Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Serum Leptin to Adiponectin Ratio on Regression of Metabolic Syndrome in High-Risk Individuals: The ARIRANG Study

Purpose The ratio of serum leptin to adiponectin (L/A ratio) could be used as a marker for insulin resistance. However, few prospective studies have investigated the impact of L/A ratio on improvement of metabolic components in high-risk individuals with metabolic syndrome. We examined the association between L/A ratio and the regression of metabolic syndrome in a population-based longitudinal study. Materials and Methods A total of 1017 subjects (431 men and 586 women) with metabolic syndrome at baseline (2005–2008) were examined and followed (2008–2011). Baseline serum levels of leptin and adiponectin were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) analyses were used to assess the predictive ability of L/A ratio for the regression of metabolic syndrome. Results During an average of 2.8 years of follow-up, metabolic syndrome disappeared in 142 men (32.9%) and 196 women (33.4%). After multivariable adjustment, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for regression of metabolic syndrome in comparisons of the lowest to the highest tertiles of L/A ratio were 1.84 (1.02–3.31) in men and 2.32 (1.37–3.91) in women. In AUROC analyses, L/A ratio had a greater predictive power than serum adiponectin for the regression of metabolic syndrome in both men (p=0.024) and women (p=0.019). Conclusion Low L/A ratio is a predictor for the regression of metabolic syndrome. The L/A ratio could be a useful clinical marker for management of high-risk individuals with metabolic syndrome.
Plasma leptin levels are increased in survivors of acute sepsis: associated loss of diurnal rhythm, in cortisol and leptin secretion.

Recent animal and human studies have suggested that leptin secretion is closely linked to the functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system, both of which are crucial in influencing the course and outcome of critical illness. Therefore, we measured basal plasma leptin levels and examined the circadian secretion of leptin, in parallel with the hormones of the HPA axis and a key cytokine, interleukin-6, in critically ill patients with acute sepsis. Sixteen critically ill patients from the University of Leipzig Intensive Care Unit were recruited for this study. All of these patients fulfilled the standard diagnostic criteria for sepsis. Plasma leptin levels were measured in all patients and controls at 09:00. In addition, in a subgroup of eight critically ill patients and all of the nine controls plasma leptin, cortisol, ACTH and interleukin-6 concentrations were measured every 4 hours for 24 hours. Mean plasma leptin levels were three-fold higher (18.9 +/- 4.5 ng/ml) in critically ill patients than controls (3.8 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, p < 0.05). Similarly, ACTH levels were lower (7.8 +/- 3.4 pmol/l) in patients than in controls (17.1 +/- 1.5 pmol/l, p < .001), while plasma cortisol levels were increased (947.6 +/- 144 nmol/l) in patients compared to controls (361.1 +/- 29, p < 0.001). Morning plasma interleukin-6 levels were markedly elevated in all patients with sepsis (1238.0 +/- 543.1 pg/ml) versus controls (6.4 +/- 1.7, p < 0.001). The controls exhibited a nyctohemeral fluctuation in plasma leptin levels with peak levels at 23:00; in contrast, septic patients, had no nocturnal rise of leptin. In healthy controls, plasma leptin and cortisol had reciprocal circadian rhythms with high nocturnal leptin levels and low nocturnal cortisol concentrations; in critically ill patients, this relation was abolished. Mean leptin levels were three-fold higher in patients who survived the septic episode (25.5 +/- 6.2, n = 10) than in non-survivors (8.0 +/- 3.7, n = 6, p < 0.01). We conclude that in addition to its function as an anti-obesity factor, leptin may play a role in a severe stress state such as acute sepsis.
Distress Levels among Parents of Active Duty Soldiers during Wartime

Objective: Military service is a highly stressful period both for the soldiers serving and for their parents. Surprisingly, parents’ experience has been mostly ignored in the research. This study’s goal is to shed light on the experience and distress levels of parents of active duty combat soldiers during Operation Protective Edge, a military operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces during July and August of 2014. Methods: During the advanced stages of the operation, 69 parents of Israeli male combat soldiers (55 mothers and 14 fathers) completed an online survey measuring symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD-Checklist-5) and distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18). Participants were recruited using a convenience sample, by posting ads on the public Facebook pages of the researchers and of the groups dedicated to parents of Israeli soldiers. Results: Parents’ depression and anxiety symptom levels were higher than depression and anxiety symptom levels of the adult community norms in Israel. General distress rates of parents were similar to those presented by adults in southern Israel who were exposed for 7 years to the ongoing threat of daily rocket fire from Gaza, and higher than rates of a non-threatened Israeli population. Finally, 20.2% of the parents presented PTSD-like symptoms, a higher percentage than the probable PTSD diagnosis rates that were found in the general population in Israel during previous terror waves. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of soldiers’ parents’ distress and indicates the need for a better understanding of the impact of military service on soldiers’ parents.
Ambulatory arterial stiffness index is associated with impaired left atrial mechanical functions in hypertensive diabetic patients: A speckle tracking study

Objective: The ambulatory arterial stiffness index has been proposed as an indicator of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that increased ambulatory arterial stiffness index might be related with impaired left atrial function in hypertensive diabetic patients with no previous history of cardiovascular disease. Methods: Inclusion criteria included office systolic BP> 130 mm Hg or diastolic BP> 80 mm Hg and absence of secondary causes of HT, whereas exclusion criteria LV ejection fraction <50%, history of significant coronary artery disease, chronic renal failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, second or third-degree atrioventricular block, moderate to severe valvular heart disease, history of cerebrovascular disease, non-dipper hypertensive pattern and sleep apnea. The study was composed of 121 hypertensive diabetic patients. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography were performed in each patient. The relationship between ambulatory arterial stiffness index and left atrial functions was analyzed. AASI was calculated as 1 minus the regression slope of diastolic BP plotted against systolic BP obtained through individual 24-h ABPM. Results: The univariate analysis showed that ambulatory arterial stiffness index was positively correlated with age (r=:0.287, p=:0.001), hypertension duration (r=:0.388, p<0.001), fasting plasma glucose (r=:0.224, p=:0.014), HbA1c (r=:0.206, p=:0.023), LDL cholesterol (r=:0.254, p=:0.005), and also overall pulse pressure (r=:0.195, p=:0.002), office-pulse pressure (r=:0.188, p=:0.039), carotid intima-media thickness (r=:0.198, p=:0.029), E/E’ (r=:0.248, p=:0.006), and left atrial volume index (r=:0.237, p=:0.009). Moreover, ambulatory arterial stiffness index was negatively correlated with eGFR (r=:(-) 0.242, p=:0.008), peak left atrial strain during ventricular systole [S-LAs (r=:(-) 0.654, p<0.001)], peak left atrial strain at early diastole [S-LAe (r=:(-)0.215, p=:0.018)], and peak left atrial strain rate during ventricular systole [SR-LAs (r=:(-) 0.607, p<0.001)]. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that ambulatory arterial stiffness index was independently associated with peak left atrial strain rate during ventricular systole (SR-LAs) (p<0.001). Conclusion: In hypertensive diabetic patients, increased ambulatory arterial stiffness index is associated with impaired left atrial functions, independent of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.
Isolation of Bacillus strains from the rhizosphere of cereals and in vitro screening for antagonism against phytopathogenic, food‐borne pathogenic and spoilage micro‐organisms

Bacillus strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of cereals in order to be used as natural biocontrol agents (BCAs). They were screened for antagonism in vitro against various test micro‐organisms. The isolates showing antagonism were identified to species level. A combination of techniques was employed for the isolation of Bacillus species. Using the direct method, only one of the 25 isolates screened showed antagonistic properties. This strain (IFS‐01) was identified by means of API test strips and the ATB Plus computer programme. It proved to be Bacillus subtilis and consequently has been designated as Bacillus subtilis IFS‐01. This strain produced either a broad spectrum antimicrobial compound or several compounds with different activities. The fungi and Gram‐positive bacteria were more sensitive to the antagonistic isolate than the Gram‐negative bacteria. A Bacillus strain producing BCAs which can be used as biopesticides or organic preservatives has been isolated and identified.
Detection and differentiation of Vibrio vulnificus and V. sinaloensis in water and oysters of a Gulf of Mexico estuary.

Vibrio vulnificus is a potentially lethal human pathogen that occurs naturally in estuarine waters and shellfish. Vibrio vulnificus was quantified in water and oysters from Florida's Gulf Coast by plating on mCPC agar, enrichment and plating, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Vibrio vulnificus was detected in 19%, 29%, and 97% of samples respectively by direct plating, qPCR, and enrichment. Only 8% of typical colonies from direct plating were confirmed by PCR for vvhA; others yielded no or atypically sized amplicons. Sequencing of the 16S rDNA of 16 vvhA-negative isolates with colony morphology typical of V. vulnificus identified 75% as V. sinaloensis. In vitro growth curves showed that V. sinaloensis grew more rapidly than V. vulnificus in seawater at temperatures ≤ 30°C. In contrast, the growth rate of V. vulnificus in alkaline peptone water was greater than that of V. sinaloensis, suggesting that these species can outcompete one another under conditions that are relevant to environmental parameters or regulatory monitoring regimes respectively. The virulence potential and ecology of V. sinaloensis are poorly understood; however, its phenotypic resemblance to V. vulnificus and the possibility that it could outcompete the pathogen in warm, estuarine waters argue for the need for a better understanding of this newly described Vibrio species.
Coincident membranous glomerulonephritis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: Questioning the autoimmunity hypothesis

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) are both autoimmune disorders that are rarely observed concurrently. We describe a patient who developed MGN nearly 20 years after the onset of CIDP, resulting in a secondary progression of his neuropathy. He responded dramatically to a novel regimen of plasma exchange and methotrexate. We propose a mechanism other than autoimmunity for the coincidence of these disorders and discuss the theoretical superiority of the treatment regimen that he received. Muscle Nerve, 2007
Assessment of Immune Interference, Antagonism, and Diversion following Human Immunization with Biallelic Blood-Stage Malaria Viral-Vectored Vaccines and Controlled Malaria Infection

Overcoming antigenic variation is one of the major challenges in the development of an effective vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum, a causative agent of human malaria. Inclusion of multiple Ag variants in subunit vaccine candidates is one strategy that has aimed to overcome this problem for the leading blood-stage malaria vaccine targets, that is, merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and apical membrane Ag 1 (AMA1). However, previous studies, utilizing malaria Ags, have concluded that inclusion of multiple allelic variants, encoding altered peptide ligands, in such a vaccine may be detrimental to both the priming and in vivo restimulation of Ag-experienced T cells. In this study, we analyze the T cell responses to two alleles of MSP1 and AMA1 induced by vaccination of malaria-naive adult volunteers with bivalent viral-vectored vaccine candidates. We show a significant bias to the 3D7/MAD20 allele compared with the Wellcome allele for the 33 kDa region of MSP1, but not for the 19 kDa fragment or the AMA1 Ag. Although this bias could be caused by “immune interference” at priming, the data do not support a significant role for “immune antagonism” during memory T cell restimulation, despite observation of the latter at a minimal epitope level in vitro. A lack of class I HLA epitopes in the Wellcome allele that are recognized by vaccinated volunteers may in fact contribute to the observed bias. We also show that controlled infection with 3D7 strain P. falciparum parasites neither boosts existing 3D7-specific T cell responses nor appears to “immune divert” cellular responses toward the Wellcome allele.
Entry and Technological Performance in New Technology Domains: Technological Opportunities, Technology Competition and Technological Relatedness

Entry and success in new technology domains (NTDs) is essential for firms’ long-term performance. We argue that firms' choices to enter NTDs and their subsequent performance in these domains are not only governed by firm–level factors but also by environmental characteristics. Entry is encouraged by the richness of opportunities for technology development, while technology competition by incumbent firms discourages entry and render entries that do take place less successful. Firms are expected to be positioned heterogeneously to recognize and capitalize on technological opportunities, depending on the presence of a related technology base. We find qualified support for these conjectures in a longitudinal analysis of entry and technological performance in NTDs by 176 R&D intensive firms. While opportunity rich technology environments attract entries by firms even if these NTDs are distal from firms’ existing technologies, firms require related technological expertise in order to exploit technological opportunities post-entry.
Deconstructing the familiality of variability in momentary negative and positive affect

Objective: The daily life, affective phenotypes of momentary negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA) variability and NA variability are associated with future depressive symptomatology. This study investigates the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to the inter‐individual differences in these daily life, affective phenotypes.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Importance of Early Treatment; Efficient Treatment with Electrosurgery

BACKGROUND Hidradenitis suppurativa is a challenging condition, both for the physicians and for the patients. Many surgical and medical approaches with different success rates have been undertaken. Early and appropriate intervention is a factor that significantly increases the success rate of the treatment of the disease. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of electrosurgery treatment in early hidradenitis suppurativa. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study comprised 12 patients aged between 29 and 38 years (mean, 34 years) with a diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa Grade I (n=9) or Grade II (n=3). A surgical method consisted of excision of the areas with nodules and sinuses, up to the level of subcutaneous fat tissue, and leaving the surgical defect for secondary healing. RESULTS All patients completed the study. In 10 of 12 (83%) patients, 26 of 30 (86%) lesions, cure was observed in a mean of 16 days (range 15 to 21 days). Four lesions in 2 patients with Grade II became infected and required a short course of antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION Electrosurgery will decrease the need for other systemic treatments, owing to its high cure rates. Our results showed that electrosurgery should be considered a top alternative in the treatment algorithm of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Correlation of specific immune responses with survival in melanoma patients with distant metastases receiving polyvalent melanoma cell vaccine.

PURPOSE The mechanisms that underlie the clinical efficacy of melanoma vaccines are not well understood. We hypothesized that the type and strength of the immune response generated by CancerVax (John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA), a polyvalent melanoma cell vaccine (PMCV), might be correlated with its effect on overall survival (OS). PATIENTS AND METHODS Seventy-seven patients began PMCV therapy after complete surgical resection of distant metastatic melanoma. During the first two treatments, PMCV was administered with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Blood was drawn at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks to measure serum titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies against a tumor-associated 90-kd glycoprotein antigen (TA90) expressed on most melanoma cells, including those of PMCV. Cellular immune response to PMCV was assessed by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). General immune competence was assessed by skin tests to purified protein derivative (PPD), mumps, and candida. RESULTS Median follow-up time was 31.5 months. Within the first 12 weeks of PMCV immunotherapy, there was a significant increase in the anti-TA90 IgM (P=.0001) and IgG titers (P=.0001), and in the DTH response to PMCV (P=.0001). Univariate analysis showed that high anti-TA90 IgM titer and strong PMCV-DTH were associated with improved survival (P=.051 and .0173, respectively), whereas elevated anti-TA90 IgG was correlated with decreased survival (P=.0119). Multivariate analysis considering clinical variables and PMCV immune responses identified anti-TA90 IgM, anti-TA90 IgG, and PMCV-DTH as significant independent variables influencing survival following PMCV immunotherapy (P=.0342, .0105, and .0082, respectively). These responses to PMCV were not correlated with immune responses to BCG and therefore were not a manifestation of general immune competence for responses to unrelated antigens. The median survival time and 5-year survival rate were more than 76 months and 75%, respectively, if both anti-TA90 IgM and PMCV-DTH responses were strong (> or = 800 and > or = 7 mm, respectively; n=29); 32 months and 36%, respectively, if only one response was strong (n=35); and 19 months and 8%, respectively, if neither was strong (n=13) (P < .0001). CONCLUSION PMCV induces both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to melanoma-associated tumor antigens, the type and strength of which appear to be directly related to its therapeutic efficacy.
Silicone-Acrylate Contact Lenses for Myopia Control: 3-Year Results

One hundred myopic children between the ages of 8 and 13 years were fitted with Paraperm O2plus silicone-acrylate contact lenses. After 3 years of lens wear, the mean increase in myopia for the 56 subjects remaining in the study was 0.48 D (±0.70) D as compared with 1.53 (±0.81) D for a group of spectacle-wearing myopes matched for initial age and initial refractive error. The mean change in corneal refracting power for the contact lens wearers was a decrease (corneal flattening) of 0.37 (±0.32) D. Assuming that little or no corneal change would have occurred in the absence of the contact lenses, we may conclude that corneal flattening (as measured by the keratometer) accounts for less than half of the effect of contact lenses in controlling myopia progression. A possible explanation for this disparity is that although the keratometer provides a valid measurement of corneal refracting power for a “normal” cornea, it fails to provide a valid measurement for a cornea that has been flattened by wearing a contact lens.
A Novel N-terminal Isoform of the Neuron-specific K-Cl Cotransporter KCC2*

The neuronal K-Cl cotransporter KCC2 maintains the low intracellular chloride concentration required for the hyperpolarizing actions of inhibitory neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid and glycine in the central nervous system. This study shows that the mammalian KCC2 gene (alias Slc12a5) generates two neuron-specific isoforms by using alternative promoters and first exons. The novel KCC2a isoform differs from the only previously known KCC2 isoform (now termed KCC2b) by 40 unique N-terminal amino acid residues, including a putative Ste20-related proline alanine-rich kinase-binding site. Ribonuclease protection and quantitative PCR assays indicated that KCC2a contributes 20–50% of total KCC2 mRNA expression in the neonatal mouse brain stem and spinal cord. In contrast to the marked increase in KCC2b mRNA levels in the cortex during postnatal development, the overall expression of KCC2a remains relatively constant and makes up only 5–10% of total KCC2 mRNA in the mature cortex. A rubidium uptake assay in human embryonic kidney 293 cells showed that the KCC2a isoform mediates furosemide-sensitive ion transport activity comparable with that of KCC2b. Mice that lack both KCC2 isoforms die at birth due to severe motor defects, including disrupted respiratory rhythm, whereas mice with a targeted disruption of the first exon of KCC2b survive for up to 2 weeks but eventually die due to spontaneous seizures. We show that these mice lack KCC2b but retain KCC2a mRNA. Thus, distinct populations of neurons show a differential dependence on the expression of the two isoforms: KCC2a expression in the absence of KCC2b is presumably sufficient to support vital neuronal functions in the brain stem and spinal cord but not in the cortex.
Complement Receptor Type 1 (CD35) Mediates Inhibitory Signals in Human B Lymphocytes1

The complement system—particularly component C3—has been demonstrated to be a key link between innate and adaptive immunity. The trimolecular complex of complement receptor type 2 (CR2), CD19, and CD81 is known to promote B cell activation when coligated with the B cell Ag receptor. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the role of human complement receptor type 1 (CR1), the other C3-receptor on B cells. As ligand, aggregated C3 and aggregated C3(H2O), i.e., multimeric “C3b-like C3”, are used, which bind to CR1, but not to CR2. In experiments studying the functional consequences of CR1-clustering, the multimeric ligand is shown to inhibit the proliferation of tonsil B cells activated with a suboptimal dose of anti-IgM F(ab′)2. Importantly, this inhibitory activity also occurs in the presence of the costimulatory cytokines IL-2 and IL-15. The anti-IgM-induced transient increase in the concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ and phosphorylation of several cytoplasmic proteins are strongly reduced in the presence of the CR1 ligand. Data presented indicate that CR1 has a negative regulatory role in the B cell Ag receptor mediated activation of human B lymphocytes.
I recognize your face but I can't remember your name: a simple explanation?

When shown the faces of familiar people, subjects are typically slower and less accurate at retrieving names than other semantic information. This finding, along with converging evidence from neuropsychological studies, has influenced most theoretical accounts of face recognition (e.g. Bruce & Young, 1986). These accounts propose that names are stored separately from semantic information, and that they may not be retrieved in the absence of other information. Here we show that it is possible to account for empirical findings without positing a separate store for names. The account is based on an implemented simulation with an interactive activation and competition architecture. We demonstrate that the fact that most names are unique leads naturally to the patterns of recall found in experimental studies.