Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular electrophoretic mobility data: A first approach to a database

Cellular electrophoretic mobility values of 288 types of eucaryotic cells were collected from literature published worldwide by a series of authors during the past forty years and arranged in a list. This list contains well‐known recent electrophoretic results and also data that cannot be found anymore with modern literature retrieval systems. It will be a valuable help for scientists trying to purify cell populations. In addition, it confirms the observation that most eucaryotic cells have very similar electrophoretic mobilities, ranging from 40% above to 50% below the electrophoretic mobility of human erythrocytes, and thus reinforces the suggestion that electrophoretic mobilities of eucaryotic cells are subjected to strong biological controls.
Realized heritability of personalities in the great tit (Parus major)

Behaviour under conditions of mild stress shows consistent patterns in all vertebrates: exploratory behaviour, boldness, aggressiveness covary in the same way. The existence of highly consistent individual variation in these behavioural strategies, also referred to as personalities or coping styles, allows us to measure the behaviour under standardized conditions on birds bred in captivity, link the standardized measurements to the behaviour under natural conditions and measure natural selection in the field. We have bred the great tit (Parus major), a classical model species for the study of behaviour under natural conditions, in captivity. Here, we report a realized heritability of 54±5% for early exploratory behaviour, based on four generations of bi-directional artificial selection. In addition to this, we measured hand–reared juveniles and their wild–caught parents in the laboratory. The heritability found in the mid–offspring–mid–parent regression was significantly different from zero. We have thus established the presence of considerable amounts of genetic variation for personality types in a wild bird.
Purification of Polyglutamine Aggregates and Identification of Elongation Factor-1α and Heat Shock Protein 84 as Aggregate-Interacting Proteins

Aggregates of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused truncated N-terminal huntingtin containing abnormally long polyglutamine tracts (150 repeats of glutamine residue) were purified from an ecdysone-inducible mutant neuro2A cell line (HD150Q-28) by using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. To analyze the aggregate-interacting proteins, we subjected the purified aggregates to SDS-PAGE; prominent protein bands in the gel were digested with Achromobactor lysyl endopeptidase, followed by a HPLC-mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. The resulting data of tandem MS analysis revealed that, in addition to ubiquitin and widely reported chaperone proteins such as heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70), human DNA J-1 (HDJ-1), and HDJ-2, the translational elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) and heat shock protein 84 (HSP84) also were recognized as aggregate-interacting proteins. Sequestration of these proteins to aggregates was confirmed further by several immunochemical methods. We confirmed that, in addition to the other known proteins, EF-1α and HSP84 also colocalized with the intracellular aggregates. An assay of the transient expression of EF-1α and HSP84 in HD150Q-28 cells revealed that both proteins improved cell viability. Moreover, the rate of aggregate formation decreased in both transfectants. Our study suggests that both EF-1α and HSP84 are involved in the neurodegenerative process of polyglutamine diseases.
HIV-1 RNA levels in an African population-based cohort and their relation to CD4 lymphocyte counts and World Health Organization clinical staging.

Apart from a small number of reports from people who are based in hospitals, data on viral load in HIV-infected people in sub-Saharan Africa, where most infections occur, are lacking. We report serum HIV-1 RNA levels in a population-based cohort in rural Uganda using the nucleic acid sequence-based amplification procedure (NASBA) test kit and describe their relation to CD4 counts and World Health Organization (WHO) clinical staging. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) viral loads were 87,000 copies/ml (37,500-295,000 copies/ml) in 40 prevalent cases infected for >6 years, and 31,000 copies/ml (7800-174,000 copies/ml) in 65 incident cases with seroconversion dates within the previous 6 years. Although we found a correlation between viral load and absolute CD4 count (p < .0001), there was no evidence for an association with CD4 decline (p = .1). Overall, there was a significant trend of increasing viral load with worsening clinical stage from a median viral load of 15,000 for those in WHO stage 1 (asymptomatic) to 150,600 copies/ml for those in stage 4 (AIDS; p < .001). However, the association was seen only in incident cases. Thus, we found that the NASBA test on serum was a useful indicator of disease stage especially in persons known to be infected for <6 years. Such baseline data are important for vaccine research, and if antiretroviral drugs become available to more than a few people in Africa, it will be important that accurate viral load estimations are available at least in a proportion of people to monitor the effectiveness of treatment, and measure the compliance and emerging resistance to these drugs.
Liverbeads: A Practical and Relevant In Vitro Model for Gene Induction Investigations

Cryopreserved rat hepatocytes entrapped within an alginate matrix, commercially available as Liverbeads, were evaluated for their relevance as a screening tool for gene induction in vitro, using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. They were treated with the reference compounds β-naphthoflavone (BNF), phenobarbital (PB), pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN), and clofibric acid (CLO) and analyzed for mRNA levels of Cyp1a1, Cyp2b1, Cyp3a1, Cyp4a1, Ugt1a6, and Ugt2b1. In addition, for PB and PCN, the results were compared with those obtained in rat liver in vivo. For each inducer, the gene induction profiles obtained with the Liverbeads in vitro model were time- and dose-dependent. The in vitro gene expression profiles confirmed the corresponding known P450 and UGT induction by each reference compound. In particular, the most strongly induced genes were Cyp1a1 by BNF, Cyp2b1 by PB, Cyp3a1 and Ugt2b1 by PCN, and Cyp4a1 and Cyp2b1 by CLO. Other genes investigated were also induced by the reference compounds, but the expression levels were lower, and increases were seen only after prolonged treatment. In particular, Ugt1a6 and Cyp2b1 were increased by BNF, Cyp1a1, Cyp3a1, and Ugt2b1 by PB, and Cyp3a1 and Ugt2b1 by CLO. All of these results correlated well with published in vitro data and our in vivo data. In conclusion, our results suggest that Liverbeads is a relevant and useful in vitro screening tool for determining gene induction profiles of new molecules. In addition, because Liverbeads from different species are available, this tool offers the possibility to conduct interspecies comparisons.
Abnormal cerebral metabolism in polydrug abusers during early withdrawal: A 31P MR spectroscopy study

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) at 1.5 T was performed on nine polysubstance abusing men. All nine patients met DSM‐III‐R criteria for concurrent cocaine and heroin dependence, were neurologically normal, were negative for the human immunodeficiency virus, and had normal clinical brain MRI scans. Patients were scanned 2‐7 days after admission to a drug treatment unit. Eleven age‐matched control subjects also were studied. The ISIS localized phosphorus spectra were obtained from a 5‐cm thick axial brain slice and a 100‐cc white matter volume. In the brain slice, the phosphorus metabolite signal expressed as a percentage of total phosphorus signal was 15% higher for phosphomonoesters, 10% lower for nucleotide triphosphates (β‐NTP), and 7% lower for total nucleotide phosphates in polydrug abusers compared with those in controls. Phosphodiesters, inorganic phosphate, phosphocreatine, total phosphorus, pH, and free magnesium concentration were unchanged. None of these parameters correlated with the methadone dose or the number of days abstinence. Single photon emission computed tomographic imaging of a subgroup of the patients revealed abnormal cerebral perfusion in 80% of the patients scanned. These data suggest that cerebral high energy phosphate and phospholipid metabolite changes result from long term drug abuse and/or withdrawal and that these changes can be detected and studied by 31P MRS.
Origin of the vertebrate inner ear: evolution and induction of the otic placode

The vertebrate inner ear forms a highly complex sensory structure responsible for the detection of sound and balance. Some new aspects on the evolutionary and developmental origin of the inner ear are summarised here. Recent molecular data have challenged the longstanding view that special sense organs such as the inner ear have evolved with the appearance of vertebrates. In addition, it has remained unclear whether the ear originally arose through a modification of the amphibian mechanosensory lateral line system or whether both evolved independently. A comparison of the developmental mechanisms giving rise to both sensory systems in different species should help to clarify some of these controversies. During embryonic development, the inner ear arises from a simple epithelium adjacent to the hindbrain, the otic placode, that is specified through inductive interactions with surrounding tissues. This review summarises the embryological evidence showing that the induction of the otic placode is a multistep process which requires sequential interaction of different tissues with the future otic ectoderm and the recent progress that has been made to identify some of the molecular players involved. Finally, the hypothesis is discussed that induction of all sensory placodes initially shares a common molecular pathway, which may have been responsible to generate an ‘ancestral placode’ during evolution.
Clinical evaluation of a new collagen matrix (Mucograft prototype) to enhance the width of keratinized tissue in patients with fixed prosthetic restorations: a randomized prospective clinical trial.

AIM The aim of this study was to test a new collagen matrix (CM) aimed to increase keratinized gingiva/mucosa when compared with the free connective tissue graft (CTG). MATERIAL AND METHODS This randomized longitudinal parallel controlled clinical trial studied 20 patients with at least one location with minimal keratinized tissue (<or=1 mm). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The 6-month width of keratinized tissue. As secondary outcomes, the aesthetic outlook, the maintenance of periodontal health and the patient morbidity were assessed pre-operatively at 1, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS At 6 months, the CTG attained a mean width of keratinized tissue of 2.6 (0.9) mm, while the CM was 2.5 (0.9) mm, these differences being insignificant. In both groups, there was a marked contraction (60% and 67%, respectively) although the periodontal parameters were not affected. The CM group had a significantly lower patient morbidity (pain and medication intake) as well as reduced surgery time. CONCLUSIONS These results prove that this new CM was as effective and predictable as the CTG for attaining a band of keratinized tissue, but its use was associated with a significantly lower patient morbidity.
An evaluation of the selection process of employees in the Ministry of Defence in Namibia

iv Table of contents.v CHAPTER ONE.1 1.0Introduction. 1 1.1 Orientation of the proposed study.1-6 1.2 Statement of the problem.6-7 1.3 Objectives of the study.7-8 1.4. Significance of the study. 8 1.5. Limitation of the study. 8-9 1.6. Summary.9
Dietary Sodium Butyrate Decreases Postweaning Diarrhea by Modulating Intestinal Permeability and Changing the Bacterial Communities in Weaned Piglets.

BACKGROUND The vast majority of substances used as alternatives to antibiotics produce inconsistent results and rarely equal the effectiveness of in-feed antibiotics. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of the combined use of sodium butyrate (SB) and reduced antibiotics in a piglet diet in promoting performance and to control weaning diarrhea. METHODS Piglets weaned at 28 d were randomly assigned to a corn-soybean meal control ration [negative control (NC)]; a similar ration with 50 mg kitasamycin/kg, 20 mg colistin sulfate/kg, and 1000 mg encapsulated SB/kg [reduced antibiotics + SB (ASB)]; or to a ration with 100 mg kitasamycin/kg and 40 mg colistin sulfate/kg [positive control (PC)] for 28 d. Performance, diarrhea incidence, intestinal permeability, and changes in the bacterial communities in the ileum and colon were determined. RESULTS Weight gain and the ratio of weight gain to feed intake were significantly greater in the ASB and PC piglets than in the NC piglets (P < 0.05). Diarrhea incidence was lower in the ASB and PC piglets than in the NC piglets (P < 0.05). Urinary lactulose to mannitol ratios were 25% and 30% lower, respectively, whereas jejunal and colonic occludin protein expressions were significantly greater in the ASB and PC piglets compared with the NC piglets (P < 0.05). In the intestinal mucosa, malondialdehyde was lower in the ASB and PC piglets (by 42% and 43%, respectively), whereas tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was 63% lower in the ASB piglets and 59% lower in the PC piglets compared with the NC piglets (P < 0.05). 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis revealed a higher colonic Shannon index and a lower colonic Simpson index in the ASB and PC piglets than in the NC piglets. In addition, the ASB and PC treatments caused a striking decrease in Lactobacillaceae and a noticeable increase in Clostridiaceae in the ileal and colonic lumen, as well as increases in Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Bacteroidetes in the colonic lumen. CONCLUSION Collectively, our results support an important role for SB in improving performance and decreasing diarrhea incidence in weaned piglets by modulation of intestinal permeability and the bacterial communities in the ileum and colon.
Differential involvement of chromosomes 1 and 4 in the formation of chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes after X-irradiation.

Whole blood samples from two healthy donors were cultured in the presence of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) for a total of 107 h following in vitro X-irradiation with a dose of 2 Gy. Starting from 35 h after culture initiation, every subsequent 12 h a sample was taken from each culture and grown in the presence of demecolcine for another 12 h. At each sampling time, the aberrations involving chromosomes 1 and 4 were analysed using dual-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-specific DNA libraries. Following differential staining of sister chromatids, the analysed cells were identified to be either in their first, second or third etc. mitosis after irradiation. Cells within the same postirradiation division contained higher frequencies of aberrations when derived from later sampling times, indicating a delay in progression of aberrant cells to mitosis. In contrast, when the aberration frequencies are calculated by sampling time (i.e. independent of the cell cycle) minimal effect of sampling time could be seen. This observation held true for all types of chromosomal aberrations. Analysis of about 2250 first-division cells for each donor (derived from all sampling times) indicates a relative overrepresentation of chromosome 4 in the formation of exchange aberrations/colour junctions. Whereas dicentric frequencies for chromosomes 1 and 4 were close to the expected values based on the DNA content of these chromosomes, frequencies of reciprocal translocations showed a clear overinvolvement of chromosome 4. This resulted in a distinct difference in the reciprocal translocation to dicentric ratio, being 1.12 for chromosome 1 and 2.09 for chromosome 4. These results indicate a non-DNA-proportional distribution of radiation-induced chromosome rearrangements in cultured human lymphocytes.
Cost‐effectiveness projections of oxaliplatin and infusional fluorouracil versus irinotecan and bolus fluorouracil in first‐line therapy for metastatic colorectal carcinoma

The results of a randomized comparison study (N9741) showed that oxaliplatin and infusional fluorouracil (FU) (FOLFOX) was superior to the previous standard of care in the United States, irinotecan and bolus FU (IFL), as first‐line therapy for patients with metastatic colon carcinoma. The trade‐offs between costs and survival for these two regimens have not been explored.
Multiplexing Approaches for a 12 x 4 Array of Silicon Photomultipliers

Two resistor network multiplexing circuits for a 12 × 4 array of SiPMs were constructed and tested. Both circuits encode the position and energy information from 48 SiPM pixels in only 4 analog channels. The two circuits differ in that one buffers each SiPM output with a non-inverting voltage-feedback operational amplifier before multiplexing, whereas the second one connects the output of the SiPMs directly to a charge division resistor network. The energy and timing resolution were measured with a 4 × 4 array of LYSO scintillator crystals with size matched to the SiPM pixel size. The measurement was done in 3 steps to cover all 12 × 4 SiPMs. Both circuits gave an energy resolution of 14%. The single sided timing resolution for the buffered output circuit was 2.86 ns, using a 350-650 keV energy window. In comparison, the timing for the circuit with direct connections between SiPMs and the resistor network was 3.54 ns, using the same energy window. Based on these results, the predicted coincidence timing resolutions are 4.0 ns and 5.0 ns, respectively. The coupling of the SiPM capacitance with the resistor network results in different signal shaping time constants for different SiPMs in the passive resistor network, causing a delay in trigger time for the inner SiPM signals. On the other hand, the circuit with buffer amplifiers does not suffer from this effect, and the pulse shape is more uniform across the SiPMs. We also demonstrate, using a 10 × 10 array of 1.5 mm LYSO crystals, that the inclusion of multiple SiPMs in both circuits reduces the detector's ability to resolve crystals in the flood histograms. The amount of noise increases with number of SiPMs in the multiplexing circuit.
A comprehensive framework for Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU) with ex vivo validation

Harmonic Motion Imaging for Focused Ultrasound (HMIFU) is a novel high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy monitoring method with feasibilities demonstrated in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Its principle is based on Amplitude-modulated (AM) - Harmonic Motion Imaging (HMI), an oscillatory radiation force used for imaging the tissue mechanical response during thermal ablation. In this study, a theoretical framework of HMIFU is presented, comprising a customized nonlinear wave propagation model, a finite-element (FE) analysis module, and an image-formation model. The objective of this study is to develop such a framework in order to 1) assess the fundamental performance of HMIFU in detecting HIFU lesions based on the change in tissue apparent elasticity, i.e., the increasing Young's modulus, and the HIFU lesion size with respect to the HIFU exposure time and 2) validate the simulation findings ex vivo. The same HMI and HMIFU parameters as in the experimental studies were used, i.e., 4.5-MHz HIFU frequency and 25 Hz AM frequency. For a lesion-to-background Young's modulus ratio of 3, 6, and 9, the estimated HMI displacement ratios were equal to 1.65, 3.19, 4.59, respectively. In experiments, the HMI displacement followed a similar increasing trend of 1.19, 1.28, 1.78 at 10-s, 20-s, and 30-s HIFU exposure, respectively. In addition, moderate agreement in lesion size growth was also found in both simulations (16.2, 73.1 and 334.7 mm2) and experiments (26.2, 94.2 and 206.2 mm2). Therefore, the feasibility of HMIFU for HIFU lesion detection based on the underlying tissue elasticity changes was verified through the developed theoretical framework, i.e., validation of the fundamental performance of the HMIFU system for lesion detection, localization and quantification, was demonstrated both theoretically and ex vivo.
Association Between Duration of Breast Feeding and Metabolic Syndrome: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the association of the lifelong duration of breast feeding with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Korean parous women aged 19-50 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 4724 participants from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Survey were included. Subjects were divided into four groups according to the duration of breast feeding: ≤5, 6-11, 12-23, or ≥24 months groups. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of MetS and its components were assessed according to the duration of breast feeding. RESULTS Women who breastfed for 6-11 months had an OR of 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.86) for elevated blood pressure (BP) compared with those who breastfed for ≤5 months after adjustment for possible confounders in a multivariable logistic regression analyses. Women who breastfed for 12-23 months were associated with an OR of 0.68 (95% CI, 0.54-0.86) for elevated BP, an OR of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.62-0.97) for elevated glucose, and an OR of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.56-0.95) for MetS compared with those who breastfed for ≤5 months in a multivariable logistic regression analyses. Women who breastfed for ≥24 months had an OR of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.52-0.84) for elevated glucose, an OR of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.60-0.96) for elevated triglycerides, and an OR of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53-0.92) for MetS compared with those who breastfed for ≤5 months in a multivariable logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that lifelong breast feeding for ≥12 months may be associated with lower risk for MetS.
Interleukin-8 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Are Increased in Minimal Change Disease but Do Not Alter Albumin Permeability

Aims: Minimal change disease (MCD) is the most common primary nephrotic syndrome in children. Some suggested that interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are involved in the pathogenesis of MCD. This study was done to see changes of plasma and urinary IL-8, TNF-α, and their effects on determination of permeability of glomerular basement membrane (BM) contributed by heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). Methods: Study patients consisted of 19 biopsy-proven MCD children aged 2–15 years old. Both plasma, urinary IL-8 and TNF-α were measured. Employing the Millicell system, IL-8 and TNF-α were screened for the permeability factors. We examined whether IL-8 and TNF-α regulated BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the glomerular epithelial cells (GECs). Results: Urinary IL-8 during relapse was significantly increased when compared with that of during remission or controls (13,996 ± 2,811 vs. 2,941 ± 373, 5,331 ± 640 ng/mg·cr) (p < 0.05). Urinary TNF-α during relapse was also significantly increased (364.4 ± 51.2 vs. 155.3 ± 20.8, 36.0 ± 4.5 ng/mg·cr) (p < 0.05). Plasma IL-8 during relapse was significantly increased compared to that during remission(1.19 ± 0.62 vs. 0.51 ± 0.42 ng/ml) (p < 0.05). However, the negative results were obtained in the permeability assay using the Millicell system. No difference was seen in BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the GECs. Conclusion: Therefore, it seems that both IL-8 and TNF-α may not play a disease-specific role in the pathogenesis of MCD.