Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peripheral nuclear matrix actin forms perinuclear shells

Perinuclear actin shells have been reported in a variety of organisms. The shells have been identified by staining perinuclear material with fluorescently‐labelled phalloidin, but have not been localized to a specific subcellular compartment at the ultrastructural level. We show here that the shells of 3T3 cells lie in the peripheral nuclear matrix. Nuclear shells and matrix actin in other parts of the nucleus are not usually detected by immunohistochemical staining because they are inaccessible to antibodies or to phalloidin. Immunohistochemical detection of nuclear actin is only possible during its deposition at the end of mitosis, or in interphase nuclei that have been extracted with detergent, digested with nucleases and washed with high salt buffers. J. Cell. Biochem. 70:240–251, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of atrial fibrillation on levels of high-sensitivity troponin I in a 75-year-old population

Abstract Purpose. Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with elevated levels of cardiac troponins; however, it is not clear if this association is independent of underlying cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of AF on cardiac troponin I levels in a 75-year-old cohort from the general population, using a recently introduced, highly sensitive assay. Methods. All 75-year-old citizens in Asker and Baerum counties were invited to participate in a prevalence study of AF. High-sensitive troponin I (hs-TnI) levels were measured (Abbott Diagnostics) in serum samples collected from 62 subjects with AF and a gender-matched control group of 126 subjects in sinus rhythm. Results. Hs-TnI was detectable in all subjects (median 7.3 ng/L [range 3.0–88.7]). Patients with AF had higher levels than subjects in sinus rhythm (8.3 ng/L [3.7–88.7] vs. 6.8 ng/L [3.0–77.5]; p = 0.011). Male gender (p = 0.002), hypertension (p = 0.001), coronary heart disease (p < 0.001), heart failure (p < 0.001), prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (p = 0.013) and serum creatinine (p < 0.001) were all associated with higher levels of hs-TnI in univariate analysis. Heart failure and coronary heart disease remained significantly associated with hs-TnI in multivariate analysis, whereas the relation between AF and hs-TnI was no longer statistically significant. Conclusion. All subjects had detectable levels of hs-TnI. AF patients had higher hs-TnI levels than subjects in sinus rhythm; however, this difference was not statistically significant after adjustment for heart failure and coronary heart disease.
Positive association between high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese workers: 6‐year follow‐up

Elevated high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), a marker of low‐grade systemic inflammation, may be involved in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, whether inflammation precedes development of T2DM independent of cigarette smoking and obesity remains to be confirmed.
Mammites colibacillaires de la vache laitière : étude d'une série de 74 cas hospitalisés

Les mammites +- colibacillaires a sont souvent associees a une endotoxemie plus ou moins grave a l'origine de symptomes generaux. La perte de production laitiere, l'evolution rapide et parfois fatale lors de mammites +- colibacillaires a ont des consequences economiques considerables. Soixante quatorze vaches atteintes de mammites +- colibacillaires a et, hospitalisees a la Faculte de Medecine Veterinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe (Quebec) de 1998 a 2003, ont ete incluses dans une etude retrospective. L'objectif etait de relier la cause bacterienne (Escherichia coli et Klebsiella spp) avec les modifications hematologiques et biochimiques sanguines ainsi que differents criteres cliniques dont la letalite ou la guerison. L'analyse de 144 variables n'a pas mis en evidence de differences selon l'agent causal. Neanmoins, deux methodes pronostiques basees sur la gravite des symptomes generaux (VPP=63% et VPN=68.5%) et sur les resultats d'equations de variables hematologiques (VPP=44% et VPN=70%) ont ete etablies.
Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions

Abstract. Much confusion exists in the English‐language literature on plant invasions concerning the terms ‘naturalized’ and ‘invasive’ and their associated concepts. Several authors have used these terms in proposing schemes for conceptualizing the sequence of events from introduction to invasion, but often imprecisely, erroneously or in contradictory ways. This greatly complicates the formulation of robust generalizations in invasion ecology.
ΔB mechanism for fringe-field organic magnetoresistance

Fringe fields emanating from magnetic domain structures can give rise to magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors. In this article, we explain these magnetic-field effects in terms of a ΔB mechanism. This mechanism describes how variations in magnetic-field strength between two polaron hopping sites can induce a difference in precessional motion of the polaron spins, leading to mixing of their spin states. In order to experimentally explore the fringe-field effects, polymer thin-film devices on top of a rough in-plane magnetized cobalt layer are investigated. The cobalt layer can be described by a distribution of out-of-plane magnetic anisotropies, most likely induced by thickness variations in the cobalt. With a magnetic field perpendicular to the cobalt layer, fringe fields are created because some domains are magnetized out of plane whereas the magnetization of other domains remains approximately in plane. By varying the distance between the polymer layer and the cobalt layer, we find that the magnetoresistance arising from these fringe fields reduces with the gradient in the fringe fields, in agreement with the ΔB mechanism.
Do hormones cause breast cancer?

The evidence that various endogenous and exogenous sex hormones play a role in the etiology of breast cancer is reviewed. It is hypothesized that prolonged exposure to normal levels of ovarian estrogens and cyclic progesterone resulting from early menarche and late menopause, and primarily willful nulliparity and late childbearing, act at an early stage in the development of breast cancer by promoting excessive proliferation of normal epithelial stem cells. Excess endogenous or exogenous estrogens can enhance risk by stimulating proliferation of epithelial cells that have undergone partial malignant transformation. The breast, however, is much less responsive to the tumor‐promoting effects of estrogens than the endometrium, and estrogens probably play a less important role in the later stages of mammary than endometrial carcinogenesis.
The phrenic nucleus of the albino rat: A correlative HRP and Golgi study

The phrenic nucleus of the adult albino rat was studied by utilizing the O‐dianisidine method for the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase in conjunction with the zinc chromate modification of the Golgi technique. Application of HRP to the transected phrenic nerve in the neck labeled a column of phrenic motor neurons from C3 to C5 in the ipsilateral spinal cord. However, when HRP was applied to the phrenic nerve intrathoracically, labeled neurons were found from C3 to C6. The long axis of the column of phrenic neurons was oriented tangentially from rostral to caudal poles. There was a gradual shift of the column from posterior to anterior and from lateral to medial positions in the ventral horn. The peroxidase material was also used to localize impregnated phrenic motor neurons in the Golgi sections and to provide quantitative data on phrenic motor neurons. In Golgi‐impregnated material two types of phrenic neurons were distinguished on the basis of dendritic morphology and orientation. These neurons were designated (1) larger neurons with smooth, radially oriented dendrites, and (2) smaller neurons with varicose, tangentially oriented dendrites. Both types of neurons had a small number of spines and bulbous appendages issuing from the dendritic trunks and branches. The dendritic fields of adjacent phrenic neurons overlapped extensively with one another and with dendrites of more distally placed ventral horn motor neurons. In peroxidase‐labeled sagittal sections the dendrites of phrenic neurons were primarily oriented in the rostrocaudal plane. The mean total number of peroxidase‐labeled neurons in the phrenic nucleus was 415.75 ± 18.36 cells. In sagittal sections the mean long axis diameter of phrenic cell bodies was 34.5 μm. In frontal sections the mean long axis diameter of phrenic cell bodies was 22.5 μm. Thus, from direct measurement, the phrenic neurons were 34% longer in the sagittal plane than in the frontal plane. In the present study each phrenic nucleus contributed fibers only to the ipsilateral phrenic nerve, and no evidence for peripheral crossing of fibers was found.
ANTI-DIABETIC PROPERTIES OF KALANCHOE PINNATA ( LAM . ) PERS . IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC MICE ”

INTRODUCTON The use of plants for treating diseases is as old a s the human generations. Popular observations on the use and efficacy of medicinal plants significantly contribute to the disclosure of their therapeutic properties. India is the gateway of medicinal plant s in the world with a rich source for food and medicine. From past several decades more importance are given to the research on medicinal and some plants were already tested for ABSTRACT Kalanchoe pinnata is a succulent perennial plant which is commonly k nown as ‘air plant’. The anti-diabetic activity of Kalanchoe pinnata leaf extracts was investigated in alloxan induced diabetic swiss albino mice. A comparison was made between the action of different extracts of K. pinnata and a known antidiabetic drug glibenclamide. Hypoglycemic activity, determination f blood glucose by glucose oxidase method and tot al cholesterol was performed in experimental diabetic m e. Dose selection was made on the basis of acute oral toxicity study as per OECD guidelines. K. pinnata ethyl acetate extract (500 mg) and aqueous extract (500 mg) blood glucose levels of these extracts on 14th day of the study were 114 and 121 mg/dL. In alloxan-ind uced model, blood glucose levels of these extracts on 14 th day of the study were 355 mg/dL and 98.67 mg/dL in comparison of diabetic control. In blood serum gluc ose level extracts of ethyl acetate (500 mg) of K. pinnata exhibited 321 mg/dL at initial day and finally the blood serum glucose reduces to 117 mg/dL. Whereas a lloxan treated showed a maximum blood serum glucose level of 333, 346 and 367 on 1 , 7 and 14 days respectively. These ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of K. pinnata also showed decreased cholesterol levels when comp ared to alloxan treated diabetic mice. In all these expe rim nts, extracts of K. pinnata proved to be the potential antidiabetic drug.
7 Knowledge-assisted Ontology-based Requirements Evolution

Reaching common level of understanding of a problem domain is one of the key challenges that stakeholders face during the requirements phase of a project. The stakeholders involved in Requirements Engineering (RE) attempt to achieve this goal through communication and knowledge sharing. The process of clarifying business problems and arriving at a specification necessitates developing a common vocabulary, assigning meanings to various business concepts, determining their interrelations and reconciling stakeholders‟ viewpoints. Oftentimes, knowledge exists in organizations, but is not maintained in a reusable form. To address the knowledge and collaboration needs of RE stakeholders, we have developed a Knowledge-assisted Ontology-based Requirements Evolution (K-RE) method and toolset. We demonstrate creation of a knowledge repository and its reuse in two contexts: (1) to resolve Change Requests (CR) with better speed and accuracy and (2) to jump-start a new project. We combine the social software principles and semantic web concepts to achieve this.
An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. An Update of the 2011 Clinical Practice Guideline.

BACKGROUND This document updates the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society/Japanese Respiratory Society/Latin American Thoracic Association guideline on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treatment. METHODS Systematic reviews and, when appropriate, meta-analyses were performed to summarize all available evidence pertinent to our questions. The evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach and then discussed by a multidisciplinary panel. Predetermined conflict-of-interest management strategies were applied, and recommendations were formulated, written, and graded exclusively by the nonconflicted panelists. RESULTS After considering the confidence in effect estimates, the importance of outcomes studied, desirable and undesirable consequences of treatment, cost, feasibility, acceptability of the intervention, and implications to health equity, recommendations were made for or against specific treatment interventions. CONCLUSIONS The panel formulated and provided the rationale for recommendations in favor of or against treatment interventions for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Metam aterial-based planar waveguide filters and components for light-weight multi-channel vehicular transceivers

In this paper, it is presented that novel and compact filters and channel combiners are developed for a lighter multi-channel vehicular transceiver working at an X-band and a Ku-band as high frequencies instead of bulky metallic waveguides. The components are in the form of so-called substrate integrated waveguide(SIW) as planar layered structures. For the purpose of reducing the physical sizes of the aforementioned components further from the conventional SIWs for the frequency bands near the millimeter-wave region, the internal parts of the proposed SIWs play the components of the CRLH-line as a metamaterial structure, which turns out much smaller than the SIWs of the same frequency. This is indebted to the phase-lead effect from the LH zone. Firstly, the compact SIW filters are implemented for the channels, particularly, an X-band and a Ku-band in this case, but applicable to millimeter-wave bands, if needed. Secondly, they are combined in another SIW to keep the two channels least distorted as a compact duplexer. The frequency responses of the filters and the channel combiner are given with the photographs of the fabricated versions. The size-reduction effect by the proposed method is mentioned with the conventional waveguide counterparts. It is easy to predict that the design scheme can be adopted for light-weight and low-profile vehicular transceivers.
Effects of Prior Polysaccharide Vaccination on Magnitude, Duration, and Quality of Immune Responses to and Safety Profile of a Meningococcal Serogroup C Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccination in Adults

ABSTRACT Extensive use of meningococcal AC polysaccharide (MACP) vaccines has raised concerns about induction of immunologic hyporesponsiveness to C polysaccharide. We investigated the immunogenicity and safety of a meningococcal C-tetanus conjugate (MCC-TT) vaccine in naïve adults and prior MACP vaccinees. Laboratory staff (n = 113) were recruited; 73 were naïve to meningococcal vaccination, and 40 had previously received ≥1 dose of MACP vaccine. Blood was taken prior to MCC-TT vaccination and 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months later. At each time point, proportions of subjects with serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) titers of ≥8 or ≥128 were similar (P > 0.46); >94% of subjects achieved titers of ≥128 at 1 month. However, the geometric mean titer (GMT) of SBA at 1 month was higher in the naïve (1,757; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1,102 to 2,803) than in the previously vaccinated (662; 95% CI, 363 to 1,207) group (P = 0.02), and similarly at 6 months (P < 0.001). Conversely, geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of serogroup C-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) were significantly higher in the previously vaccinated group pre-MCC-TT and at 1 week; the groups were similar at 1 month, and there was some evidence that the GMC for the previously vaccinated group was higher at 6 months. Qualitative differences in antibodies between groups were demonstrated by using the SBA/IgG ratio, though avidity measures were similar for the two groups throughout the study. MCC-TT was well tolerated, with similar safety profiles in the two groups. Pain in the arm and headache were the most frequently reported events following vaccination. The study shows that MCC-TT is safe and immunogenic in naïve and previously MACP-vaccinated adults, though the magnitude and persistence of postvaccination SBA responses in the latter group were lower.
Estimation of population allele frequencies from next‐generation sequencing data: pool‐versus individual‐based genotyping

Molecular markers produced by next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are revolutionizing genetic research. However, the costs of analysing large numbers of individual genomes remain prohibitive for most population genetics studies. Here, we present results based on mathematical derivations showing that, under many realistic experimental designs, NGS of DNA pools from diploid individuals allows to estimate the allele frequencies at single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with at least the same accuracy as individual‐based analyses, for considerably lower library construction and sequencing efforts. These findings remain true when taking into account the possibility of substantially unequal contributions of each individual to the final pool of sequence reads. We propose the intuitive notion of effective pool size to account for unequal pooling and derive a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate this parameter directly from the data. We provide a user‐friendly application assessing the accuracy of allele frequency estimation from both pool‐ and individual‐based NGS population data under various sampling, sequencing depth and experimental error designs. We illustrate our findings with theoretical examples and real data sets corresponding to SNP loci obtained using restriction site–associated DNA (RAD) sequencing in pool‐ and individual‐based experiments carried out on the same population of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa). NGS of DNA pools might not be optimal for all types of studies but provides a cost‐effective approach for estimating allele frequencies for very large numbers of SNPs. It thus allows comparison of genome‐wide patterns of genetic variation for large numbers of individuals in multiple populations.
Fatal rhabdomyolysis and renal failure associated with hand, foot and mouth disease

Fatal severe rhabdomyolysis and anuric renal failure developed in a young man who had contracted hand, foot and mouth disease during an epidemic of this disease. Viral studies implicated coxsackievirus A16 as the infecting agent. This appears to be the first reported case of rhabdomyolysis that was associated with hand, foot and mouth disease and infection with coxsackievirus A16.
A Preliminary Study for Sperm Sexing by Using Sucrose Density Gradients in Jersey Bull at Artificial Insemination Centre at Thirunelvely ( Northern Province of Sri Lanka )

Sperm sexing rouses great interest due to extensive application in animal production and new separation techniques which present both better accuracy and low costs are necessary. Thus the present study was experimented to separate X and Y-bearing bovine sperm using density gradient. To prepare discontinuous sucrose density gradient, sucrose solutions 35%, 30%, 25%, 20% and 15% were layered upon one another respectively into the eppendorf tube. Finally 20μL semen sample was loaded on the top layer. Then it was centrifuged at 500 x g for 12 minutes at room temperature. After elution of fractions and centrifugation (at 700 x g for 5 minutes), sperm was used for quality control by 0.4% Trypan Blue and 0.75% Giemsa stain. Other part of the pellet was stained with 2% orcein red or 1% eosin for 30 minutes to establish karyotypes. The percentages of female sperms were counted at different layers and statistically compared with the Paired-T test. Results have shown that means of Percentage of X chromosomes increased from top layer (27.01 ± 7.501 %) to bottom layer (36.93 ± 3.316 %). But the difference are not statistically significant (P>0.05). However it needs to perform further studies to obtain appropriate density gradient model. Our preliminary study demonstrated that the discontinuous sucrose density gradients can be considered as low cost tool for sperm sexing of bovine semen.
Smooth Pursuit in Elderly Adults Studied With Apparent Motion

The variability of smooth pursuit eye movements was studied in a group of healthy subjects for horizontal apparent motion by a method that does not require direct measurements of eye movements. It was found that the individual smooth pursuit efficiencies for binocular perception in group of healthy elderly subjects (mean age 61 years) as well as in the group of healthy young adults were distinctly differentiated. Furthermore, we have not detected any age-related decrease in the fraction of subjects showing high smooth pursuit efficiencies. This fact demonstrates that the human oculomotor system is relatively resistant to the effects of aging. At the same time, an appreciable increase of percentage of persons with directional asymmetry of smooth pursuit has been found among elderly adults. A higher smooth pursuit efficiency was noticed reliably more often in the direction from left to right rather than in the opposite direction. Subject eye movements were recorded with i-View XTM Hi-Speed 1250 eye tracking system (SMI Inc.). These records confirmed that the smooth pursuit accuracy of older adults is less than that of young persons, at least in some directions of tracking.
Effects of Omalizumab in Non-Atopic Asthma: Results from a Spanish Multicenter Registry

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of omalizumab in non-atopic asthma. Methods. Using data from a multicenter registry of severe asthma, we evaluated and compared the clinical outcome of 29 omalizumab-treated severe non-atopic asthmatics with 266 omalizumab-treated severe allergic asthmatics. Effectiveness was assessed by considering severe exacerbations, pulmonary function, the Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness (GETE) scale, and Asthma Control Test (ACT). Results. Omalizumab demonstrated significant improvement in the clinical status of non-atopic asthmatics as measured by GETE, which rose from 1.6 ± 1.1 to 2.8 ± 0.8 at 4 months (p = .0215) to 2.9 ± 0.9 at 1 year (p = .0093) and to 3.4 ± 0.6 at 2 years (p = .0078), and by the ACT, which increased from 13.0 ± 5.5 to 17.5 ± 5.4 at 4 months (p = .0236) to 17.9 ± 4.8 at 1 year (p = .0136) and to 20.6 ± 3.9 at 2 years (p = .0024). Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) improved from 61.0 ± 19.4% to 65.1 ± 17.2 at 4 months to 64.1 ± 24.7 at 1 year and to 67.3 ± 23.0 at 2 years, but without significant differences between initial and follow-up measurements (p = .52, .91, and .45, respectively) and exacerbations decreased from 3.1 ± 3.5 to 1.9 ± 2.8 at 1 year (p = .1709) to 1.8 ± 4.4 at 2 years (p = .2344). The results were not significantly different from those obtained in atopic asthmatics. Conclusion. Anti-IgE therapy can be effective in non-atopic severe asthma.