated with a higher inflammatory parameters (CRP and leucocytes, L) and lower parameters of hemoglobin (Hb) and MCV. CONCLUSION Our research has established a good correlation between clinical and endoscopic index of disease activity in the CB and UC in inflammation. Clinical indices can be used for monitoring inflammation.
Daily genetic profiling indicates JAK/STAT signaling promotes early hepatic stellate cell transdifferentiation.

AIM To identify signaling pathways and genes that initiate and commit hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to transdifferentiation. METHODS Primary HSCs were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats and cultured on plastic for 0-10 d. Gene expression was assessed daily (quiescent to day 10 culture-activation) by real time polymerase chain reaction and data clustered using AMADA software. The significance of JAK/STAT signaling to HSC transdifferentiation was determined by treating cells with a JAK2 inhibitor. RESULTS Genetic cluster analyses, based on expression of these 21 genes, showed similar expression profiles on days 1-3, days 5 and 6, and days 7-10, while freshly isolated cells (day Q) and day 4 cells were genotypically distinct from any of the other days. Additionally, gene expression clustering revealed strong upregulation of interleukin-6, JAK2 and STAT3 mRNA in the early stages of activation. Inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway impeded the morphological transdifferentiation of HSCs which correlated with decreased mRNA expression of several profibrotic genes including collagens, α-SMA, PDGFR and TGFβR. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate unique clustered genetic profiles during the daily progression of HSC transdifferentiation and that JAK/STAT signaling may be critical in the early stages of transdifferentiation.
HOW IS THE FUSIFORM GYRUS RELATED TO CATEGORY-SPECIFICITY?

There is growing evidence from functional imaging studies that distinct regions in the fusiform gyri are differentially sensitive to object category. In this paper, we investigate how the areas that are more sensitive to animals than tools respond to other visual and semantic variables. We illustrate that (1) category effects in the fusiform areas are stronger for pictures of objects than their written names; (2) retrieving information on the colour or size of objects activates a left lateralised fusiform area that lies anterior to the category-sensitive areas; and (3) both left and right category-sensitive areas respond strongly to visual feature detection on false fonts—meaningless visual stimuli with no semantic associations. These results dissociate the responses in two fusiform areas: The posterior category-sensitive areas are primarily modulated by visual input, whereas a more anterior polymodal region is involved in the retrieval of visual information. In addition, we demonstrate that the posterior areas which are more active for animals than tools are also more active for fruits than tools. Our data are therefore consistent with the proposal that activation in the lateral posterior fusiform gyri reflects the demands on structural differentiation. Since animals and fruits tend to have more structurally similar neighbours than man-made kinds of objects, category effects are likely to be observed during most picture identification tasks. In contrast, when the stimuli are written or auditory names, category effects may only be observed when the task requires access to fine spatial details in the objects' structures.
Screening for Autism in Mexico

In order to conduct the screening phase of the first epidemiological survey of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in Mexico, we needed a screening tool to detect autistic symptomatology in a large sample of school‐age children. We used the Spanish version of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). We recruited a clinical sample of 200 children (81% males; mean age: 7.4 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of ASDs and a sample of 363 control children (59.5% males; mean age: 8.5 years) without ASDs. Three‐way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) identified a main effect of clinical status (ASDs vs. controls) for both parent and teacher scales, but no gender or age effect. The mean total and subscale raw scores were significantly different between the clinical and control groups for the parent and for the teacher SRS (P < 0.001). The internal consistency of the SRS was excellent. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses showed excellent discriminant validity of the SRS in the Mexican sample (area under the curve: 0.962 for the parent, 0.960 for the teacher). ROC curves were also used to determine which cutoff would provide the best trade‐off between sensitivity and specificity. Mexican SRS scores were significantly higher than in the U.S. and German population for typically developing children but comparable for clinically referred subjects. The SRS is an acceptable screening instrument for epidemiological studies of ASDs in Mexico. Its psychometric properties are excellent and comparable to those derived from North American and other samples. Autism Res 2012, 5: 180–189. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Heat-Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) Expression in Four Limpets of the Genus Lottia: Interspecific Variation in Constitutive and Inducible Synthesis Correlates With in situ Exposure to Heat Stress

Limpets of the genus Lottia occupy a broad vertical distribution on wave-exposed rocky shores, a range that encompasses gradients in the frequency and severity of thermal and desiccation stress brought on by aerial emersion. Using western blot analysis of levels of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70), we examined the heat-shock responses of four Lottia congeners: Lottia scabra and L. austrodigitalis, which occur in the high-intertidal zone, and L. pelta and L. scutum, which are restricted to the low- and mid-intertidal zones. Our results suggest distinct strategies of Hsp70 expression in limpets occupying different heights and orientations in the rocky intertidal zone. In freshly field-collected animals and in specimens acclimated at ambient temperature (≈14 °C) for 14 days, the two high-intertidal species had higher constitutive levels of Hsp70 than the low- and mid-intertidal species. During aerial exposure to high temperatures, the two low-shore species and L. austrodigitalis exhibited an onset of Hsp70 expression at 28 °C; no induction of Hsp70 occurred in L. scabra. Our findings suggest that high-intertidal congeners of Lottia employ a “preparative defense” strategy involving maintenance of high constitutive levels of Hsp70 in their cells as a mechanism for protection against periods of extreme and unpredictable heat stress.
Increased Neutrophil Gelatinase–Associated Lipocalin is Associated with Mortality and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

ABSTRACT Background: This study examines the clinical utility of increased neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL) as an indicator of mortality and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in severe sepsis and septic shock. Methods: We designed a prospective cohort study in an intensive care unit, and 123 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock were included. Data were used to determine a relationship between NGAL and the development of MODS and mortality. These associations were determined by the Mann-Whitney U test, log-rank test, Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, and plotting the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Patients with high NGAL (75th percentile) had increased risk of mortality and MODS compared with patients with low NGAL (log-rank test, P < 0.05). There were 39 patients (32%) with mortality during follow-up at 12 months, 10 patients (8%) with MODS on day 1, and 37 patients (30%) on day 7. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that high NGAL could predict mortality (0.6385) during intensive care unit stay. After adjustment for confounding risk factors chosen by backward elimination by Cox regression analysis, high NGAL remained an independent predictor of mortality and MODS (hazard ratios, 2.128 [95% confidence interval, 1.078–4.203; P = 0.030] and 1.896 [95% confidence interval, 1.012–3.552; P = 0.046], respectively). Conclusions: High plasma NGAL independently predicts mortality and MODS in severe sepsis and septic shock.
High-oleic peanuts increase diet-induced thermogenesis in overweight and obese men.

BACKGROUND Evidences suggest that nuts consumption can improve energy metabolism. PURPOSE This study aimed to compare the effects of acute ingestion of high-oleic and conventional peanuts on appetite, food intake, and energy metabolism in overweight and obese men. METHODS Seventy one subjects (29.8 ± 2.4 kg/m2) were assigned to the groups: control (CT, n = 24); conventional peanuts (CVP, n = 23); high-oleic peanuts (HOP, n = 24). Subjects consumed 56 g of peanuts (CVP and HOP) or control biscuits (CT) after overnight fasting. Thereafter, energy metabolism was evaluated over 200 minutes, during which diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and substrate oxidation were analyzed. Appetite sensation was recorded for 3 hours. Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS software considering 5% as the significance level. RESULTS Postprandial energy expenditure and DIT were significantly higher in HOP than in CVP. Substrate oxidation did not differ between groups. Only HOP presented score below 100 indicating incomplete compensation. CT and CVP showed a complete caloric compensation (scores > 100). Regarding appetite sensation, CVP group felt less "full" than HOP and CT. After 3 hours, satiety score of CVP returned to baseline, whereas HOP and CT remained significantly higher. Hunger scores returned to baseline in CVP and CT and they were maintained significantly lowered in HOP. CONCLUSION High-oleic peanuts contributed to higher DIT, higher sensation of fullness and incomplete compensation for energy intake compared to conventional peanuts and may be useful to dietary intervention to reduce body weight.
The DCC protein and prognosis in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND Allelic loss of chromosome 18q predicts a poor outcome in patients with stage II colorectal cancer. Although the specific gene inactivated by this allelic loss has not been elucidated, the DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) gene is a candidate. We investigated whether the expression of the DCC protein in tumor cells is a prognostic marker in colorectal carcinoma. METHODS The expression of DCC was evaluated immunohistochemically in 132 paraffin-embedded samples from patients with curatively resected stage II and III colorectal carcinomas. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to adjust for covariates including age, sex, tumor site, degree of tumor differentiation, and use of adjuvant therapy. RESULTS The expression of DCC was a strong positive predictive factor for survival in both stage II and stage III colorectal carcinomas. In patients with stage II disease whose tumors expressed DCC, the five-year survival rate was 94.3 percent, whereas in patients with DCC-negative tumors, the survival rate was 61.6 percent (P<0.001). In patients with stage III disease, the respective survival rates were 59.3 percent and 33.2 percent (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS DCC is a prognostic marker in patients with stage II or stage III colorectal cancer. In stage II colorectal carcinomas, the absence of DCC identifies a subgroup of patients with lesions that behave like stage III cancers. These findings may thus have therapeutic implications in this group of patients.
Enantiotopic differentiation in horse-liver alcohol-dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidoreduction studied with novel substrates having organometallic moieties.

Horse-liver alcohol-dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidation of 1,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)ferrocene (1) gave (1R)-(+)-1-formyl-2-hydroxymethylferrocene (3) (86 +/- 2% enantiomeric excess, e.e.), while the reduction of the corresponding dialdehyde 1,2-diformylferrocene (2) gave the antipode (1S)-(-)-3 (94 +/- 2% e.e.). This fact indicates that the pro-R group in both 1 and 2 was preferentially converted by the enzyme. When one of two substituents on the substrate was replaced by a methyl group or moved to the beta-site, the stereoselectivity in the reaction decreased as evidenced by the enantiomeric purity of the products (5-64% e.e.). Treatment of racemic 1-hydroxyethylferrocene (14) with horse-liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) gave optically pure (R)-(-)-14 together with acetylferrocene. The reduction of 2 with HLADH, NAD and (2H6)ethanol gave (-)-(1S,2R)-1-formyl-2-[(R)-hydroxy(2H1)methyl]ferrocene and that of 1,2-di[(2H)formyl]ferrocene with HLADH, NAD and ethanol gave (-)-(1S,2R)-1-(2H)formyl-2-[(S)-hydroxy(2H1)methyl]ferrocene. These configurations indicate that the enzymic reduction occurred on the re-face of pro-R formyl group. The re-face selectivity was also found in the enzymic reduction of (eta 6-benzaldehyde)tricarbonylchromium and its (2H)formyl analogue. Docking of 2 into the active site of HLADH was examined using computer graphics. It has been suggested that the enantioselectivity to the pro-R side in the oxidoreduction of 1 and 2 by HLADH is a natural consequence of the re-face selectivity, which is caused by a steric interaction between the ligand and the side chain of Phe-93 or the Zn complex and strengthened by an interaction between the unreactive polar alpha-substituent and the protein, probably by hydrogen bond formation.
Trends in the Prevalence of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 3 in the District of Florence, Italy

Aims and background The objective of this study was to investigate the detection rate of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III (CIN 3) in previously unscreened women, in order to reveal trends over time in the prevalence of CIN 3 in the District of Florence, where a population-based screening for cervical cancer has been going on since 1973. Study design We considered the women, recorded in the computerized archives of CSPO, who had had no pap test for at least 10 years. Trends of CIN 3 (histologically proven) were analyzed within age groups; the effect of age, cohort and period were considered by means of a Poisson regression model. Results A total of 648 cases of histologically proven CIN 3 were detected in the study period. The detection rates of CIN 3 increased steadly within age groups over birth cohort and calendar period simultaneously. The Poisson regression analysis showed that only the model with age + time trend was statistically significant. Conclusions Although several biases should be taken into account, the analysis seemed to indicate a real increase in CIN 3 prevalence. An increase in frequency of precancerous lesions for cervical cancer in more recent birth cohorts supports the need to keep screening coverage and efficiency as high as possible.
Temperature and Substrate Effects in Monolithic RF Inductors on Silicon With 6-$muhboxm$-Thick Top Metal for RFIC Applications

Comprehensive analyses of the effects of temperature (from -50degC to 200 degC), silicon substrate thickness, and proton implantation postprocess on the performances of a set of planar spiral inductors with 6-mum-thick top metal are demonstrated. Quality-factor (Q-factor) and power gain (GA) decrease with increasing temperatures but show a reverse behavior within a higher frequency range. Stability-factor (K-factor) and noise figure (NF) increase with increasing temperatures but show a reverse behavior within a higher frequency range. The reverse frequencies fR, which correspond to the zero temperature coefficient of GA, K-factor, and NF, are almost the same. In addition, both the silicon substrate thinning and proton implantation are verified to be effective in improving the Q-factor and NF performances of inductors on silicon. The present analyses enable RF engineers to understand more deeply the Q-factor and NF behavior of inductors fabricated on a thin silicon substrate (20 mum) and hence are helpful for them to design high-performance fully on-chip low-noise-amplifiers and other RF integrated circuits
A spatial probit model for fine‐scale mapping of disease genes

We present a novel statistical method for linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping of disease susceptibility loci in case‐control studies. Such studies exploit the statistical correlation or LD that exist between variants physically close along the genome to identify those that correlate with disease status and might thus be close to a causative mutation, generally assumed unobserved. LD structure, however, varies markedly over short distances because of variation in local recombination rates, mutation and genetic drift among other factors. We propose a Bayesian multivariate probit model that flexibly accounts for the local spatial correlation between markers. In a case‐control setting, we use a retrospective model that properly reflects the sampling scheme and identify regions where single‐ or multi‐locus marker frequencies differ across cases and controls. We formally quantify these differences using information‐theoretic distance measures while the fully Bayesian approach naturally accommodates unphased or missing genotype data. We demonstrate our approach on simulated data and on real data from the CYP2D6 region that has a confirmed role in drug metabolism. Genet. Epidemiol. 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantitative imaging test approval and biomarker qualification: interrelated but distinct activities.

UNLABELLED Quantitative imaging biomarkers could speed the development of new treatments for unmet medical needs and improve routine clinical care. However, it is not clear how the various regulatory and nonregulatory (eg, reimbursement) processes (often referred to as pathways) relate, nor is it clear which data need to be collected to support these different pathways most efficiently, given the time- and cost-intensive nature of doing so. The purpose of this article is to describe current thinking regarding these pathways emerging from diverse stakeholders interested and active in the definition, validation, and qualification of quantitative imaging biomarkers and to propose processes to facilitate the development and use of quantitative imaging biomarkers. A flexible framework is described that may be adapted for each imaging application, providing mechanisms that can be used to develop, assess, and evaluate relevant biomarkers. From this framework, processes can be mapped that would be applicable to both imaging product development and to quantitative imaging biomarker development aimed at increasing the effectiveness and availability of quantitative imaging. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.10100800/-/DC1.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in arterial baroreceptor pathways: implications for activity‐dependent plasticity at baroafferent synapses

Functional characteristics of the arterial baroreceptor reflex change throughout ontogenesis, including perinatal adjustments of the reflex gain and adult resetting during hypertension. However, the cellular mechanisms that underlie these functional changes are not completely understood. Here, we provide evidence that brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin with a well‐established role in activity‐dependent neuronal plasticity, is abundantly expressed in vivo by a large subset of developing and adult rat baroreceptor afferents. Immunoreactivity to BDNF is present in the cell bodies of baroafferent neurons in the nodose ganglion, their central projections in the solitary tract, and terminal‐like structures in the lower brainstem nucleus tractus solitarius. Using ELISA in situ combined with electrical field stimulation, we show that native BDNF is released from cultured newborn nodose ganglion neurons in response to patterns that mimic the in vivo activity of baroreceptor afferents. In particular, high‐frequency bursting patterns of baroreceptor firing, which are known to evoke plastic changes at baroreceptor synapses, are significantly more effective at releasing BDNF than tonic patterns of the same average frequency. Together, our study indicates that BDNF expressed by first‐order baroreceptor neurons is a likely mediator of both developmental and post‐developmental modifications at first‐order synapses in arterial baroreceptor pathways.