Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soluble selectins and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Objective Elevated cytokine levels have been reported after ischemia/reperfusion injury and might cause a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It is unknown whether patients with SIRS after CPR exhibit higher levels of soluble adhesion molecules than patients without SIRS and whether SIRS or elevation of adhesion molecules is associated with outcome after CPR. We analyzed the relationships among various CPR-related variables, plasma levels of E- and P-selectin, the occurrence of SIRS after CPR, and the development of sepsis and outcome. Design Prospective, controlled study. Setting Intensive care unit at a university hospital. Patients A total of 25 patients on the second day after successful CPR and 7 non-critically ill control patients. Interventions Blood sampling for determination of plasma levels of soluble (s) E- and P-selectin. Measurements and Main Results SIRS was a frequent finding after CPR (66% of all patients) unrelated to time until return of spontaneous circulation (SIRS, 17 ± 13 mins; no SIRS, 19 ± 16 mins;p = .761), epinephrine dose (SIRS, 4 ± 5 mg; no SIRS, 5 ± 6 mg;p = .906), or serum lactate level after CPR (SIRS, 8.6 ± 2.6 mmol/L; no SIRS, 8.7 ± 4.0 mmol/L;p = .174). sP-selectin levels were higher in patients with SIRS (291.7 ± 227.4 ng/mL) compared with patients without SIRS (113.4 ± 88.4 ng/mL;p = .018) or with non-critically ill patients (116.9 ± 33.4 ng/mL;p = .031). Compared with non-critically ill control patients (42.8 ± 19.4 ng/mL), sE-selectin levels were higher in patients with (96.2 ± 47.3 ng/mL;p = .023) and without SIRS (99.5 ± 65.7 ng/mL;p = .030). sP-selectin was higher in patients developing sepsis within 1 wk after CPR (n = 9) than in patients without sepsis (350.2 ± 233.4 ng/mL vs. 158.5 ± 157.8 ng/mL;p = .022) and sE-selectin levels were higher in nonsurvivors (n = 5) than in survivors (144.2 ± 62.4 ng/mL vs. 85.7 ± 45.3 ng/mL;p = .025) whereas SIRS was unrelated to the development of sepsis (p = .4) and unrelated to survival (p = .4). Conclusions SIRS is an unspecific finding after CPR with only minor impact on outcome. Determination of sP- and sE-selectin early after CPR might help to identify patients at a high risk for sepsis or for an adverse outcome, respectively.
Effects of metal ions and hydrogen peroxide on the phenotype of yeast hom6Δ mutant

HOM6 is a major gene in the aspartate pathway which leads to biosynthesis of threonine and methionine. The phenotypes of the gene deletion mutant (hom6∆) in a variety of cultural conditions have previously provided meaningful insights into the biological roles of HOM6 and its upstream intermediate metabolites. Here, we conducted a survey on a spectrum of metal ions for their effect on the aspartate pathway and broader sulphur metabolism. We show that manganese (Mn2+) promoted the growth of hom6∆ under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Unexpectedly, 4 mmol l−1 hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a dose normally causing temporary cell growth arrest, enhanced the growth of hom6∆ under the anaerobic condition only, while it had no effect on the wild type strain BY4743. We propose that Mn2+ and H2O2 promote the growth of hom6∆ by reducing the accumulation of the toxic intermediate metabolite—aspartate β‐semialdehyde, via directing the aspartate pathway to the central sugar metabolism–tricarboxylic acid cycle.
A Pilot Study of an Inspection Framework for Automated Usability Guideline Reviews of Mobile Health Applications

Usability is of significant importance for any interactive software. In the mobile domain, applications face more challenges to deliver good experiences to end users due to the characteristics and usage of mobile devices in ubiquitous computing contexts. The situation may be exacerbated for mobile health applications since the target population or domain may impose even stricter usability requirements. Heuristic Evaluation (HE) or guideline review has proven itself to be an effective approach among many usability evaluation methods. Organizing heuristic evaluation by usability professionals, however, can be costly and time consuming, particularly for frequent prototype updates generated by fast iterations. Manual inspection by human experts also suffers from scalability issues as mobile applications often need to run on a diverse set of hardware platforms. To help find potential usability problems at an early stage and reduce the workload of human usability experts, we propose an inspection framework to conduct automated guideline reviews of mobile health applications. The inspection framework is based on the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) usability guidelines for mHealth applications. First, we translate the high level descriptions of usability guidelines into operationalized metrics that can be measured by software. Second, we demonstrate the translation is meaningful by providing detailed analysis of suggested metrics and real-world case studies. We hope this framework can be used to enforce a minimum bar for the usability of mobile health applications and further adapted when new products in the field are developed.
Moderation of psychosocial risk factors through dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis in the onset of chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain: findings of a population-based prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress-response system would act as an effect moderator between HPA function and the onset of chronic widespread pain (CWP). METHODS We conducted a population-based prospective cohort study. Current pain and psychosocial status were ascertained in 11,000 subjects. Of the 768 eligible subjects free of CWP but at future risk based on their psychosocial profile, 463 were randomly selected, and 267 (57.7%) consented to assessment of their HPA axis function. Diurnal function was measured by assessing levels of salivary cortisol in the morning (9:00 AM) and evening (10:00 PM). Serum cortisol levels were measured after an overnight low-dose (0.25 mg) dexamethasone suppression test and a potentially stressful clinical examination. All subjects were followed up 15 months later to identify cases of new-onset CWP. RESULTS A total of 241 subjects (94.9%) completed the followup study, and 28 (11.6%) reported the new onset of CWP. High levels of cortisol post-dexamethasone (odds ratio [OR] 3.53, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.17-10.65), low levels in morning saliva (OR 1.43, 95% CI 0.52-3.94), and high levels in evening saliva (OR 2.32, 95% CI 0.64-8.42) were all associated with CWP. These 3 factors were found to be independent and additive predictors of CWP (OR for all 3 factors 8.5, 95% CI 1.5-47.9) in analyses controlling for age, sex, depression, sleep disturbance, recent traumatic life events, and pain status. One or more of these 3 HPA factors identified 26 (92.9%) cases of new-onset CWP. CONCLUSION Among a group of psychologically at-risk subjects, dysfunction of the HPA axis helps to distinguish those who will and will not develop new-onset CWP.
Increased expression of S100 calcium binding protein A8 in GM-CSF-stimulated neutrophils leads to the increased expressions of IL-8 and IL-16.

OBJECTIVES In our previous proteomic surveillance, we found that at least 11 proteins in neutrophils were increased more than 2.5-fold by the stimulation of GM-CSF. In this paper, focusing on one of the 11 proteins, S100 calcium binding protein A8 (S100A8), we tried to elucidate the effect of S100A8 and the cooperative effect of S100A8 and GM-CSF on production and secretion of cytokines of neutrophils. METHODS S100A8 in neutrophil was detected by western blotting, and concentrations of S100A8 in synovial fluid (SF) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) were measured by ELISA. Cytokine levels in the culture medium of neutrophils incubated with and without S100A8 were measured by an antibody array. IL-8 and IL-16 levels in the culture medium of neutrophils stimulated with S100A8, GM-CSF, and the combination of S100A8 and GM-CSF were measured by ELISA. The mRNA levels of IL-8 and IL-16 in the stimulated neutrophils were analysed by real-time PCR. RESULTS The western blotting analysis confirmed that S100A8 is up-regulated in neutrophil by the stimulation of GM-CSF. Furthermore, the ELISA analysis confirmed that S100A8 was significantly elevated in SF of patients with RA compared to SF of patients with OA. S100A8 induced mRNA expression and secretion of IL-8 and IL-16. S100A8 further enhanced production of IL-8 by GM-CSF but not that of IL-16. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that S100A8 may be involved in the exacerbation of RA, and that S100A8 may be a therapeutic target of RA.
Application of Technology in Male Reproduction

The reproductive performance of an individual beef herd is extremely important and plays a major role in its financial success. Currently, most commercial beef cows and a large proportion of purebred beef cows are bred by bulls. To improve genetics within a herd, the use of artificial insemination (AI) utilizing proven purebred bulls is of utmost importance (Barth, 1993). Success with AI has been highly dependent on accurate heat detection, timing of insemination, use of high quality semen, and proper insemination technique. This objective of this note is to address how sperm functional parameters, timing of insemination, extenders influences fertility, and in addition discuss what new technology in male reproduction means to the producers.
Both Calmodulin and the Unconventional Myosin Myr4 Regulate Membrane Trafficking Along the Recycling Pathway of MDCK Cells

In epithelial cells, endocytosed transferrin and its receptor, which cycle basolaterally, have been shown to transit through recycling endosomes which can also be accessed by markers internalized from the apical surface. In this work, we have used an in vitro assay to follow transfer of an endocytosed marker from apical or basolateral early endosomes to recycling endosomes labeled with transferrin. We show that calmodulin (CaM) function is necessary for transfer and identified myr4, a member of the unconventional myosin superfamily known to use CaM as a light chain, as a possible target protein for CaM. Since myr4 is believed to act as an actin‐based mechanoenzyme, we tested the role of polymerized actin in the assay. Our data show that conditions which either prevent actin polymerization or induce the breakdown of existing filaments strongly inhibit interactions between recycling endosomes and either set of early endosomes. Altogether, our data indicate that trafficking at early steps of the endocytic pathway in Madin–Darby Canine Kidney cells depends on the actin‐based mechanoenzyme myr4, its light chain CaM, and polymerized actin.
The pH of the Periodontal Pocket and the Glycogen Content of the Adjacent Tissue

IT HAS been reported that the glycogen content of gingival tissue is significantly lower in cases of chronic periodontitis than in the normal.1 There have also been reported studies on the pH of the periodontal pocket in various circumstances, in which the pH was found to vary directly with the depth of the pocket,2 and to vary depending on whether the pathologic condition was acute or chronic. The earlier measurements of the pH of periodontal pockets were carried out with hydroquinone-platinum electrodes; however, the use of hydroquinone might not be entirely satisfactory for pH determinations in biologic systems of unknown composition because of its sensitivity to redox conditions. Available glass electrodes were too large and too fragile for this type of work. Antimony appeared to be the most suitable material, and an improved microantimony electrode was developed providing a sensitive instrument sufficiently small to be useful and also having a greater mechanical strength than that afforded by pure antimony. The role of putrefactive processes in the etiology of periodontitis has been emphasized by some workers.4 In order to explore such possibilities further it was felt desirable to investigate the relationship between the material in the pocket and the substance of the adjacent tissue on a chemical basis. If putrefaction were the dominant process in the pocket, pH findings should be consistently higher than pH 7. Since cellular glycogen represents the normal fuel reservoir for most tissues, changes in this constituent should give some indication of the metabolic activity within the tissue. It is reasonable to assume that the tissue glycogen is synthesized in situ from hexose and/ or hexose phosphates, and that under adverse conditions, this activity of the cells might be affected. It has been suggested' that since putrefaction and glycolysis are mutually antagonistic processes, a depletion of tissue glycogen may predispose gingival tissue to periodontitis and, reasoning similarly, an increase in putrefaction may inhibit glycolytic processes and thus lead to a depletion of tissue glycogen. It was of interest to relate the tissue glycogen content not only to the pH of the adjacent pocket, but also to the duration and severity of the pathologic condition as indicated by the depth of the pocket.
Cancer incidence before and after kidney transplantation.

CONTEXT Immune suppression after organ transplantation is associated with a markedly increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer and a few virus-associated cancers. Although it is generally accepted that other cancers do not occur at increased rates, there have been few long-term population-based cohort studies performed. OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of cancer in patients receiving immune suppression after kidney transplantation with incidence in the same population in 2 periods before receipt of immune suppression: during dialysis and during end-stage kidney disease before renal replacement therapy (RRT). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A population-based cohort study of 28,855 patients with end-stage kidney disease who received RRT, with 273,407 person-years of follow-up. Incident cancers (1982-2003) were ascertained by record linkage between the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry and the Australian National Cancer Statistics Clearing House. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of cancer, using age-specific, sex-specific, calendar year-specific, and state/territory-specific population cancer incidence rates. RESULTS The overall incidence of cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer and those cancers known to frequently cause end-stage kidney disease, was markedly increased after transplantation (n = 1236; SIR, 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.09-3.46). In contrast, cancer incidence was only slightly increased during dialysis (n = 870; SIR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.27-1.45) and before RRT (n = 689; SIR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.25). After transplantation, cancer occurred at significantly increased incidence at 25 sites, and risk exceeded 3-fold at 18 of these sites. Most of these cancers were of known or suspected viral etiology. CONCLUSIONS Kidney transplantation is associated with a marked increase in cancer risk at a wide variety of sites. Because SIRs for most types of cancer were not increased before transplantation, immune suppression may be responsible for the increased risk. These data suggest a broader than previously appreciated role of the interaction between the immune system and common viral infections in the etiology of cancer.
VASCULARIZATION OF THE OPTIC PATHWAY III. STUDY OF INTRA-ORBITAL AND INTRACRANIAL OPTIC NERVE BY SERIAL SECTIONS*

Technique The tissues to be studied were preferably taken from patients who had died of congestive heart failure, the blood being pressed towards the regions under study. All the surrounding large vessels were ligated and afterwards the optic nerve was dissected over its whole length from the orbital, intracanalicular, and intracranial contents. The technique employed was that of Pickworth (1934), as modified by Fazio and Farina (1940). The tissue, after irrigation, is wrapped in hydrophilic gauze and immersed from 3 to 5 days in a fixative of saturated sodium chloride (15 ml.), saturated glucose (15 ml.), and formol 10 per cent. (5 ml.). Frozen sections are then cut of approximately 50,. thickness and treated as follows: A sodium nitro-prussate solution, 0 * 5 per cent. (20 parts) is mixed with 25 parts of a 0 5 per cent. benzidine solution; the latter, containing 2 per cent. acetic acid, gives a cloudy precipitate. After filtration, 80 parts aq. dist. are added to the filtrate. The sections are immersed in this preparation for 20 to 30 minutes at 37°C. After irrigation by tap-water they are immersed for a further 10 minutes at 37°C. in oxygen water (12 vol.), rinsed in tap-water, and treated with absolute alcohol (to dehydration). Thereafter they are ready to be examined microscopically. In order to see the small capillaries it is advisable to cover the preparation with Canada balsam.
A pollinator shift explains floral divergence in an orchid species complex in South Africa.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Floral diversification driven by shifts between pollinators has been one of the key explanations for the radiation of angiosperms. According to the Grant-Stebbins model of pollinator-driven speciation, these shifts result in morphologically distinct 'ecotypes' which may eventually become recognizable as species. The current circumscription of the food-deceptive southern African orchid Eulophia parviflora encompasses a highly variable monophyletic species complex. In this study, two forms were identified within this complex that differ in distribution, floral morphology, scent chemistry and phenology, and a test was made of whether these differences represent adaptations for different pollinators. METHODS AND RESULTS Multivariate analysis of floral and vegetative traits revealed that there are at least two discrete morphological forms in the species complex. Field observations revealed that each form is pollinated by a different insect species, and thus represent distinct ecotypes. The early-flowering coastal form which has long spurs and floral scent dominated by sesquiterpene compounds is pollinated exclusively by the long-tongued bee Amegilla fallax (Apidae, Anthophorinae), while the late-flowering inland form with short spurs and floral scent dominated by benzenoid compounds is pollinated exclusively by the beetle Cyrtothyrea marginalis (Cetoniinae; Scarabaeidae). Choice experiments in a Y-maze olfactometer showed that beetles are preferentially attracted to the scent of the short-spurred form. A spur-shortening experiment showed that long spurs are required for effective pollination of the bee-pollinated form. Although it was initially thought likely that divergence occurred across a geographical pollinator gradient, plants of the long-spurred form were effectively pollinated when transplanted to an inland locality outside the natural coastal range of this form. Thus, the underlying geographical basis for the evolution of ecotypes in the E. parviflora complex remains uncertain, although early flowering in the long-spurred form to exploit the emergence of naïve bees may restrict this form to coastal areas where there is no frost that would damage flower buds. Later flowering of the short-spurred form coincides closely with the emergence of the pollinating beetles following winter frosts. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies a shift between bee and beetle pollination as the main driver of floral divergence in an orchid species complex. Floral scent and spur length appear to be key traits in mediating this evolutionary transition.
The Mycobacterial Cell Wall--Peptidoglycan and Arabinogalactan.

The mycobacterial bacillus is encompassed by a remarkably elaborate cell wall structure. The mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan (mAGP) complex is essential for the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and maintains a robust basal structure supporting the upper "myco-membrane. " M. tuberculosis peptidoglycan, although appearing to be unexceptional at first glance, contains a number of unique molecular subtleties that become particularly important as the TB-bacilli enters into nonreplicative growth during dormancy. Arabinogalactan, a highly branched polysaccharide, serves to connect peptidoglycan with the outer mycolic acid layer, and a variety of unique glycolsyltransferases are used for its assembly. In this review, we shall explore the microbial chemistry of this unique heteropolysacchride, examine the molecular genetics that underpins its fabrication, and discuss how the essential biosynthetic process might be exploited for the development of future anti-TB chemotherapies.
Cariogenic Microorganisms and Oral Conditions in Asthmatic Children

This study evaluated the caries risk of asthmatic patients on the basis of mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli levels in saliva samples as well as the index of oral hygiene and dental caries (DMFT index). The study population was composed of 80 asthmatic children, aged 3–15 years, who use specific medication, and 80 matched, healthy control children. The parents were interviewed about oral health-related factors. The World Health Organization criteria were used for dental examinations. The Köhler and Bratthal methodology was used to detect salivary MS levels and dilutions of saliva were done for lactobacilli counting. No differences between asthma and control groups were observed for caries prevalence in children aged 3–6 and 7–10 years, except in severe cases in the younger group. However, higher caries prevalence for permanent dentition was observed in 11- to 15-year-old asthmatic children. An increased dental biofilm was observed in the asthma group, as well as salivary levels of MS. No differences were observed in levels of lactobacilli. No statistical correlations were found between medication, frequency of treatment, method of consumption and caries experience, dental biofilm and salivary levels of MS or lactobacilli. However, there was a correlation between MS levels and treatment duration. The logistic regression revealed that MS level is an important risk factor for increased caries experience. Asthma should be evaluated as a risk factor for caries experience because it can increase the levels of MS and the dental biofilm.
Cardiovascular proteomics: Translational studies to develop novel biomarkers in heart failure and left ventricular remodeling

Heart failure (HF) remains a severe disease with a poor prognosis. HF biomarkers may include demographic features, cardiac imaging, or genetic polymorphisms but this term is commonly applied to circulating serum or plasma analytes. Biomarkers may have at least three clinical uses in the context of HF: diagnosis, risk stratification, and guidance in the selection of therapy. Proteomic studies on HF biomarkers can be designed as case/control using clinical endpoints; alternatively, left ventricular remodeling can be used as a surrogate endpoint. The type of samples (tissue, cells, serum or plasma) used for proteomic analysis is a key factor in the research of biomarkers. Since the final aim is the discovery of circulating biomarkers, and since plasma and serum samples are easily accessible, proteomic analysis is frequently used for blood samples. However, standardization of sampling and access to low‐abundance proteins remains problematic. Although, proteomics is playing a major role in the discovery phase of biomarkers, validation in independent populations is necessary by using more specific methods. The knowledge of new HF biomarkers may allow a more personalized medicine in the future.