Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular genotyping of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus via fluorophore-enhanced repetitive-sequence PCR

Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Accurate, rapid epidemiologic typing is crucial to the identification of the source and spread of infectious disease and could provide detailed information on the generation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. The high degree of genetic relatedness of MRSA strains has precluded the use of more conventional methods of genetic fingerprinting. A rapid DNA fingerprinting method that exploits PCR amplification from a DNA repeat sequence in MRSA is described. The random chromosomal distribution of this repeat sequence provides an ideal target for detecting DNA fragment patterns specific to individual MRSA strains. Two PCR fingerprinting methods which use an oligonucleotide primer based on a repetitive sequence found in Mycoplasma pneumoniae are presented. The repetitive element sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) and fluorophore-enhanced rep-PCR (FERP) can identify epidemic strains among background MRSA. The combination of oligonucleotide primers labeled with different fluorescent dyes allowed simultaneous FERP fingerprinting and mecA gene detection. Eight different fingerprint patterns were observed in MRSA strains collected from different sources. These techniques provide a rapid discriminatory means of molecular epidemiologic typing of MRSA involved in nosocomial infections.
A practice guideline for the management of lymphoedema

Management and treatment options for lymphoedema in Japan have traditionally varied between different healthcare institutions. The authors of this article have developed guidelines to standardise treatment of lymphoedema patients, based on scientific evidence. Consensus methods based on the Delphi technique were used when formulating the guidelines. A literature search was conducted and a clinical guideline for lymphoedema, including 11 specific recommendations for clinicians, was constructed. In future, the clinical efficacy of this guideline should be tested in a clinical setting.
Diverse Families of Antimicrobial Peptides Isolated from Skin Secretions of Three Species of East Asian Frogs, Babina daunchina, Babina adenopleura, and Rana omeimontis (Ranidae)

Twenty-two novel cDNAs encoding 22 peptide precursors for 19 mature peptides including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were identified from East Asian frog species Babina daunchina, Babina adenopleura, and Rana omeimontis skin-derived cDNA libraries. Two atypical members of the brevinin-1 family AMPs, named brevinin-1AN1 (FLTGVLKLASKIPSVLCAVLKTC) and brevinin-1DN1(FLKGVINLASKIPSMLCAVLKTC), were purified from the skin secretions of B. adenopleura and B. daunchina, respectively. A member of the ranatuerin-2 family AMP named ranatuerin-2DN1 (GLFDSITQGLKDTAVKLLDKIKCKLSACPPA) was also purified from the skin secretion of B. daunchina. One AMP named japonicin-2OM1 (FIVPSIFLLKKAFCIALKKNC) was purified from the skin secretion of R. omeimontis. The antimicrobial tests showed that brevinin-1DN1, brevinin-1DN2, brevinin-1AN1, and japonicin-2OM1 possess higher antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria.
Ex vivo porcine model to measure pH dependence of chemical exchange saturation transfer effect of glycosaminoglycan in the intervertebral disc

Studies have linked low pH and loss of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in the intervertebral discs (IVDs) of patients with discogenic back pain. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) effect of GAG (gagCEST) is pH dependent and whether it can be used to detect pH changes in IVD specimens. Iopromide, a Food and Drug Administration approved agent for CT/X‐Ray, was also evaluated as a pH‐sensitive CEST probe to explore the agents' potential to measure IVD pH.
Expression of glucokinase in glucose-unresponsive human fetal pancreatic islet-like cell clusters.

Glucokinase (GK) is the glucose sensor in the adult beta-cell, resulting in fuel for insulin synthesis and secretion. Defects in this enzyme in the beta-cell are responsible for the genetic disorder maturity-onset diabetes of the young, with the beta-cell being unable to secrete insulin appropriately when challenged with glucose. The human fetal beta-cell is also unable to secrete insulin when exposed to glucose, but whether GK is present and functional in this developing cell is unknown. To determine the expression of GK in human fetal pancreatic tissue, cytosolic protein was extracted from human fetal islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) at 17-19 weeks gestation and examined for protein content and enzyme activity. On Western blots, a single band corresponding to GK was seen at 52 kDa, and this was similar to that obtained from human adult islets. The maximal velocity (Vmax) of GK was less in fetal ICCs than that in adult islets (8.7 vs. 20.7 nmol/mg protein x h); similar K(m) values were found in both ICCs and islets. No attempt was made to determine which cells in an ICC contained GK. Glucose utilization was determined radiometrically; the Vmax of the high K(m) component was less in ICCs than in islets (31.3 pmol/ICC x h vs. 101.4 pmol/islet.h). Culture of ICCs for 3-7 days in medium containing 11.2 mmol/L glucose resulted in a 3.7-fold increase in the Vmax of GK and a 1.8-fold increase in glucose utilization. These enhanced activities of glucose phosphorylation and glycolysis, however, did not lead to the beta-cell being able to secrete insulin when exposed to glucose. In conclusion, glucokinase is present and functional in human fetal ICCs, but the inability of the human fetal beta-cell to secrete insulin in response to an acute glucose challenge is not due to immaturity of this enzyme.
Validity and reliability of the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale among adults from the United States with symptomatic heart failure

Background: Heart failure (HF) self-care is an important component of disease management and the focus of many interventions. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the nine-item European HF Self-care Behavior Scale (EHFScB-9) in a sample of 200 adults from the USA with symptomatic HF. Methods: Psychometric tests included item and confirmatory factor analyses, convergent and discriminant validity, and internal consistency. Results: Item-total correlations ranged from 0.25 to 0.65. Many fit indices for the EHFScB-9 and the four-item consulting behaviors scale reached thresholds of acceptability. As expected, the EHFScB-9 was associated with other measures of HF self-care but not with quality-of-life. Coefficient α was 0.80 for the EHFScB-9 and 0.85 for the consulting behaviors subscale. Conclusion: The EHFScB-9 was a valid and reliable measure of HF self-care among English-speaking US adults with symptomatic HF.
A Simple Procedure for Quantitatively Measuring Pseudomonas aeruginosa Slime Production

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen most associated with infection of the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It produces extracellular polysaccharides collectively referred to as slime that includes one specific virulence factor known as alginate. Current methods to measure the actual production of this slime require either expensive equipment, or they are not quantitatively accurate. This study reports a method that is simple and yields statistically reproducible results thereby enabling researchers to easily follow the rate of slime production in the bacteria. Ongoing studies will use this method to study the effect of growth media containing different components upon the production of slime. These studies may have in vivo relevance to the production of this virulence factor in the lungs of CF patients and in other infectious settings.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen most associated with infection of the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It produces extracellular polysaccharides collectively referred to as slime that includes one specific virulence factor known as alginate. Current methods to measure the actual production of this slime require either expensive equipment, or they are not quantitatively accurate. This study reports a method that is simple and yields statistically reproducible results thereby enabling researchers to easily follow the rate of slime production in the bacteria. Ongoing studies will use this method to study the effect of growth media containing different components upon the production of slime. These studies may have in vivo relevance to the production of this virulence factor in the lungs of CF patients and in other infectious settings.
Towards Event-based Discourse Analysis of Biomedical Text

Annotating biomedical text with discourse-level information is a well-studied topic. Several research efforts have annotated textual zones (e.g., sentences or clauses) with information about rhetorical status, whilst other efforts have linked and classified sets of text spans according to the type of discourse relation holding between them. A relatively new approach has involved annotating meta-knowledge (i.e., rhetorical intent and other types of information concerning interpretation) at the level of bio-events, which are structured representations of pieces of biomedical knowledge. In this paper, we report on the examination and comparison of transitions and patterns of event metaknowledge values that occur in both abstracts and full papers. Our analysis highlights a number of specific characteristics of event-level discourse patterns, as well as several noticeable differences between the types of patterns that occur in abstracts and full papers.
Experimental Applications of Mapping Services in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks typically gather data at a number of locations. However, it is desirable to be able to design applications and reason about the data in more abstract forms than points of data. This paper examines one way in which this can be done. By bestowing the ability to predict inter-node values upon the network, it is proposed that it will become possible to build applications that are unaware of the concrete reality of sparse data. This interpolation capability is realised as a service of the network. We present an implementation of this service and discuss its merits and shortcomings. Additionally, we present an initial application of the service in the form of isopleth generation. That is, the delineation of contours of constant parameter value. Finally, we discuss the improvements required to create more sophisticated applications and services and examine the benefits these improvements would bring.
Detection of baculovirus associated with white spot syndrome (WSBV) in penaeid shrimps using polymerase chain reaction

White spot syndrome associated baculovlrus (WSBV) is the causative agent of a dlsease which has recently caused high shrimp mortahties and severe damage to shrimp cultures. In thls study, a strain of WSBV from black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon was used to develop a diagnostlc tool for the detection of WSBV and related agent lnfect~ons in shnmp The vlnons were punfied from P monodon Infected with LVSBV V~ral genomlc DNA was extracted from purlfled vinons by treatlng the vlnons \n th proteinase K dnd cetyltnmethylammonium bromlde (CTAB) followed by phenol-chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation A qualitative assessment Ivas performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analys~s on the viral DNA and primers specif~c to shrimp genomic DNA in order to mon~ t o r shrimp DNA contamination In the viral genomic DNA preparations A WSBV genomlc DNA llbrary was constructed and based upon the sequence of the cloned WSBV DNA fragment, we deslgned a LVSBV-specific prlmer set for PCR to detect WSBV Infection in penaeld shrimp Samples which contained WSBV DNA yielded an evident ampl~f~cat lon product showing the expected moblllty of a 1447-bp DNA fragment whereas nuc le~c aclds extracted from tissue samples of clln~cally healthy shnmp showed no such DNA fragment, thereby confirming the speclficity of our pnmers By PCR with thls prlmer set, ~t was demonstrated that the causative agents of white spot syndrome in different shnmp specles are closely related An effective diagnostlc tool is thus provided for screening shnmp for \. VSBV infections, and may be important In preventing the further spread of this d~sease
Estimation of electromechanical modes under ambient condition via random decrement technique and TLS-ESPRIT algorithm

A method of estimating the electromechanical parameters using ambient data is presented in this paper. The approach consists of two steps: (1) using the random decrement technique (RDT) to get the free decay response from ambient data and (2) applying the TLS-ESPRIT algorithm to estimate the mode frequencies and damping ratios from these free decay responses estimated by RDT. The performance of the proposed method is compared with that of the RDT-Prony method using simulated data from the 16-machine test system and is seen to provide a more accurate estimation for damping ratios than RDT-Prony. The proposed method is further validated with PMU measurements from Sichuan power grid of China.
Long-term evaluation of nutritional status using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in chronic hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Hemodialysis patients very often suffer from malnutrition with net loss of body muscle and fat stores. Since protein-calorie malnutrition has been considered to be highly associated with increased morbidity and mortality, it is important that the nutritional status is evaluated accurately and that long-term evaluation of the nutritional status is performed to obtain good outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-six patients (28 men and 18 women) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis were studied. Nutritional status of the patients was examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry measurements after a hemodialysis session and 4 years after the initial measurement. RESULTS Percent fat, the ratio of body fat (BF) to weight, determined by DXA correlated positively with body mass index (BMI) calculated from weight and height. There was also a significant positive correlation between lean body mass (LBM) determined by DXA and arm muscle circumference (AMC) calculated using the anthropometric method. In the study period of 4 years, LBM and bone mineral content (BMC) observed at the end point were significantly lower than those at the start. In contrast, BF and %fat at the end point were significantly higher as compared with those at the initial measurement. CONCLUSION These results indicate that DXA is a reliable method for body composition analysis in chronic hemodialysis patients. Because the detection of early alterations in body composition may provide an early indication of the development of malnutrition, serial evaluation of body composition using DXA should be valid for assessment of the nutritional status.
Small cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx

Small cell carcinoma is predominantly found in the lung and only about 5% of small cell carcinoma cases have been noted to be extrapulmonary; these are commonly found in the esophagus, pancreas, skin, uterus, and breast. A head and neck origin for small cell carcinoma is extremely rare. Both pulmonary and extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas usually have a good response to chemotherapy initially, but a poor prognosis finally. We report here a case of small cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. The patient underwent chemotherapy and irradiation for the disease, but died of lung metastasis 38 months later.
Reliability and accuracy of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scoring

Objective:The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was developed to quantify the severity of patients’ illness, based on the degree of organ dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and the reliability of SOFA scoring. Design:Prospective study. Setting:Adult intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary academic center. Subjects:Thirty randomly selected patient cases and 20 ICU physicians. Measurements and Main Results:Each physician scored 15 patient cases. The intraclass correlation coefficient was . 889 for the total SOFA score. The weighted kappa values were moderate (0.552) for the central nervous system, good (0.634) for the respiratory system, and almost perfect (>0.8) for the other organ systems. To assess accuracy, the physicians’ scores were compared with a gold standard based on consensus of two experts. The total SOFA score was correct in 53% (n = 158) of the cases. The mean of the absolute deviations of the recorded total SOFA scores from the gold standard total SOFA scores was 0.82. Common causes of errors were inattention, calculation errors, and misinterpretation of scoring rules. Conclusions:The results of this study indicate that the reliability and the accuracy of SOFA scoring among physicians are good. We advise implementation of additional measures to further improve reliability and accuracy of SOFA scoring.
Increased Susceptibility to Ischemic Brain Injury in Cyclooxygenase-1–Deficient Mice

Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), a rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of prostanoids, is involved in selected vasodilatatory responses of the cerebral circulation. Cyclooxygenase-1–null mice were used to determine whether COX-1 influences cerebral ischemic damage. The middle cerebral artery was occluded in COX-1 −/− and +/+ mice (n = 9/group), and lesion volume was determined in thionin-stained sections 24 or 96 hours later. Middle cerebral artery occlusion produced larger infarcts in COX-1 −/− mice, both at 24 (35 ± 17%;P < 0.05) and 96 hours (41 ± 16%;P < 0.05) after ischemia. The enlargement was not due to increased susceptibility to glutamate excitotoxicity, because microinjection of N-methl- d -asparatate or kainate in the parietal cortex produced comparable lesions in COX-1 +/+ and −/− mice (P > 0.05; n = 8/group). To examine the contribution of hemodynamic factors to the enlargement of the infarct, cerebral blood flow was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry in the ischemic territory (n = 6/group). Although the reduction in cerebral blood flow was comparable in the ischemic core (P > 0.05), at the periphery of the ischemic territory the reduction was greater in COX-1 −/− mice (−58 ± 4%) than in COX-1 +/+ mice (−34 ± 5%;P < 0.05). It is concluded that mice lacking COX-1 are more susceptible to focal cerebral ischemia, an effect that can be attributed to a more severe cerebral blood flow reduction in vulnerable regions at the periphery of the ischemic territory. Thus, the vascular effects of COX-1 may contribute to maintain cerebral blood flow in the postischemic brain and, as such, play a protective role in ischemic brain injury.
Biophysical and physiological properties of a modified porcine surfactant enriched with surfactant protein A.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A), a major protein component of natural pulmonary surfactant, is absent in exogenous surfactants currently used in clinical practice. We investigated the physical and physiological properties of one of these modified natural surfactants (Curosurf) after enrichment with 5% SP-A (SP-A-Curosurf). A pulsating bubble system was used for in vitro assessments and ventilated newborn rabbits for evaluation of in vivo effects. In the presence of various potential inhibitors (meconium 5 mg.mL-1, fibrinogen 5 mg.mL-1, albumin 25 mg.mL-1, or whole serum proteins 25 mg.mL-1), Curosurf at a concentration of 5 mg.mL-1 was inactivated while SP-A-Curosurf and natural porcine surfactant at the same concentration had normal maximum and minimum surface tension. This protective effect of SP-A was calcium dependent. In immature newborn rabbits, the improvement of lung-thorax compliance observed after treatment with 100 mg.kg-1 of SP-A-Curosurf was equivalent to that obtained with 200 mg.kg-1 of Curosurf. Similarly, in near-term newborn rabbits with respiratory failure induced by instillation of fibrinogen via the airways, the increase in compliance after administration of 100 mg.kg-1 of SP-A-Curosurf corresponded to that seen after treatment with 200 mg.kg-1 of Curosurf, whereas Curosurf at a dose of 100 mg.kg-1 had no substantial effect. Our data thus indicate that surfactant protein A increases the resistance of Curosurf to inactivation under in vivo conditions.
Phosphoproteome analysis demonstrates the potential role of THRAP3 phosphorylation in androgen‐independent prostate cancer cell growth

Elucidating the androgen‐independent growth mechanism is critical for developing effective treatment strategies to combat androgen‐independent prostate cancer. We performed a comparative phosphoproteome analysis using a prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP, and an LNCaP‐derived androgen‐independent cell line, LNCaP‐AI, to identify phosphoproteins involved in this mechanism. We performed quantitative comparisons of the phosphopeptide levels in tryptic digests of protein extracts from these cell lines using MS. We found that the levels of 69 phosphopeptides in 66 proteins significantly differed between LNCaP and LNCaP‐AI. In particular, we focused on thyroid hormone receptor associated protein 3 (THRAP3), which is a known transcriptional coactivator of the androgen receptor. The phosphorylation level of THRAP3 was significantly lower at S248 and S253 in LNCaP‐AI cells. Furthermore, pull‐down assays showed that 32 proteins uniquely bound to the nonphosphorylatable mutant form of THRAP3, whereas 31 other proteins uniquely bound to the phosphorylation‐mimic form. Many of the differentially interacting proteins were identified as being involved with RNA splicing and processing. These results suggest that the phosphorylation state of THRAP3 at S248 and S253 might be involved in the mechanism of androgen‐independent prostate cancer cell growth by changing the interaction partners.
Communication in diagnostic radiology: meeting the challenges of complexity.

OBJECTIVE As patients and information flow through the imaging process, value is added step-by-step when information is acquired, interpreted, and communicated back to the referring clinician. However, radiology information systems are often plagued with communication errors and delays. This article presents theories and recommends strategies to continuously improve communication in the complex environment of modern radiology. CONCLUSION Communication theories, methods, and systems that have proven their effectiveness in other environments can serve as models for radiology.
Link Availability Estimation for Modified AOMDV Protocol

 Abstract — Routing in adhoc networks is a challenge as nodes are mobile, and links are constantly created and broken. Present on-demand adhoc routing algorithms initiate route discovery after a path breaks, incurring significant cost to detect disconnection and establish a new route. Specifically, when a path is about to be broken, the source is warned of the likelihood of a disconnection. The source then initiates path discovery early, avoiding disconnection totally. A path is considered about to break when link availability decreases. This study modifies Adhoc On-demand Multipath Distance Vector routing (AOMDV) so that route handoff occurs through link availability estimation.