Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of life of patients after bariatric treatment – preliminary report

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction: Obesity afflicts approximately 3,000,000 people in Poland. Co-morbidities develop mainly in connection with morbid obesity. Bad health conditions connected with obesity may decrease the health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A body mass index of 30-34 kg/m 2 , along with co-morbidities, could be a recommendation for surgical treatment. Reduction of body mass may cause recovery or symptoms relief. Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective method of morbid obesity treatment. Purpose: To evaluate the quality of life of patients after bariatric treatment. Materials and methods: Research material was gathered in the 1st Department of General and Endocrinological Surgery, University Hospital in Bialystok, by applying standardized BAROS among 108 patients after bariatric treatment. The study group included 73 women (67.6%) and 35 men (32.4%), between 20 and 60 years old (average age ± 40 years), and with a BMI of 41-52 (average BMI 45.5). Results: In 18 patients (16.6%) laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) was applied, in 58 (53.8%) sleeve gastrectomy was performed, and in 32 patients (29.6%) Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) was applied. Significant difference (p<0. 0001) was stated in BMI according to the type of procedure. A higher reduction of BMI was obtained after RYGB than after LAGB and sleeve gastrectomy. Evaluation of quality of life was conducted six months after the surgery. No significant difference (p>0.05) was found in the quality of life depending on the surgery type. Complications that occurred after surgeries did not significantly influence the subjective evaluation of quality of life. Conclusions: The quality of life of the patients did not improve 6 months after bariatric surgery. This did not differ independently of weight loss in patients or of the type of surgery performed. Verifying obtained results after a longer period of time following the surgery is suggested.
Gastric ulcers and risk for cancer. Is follow‐up necessary for all gastric ulcers?

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of initial endoscopy combined with histology and to define whether there is a point in following‐up all gastric ulcers until complete healing. We have studied all patients with gastric ulcers documented at endoscopy during a 6‐year period. Ulcers were macroscopically characterised as benign or suspicious for malignancy, and biopsies were taken. A follow‐up endoscopy and histology was performed 4–6 weeks and 3 months after an anti‐ulcer treatment. Resistant ulcers were treated surgically. All patients were followed‐up clinically and endoscopically for a year after complete ulcer healing. 802 patients with gastric ulcers were enrolled. At initial endoscopy, 732 ulcers (91.3%) were macroscopically characterised as benign and 70 ulcers (8.7%) as suspicious for malignancy. In the group of endoscopically benign ulcers, only one (0.1%) had malignancy detected by biopsy in the first examination. None of these ulcers turned out to be malignant on subsequent examinations. From the suspicious for malignancy ulcers, 20 (28.6%) were proven to be malignant. Endoscopy may recognise with great accuracy benign ulcers, but it overestimates the malignant ones. The cost‐benefit of serial follow‐up endoscopies should be re‐evaluated in ulcers that appear benign, and biopsies are negative at the initial examination.
Autoimmune thrombocytopenia: Flow cytometric determination of platelet-associated CD154/CD40L and CD40 on peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes

Abstract Background and objectives: The CD40–CD40L system has pleiotropic effects in a variety of cells and biological processes including the immune response. Within the immune system, these molecules represent a critical link between its humoral and cellular arms. Immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by antibody-induced platelet destruction and clearance due to anti-platelet autoantibodies, which bind to circulating platelets resulting in their destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. Despite its clinical importance, the diagnosis of ITP is one of exclusion, thus, inevitably associated with potential difficulties. CD40 is a cell surface receptor that belongs to the tumor necrosis factorreceptor (TNF-R) family, and that was first identified and functionally characterized on B lymphocytes. CD40-ligand (CD40L/CD154), a member of the TNF superfamily, is a cell membrane molecule expressed on activated CD4 + T lymphocytes and is essential for the T cell-dependent activation of B lymphocytes. Therefore it is now thought that CD40–CD40L interactions play a more important role in ITP immune regulation. Design and methods: The expressions of CD154 and CD40 on peripheral blood (PB) T and B lymphocytes, respectively, were measured using flow cytometry (FCM). An antigen-specific assay for platelet-associated antibody CD154 (CD40L) on CD4 + T lymphocytes and for CD40 on CD19 + B lymphocytes was tested in 30 pediatric patients with acute ITP, 30 adult patients with chronic ITP, and in 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: The expression of CD4 + CD154 + and CD4 + CD154 + /CD4 + on PB T lymphocytes, and CD19 + CD40 + and CD19 + CD40 + /CD19 + on PB B lymphocytes were significantly higher in acute and chronic ITP patients compared to controls, and in acute patients compared to chronics (p < 0.001). Conclusions: CD40–CD40L interaction plays an important role in the pathology of certain autoimmune diseases. ITP is an autoimmune disease characterized by increased platelet destruction caused by anti-platelet autoantibodies, which mainly target a platelet surface antigen. It is speculated that platelet-associated CD154 is competent to induce the CD40-dependent proliferation of B lymphocytes. Therefore, platelet-associated CD154 expression is increased in ITP patients and is able to drive the activation of autoreactive B lymphocytes in this disease. These findings are particularly useful for clarifying the pathogenic process in ITP patients and for developing a therapeutic approach that blocks pathogenic anti-platelet antibody production. Blockade of the CD40/CD154 signal is a potential immunomodulatory strategy for T cell-mediated diseases, and many findings suggest that CD40/CD154 blockade therapy is potentially effective for ITP through selective suppression of autoreactive Tand B lymphocytes to platelet antigens.
Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Modeling the Linkages Using a Partial Equilibrium Trade Model

Global attempts to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may impact on agricultural trade and producer returns, particularly in countries such as New Zealand, where a relatively large proportion of GHG emissions originate from the agricultural sector. This study uses an extended partial equilibrium agricultural trade model to analyze the effects of trade policy liberalization on agricultural production and trade, as well as on GHG emissions. Further analysis combines trade liberalization with GHG mitigation policy in the New Zealand and European dairy sectors, and the effects on producer returns and GHG emissions are predicted. As expected, full trade liberalization in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries enhances producer returns in New Zealand's dairy sector, but reduces returns in the European Union's dairy sector.
Ca 2 +-signaling in airway smooth muscle cells is altered in T-bet knock-out mice

Background: Airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) play a key role in bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). A major component of the signaling cascade leading to ASMC contraction is calcium. So far, agonist-induced Ca2+-signaling in asthma has been studied by comparing innate properties of inbred rat or mouse strains, or by using selected mediators known to be involved in asthma. T-bet knock-out (KO) mice show key features of allergic asthma such as a shift towards TH2-lymphocytes and display a broad spectrum of asthma-like histological and functional characteristics. In this study, we aimed at investigating whether Ca2+-homeostasis of ASMC is altered in T-bet KO-mice as an experimental model of asthma. Methods: Lung slices of 100 to 200 μm thickness were obtained from T-bet KOand wild-type mice. Airway contraction in response to acetylcholine (ACH) was measured by video-microscopy and Ca2+-signaling in single ASMC of lung slices was assessed using two-photon-microscopy. Results: Airways from T-bet KO-mice showed increased baseline airway tone (BAT) and BHR compared to wild-type mice. This could be mimicked by incubation of lung slices from wild-type mice with IL-13. The increased BAT was correlated with an increased incidence of spontaneous changes in intracellular Ca2+-concentrations, whereas BHR correlated with higher ACH-induced Ca2+-transients and an increased proportion of ASMC showing Ca2+-oscillations. Emptying intracellular Ca2+-stores using caffeine or cyclopiazonic acid induced higher Ca2+-elevations in ASMC from T-bet KOcompared to wild-type mice. Conclusion: Altered Ca2+-homeostasis of ASMC contributes to increased BAT and BHR in lung slices from T-bet KO-mice as a murine asthma model. We propose that a higher Ca2+-content of the intracellular Ca2+-stores is involved in the pathophysiology of these changes. Background Airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) mediate bronchial narrowing and therefore play a key role in bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). In asthma, increased ASMC mass has been reported by several investigators [1-3]. However, the question arises whether changes in contracPublished: 23 February 2006 Respiratory Research 2006, 7:33 doi:10.1186/1465-9921-7-33 Received: 26 November 2005 Accepted: 23 February 2006 This article is available from: http://respiratory-research.com/content/7/1/33 © 2006 Bergner et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Characteristics of Amphotericin B, Caspofungin, Fluconazole, and Voriconazole against Bloodstream Isolates of Infrequent Candida Species from Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

ABSTRACT Time-kill and postantifungal effect (PAFE) of amphotericin B, caspofungin, fluconazole, and voriconazole were determined against clinical isolates of Candida guilliermondii, Candida kefyr, and Candida lusitaniae. Azoles displayed fungistatic activity and no measurable PAFE, regardless of the concentration tested. Amphotericin B and caspofungin demonstrated concentration-dependent fungicidal activity, although amphotericin B only produced a significant dose-dependent PAFE against all isolates tested.
Dibutyryl Cyclic AMP Induces Vimentin and GFAP Expression in Cultured Medulloblastoma Cells

ABSTRACT: Evidence for the astrocytic lineage in medulloblastomas rests largely on the detection of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) from which intermediate filaments (IF) specific for astrocytes are assembled. Astrocyte progenitor cells from the mouse neopallium however express another IF protein, vimentin, before they acquire GFAP in vivo and in vitro. The purpose of the current study was to determine if cells obtained from a focally GFAP-positive posterior fossa medulloblastoma previously shown to acquire GFAP in response to dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBcAMP), also express vimentin before expressing GFAP. More than 80% of cells in the tumor section contained vimentin while fewer than 1% of cells contained GFAP; occasional clusters of malignant GFAP-positive cells and clusters of cells negative for both vimentin and GFAP were also identified in the tumor. One hundred per cent of cultured cells in the first 10 passages from the tumor contained vimentin and no cells expressed GFAP. When cells were cultured in the presence of dBcAMP, Western immunoblotting showed an increase in vimentin which reached maximal values within 24 h followed by an increase in GFAP which reached maximal values at 72 h. The increase in vimentin followed by that of GFAP in cultured medulloblastoma cells has not previously been reported and suggests that most astrocyte progenitors which are derived from medulloblastoma and cultured in vitro may be at a developmental stage which corresponds to the proastroblast stage in the developing mouse brain. Most medulloblastoma cells in tumor sections in which vimentin is present but GFAP is absent may be in maturation arrest in vivo at the proastroblast stage of normal astrocyte development while vimentin and GFAP-negative islands of cells may represent astrocyte progenitor cells at an earlier stage of differentiation (e.g. glioblasts).
Comparative Evaluation of Two Bis-GMA Based Orthodontic Bonding Adhesives - A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION Of the various orthodontic bonding materials, orthofix is a fairly new entrant into this field. This material was exclusively introduced for orthodontic bonding purposes; however, the application of this material for orthodontic purpose has not been scientifically evaluated so far. AIM The aim of the present study was to evaluate by an in-vivo double blinded split mouth rando mized clinical trial, the overall bond failure rates of two Bis-GMA based composite materials namely Transbond XT and Orthofix. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty three participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated by lottery method into two groups. Group A participants had maxillary right and the mandibular left quadrants bonded using Orthofix and the remaining quadrants were bonded using Transbond XT. In Group B, the quadrants were reversed. Both groups were followed for a period of six months and were reviewed every 3-4 weeks. If a bond failed, the details were recorded and the duration of treatment before each breakage was calculated. Data were analyzed using Independent t-test and chi-square test. (p< 0.05) at 90% power. RESULTS The overall bond failure rate for 263 brackets was 2.7% for Orthofix and 3.6% for Transbond XT. The mean esitmated survival time was 221.58 days for Transbond XT and for Orthofix was 220.07 days. The difference between these mean values were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Similarly, failure rates of the anterior and posterior segment were compared and no difference was observed between the groups (p>0.05). The maxillary and mandibular teeth were compared and more failures were found in the mandibular teeth among both the groups but they were not statistically significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION The overall bond failure rate and mean survival time for Transbond XT was similar to Orthofix with no statistically significant difference.
Torsade de Pointes in NIDDM With Long QT Intervals

Patients with diabetes are at an increased risk for sudden death (1). On the other hand, men with a long heart rate-adjusted QT interval (QTc) are at a higher risk for coronary heart disease and sudden death, even within the normal range of QTc in the general population (2). Sudden deaths in diabetic patients are attributed to circulatory failure and arrhythmia (3), the latter of which is difficult to diagnose. Recently, diabetic patients with prolonged QT intervals have been reported as prone to sudden death (4). We describe a diabetic man whose QTc lengthened substantially and who subsequently developed torsade de pointes, a fatal ventricular tachycardia (5).
Contact Lens Care Solutions Downregulate Membrane-Associated Mucins 1 and 16 in Cultured Human Corneal Epithelial Cells and at the Rat Corneal Surface In Vivo

Objective: The purpose of this study was first to evaluate the effect of multipurpose contact lens care solutions (MPSs) on the expression of membrane-associated mucins (MUC1 and MUC16) in SV40-transformed human corneal epithelial (HCE-T) cells and in vivo rat cornea. The second aim of this study was to determine the role of the common MPS additive boric acid in reducing mucin expression and release. Methods: The HCE-T cells were exposed to different concentrations of MPS-F, MPS-G, MPS-H, MPS-I, and MPS-J with 100% treatment for 30 minutes and 10% treatment for 24 hours. MUC1 and MUC16 expressions were subsequently analyzed by Western blotting. Wister rats were also subjected to MPS-A, MPS-B, MPS-C, MPS-D, and MPS-E and received phosphate-buffered saline exposure (1 drop in the right eye every 10 minutes for 1 hour). The left eye was used as control. Cornea sections and lysates were used for the immunohistochemical assay of MUC1 and MUC16 expressions. Conditioned media from treated HCE-T cells were also analyzed using Western blotting. Results: The MPSs containing boric acid downregulated MUC1 and MUC16 in the rat cornea, whereas MPSs without boric acid had no effect as demonstrated by the Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis. Conditioned media from MPS-containing boric acid revealed some trace of MUC16. Conclusions: The clinical use of MPSs containing boric acid that reduce MUC1 and MUC16 availability should be avoided. Additionally, the presence of MUC16 in the conditioned media suggests that boric acid may have enhanced cleavage of MUC16 at the cell membrane surface.
Coded modulations based on controlled 1-D and 2-D piecewise linear chaotic maps

In this paper, the authors examine the use of chaotic systems based on the iteration of 1D and 2D piecewise linear chaotic maps in a coded modulation scheme. In the proposed scheme, the transmitted information is imposed on the dynamics of the chaotic systems by a small perturbation control method. By means of this control method, the system is driven in such a way that the symbolic sequence associated with the produced signal corresponds to the payload information, up to a possible coding delay. We investigate such systems and, in particular, their relation with trellis coded modulations. We show particular examples with good performance for real and complex valued Gaussian channels.
On the capacity of sticky storage devices

When required to make a transition to a new state, a memory cell may, with a probability dependent on the state, refuse to do so (i.e., “stick”). Assuming that error correcting codes can be used at each write-read cycle, one seeks the maximum error-free (in the Shannon sense), long-term average capacity per cell and cycle. This problem is solved here for binary cells with either unilateral or symmetric stickiness. The methods used apply to more general cases as well. In the Appendix, some essential inequalities of dynamic programming are demonstrated.
17 BRCA 2 Mutations and Consequences for DNA Repair

The BRCA2 gene was the second gene discovered to be associated with early-onset, familial breast cancer. The BRCA2 protein is expressed in breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic tissues and is associated with cancer predisposition in all four, with breast cancer being the most predominant (Goggins, Schutte et al. 1996). BRCA2 is functionally defined as a tumor suppressor and is most critical in maintenance of genomic integrity and DNA repair fidelity. The importance of BRCA2 in maintaining genomic integrity is based on its function to specifically repair double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) via the process of homologous recombination (HR). However, BRCA2 resolves genomic lesions in concert with a number of DNA repair proteins, the most significant being RAD51 (Sharan, Morimatsu et al. 1997),(Yuan, Lee et al. 1999). RAD51 is a recombinase that is highly conserved, having homologues in E. coli and yeast, as well as in mammals. BRCA2 modulates the activity of RAD51 during DNA repair, and they both are found in nuclear DNA damage-induced foci, which are complexes of DNA repair proteins bound to DNA during the process of repair (Roth, Porter et al. 1985; Roth and Wilson 1986; Derbyshire, Epstein et al. 1994; Jackson and Jeggo 1995; Takata, Sasaki et al. 1998; Johnson and Jasin 2000). The relationship between BRCA2 and RAD51 has been determined to be a fundamental interaction in the repair of DSBs. The role of BRCA2 as a tumor suppressor has been established by its importance in maintaining genomic integrity. The inability of the cell to repair DSBs can potentially cause small-scale lesions in regions of the DNA that encode single genes and incite large-scale lesions, such as chromosomal anomalies. The consequence of such damage can disrupt the normal expression of gene products that are required to regulate cell growth and arrest and induce apoptosis, thereby establishing a cellular environment that can foster malignant transformation. Cancer cells that express mutated BRCA2 have been shown to have elevated sensitivity to the anti-cancer therapeutics called PARP (Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase) inhibitors. PARP inhibitors prevent the binding of PARP to sites of damaged DNA, which serves as a signal to initiate DNA repair (Schreiber, Dantzer et al. 2006); (Ratnam and Low 2007). The effectiveness of PARP inhibitors in BRCA2-mutated cells is based on the premise of synthetic lethality, which is when two pathway defects alone are innocuous, but combined become lethal (Ratnam and Low 2007). The unresolved DSBs of BRCA2-mutated cells combined with the inhibition of PARP activity are effective in promoting DNA damage-
Predicting prognosis after stroke

Background: Physicians are often asked to predict outcome after acute stroke. Very little information is available that can reliably predict the likelihood of severe disability or death. Objective: To develop a practical method for predicting a poor outcome after acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Data from the placebo arms of Parts 1 and 2 of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA [recombinant tissue plasminogen activator] Stroke Trial were used to identify variables that could predict a poor outcome, defined as moderately severe disability, severe disability, or death (Modified Rankin Scale score >3) 3 months after stroke. Results: Baseline variables that predicted poor outcome were the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >17 plus atrial fibrillation, yielding a positive predictive value (PPV) of 96% (95% CI, 88 to 100%). The best predictor at 24 hours was NIHSS >22, yielding a PPV of 98% (95% CI, 93 to 100%). The best predictor at 7 to 10 days was NIHSS >16, yielding a PPV of 92% (95% CI, 85 to 99%). Conclusions: Patients with a severe neurologic deficit after acute ischemic stroke, as measured by the NIHSS, have a poor prognosis. During the first week after acute ischemic stroke, it is possible to identify a subset of patients who are highly likely to have a poor outcome. These findings require confirmation in a separate study.
Ovotransferrin is a Matrix Protein of the Hen Eggshell Membranes and Basal Calcified Layer

The eggshell is an highly ordered structure deposited in the distal oviduct and composed of calcium carbonate and an organic matrix which is believed to influence its fabric. We have identified ovotransferrin as an 80kDa matrix protein observed at high concentration in the uterine fluid at the initial stage of shell mineralization, by N-terminal sequencing and western blotting using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. It is present in extracts from demineralized eggshell and was localized by immunofluorescence in the eggshell membranes and mammillae, which are the sites of calcite nucleation. Northern blotting and RT-PCR demonstrated that ovotransferrin message was expressed in the proximal oviduct (magnum and white isthmus), and at a lower magnitude in the distal oviduct (red isthmus and uterus). Ovotransferrin was revealed by immunofluorescence in the tubular gland cells of the uterus. Calcium carbonate crystals grown in vitro in the presence of purified ovotransferrin showed large modifications of the calcite morphology. These observations and its presence in eggshell and membranes suggest a dual role for ovotransferrin, as a protein influencing nucleation and growth of calcite crystals and as a bacteriostatic filter to reinforce its inhibition of Salmonella growth in egg albumen.