Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Additional Mechanism of Action of Abciximab: Dispersal of Newly Formed Platelet Aggregates

Summary Background The ability of abciximab to prevent fibrinogen binding to activated platelets indicates it may also promote dissolution of platelet-rich thrombi. The present study examined the capacity of abciximab to reverse platelet aggregation in vitro. Methods and Results Experiments were performed on blood from healthy non-medicated donors. Platelet aggregate formation and disaggregation were monitored turbidimetrically. Platelet-bound fibrinogen was measured by flow cytometry. For disaggregation studies, platelets were first stimulated with either ADP or the 11-mer thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP), then varying amounts of abciximab were added at periodic intervals after agonist addition. Platelet disaggregation was detected by comparing the extent of light transmittance at 4 min after addition of either abciximab or saline to PRP. ATP release was simultaneously monitored by chemi-luminescence. When added 1 min after low concentrations of ADP, abciximab rapidly (<1 min) dispersed platelet aggregates in a dose-dependent manner, with complete disaggregation observed with 6.25 µg/mL of the β3 antagonist. In contrast, equivalent concentrations of abciximab did not induce appreciable disaggregation to platelets stimulated with TRAP (10 µM). Platelet counts of samples that had undergone complete disaggregation, as assessed by aggregometry, were equivalent to baseline, indicating dispersal of aggregates to single cells. Concentrations of abciximab that produced complete disaggregation induced partial displacement of platelet-bound fibrinogen (52 ± 8% inhibition of fibrinogen binding at 12.5 µg/ml abciximab). The disaggregation effectiveness of abciximab decreased as the time between ADP and subsequent abciximab addition widened, and as the amount of both dense granule release and agonist stimulation increased. However, pre-treatment of platelets with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) did not potentiate platelet disaggregation induced by abciximab. Conclusions These data indicate that abciximab facilitates the dispersal of newly formed platelet aggregates in vitro, by partially displacing fibrinogen from activated GPIIb/IIIa receptors. In vivo, abciximab may destabilize coronary thrombi by preventing aggregate formation and dispersing mural thrombi.
Pseudomonas syringae type III effector AvrRpt2 alters Arabidopsis thaliana auxin physiology

The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector AvrRpt2 promotes bacterial virulence on Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking a functional RPS2 gene (rps2 mutant plants). To investigate the mechanisms underlying the virulence activity of AvrRpt2, we examined the phenotypes of transgenic A. thaliana rps2 seedlings constitutively expressing AvrRpt2. These seedlings exhibited phenotypes reminiscent of A. thaliana mutants with altered auxin physiology, including longer primary roots, increased number of lateral roots, and increased sensitivity to exogenous auxin. They also had increased levels of free indole acetic acid (IAA). The presence of AvrRpt2 also was correlated with a further increase in free IAA levels during infection with P. syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 (PstDC3000). These results indicate that AvrRpt2 alters A. thaliana auxin physiology. Application of the auxin analog 1-naphthaleneacetic acid promoted disease symptom development in PstDC3000-infected plants, suggesting that elevated auxin levels within host tissue promote PstDC3000 virulence. Thus, AvrRpt2 may be among the virulence factors of P. syringae that modulate host auxin physiology to promote disease.
Intracerebral xenotransplantation: recent findings and perspectives for local immunosuppression

Purpose of reviewCell therapy is a promising strategy for tissue repair in the central nervous system. In this perspective, several cell types are being considered, including allogenic neuroblasts, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. The use of allogenic neuroblasts as cell source is limited by logistics and ethical problems whereas transplantation of the last two cell types is hampered by their propensity to generate tumour. In this context, transplantation of xenogeneic neural cells appears as an attractive approach for effective neuronal replacement in case of neurodegenerative disorders. Recent findingsWith the emergence of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells as potential cell source in regenerative medicine, little attention has been paid to the possibility of transplanting xenogenic neural cells in the central nervous system. However, recent progress to circumvent the host immune response in the brain has raised encouraging perspectives for intracerebral xenotransplantation as restorative strategy. SummaryTo date, most of the immunosuppressive strategies designed for long-term survival of intracerebral neural transplants were based on systemic immunosuppression that has detrimental side-effects. The immunological status of the brain and the presence of the blood–brain barrier raise the possibility of local immunosuppression. This article provides an overview of the strategies recently developed to protect intracerebral neural transplants with special focus on local immunosuppression.
Roles of Arbuscular Mycorrhizas in Plant Phosphorus Nutrition: Interactions between Pathways of Phosphorus Uptake in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Roots Have Important Implications for Understanding and Manipulating Plant Phosphorus Acquisition1

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is the most common plant strategy that increases phosphorus (P) acquisition, involving approximately 80% of terrestrial plants. The AM fungal symbionts provide a very effective pathway (the AM pathway) for uptake, scavenging P from large soil volumes and overcoming depletion in the rhizosphere that occurs when direct (epidermal) root uptake is faster than replacement from the bulk soil. Recent physiological and molecular research has shown that the AM pathway makes very large contributions to total plant P even in plants that show no growth increases when AM, compared with non-mycorrhizal (NM) counterparts. The AM contribution remains "hidden" unless radioactive tracers are used to track delivery via the AM pathway. Importantly, this finding demonstrates that the direct pathway delivers less P to AM plants than to NM counterparts and implies fungus-to-plant signaling. The mechanisms by which direct uptake is reduced are unknown, but the hidden contribution of AM uptake means that AM fungi cannot be regarded as parasites, because there is mutualistic exchange of P for organic C regardless of plant growth responses. Furthermore, the dominance of the AM pathway helps to explain the persistence of AM symbiosis over evolutionary time, even in plants that apparently show no benefits.
Sox2 Gene Amplification Significantly Impacts Overall Survival in Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Recently, the existence of ovarian cancer stem cells has been reported. Sox2, Nanog and Oct4 are key markers of “stemness”. The objective of this study was to determine whether Sox2, Nanog, and Oct4 are associated with EOC and poor outcome. The expression of these markers was assessed by immunofluorescence staining and real-time RT-PCR in human EOC cell lines MDAH-2774 and SKOV-3, while the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) dataset was analyzed for associations with survival. Sox2, Nanog and Oct4 (POU5F1) were all detected by immunofluorescence staining and these results were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. The TCGA dataset revealed a 26%, 9%, and 6% amplification of Sox2, Nanog and POU5F1, respectively. Additionally, K-M survival analyses showed a significant median overall survival difference (41 versus 48.3 months, P = .01) for Sox2 amplification, but not for Nanog (44.1 versus 36.2 months, P > .05) and POU5F1 (43.5 versus 45.0 months, P > .05). Our results suggest that Sox2 gene amplification significantly influences overall survival.
Na,K-ATPase inhibitors from bovine hypothalamus and human plasma are different from ouabain: nanogram scale CD structural analysis.

The specific, high affinity binding of plant-derived digitalis glycosides by the mammalian sodium and potassium transporting adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase, or sodium pump), a plasma membrane enzyme with critical physiological importance in mammalian tissues, has raised the possibility that a mammalian analog of digitalis might exist. We previously isolated and structurally characterized from bovine hypothalamus a novel isomer of the plant glycoside, ouabain, which differs structurally only in the attachment site and/or the stereochemistry of the steroid moiety [Tymiak et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 8189-8193]. Hamlyn and co-workers reported a molecule purified from human plasma which by mass spectrometry could not be distinguished from plant ouabain [Hamlyn et al. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 6259-6263]. Since rhamnoside cardiotonic steroids are not known as natural products from mammalian sources, it became important to compare these two pure isolates to determine if the same or structurally distinct compounds has been found. Our results indicate that the human and bovine Na,K-ATPase-inhibitors are identical, but different from plant ouabain. This supports the notion that the human sodium pump may be under specific physiological regulation by a mammalian analog of the digitalis glycosides.
AIDS diagnoses at higher CD4 counts in Australia following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment.

OBJECTIVES To assess whether AIDS cases in Australia have been diagnosed at higher CD4 counts since the widespread availability of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in mid-1996. METHODS Data on the CD4 count at AIDS diagnosis for AIDS cases diagnosed between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1997, and reported to the National AIDS Registry in Australia by 31 March 1998, were analysed. The median CD4 count at AIDS diagnosis, and the proportions of AIDS diagnoses with a CD4 count above 100 cells/microl, and above 200 cells/microl, were calculated by the year of diagnosis, both for all AIDS-defining illnesses, and for each illness separately. Analyses were also stratified by the time interval between HIV and AIDS diagnoses (less than or equal to, or more than, 3 months) because people diagnosed with HIV close to the diagnosis of AIDS would generally not have received any antiretroviral treatment before the diagnosis of AIDS, and so no trends in CD4 counts at the diagnosis of AIDS would be expected in this group. RESULTS There was an increase in CD4 count at AIDS diagnosis in 1996 and 1997, although this increase was only apparent for AIDS-defining illnesses other than Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and was limited to AIDS cases diagnosed with HIV more than 3 months before AIDS. In cases of AIDS other than PCP, and diagnosed with HIV more than 3 months before AIDS, the median CD4 count increased from 50 cells/microl in 1995 to 80 cells/microl in 1996 and 134 cells/microl in 1997. CONCLUSIONS There has been an increase in the CD4 count at AIDS diagnosis for most AIDS-defining illnesses in Australia coincident with the widespread availability of HAART.
Working-Delayed Memory Difference Detects Mild Cognitive Impairment Without Being Affected by Age and Education

Performance on neuropsychological tests is affected by age and education, which makes the early detection of cognitive impairment difficult when assessing individuals of varying levels of education. We examined the effects of age, education, and gender on three memory indexes of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III, Delayed Memory, Working Memory and the difference between Working-Delayed Memory in a sample of patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, patients with mild probable Alzheimer's disease, and a nondemented elderly comparison group. Whereas Delayed and Working Memory scores were affected by participant type, age, and education, the Working-Delayed Memory difference score was affected by participant type, only. Our preliminary conclusions, pending replication of the findings with a larger sample, are that working-delayed memory difference was sensitive to early memory decline without being affected by age and education. Parts of the data were presented at the 2nd Hellenic Interdisciplinary Conference of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Thessaloniki, Greece, January 2002. We thank Margarita Sarri for assistance with psychometric assessments, Emy Sarafidou for statistical advice and three anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier version of this paper. Sokratis Papageorgiou is currently at the University of Athens Department of Neurology.
Histologic subtype component predicts lymph node micrometastasis and prognosis in patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is the major cancer-related death in the world. Complete resection is the gold standard for management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (1). For extent of pulmonary resection in patients with lung cancer, lobectomy is the standard procedure (2). However, more sublobar resection was done recently due to more small-sized peripheral ground glass nodules were found by chest computed tomography screening. The application of sublobar resection in lung cancer of small size needs more investigation (3). Furthermore, whether radical mediastinal lymph node dissection should be performed in these patients is a controversial issue (3).
Postmortem delay does not change regional diffusion anisotropy characteristics in mouse spinal cord white matter

It has been demonstrated previously that water diffusion anisotropy in vivo is equivalent to that observed ex vivo after perfusion fixation in the mouse brain. This finding supports the practice of ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurement on perfusion‐fixed tissues. However, the validity of extrapolating ex vivo DTI measurements from immersion‐fixed autopsy specimens to the in vivo state is questionable because of variable postmortem delays often encountered before fixation. In this study, we investigated the effect of postmortem delay on the water diffusion anisotropy of ventrolateral spinal cord white matter from mice. Mouse spinal cords, each from the same animal, were examined using DTI in vivo, in situ after death before fixation, and ex vivo immersion fixed 10 h after death. Our results suggest that diffusion anisotropy in mouse spinal cord is preserved up to 10 h after death. Regional characteristics of diffusion anisotropy in mouse spinal cord white matter are equivalent in vivo, in situ after death (up to 10 h before fixation), and ex vivo 15 weeks after immersion fixation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Fully Directional Universal Power Electronic Interface for EV, HEV, and PHEV Applications

This study focuses on a universal power electronic interface that can be utilized in any type of the electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Basically, the proposed converter interfaces the energy storage device of the vehicle with the motor drive and the external charger, in case of PHEVs. The proposed converter is capable of operating in all directions in buck or boost modes with a noninverted output voltage (positive output voltage with respect to the input) and bidirectional power flow.
Revised Basin-Hopping Monte Carlo Algorithm for Structure Optimization of Clusters and Nanoparticles

Suggestions for improving the Basin-Hopping Monte Carlo (BHMC) algorithm for unbiased global optimization of clusters and nanoparticles are presented. The traditional basin-hopping exploration scheme with Monte Carlo sampling is improved by bringing together novel strategies and techniques employed in different global optimization methods, however, with the care of keeping the underlying algorithm of BHMC unchanged. The improvements include a total of eleven local and nonlocal trial operators tailored for clusters and nanoparticles that allow an efficient exploration of the potential energy surface, two different strategies (static and dynamic) of operator selection, and a filter operator to handle unphysical solutions. In order to assess the efficiency of our strategies, we applied our implementation to several classes of systems, including Lennard-Jones and Sutton-Chen clusters with up to 147 and 148 atoms, respectively, a set of Lennard-Jones nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 200 to 1500 atoms, binary Lennard-Jones clusters with up to 100 atoms, (AgPd)55 alloy clusters described by the Sutton-Chen potential, and aluminum clusters with up to 30 atoms described within the density functional theory framework. Using unbiased global search our implementation was able to reproduce successfully the great majority of all published results for the systems considered and in many cases with more efficiency than the standard BHMC. We were also able to locate previously unknown global minimum structures for some of the systems considered. This revised BHMC method is a valuable tool for aiding theoretical investigations leading to a better understanding of atomic structures of clusters and nanoparticles.
Reproducibility of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) classification: a systematic review

Abstract Background: The classifications of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) represent glucose levels above normal, but below the decision threshold for diabetes. We sought to determine what the reproducibility of these classifications was when repeat tests were performed by conducting a systematic review of the literature. Methods: All primary studies published in English of any study design were included. Studies were excluded if they did not follow the World Health Organization or American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria, used whole blood as the specimen type, a glucose meter for analysis, or performed repeat testing greater than 8 weeks apart. Results: Five papers had reproducibility data for IGT or IFG, two of which where from the same population but sampled differently. The κ coefficients, indicating agreement between repeat tests that exceeded chance, indicated poor to fair agreement for IGT (0.04, 0.22, 0.38, 0.42) and moderate agreement for IFG (0.44 and 0.56). Similarly, the observed reproducibility was slightly lower for IGT (33%, 44%, 47%, 48%) compared to IFG (51%, 64%). In two studies for which data were available for both IGT and IFG, the average reproducibility was lower (49%) for the prediabetes group compared to the diabetes group (73%) or the normal group (93%). Conclusions: Poor reproducibility of IGT and IFG classification suggests caution should be exercised when interpreting a single test result. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1180–5.
Biomechanical evaluation of unilateral maxillary defect restoration based on modularized finite element model of normal human skull

A standardized and modularized finite element model of a normal human skull is established to simulate the unilateral defective pattern of the maxillary and the stress distribution of craniofacial skeleton with repair subject to the bite force. Based on the model, the stress evaluation of autologous bone grafted and zygomatic implant is to optimize the repairing method, and to rebuild the occlusal function
The ubiquitin-like modifier FAT10 interacts with HDAC6 and localizes to aggresomes under proteasome inhibition

During misfolded-protein stress, the cytoplasmic protein histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) functions as a linker between the dynein motor and polyubiquitin to mediate the transport of polyubiquitylated cargo to the aggresome. Here, we identify a new binding partner of HDAC6, the ubiquitin-like modifier FAT10 (also known as UBD), which is cytokine-inducible and – similar to ubiquitin – serves as a signal for proteasomal degradation. In vivo, the two proteins only interacted under conditions of proteasome impairment. The binding of HDAC6 to FAT10 was mediated by two separate domains: the C-terminal ubiquitin-binding zinc-finger (BUZ domain) of HDAC6 and its first catalytic domain, even though catalytic activity of HDAC6 was not required for this interaction. Both endogenous and ectopically expressed FAT10 as well as the model conjugate FAT10-GFP localized to the aggresome in a microtubule-dependent manner. Furthermore, FAT10-containing as well as ubiquitin-containing aggresomes were reduced in both size and number in HDAC6-deficient fibroblasts. We conclude that, if FAT10 fails to subject its target proteins to proteasomal degradation, an alternative route is taken to ensure their sequestration and possibly also their subsequent removal by transporting them to the aggresome via the association with HDAC6.
VerbNet overview, extensions, mappings and applications

The goal of this tutorial is to introduce and discuss VerbNet, a broad coverage verb lexicon freely available on-line. VerbNet contains explicit syntactic and semantic information for classes of verbs and has mappings to several other widely-used lexical resources, including WordNet, PropBank, and FrameNet. Since its first release in 2005 VerbNet is being used by a large number of researchers as a means of characterizing verbs and verb classes. The first part of the tutorial will include an overview of the original Levin verb classification; introduce the main VerbNet components, such as thematic roles and syntactic and semantic representations, and present a comparison with other available lexical resources. During the second part of the tutorial, we will explore VerbNet extensions (how new classes were derived and created through manual and semi-automatic processes), and we will present on-going work on automatic acquisition of Levin-style classes in corpora. The latter is useful for domain-adaptation and tuning of VerbNet for real-world applications which require this. The last part of the tutorial will be devoted to discussing the current status of VerbNet; including recent work mapping to other lexical resources, such as PropBank, FrameNet, WordNet, OntoNotes sense groupings, and the Omega ontology. We will also present changes designed to regularize the syntactic frames and to make the naming conventions more transparent and user friendly. Finally, we will describe some applications in which VerbNet has been used.
Hybrid routing protocol with unicast reply for mobile ad hoc network

Mobile ad hoc networks (MaNeT) play an important role in connecting devices in pervasive environments. Each node in MaNet can act as source and router. In this paper, we propose a hybrid routing protocol with Unicast Reply(HRP-UR) which combines the merits of both proactive and reactive approach. Like proactive approach, it maintains routing table at every node. However, it differs from proactive approach; that the routing table is not built prior to communication. Routing table are built in incremental steps during route discovery. Route discovery takes place like reactive approach only on demand. HRP-BR takes advantage of broadcast nature in MaNet for route discovery and store maximum information in the routing tables at each node. Broadcast nature avoids handshaking of RTS and CTS and effectively utilize trans-receiver antennas which reduce power consumption and effectively utilize bandwidth. HRP-BR is compared with existing AODV routing protocol which shows significant reduction in routing overhead, end-to-end delay and increases packet delivery ratio.