Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volunteering and older women: Psychosocial and health predictors of participation

Objectives: As populations age, there will be a need for more volunteers in social welfare, and consequently a need to better understand potential effects of volunteering for older people. Whilst there is a body of international literature exploring health benefits of volunteering in later life, there are currently no longitudinal studies of Australian populations. Internationally, there is a lack of studies focusing on older women, who comprise the majority of the ageing population. The aim of this article was to explore the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial and health factors for a cohort of older Australian women over time. Method: Data for this study were from the oldest cohort of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a 20-year longitudinal survey of Australian women aged 70–75 years in 1996. Volunteering status was the factor of interest and study factors included a broad range of demographic, health and social factors. A longitudinal model was developed for mediators of volunteering over time. Results: Of 7088 women in 2005, 24.5% reported actively volunteering, 15.5% were continuing, 7.5% were new, 15.3% were intermittent and 34.7% had never been volunteers. Volunteering was associated with increased quality of life and social support. Women were more likely to continue volunteering over time if they lived in a rural area, had higher socioeconomic indicators, and better levels of physical and mental health. Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between volunteering and health for older women. Understanding the potential health implications of volunteering is a critical issue in current policy debates.
Succession of Bacterial Community Structure along the Changjiang River Determined by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis and Clone Library Analysis

ABSTRACT Bacterial community structure along the Changjiang River (which is more than 2,500 km long) was studied by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analysis of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) with universal bacterial primer sets. DGGE profiles and principal-component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that the bacterial community gradually changed from upstream to downstream in both 1998 and 1999. Bacterial diversity, as determined by the Shannon index (H′), gradually decreased from upstream to downstream. The PCA plots revealed that the differences in the bacterial communities among riverine stations were not appreciable compared with the differences in two adjacent lakes, Lake Dongting and Lake Poyang. The relative stability of the bacterial communities at the riverine stations was probably due to the buffering action of the large amount of water flowing down the river. Clone library analysis of 16S rDNA revealed that the dominant bacterial groups changed from β-proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides group upstream to high-G+C-content gram-positive bacteria downstream and also that the bacterial community structure differed among the stations in the river and the lakes. The results obtained in this study should provide a reference for future changes caused by construction of the Three Gorges Dam.
Evolution of oil-producing trichomes in Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae): insights from the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the genus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae: Iridoideae: Sisyrinchieae) is one of the largest, most widespread and most taxonomically complex genera in Iridaceae, with all species except one native to the American continent. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus were investigated and the evolution of oil-producing structures related to specialized oil-bee pollination examined. METHODS Phylogenetic analyses based on eight molecular markers obtained from 101 Sisyrinchium accessions representing 85 species were conducted in the first extensive phylogenetic analysis of the genus. Total evidence analyses confirmed the monophyly of the genus and retrieved nine major clades weakly connected to the subdivisions previously recognized. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis was used to reconstruct biogeographical patterns, and to trace the evolutionary origin of glandular trichomes present in the flowers of several species. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Glandular trichomes evolved three times independently in the genus. In two cases, these glandular trichomes are oil-secreting, suggesting that the corresponding flowers might be pollinated by oil-bees. Biogeographical patterns indicate expansions from Central America and the northern Andes to the subandean ranges between Chile and Argentina and to the extended area of the Paraná river basin. The distribution of oil-flower species across the phylogenetic trees suggests that oil-producing trichomes may have played a key role in the diversification of the genus, a hypothesis that requires future testing.
Laparoscopic treatment of acute small bowel obstruction: A multicentre retrospective study

Background: Laparoscopic surgery is thought to promote early recovery and quicker return to bowel function. The objective was to evaluate the rate and predictive factors of success, the causes of failure, the morbidity, and mortality during and after hospitalization, as well as to determine whether laparoscopic treatment of acute small bowel obstruction offers the same benefits as for other laparoscopic procedures.
Stability and Trapping of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents During High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation Therapy

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Gd-DTPA shortly before magnetic resonance guided high-intensity focused ultrasound MR-HIFU thermal ablation therapy with respect to dissociation, trapping, and long-term deposition of gadolinium (Gd) in the body. Materials and MethodsMagnetic resonance–HIFU ablation treatment was conducted in vivo on both rat muscle and subcutaneous tumor (9L glioma) using a clinical 3T MR-HIFU system equipped with a small-animal coil setup. A human equivalent dose of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) (0.6 mmol/kg of body weight) was injected via a tail vein catheter just before ablation (⩽5 minutes). Potential trapping of the contrast agent in the ablated area was visualized through the acquisition of R1 maps of the target location before and after therapy. The animals were sacrificed 2 hours or 14 days after the injection (n = 4 per group, a total of 40 animals). Subsequently, the Gd content in the tissue and carcass was determined using inductively coupled plasma techniques to investigate the biodistribution. ResultsTemporal trapping of Gd-DTPA in the coagulated tissue was observed on the R1 maps acquired within 2 hours after the ablation, an effect confirmed by the inductively coupled plasma analysis (3 times more Gd3+ was found in the treated muscle volume than in the control muscle tissue). Two weeks after the therapy, the absolute amount of Gd3+ present in the coagulated tissue was low compared with the amount present in the kidneys 14 days after the injection (ablated muscle, 0.009% ± 0.002% ID/g; kidney, 0.144% ± 0.165% ID/g). There was no significant increase in Gd content in the principal target organs for translocated Gd3+ions (liver, spleen, and bone) or in the entire carcasses between the HIFU- and sham-treated animals. Finally, an in vivo relaxivity of 4.6 mmol−1s−1 was found in the HIFU-ablated volume, indicating intact Gd-DTPA. ConclusionsMagnetic resonance–HIFU treatment does not induce the dissociation of Gd-DTPA. In small-tissue volumes, no significant effect on the long-term in vivo Gd retention was found. However, care must be taken with the use of proton resonance frequency shift–based MR thermometry for HIFU guidance in combination with Gd3+ because the susceptibility artifact induced by Gd3+ can severely influence treatment outcome.
Design and Fabrication of a Long-Arm Comb-Drive Rotary Actuator With Externally Mounted Mirror for Optical Applications

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of a long-arm comb-drive actuator with an externally mounted large mirror for optical applications. The provision for an externally mounted mirror can be useful for many optical applications, which require large and high-quality reflecting surfaces. The angular stretch of the comb fingers at the far end is kept smaller than those near the anchor point. This structural feature allows the design of actuator arm lengths of over 5 mm. The truss of the actuator is designed carefully to support the large movable arm. An analytical model for the electrostatic forces in the actuator was developed, and detailed analyses for side instability and resonance frequency were performed. The complete fabrication process involving bulk micromachining of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer using a two-mask process is described. A procedure for efficient mounting of the mirror utilizing die bonder, vacuum tip, and silver epoxy is demonstrated. Static characterization measurements show that the actuator can achieve a rotational angle of 3° with an applied voltage of 130 V. A resonance frequency of ~246 Hz for a mirror size of 2 mm × 100 μm × 1 mm was determined by optical characterization; this closely matches with the simulation results and the analytical model.
Numerical model of water medium with methane inclusions: Application for determining optical radiation extinction

A numerical model of a water medium, which contains volumetric particles has been developed. This model is designed for calculating the optical radiation extinction, absorption, scattering, and transmission function. All calculations of optical characteristics are based on the Mie theory. The calculated values of the extinction coefficient and transmission function in the visible and IR ranges can be used for determining the sizes and concentration of the gas bubbles and detecting the methane crystals.
Insulin regulates GLUT1‐mediated glucose transport in MG‐63 human osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of malignant bone cancer, accounting for 35% of primary bone malignancies. Because cancer cells utilize glucose as their primary energy substrate, the expression and regulation of glucose transporters (GLUT) may be important in tumor development and progression. GLUT expression has not been studied previously in human osteosarcoma cell lines. Furthermore, although insulin and insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐I) play an important role in cell proliferation and tumor progression, the role of these hormones on GLUT expression and glucose uptake, and their possible relation to osteosarcoma, have also not been studied. We determined the effect of insulin and IGF‐I on GLUT expression and glucose transport in three well‐characterized human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG‐63, SaOs‐2, and U2‐Os) using immunocytochemical, RT‐PCR and functional kinetic analyses. Furthermore we also studied GLUT isoform expression in osteosarcoma primary tumors and metastases by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses. RT‐PCR and immunostaining show that GLUT1 is the main isoform expressed in the cell lines and tissues studied, respectively. Immunocytochemical analysis shows that although insulin does not affect levels of GLUT1 expression it does induce a translocation of the transporter to the plasma membrane. This translocation is associated with increased transport of glucose into the cell. GLUT1 is the main glucose transporter expressed in osteosarcoma, furthermore, this transporter is regulated by insulin in human MG‐63 cells. One possible mechanism through which insulin is involved in cancer progression is by increasing the amount of glucose available to the cancer cell. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 1425–1432, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adaptive spectral doppler estimation

In this paper, 2 adaptive spectral estimation techniques are analyzed for spectral Doppler ultrasound. The purpose is to minimize the observation window needed to estimate the spectrogram to provide a better temporal resolution and gain more flexibility when designing the data acquisition sequence. The methods can also provide better quality of the estimated power spectral density (PSD) of the blood signal. Adaptive spectral estimation techniques are known to provide good spectral resolution and contrast even when the observation window is very short. The 2 adaptive techniques are tested and compared with the averaged periodogram (Welch's method). The blood power spectral capon (BPC) method is based on a standard minimum variance technique adapted to account for both averaging over slow-time and depth. The blood amplitude and phase estimation technique (BAPES) is based on finding a set of matched filters (one for each velocity component of interest) and filtering the blood process over slow-time and averaging over depth to find the PSD. The methods are tested using various experiments and simulations. First, controlled flow-rig experiments with steady laminar flow are carried out. Simulations in Field II for pulsating flow resembling the femoral artery are also analyzed. The simulations are followed by in vivo measurement on the common carotid artery. In all simulations and experiments it was concluded that the adaptive methods display superior performance for short observation windows compared with the averaged periodogram. Computational costs and implementation details are also discussed.
Measuring mobility in people with lower limb amputation: Rasch analysis of the mobility section of the prosthesis evaluation questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE To assess the psychometric properties of the Mobility Section of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ-MS). DESIGN A postal survey, including self-report assessment of prosthetic capability and performance with the PEQ-MS and the Locomotor Capabilities Index, and of other variables associated with prosthetic wear and use. The PEQ-MS data underwent Rasch analysis for rating scale diagnostics and a reliability and validity study. PATIENTS A total of 123 subjects (mean age 54 years) who had undergone lower limb amputation in the previous 5 years and who had completed rehabilitation and a prosthetic training programme. RESULTS According to Rasch analysis and expert review, some response categories of the PEQ-MS (13 items, 11-level numeric rating scale) were collapsed and one item was deleted. The remaining 12 items fitted to the Rasch model and created a revised scale with a 5-level response format, the PEQ-MS12/5. The PEQ-MS12/5 demonstrated good reliability (person-separation reliability = 0.95, item-separation reliability = 0.98) and internal construct validity. Moreover, the correlation with the Locomotor Capabilities Index (rs = 0.78) and with prosthetic wear and use (rs range 0.41-0.59) supported the convergent validity of the PEQ-MS12/5. CONCLUSION The new PEQ-MS12/5 presents good psychometric characteristics for measuring mobility in people with lower limb amputations. These preliminary results provide an already applicable instrument and a solid basis for further validation studies.
Defined Culture Conditions Accelerate Small-molecule-assisted Neural Induction for the Production of Neural Progenitors from Human-induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The use of defined conditions for derivation, maintenance, and differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides a superior experimental platform to discover culture responses to differentiation cues and elucidate the basic requirements for cell differentiation and fate restriction. Adoption of defined systems for reprogramming, undifferentiated growth, and differentiation of hiPSCs was found to significantly influence early stage differentiation signaling requirements and temporal kinetics for the production of primitive neuroectoderm. The bone morphogenic protein receptor agonist LDN-193189 was found to be necessary and sufficient for neural induction in a monolayer system with landmark antigens paired box 6 and sex-determining region Y-box 1 appearing within 72 h. Preliminary evidence suggests this neuroepithelium was further differentiated to generate ventral spinal neural progenitors that produced electrophysiologically active neurons in vitro, maintaining viability posttransplantation in an immunocompromised host. Our findings support current developments in the field, demonstrating that adoption of defined reagents for the culture and manipulation of pluripotent stem cells is advantages in terms of simplification and acceleration of differentiation protocols, which will be critical for future clinical translation.
The crystal structure, mutagenesis, and activity studies reveal that patatin is a lipid acyl hydrolase with a Ser-Asp catalytic dyad.

Patatin is a nonspecific lipid acyl hydrolase that accounts for approximately 40% of the total soluble protein in mature potato tubers, and it has potent insecticidal activity against the corn rootworm. We determined the X-ray crystal structure of a His-tagged variant of an isozyme of patatin, Pat17, to 2.2 A resolution, employing SeMet multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) phasing methods. The patatin crystal structure has three molecules in the asymmetric unit, an R-factor of 22.0%, and an R(free) of 27.2% (for 10% of the data not included in the refinement) and includes 498 water molecules. The structure notably revealed that patatin has a Ser-Asp catalytic dyad and an active site like that of human cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) [Dessen, A. , et al. (1999) Cell 97, 349-360]. In addition, patatin has a folding topology related to that of the catalytic domain of cPLA(2) and unlike the canonical alpha/beta-hydrolase fold. The structure confirms our site-directed mutagenesis and bioactivity data that initially suggested patatin possessed a Ser-Asp catalytic dyad. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis revealed that Ser77 and Asp215 were critical for both esterase and bioactivity, consistent with prior work implicating a Ser residue [Strickland, J. H. , et al. (1995) Plant Physiol. 109, 667-674] and a Ser-Asp dyad [Hirschberg, H. J. H. B. , et al. (2001) Eur. J. Biochem. 268, 5037-5044] in patatin's catalytic activity. The crystal structure aids the understanding of other structure-function relationships in patatin. Patatin does not display interfacial activation, a hallmark feature of lipases, and this is likely due to the fact that it lacks a flexible lid that can shield the active site.
Domperidone interacts with pioglitazone but not with ondansetron via common CYP metabolism in vitro

Abstract 1. Domperidone (prokinetic agent) is frequently co-administered with pioglitazone (anitidiabetic) or ondansetron (antiemetic) in gastroparesis management. These drugs are metabolized via cytochome P-450 (CYP) 3A4, raising the possibility of interaction and adverse reactions. 2. The concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of pioglitazone and ondansetron on domperidone hydroxylation was monitored in pooled human liver microsomes (HLM). Pioglitazone was further assessed as a mechanism-based inhibitor. Microsomal binding was evaluated in our assessment. 3. In HLM, Vmax/Km estimates for monohydroxy domperidone formation decreased in presence of pioglitazone. Diagnostic plots indicated that pioglitazone inhibited domperidone in a partial mixed-type manner. The in vitro Ki was 1.52 µM. Predicted in vivo AUCi/AUC ratio was 1.98. 4. Pioglitazone also exerted time-dependent inhibition on the metabolism of domperidone and the average remaining enzymatic activity decreased significantly upon preincubation with pioglitazone over 0–40 min. 5. Diagnostic plots showed no inhibitory effect of ondansetron on domperidone hydroxylation. 6. In conclusion, pioglitazone inhibited domperidone metabolism in vitro through different complex mechanisms. Our in vitro data predict that the co-administration of these drugs can potentially trigger an in vivo drug–drug interaction.
A new model of weak acid permeation through membranes revisited: does Overton still rule?

According to a recent publication by Thomae, A. V. , H. Wunderli-Allenspach, and S. D. Krämer (2005. Biophys. J. 89:1802-1811), membrane bilayers are well-permeable to the charged species of aromatic carboxylic acids. At physiological pH, the anions were claimed to be the major diffusing species. In contrast, calculation of the Born energy barrier predicts a 10(5)-fold higher permeability for the uncharged (protonated) form. To test the new model, we now have measured both the current carried by the salicylate anion through solvent-free planar membranes and the amount of protons transported by the neutral species. The corresponding membrane permeabilities of the charged and protonated forms were 4 x 10(-7) cm/s and 1.2 cm/s. These data are in perfect agreement with literature data gathered in the last three decades (compare, e.g., Gutknecht, J., and D. C. Tosteson. 1973. Science. 182:1258-1261). They indicate that the report by Thomae at al. represents an experimental artifact. The well-documented role of neutral species in the permeation process of weak acids and bases across artificial and natural membranes is not in question. Overton still rules.
Reconstitution of human telomerase activity and identification of a minimal functional region of the human telomerase RNA.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that catalyzes telomere elongation through the addition of TTAGGG repeats in humans. Activation of telomerase is often associated with immortalization of human cells and cancer. To dissect the human telomerase enzyme mechanism, we developed a functional in vitro reconstitution assay. After removal of the essential 445 nucleotide human telomerase RNA (hTR) by micrococcal nuclease digestion of partially purified human telomerase, the addition of in vitro transcribed hTR reconstituted telomerase activity. The activity was dependent upon and specific to hTR. Using this assay, truncations at the 5′ and 3′ ends of hTR identified a functional region of hTR, similar in size to the full‐length telomerase RNAs from ciliates. This region is located between positions 1‐203. Furthermore, we found that residues 1‐44, 5′ to the template region (residues 46–56) are not essential for activity, indicating a minimal functional region is located between residues 44–203. Mutagenesis of full‐length hTR between residues 170–179, 180–189 or 190–199 almost completely abolished the ability of the hTR to function in the reconstitution of telomerase activity, suggesting that sequences or structures within this 30 nucleotide region are required for activity, perhaps by binding telomerase protein components.
Quality evaluation of national cancer registry system in Iran: study protocol.

BACKGROUND Cancer registry can be a very important component of health information system in developing countries. Routine collection of data and ongoing monitoring of their quality can have a crucial role in priority setting and evidence-based policy making for controlling cancers and trends follow-up in low and middle-income countries. Evaluation of cancer registered data consists of four important components including: comparability, completeness, validity, and timeliness. Similar frameworks are utilized in different countries all over the world. METHODS AND MATERIALS We will use the national annual cancer registry reports in Iran alone or perhaps along with other Iranian published reports about childhood cancer incidence to determine the stability and trend of incidence rates over time and compare above mentioned reports with childhood cancer incidence data reported by other countries through a systematic review as well as in some cases meta-analysis in order to assess data quality. Data will also be collected from other sources such as death certificates to estimate mortality rates and other different methods will also be additionally applied, by use of which death certificates would be utilized to assess the quality of data, too. CONCLUSION As the first step for proper measuring incidence rate of all types of cancers all over the country, we will assess and evaluate reported national cancer registry data in Iran in order to estimate the national burden of cancers in 1990 - 2013.