Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glioma and occupational exposure in Sweden, a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to analyse whether any job titles, industrial codes, and certain occupational exposures were associated with an increased risk of glioma. METHODS: A population based case-control study of incident primary brain tumours in adults was carried out in Uppsala, Sweden in the period 1987-90. The study included 192 cases of glioma and 192 matched controls. It also included cases with other tumours of the central nervous system with matched controls. Information from all 343 controls was used in this study. Information was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all subjects. An occupational hygienist reviewed the questionnaires for self reported exposures to substances and assessed whether these reported exposures were plausible or not in the corresponding occupation. RESULTS: The kappa coefficient for those classified by the two methods ranged between 0.46 and 0.88, and they were almost the same for cases and controls. For men exposed to solvents a relative risk (RR) of 2.6 (95% CI 1.3 to 5.2) was found. For men exposed to pesticides the RR was 1.8 (95% CI 0.6 to 5.1), and for plastic materials the RR was 3.6 (95% CI 1.0 to 12.4). For men employed in forestry and logging the RR was 2.2 (95% CI 0.9 to 5.3) and in basic metal industries 2.0 (95% CI 1.0 to 4.0). CONCLUSION: An increased risk of glioma was associated with use of solvents, pesticides, and plastic materials but this should be interpreted with some caution.
Cotranscriptional Recognition of Human Intronic Box H/ACA snoRNAs Occurs in a Splicing-Independent Manner

ABSTRACT Processing from pre-mRNA introns is a widespread mechanism to generate human box C/D and H/ACA snoRNAs. Recent studies revealed that an optimal position relative to the 3′ splice site is important for efficient processing of most box C/D snoRNAs and that assembly of box C/D snoRNPs is stimulated by splicing factors likely bound to the branch point region. Here we have investigated the processing of another major class of human intron-encoded RNAs, the box H/ACA snoRNAs. Analysis of 80 H/ACA RNA genes revealed that human H/ACA RNAs possess no preferential localization close to the 3′ or 5′ splice site. In vivo processing experiments confirmed that H/ACA intronic snoRNAs are processed in a position-independent manner, indicating that there is no synergy between H/ACA RNA processing and splicing. We also showed that recognition of intronic H/ACA snoRNAs and assembly of pre-snoRNPs is an early event that occurs during transcription elongation parallel with pre-mRNA splice site selection. Finally, we found that efficient processing and correct nucleolar localization of the human U64 H/ACA snoRNA requires RNA polymerase II-mediated synthesis of the U64 precursor. This suggests that polymerase II-associated factors direct the efficient assembly and determine the correct subnuclear trafficking of human H/ACA snoRNPs.
Cutaneous burns caused by sulfuric acid drain cleaner.

BACKGROUND Highly concentrated solutions of sulfuric acid are available to unclog drains. We have noted a substantial number of both accidental and intentional cutaneous burns caused by these agents. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of children and adults who sustained sulfuric acid burns over a 13-year period ending in May 1996. Reports of injuries related to drain cleaners filed with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission between 1991 and 1995 were also reviewed. RESULTS Twenty-one patients (13 children, 8 adults) sustained cutaneous burns caused by concentrated sulfuric acid solutions. In 8 instances, the burn was accidental, whereas in 13 cases, sulfuric acid was used as a weapon. Median total body surface area burned was 5% (range, 1-25%). Approximately 50% of burns involved the face and neck. Skin grafting was required in 14 patients (66%). It is estimated that nationwide approximately 3,000 injuries per year are related to drain cleaners and that one-third of these involve cutaneous burns. CONCLUSION Highly concentrated sulfuric acid drain cleaner can produce full-thickness cutaneous burns that require skin grafting in the majority of cases. Proper use of these agents and sequestering them from children may reduce accidental contact; however, their abuse as agents of assault remains a source of significant morbidity.
Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Aedes albopictus in Northwestern Greece and Differentiation from Aedes cretinus and Aedes aegypti

Abstract The presence of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) was recently confirmed for the first time in northwestern Greece. This location is within the distribution range of a morphologically similar species, Aedes cretinus Edwards, and is a potentially favorable region for the reintroduction of Aedes aegypti (L.). It was thus compelling to use methods in addition to morphology-based keys to correctly identify specimens badly damaged, rubbed, or otherwise altered in their external characteristics. It was decided to use molecular techniques as a novel and reliable method for differentiating the three Stegomyia species. The nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) fragments from morphologically identified Ae. albopictus and Ae. cretinus specimens were amplified, and their sequences were compared with those in GenBank for Ae. albopictus, Ae. cretinus, and Ae. aegypti. Also, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) fragments were amplified for Ae. albopictus and Ae. cretinus (so far not available in GenBank) and compared with Ae. aegypti fragments. ITS2 and COI sequences generated in our study were deposited in GenBank and could be useful in future studies of mosquitoes by other research workers.
The balance between proinsulin biosynthesis and insulin secretion: where can imbalance lead?

Insulin is stored in pancreatic β‐cells in β‐granules. Whenever insulin is secreted in response to a nutrient secretagogue, there is a complementary increase in proinsulin biosynthesis to replenish intracellular insulin stores. This specific nutrient regulation of proinsulin biosynthesis is predominately regulated at the translational level. Recently, a highly conserved cis‐element in the 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) of preproinsulin mRNA, named ppIGE, has been identified that is required for specific translational regulation of proinsulin biosynthesis. This ppIGE is also found in the 5′‐UTR of certain other translationally regulated β‐granule protein mRNAs, including the proinsulin processing endopeptidases, PC1/3 and PC2. This provides a mechanism whereby proinsulin processing is adaptable to changes in proinsulin biosynthesis. However, relatively few β‐granules undergo secretion, with most remaining in the storage pool for ∼5 days. Aged β‐granules are retired by intracellular degradation mechanisms, either via crinophagy and/or autophagy, as another long‐term means of maintaining β‐granule stores at optimal levels. When a disconnection between insulin production and secretion arises, as may occur in type 2 diabetes, autophagy further increases to maintain β‐granule numbers. However, if this increased autophagy becomes chronic, autophagia‐mediated cell death occurs that could then contribute to β‐cell loss in type 2 diabetes.
Early-life-failure detection using SAT-based ATPG

Early-life failures (ELF) result from weak chips that may pass manufacturing tests but fail early in the field, much earlier than expected product lifetime. Recent experimental studies over a range of technologies have demonstrated that ELF defects result in changes in delays over time inside internal nodes of a logic circuit before functional failure occurs. Such changes in delays are distinct from delay degradation caused by circuit aging mechanisms such as Bias Temperature Instability. Traditional transition fault or robust path delay fault test patterns are inadequate for detecting such ELF-induced changes in delays because they do not model the demanding detection conditions precisely. In this paper, we present an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) technique based on Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) for detecting ELF-induced delay changes at all gates in a given circuit. Our simulation results, using various circuit blocks from the industrial OpenSPARC T2 design as well as standard benchmarks, demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of our approach in achieving high coverage of ELF-induced delay change detection. We also demonstrate the robustness of our approach to manufacturing process variations.
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-N-{4-[(5-methyl-1,2-oxazol-3-yl)sulfamoyl]phenyl}benzamide methanol monosolvate

The title compound, C19H19N3O7S·CH3OH, was synthesized from syringic acid and sulfamethoxazole. The benzene rings make a dihedral angle of 41.8 (1)° and the isoxazole ring is twisted by 74.3 (1)° from the central benzene ring. The crystal packing features O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds in which the hydroxy groups from the main molecule and methanol solvent molecules serve as donor groups.
Matrine induces apoptosis in angiotensin II‐stimulated hyperplasia of cardiac fibroblasts: effects on Bcl‐2/Bax expression and caspase‐3 activation

Recent studies demonstrated that matrine (an active component from Chinese traditional herb medicine)prevented cardiac remodeling in vivo and inhibited cardiac fibroblast proliferation in vitr. Matrine is reported to induce apoptosis in a series of tumor cell lines and skin fibroblasts. It’s effect on the apoptosis of cardiac fibroblast has yet to be evaluated. The present study is designed to assess the effect of matrine on angiotensin II‐induced hyperplastic growth of cardiac fibroblasts. Cardiac fibroblasts were prepared from hearts of neonatal Kunming mice by collagenase disruption. Cultured cardiac fibroblasts were either not treated, treated with 0.1 μM angiotensin II, or matrine (2.0~4.0 mM) alone, or matrine plus angiotensin II for 12~72 hours. We found that matrine significantly, dose‐ and time‐dependently inhibited angiotensin II‐induced cell proliferation. Matrine addition to the culture medium led to most cells arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, the fraction of cells in S phase was markedly decreased and the cells in sub‐G1 phase was marked increased compared to control and angiotensin II alone groups. Apoptosis index in matrine treatment group was markedly increased, accompanied by a down‐regulation in Bcl‐2/Bax ratio and an up‐regulation in cleaved caspase‐3 activity. These results suggest that matrine can induce apoptosis, thereby inhibit angiotensin‐II induced hyperplasic growth of cardiac fibroblasts. The regulations of matrine on Bcl‐2/Bax expression and caspase‐3 activation may be the pro‐apoptotic mechanisms involved.
The within‐host dynamics of infection in trans‐generationally primed flour beetles

Many taxa exhibit plastic immune responses initiated after primary microbial exposure that provide increased protection against disease‐induced mortality and the fitness costs of infection. In several arthropod species, this protection can even be passed from parents to offspring through a phenomenon called trans‐generational immune priming. Here, we first demonstrate that trans‐generational priming is a repeatable phenomenon in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum) primed and infected with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). We then quantify the within‐host dynamics of microbes and host physiological responses in infected offspring from primed and unprimed mothers by monitoring bacterial density and using mRNA‐seq to profile host gene expression, respectively, over the acute infection period. We find that priming increases inducible resistance against Bt around a critical temporal juncture where host septicaemic trajectories, and consequently survival, may be determined in unprimed individuals. Our results identify a highly differentially expressed biomarker of priming, containing an EIF4‐e domain, in uninfected individuals, as well as several other candidate genes. Moreover, the induction and decay dynamics of gene expression over time suggest a metabolic shift in primed individuals. The identified bacterial and gene expression dynamics are likely to influence patterns of bacterial fitness and disease transmission in natural populations.
Consequences of persistent pain after lung cancer surgery: a nationwide questionnaire study

Background: Post‐thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) and its social consequences have been inconsistently investigated as most studies were either small sized, focused on a limited number of risk factors or included heterogeneous surgical procedures. The current objectives were to obtain detailed information on the consequences of PTPS after thoracotomy and video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) from homogenous unselected nationwide data, and to suggest mechanisms for the development of PTPS.
Autonomic Grid Node Organization and Management in RNMS

Due to the dynamic characteristic of nodes in the Grid environment, the state of nodes need be efficiently monitored. Grid node organization, deployment, configuration and management problems of Grid monitoring system are the closely-related. Benefiting from self-management and self-configuration thinking of Autonomic Computing, the node self-organization mechanism and node initialization algorithm are put forward. Based on the self-organization, the self-monitoring and self-management mechanism of node are researched, making it possible to monitor the whole lifecycle of Grid node, from the initialization of joining the Grid environment to the leaving.
Molecular mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangement in fungi.

Both sexual and asexual fungi undergo chromosomal rearrangements, which are the main cause of karyotype variability among the populations. Different recombination processes can produce chromosomal reorganizations, both during mitosis and meiosis, but other mechanisms operate to limit the extent of the rearrangements; some of these mechanisms, such as the RIP (repeat-induced point mutations) of Neurospora crassa, have been well established for sexual fungi. In laboratory strains, treatments such as mutation and transformation enhance the appearance of chromosomal rearrangements. Different DNA sequences present in fungal genomes are able to promote these reorganizations; some of these sequences are involved in well-regulated processes (e.g., site-specific recombination) but most of them act simply as substrates for recombination events leading to DNA rearrangements. In Penicillium chrysogenum we have found that short specific DNA sequences are involved in tandem reiterations leading to amplification of the cluster of the penicillin biosynthesis genes. In some cases, specific chromosomal rearrangements have been associated with particular phenotypes (as occurs in adaptive-like mutants of Candida albicans and Candida stellatoidea), and they may play a role in genetic variability for environmental adaptation.
Movement Disorders in Sleep: Parkinson’s Disease and Restless Legs Syndrome. Motorische Störungen im Schlaf: M. Parkinson und Restless Legs Syndrom

In recent years, sleep abnormalities have increasingly been observed in patients with movement disorders. During sleep, most patients with Parkinson's disease also exhibit the movements characteristically seen during the wake period. Movement activity during sleep may impair sleep quality and lead to daytime sleepiness and reduced quality of life. Disordered REM sleep with enhanced muscle tone is common in patients with neurodegenerative disease, and may precede the clinically evident symptoms of Parkinson's disease by years. Sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease are common, and require the application of individual treatment strategies. A further frequent disorder primarily classified as a sleep disorder (dyssomnia) is the restless legs syndrome (RLS), which is closely related to the nocturnal periodic limb movement disorder and affects up to 15% of the population. The present review focuses on nocturnal motor activity and sleep in Parkinson's disease and RLS.
Development of PCR-based hybridization protocol for identification of streptococcal species

16S rRNA of Streptococcus agalactiae, S. uberis, and S. parauberis was bound to streptavidin-coated magnetic beads by using a biotinylated oligonucleotide probe complementary to a highly conserved region of the molecule. In-solution hybridization of radiolabelled oligonucleotide probes to immobilized 16S rRNA allowed the specific identification of S. agalactiae and S. parauberis but not S. uberis. PCR was used to amplify a species-specific region of the 16S rRNA gene from these species. One of the PCR primers was biotinylated at the 5' end to allow purification of the amplified product on streptavidin-coated magnetic beads and subsequent denaturation to yield immobilized single-stranded DNA. Radiolabelled oligonucleotide probes were hybridized in solution to the single-stranded target molecule and enabled species-specific identification of the target organism. This protocol overcame problems associated with hybridization of the S. uberis-specific probe to 16S rRNA in solution. A similar procedure may enable the specific detection of other streptococci which exhibit a species-specific sequence in this region of the gene.
Nest inundation from sea-level rise threatens sea turtle population viability

Contemporary sea-level rise will inundate coastal habitats with seawater more frequently, disrupting the life cycles of terrestrial fauna well before permanent habitat loss occurs. Sea turtles are reliant on low-lying coastal habitats worldwide for nesting, where eggs buried in the sand remain vulnerable to inundation until hatching. We show that saltwater inundation directly lowers the viability of green turtle eggs (Chelonia mydas) collected from the world's largest green turtle nesting rookery at Raine Island, Australia, which is undergoing enigmatic decline. Inundation for 1 or 3 h reduced egg viability by less than 10%, whereas inundation for 6 h reduced viability by approximately 30%. All embryonic developmental stages were vulnerable to mortality from saltwater inundation. Although the hatchlings that emerged from inundated eggs displayed normal physical and behavioural traits, hypoxia during incubation could influence other aspects of the physiology or behaviour of developing embryos, such as learning or spatial orientation. Saltwater inundation can directly lower hatching success, but it does not completely explain the consistently low rates of hatchling production observed on Raine Island. More frequent nest inundation associated with sea-level rise will increase variability in sea turtle hatching success spatially and temporally, due to direct and indirect impacts of saltwater inundation on developing embryos.
Effect of remifentanil with and without atropine on heart rate variability and RR interval in children

Remifentanil can cause bradycardia either by parasympathetic activation or by other negative chronotropic effects. The high frequency (HF) component of heart rate variability (HRV) is a marker of parasympathetic activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of remifentanil on RR interval and on HRV in children. Forty children ASA I or II were studied after approval by the human studies committee and informed parental consent was obtained. After stabilisation at sevoflurane 1 MAC, they were randomly divided into two groups: one received a 20 μg. kg−1 atropine injection (AT + REMI) and the other ringer lactate solution (REMI). Three minutes later, a 1 μg. kg−1 bolus of remifentanil was administered over 1 min, followed by a continual infusion at 0.25 μg. kg−1.min−1 for 10 min increased to 0.5 μg. kg−1.min−1 for a further 10 min. A time varying, autoregressive analysis of RR sequences was used to estimate classical spectral parameters: low (0.04–0.15 Hz; LF) and high (0.15–0.45 Hz; HF) frequency, whereas the root mean square of successive differences of RR intervals (rmssd) was derived directly from the temporal sequence. Statistical analyses were conducted by means of the multiple correspondence analysis and with non parametrical tests. Remifentanil induced an RR interval lengthening, i.e. bradycardia, in both groups compared to pretreatment values and was associated with an increase of HF and rmssd only for the REMI group. The parasympathetic inhibition by atropine did not totally prevent remifentanil's negative chronotropic effect. A direct negative chronotropic effect of remifentanil is proposed.
Fate of follicular ovarian cysts in early postpartum dairy cows treated with PRID/PGF or PRID/PGF plus eCG.

OBJECTIVE To ultrasonographically investigate the effect of administration of exogenous progesterone using a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (PRID), with or without the addition of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), to cows with cystic ovarian disease (COD) in the first month postpartum. MATERIAL AND METHOD Thirty-three dairy cows (n = 11/group) diagnosed with COD between day 20 and 30 postpartum were randomly assigned to treatment groups (TG) PRID/PGF and PRID/PGF+eCG or a control group (CG). The CG remained untreated during the 20-day study period, which started on the day the diagnosis was made (day 0). Cows of group PRID/PGF received a PRID, which was removed on day 10, at which time PGF2α was given intravenously. Cows of the PRID/PGF+eCG group additionally received eCG on day 7 intravenously. Ovarian ultrasonography and blood sampling for measurement of plasma progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17β (E2) were done on days 0, 7, 10, 13, and 20 in the TG and on days 0, 10, and 20 in the CG. RESULTS On day 0, all cows had follicular cysts, six of which developed into luteal cysts in the CG. The mean cyst diameter remained unchanged in the CG and decreased in the TG by day 20 (p < 0.01). All treated cows ovulated and formed at least one corpus luteum (CL) after PRID removal, but only two control cows ovulated (p < 0.05). Of 12 ovulatory follicles in the TG dominant on day 7, eight formed a CL with a cavity, whereas of 10 ovulatory follicles in the same groups, dominant on day 10, only one formed a CL with a cavity (p < 0.05). The diameters of follicles, that formed a CL with a cavity, were larger on day 10 (p < 0.01). Mean P4 concentrations on day 0 were ≤ 1 ng/ml in all groups. P4 concentration increased during treatment and decreased below 1 ng/ml after PRID removal (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Treatment with PRID alone led to resolution of COD in all cows and therefore the additional benefit of eCG could not be critically assessed. CL with a cavity more often originate from larger and older dominant ovulatory follicles.