Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrophoretic Analysis of Axonally Transported Proteins in Toad Retinal Ganglion Cells

Abstract: As a preliminary step to studying changes in axonal transport in regenerating neurons, we have analyzed the composition and organization of polypeptides normally axonally transported in a neuronal system capable of regeneration, i.e., the retinal ganglion cells of the toad, Bufo marinus. We labeled proteins synthesized in the retina with 35S‐methionine and subsequently used one‐dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to analyze labeled, transported proteins in tissues containing segments of the axons (the optic nerve, optic tract, and optic tecta) of the retinal ganglion cells. The transported polypeptides could be divided into five groups according to their apparent transport velocities. Many of the polypeptides of each group were electrophoretically similar to polypeptides of corresponding groups previously described in rabbit and guinea pig retinal ganglion cells, and in some cases, additional properties of the polypeptides indicated that the transported materials of the two vertebrate classes were homologous. These results serve two purposes. First they establish the retinal ganglion cells of the toad Bufo marinus as a model system in which changes in gene expression related to regeneration may be studied. Second they show that the organization and many aspects of the composition of axonal transport in retinal ganglion cells have been conserved in animals as unrelated as amphibians and mammals.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Periplasmic Superoxide Dismutases SodCI and SodCII Are Required for Protection against the Phagocyte Oxidative Burst

ABSTRACT Vitamin D3 (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) induced the phagocyte oxidative burst and intracellular killing of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent manner. The antimicrobial effect was more pronounced for Salmonella SodCI and SodCII mutants, confirming the role of the phagocyte oxidase in the vitamin D3 effect. The results for an in vitro system with human THP-1 cells correlate with in vivo virulence data for mice and show that both the SodCI and SodCII enzymes are required to protect against the oxidative burst.
Cocoa Fermentations Conducted with a Defined Microbial Cocktail Inoculum

ABSTRACT Cocoa fermentations were performed in wooden boxes under the following four experimental regimens: beans naturally fermented with wild microflora; aseptically prepared beans with no inoculum; and beans inoculated with a defined cocktail containing microorganisms at a suitable concentration either at zero time or by using phased additions at appropriate times. The cocktail used consisted of a yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. chevalieri, two lactic acid bacterial species, Lactobacillus lactis andLactobacillus plantarum, and two acetic acid bacterial species, Acetobacter aceti and Gluconobacter oxydans subsp. suboxydans. The parameters measured were cell counts (for yeasts, filamentous fungi, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and spore formers, including reisolation and identification of all residual cell types), sugar, ethanol, acetic acid, and lactic acid contents (and contents of other organic acids), pH, and temperature. A cut test for bean quality and a sensorial analysis of chocolate made from the beans were also performed. The natural fermentation mimicked exactly the conditions in 800-kg boxes on farms. The aseptic box remained largely free of microflora throughout the study, and no significant biochemical changes occurred. With the zero-time inoculum the fermentation was almost identical to the natural fermentation. The fermentation with the phased-addition inoculum was similar, but many changes in parameters were slower and less pronounced, which led to a slightly poorer end product. The data show that the nearly 50 common species of microorganisms found in natural fermentations can be replaced by a judicious selection and concentration of members of each physiological group. This is the first report of successful use of a defined, mixed starter culture in such a complex fermentation, and it should lead to chocolate of more reliable and better quality.
Registration in the Danish Hip Arthroplasty RegistryCompleteness of total hip arthroplasties and positive predictive value of registered diagnosis and postoperative complications

Background There are few publications regarding the validity of data in hip arthroplasty registers. The Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry (DHR) is a nationwide clinical database of THAs and revisions in Denmark. Patients and methods We assessed the completeness of registration of primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and revisions in the DHR from 1995–2000. In addition, the positive predictive value (PPV) of registered data for diagnoses in patients undergoing primary THA and postoperative complications was analyzed. Completeness was assessed using the Danish National Registry of Patients (NRP) as a reference, which is a nationwide and population-based registry of all somatic hospital admissions since 1977. The positive predictive value of registered data was assessed by review of medical records and preoperative radiographs from samples of randomly selected patients registered in the DHR using a standardized form. Results The overall completeness of registration for primary THAs and/or revisions was 94% (26 129 patients registered in both NRP and DHR and 27 757 patients registered in the NRP). There was a lower degree of completeness for revisions than for primary THAs (81% versus 94%). The completeness did not vary substantially according to gender and age. Completeness of registration was lower for university hospitals than for other hospitals (91% versus 95%), and for low-volume hospitals (87%) relative to those with medium (92%) and high volumes (96%). Overall, the diagnoses in patients undergoing primary THA could be confirmed in 84% (387/459) of the patients who were reviewed. The diagnosis of fresh fracture of the proximal femur was confirmed in only one third (22/73) of the cases. Postoperative complications were confirmed in two-thirds (36/54) of the patients reviewed. The specificity of the registration of postoperative complications was, however, only one-third (8/26). Interpretation We conclude that the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry is a potentially valuable tool for quality improvement and research due to the high degree of completeness of registrations regarding THA, and its moderate-to-high positive predictive value of registration for diagnoses in patients undergoing primary THA. However, information on several diagnoses for primary THA and on postoperative complications should be used with caution.
Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: Patient selection and evaluation

Critical to the successful application of deep brain stimulation for the treatment Parkinson's disease is the proper selection of patients who will reliably benefit from this procedure and the successful evaluation of the responses obtained. This review will discuss the various factors influencing patient selection and summarize the recommended approach to patient assessment by using the Core Assessment Program for Surgical Interventions and Transplantation in Parkinson's Disease (CAPSIT‐PD). © 2002 Movement Disorder Society
Ultrastructural Aspects of Acetylcholine Receptor Turnover at the Normal End‐plate and in Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis

Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) deficiency at the myasthenic end-plate has been attributed to complement-mediated lysis of the junctional folds and to increased fractional degradation rate of AChR cross-linked by myasthenic immunoglobulin. This paper addresses the manner in which AChR is internalized and degraded at the normal end-plate and provides morphologic evidence for accelerated AChR degradation at the end-plate of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). We sequentially traced the fate of end-plate AChR labeled in vivo with intramuscularly-injected peroxidase-a-bungarotoxin (PBGT) in control rats and rats with chronic EAMG. At both control and EAMG end-plates, AChR is internalized by endocytosis. The endocytosed vesicles containing AChR are transferred into the lysosomal compartment which extends from the junctional folds into the junctional sarcoplasm. Regardless of whether the initial intensity of the reaction for AChR at the EAMG end-plate appeared normal or reduced, AChR disappeared more rapidly from the EAMG than from the control end-plates. Despite the accelerated fractional turnover rate of end-plate AChR in EAMG, the postsynaptic membrane surface which could be labeled with PBGT for AChR remained unchanged over a 120-hour period. These data suggest that end-plate AChR is at a steady state in chronic EAMG.
Induction of cytokine gene expression by listeriolysin O and roles of macrophages and NK cells

To determine the role of listeriolysin O (LLO) of Listeria monocytogenes in the host response at the initial stage of infection, cytokine gene expression in mouse peritoneal exudate macrophages and spleen cells was examined by reverse transcription-PCR. Expression of various cytokine mRNAs, especially those of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), and IL-12, was observed to occur in spleen cells after direct stimulation with an LLO preparation purified to a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Induction of mRNA expression by LLO was not blocked by cholesterol, which abrogated the hemolytic activity of LLO. After the depletion of NK cells in spleen cells by treatment with anti-asialo GM1 antibody plus complement, LLO-induced expression of IFN-gamma was decreased, indicating that NK cells were the main source of IFN-gamma. After depletion of macrophages by passing spleen cells over a Sephadex G-10 column, expression of macrophage-derived cytokines, including IL-1alpha, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL-12, was diminished. In addition, IFN-gamma mRNA expression was impaired, indicating that IFN-gamma mRNA expression from NK cells required signaling from macrophages. It is suggested that LLO is capable of inducing endogenous cytokines of mice, and both NK cells and macrophages are involved in the host cytokine response to LLO.
Volunteering to Colonize: a Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Impacts of Voluntourism

This paper examines the positive and negative implications of voluntourism, defined as a short-term trip (less than three months) of paid travel combining the vacation aspects with volunteer work externally organized. This paper compares the motivations of both the voluntourist and the voluntourism organizations. Ultimately, this paper seeks to ask: is voluntourism more negative or more positive? This paper compiles past ethnographic literature within the tourism and voluntourism community. This paper finds that voluntourism is neocolonial in nature, creates economic relationships built on aid reliance, does not help to form long-lasting social relationships and is irresponsible in its management of resources. Because of these factors, voluntourism, while not necessarily malicious in intent, is more negative than positive and will require a large framework shift to change its imperialistic legacy.
National Cancer Database report on cancer of the head and neck: 10‐Year update

We sought to examine the current state of cancer care for head and neck tumors in the United States. We therefore performed a retrospective, longitudinal study of the approximately 822,000 head and neck cancer cases included in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) for 1990 through 2004, representing approximately 75% of the estimated incident diagnoses in the United States.
The Socio-Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Quality of Life among Patients with Haematological Cancer in a Large Government Hospital in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND The paper examined the quality of life of haematological cancer patients according to their socio-demographic profiles and clinical diagnoses. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at the tertiary referral centre of Ampang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, involving 105 patients. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. RESULTS The study involved patients diagnosed with all types of haematological cancer, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and multiple myeloma (MM), with a response rate of 83.3%. The patients with ALL, HL, without NHL, and without MM were younger than other patients. There were significant differences in quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groups and types of cancer diagnosis. The global quality of life of the female patients was much better than that of the male patients. Patients who were 40 years old or younger had a better global quality of life and physical functioning, as well as fewer symptoms of constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Employed patients were in less pain but showed greater impairments of cognitive function than did unemployed patients. Patients who earned a monthly wage of RM1000 or less had reduced physical function, more symptoms of pain, and more financial difficulties compared with patients who earned more. Patients with AML tended to have better physical functioning than did patients with MM, whose physical functioning was impaired. Comparatively, more symptoms of dyspnoea were found in ALL and HL patients than in other types of lymphoma. Compared with other patients, those with ALL had a greater loss of appetite, and other lymphoma patients had fewer symptoms of pain. Patients with NHL had impaired role functioning and more constipation compared with other patients. The results were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The quality of life of haematological cancer patients is affected by socio-demographic factors and clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients.
Measurement of spatial cross sections of ultrasound pressure fields by optical scanning means

The measurement of spatial cross sections of ultrasound pressure fields is an essential element of exposimetry of ultrasonic medical equipment. An optical technique is presented that allows the two-dimensional (2-D) determination of ultrasound pressure using an optical multilayer hydrophone in which a laser beam with suitable wavelength is partially reflected from a dielectric optical multilayer system. By detecting the change in reflectivity of the multilayer coating induced by the incident ultrasound, the pressure time waveform can be determined. A 2-D data acquisition covering an area of at least 15 mm /spl times/ 5 mm was realized by two complementary approaches. A serial detection scheme was set up by scanning the sensing point across the area of interest by a micromechanically engineered scanning mirror and acquiring pressure time waveforms sequentially and pointwise. This allows the measurement of repeating ultrasonic waveforms with a spatial resolution of better than 70 /spl mu/m and a minimal detectable pressure of 50 kPa (bandwidth: 50 MHz) in a few seconds. In an alternative approach exploiting the parallel processing capabilities of a charge-coupled devices (CCD) camera chip, the probe was strobe-illuminated by a large-diameter collimated beam of a pulsed laser diode. The 2-D pressure distribution at a particular moment was derived from captured reflectivity distributions with a spatial resolution of 75 /spl mu/m. By successive delaying of the laser pulse with respect to the ultrasound pulse, the complete 2-D pulse waveform was acquired with high spatial resolution. Measurement results on ultrasound fields from plane and focusing transducers are presented and compared to simulation results. Individual advantages and drawbacks of both approaches are discussed. A combined setup merging both detection schemes into a single device was developed and represents a milestone on the way toward constructing an optical ultrasound measuring camera.
Bacterial SPOR domains are recruited to septal peptidoglycan by binding to glycan strands that lack stem peptides

Significance Cell division in bacteria is mediated by a large collection of proteins that assemble into a contractile ring at the division site. Understanding how these proteins are targeted to that site is important for understanding how division is spatially and temporally regulated. Here we demonstrate that a septal-targeting domain found in many bacterial cell-division proteins works by binding to a cell-wall structure that is present only transiently during cell division. These findings support a model for how different cell-wall hydrolases work together during separation of daughter cells and suggest a mechanism for coordinating synthesis and degradation of the cell wall during division. Bacterial SPOR domains bind peptidoglycan (PG) and are thought to target proteins to the cell division site by binding to “denuded” glycan strands that lack stem peptides, but uncertainties remain, in part because septal-specific binding has yet to be studied in a purified system. Here we show that fusions of GFP to SPOR domains from the Escherichia coli cell-division proteins DamX, DedD, FtsN, and RlpA all localize to septal regions of purified PG sacculi obtained from E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. Treatment of sacculi with an amidase that removes stem peptides enhanced SPOR domain binding, whereas treatment with a lytic transglycosylase that removes denuded glycans reduced SPOR domain binding. These findings demonstrate unequivocally that SPOR domains localize by binding to septal PG, that the physiologically relevant binding site is indeed a denuded glycan, and that denuded glycans are enriched in septal PG rather than distributed uniformly around the sacculus. Accumulation of denuded glycans in the septal PG of both E. coli and B. subtilis, organisms separated by 1 billion years of evolution, suggests that sequential removal of stem peptides followed by degradation of the glycan backbone is an ancient feature of PG turnover during bacterial cell division. Linking SPOR domain localization to the abundance of a structure (denuded glycans) present only transiently during biogenesis of septal PG provides a mechanism for coordinating the function of SPOR domain proteins with the progress of cell division.
Role of phosphatase PTEN in the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases induced by estradiol in endometrial carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVES To study extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in the endometrial carcinoma cell line Ishikawa with stimulation by 17-beta-estradiol, and to elucidate the role of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and estrogen receptor (ER) subtype on the activation of ERKs. METHODS Western blot was used to examine the expression of PTEN and PTEN (G129E) in Ishikawa cells after stable transfection as well as ERK activation in Ishikawa-EGFP, Ishikawa- PTEN and Ishikawa- PTEN (G129E) stimulated with various doses of 17-beta-estradiol for different lengths of time. Western blot was also used for examining the expression of ERalpha and ERbeta in NIH3T3 fibroblasts after transient transfection of pCXN2hERalpha and pCXN2hERbeta. Then, ERK activation was examined after stimulation with 17-beta-estradiol. RESULTS 17-beta-estradiol activated ERK cascades (mainly ERK2) in Ishikawa cells. The activation of ERK increased gradually as concentration of 17-beta-estradiol also increased. The maximal activation of ERK2 took place 5 min after stimulation with 17-beta-estradiol. The activation of ERK2 was inhibited markedly by PTEN, but not by PTEN (G129E). 17-beta-estradiol activated ERK cascades in NIH3T3 fibroblasts after transient transfection of pCXN2hERalpha. CONCLUSIONS 17-beta-estradiol activate ERK cascades in Ishikawa cells by integrating with ERalpha. Lipid phosphatase PTEN has an inhibitory role on the activation of ERK stimulated by 17-beta-estradiol in Ishikawa cells.
Association of Maltreatment With High-Risk Internet

OBJECTIVE: High-risk Internet behaviors, including viewing sexually explicit content, provocative social networking profiles, and entertaining online sexual solicitations, were examined in a sample of maltreated and nonmaltreated adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years. The impact of Internet behaviors on subsequent offline meetings was observed over 12 to 16 months. This study tested 2 main hypotheses: (1) maltreatment would be a unique contributor to high-risk Internet behaviors and (2) high-quality parenting would dampen adolescents’ propensity to engage in high-risk Internet behaviors and to participate in offline meetings. METHODS: Online and offline behaviors and parenting quality were gleaned from 251 adolescent girls, 130 of whom experienced substantiated maltreatment and 121 of whom were demographically matched comparison girls. Parents reported on adolescent behaviors and on the level of Internet monitoring in the home. Social networking profiles were objectively coded for provocative self-presentations. Offline meetings with persons first met online were assessed 12 to 16 months later. RESULTS: Thirty percent of adolescents reported having offline meetings. Maltreatment, adolescent behavioral problems, and low cognitive ability were uniquely associated with high-risk Internet behaviors. Exposure to sexual content, creating high-risk social networking profiles, and receiving online sexual solicitations were independent predictors of subsequent offline meetings. High-quality parenting and parental monitoring moderated the associations between adolescent risk factors and Internet behaviors, whereas use of parental control software did not. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment modalities for maltreated adolescents should be enhanced to include Internet safety literacy. Adolescents and parents should be aware of how online self-presentations and other Internet behaviors can increase vulnerability for Internet-initiated victimization. Pediatrics 2013;131:e510–e517 AUTHORS: Jennie G. Noll, PhD,abc Chad E. Shenk, PhD,ab Jaclyn E. Barnes, MA,a,b and Katherine J. Haralson, BAa,b aDepartment of Pediatrics and Divisions of bBehavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and cBiostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Synchronization of grid-connected renewable energy sources under highly distorted voltages and unbalanced grid faults

Renewable energy sources require accurate and appropriate performance not only under normal grid operation but also under abnormal and faulty grid conditions according to the modern grid codes. This paper proposes a novel phase-locked loop algorithm (MSHDC-PLL), which can enable the fast and dynamic synchronization of the interconnected renewable energy system under unbalanced grid faults and under highly harmonic distorted voltage. The outstanding performance of the suggested PLL is achieved by implementing an innovative multi-sequence/harmonic decoupling cell in order to dynamically cancel out the oscillation of the positive sequence voltage vector, produced by the existence of unbalanced and harmonic distorted voltage. The fast and accurate response of the proposed PLL under abnormal grid conditions is very important for the appropriate synchronization and control of the interconnected renewable energy systems. Therefore, the performance of the new PLL can increase the quality of the injected power under abnormal conditions and in addition enable the renewable energy systems to provide the appropriate support to the grid under balanced and unbalanced grid faults.