Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive value of 3+ spot urinary protein value measured by dipstick in hypertensive pregnant patients

Objective: To evaluate whether the spot urinary protein (SUP) level has predictive value on pregnancy outcomes in hypertensive pregnant patients. Methods: Retrospective case–control study of 109 pregnant patients with hypertension and spot urinary proteinuria measured by dipstick. Results: Presence of 24 h proteinuria was higher in patients with 3+ SUP. Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower in patients with 3+ SUP when compared with patients with ≤2+ SUP (p = 0.009). Rate of SGA babies was higher in patients with 3+ SUP when compared with patients with ≤2+ SUP (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Although it cannot replace 24 h urinary protein determination, 3+ proteinuria with dipstick may have a prognostic value, particularly in emergency cases.
Prefrontal-Related Functional Connectivities within the Default Network Are Modulated by COMT val158met in Healthy Young Adults

Previous studies have supported the concept that the default network is an intrinsic brain system that participates in internal modes of cognition. Neural activity and connectivity within the default network, which are correlated with cognitive ability even at rest, may be plausible intermediate phenotypes that will enable us to understand the genetic mechanisms of individuals' cognitive function or the risk for genetic brain diseases. Using resting functional magnetic resonance imaging and imaging genetic paradigms, we investigated whether individual default network connectivity was modulated by COMT val158met in 57 healthy young subjects. Compared with COMT heterozygous individuals, homozygous val individuals showed significantly decreased prefrontal-related connectivities, which primarily occurred between prefrontal regions and the posterior cingulate/restrosplenial cortices. Further analyses of the topological characteristics of the default network showed homozygous val individuals had significantly fewer node degrees in the prefrontal regions. This finding may partially elucidate previous reports that the COMT val variant is associated with inefficient prefrontal information processing and poor cognitive performance. Our findings suggest that default network connectivity that involves the prefrontal cortex is modulated by COMT val158met through differential effects on prefrontal dopamine levels.
A global overview of biotech (GM) crops: Adoption, impact and future prospects

In the early 1990s, some were skeptical that genetically modified (GM) crops, now referred to as biotech crops, could deliver improved products and make an impact at the farm level. There was even more skepticism that developing countries would adopt biotech crops. The adoption of and commercialization of biotech crops in 2008 is reviewed. The impact of biotech crops are summarized including their contribution to: global food, feed and fiber security; a safer environment; a more sustainable agriculture; and the alleviation of poverty, and hunger in the developing countries of the world. Future prospects are discussed. Notably, Egypt planted Bt maize for the first time in 2008 thereby becoming the first country in the Arab world to commercialize biotech crops.
Is genetically modified crop the answer for the next green revolution?

Post-green revolution advances made in biotechnology paved the way of cultivating the high-yielding, stress and disease resistant genetically modified (GM) varieties of wheat, rice, maize cotton and several other crops. The recent rapid commercialization of the genetically modified crops in Asia, Americas and Australia indicates the potentiality of this new technology. GM crops give higher yields and are rich in nutritional values containing vitamins and minerals and can thus can help to alleviate hunger and malnutrition of the growing population in the under developed and developing countries. It could also be possible to develop more biotic and abiotic stress resistant genotypes in these crops where it was difficult to develop due to the unavailability of genes of resistance in the crossing germplasms. However, further research and investigations are needed to popularize the cultivation of these crops in different parts of the world. This review provides an insight of the impact of GM crops on contemporary agriculture across the past few decades, traces its’ history across time, highlights new achievements and breakthroughs and discusses the future implication of this powerful technology in the coming few decades.
Cortical Synaptic Inhibition Declines during Auditory Learning

Auditory learning is associated with an enhanced representation of acoustic cues in primary auditory cortex, and modulation of inhibitory strength is causally involved in learning. If this inhibitory plasticity is associated with task learning and improvement, its expression should emerge and persist until task proficiency is achieved. We tested this idea by measuring changes to cortical inhibitory synaptic transmission as adult gerbils progressed through the process of associative learning and perceptual improvement. Using either of two procedures, aversive or appetitive conditioning, animals were trained to detect amplitude-modulated noise and then tested daily. Following each training session, a thalamocortical brain slice was generated, and inhibitory synaptic properties were recorded from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. Initial associative learning was accompanied by a profound reduction in the amplitude of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs). However, sIPSC amplitude returned to control levels when animals reached asymptotic behavioral performance. In contrast, paired-pulse ratios decreased in trained animals as well as in control animals that experienced unpaired conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. This latter observation suggests that inhibitory release properties are modified during behavioral conditioning, even when an association between the sound and reinforcement cannot occur. These results suggest that associative learning is accompanied by a reduction of postsynaptic inhibitory strength that persists for several days during learning and perceptual improvement.
Tbr1 and Fezf2 Regulate Alternate Corticofugal Neuronal Identities during Neocortical Development

The molecular mechanisms regulating fate divergence of closely related, but distinct, layer 6 corticothalamic and layer 5 subcerebral projection neurons are largely unknown. We present evidence for central transcriptional mechanisms that regulate fate specification of corticothalamic (layer 6) and subcerebral (layer 5) projection neurons. We found that TBR1 promotes the identity of corticothalamic neurons and represses subcerebral fates through reducing expression of Fezf2 and CTIP2. These conclusions are based on the following: (1) In Tbr1−/− mice, the number of cells expressing layer 6 markers was reduced, and the number of cells expressing layer 5 markers was increased. Early-born (birthdated on E11.5) neurons ectopically expressed subcerebral neuronal markers, and extended their axons into subcerebral targets. (2) Ectopic Tbr1 expression in layer 5 neurons prevented them from extending axons into the brainstem and the spinal cord. (3) Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis using TBR1 antibodies showed that TBR1 bound to a conserved region in the Fezf2 gene. (4) Analysis of Fezf2 mutants and Tbr1−/−; Fezf2−/− compound mutants provided evidence that Fezf2 blocks corticothalamic fate in layer 5 by reducing Tbr1 expression in subcerebral neurons. All neocortical regions appear to use this core transcriptional program to specify corticothalamic (layer 6) and subcerebral (layer 5) projection neurons.
Preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia: The same disease? The role of angiogenic biomarkers

ABSTRACT Objective: We aimed to compare sFlt-1 and placental growth factor (PlGF) levels and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio between women with preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia to, respectively, normotensive and chronic hypertensive ones. Study design: We performed a prospective two-armed cohort in a tertiary teaching hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, including 37 normotensive and 60 chronic hypertensive pregnant women. We assessed the serum levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF at 20, 26, 32, and 36 gestational weeks by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Main outcome measures: Having preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia. Results: Among normotensive and chronic hypertensive pregnancies, 4 (10.8%) and 14 (23.3%) women developed preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia, respectively. Compared with those who remained normotensive, the preeclampsia women presented higher sFlt-1 levels at 32 gestational weeks (4323.45 pg/mL vs. 2242.04 pg/mL, p = 0.019), lower PlGF levels at 20 (183.54 pg/mL vs. 337.38 pg/mL, p = 0.034), 32 (169.69 pg/mL vs. 792.53 pg/mL, p = 0.001), and 36 gestational weeks (252.99 pg/mL vs. 561.81 pg/mL, p = 0.029), and higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratios at 26 (9.02 vs. 1.84, p = 0.004), 32 (23.61 vs. 2.55, p = 0.001), and 36 gestational weeks (49.02 vs. 7.34, p = 0.029). On the other hand, compared with those who remained chronic hypertensive, the superimposed preeclampsia women only presented a higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 32 gestational weeks (9.98 vs. 2.51, p = 0.039). Conclusion: Although angiogenic imbalance is clearly related to preeclampsia, it seems to play a more modest role in superimposed preeclampsia, in which other mechanisms should also be investigated.
Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM

Introduction: On the Need for Evidence-Based Medicine 1. How to Ask Clinical Questions You Can Answer 2. Searching for the Best Evidence 3. Critically Appraising the Evidence 4. Can You Apply This Valid, Important Evidence in Caring for Your Patient? 5. Evaluation Appendix: Confidence Intervals Also Included Are 7 Rapid Reference Cards
Ascorbic Acid Levels and Neutrophil Superoxide Production in Blood of Pre-, Early and Late Hypertensive Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

We compared ascorbic acid (AA) levels in the blood and TPA- and fMLP-stimulated superoxide (O2•−) production in neutrophils of pre-, early, and late hypertensive stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) with those of age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), or two other normotensive strains of rats. Plasma and lymphocyte AA levels were about two-fold higher in SHRSP as early as 4 weeks old compared to WKY, and also higher than those of Wistar and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Levels of AA were high in the liver and adrenal glands of SHRSP, indicating congenitally high AA levels. The production of O2•− in neutrophils was about two-fold higher in SHRSP than in WKY even at 4 weeks of age, and increased with age in both strains. Among SHRSP, AA levels in lymphocytes decreased at the late hypertensive stages with a decrease in hepatic l-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase (GLO) activities. These data suggest that bi-phasic AA levels in the blood of SHRSP comprise congenitally high levels and a decrease after persistent hypertension due to enhanced O2•− production and a decrease in de novo AA synthesis through GLO.
Crying in infants

Up to around a quarter of all infants cry excessively and unsoothably during their first months of life. This phenomenon has been termed “infant colic. ” In most cases, physicians are unable to determine the cause of the colicky behavior. In a recent study, and by means of comprehensive and deep analyses of more than 1000 intestinal phylotypes, we found that infants with colic showed lower microbiota diversity and stability than control infants in the first weeks of life. Colic-control differences in the abundance of certain bacteria were also found at 2 weeks. These microbial signatures possibly explain the colic phenotype. In this addendum we discuss other recent publications on the subject and present previously unpublished analyses of our own. We address possible mechanisms behind the links between microbiota and crying, and present future directions that could further help elucidate the hypothesized relations between intestinal microbiota and infant colic.
Sprinting, isokinetic strength, and range of motion of ankle joints in Turkish male and female national sprinters may have a relationship

We aimed to observe the isokinetic muscular strength differences of the ankle-foot complex of sprinters of both sexes to understand the effectiveness of the ankle and subtalar ranges of motion on the sprint performances of elite athletes. Materials and methods: Elite Turkish national sprinters (n = 11; 5 females and 6 males) were assessed regarding their ankle joint isokinetic performance (30°/s and 120°/s), joint ranges, and sprint times. Results: A significant difference was observed between the average power of the right dorsiflexors (P < 0.001) of female athletes and the right invertors (P < 0.05) of male athletes at 120°/s for the 100-m sprint time. The average powers of the right (P < 0.05) and left (P < 0.05) evertors of the male athletes at 30°/s were significantly negatively correlated with sprint time. Additionally, only the plantar flexion range was significant for male athletes' sprint times, and the dominant invertors' peak torque at 120°/s in female athletes was significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The strength of the nondominant side dorsiflexors of female athletes and the nondominant invertors of male athletes are important in decreasing the strength asymmetry to disregard the strength of the nondominant side in relation to sprint performance.
Changing Microcircuits in the Subplate of the Developing Cortex

Subplate neurons (SPNs) are a population of neurons in the mammalian cerebral cortex that exist predominantly in the prenatal and early postnatal period. Loss of SPNs prevents the functional maturation of the cerebral cortex. SPNs receive subcortical input from the thalamus and relay this information to the developing cortical plate and thereby can influence cortical activity in a feedforward manner. Little is known about potential feedback projections from the cortical plate to SPNs. Thus, we investigated the spatial distribution of intracortical synaptic inputs to SPNs in vitro in mouse auditory cortex by photostimulation. We find that SPNs fell into two broad classes based on their distinct spatial patterns of synaptic inputs. The first class of SPNs receives inputs from only deep cortical layers, while the second class of SPNs receives inputs from deep as well as superficial layers including layer 4. We find that superficial cortical inputs to SPNs emerge in the second postnatal week and that SPNs that receive superficial cortical input are located more superficially than those that do not. Our data thus suggest that distinct circuits are present in the subplate and that, while SPNs participate in an early feedforward circuit, they are also involved in a feedback circuit at older ages. Together, our results show that SPNs are tightly integrated into the developing thalamocortical and intracortical circuit. The feedback projections from the cortical plate might enable SPNs to amplify thalamic inputs to SPNs.
Operação de Ross com homoenxertos valvares decelularizados: resultados de médio prazo

Objective: To evaluate the medium-term results (4 years) of decelularized allografts during Ross Operation. Method: From January 2003 to February 2007, 68 patients underwent Ross Operation with decelularized allografts. Forty eight were male and the mean age was 30.3±11.2 years. Decelularization was done with deoxicolic acid (DOA) in 35 cases and with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in 33. For comparison of the gradients, 68 patients with cryopreserved allografts and matched for age were selected. All patients had a control echo before hospital discharge and annually thereafter. In addition, eight patients had MRI studies. In two patients, samples of the conduit wall were analyzed by histological analysis. Results: There was one (1.4%) early death. In the late follow-up, there were two reoperations for endocarditis and one late death. The early gradients varied between 4 - 29 mmHg (m= 10.3± 5.5mmHg) and exhibited an increase to 16.5±12.2 mmHg (min= 4, max= 45) at 24 months postoperatively. There were no significant differences when compared to the cryopreserved group. There was, however, a tendency towards lesser gradients in the SDS decelularized group after 12 months. Histological analysis revealed partial reendothelization and progressive repopulation of the tunica media media wall with autogenous cells. There was no progressive pulmonary insufficiency. The MRI results showed a lesser tendency to shrinkage in the decelularized conduits.
Research methodological issues in evaluating herbal interventions

Randomized controlled trials provide the best evidence, and is seen as the gold standard for allopathic research. Herbal therapies are not an integral part of conventional care although they are still used by patients in their health care management. These medicines need to be subjected to rigorous research to establish their effectiveness and safety. Clearly defined treatments are required and should be recorded in a manner that enables other suit - ably trained researchers to reproduce them reliably. Quality control of herbal products is also a prerequisite of credible clinical trials. Methodological strategies for investigating the herbal interventions and the issues regarding appropriate patient selection, randomization and blind- ing, placebo effects and choice of comparator, occupational standardization and the selection of appropriate study endpoints to prove efficacy are being discussed. This paper will review
Update on ovarian cancer pathogenesis: history, controversies, emerging issues and future impact

Among American women, the most common cause of death from gynecologic malignancy is ovarian cancer. With the discovery and publicizing of hereditary cancer gene mutations, patients are actively seeking their physician’s advice on how to manage risk. As a cancer prevention measure, risk-reducing surgery has become a popular procedure. Based on studies of salpingo-oophorectomies from BRCA-positive women, the fallopian tube has been put forth as the cause of high-grade ovarian cancer. More recently, ovarian surface hilar stem cells have been suggested as the putative cells of origin. In this exciting time of new thinking about its origins, we stand on the threshold of new and promising strategies for more precise management of ovarian cancer patients.
Brain State Is a Major Factor in Preseizure Hippocampal Network Activity and Influences Success of Seizure Intervention

Neural dynamics preceding seizures are of interest because they may shed light on mechanisms of seizure generation and could be predictive. In healthy animals, hippocampal network activity is shaped by behavioral brain state and, in epilepsy, seizures selectively emerge during specific brain states. To determine the degree to which changes in network dynamics before seizure are pathological or reflect ongoing fluctuations in brain state, dorsal hippocampal neurons were recorded during spontaneous seizures in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Seizures emerged from all brain states, but with a greater likelihood after REM sleep, potentially due to an observed increase in baseline excitability during periods of REM compared with other brains states also characterized by sustained theta oscillations. When comparing the firing patterns of the same neurons across brain states associated with and without seizures, activity dynamics before seizures followed patterns typical of the ongoing brain state, or brain state transitions, and did not differ until the onset of the electrographic seizure. Next, we tested whether disparate activity patterns during distinct brain states would influence the effectiveness of optogenetic curtailment of hippocampal seizures in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Optogenetic curtailment was significantly more effective for seizures preceded by non-theta states compared with seizures that emerged from theta states. Our results indicate that consideration of behavioral brain state preceding a seizure is important for the appropriate interpretation of network dynamics leading up to a seizure and for designing effective seizure intervention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hippocampal single-unit activity is strongly shaped by behavioral brain state, yet this relationship has been largely ignored when studying activity dynamics before spontaneous seizures in medial temporal lobe epilepsy. In light of the increased attention on using single-unit activity for the prediction of seizure onset and closed-loop seizure intervention, we show a need for monitoring brain state to interpret correctly whether changes in neural activity before seizure onset is pathological or normal. Moreover, we also find that the brain state preceding a seizure determines the success of therapeutic interventions to curtail seizure duration. Together, these findings suggest that seizure prediction and intervention will be more successful if tailored for the specific brain states from which seizures emerge.
CIMAvax EGF vaccine for stage IIIb/IV non-small cell lung carcinoma

This case report documents the use of the CIMAvax Epidermal Growth Factor vaccine regimen in a 54 y old female with stage IIIb non-small cell lung carcinoma. Even after 48 mo since diagnosis her ECOG performance remains at zero. Further, this report documents a reaction to the vaccine of grade 3 severity not previously documented.
Cardiorenal protection in experimental hypertension with renal failure: comparison between vasopeptidase inhibition and angiotensin receptor blockade

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the preventive impact of treatment with a vasopeptidase inhibitor (VPI) with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) on left ventricular (LV) function and renal damage in rats with renal failure after 5/6 renal ablation (Nx). Methods: Rats (n = 15–20, each group) underwent either sham-operation (Sham) or 5/6 renal ablation (Nx). Two additional groups of Nx-animals (groups Nx-VPI and Nx-ARB) were treated with the VPI ilepatril (AVE7688, 30 mg kg−1 d−1) or with the ARB olmesartan (10 mg kg−1 d−1). Animals were followed for 4 weeks. Results: Systolic blood pressure (SBP), LV hypertrophy (LVH) and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were increased 4 weeks after Nx (p < 0.05). LV pressure rise (+dP/dt/LVPmax), LV pressure fall (−dP/dt/LVPmax), and creatinine clearance decreased, while albuminuria and renal glomerulosclerosis index (GSI) increased with Nx (p < 0.05, respectively). In comparison to Nx, treatment with both VPI and ARB normalized SBP, LVH, LVEDP, +dP/dt/LVPmax, and −dP/dt/LVPmax to Sham control levels. GSI, but not creatinine clearance, was also normalized in response to both treatments. The significant increase in albuminuria observed in Nx (+230-fold versus Sham, p < 0.0001) was partially reduced in Nx-VPI (+47-fold versus Sham, p < 0.0001) and fully abolished in Nx-ARB. Conclusions: Both ilepatril and olmesartan conferred strong cardiorenal protective effects in rats with renal failure. While cardioprotection was clearly comparable with both treatment regimens, the ARB provided a better protection against the increase in albuminuria, although renal function and structural kidney changes were similarly affected by the VIP and ARB.