Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Buzz off! An evaluation of ultrasonic acoustic vibration for the disruption of marine micro‐organisms on sensor‐housing materials

Biofouling is a process of ecological succession which begins with the attachment and colonization of micro‐organisms to a submerged surface. For marine sensors and their housings, biofouling can be one of the principle limitations to long‐term deployment and reliability. Conventional antibiofouling strategies using biocides can be hazardous to the environment, and therefore alternative chemical‐free methods are preferred. In this study, custom‐made testing assemblies were used to evaluate ultrasonic vibration as an antibiofouling process for marine sensor‐housing materials over a 28‐day time course. Microbial biofouling was measured based on (i) surface coverage, using fluorescence microscopy and (ii) bacterial 16S rDNA gene copies, using Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ultrasonic vibrations (20 KHz, 200 ms pulses at 2‐s intervals; total power 16·08 W) significantly reduced the surface coverage on two plastics, poly(methyl methacrylate) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for up to 28 days. Bacterial gene copy number was similarly reduced, but the results were only statistically significant for PVC, which displayed the greatest overall resistance to biofouling, regardless of whether ultrasonic vibration was applied. Copper sheet, which has intrinsic biocidal properties was resistant to biofouling during the early stages of the experiment, but inhibited measurements made by PCR and generated inconsistent results later on.
Eruptive keratoacanthomas following carbon dioxide laser resurfacing.

BACKGROUND Skin resurfacing with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is currently a popular means of improving rhytides and scars. Scarring, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and infection are among the complications that have been known to occur in some patients treated with the CO2 laser. OBJECTIVE We wish to communicate a previously unreported complication of CO2 laser resurfacing-multiple eruptive keratoacanthomas. METHOD We describe a 61-year-old woman who presented with multiple eruptive keratoacanthomas subsequent to CO2 laser resurfacing. Her lesions were cultured for fungus and bacteria. Biopsy specimens of two lesions were taken. RESULTS Cultures were negative for pathogens. Biopsy specimens revealed atypical squamous epithelial proliferation and changes consistent with eruptive keratoacanthomas. CONCLUSION Multiple eruptive keratoacanthomas should be considered as a rare complication of CO2 laser resurfacing.
Prenatal Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Alters Later-Life Antitumor Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte (CTL) Activity Via Possible Changes in T-Regulatory Cells

Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal smoking increases the incidence in the progeny of certain childhood cancers. Our previous study in mice demonstrated the feasibility of such an association by demonstrating that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) elevated the incidence of transplanted tumors and reduced cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity in juvenile male offspring. The current study extends these findings by investigating the relationship between CS-induced CTL suppression and effects on regulators of effector T-cell activity, such as T-regulatory (Treg; CD4+CD25+Foxp3+) cells and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Results here demonstrate that in utero exposure to CS, at a maternal particle concentration of 15 mg/m3 (4 h/d, 5 d/wk), significantly reduced ex vivo CTL activity of whole splenocytes (and isolated CD8+ cells) against tumor cells both before and after injection of prenatally exposed mice with EL4 lymphoma cells. In contrast, prenatal CS exposure significantly increased levels of thymic Treg cells in a time-dependent manner following tumor cell injection. In vitro production of TGF-β by splenocytes recovered from prenatally exposed, tumor-bearing mice was also altered. Neither prenatal CS exposure nor subsequent administration of EL4 cells exerted any marked effects on lymphoid organ weights, cellularity, or histologic profiles. Given that Treg cells and TGF-β suppress effector T-cell activities, these findings suggest possible immune mechanisms by which early exposure to CS reduces CTL tumoricidal activity during tumor cell development. Data suggest that children of smoking mothers may be less able to mount an appropriate adaptive immune response to tumors, thus increasing their risk for some cancers later in life.
Identification of a large family of genes for putative chemoreceptor proteins in an ordered library of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough genome

A library of 879 recombinant lambda phages, constructed for the genome of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, has been ordered by restriction fingerprinting. Restriction endonuclease HinfI digestion patterns were entered into a data base and sorted into 87 overlapping groups (contigs), with 19 clones remaining unattached. Eight of ten cloned genes of D. vulgaris, including dcrA, which encodes a transmembrane methyl-accepting protein, were assigned to contigs. Probing of a filter containing the lambda DNAs of the library with the labeled, conserved 3' end of the dcrA gene indicated hybridization to 54 clones distributed over multiple contigs. The presence of 11 additional dcr genes (dcrB to dcrL) was confirmed by direct cycled dideoxy sequencing of positive lambda clones. Since the ordered library provides only partial coverage of the D. vulgaris Hildenborough genome, we estimate that the dcr gene family has 16 members spread throughout the genome, making it the second largest gene family found in prokaryotes.
Poor clinical outcomes associated with a multi‐drug resistant clonal strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Tasmanian cystic fibrosis population

Background and objective: Clonal strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in large cystic fibrosis (CF) centres. Whether such strains are more virulent or whether cross‐infection between patients explains their widespread prevalence is unknown. This study described the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa infection in CF patients in Tasmania, Australia, an area with a high CF birth incidence. Patients in Tasmania are geographically dispersed and when this study was conducted (2003) there was no central CF clinic, with patients receiving treatment in regional hospitals.
New MT‐ND1 pathologic mutation for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

Mutations causing Leber hereditary optic neuropathy are usually homoplasmic, show incomplete penetrance, and many of the affected positions are not well conserved through evolution. A large percentage of patients harbouring these mutations have no family history of disease. Moreover, the transfer of the mutation in the cybrid model is frequently not accompanied by the transfer of the cellular, biochemical and molecular phenotype. All these features make difficult their classification as the etiologic factors for this disease. We report a patient who exhibits typical clinical features of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy but lacks all three of the most common mitochondrial DNA mutations.
Agreement of an Evaluation of the Forward-Step-Down Test by a Broad Cohort of Clinicians With That of an Expert Panel.

CONTEXT The forward-step-down (FSD) test may be used to identify underlying pathologies related to lower-extremity injuries. However, research on its interrater reliability is limited. OBJECTIVE To assess the interrater reliability of the FSD test with a broad cohort of clinicians and to compare the level of agreement with an expert panel. DESIGN Single-measure, interrater reliability. SETTING Annual conference of the Israeli Physical Therapy Society. PARTICIPANTS 15 healthy subjects who performed the FSD test and 142 physical therapists (PTs) who evaluated performance. METHODS Each subject performed the FSD while being videoed. Six videos were selected by an expert panel for analysis. After viewing the videos, FSD performance was rated by 142 PTs, as well as by the expert panel, using a 3-level scale. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Interrater reliability determined by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and percentage of agreement with the expert panel. RESULTS Fair to good reliability and acceptable agreement were found for the entire sample of raters (ICC -.61, agreement 74%). The percentage of agreement was greater in the subgroup of raters who were familiar with the FSD than in those who were not (78.08% vs 69.32%, respectively, P = .004). Years of work experience did not affect the percentage of agreement (P = .141). CONCLUSIONS Fair to good interrater reliably of the FSD test was demonstrated by a broad cohort of PTs. The findings support the clinical utility of the FSD test as an assessment tool for quality of movement.
Assignment of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C class-specific anticapsular antibody concentrations to the new standard reference serum CDC1992

A new standard meningococcal reference serum designated CDC1992 was prepared to replace meningococcal reference sera ECG and PB-2, which are not available in sufficient quantities for continued use as primary reference sera. CDC1992 was prepared from 14 healthy adult volunteers who underwent plasmapheresis 4 to 12 weeks postvaccination with a single dose of a Neisseria meningitidis quadrivalent polysaccharide vaccine. Total and/or class-specific meningococcal serogroup A and C anticapsular antibody concentrations (in micrograms per milliliter) were assigned to CDC1992 by using homologous and heterologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) formats. The reference serum ECG was used as a reference standard to assign total anticapsular antibody concentrations to CDC1992 by a homologous ELISA format. A heterologous ELISA format, with the Haemophilus influenzae type b standard reference serum FDA 1983, was used to assign total and class-specific antibody concentrations to CDC1992. Alkaline phosphatase-labeled mouse anti-human monoclonal antibody conjugates were used as secondary antibodies in both ELISA formats. The total, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antibody concentrations, assigned to CDC1992 for serogroup A were 135.8, 91.8, 20.1, and 23.9 micrograms/ml, respectively, and those for serogroup C were 32.0, 24.1, 5.9, and 2.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. Meningococcal serogroup A and C antibody concentrations were in good agreement when homologous and heterologous ELISA format results were compared. Total and class-specific serogroup A and C antibody concentrations were determined in six adult quality control serum samples from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by using the homologous ELISA and our assigned antibody concentrations for CDC1992. Antibody concentrations in reference sera ECG and PB-2 were measured in order to provide a historical link to previous studies. The general acceptance of CDC1992 as the standard reference serum and the assigned antibody concentrations will allow investigators to compare antibody levels in serum to those in a single reference preparation.
Preconditioning Therapy in ABO-Incompatible Living Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplantation is now an established form of renal replacement therapy, but the efficacy and safety of the different types of preconditioning therapies are unclear. We aimed to synthesize the totality of the published evidence about the effects of any form of preconditioning therapies in living donor ABOi kidney transplantation on graft and patient outcomes. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Clinicaltrial.gov databases (inception through June 2015) to identify all studies that described the outcomes of adult living donor ABOi kidney transplantations using any form of preconditioning therapies. Two independent reviewers identified studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Data were summarized using the random effects model, and heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analyses. We assessed confidence in the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. Results Eighty-three studies (54 case reports and case series, 25 cohort, 2 case-control, and 2 registry studies) involving 4810 ABOi transplant recipients were identified. Overall, confidence in the available evidence was low. During a mean follow-up time of 28 (standard deviation [SD], 26.6) months, the overall graft survival for recipients who received immunoadsorption or apheresis was 94.1% (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 88.2%-97.1%) and 88.0% (95% CI, 82.6%-91.8%), respectively. For those who received rituximab or underwent splenectomy, the overall graft survival was 94.5% (95% CI, 91.6%-96.5%) and 79.7% (95% CI, 72.9%-85.1%), respectively. Data on other longer-term outcomes, including malignancy, were sparse. Conclusions Rituximab or immunoadsorption appeared to be promising preconditioning strategies before ABOi kidney transplantation. However, the overall quality of evidence and the confidence in the observed treatment effects are low. The increased use of ABOi kidney transplantation needs to be matched with randomized trials of different types, dosing, and frequency of preconditioning therapies so that this scarce resource can be used most effectively and efficiently.
Effects of Atorvastatin Treatment on sICAM-1 and Plasma Nitric Oxide Levels in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects

This study investigated the behavior of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and serum nitric oxide (NO) products, nitrite/nitrate (NO 2-NO,-), in subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia (HCh) without other risk factors and atherosclerosis. The effect of a short-term cholesterol-lowering treatment with atorvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, on the levels of sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3 were also investigated. After 4 weeks of placebo administration, 40 HCh (15 males and 25 females) were randomized in 2 groups: 20 subjects (atorvastatin group) received 10 mg/day of atorvastatin and the remaining 20 (placebo group) continued to take placebo. At baseline and after 4 and 12 weeks of atorvastatin or placebo administration, serum sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-levels were evaluated. The basal levels of these parameters were compared with those of 20 healthy subjects (C), matched for sex and age. Hypercholesterolemic subjects showed sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-basal values that were higher (331.7 ± 60.3 ng/mL vs. 202.3 ± 32.3 ng/mL, p<0.001) and lower (10.4 ± 2.5 μmol/L vs. 20.7 ± 4.4 μmol/L, p<0.01) than controls. No correlation between sICAM-1 or NO products and plasma cholesterol values was found, whereas there was an inverse correlation between sICAM-1 and NO2-/NO3-levels. Atorvastatin administration significantly decreased sICAM-1 and increased NO2-/NO3-levels, however these changes were not correlated with the reduction of plasma cholesterol. These data support the hypothesize that patients with HCh with no signs of arterial lesions, may have latent atherosclerosis, expressed as an increase of sICAM-1 and decrease in NO product levels. An improvement in the levels of these parameters after a short-time treatment with atorvastatin was also demonstrated.
High‐resolution intracranial and cervical MRA at 3.0T: Technical considerations and initial experience

Initial experience with intracranial and cervical MRA at 3.0T is reported. Phantom measurements (corrected for relaxation effects) show S/N (3.0T) = 2.14 ± 0.08 × S/N (1.5T) in identical‐geometry head coils. A 3.0T 3DTOF intracranial imaging protocol with higher‐order autoshimming was developed and compared to 1.5T 3DTOF in 12 patients with aneurysms. A comparison by two radiologists showed the 3.0T to be significantly better (P < 0.001) for visualization of the aneurysms. The feasibility of cervical and intracranial contrast enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA) at 3.0T is also examined. The relaxivity of the gadolinium contrast agent decreases by only about 4–7% when the field strength is increased from 1.5 to 3.0T. Cervical 3.0T CEMRA was obtained in eight patients, two of whom had 1.5T studies available for direct comparison. Image comparison suggests 3.0T to be a favorable field strength for cervical CEMRA. Voxel volumes of 0.62–0.73 mm3 (not including zero‐filling) were readily achieved at 3.0T with the use of a single‐channel transmit‐receive head or cervical coil, a 25 mL bolus of gadoteridol, and a 3D pulse sequence with a 66% sampling efficiency. This spatial resolution allowed visualization of intracranial aneurysms, carotid dissections, and atherosclerotic disease including ulcerations. Potential drawbacks of 3.0T MRA are increased SAR and T *2 dephasing compared to 1.5T. Image comparison suggests signal loss due to T *2 dephasing will not be substantially more problematic than at 1.5T. The dependence of RF power deposition on TR for CEMRA is calculated and discussed. Magn Reson Med 46:955–962, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Recombinant lemA without adjuvant induces extensive expansion of H2-M3-restricted CD8 effectors, which can suppress primary listeriosis in mice.

Mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) produce large numbers of H2-M3-restricted CD8 T cells directed against the formylated peptides, f-MIGWII and f-MIVIL. To examine responsiveness to these epitopes in the absence of infection, we inoculated mice with recombinant lemA (r-lemA) containing f-MIGWII or r-vemA (a variant of r-lemA containing f-MIVIL in place of f-MIGWII) without adjuvant. To monitor responses, we measured peptide-specific cytoplasmic IFN-gamma production ex vivo by freshly harvested splenocytes at varying times post-inoculation. B6 mice inoculated with r-lemA produced substantial numbers of epitope-specific CD8 cells with peak levels on day 7 when there were 1.1 x 10(6) f-MIGWII-specific CD8 cells in the spleen (8.2% of total CD8 splenocytes). The r-vemA-treated animals accumulated 0.25 x 10(6) cells (1.8% of total CD8 cells) at this time point. Comparable responses were observed after rechallenge of immunized animals. Other elements in the lemA moiety distinct from the immunogenic peptide were required since mice did not respond to equimolar amounts of synthetic f-MIGWII or f-MIVIL alone. In comparative studies, B6 and C3H/HeJ mice responded to r-lemA much more vigorously than BALB/c animals. When r-lemA- or r-vemA-treated B6 animals were challenged i.v. with LM 7 days later, they suppressed splenic accumulation of bacteria much more effectively than controls. On the other hand, antigen-treated animals were not protected against infection 1 month later. Thus, responsive strains of mice respond vigorously to H2-M3-restricted epitopes, even in the absence of bacterial infection or adjuvant. The resulting effectors acutely enhance antimicrobial resistance but do not confer long-term memory protection.
CYP 2 E 1 Metabolism of Styrene Involves Allostery

We are the first to report allosterism during styrene oxidation by recombinant CYP2E1 and human liver microsomes. At low styrene concentrations, oxidation is inefficient because of weak binding to CYP2E1 (Ks 830 M). A second styrene molecule then binds CYP2E1 with higher affinity (Kss 110 M) and significantly improves oxidation to achieve a kcat of 6.3 nmol min 1 nmol CYP2E1 . The transition between these metabolic cycles coincides with reported styrene concentrations in blood from exposed workers; thus, this CYP2E1 mechanism may be relevant in vivo. Scaled modeling of the in vitro-positive allosteric mechanism for styrene metabolism to its in vivo clearance led to significant deviations from the traditional model based on Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Low styrene levels were notably much less toxic than generally assumed. We interrogated the allosteric mechanism using the CYP2E1-specific inhibitor and drug 4-methylpyrazole, which we have shown binds two CYP2E1 sites. From the current studies, styrene was a positive allosteric effector on 4-methylpyrazole binding, based on a 10-fold increase in 4-methylpyrazole binding affinity from Ki 0.51 to Ksi 0.043 M. The inhibitor was a negative allosteric effector on styrene oxidation, because kcat decreased 6-fold to 0.98 nmol min 1 nmol CYP2E1 . Consequently, mixtures of styrene and other molecules can induce allosteric effects on binding and metabolism by CYP2E1 and thus mitigate the efficiency of their metabolism and corresponding effects on human health. Taken together, our elucidation of mechanisms for these allosteric reactions provides a powerful tool for further investigating the complexities of CYP2E1 metabolism of drugs and pollutants.
The Combination of Mycophenolate Mofetil with Corticosteroids Induces Remission of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis

Background: Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a form of systemic vasculitis that can progress to Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), and the most effective treatment remains controversial. Our aim was to compare the effects of oral mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) with low-dose prednisone and the full-dose corticosteroids (CS; prednisone) for the induction therapy of HSPN with large proteinuria. Methods: Fifty-three patients with biopsy-proved HSPN with large proteinuria (>2.0 g/24 h) were divided into two groups: the MMF group (n = 27) who received oral MMF 1.0 g/day (1.5 g/day for patients with a body weight >70 kg) combined with low-dose prednisone (0.4–0.5 mg/kg/day), and the CS group (n = 26) who received the full-dose prednisone (0.8–1.0 mg/kg/day). We compared the effects of inducing remission at 6-month follow-up and the overall remission rate at the end of the follow-up between the two groups. Results: At 6 months, the estimated glomerular filtration rate level remained stable, while the urine protein decreased significantly in both groups, and the remission rate was 76.9% in the CS group and 55.5% in the MMF group (p = 0.101). With a median follow-up of 28.8 months in the CS group and 28.2 months in the MMF group, the overall remission rate was 80.8% in the CS group and 77.8% in the MMF group (p = 0.788). The MMF group had less side effects than the CS group (48.1 vs. 76.9%, p = 0.031). The relapse was 4/21 (19.0%) in the CS group and 0/21 in the MMF group (p = 0.115). Conclusion: MMF is useful for inducing remission and maintaining remission in Chinese HSPN, and may be used as a steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of HSPN.
Acute Effects of Various Whole Body Vibration Frequencies on 1RM in Trained and Untrained Subjects

Rønnestad, BR. Acute effects of various whole body vibration frequencies on 1RM in trained and untrained subjects. J Strength Cond Res 23(7): 2068-2072, 2009-The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of whole body vibration (WBV) at different vibration frequencies on 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in recreationally strength trained subjects and untrained subjects. While performing a 1RM test in half squat, trained (8 men) and untrained (5 men and 3 women) subjects were randomly exposed to WBV with a frequency of 20 Hz, 35 Hz, 50 Hz (amplitude, 3 mm), or control conditions with no vibration. 1RM in half squat was assessed in a Smith Machine while subjects were standing on a vibration platform. Both untrained and recreationally strength trained subjects increased their 1RM at a vibration frequency of 50 Hz compared with no vibration (p < 0.05), and untrained subjects increased their 1RM to a larger extent than recreationally trained subjects (8.7% vs. 4.9%; p < 0.05). However, there was no difference in 1RM while vibrating at a frequency of 20 Hz and 35 Hz compared with no vibrations in either of the groups. In conclusion, WBV with a frequency of 50 Hz increases 1RM in both recreationally strength trained and untrained subjects, whereas vibration frequencies of 20 Hz and 35 Hz do not have this effect. Untrained subjects increased their 1RM at WBV at 50 Hz to a larger extent than recreationally strength trained subjects. Therefore, if the purpose is to increase the stimulus to the neuromuscular system to a greater extent than traditional strength training, the WBV frequency should be 50 Hz and the exercises should be heavily loaded (as in traditional strength training).