Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increase of Antimyeloperoxidase Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) in Patients with Renal ANCA-associated Vasculitis: Association with Risk to Relapse

Objective. The diagnostic values of antiproteinase 3 and antimyeloperoxidase tests using antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are well established. Our study determined whether an increase in ANCA level was a predictor of disease flareup. Methods. Our study included 126 patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis treated at 9 nephrology centers in Japan. The relationship between increased ANCA levels and relapse was assessed using time-dependent multivariate Cox regression models adjusted for clinically relevant factors. The outcome of interest was the time from remission to first relapse. Results. During the observation period [median 41 mos, interquartile range (IQR) 23–66 mos], 118 patients (95.8%) achieved remission at least once. After achieving remission, 34 patients relapsed (21.7%). Time-dependent multivariate Cox regression models revealed that lung involvement (adjusted HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.13–4.65, p = 0.022) and increased ANCA levels (adjusted HR 17.4, 95% CI 8.42–36.0, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with relapse. The median time from ANCA level increase to relapse was 0.6 months (IQR 0–2.1 mos). Conclusion. In our study, an increase in ANCA level during remission was associated with a risk of disease relapse. A rise in ANCA level may be useful for guiding treatment decisions in appropriate subsets of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF THE CONTACT LINE IN HETEROGENEOUS NUCLEATION WITH HIGH SPEED IMAGING

xxix 1 Background . 1 1.1 Atmospheric Nucleation . 1 1.2 Nucleation Theory . 2 1.2.1 Nucleation Rate . 3 1.2.2 Gibbs Barrier . 5 1.2.2.1 Homogenous Nucleation . 5 1.2.2. 2 Heterogeneous Nucleation . 7 1.2. 3 Line Tension . 10 1.3 Homogeneous Surface Crystallization . 12 1.4 Heterogeneous Surface Crystallization (Contact Nucleation) . 13 1.4. 1 Nucleation by External Crystal “Cooper mode” . 14 1.4. 2 Thermal Gradients . 15
Architecture of the Yeast RNA Polymerase II Open Complex and Regulation of Activity by TFIIF

ABSTRACT To investigate the function and architecture of the open complex state of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), Saccharomyces cerevisiae minimal open complexes were assembled by using a series of heteroduplex HIS4 promoters, TATA binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, and Pol II. The yeast system demonstrates great flexibility in the position of active open complexes, spanning 30 to 80 bp downstream from TATA, consistent with the transcription start site scanning behavior of yeast Pol II. TFIIF unexpectedly modulates the activity of the open complexes, either repressing or stimulating initiation. The response to TFIIF was dependent on the sequence of the template strand within the single-stranded bubble. Mutations in the TFIIB reader and linker region, which were inactive on duplex DNA, were suppressed by the heteroduplex templates, showing that a major function of the TFIIB reader and linker is in the initiation or stabilization of single-stranded DNA. Probing of the architecture of the minimal open complexes with TFIIB-FeBABE [TFIIB–p-bromoacetamidobenzyl–EDTA-iron(III)] derivatives showed that the TFIIB core domain is surprisingly positioned away from Pol II, and the addition of TFIIF repositions the TFIIB core domain to the Pol II wall domain. Together, our results show an unexpected architecture of minimal open complexes and the regulation of activity by TFIIF and the TFIIB core domain.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa B-band O-antigen chain length is modulated by Wzz (Ro1)

The wbp gene cluster, encoding the B-band lipopolysaccharide O antigen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype O5 strain PAO1, was previously shown to contain a wzy (rfc) gene encoding the O-antigen polymerase. This study describes the molecular characterization of the corresponding wzz (rol) gene, responsible for modulating O-antigen chain length. P. aeruginosa O5 Wzz has 19 to 20% amino acid identity with Wzz of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Shigella flexneri. Knockout mutations of the wzz gene in serotypes O5 and O16 (which has an O antigen structurally related to that of O5) yielded mutants expressing O antigens with a distribution of chain lengths differing markedly from that of the parent strains. Unlike enteric wzz mutants, the P. aeruginosa wzz mutants continued to display some chain length modulation. The P. aeruginosa O5 wzz gene complemented both O5 and O16 wzz mutants as well as an E. coli wzz mutant. Coexpression of E. coli and P. aeruginosa wzz genes in a rough strain of E. coli carrying the P. aeruginosa wbp cluster resulted in the expression of two populations of O-antigen chain lengths. Sequence analysis of the region upstream of wzz led to identification of the genes rpsA and himD, encoding 30S ribosomal subunit protein S1 and integration host factor, respectively. This finding places rpsA and himD adjacent to wzz and the wbp cluster at 37 min on the PAO1 chromosomal map and completes the delineation of the O5 serogroup-specific region of the wbp cluster.
Risk of psychological difficulties among children raised by custodial grandparents.

OBJECTIVE Although custodial grandchildren are believed to be at greater risk of emotional and behavioral problems than children in general, scant research has examined this important public health issue. METHODS This study involves data from 733 custodial grandmothers participating in a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health on custodial grandparenting and 9,878 caregivers from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) who completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in reference to target children between ages four and 17. These two data sets were used to determine if custodial grandmothers report greater emotional and behavioral difficulties, as measured by the SDQ, for custodial grandchildren than do caregivers of children from the NHIS normative sample. RESULTS Custodial grandchildren fared worse than children from the NHIS sample across all domains measured by the SDQ subscales, regardless of the child's gender and whether reporters were recruited by population-based or convenience sampling methods. Comparisons within the sample of 733 custodial grandmothers showed that higher levels of difficulties were reported when grandmothers were caring for boys, were recruited by convenience versus population-based sampling, and were white. Comparisons of the banded scores computed for each SDQ subscale suggested that custodial grandchildren have different cutoff points than children in the general population for a likely diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS Similar to other children in kinship care arrangements, custodial grandchildren are reported by their caregivers to have higher levels of behavioral and emotional disturbances than children in the overall U.S. population.
Helicobacter pylori homB, but Not cagA, Is Associated with Gastric Cancer in Iran

ABSTRACT While several distinct virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori have been shown to be associated with different clinical outcomes, there is still much to learn about the role of different bacterial factors in gastric carcinogenesis. This study looked at the distribution of the cagA, homA, and homB genes in strains isolated from patients suffering from gastroduodenal diseases in Iran and assessed if there was any association between disease state and the presence of the aforementioned virulence factors. Genomic DNA from 138 H. pylori strains was isolated and genotyped via PCR. Strains were obtained from dyspeptic patients (35 from gastritis patients, 62 from peptic ulcer patients, and 41 from gastric cancer patients) at the Teaching Touba Clinic and Imam Hospital of the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Iran. The overall prevalence rates of cagA, homA, and homB were 58%, 54%, and 43%, respectively. Stratification of patients showed a significant difference in the prevalence of H. pylori virulence genes across the disease states. The frequency of homB was statistically significantly higher in gastric cancer patients (78%) than in patients suffering from peptic ulcers (20%) or gastritis (43%) (P < 0.0001). The presence of homB was also associated with the presence of cagA (r = 0.243). These data suggest that in this population the presence of homB may be a predictor of more virulent strains of H. pylori and influence the severity of disease manifestation.
Risk of venous thrombosis: obesity and its joint effect with oral contraceptive use and prothrombotic mutations

In the Multiple Environmental and Genetic Assessment of risk factors for venous thrombosis (MEGA study), body weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated as risk factors. Additionally, the joint effect of obesity together with oral contraceptive use and prothrombotic mutations on the risk of venous thrombosis were analysed. Three‐thousand eight‐hundred and thirty‐four patients with a first venous thrombosis and 4683 control subjects were included, all non‐pregnant and without active malignancies. Relative to those with a normal BMI (<25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI ≥ 25 and BMI < 30 kg/m2) increased the risk of venous thrombosis 1·7‐fold [odds ratio (OR)adj(age and sex) 1·70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·55–1·87] and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) 2·4‐fold (ORadj 2·44, 95% CI 2·15–2·78). An increase in body weight and body height also individually increased thrombotic risk. Obese women who used oral contraceptives had a 24‐fold higher thrombotic risk (ORadj 23·78, 95% CI 13·35–42·34) than women with a normal BMI who did not use oral contraceptives. Relative to non‐carriers of normal BMI, the joint effect of factor V Leiden and obesity led to a 7·9‐fold increased risk (ORadj 7·86, 95% CI 4·70–13·15); for prothrombin 20210A this was a 6·6‐fold increased risk (ORadj 6·58, 95% CI 2·31–18·69). Body height, weight and obesity increase the risk of venous thrombosis, especially obesity in women using oral contraceptives.
Climate impacts on wheat phenology and production using mutisource data in NSW, Australia

Wheat is the most important grain crop in Australia, which plays a significant role in world grain-trading market. However, climate warming, water shortage, as well as more frequent extreme weather events (e.g., heatwaves, droughts and floods), under pressure of food demand, would pose great risks to all aspects of wheat production worldwide, especially in Australia with high climate variability. This study aggregated multi-source observational data by using meteorological statistics, in-situ investigation data and the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) product to explore and examine the correlation between climate variability and spatial-temporal patterns of wheat phenology metrics and productivity. The results from tests over 370 wheat trial sites showed: 1) narrower and earlier sowing and harvesting windows occurred in a drought year (2006) compared with a normal year (2005). Differences in sowing and harvesting window lengths were 9 and 5 days, respectively; 2) different weather patterns in each agro-climatic zone were followed by different remotely sensed crop EVI seasonality profiles. Crop growth was least affected by climate variability in agro-climate region E2, which is located in the south part of study area. This study reveals new information on cropland-climate relationships across the wheat belt in NSW in a changing climate.
Progesterone induces acrosome reaction in stallion spermatozoa via a protein tyrosine kinase dependent pathway

Progesterone (P4) is a physiological inducer of the acrosome reaction (AR) in stallion spermatozoa. However, the capacitation‐dependent changes that enable progesterone binding, and the nature of the signaling cascade that is triggered by progesterone and results in induction of the AR, are poorly understood. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to investigate the protein kinase dependent signaling cascades involved in progesterone‐mediated induction of the AR in stallion spermatozoa. In addition, we aimed to determine whether bicarbonate, an inducer of sperm capacitation, acted via the same pathway as P4 or whether it otherwise synergized P4‐mediated induction of the AR. We examined the effect on AR progression of specific inhibitors and stimulators of protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), protein kinase G (PKG), and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK), in the presence or absence of 15 mM bicarbonate and/or 1 μg/ml progesterone. Progression of the AR was assessed using the Pisum sativum agglutinin conjugated to fluorescein iso thiocyanate (PSA‐FITC) staining technique. Bicarbonate specifically activated a PKA‐dependent signaling pathway, whereas the effect of P4 was independent of PKA. Conversely, while P4‐mediated AR induction was dependent on PTK, the effects of bicarbonate were PTK‐independent. Finally, although the AR inducing effects of both P4 and bicarbonate were sensitive to staurosporin, a potent blocker of PKC activity at moderate (50 nM) concentrations, the effect of P4 was completely blocked at 50 nM staurosporin, whereas that of bicarbonate was only completely inhibited by much higher concentrations (2 μM) where staurosporin also inhibits PKA activity. In conclusion, P4‐mediated activation of the AR is dependent on a pathway that includes both PTK and PKC. While the effects of bicarbonate on the AR are mediated via a separate PKA‐dependent signaling pathway, P4 and bicarbonate have synergistic effects on the AR. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 64: 120–128, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effects of vitamin C supplementation on symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness.

AIM The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 8 days of vitamin C (VC) supplementation on elbow flexor delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) to 8 days of placebo ingestion. METHODS For 3 days prior to an exercise bout (2 x 20 eccentric elbow extensions), and for 5 days after, a treatment group ingested 3 x 1000 mg/day of VC versus 3 x 50 mg/day of glucose ingestion for the placebo group over the same time period. All subjects were prescreened via dietary recall to exclude any subjects with habitual VC consumption greater than 400 mg/day. Subject comprised 24 subjects (male and female) randomly divided into 2 groups of 12 subjects. Treatment group comprised 5 females and placebo group comprised 8 females. RESULTS Data from a repeated measures ANOVA indicate that DOMS was successfully induced in both groups via significant time effects for strength loss (P = 0.0001), point tenderness (P = 0.0001), elbow flexor decreased range of motion (P = 0.013), and subjective pain (P = 0.0001). However, there were no significant between group differences in response to any of the aforementioned variables: strength loss (P = 0.202), point tenderness (P = 0.824), elbow flexor range of motion (P = 0.208), subjective pain (P = 0.342). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that a VC supplementation protocol of 3 x 1000 mg/day for 8 days is ineffective in protecting against selected markers of DOMS.
Effect of Clopidogrel on Naproxen-Induced Gastrointestinal Blood Loss in Healthy Volunteers

The effect of clopidogrel, a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation, on naproxen-induced faecal blood loss was investigated in 30 healthy volunteers in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two parallel treatment groups study. All subjects first received naproxen 250 mg b.i. d. during 7 days, after which they were randomly allocated to additionally receive either clopidogrel 75 mg once daily (n = 15) or matching placebo (n = 15) for 11 days. Faecal blood loss was measured by the 51Cr-labelled erythrocyte method during the last four days of each of the four study periods, i.e. baseline, treatment with naproxen alone, combined treatment and wash-out. Mean daily faecal blood loss was below 0.5 ml/day during the baseline period in both treatment groups and increased during treatment with naproxen alone to (mean +/- SD) 1.14 +/- 0.58 ml/day in the naproxen + placebo group and to 1.93 +/- 1.51 ml/day in the naproxen + clopidogrel group. Addition of clopidogrel to naproxen treatment was associated with an increase of the mean daily blood loss to 6.83 +/- 9.32 ml/day, which was statistically significantly higher than 1.75 +/- 1.40 ml/day observed during treatment with naproxen + placebo. During the wash-out period, mean daily blood loss decreased to 0.98 +/- 0.51 ml/day in the naproxen + placebo group and to 1.07 +/- 0.46 ml/day in the naproxen + clopidogrel group. Based on these results, it can be concluded that clopidogrel increases naproxen-induced gastrointestinal blood loss in healthy volunteers. Caution should therefore be called for when these drugs are coadministered.
Target‐controlled infusion of propofol and remifentanil combined with bispectral index monitoring for awake craniotomy

We describe the target‐controlled administration of propofol and remifentanil, combined with monitoring of the bispectral index, during an awake craniotomy for removal of a left temporo‐parietal tumour near the motor speech centre. Target concentrations of the two drugs were adjusted according to the patient's responses to painful stimuli and surgical events, and the need for speech testing. Allowing the effect‐site concentrations of propofol and remifentanil to decrease during surgery allowed the performance of cortical speech mapping and the testing of the patient's ability to speak. Although the bispectral index was not used as a guide for the administration of the drugs, its value correlated better with the patient's responsiveness than did the predicted effect‐site concentrations of propofol. Side‐effects, comprising hypotension, respiratory depression and airway obstruction, were related to rapid increases in drug infusion rates and were easily managed.
Clinical trial of blood-brain barrier disruption by pulsed ultrasound

An implantable ultrasound device safely disrupts the blood-brain barrier in glioblastoma patients. A sound attack on brain tumors Brain tumors are difficult to treat with chemotherapy because the blood-brain barrier greatly limits the delivery of drugs into the brain. Carpentier et al. have developed a pulsed ultrasound device, which they implanted into the skull of patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor, in a first-in-human trial. At regularly scheduled treatment sessions, the researchers activated the ultrasound device by connecting it to a power source, disrupting the blood-brain barrier long enough for subsequent chemotherapy to reach the brain. The authors confirmed that this approach was well tolerated and showed evidence of effectiveness to disrupt the blood-brain barrier, paving the way for further development of this therapeutic approach. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits the delivery of systemically administered drugs to the brain. Methods to circumvent the BBB have been developed, but none are used in standard clinical practice. The lack of adoption of existing methods is due to procedural invasiveness, serious adverse effects, and the complications associated with performing such techniques coincident with repeated drug administration, which is customary in chemotherapeutic protocols. Pulsed ultrasound, a method for disrupting the BBB, was shown to effectively increase drug concentrations and to slow tumor growth in preclinical studies. We now report the interim results of an ultrasound dose-escalating phase 1/2a clinical trial using an implantable ultrasound device system, SonoCloud, before treatment with carboplatin in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). The BBB of each patient was disrupted monthly using pulsed ultrasound in combination with systemically injected microbubbles. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the BBB was disrupted at acoustic pressure levels up to 1.1 megapascals without detectable adverse effects on radiologic (MRI) or clinical examination. Our preliminary findings indicate that repeated opening of the BBB using our pulsed ultrasound system, in combination with systemic microbubble injection, is safe and well tolerated in patients with recurrent GBM and has the potential to optimize chemotherapy delivery in the brain.
Hematopoietic and reproductive hazards of Korean electronic workers exposed to solvents containing 2-bromopropane.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to describe hematopoietic and reproductive hazards of Korean electronic workers exposed to solvents containing 2-bromopropane. METHODS Detailed medical and occupational histories were taken and thorough physical examinations with clinical laboratory tests were done for 33 workers (8 men and 25 women). Previous and present exposure was investigated in detail by industrial hygienists. RESULTS Of the 25 female workers, 16 were shown to have secondary amenorrhea with high follicle-stimulating hormone levels, normal prolactin levels, and hot flashes. A total of eight workers with amenorrhea concurrently showed findings of pancytopenia. Among eight male workers, two showed azoospermia and another four showed some degree of oligospermia (normal > 20 million. ml-1) or reduced sperm motility (normal > 50%). The bone marrow effects and the testis or ovarian failure was shown to be the main health hazards in this workplace. Except for the cleaning solution containing 97.4% 2-bromopropane, no other known physical or chemical agents could be identified as responsible for the gonadal and bone marrow effects, including ionizing radiation, lead, ethylene glycol ether and its acetates, benzene, and dibromochloropropane. CONCLUSIONS No previous studies have reported human toxicity for 2-bromopropane, but the results of this study lead to the tentative conclusion that the causal agent for the gonadal and bone marrow effects among the workers might be 2-bromopropane.
Mechanism of inhibition of lipid peroxidation by gamma-terpinene, an unusual and potentially useful hydrocarbon antioxidant.

gamma-Terpinene (TH), a monoterpene hydrocarbon present in essential oils, retards the peroxidation of linoleic acid (LH). The peroxidation of TH has been shown to yield p-cymene as the only organic product in a chain reaction in which the chain carrier is the hydroperoxyl radical, HOO(.). The peroxidation of LH is well-known to be a chain reaction in which the chains are carried by linoleylperoxyl radicals, LOO. , and the products are linoleyl hydroperoxides. The retardation of LH peroxidation by TH has been found to be due to rapid chain termination via a very fast cross-reaction between HOO. and LOO. radicals. This antioxidant mechanism is completely different from the mechanism of antioxidant action of vitamin E. Since vitamin E becomes a prooxidant at high concentrations, the addition of essential oils containing TH to edible lipids may provide an alternative or supplementary strategy for obtaining large increases in their oxidative stability and shelf life, something that cannot be achieved by simply adding more and more vitamin E.
The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS‐SF)

The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS‐SF), an abbreviated version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, measures each of 32 symptoms with respect to distress or frequency alone. A physical symptom subscale (PHYS), psychologic symptom subscale (PSYCH), and global distress index (GDI) can be derived from the Short Form. We validated the MSAS‐SF in a population of cancer patients.
Las ciudades españolas en la encrucijada: Entre el "boom" inmobiliario y la crisis económica

Este libro ha sido sufragado con cargo al Proyecto de Investigacion “Las ciudades espanolas en la etapa autonomica. Dinamicas, procesos y politicas (1978-2012) (URBSPAIN)”, financiado por el Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad en el marco del Plan Nacional I+D+i (Codigo: CSO 2009-11261-Subprograma GEOG). Los textos que lo integran fueron presentados en la III Jornada de Investigacion Urbana celebrada en Madrid (noviembre de 2011) como parte del plan de trabajo del citado proyecto.