Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tim50, a novel component of the TIM23 preprotein translocase of mitochondria

The preprotein translocase of the inner membrane of mitochondria (TIM23 complex) is the main entry gate for proteins of the matrix and the inner membrane. We isolated the TIM23 complex of Neurospora crassa. Besides Tim23 and Tim17, it contained a novel component, referred to as Tim50. Tim50 spans the inner membrane with a single transmembrane segment and exposes a large hydrophilic domain in the intermembrane space. Tim50 is essential for viability of yeast. Mitochondria from cells depleted of Tim50 displayed strongly reduced import kinetics of preproteins using the TIM23 complex. Tim50 could be cross‐linked to preproteins that were halted at the level of the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM complex) or spanning both TOM and TIM23 complexes. We suggest that Tim50 plays a crucial role in the transfer of preproteins from the TOM complex to the TIM23 complex through the intermembrane space.
Hepatocyte growth factor shows benefits for patients with chronic renal failure induced type 2 diabetes

Chronic renal failure patients receiving haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis often encounter inflammation troubles during long-period treatment. Patients with type 2 diabetes induce different degree chronic renal failure and represent low quality of life. Type 2 diabetes may be one of the most important arch-criminal factors that aggravate syndrome and renal insufficiency. These impairments of kidney’s function may lead to chronic renal failure though disqualify of cellular activities. Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is one of the most extensive biological activity factors and presents multifunctional anti-fibrosis factor that plays a critical role in the progression of chronic renal failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether HGF treatment could decrease inflammation and improve chronic renal failure. Clinical investigations were performed in 138 (75 men and 63 women) chronic renal failure patients induced by type 2 diabetes with 98 healthy volunteers (51 men and 41 women) as control. Our experimental data showed that serum level of HGF and IL-6 were decreased and correlated with age and sex in patients with chronic renal failure induced by type 2 diabetes (r=0.864, r=0.743, respectively). Serum levels of IL-1, MCP-1 and TNF-α were increased compared between patients with severe renal failure and healthy volunteers (**P<0.01). HGF injection (MTD dose) improved the inflammatory factor expression levels for patients with chronic renal failure compared to placebo group. The most common treatment-emergence adverse events were hypertension and proteinuria. Taken together, level of HGF in serum was correlated with inflammation in chronic renal failure patients induced by type 2 diabetes, which presented beneficial outcomes through improvement of inflammatory factor expression in clinical.
Z-scan measurements of the anisotropy of nonlinear refraction and absorption in crystals.

We introduce a method for measuring the anisotropy of nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction in crystals by incorporating a wave plate into the Z-scan apparatus. We demonstrate this method by measuring the polarization dependence of the nonlinear refractive index or two-photon absorption coefficient in BaF2, KTP, and GaAs at wavelengths of 532 and 1064 nm.
Hormonal contraception and HIV-1 disease progression among postpartum Kenyan women

Objective: To assess the immediate and longer-term effects of the use of hormonal contraception on the progression of HIV-1 disease in postpartum women. Design: A prospective cohort study. Methods: Information on contraceptive use, breastfeeding and intercurrent illnesses was obtained from HIV-infected postpartum Kenyan women monthly in the first year postpartum and quarterly in the second year. Blood was collected for T-cell subset analyses and HIV-1-RNA levels at months 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 postpartum. The immediate effect of the initiation of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) was assessed by comparing the change in the HIV-1-RNA plasma viral load and CD4 T-cell counts among women remaining off these contraceptive methods with those initiating them. The longer-term effects of OCP and DMPA on disease progression were assessed using Loess curves and linear mixed effects models to compare changes over the first 24 months postpartum in these same disease progression markers. Results: There were no significant immediate or longer-term effects of the use of OCP or DMPA on HIV-1-RNA plasma viral loads and CD4 T-cell counts in this cohort of HIV-infected postpartum Kenyan women. Conclusion: Comprehensive contraceptive counselling for HIV-1-infected women requires an understanding of the effects of various contraceptive methods on HIV-1 disease progression. In this study, hormonal contraception reassuringly had no immediate or longer-term effects on the rate of disease progression in chronically HIV-1-infected postpartum women. This highly effective family planning method may provide a useful and safe option for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1.
Cardiac failure in transgenic mice with myocardial expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

BACKGROUND Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been detected in several human cardiac-related conditions, including congestive heart failure and septic cardiomyopathy. In these conditions, the origin of TNF-alpha secretion is, at least in part, cardiac myocytes. METHODS AND RESULTS To determine the consequences of TNF-alpha production by cardiac myocytes in vivo, we developed transgenic mice in which expression of a murine TNF-alpha coding sequence was driven by the murine alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter. Four transgenic founders developed an identical illness consisting of tachypnea, decreased activity, and hunched posture. In vivo, ECG-gated MRI of symptomatic transgenic mice documented a severe impairment of cardiac function evidenced by biventricular dilatation and depressed ejection fractions. All transgenic mice died prematurely. Pathological examination of affected animals revealed a globular dilated heart, bilateral pleural effusions, myocyte apoptosis, and transmural myocarditis in both the right and left ventricular free walls, septum, and atrial chambers. In all terminally ill animals, there was significant biventricular fibrosis and atrial thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report detailing the effects of tissue-specific production of TNF-alpha by cardiac myocytes in vivo. These findings indicate that production of TNF-alpha by cardiac myocytes is sufficient to cause severe cardiac disease and support a causal role for this cytokine in the pathogenesis of human cardiac disease.
Variation in terminal morphology and presynaptic inhibition at crustacean neuromuscular junctions

Synaptic terminals of excitatory and inhibitory neurons supplying muscle fibers in leg muscles of crabs (Pachygrapsus crassipes and Hyas areneus) were investigated with light and electron microscopy. Terminals responsible for large excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EP‐SPs) at low frequencies of activation had a compact configuration with clusters of terminal boutons radiating from the main axon branch. Terminals responsible for small EPSPs had a more diffuse organization, with boutons often arranged in series along thin axon branches. Inhibitory neurons, when activated, produced both presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibitory effects, with the former being more potent at low frequencies of activation. Presynaptic inhibition was variable in magnitude but was generally strong in fibers with large EPSPs. Representative terminals from regions of strong and weak presynaptic inhibition were identified by activity‐dependent uptake of horseradish peroxidase, serially sectioned, and reconstructed from electron micrographs. Both regions were found to contain axo‐axonal synapses from inhibitory to excitatory terminals, with a larger number in the region of strong presynaptic inhibition. In addition, axo‐axonal synapses were more uniformly distributed in the latter region. The number of inhibitory presynaptic dense bars (active zones) was somewhat higher in the region of weak inhibition, but larger individual dense bars occurred in the region of strong inhibition. Possible factors contributing to the differences in strength of inhibition include: (1) morphology and electrical properties of terminals; and (2) high probability of transmission at a relatively small number of inhibitory synapses during low frequency activation in the region of strong inhibition.
The rs12975333 variant in the miR-125a and breast cancer risk in Germany, Italy, Australia and Spain

The rare variant rs12975333 is a G→T change located at the eighth nucleotide of the mature microRNA-125a (miR-125a). The T allele has been reported to block the processing of pri-miRNA to pre-miRNA precursor and to be extremely rare, being detected only once in a panel of 1200 individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds assessed by the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain.1 A study by Li et al 2 showed the T allele of rs12975333 to be strongly associated with breast cancer risk, with 6 of 72 (8.3%) breast cancer cases from two hospitals in Antwerp, Belgium, being carriers of the T allele and none of 282 controls collected from the general population in the Antwerp area or 587 Caucasian controls collected in the USA.2 The breast cancers were all lymph node negative and received only local treatment (mastectomy or lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment). Genotyping was performed by means of the TaqMan assay, as previously described,1 using whole-genome-amplified DNA obtained from …
Aggression among Male Alcohol-Dependent Inpatients who Smoke Cigarettes

ABSTRACT The authors aimed to explore the relation between nicotine dependence and the severity of aggression among Turkish male alcohol-dependent inpatients who smoked cigarettes, as well as the effect of aggression in these groups. Participants were 126 male alcohol-dependent inpatients who were given the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Substance Use Disorder Module (A. Corapcioglu, O. Aydemir, & M. Yildiz, 1999; M. B. First, R. L. Spitzer, & J. B. W. Williams, 1997), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (K. O. Fagerstrom, 1978), and the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS; S. C. Yudofsky, J. M. Silver, W. Jackson, J. Endicott, & D. Williams, 1986). The authors found differences between male alcohol-dependent inpatients with nicotine dependence (n = 94) and those with nondependence (n = 32) in OAS subtypes. The authors’ findings showed that smoking cigarettes—an addiction frequently observed with alcoholism—was positively correlated with aggressive behaviors. The authors suggest that smoking cigarettes may cause aggression or aggression may cause smoking. Observing and evaluating how aggression and smoking cigarettes are associated with alcohol dependence may help relapse prevention and improve effectiveness of treatment interventions in alcoholism.
Wound erysipelas following appendectomy caused by group B beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae).

BACKGROUND Case description of a patient who developed erysipelas of the surgical wound following appendectomy for acute appendicitis, and literature review of invasive group B streptococcal infections. METHODS A 65-year-old man with perforated appendicitis underwent urgent appendectomy and drainage. Antibiotic prophylaxis with tobramycin (100 mg) and metronidazole (500 mg) was administered. At surgery, a phlegmon was identified with free perforation of the appendix and purulent peritoneal fluid. Appendectomy, irrigation with 0.9% NaCl solution, and drainage with a Silastic closed-suction drain was performed. A literature search in all languages was performed using MEDLINE, using the search terms surgical site infection, wound infection, group B streptococcus, Streptococcus agalactiae, necrotizing fasciitis, and postoperative infection. RESULTS Erysipelas of the surgical wound developed on the fourth postoperative day. Intravenous penicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were administered empirically. Culture of the wound drainage identified Streptococcus agalactiae and a few colonies of Escherichia coli. The broad-spectrum antibiotic was discontinued, and a 10-day course of penicillin was completed. CONCLUSIONS Erysipelas of the surgical wound is unusual, and infection with group B streptococci is rare compared with infection by group A streptococci. Streptococcus agalactiae is recognized to be increasingly virulent, with an increasing predilection for bacteremic infections in healthy hosts. Although Streptococcus agalactiae remains highly susceptible to antimicrobial agents effective against gram-positive cocci, the changing epidemiology and potentially invasive nature of these infections should have clinicians alert to the possibility of infection caused by group B streptococci.
P‐glycoprotein: multidrug‐resistance and a superfamily of membrane‐associated transport proteins

The study of multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cell lines has led to the discovery of the plasma membrane P‐glycoprotein (Pgp) molecule. This protein functions as an energy‐dependent pump for the efflux of diverse anticancer drugs from MDR cells. It now appears that Pgp‐mediated MDR tumor cells do occur in human cancers, and that they are likely to play a role in the ultimate response of patients to chemotherapy. Chemosensitizers, compounds able to reverse the MDR phenotype, have been identified and offer the exciting possibility of improving efficacy for some non‐responsive malignancies. Surprisingly, Pgp‐like molecules can be found in evolutionarily distant species among both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. As a group, these proteins form a superfamily of ATP‐dependent transport proteins. This finding has broad implications and provides new insights into how living organisms use this fundamental transport system to regulate the trafficking of diverse molecules across biological membranes. —Juranka, P. F. ; Zastawny, R. L. ; Ling, V. P‐glycoprotein: multidrug resistance and a superfamily of membrane‐associated transport proteins. FASEB J. 3: 2583‐2592; 1989.
Data Fusion in a Multi-Target Radar Sensor Network

In this paper, we consider the decision fusion of Rayleigh fluctuating targets in multi-radar sensor networks. Decision fusion and data fusion in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has been widely studied in order to save energy. Radar system as a special sensor network, when implemented for battlefield surveillance, faces bandwidth constraint in real-time applications instead of energy restriction. In this work, we study the decision fusion rules of multiple fluctuating targets in multi-radar (MT-MR) sensor networks. The MT-MR decision fusion problem is modeled as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system. We assume that each radar makes binary decision for each target from the observation. We derive our MIMO fusion rules based on the target fluctuation model and compare against the optimal likelihood ratio method (LR), maximum ratio combiner (MRC) and equal gain combiner (EGC). Simulation results show that the MIMO fusion rules approach the optimal-LR and outperforms MRC and EGC at high signal to noise ratio (SNR)
Simple, semiautomatic assay of cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of antitumor drugs by laser scanning cytometry: Effects of the bis‐intercalator WP631 on growth and cell cycle of T‐24 cells

Common assays of drug‐induced cytotoxicity on adherent cells rely on cell trypsinization followed by count of live and dead cells. To estimate the cell cycle effects, cellular DNA content is analyzed by flow cytometry. This procedure is laborious and time consuming. The alternative viability assays, e.g., based on reduction of 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl) 2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, although rapid and convenient, do not provide information about individual cells or cell cycle effects and may be biased by growth imbalance.
Volunteer Involvement in a Hospice Care Program

This paper reviews research findings concerning: volunteers' characteristics and motives for assisting in hospice programs; selection and training of volunteers; volunteers' hospice activities and their satisfaction with involvement in hospice; volunteers' support systems; and reasons for turnover among hospice volunteers. Within the context of this review, the results of an evaluation surveying 156 former and current hospice volunteers are reported. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.
Evaluation of interrupter resistance in methacholine challenge testing in children

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is a key feature of asthma and is assessed using bronchial provocation tests. The primary outcome in such tests (a 20% decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1)) is difficult to measure in young patients. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the interrupter resistance (Rint) technique, which does not require active patient participation, by comparing it to the primary outcome measure.
When can host shifts produce congruent host and parasite phylogenies? A simulation approach

Congruence between host and parasite phylogenies is often taken as evidence for cospeciation. However, ‘pseudocospeciation’, resulting from host‐switches followed by parasite speciation, may also generate congruent trees. To investigate this process and the conditions favouring its appearance, we here simulated the adaptive radiation of a parasite onto a new range of hosts. A very high congruence between the host tree and the resulting parasite trees was obtained when parasites switched between closely related hosts. Setting a shorter time lag for speciation after switches between distantly related hosts further increased the degree of congruence. The shape of the host tree, however, had a strong impact, as no congruence could be obtained when starting with highly unbalanced host trees. The strong congruences obtained were erroneously interpreted as the result of cospeciations by commonly used phylogenetic software packages despite the fact that all speciations resulted from host‐switches in our model. These results highlight the importance of estimating the age of nodes in host and parasite phylogenies when testing for cospeciation and also demonstrate that the results obtained with software packages simulating evolutionary events must be interpreted with caution.
Gender Differences in Muscular Protection of the Knee in Torsion in Size-Matched Athletes

Background: Female athletes who participate in sports involving jumping and cutting maneuvers are up to eight times more likely to sustain a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament than are men participating in the same sports. We tested the hypothesis that healthy young women are able to volitionally increase the apparent torsional stiffness of the knee, by maximally activating the knee muscles, significantly less than are size-matched men participating in the same type of sport. Methods: Twenty-four NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division-I athletes (twelve men and twelve women) competing in sports associated with a high risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (basketball, volleyball, and soccer) were compared with twenty-eight collegiate endurance athletes (fourteen men and fourteen women) participating in sports associated with a low risk of such injuries (bicycling, crew, and running). Male and female pairs were matched for age, height, weight, body mass index, shoe size, and activity level. Testing was performed with a weighted pendulum that applied a medially directed 80-N impulse force to the lateral aspect of the right forefoot. The resulting internal rotation of the leg was measured optically, to the nearest 0.25°, at 30° and 60° of knee flexion, both with and without maximal activation of the knee muscles. Results: Maximal rotations of the leg were greater in women than in men in both the passive and the active muscle state (16% and 27% greater [p = 0.01 and p = 0.02], respectively). Moreover, female athletes exhibited a significantly (18%) smaller volitional increase in apparent torsional stiffness of the knee under internal rotation loading than did the matched male athletes (p = 0.014); this was particularly the case for those who participated in sports involving jumping and pivoting maneuvers (42% difference between genders, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The collegiate female athletes involved in high-risk sports exhibited less muscular protection of the knee ligaments during external loading of the knee than did size and sport-matched male athletes. Clinical Relevance: Improving active muscle protection of the knee during training and rehabilitation might help to decrease rates of knee injury.
Dual Inhibition of PI 3 K A and mTOR as an Alternative Treatment for Kaposi ’ s Sarcoma

Rapamycin (or sirolimus), the prototypical inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and an immunosuppressant used for the prevention of renal transplant rejection, has recently emerged as an effective treatment for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), an enigmatic vascular tumor and a model for pathologic angiogenesis. Indeed, recent work supports a role for mTOR as a central player in the transformation of endothelial cells by the KS-associated herpesvirus–encoded G protein–coupled receptor (vGPCR), the viral oncogene believed to be responsible for causing KS. However, emerging evidence that rapamycin may transiently promote the activation of Akt may limit its use as an anti-KS therapy. Here, we show that activation of Akt in endothelial cells expressing vGPCR is augmented by treatment with rapamycin, resulting in the up-regulation of several Akt proliferative and survival pathways. However, use of a novel dual phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase A (PI3KA)/mTOR inhibitor, PI-103, effectively and independently blocked activation of both PI3K and mTOR in vGPCR-expressing endothelial cells. This resulted in more effective inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and survival in vitro and tumor growth in vivo . Our results suggest that PI-103 may be an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of patients with KS. Moreover, as KS may serve as a model for pathologic angiogenesis, our results further provide the basis for the early assessment of PI-103 as an antiangiogenic chemotherapeutic. [Cancer Res 2008;68(20):8361–8]
Effect of Estrogen Treatment and Vitamin D Status on Differing Bioavailabilities of Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Citrate

The authors hypothesized that estrogen treatment or vitamin D status may affect the bioavailability of two common calcium supplements differently. Using data derived from a recent trial in 25 postmenopausal women, the authors found that AAUC of serum calcium after subtraction of placebo was significantly higher after calcium citrate (median, 0.85; 25th to 75th percentile, 0.70 to 3.15) than after calcium carbonate (0.25; −0.58 to 1.00) in non‐estrogen‐treated patients. There was no difference in the bioavailability of calcium between the two calcium formulations in estrogen‐treated patients. Bioavailability was also significantly higher with the citrate salt for the subgroups with lower serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and higher serum 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations. In summary, bioavailability of calcium from the calcium carbonate product was more dependent on estrogen treatment and vitamin D status than that of calcium citrate. This may explain the variable results of reported calcium supplementation studies.