Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Size-dependent ROS production by palladium and nickel nanoparticles in cellular and acellular environments – An indication for the catalytic nature of their interactions

Abstract Palladium and nickel nanoparticles with variable but narrowly defined primary particle sizes in the range of 4–27 nm were investigated toward their catalytic activity and their ability to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). The agglomerate size in the gas phase was between 50 and 150 nm, after transfer into solution probably larger. The catalytic activity was measured on the basis of CO oxidation to CO2. The formation of ROS was determined after transferring the particles into phosphate buffered saline (PBS), via the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein method in a cell-free environment and with THP-1 cells. Activities were normalized with regard to catalyst surface area to enable a meaningful comparison of size effects. The solubility was measured for both materials and found to be 2 µg/ml for Ni and below the detection limit of 0.8 µg/ml for Pd. In the concentration range of about 4–250 µg/ml both materials induced a significant production of ROS in both acellular and cellular environments, with palladium being more active than nickel by several orders of magnitude. On an equal surface area concentration basis, both acellular and cellular ROS production showed a pronounced dependence on the primary particle size, with a maximum in the vicinity of 12 nm. The surface-specific catalytic activity also had a maximum at that size range. The correlation of these size effects is both surprising and – in combination with the poor solubility of palladium and nickel in PBS solution – a strong argument in favor of a particulate, catalytic mechanism for ROS production.
DNA replication and RNA synthesis in thymocyte nuclei microinjected into the cytoplasm of artificially activated mouse eggs

Thymocyte nuclei were microinjected into the cytoplasm of parthenogenetic mouse eggs within 60 min or 3 h after egg activation and DNA replication and RNA synthesis were analysed in remodelled thymocyte nuclei and female pronuclei. We show that thymocyte nuclei which transform into pronucleus-like nuclei (thymocytes injected not later than 60 min after activation) enter S-phase 1 h earlier than the female pronuclei. At the beginning of the first cell cycle they remain transcriptionally silent, but in G2 undertake transcription earlier than the female pronuclei. Partly remodelled thymocyte nuclei (injected 3 h after activation) start to replicate DNA at the same time as the female pronuclei. They reinitiate RNA synthesis within 2 h after transfer and continue to transcribe irrespective of the transcriptional activity of the female pronucleus. We show that the observed transcription is only nuclear, i.e. RNA polymerase II-dependent.
Accuracy of rigid CT–FDG-PET image registration of the liver

Diagnostic and surgical strategies could benefit from accurate localization of liver malignancies via CT–FDG-PET image registration. However, registration uncertainty occurs due to protocol differences in data-acquisition, the limited spatial resolution of positron emission tomography (PET) and the low uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in normal liver tissue. To assess this uncertainty, methods were presented to estimate registration precision and systematic bias. A semi-automatic, organ-focused method was investigated to minimize the uncertainty well beyond the typical uncertainty of 5–10 mm obtained by commonly available methods. By restricting registration to the liver region and by isolating the liver on computed tomography (CT) from surrounding structures using a thresholding technique, registration was achieved using the mutual information-based method as implemented in insight toolkit (ITK). CT and FDG-PET images of 10 patients with liver metastases were registered rigidly a number of times. Results of the organ-focused method were compared to results of three commonly available methods (a manual, a landmark-based and a ‘standard’ mutual information-based method) where no dedicated image processing was performed. The proposed method outperformed the other methods with a precision (mean ± s.d.) of 2.5 ± 1.3 mm and a bias of 1.9 mm with a 95% CI of [1.0, 2.8] mm. Unlike the commonly available methods, our approach allows for robust CT–FDG-PET registration of the liver, with an accuracy better than the spatial resolution of the PET scanner that was used.
[Minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia in children--standardization and evaluation of immunophenotyping in the AML-BFM-98 study].

BACKGROUND Minimal residual disease is a prognostic factor in AML. However, the impact on treatment stratification is not established. The AML-BFM 98 MRD study started in 1/2000 in order to evaluate, standardize and establish immunophenotyping in AML in children. METHODS In a first phase the participating laboratories in Muenster, Goettingen, Vienna and Prague agreed on identical antibody-panels and standardized procedures of sample processing, analysis and data management. The consensus panel was evaluated and adapted to 3- and 4-color flowcytometry. The complete panel was applied to each follow-up sample in orderto minimize the risk offalse negative results due to the loss or shift of antigens during treatment, a known phenomenon in myeloid blasts. Between 1/2000 and 9/2001 165 of 198 protocol patients were analysed at diagnosis, in 149 children at least two follow-up samples were available. RESULTS Three kinds of immunophenotypes could be defined. Asynchronous expression of stem cell and myeloid antigens i. e. CD34/CD117 combined with CD13/CD15 had a low specificity because precursors in regenerating or normal bone marrow expressed this pattern in 0.47 % (0.1 to 1.5 %). The aberrant co-expression of stem cell antigens and lymphatic antigens such as CD7 or CD2 showed a median level of specificity (0.07 % (0.04 to 0.19 %). Aberrant expression ofstem cell antigens combined with B-lymphatic (CD19, CD10) or NK-cell antigen (CD56) showed the best specificity. The maximal level in normal bone marrow was 0.05 %. Sensitivity of different immunophenotypes was evaluated by diluting known leukemic blasts in regenerating bone marrow. Minimal level of sensitivity was found to be at 10 (-3) to 5 x 10 (-4). According to these data highiy specific immunophenotypes could be detected in 33 %, median specificity was seen in 71 % and low specificity was seen in 88 % of the protocol patients. Two laboratories analyzed simultaneously 17 samples of children with AML from diagnosis and during therapy. A high correlation of blast quantification could be demonstrated (correlation r (2) = 0.98; blasts < 5 % r (2) = 0.91). In addition, two independent explorers quantified the raw data of 16 samples. All results correlated well (r (2) = 0.97; blasts < 5 % r (2) = 90.94). CONCLUSION The prospective study phase, started 1/2002, aims to test the impact of MRD diagnostics as an independent prognostic factor in AML in children. This might facilitate future treatment stratification and consequently optimize outcome.
Oxygen uptake by entrapped hybridoma cells

Oxygen consumption by hybridoma cells immobilized in 1‐ and 3.9‐mm‐diameter calcium alginate beads was measured. The entrapped cells consumed oxygen at about 10 μmol/min per 109 cells, regardless of the bead size and cell loading. In contrast, the same cells in suspension culture respire at specific rates of 3–8 μmol/min per 109 cells (depending on the cell density). The growth rate of the immobilized cells was significantly reduced, while specific antibody production was comparable to that of free cells.
Wave propagation with HBC in a human arm model

Today's interest in health assistance systems, sport activities, person's vital signs observing and remote patient monitoring require distributing various types of sensors at specific places across the human body. These sensors might be used to measure temperature, blood pressure level, blood glucose level and the like. This implies collecting the data generated at the distributed sensors in a wireless Body Area Network (BAN) and fusing these data at an access point (e.g. wristwatch) and then to a central processing unit (i.e., PC) for diagnosing, as shown in Fig. 1. However, sending data wirelessly is typically a very energy intensive task implying large batteries. Hence, BAN networks have been developed by IEEE 802.15. Task Group (TG6) to serve a variety of applications including medical, consumer lifestyle and the like at a low power consumption. Human Body Communications (HBC) is one technique used in BAN networks that utilizes the human body as a transmission medium to transfer data between sensors on, in or at the proximity of the human body using electrodes (i.e., electrical conductors).
Analysis of a cost-effective remote sensing system for fruit monitoring

This paper presents an analysis of a cost effective remote sensing system for monitoring ripeness of mango. The dielectric property of peel and pulp at various maturity stages are measured and used for determining dielectric property of pulp of mango from the measured reflection coefficient. The results show the suitable operating frequency is in the range 6-18 GHz. An obvious difference in reflection coefficient for unripe and ripe mangoes exhibited the possibility to design a cost effective system.
Infrared body temperature measurement of mice as an early predictor of death in experimental fungal infections

Temperatures of mice were measured using an infrared high performance non-contact thermometer, after the device had been calibrated using implantable microchips containing temperature transponders. Mice were infected with three species of Candida (isolates) and the resultant disseminated infections monitored. Mouse temperatures could be reliably measured using the infrared device and this measurement caused little distress to the mice. We were further able to demonstrate that mice rarely recovered if their body temperature dropped below 33.3°C (sensitivity 68%, specificity 97%). Adoption of a 33.3°C endpoint in fungal sepsis experiments measured by infrared non-contact thermometer would significantly reduce the suffering in the terminal stages of this type of infection model.
The essential function of Rrs1 in ribosome biogenesis is conserved in budding and fission yeasts

The Rrs1 protein plays an essential role in the biogenesis of 60S ribosomal subunits in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Here, we examined whether the fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) homologue of Rrs1 also plays a role in ribosome biogenesis. To this end, we constructed two temperature‐sensitive fission yeast strains, rrs1‐D14/22G and rrs1‐L51P, which had amino acid substitutions corresponding to those of the previously characterized budding yeast rrs1‐84 (D22/30G) and rrs1‐124 (L61P) strains, respectively. The fission yeast mutants exhibited severe defects in growth and 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis at high temperatures. In addition, expression of the Rrs1 protein of fission yeast suppressed the growth defects of the budding yeast rrs1 mutants at high temperatures. Yeast two‐hybrid analyses revealed that the interactions of Rrs1 with the Rfp2 and Ebp2 proteins were conserved in budding and fission yeasts. These results suggest that the essential function of Rrs1 in ribosome biogenesis may be conserved in budding and fission yeasts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevention of radiation enteritis by an absorbable polyglycolic acid mesh sling. A 60‐case multicentric study

Radiation‐induced small bowel injury is a limiting factor to postoperative tumoricidal pelvic doses exceeding 4500 to 5000 cGy. Data from a review of the literature showed the inadequacy of medical measures and the bad reproducibility of radiation therapeutic attempts to decrease small intestine damage. Recent studies cited the benefit of a polyglycolic acid mesh to create an absorbable intestinal sling and suspend the loops above the pelvic radiation field. In 60 cases of gynecologic and rectal malignancies with a surgical intestinal morbidity of 8.3% (5 cases), the rate of radiation enteritis was 7% (4 cases) with an average follow‐up of 17.8 months (range, 1 to 57 months). The quality of small intestinal elevation and the absence of loop herniation were demonstrated by the barium index. Magnetic resonance imaging was used for checking the polymer polyglycolic acid mesh position and its complete resorption at the third to fifth postoperative month. The authors conclude that this new procedure is safe in selected patients with high pelvic recurrence risk after optimal surgery, in residual disease after debulking surgery, or at the time of exploration for unresectable pelvic tumors. Clinical studies are ongoing to evaluate the long‐term efficacy of this surgical technique to prevent chronic radiation enteropathy and improve locoregional control in advanced pelvic carcinomas. Cancer 68:2545–2549, 1991.
The epidemiology and prognosis of glomerulonephritis in Denmark 1985-1997.

BACKGROUND The existence of a national renal biopsy register and a national terminal uraemia status register in Denmark provides an opportunity to study the prognosis of glomerulonephritis (GN), and factors influencing prognosis. METHODS Multivariate analysis of 2380 renal biopsies with GN performed between 1985 and 1997 was done to determine the influence of clinical and histological factors on prognosis. RESULTS The incidence of GN (39/mo/year) and individual diagnoses did not change during the period. After 10 years, 32%, were dead, 13% terminally uraemic, 5%, uraemic and 50% well. Older age increased mortality, but not the incidence of renal failure after the first year. Male sex increased both mortality and incidence of renal failure (34 vs 24% at 10 years, P < 0.001). The diagnoses could be divided into three prognostic groups compared with the general population: a good prognostic group (minimal change GN and membranous GN ), with a relative mortality of three and a combined renal and patient mortality of four; a poor prognostic group [crescentic GN, HUS/TTP, chronic GN] with relative mortalities of 8-19 and 13-33, respectively; and the remainder with mortalities of 4-7 and 6-12. The presence of multiple glomerular pathology, chronic GN, nephrosclerosis and chronic interstitial nephropathy worsened the prognosis, while the presence of immune deposits only worsened the prognosis of focal segmental glomerulopathy. Mortality was related to uraemia and co-morbidity at biopsy, and to the incidence of renal failure. Renal failure was correlated to uraemia and hypertension at biopsy but not to nephrotic syndrome or atherosclerosis. All vascular complications were increased and were positively related to hypertension and negatively correlated to the incidence of uraemia. Crescentric glomerulonephritis combined with anti-GBM disease had a worse prognosis than Wegener's granulomatosis, with microscopic polyangiitis and pauci-immune disease occupying an intermediate position. The prognosis of mesangioproliferative GN was unaffected by the presence of IgA nephropathy and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Preliminary characterization of murine cytomegaloviruses with insertional and deletional mutations in the M34 open reading frame

A viable virus could not be recovered from a mutant murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) BAC in which the M34 ORF had been deleted (BACΔM34). In contrast, an M34 mutant virus (RcM34), in which the M34 ORF was interrupted by transposon insertion at nt 44,827 of the Smith MCMV BAC, was attenuated in replication both in tissue culture and in SCID mice. Similarly, mutant virus Rc3′ΔM34, in which the 3′‐end was deleted from nt 44,724 to nt 45,647, produced similar replication kinetics in tissue culture to RcM34 while BAC5′ΔM34, in which the 5′‐end from nt 43,083 up to nt 44,896 was deleted, was non‐viable like BACΔM34. A transcript analysis of wt and RcM34 virus‐infected cells showed that a truncated transcript encoding a putative protein of 624 amino acids was produced by RcM34, of which the amino terminal 582 amino acids would be identical to the predicted wt 854 amino acids product. Recent, re‐annotations of the MCMV genome have identified three putative M34 overlapping ORFs (m33.1, m34.1, and m34.2) that may be interrupted in the above mutants. All three were transcribed in RcM34 virus‐infected cells confirming that the RcM34 virus phenotype was probably due to interruption of the M34 ORF. These results suggest that M34, like human CMV UL34, is an essential gene. J. Med. Virol. 80: 1233–1242, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hypothalamic Alterations and Reproductive Aging in Female Rats: Evidence of Altered Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Function1

Abstract Prior to the age-related loss of regular estrous cycles, female rats exhibit an attenuated preovulatory LH surge, a sign that reproductive decline is imminent. Numerous studies have revealed an important role for the hypothalamus in aging of the reproductive axis in this species. Because LHRH represents the primary hypothalamic signal that regulates gonadotropin release, assessments of LHRH neuronal activity can provide a window into hypothalamic function during reproductive aging. Studies of the dynamic activity of LHRH neurons during times of enhanced secretion have revealed deficits in middle-aged females. Available data are consistent with a decline in LHRH synthesis, transport, and secretion in middle-aged females during times of increased demand for LHRH output. Moreover, the alterations noted in LHRH neuronal function could account, in part, for the attenuation and eventual loss of the preovulatory LH surge with age. Elements extrinsic to LHRH neurons undoubtedly contribute to the decline in the parameters of LHRH neuronal function observed in middle-aged females. Whether alterations intrinsic to LHRH neurons also play a role in the age-associated reduction in LHRH synthesis and secretion remains to be determined. Recent examinations of hormone profiles during the perimenopausal period suggest that a potential hypothalamic contribution to aging of the reproductive axis in women warrants further examination.
Inhibition of clinical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 isolates in primary CD4+ T lymphocytes by retroviral vectors expressing anti-HIV genes

Gene therapy may be of benefit in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals by virtue of its ability to inhibit virus replication and prevent viral gene expression. It is not known whether anti-HIV-1 gene therapy strategies based on antisense or transdominant HIV-1 mutant proteins can inhibit the replication and expression of clinical HIV-1 isolates in primary CD4+ T lymphocytes. We therefore transduced CD4+ T lymphocytes from uninfected individuals with retroviral vectors expressing either HIV-1-specific antisense-TAR or antisense-Tat/Rev RNA, transdominant HIV-1 Rev protein, and a combination of antisense-TAR and transdominant Rev. The engineered CD4+ T lymphocytes were then infected with four different clinical HIV-1 isolates. We found that replication of all HIV-1 isolates was inhibited by all the anti-HIV vectors tested. Greater inhibition of HIV-1 was observed with transdominant Rev than with antisense RNA. We hereby demonstrated effective protection by antisense RNA or transdominant mutant proteins against HIV-1 infection in primary CD4+ T lymphocytes using clinical HIV-1 isolates, and this represents an essential step toward clinical anti-HIV-1 gene therapy.
Impact of communication on consumers' food choices

Consumers' food choices and dietary behaviour can be markedly affected by communication and information. Whether the provided information is processed by the receiver, and thus becomes likely to be effective, depends on numerous factors. The role of selected determinants such as uncertainty, knowledge, involvement, health-related motives and trust, as well as message content variables, are discussed in the present paper based on previous empirical studies. The different studies indicate that: uncertainty about meat quality and safety does not automatically result in more active information search; subjective knowledge about fish is a better predictor of fish consumption than objective knowledge; high subjective knowledge about functional foods as a result of a low trusted information source such as mass media advertising leads to a lower probability of adopting these foods in the diet. Also, evidence of the stronger impact of negative news as compared with messages promoting positive outcomes of food choices is discussed. Finally, three audience-segmentation studies based on consumers' involvement with fresh meat, individuals' health-related-motive orientations and their use of and trust in fish information sources are presented. A clear message from these studies is that communication and information provision strategies targeted to a specific audience's needs, interests or motives stand a higher likelihood of being attended to and processed by the receiving audience, and therefore also stand a higher chance of yielding their envisaged impact in terms of food choice and dietary behaviour.
Imaging of tumour hypoxia and metabolism in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT Background. Tumour hypoxia and a high tumour metabolism increase radioresistance in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between hypoxia ([18F]HX4 PET) and glucose metabolism ([18F]FDG PET) molecular imaging. Material and methods. [18F]HX4 and [18F]FDG PET/CT images of 20 HNSCC patients were acquired prior to (chemo)radiotherapy, in an immobilisation mask, with a median time interval of seven days (NCT01347281). Gross tumour volumes of the primary lesions (GTVprim) and pathological lymph nodes (GTVln) were included in the analysis. [18F]FDG PET/CT images were rigidly registered to the [18F]HX4 PET/CT images. The maximum and mean standardised uptake values (SUVmax, SUVmean) within both GTVs were determined. In addition, the overlap was compared between the [18F]HX4 high volume ([18F]HX4 HV) with a tumour-to-muscle ratio > 1.4 and the [18F]FDG high volume ([18F]FDG HV) with an SUV > 50% of the SUVmax. We report the mean± standard deviation. Results. PET/CT scans including 20 GTVprim and 12 GTVlnwere analysed. There was a significant correlation between several [18F]FDG and [18F]HX4 parameters, the most pronounced being the correlation between [18F]FDG HV and [18F]HX4 HV (R = 0.93, p < 0.001). The fraction of the GTVprim with a high HX4 uptake (9 ± 10%) was on average smaller than the FDG high fraction (51 ± 26%; p < 0.001). In 65% (13/20) of the patients, the GTVprim was hypoxic. In four of these patients the [18F]HX4 HV was located within the [18F]FDG HV, whereas for the remaining nine GTVprim a partial mismatch was observed. In these nine tumours 25 ± 21% (range 5–64%) of the HX4 HV was located outside the FDG HV. Conclusions. There is a correlation between [18F]HX4 and [18F]FDG uptake parameters on a global tumour level. In the majority of lesions a partial mismatch between the [18F]HX4 and [18F]FDG high uptake volumes was observed, therefore [18F]FDG PET imaging cannot be used as a surrogate for hypoxia. [18F]HX4 PET provides complementary information to [18F]FDG PET imaging.