Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction, isolation, and some properties of the NADPH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase from the nonheterocystous cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum

The level of the NADPH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase activity (EC 1.4.1.4) from nitrate-grown cells of the thermophilic non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum OH-1-p.Cl1 could be significantly enhanced by the presence of ammonium or nitrite, as well as by L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine and other sources of organic nitrogen (L-Glu, L-Gln, and methylamine). The enzyme was purified more than 4,400-fold by ultracentrifugation, ion-exchange chromatography, and affinity chromatography, and at 30 degrees C it showed a specific activity of 32.9 mumol of NADPH oxidized per min per mg of protein. The purified enzyme showed no aminotransferase activity and catalyzed the amination of 2-oxoglutarate preferentially to the reverse catabolic reaction. The enzyme was very specific for its substrates 2-oxoglutarate (Km = 1.25 mM) and NADPH (Km = 64 microM), for which hyperbolic kinetics were obtained. However, negative cooperativity (Hill coefficient h = 0.89) and [S]0.5 of 18.2 mM were observed for ammonium. The mechanism of the aminating reaction was of a random type with independent sites. The purified enzyme showed its maximal activity at 60 degrees C (Ea = 5.1 kcal/mol [21.3 kJ/mol]) and optimal pH values of 8.0 and 7.5 when assayed in Tris hydrochloride and potassium phosphate buffers, respectively. The native molecular mass of the enzyme was about 280 kilodaltons. The possible physiological role of the enzyme in ammonia assimilation is discussed.
Worldwide time trends for symptoms of rhinitis and conjunctivitis: Phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood

In Phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) time trends in the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms were analysed. Cross‐sectional questionnaire surveys with identical protocols and questionnaires were completed a mean of 7 yr apart in two age groups comprising 498,083 children. In the 13‐ to 14‐yr age group 106 centres in 56 countries participated, and in the 6‐ to 7‐yr age group 66 centres in 37 countries participated. A slight worldwide increase in rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence was observed, but the variations were large among the centres and there was no consistent regional pattern. Prevalence increases in the older children exceeding 1% per year were recorded in 13 centres, including 3 of 9 centres in Africa, 2 of 15 in Asia‐Pacific, 1 of 8 in India, 3 of 15 in Latin America, 3 of 9 in Eastern Europe and 1 of 34 in Western and Northern Europe. Decreasing rhinoconjunctivititis prevalence of similar magnitude was only seen in four centres. The changes were less pronounced in the 6‐ to 7‐yr‐old children and only in one centre did any change exceed 1% per year. The decrease in highest prevalence rates in ISAAC Phase I suggests that the prevalence has peaked in those regions. An increase was recorded in several centres, mostly in low and mid‐income countries. The increases were more pronounced in the older age group, suggesting that environmental influences on the development of allergy may not be limited to early childhood.
Haemodynamic and renal sympathetic responses to V1b vasopressin receptor activation within the paraventricular nucleus

What is the central question of this study? Does antagonism of V1b receptors prevent the haemodynamic and renal sympathetic nerve responses that occur with application of exogenous vasopressin into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of conscious, chronically instrumented rats? What is the main finding and its importance? Microinjection of vasopressin into the PVN increased mean arterial pressure, heart rate and renal sympathetic nerve activity, all of which were inhibited by pre‐injection of the PVN with the V1b antagonist, nelivaptan. The administered vasopressin did not enter the peripheral circulation or increase plasma vasopressin. Ganglionic blockade prevented each of the responses, consistent with mediation by enhanced sympathetic output rather than an increase in circulating vasopressin.
[Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia with onset in the verapamil-sensitive left ventricle: the clinical characteristics and long-term follow-up of 37 patients].

BACKGROUND Idiopathic verapamil-responsive left ventricular tachycardia (IVRLVT) is a rare, well known form of ventricular tachycardia. Issues concerning long-term prognosis, drug prophylaxis and non-pharmacological therapy are rarely reported in the literature. We report the long-term follow-up, the efficacy of various drugs in the prophylaxis and the role of catheter ablation in a large group of patients with IVRLVT. METHODS AND RESULTS This retrospective study involves 37 patients with a mean age of 28.3 +/- 14.8 years at first IVRLVT episode. The tachycardia morphology was typically with a right bundle-branch block configuration in all cases, with left axis deviation in 33 and right axis deviation in 5 (one patient had the 2 morphologies). Four patients had a mitral valve prolapse; the remaining 33 patients had neither clinical nor echocardiographic signs of heart disease. Only sporadic ventricular extrasystoles were detected at Holter monitoring in 73% of cases; 30% of patients had positive criteria for the presence of late potentials at signal averaged ECG. During electrophysiologic study, the tachycardia could be easily induced in 91% of patients. Mean follow-up is 7.3 +/- 4.7 years; all patients are alive at the end of follow-up. A mean of 2.3 +/- 1.2 drugs was prescribed in 35 patients (94.6%); betablockers were effective in 66% of the cases, verapamil in 20%, class I drugs in 22%, class III drugs in 15%. Both the 2 patients, who never received prophylaxis, and the 4 who stopped medication, utilize verapamil in case of recurrences. Eight patients were submitted to catheter ablation, with DC shock the first 2 patients, with RF energy from the third on; all but one (with DC shock) were successfully cured. CONCLUSIONS Long-term follow-up confirmed the good prognosis of this form of ventricular tachycardia; a new insight that has been addressed about prophylaxis is the high efficacy of betablockers in preventing relapse and the poor efficacy of verapamil per os in chronic prophylaxis. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is effective and safe, using the earliest ventricular potential and the pace-mapping reproducing the same morphology of the tachycardia in all the 12 leads as a marker to identify the site of RF application, and may be proposed to all patients suffering from frequent episodes of IVRLVT.
Influence of genetic polymorphisms, smoking, gender and age on CYP1A2 activity in a Turkish population.

AIMS To study the variation in CYP1A2 activity in relation to smoking, gender, age and CYP1A2 polymorphisms. MATERIALS & METHODS CYP1A2 activity was determined by plasma paraxanthine:caffeine ratio (17X:137X) 4 h after the intake of a standardized cup of coffee in 146 Turkish healthy volunteers. Seven CYP1A2 polymorphisms (-3860G>A, -3113G>A, -2467del/T, -739T>G, -729C>T, -163C>A and 5347T>C) were analyzed. RESULTS The 17X:137X ratios were increased in smokers (p < 0.0001) and tended to be higher in men both among nonsmokers (p = 0.051) and smokers (p = 0.064). Age-related differences were observed only among nonsmoking women (p = 0.024). The -163C>A polymorphism correlated with 17X:137X ratios only in smokers (p = 0.006). Furthermore, increased 17X:137X ratios were observed in CYP1A2 haplotype H4 (-3860G, -3113G, -2467del, -739T, -729C, -163A and 5347T) carriers in the overall study population (p = 0.026). Multiple regression analyses including smoking, gender, -163C>A genotype and age revealed a significant influence of smoking (p < 0.0001) and gender (p = 0.002) in the overall study population. However, in nonsmokers only the influence of gender remained significant (p = 0.021), while in smokers the influence of the -163C>A genotype held the statistical significance (p = 0.019). The influence of haplotype H4 remained significant (p = 0.028) in the overall study population in similar analyses. CONCLUSION Smoking has the strongest impact on CYP1A2 activity, while gender and haplotype H4 showed marginal effects. The influence of the -163C>A polymorphism on CYP1A2 activity in smokers suggests an effect on the inducibility of the enzyme.
Linking Adverse Childhood Effects and Attachment: A Theory of Etiology for Sexual Offending

Sexual violence continues to be a significant public health problem affecting significant portions of the population. Unfortunately, an agreed upon theory of etiology remains elusive leading to challenges in developing effective prevention and treatment interventions. Recently, there is a growing body of literature examining the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the development of sexually violent behavior. This research has begun to explore the rates of various types of child maltreatments and family dysfunction in individuals who have been convicted of a sexual crime. These empirical inquiries have been primarily descriptive in nature and have not yet provided a cohesive theoretical model as to why the presence of ACEs might contribute to sexually abusive behavior. This article suggests that attachment theory offers an explanatory link between early adversity and sexually abusive behavior in adulthood. We first summarize important attachment theory concepts, then integrate them with research in the area of developmental psychopathology and ACEs, and finally propose a model by which attachment can be used as an explanatory theory for subsequent sexualized coping and sexually abusive behaviors. Finally, this article explores the implications for practice, policy, and research using this explanatory theory as a framework for understanding sexual violence.
Conductive Hearing Loss Effects on Children's Language and Scholastic Skills

A review of available studies investigating the consequences of conductive hearing loss for language acquisition and scholastic performance was carried out. It uncovered no study that met the standards of rigor needed to provide a definitive answer to this question, although the burden of the evidence is that a persistent mild hearing loss, especially if present since infancy, probably has a measurably deleterious effect on the language of most but not all children. Diagnostic criteria documenting the severity, age of occurrence and duration of middle ear effusions were lacking. Measures of the detrimental effects of conductive losses on linguistic skills frequently were limited to the number of grades children were retained in school, their reading or vocabulary level on achievement tests, or a comparison of their scores on the verbal and performance scales of intelligence tests. Very few studies followed the acquisition of language in affected children or examined its structure. Very few considered the interaction between the socioeconomic and cultural environment of the child and the consequences of his hearing loss. The review underscored the need for prospective multidisciplinary studies in order to evaluate the actual impact of this common pediatric problem.
Social anxiety disorder diagnostic criteria perform equally across age, comorbid diagnosis, and performance/interaction subtypes

Background: The prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is frequently higher in younger age groups and people with other anxiety or mood disorders; however, it is unclear whether these groups have a higher risk for developing SAD or are simply more likely to endorse diagnostic criteria than other people with similar levels of social anxiety. Explicitly testing the assumption all people respond to structured diagnostic interviews in comparable ways (measurement invariance) is essential in ensuring systematic response biases do not create spurious group differences. This research aims to systematically test whether age, comorbidity status, or types of social fears affect responses to a structured diagnostic interview. Design and Methods: Responses from 1755 participants in a large-scale survey of mental health in Australia screening into the social phobia/SAD section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were used. Three series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses for categorical data systematically tested for increasingly strict levels of measurement invariance. Results: Overall, patterns of responding to diagnostic criteria were comparable across the groups, supporting assumptions of measurement invariance. Conclusions: Establishment of invariance supports the interpretation of differences between age, comorbidity status, and types of social situations feared as genuine differences in experience as opposed to measurement biases.
Use of the "two-slice-touch" rule for the MRI diagnosis of meniscal tears.

OBJECTIVE We reviewed our experience with knee MRI to determine if using the "two-slice-touch" rule increased our positive predictive value for diagnosing meniscal tears. This rule classifies a meniscus as torn if there are two or more MR images with abnormal findings and as possibly torn if there is only one MR image with an abnormal finding. We also compared our sensitivity and specificity using fast spin-echo imaging with previously reported studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 174 patients who had knee MR examinations and correlative knee arthroscopy to determine our accuracy when we diagnosed menisci as torn, possibly torn, or intact using knee arthroscopy as the gold standard. RESULTS Our positive predictive value increased from 91% to 94% (p = 0.37) for medial meniscal tears and from 83% to 96% (p = 0.02) for lateral meniscal tears when using the two-slice-touch rule compared with the standard criterion of diagnosing a meniscus as torn if one or more images are abnormal. When using the standard criterion, we had 95% sensitivity and 85% specificity for diagnosing medial meniscal tears and 77% sensitivity and 89% specificity for diagnosing lateral meniscal tears. CONCLUSION When using the two-slice-touch rule, we had an increased positive predictive value for diagnosing menisci as torn, which was statistically significant for the lateral meniscus. Our accuracy using the standard criterion with fast spin-echo imaging was comparable to that reported in previous studies with spin-echo imaging.
Synaptic distribution of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the inner plexiform layer of the primate retina

The distribution and synaptic clustering of glutamate receptors (GluRs) were studied in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the macaque monkey retina by using subunit specific antisera. A punctate immunofluorescence pattern was observed in the IPL for all subunits tested, and electron microscopy confirmed that the immunoreactive puncta represent clustering of receptors at sites postsynaptic to the bipolar cell ribbon synapses (dyads). Usually only one of the two postsynaptic processes at the dyads expressed a given subunit. Immunoreactive GluR2, GluR2/3, and GluR4 puncta were found at high density throughout the IPL and are probably expressed at every dyad. The GluR1 subunit was expressed at lower density. The N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits NR2A and NR1C2′ were restricted to synapses localized in two broad bands in the center of the IPL. They were often colocalized with GluR2/3 and GluR4 subunits. The orphan receptor subunits δ1/2 predominated in three horizontal bands. The kainate receptor subunits GluR6/7 were clustered in large postsynaptic densities adjacent to bipolar cell axon terminals but lacking a synaptic ribbon on the presynaptic side. This might represent a conventional synapse made by a bipolar axon terminal. The results suggest that GluR2/3 and GluR4, together with NMDA receptors, are preferentially expressed on ganglion cell dendrites, whereas kainate receptors and the δ1/2 subunits are mostly localized on amacrine cell processes. J. Comp. Neurol. 447:138–151, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Features of somatization predict the onset of chronic widespread pain: results of a large population-based study.

OBJECTIVE Chronic widespread pain, the clinical hallmark of the fibromyalgia syndrome, is associated with other physical and psychological symptoms both in patients studied in a clinical setting and in those identified in the community. The present study was undertaken to examine the hypothesis that psychological and physical indicators of the process of somatization predict the development of new chronic widespread pain. METHODS In this population-based prospective study, 1,658 adults ages 18-65 years completed a detailed pain questionnaire, which included a pain drawing. They also completed the following psychosocial instruments: General Health Questionnaire, Somatic Symptom Checklist, Fatigue Questionnaire, and Illness Attitude Scales. Individuals were followed up at 12 months, at which time 1,480 (93% of subjects still living at their baseline address) provided data on pain status, using the same instruments. RESULTS At baseline, 825 subjects were classified as pain free and 833 as having pain not satisfying criteria for chronic widespread pain. Of those, 18 (2%) and 63 (8%), respectively, were classified as having chronic widespread pain at followup. After adjustment for age and sex, there were strong relationships between baseline test scores and subsequent risk of chronic widespread pain (odds ratio for the Somatic Symptom Checklist 3.3; odds ratio for the Illness Behavior subscale of the Illness Attitude Scales 9.0). All 95% confidence intervals excluded unity. These associations were independent of baseline pain status. CONCLUSION Subjects who are free of chronic widespread pain are at increased future risk of its development if they display other aspects of the process of somatization. Data from this population-based prospective study lend powerful support to the hypothesis that chronic widespread pain can be one manifestation of the somatization of distress.
Necrolytic migratory erythema in an opiate‐dependent patient

An 18‐year‐old woman presented with severe features of seborrhoeic dermatitis involving her scalp. Subsequently, the toe webs and intertriginous areas became affected by an erythematous, slightly scaly and weepy rash. The groin area was most severely affected, and complicated by intermittent infections with staphylococci and herpes simplex. The patient admitted to smoking heroin and was subsequently enrolled in a methadone programme. A biopsy from the groin area showed a combination of parakeratosis and keratinocyte vacuolar changes, supporting a diagnosis of necrolytic migratory erythema (NME). On completion of methadadone withdrawal, the rash cleared. The rash returned upon recommencing methadone. NME consists of an irregular annular eruption with an erythematous crusted edge. It is often mistaken for intertrigo or seborrhoeic dermatitis. In this patient, a direct effect of heroin and methadone on the epidermal metabolism might be speculated. There could be a variant of the opiate recepter, which is especially sensitive to the effects of opiates. This is the second case occurring in association with opiate dependency and the first case where the patient was rechallenged, although the precise role of the opiates in the aetiology remains somewhat speculative.
Genetic diversity of Ranunculus acris L. (Ranunculaceae) populations in relation to species diversity and habitat type in grassland communities

Correlates between genetic diversity at intra‐ and interpopulation levels and the species diversity in plant communities are rarely investigated. Such correlates may give insights into the effect of local selective forces across different communities on the genetic diversity of local plant populations. This study has employed amplified fragment length polymorphism to assess the genetic diversity within and between 10 populations of Ranunculus acris in relation to the species diversity (richness and evenness) of grassland communities of two different habitat types, ‘seminatural’ and ‘agriculturally improved’, located in central Germany. Within‐population genetic diversity estimated by Nei's unbiased gene diversity (HE) was high (0.258–0.334), and was not correlated with species richness (Pearson's r = −0.17; P = 0.64) or species evenness (Pearson's r = 0.15; P = 0.68) of the plant communities. However, the genetic differentiation between R. acris populations was significantly correlated with the difference in species evenness (Mantel's r = 0.62, P = 0.02), but not with difference in species richness of plant communities (r = −0.17, P = 0.22). Moreover, we also found that populations of R. acris from the ‘seminatural’ habitat were genetically different (amova, P < 0.05) from those in ‘agriculturally improved’ habitats, suggesting that gene flow between these habitat types is limited. The results reported in this study may indicate that habitat characteristics influence the genetic diversity of plant species.
High-fidelity patient simulation: validation of performance checklists.

BACKGROUND Standardized scenarios can be used for performance assessments geared to the level of the learner. The purpose of this study was to validate checklists used for the assessments of medical students' performance using high-fidelity patient simulation. METHODS Our undergraduate committee designed 10 scenarios based on curriculum objectives. Fifteen faculty members with undergraduate educational experience identified items considered appropriate for medical students' performance level and identified items that, if omitted, would negatively affect grades. Items endorsed by less than 20% of faculty were omitted. For remaining items, weighting was calculated according to faculty responses. Students managed at least one scenario during which their performance was videotaped. Two raters independently completed the checklists for three consecutive sessions to determine inter-rater reliability. Validity was determined using Cronbach's alpha with an alpha>or=0.6 and <or=0.9 considered acceptable internal consistency. Item analysis was performed by recalculating Cronbach's alpha with each item deleted to determine if that item contributed to a low internal consistency. RESULTS 135 students participated in the study. Inter-rater reliability of the two raters determined on the third session was 0.97 and therefore one rater completed the remaining performance assessments. Cronbach's alpha for the 10 scenarios ranged from 0.16 to 0.93 with two scenarios demonstrating acceptable internal consistency with all items. Three scenarios demonstrated acceptable internal consistency with one item deleted. CONCLUSIONS Five scenarios developed for this study were shown to be valid when using the faculty criteria for expected performance level.