Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances in the analysis of mycotoxins and its quality assurance

This article covers the latest activities in mycotoxin analysis and the advances of its respective quality assurance. The majority of mycotoxin analyses carried out in the laboratories is still based on physicochemical methods, which are continually improved. For example, immunoaffinity columns and multifunctional clean–up columns have become of increasing importance and in some areas of mycotoxin analysis they have more or less displaced conventional liquid–liquid partitioning or column chromatography during clean–up. The need for rapid yes/no decisions on the other hand has led to a number of new screening methods. In particular, rapid and easy–to–use test kits based on immunoanalytical principles or the generation of artificial macromolecular receptors employed in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have made good progress. Further research in mycotoxin analysis is pursued in the field of biosensors and also the potential of infrared spectroscopic techniques as screening method has been demonstrated. In the area of multi mycotoxin analysis the most promising development was observed in mass spectrometry. At the same time, several interlaboratory studies in the field of mycotoxin analysis revealed problems proven by high between laboratory standard deviation and non–traceable results. This not only shows the necessity of reliable methods and well defined performance characteristics but also the need for appropriate calibrants of defined concentration and stated purity. A certified zearalenone (ZON) calibrant is already available and a certified calibrant containing various trichothecenes is currently under development. (Certified) reference materials are available for aflatoxins in a number of commodities, ochratoxin A (OTA) in wheat, deoxynivalenol (DON) in maize and wheat, and ZON in maize. With these measures important steps towards traceability of results in mycotoxin analysis have been achieved.
Administration of amphotericin B in lipid emulsion decreases nephrotoxicity: results of a prospective, randomized, controlled study in critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the differences in efficacy and in clinical and biochemical tolerance to amphotericin B administered in a lipid emulsion compared with amphotericin B administered in 5% dextrose in water in the treatment of Candida albicans infection in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN Prospective, controlled, randomized study, conducted during a 2.5-yr period, comparing the two treatment protocols. SETTING General ICU of a university-affiliated municipal hospital. PATIENTS Sixty consecutive critically ill patients with confirmed or suspected Candida infection. INTERVENTIONS Patients received amphotericin B (1 mg/kg/24 hrs), administered randomly in 5% dextrose in water (group A), or in lipid emulsion (20% intralipid) (group B). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Clinical tolerance (fever, chills, hemodynamics), hepatorenal tolerance, and biological tolerance (serum electrolytes and coagulation profile) were evaluated. Patients receiving amphotericin B in lipid emulsion experienced a lower frequency rate of drug-associated fever (61.4% vs. 5.8%, p < .003) rigors (54% vs. 8.5%, p < .004), hypotension (17% vs. 0%), and nephrotoxicity (increase of serum creatinine concentration 66.7% vs. 20%, p < .0002). Significant (264,500 +/- 71,460 to 163,570 +/- 34,450 mm3, p < .01) thrombocytopenia, not associated with active bleeding, occurred in patients receiving amphotericin B lipid in emulsion but not in patients receiving the drug in dextrose. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with amphotericin B in a lipid emulsion when given to critically ill patients with Candida sepsis seems to be safer and as effective as the conventional mode of administration.
The Herpes Simplex Virus 1 IgG Fc Receptor Blocks Antibody-Mediated Complement Activation and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity In Vivo

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein E (gE) mediates cell-to-cell spread and functions as an IgG Fc receptor (FcγR) that blocks the Fc domain of antibody targeting the virus or infected cell. Efforts to assess the functions of the HSV-1 FcγR in vivo have been hampered by difficulties in preparing an FcγR-negative strain that is relatively intact for spread. Here we report the FcγR and spread phenotypes of NS-gE264, which is a mutant strain that has four amino acids inserted after gE residue 264. The virus is defective in IgG Fc binding yet causes zosteriform disease in the mouse flank model that is only minimally reduced compared with wild-type and the rescue strains. The presence of zosteriform disease suggests that NS-gE264 spread functions are well maintained. The HSV-1 FcγR binds the Fc domain of human, but not murine IgG; therefore, to assess FcγR functions in vivo, mice were passively immunized with human IgG antibody to HSV. When antibody was inoculated intraperitoneally 20 h prior to infection or shortly after virus reached the dorsal root ganglia, disease severity was significantly reduced in mice infected with NS-gE264, but not in mice infected with wild-type or rescue virus. Studies of C3 knockout mice and natural killer cell-depleted mice demonstrated that the HSV-1 FcγR blocked both IgG Fc-mediated complement activation and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Therefore, the HSV-1 FcγR promotes immune evasion from IgG Fc-mediated activities and likely contributes to virulence at times when antibody is present, such as during recurrent infections.
Four human Plasmodium species quantification using droplet digital PCR

Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a partial PCR based on water-oil emulsion droplet technology. It is a highly sensitive method for detecting and delineating minor alleles from complex backgrounds and provides absolute quantification of DNA targets. The ddPCR technology has been applied for detection of many pathogens. Here the sensitive assay utilizing ddPCR for detection and quantification of Plasmodium species was investigated. The assay was developed for two levels of detection, genus specific for all Plasmodium species and for specific Plasmodium species detection. The ddPCR assay was developed based on primers and probes specific to the Plasmodium genus 18S rRNA gene. Using ddPCR for ultra-sensitive P. falciparum assessment, the lower level of detection from concentrated DNA obtained from a high volume (1 mL) blood sample was 11 parasites/mL. For species identification, in particular for samples with mixed infections, a duplex reaction was developed for detection and quantification P. falciparum/ P. vivax and P. malariae/ P. ovale. Amplification of each Plasmodium species in the duplex reaction showed equal sensitivity to singleplex single species detection. The duplex ddPCR assay had higher sensitivity to identify minor species in 32 subpatent parasitaemia samples from Cambodia, and performed better than real-time PCR. The ddPCR assay shows high sensitivity to assess very low parasitaemia of all human Plasmodium species. This provides a useful research tool for studying the role of the asymptomatic parasite reservoir for transmission in regions aiming for malaria elimination.
Quantitative Ultrasound Does Not Reflect Mechanically Induced Damage in Human Cancellous Bone

This study investigated the ability of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) to detect reductions in the elastic modulus of cancellous bone caused by mechanical damage. Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation were measured using an in‐house parametric imaging system in 46 cancellous bone cores from the human calcaneus. Each core was subjected to a mechanical testing regime to (a) determine the predamage elastic modulus, (b) induce damage by applying specified strains in excess of the yield strain, and (c) measure the postdamage elastic modulus. The specimens were divided into four groups: a control group subjected to a nominally nondestructive 0.7% maximum strain (ϵm) and three damage groups subjected to increasing strain levels (ϵm = 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5%). QUS measurements before and after the mechanical testing showed no significant differences between the control group and damage groups, despite highly significant (p < 0.001) reductions in the elastic modulus of up to 72%. These results indicate that current QUS techniques do not intrinsically reflect the elastic properties of cancellous bone. This is consistent with ultrasonic properties being determined by other factors (apparent density and/or architecture), which normally are associated strongly with elastic properties, but only when bone is mechanically intact. Clinically, this implies that ultrasound cannot be expected to detect bone fragility in the absence of major changes in bone density and/or trabecular architecture.
Radiographic Evaluation of Penetration by the Femoral Head into the Polyethylene Liner over Time*

We examined the pattern of temporal penetration by thirty-two-millimeter-diameter femoral heads into polyethylene liners in a group of 105 hips (103 patients) in which an Arthropor metal-backed cup had been implanted. Each patient was evaluated radiographically and clinically at a minimum of four different postoperative intervals. The initial evaluation was performed a mean of 2.9 weeks (range, one to fifteen weeks) postoperatively, and the latest evaluation was performed a mean of 7.9 years (range, five to ten years) postoperatively. Two-dimensional wear—that is, penetration by the femoral head into the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene liner—was determined from anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis with a computer analysis system that calculated the change in the position of the center of the head relative to the center of the cup. Three new findings are reported. First, there was a large difference (mean, 1.1 millimeters) between the center of the head and that of the cup as measured on the initial postoperative radiographs. This difference underscores the need for researchers to consider the initial displacement of the head when measuring and reporting polyethylene wear. Second, although there was wide variation in responses among individuals, temporal examination of the data revealed a trend toward a decreasing rate of penetration with time. Moreover, the rate of penetration appeared to reach a steady-state value after the sixth postoperative year and remained nearly constant until the ninth postoperative year. Third, by comparing the subsets of patients who had the greatest and the least initial penetration by the head, we found that penetration behavior, although remarkably different between the groups in the first three years postoperatively, became similar with time. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When making decisions regarding individual patients or hip systems that demonstrate penetration by the femoral head into the polyethylene liner, clinicians should consider the patterns of penetration over time. Measurements of the amount and rate of penetration that are based solely on the most recent radiograph do not represent the full clinical picture. We advocate more frequent radiographic follow-up and, when available, analysis of serial radiographs for patients who have excessive penetration by the femoral head into the acetabular liner.
Therapeutic evaluation of interleukin 1-beta antagonist Anakinra against traumatic brain injury in rats.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of Anakinra, an IL-1ß antagonist with anti-inflammatory effects, in an experimental model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS Fifty-four rats underwent TBI after a weighted object was dropped onto a metal disc secured to their skulls. Animals were randomized into 3 main groups: control (n=18), TBI + saline (n=18; six animals per time-point) with samples obtained at the first, sixth and twenty-fourth h postoperatively, and TBI + Anakinra (n=18; six animals per time-point) with brain samples obtained at the first, sixth and twenty-fourth h postoperatively. Brain tissue and blood serum were extracted for the analysis of IL-1ß, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels. Tissue sections were evaluated histopathologically under a light microscope. RESULTS After trauma, tissue and serum IL-1ß levels were significantly elevated and after Anakinra administration, these levels substantially decreased. Glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity decreased following TBI and Anakinra administration proved effective in increasing the activity of these antioxidant enzymes. Histopathological analysis confirmed that Anakinra might protect the brain tissue and nerve cells from injury. CONCLUSION Results demonstrate that Anakinra reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury events associated with TBI.
The lipid transport system in the mouse, Mus musculus: isolation and characterization of apolipoproteins B, A-I, A-II, and C-III.

Four of the principle apolipoproteins of murine serum have been isolated and characterized. On the basis of their physicochemical properties, they are homologous with the human and rat apoA-I, A-II, B, and C-III. The group of apolipoproteins of middle to low molecular weight, i.e., A-I, A-II and C-III, were separated from the protein moiety of high density lipoproteins (HDL) by gel filtration chromatography, followed by electrophoresis in alkaline-urea polyacrylamide gel with electrophoretic elution. Murine apoA-I, the major protein of HDL (60-80%) displayed an Mr of approximately 27,000, and was polymorphic (four prominent isoproteins with isoelectric points in the range of pH 5.5-5.7). The amino acid profiles of mouse, rat, and human apoA-I generally resembled each other, the former being distinguished by a content of one isoleucine residue per mole. Amino terminal sequence analysis revealed marked homology between the mouse, rat, dog, and human proteins; mouse and rat apoA-I differed at residues 9 and 18 with potential dissimilarities at residues 5 and 15, while the murine and canine sequences were distinct at residues 6, 9, 13, 15, and 30. Apolipoprotein A-II was a monomer, exhibiting an Mr approximately 11,000 in SDS gels; in addition, it was polymorphic (three apparent isoproteins with pI in the pH range 5.05-5.2), and resembled its human and rat counterparts in amino acid composition. ApoC-III, an acidic peptide of pI 4.74 and of Mr approximately 9,600, possessed an amino acid composition very like that of the homologous human and rat proteins. The homology of mouse apoC-III with the human protein was confirmed by NH2-terminal sequence analysis, which revealed identical amino acids in six positions (1, 2, 4, 8, 9, and 13). As shown earlier (Camus et al. 1983. J. Lipid Res. 24: 1210-1228), two forms of immunologically reacting apoB predominated in mouse VLDL and LDL. After isolation of these lipoproteins in the presence of 1 mM PMSF, the apparent sizes of the high and low Mr forms, apoBH and apoBL, were in the ranges approximately 400,000-530,000 and approximately 250,000-280,000, respectively, according to the SDS gel system. We observed that inclusion of 1 mM PMSF was essential to retard degradation of the high Mr form apoBH. The murine B proteins were isolated from apoVLDL and apoLDL by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G150 in anionic detergent, and displayed apparent Mr values of 460,000 (apoBH) and 250,000 (apoBL) in 3% SDS gels. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Automated method for extracting “citation sentences” from online biomedical articles using SVM-based text summarization technique

Comment-on (CON), a MEDLINE citation field, indicates previously published articles commented on by authors of a given article expressing possibly complimentary or contradictory opinions. Our idea of identifying the CON list for a given article is to first extract all “citation sentences” from the body text, and then to recognize the sentences (“CON sentences”) among these that mention CON articles and to analyze the corresponding bibliographic data in the reference section. As a preprocessing step for identifying the CON list, this paper presents a general method for extracting “citation sentences” in the body text of online biomedical articles using a support vector machine (SVM)-based text summarization technique. Input feature vectors for the SVM are created by combining four types of features: 1) word statistics representing how differently a word occurs in “citation sentences” compared to other sentences, and the existence of 2) author names, 3) publication years, and 4) citation tags in a sentence. A rule-based post-processing step is also introduced to further reduce false negative errors in detecting “citation sentences”. Experiments on a set of online biomedical articles show that a SVM with a RBF achieves good performance overall in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure rates. Our experiments also show that errors in extracting “citation sentences” cause a minor degradation of performance in identifying CON sentences, but can be improved through the proposed rule-based post-processing.
Structural tuning and plasticity of the axon initial segment in auditory neurons

Abstract The axon initial segment (AIS) that separates axonal and somato‐dendritic compartments is a highly specialised neuronal structure enriched with voltage‐gated Na+ channels and functions as the site of spike initiation in neurons. The AIS was once thought to be uniform and static in structure, but has been found to be organised in a manner specific to the function of individual neurons and to exhibit plasticity with changes in synaptic inputs. Such structural specialisations are found in the avian auditory system. In the nucleus magnocellularis (NM), which is involved in a precise relay of timing information, the length of the AIS differs depending on sound frequency and increases with decreasing frequencies to accommodate frequency‐specific variations in synaptic inputs. In the nucleus laminaris, which integrates the timing information from both NMs for sound localisation, the length and the location of the AIS vary depending on sound frequency: AISs are shorter and more remote for higher frequency. Furthermore, the AISs of NM neurons elongate to increase their excitability when synaptic inputs are removed by cochlea ablation, suggesting their contribution to the homeostatic control of neural activity. These structural tunings and plasticities of the AIS are thus indispensable for the function of the auditory circuits in both normal and pathological conditions.
Prognostic Factors for Weight Loss Over 1-year Period in Patients Recently Diagnosed With Mild Alzheimer Disease

The aim of the study was to identify prognostic factors for weight loss in patients recently diagnosed with mild Alzheimer disease (AD), with special emphasis on the patients' social participation and living arrangements. The data used in this study was part of the Danish Alzheimer Intervention StudY. The patients were home-living patients with a clinical diagnosis, within the past 12 months, of probable AD or mixed AD; age ≥50 years; mini-mental state examination score ≥20; informed consent; and data available at 1-year follow-up. In total, 268 patients were included. We used a cut off of 4% in 1 year for defining weight loss. The mean age at inclusion was 76.1 years. Sixty-six patients (24.6%) lost more than 4% of their body weight during the study period. A logistic regression showed that an increase of 1 baseline body mass index point significantly increased the odds of weight loss by 9%. Furthermore, the results suggested a trend that for men, living alone was a risk factor for losing weight, whereas for women living with somebody was associated with a higher risk. However, further studies are pertinent within this area. As weight loss is a predictor of mortality in patients with AD, clinicians should be aware of prognostic social indicators to prevent or halt a potential negative development.
3D T1-weighted black blood sequence at 3.0 Tesla for the diagnosis of cervical artery dissection

Objective We aimed to investigate the value of three-dimensional (3D) T1 volumetric isotropic turbo spin echo acquisition (VISTA) in the diagnosis of cervical artery dissection (CAD). Methods We prospectively included patients who were suspected as having a CAD within 1 month of onset. For T1 VISTA, the diagnosis of the dissection was based on the presence of intramural high-signal, intimal flap, double lumen and aneurysmal dilation. The final diagnosis of dissection was based on the clinical history, physical examination, and all of the imaging tests. Results A total of 46 patients were included in this study. The final diagnosis of CAD was made for 21 patients. Diagnosis of dissection was made for 20 of the 21 patients after assessing T1 VISTA. A definitive diagnosis of dissection was not made for 5 patients (including 3 patients with digital subtraction angiography) before the T1 VISTA examination. The sensitivity and specificity for T1 VISTA were 95.2% (95% CI, 76.2% to 99.9%) and 100% (95% CI, 86.3% to 100%), respectively. The agreement between the two researchers for T1 VISTA for diagnosis of CAD was very good (k=0.91). For patients without acute artery occlusion, all of them had a definite conclusion with or without dissection by T1 VISTA (n=29). However, for 17 patients with acute artery occlusion, the possibility of dissection could not be excluded for 6 of them by T1 VISTA (p=0.001). Conclusions 3D T1 VISTA at 3.0 Tesla was useful in the diagnosis of acute CAD. However, for some patients with total occlusion of the artery without typical imaging features of dissection, the unequivocal distinction between intramural haematoma and intraluminal thrombus may be not adequate by T1 VISTA alone. Future studies should investigate whether a follow-up scan, a contrast-enhanced imaging or an optimal VISTA technique could be useful.
Male fertility potential alteration in rheumatic diseases: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Background Improved targeted therapies for rheumatic diseases were developed recently resulting in a better prognosis for affected patients. Nowadays, patients are living longer and with improved quality of life, including fertility potential. These patients are affected by impaired reproductive function and the causes are often multifactorial related to particularities of each disease. This review highlights how rheumatic diseases and their management affect testicular function and male fertility. Materials and Methods A systematic review of literature of all published data after 1970 was conducted. Data was collected about fertility abnormalities in male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, ankylosing spondylitis, Behçet disease and gout. Two independent researchers carried out the search in online databases. Results A total of 19 articles were included addressing the following diseases: 7 systemic lupus erythematosus, 6 Behçet disease, 4 ankylosing spondylitis, 2 rheumatoid arthritis, 2 dermatomyositis and one gout. Systemic lupus erythematosus clearly affects gonadal function impairing spermatogenesis mainly due to antisperm antibodies and cyclophosphamide therapy. Behçet disease, gout and ankylosing spondylitis patients, including those under anti-TNF therapy in the latter disease, do not seem to have reduced fertility whereas in dermatomyositis, the fertility potential is hampered by disease activity and by alkylating agents. Data regarding rheumatoid arthritis is scarce, gonadal dysfunction observed as consequence of disease activity and antisperm antibodies. Conclusions Reduced fertility potential is not uncommon. Its frequency and severity vary among the different rheumatic diseases. Permanent infertility is rare and often associated with alkylating agent therapy.