Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the Growth, but Not the Survival, of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) Exposed to Environmentally Relevant Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) concentrations are increasing exponentially in biota. We studied the growth of American kestrel (Falco sparverius) nestlings exposed in ovo and during development to environmentally relevant PBDE congeners and concentrations. Eggs within each clutch, divided between groups by laying sequence, were injected into the air cell at 19 days of incubation with safflower oil or penta-BDE congeners BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153 dissolved in safflower oil (18.7 μg total [Σ] PBDEs/egg), approximating current levels in Great Lakes herring gulls. The measured proportions of BDE congeners found in the dosing oil were 56.4% of BDE-47; 27.2% of BDE-99; 24.8% of BDE-100; and 0.6% of BDE-153. For 29 days, nestlings were orally gavaged daily with the same ΣPBDE mixture (15.6 ± 0.3 ng/g body weight/day). Relative congener abundances in the dosing mixture compared to the carcasses suggest biotransformation of BDE-47; BDE-183 was also detected. PBDE exposure did not affect hatching or fledging success. PBDE-exposed nestlings were larger (weight, bones, feathers) as they gained weight more quickly and ate more food, the latter in association with their ΣPBDE body burdens. BDE-100 was most influential on nestling growth, being positively associated with size, weight gain, and food consumption. Increasing concentrations of BDE-183 and -153 were related to longer bones, and BDE-99 to longer feathers. The larger size of the PBDE-exposed birds may be detrimental to their bone structure and have excessive energetic costs. The repeated relationships with BDE-100 and growth may be important for wild Falconidae, since this is the predominant penta-BDE congener in these raptors.
Salivary cytokine levels in subjects with chronic periodontitis and in periodontally healthy individuals: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Saliva has been proposed as a noninvasive diagnostic fluid that could be used in the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases. The levels of salivary biomarkers, such as cytokines, could potentially be used as a surrogate to distinguish periodontally healthy individuals from subjects with periodontitis. Therefore, the goal of the present investigation was to determine if the levels of 10 different cytokines in saliva differed between a group of periodontally healthy individuals and a group of subjects with periodontitis. Correlations between the concentrations of these 10 cytokines and clinical parameters of periodontal disease were also examined. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 74 subjects with chronic periodontitis and 44 periodontally healthy individuals were periodontally examined and had the levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha measured in whole saliva using a multiplexed bead immunoassay (Luminex). Significance of statistical differences in the levels of salivary cytokines between groups was determined using nonparametric analysis of covariance, adjusting for age and smoking status. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to explore associations between the mean levels of salivary cytokines and mean clinical parameters. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences between groups for any of the cytokines. There were weak, statistically significant positive associations between salivary interleukin-8 and pocket depth (r(s) = 0.2, p < 0.05) and bleeding on probing (r(s) = 0.2, p < 0.05), and weak negative correlations between salivary interleukin-10 and attachment level (r(s) = -0.2, p < 0.05) and bleeding on probing (r(s) = -0.3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Mean salivary levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha could not discriminate between periodontal health and disease.
European Society of Hypertension guidelines for blood pressure monitoring at home: a summary report of the Second International Consensus Conference on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

This document summarizes the available evidence and provides recommendations on the use of home blood pressure monitoring in clinical practice and in research. It updates the previous recommendations on the same topic issued in year 2000. The main topics addressed include the methodology of home blood pressure monitoring, its diagnostic and therapeutic thresholds, its clinical applications in hypertension, with specific reference to special populations, and its applications in research. The final section deals with the problems related to the implementation of these recommendations in clinical practice.
Transoral Osteosynthesis C1 as a Function-Preserving Option in the Treatment of Bipartite Atlas Deformity: A Case Report

Study Design. A case report about transoral osteosynthesis C1 as a function-preserving option in the treatment of bipartite atlas deformity. Objective. To illustrate a new method, which preserves the function of the C1–C2 joint in young patients. Summary of Background Data. To the authors' knowledge, bipartite atlas deformity are usually treated conservatively by immobilization or traction or surgically by posterior fusion C1–C2. Methods. A 20-year-old man, who complained about occipitocervical pain and cervical activities limitation, and presented with a 3-month history of weakness and numbness of all 4 limbs after sustaining a minor head trauma. Computed tomography scan showed anterior arch midline defect, posterior arch midline aplasia. Steel plate fixation by transoral approach was performed to repair bipartite atlas deformity. Results. In 1-month follow-up, occipitocervical pain disappeared. The patient had significant improvement over next 3 months. In 6-month follow-up, we observed bony union of anterior arch of atlas without abnormal manifestations. The postoperative rotation in the atlantoaxial joint was returned to normal. The patient had no symptoms of postoperative instability of C1–C2. Conclusion. We described a rare association of an anterior arch midline defect, posterior arch midline aplasia. The natural history of patients with bipartite atlas deformity suggests that these people have a potentially precarious existence. Transoral osteosynthesis of the anterior ring and the lateral masses of C1 is a new technique that allows maintenance of rotatory mobility in the C1–C2 joint and restoration of congruency in the atlanto-occipital and atlantoaxial joints.
ROX1 encodes a heme-induced repression factor regulating ANB1 and CYC7 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ROX1 gene encodes a product implicated in the regulation of heme-repressed and heme-induced genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The gene has been cloned and shown to code for a 1.4-kilobase transcript. The cloned gene was used to construct a null mutant to determine the role of ROX1 in regulating the expression of several heme-regulated genes. Constitutive expression of ANB1 (a heme-repressed gene) was observed in the null strain, indicating that ROX1 codes for a repressor or a facilitator of repression. Enhancement of expression of CYC7 in the null strain indicated that the ROX1 factor is required for repression of CYC7 to its normal low level of expression, consistent with evidence that CYC7 has a hybrid heme-induced, heme-repressed regulatory mechanism. The null mutation had only a slight negative effect on expression of the heme-induced genes CYC1 and tr-1 (a heme-induced homolog of ANB1), suggesting that the ROX1 factor is not directly involved in their regulation despite the existence of an unusual rox1 mutation (rox1-a1) causing constitutive expression of this group. The respiratory competence of the null mutant indicates that ROX1 is not a respiratory factor. ROX1 expression was found to be induced by heme, indicating that the heme repression of ANB1 and its family is the result of a cascade in which heme induces a repression factor which keeps the family of heme-repressed genes inactive during aerobic growth. The rox1-a1 allele had earlier been shown to cause constitutive expression of the family of heme-induced respiratory genes. This allele was found to cause constitutive expression of the ROX1 transcript itself, indicating that ROX1 is in the major heme-induced regulon.
Intertwined Sovereign and Bank Solvencies in a Model of Self-Fulfilling Crisis

Large fiscal financing needs, both in advanced and emerging market economies, have often been met by borrowing heavily from domestic banks. As public debt approached sustainability limits in a number of countries, however, high bank exposure to sovereign risk created a fragile inter-dependence between fiscal and bank solvency. This paper presents a simple model of twin (sovereign and banking) crisis that stresses how this interdependence creates conditions conducive to a self-fulfilling crisis.
Value of imaging study in predicting pelvic lymph node metastases of uterine cervical cancer

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in predicting pelvic lymph node (LN) metastases in patients with cervical cancer. Materials and Methods From January 2009 to March 2015, 114 patients with FIGO stage IA1-IIB uterine cervical cancer who underwent hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy and took CT, MRI, and PET/CT before surgery were enrolled in this study. The criteria for LN metastases were a LN diameter ≥1.0 cm and/or the presence of central necrosis on CT, a LN diameter ≥1.0 cm on MRI, and a focally increased FDG uptake on PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for pelvic LN metastases were estimated. Results The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for detection of pelvic LN metastases were 51.4%, 85.9%, 41.3%, 90.1%, and 80.3% for CT; 24.3%, 96.3%, 56.3%, 86.8%, and 84.6% for MRI; and 48.6%, 89.5%, 47.4%, 90.0%, and 82.9% for PET/CT, respectively. The sensitivity of PET/CT and CT was higher than that of MRI (p=0.004 and p= 0.013, respectively). The specificity of MRI was higher than those of PET/CT and CT (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively). The difference of specificity between PET/CT and CT was not statistically significant (p=0.167). Conclusion These results indicate that preoperative CT, MRI, and PET/CT showed low to moderate sensitivity and PPV, and moderate to high specificity, NPV, and accuracy. More efforts are necessary to improve sensitivity of imaging modalities in order to predict pelvic LN metastases.
Intraoperative Monitoring of Motor-Evoked Potentials in Children Undergoing Spinal Surgery

Study Design. Clinical case series. Objective. To study the combined use of modifications of stimulation methods and adjustments of anesthetic regimens on the reliability of motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring in a large group of children undergoing spinal surgery. Summary of Background Data. Monitoring of MEPs is advocated during spinal surgery, but systematic data from children are sparse. Methods. A total of 134 consecutive procedures in 108 children <18 years of age were analyzed. MEPs were elicited by transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and supplemented by temporal and spatial facilitation. The standard anesthesia regimen consisted of propofol, nitrous oxide, and remifentanil. Propofol was replaced with ketamine if no reliable MEPs could be recorded. In children <6 years of age, a ketamine-based anesthesia was used. Results. With temporal facilitation alone, reliable MEPs were obtained in 78% (105 of 134) of the procedures and, if combined with spatial facilitation, in 96% (129 of 134) of the procedures. Reliable MEPs were documented in 98% (111 of 113) of children >6 years and in 86% (18 of 21) in children <6 years of age. Conclusions. Combining spatial facilitation with a TES protocol improved monitoring of corticospinal motor pathways during spinal surgery in children. A ketamine-based anesthetic technique was preferred in children <6 years of age.
Oxidative Stress and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the major cause of pulmonary disease in infants. The pathophysiology and management of BPD changed with the improvement of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) management and with the increase of survival rates. Despite the improvements made, BPD is still a public health concern, resulting in frequent hospitalizations with high rates of mortality, impaired weight and height growth, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Lung injury in the neonatal period has multiple etiologic factors – genetic, hemodynamic, metabolic, nutritional, mechanical, and infectious mechanisms – act in a cumulative and synergic way. Free radical (FR) generation is largely recognized as the major cause of lung damage. Oxidative stress (OS) is the final common endpoint for a complex convergence of events, some genetically determined and some triggered by in utero stressors. Inflammatory placental disorders and chorioamnionitis also play an important role due to the coexistence of inflammatory and oxidative lesions. In addition, the contribution of airway inflammation has been extensively studied. The link between inflammation and OS injury involves the direct activation of inflammatory cells, especially granulocytes, which potentiates the inflammatory reaction. Individualized interventions to support ventilation, minimize oxygen exposure, minimize apnea, and encourage growth should decrease both the frequency and severity of BPD. Future perspectives suggest supplementation with enzymatic and/or non-enzymatic antioxidants. The use of antioxidants in preterm newborns particularly exposed to OS and at risk for BPD represents a logical strategy to ameliorate FRs injury, but further studies are needed to support this hypothesis.
Triglyceride level is associated with wave reflections and arterial stiffness in apparently healthy middle-aged men

Objective: To investigate the relationship of arterial stiffness and wave reflections, which are predictors of cardiovascular risk, with serum triglyceride level in healthy adults. Design: Cross-sectional study at the University Department of Cardiology. 213 healthy individuals (141 men and 72 premenopausal women) not taking any medication and without known cardiovascular disease and risk factors, except for smoking. Main outcome measures: Central (aortic) augmentation index (AIx, a composite measure of arterial stiffness and wave reflections), fasting lipid profile (including triglycerides) and 10-year Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Results: Compared with women, men had higher serum triglyceride level (median (interquartile range) (89 (67–117) vs 73 (54–96) mg/dl, p<0.01) and lower AIx (17.7 (1.0) vs 26.3 (1.4), p<0.001). In both genders, serum triglyceride levels were significantly associated with FRS (men: r = 0.43, p<0.001; women: r = 0.37, p<0.01) and AIx (men: r = 0.21, p<0.05; women: r = 0.26, p<0.05). In men, multivariate linear regression analysis showed an association between triglyceride level and AIx (standardised β coefficient = 0.19, p = 0.009), independent of age, blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, smoking habits, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels. On the other hand, in women, the unadjusted correlation between triglyceride level and AIx was largely explained when the abovementioned confounders were taken into account (β = −0.016, p = 0.86). Conclusion: In healthy men, serum triglyceride levels are associated with indices of arterial stiffness and wave reflections, which are important determinants of cardiovascular function and risk. The role of triglycerides in the vascular function of women warrants further investigation.
Exploring the temporal nature of hemodynamic responses of cortical motor areas using functional MRI

Objective: To use functional MRI (fMRI) to study grouped patterns of cerebral activation and the course of hemodynamic responses during performance of two activation tasks (paradigms) using a hand-held joystick to perform movements in a repetitively fixed direction and movements in freely selected random directions. Background: Evidence from lesion, electrophysiologic, and functional imaging studies implicates prefrontal and mesial frontal cortex in motor preparation and primary motor cortex in motor execution. fMRI can be used to study cerebral activation and has practical advantages over other methods of functional neuroimaging. Methods: We acquired 100 multislice T2* -weighted data sets from five healthy volunteers during performance of each paradigm using conventional fMRI. For each paradigm, rest and movement epochs were alternated every 30 seconds. After coregistration and spatial normalization, we combined the data for group studies. We used statistical parametric mapping to compare the early (first 15 seconds) components of the movement epochs with rest as well as the late (last 15 seconds) components of the movement epochs with rest. Results: During the early phase of both paradigms, significant activation was present in rostral and caudal mesial premotor cortex. Right prefrontal cortex was significantly activated during the early component of freely selected joystick movements. Activation of rostral supplementary motor area was maintained during the late component of freely selected movements but decreased during repetitively fixed movements. In contrast, significant activation in contralateral sensorimotor cortex was maintained during both early and late components of both paradigms. Conclusions: fMRI can detect cortical activation. The temporal resolution of fMRI also allows adaptation of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast signal to be detected in association cortex. However, the level of BOLD contrast signal in primary motor cortex remained significantly elevated throughout task performance.
Transformationale Produkte - Erleben und wahrgenommene Veränderungspotentiale

Transformationale Produkte sollen das Verhalten bzw. die Einstellung ihrer Benutzer langfristig verandern. Diese Art von Produkt ist relativ neu und ihre grundlegenden Wirkungsmechanismen sind nur wenig untersucht. In der vorliegenden Studie (N=24) explorierten wir anhand funf transformationaler Produktkonzepte zum Energiesparen die antizipierten Erlebensqualitaten und das wahrgenommene Potential zur Veranderung der eigenen Einstellung und des eigenen Verhaltens. Es zeigten sich bei allen Konzepten ein wahrgenommenes Veranderungspotential, aber auch signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den Konzepten. Eine Kategorisierung der offenen Antworten aus einem abschliesenden Interview ermoglichte die Identifikation potentieller Faktoren im Hinblick auf die Akzeptanz solcher Produkte.
La simulation haute-fidélité à la réanimation du nouveau-né en salle de naissance dans la formation initiale des sages-femmes

Objectifs - Evaluer les benefices et le ressenti de la seance de simulation haute-fidelite sur les competences non techniques en reanimation du nouveau-ne en salle de naissance des sages-femmes plusieurs mois apres l’obtention de leur diplome. Materiel et methodes - Etude qualitative via l’analyse de 12 entretiens directifs aupres des sages-femmes, environ 6 a 8 mois apres l’obtention de leur diplome en 2016 et 7 a 12 mois apres leur participation a la seance de simulation. Les donnees recueillies au cours des entretiens ont ete enregistrees, retranscrites entierement puis analysees grâce a une grille d’entretien. L’etude a dure du 07/12/2016 au 23/03/2017. Resultats - L’ensemble des sages-femmes ont ete satisfaites de la simulation haute-fidelite. Au niveau des competences non techniques, nos hypotheses etaient que la simulation haute-fidelite permettait d’ameliorer le travail d’equipe, la communication, la gestion des emotions et la rapidite dans la prise de decisions. Nous avons valide nos hypotheses concernant l’amelioration du travail d’equipe, de la communication, de la prise de confiance et de la prise de decisions. Neanmoins, concernant la gestion du stress nous ne pouvons valider notre hypothese car seule la moitie a ressenti un effet positif. Un gain de competences general a ete releve pour l’ensemble des sages-femmes avec une moyenne de 2,25 sur 10 d’augmentation suite a la seance.
Glucocorticoid-induced Functional Polarity of Growth Factor Responsiveness Regulates Tight Junction Dynamics in Transformed Mammary Epithelial Tumor Cells (*)

The synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, induces the “normal-like” differentiated property of tight junction formation and suppresses growth of the Con8 mammary epithelial tumor cell line, derived from a 7,12-dimethylbenz(α)anthracene-induced rat mammary adenocarcinoma. Characterization of the transepithelial electrical resistance of Con8 mammary tumor cells cultured on permeable supports revealed that a novel response to dexamethasone is the generation of a polarized cell monolayer with respect to epidermal growth factor receptor responsiveness. Administration of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) to the basolateral, but not the apical, plasma membrane compartment disrupted the glucocorticoid-stimulated tight junction barrier. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that dexamethasone caused the ZO-1 tight junction-associated protein to localize exclusively to the apical border of laterally adjacent membranes of the cell periphery, whereas basolateral administration of TGF-α caused the redistribution of ZO-1 back to disorganized aggregates along the cell periphery. In contrast, TGF-α was able to exert its mitogenic effects equally on both sides of the cell monolayer independent of its polarized disruption of tight junction formation. Our results represent the first evidence for a functional polarization of the epidermal growth factor receptor and strongly implicate the glucocorticoid-regulated formation of tight junctions in policing the polarized responsiveness of mammary cells to growth factors.
In vivo delineation of subdivisions of the human amygdaloid complex in a high‐resolution group template

The nuclei of the human amygdala remain difficult to distinguish in individual subject structural magnetic resonance images. However, interpretation of the amygdala's role in whole brain networks requires accurate localization of functional activity to a particular nucleus or subgroup of nuclei. To address this, high spatial resolution, three‐dimensional templates, using joint high accuracy diffeomorphic registration of T1‐ and T2‐weighted structural images from 168 typical adults between 22 and 35 years old released by the Human Connectome Project were constructed. Several internuclear boundaries are clearly visible in these templates, which would otherwise be impossible to delineate in individual subject data. A probabilistic atlas of major nuclei and nuclear groups was constructed in this template space and mapped back to individual spaces by inversion of the individual diffeomorphisms. Group level analyses revealed a slight (∼2%) bias toward larger total amygdala and nuclear volumes in the right hemisphere. No substantial sex or age differences were found in amygdala volumes normalized to total intracranial volume, or subdivision volumes normalized to amygdala volume. The current delineation provides a finer parcellation of the amygdala with more accurate external boundary definition than current histology‐based atlases when used in conjunction with high accuracy registration methods, such as diffeomorphic warping. These templates and delineation are intended to be an open and evolving resource for future functional and structural imaging studies of the human amygdala. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3979–3998, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.