Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peripherin and Neurofilament Protein Coexist in Spinal Spheroids of Motor Neuron Disease

We have compared the immunolocalization of neurofilament protein (NF) with two other neuronal-specific intermediate filament proteins in large spinal axonal swellings (spheroids) of motor neuron disease and controls. All spheroids labeled each of the three different subunits of NF, the low, middle, and high molecular weight polypeptides. In doublelabel immunofluorescence, 300 axonal swellings were immunostained for NF, and 87% of them contained the intermediate protein peripherin. The pattern of immunostaining of NF and peripherin was indistinguishable at a high resolution viewed in 1 µm optical sections by confocal microscopy. A minority of the spheroids contained a-internexin, another intermediate protein, but it was weakly immunoreactive. The immunostaining of axonal swellings was similar for all epitopes tested in motor neuron disease and control subjects. The findings suggest that peripherin as well as neurofilament protein are major components of the proliferated intermediate filaments in spheroids.
Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and apoptosis

Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has long been recognized as playing an integral role in glycolysis. During the past 20 years, however, a number of novel, additional functions for GAPDH have been described. These include acting as an uracil DNA glycosylase, activator of transcription, binding to RNA, and an involvement in tubulin assembly. One of the most intriguing functions which has recently been recognized is an involvement in the initiation of apoptosis. Further, GAPDH associates with proteins implicated in human neurodegenerative disorders. This review summarizes the evidence implicating GAPDH in the initiation of one or more apoptotic cascades. The possible functions of GAPDH in the nucleus which could result in the initiation of apoptosis are also discussed. J. Neurosci. Res. 1:150–154, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Para‐anaesthetic headache in female patients

In an editorial in the British Journal of Anaesthesia in 19601 a plea was made that more attention should be paid to the minor sequelae of anaesthesia. These 'minor' discomforts, such as sore throat, backache, suxamethonium muscle pains and headache, assume increasing importance after minor surgery, when the patient should otherwise be free from pain. The reported incidence of headache following general anaesthesia varies between 2.7 per cent2 and 35 per cent3. Recently, Hannington-Kiff4 has reported that patients who suffer from migraine are much more likely to get a headache before and after operation than are non-sufferers. Tyrrell & Feldmans, investigating the frequency of headache in patients undergoing comparable operations with or without halothane, concluded that halothane anaesthesia could contribute to its occurrence. They suggested that this was due to the increased cerebral blood flow which occurs during anaesthesia with this agent. Interest in the present study arose because of the large number of patients who complained of headache during a separate investigation of drugs used in premedication. The study was designed to investigate the incidence of headache before and after minor surgery and to assess its relationship to various premedicant drugs and was carried out concurrently with other premedication studies.
Management of Primary and Recurrent Soft‐tissue Sarcoma of the Retroperitoneum

From 1982 to 1987, 114 patients underwent operation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for soft-tissue sarcoma of the retroperitoneum. A retrospective analysis of these patients defines the biologic behavior, surgical management of primary and recurrent disease, predictive factors for outcome, and impact of multimodality therapy. Complete resection was possible in 65% of primary retroperitoneal sarcomas and strongly predicts outcome (p < 0.001). The rate of complete resection was not altered by histologic type, size, or grade of tumor. These patients had a median survival of 60 months compared to 24 months for those undergoing partial resection and 12 months for those with unresectable tumors. Forty-nine per cent of completely resected patients have had local recurrence. This is the site of first recurrence in 75% of patients. These patients undergo reoperation when feasible. Complete resection of recurrent disease was performed in 39 of 88 (44%) operations, with a 41-month median survival time after reoperation. Tumor grade was a significant predictor of outcome (p < 0.001). High-grade tumors (n = 65) were associated with a 20-month median survival time compared to 80 months for low-grade tumors (n = 49). Gender, histologie type, size, previous biopsy, and partial resection versus unresectable tumors did not predict outcome by univariate analysis. Adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy could not be shown to have significant impact on survival. Concerted attempt at complete resection of both primary and recurrent retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcoma is indicated.
Scid mouse model of epstein‐barr virus‐induced lymphomagenesis of immunodeficient humans

Immunodeficient humans are at very high risk of developing Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐induced lymphomagenesis. Severe combined immunodeficient mice (SCID) have been shown to develop lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) following transfer of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) with latent EBV. To study mechanisms of lymphomagenesis, we compared results of engraftment of PBL from normal donors and immunodeficient donors with X‐linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP). Graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) developed in 6 of 10 SCID mice 4 to 8 weeks following transfer of PBL from normal donors. In contrast, none of 9 mice engrafted with PBL from XLP patients with T‐cell defects showed GVHD. LPD developed in mice regardless of the immune competence of the donors. The expression of EBV‐encoded proteins, results of immunophenotyping, and karyotyping of the LPD lesions revealed lethal oligoclonal LPD owing to transfer of latent EBV in B cells in mice engrafted with PBL from seropositive donors. Polyclonal LPD developed in mice engrafted with PBL from seronegative patients which were infected with B95‐8 virus 6 weeks after transfer of the cells. This model is useful for investigating mechanisms of EBV‐induced LPD in immunodeficient patients.
Saccade amplitude as a discriminator of flight types.

PURPOSE Effectiveness of saccade amplitudes and dwell time lengths in determining pilots' eye scanning behaviors, and thus visual workload, during instrument- and scenery-centered simulator flight tasks was investigated. METHOD Five male jet-aircraft pilots volunteered, and five different simulated flight tasks, including takeoff to landing, were selected for the study. RESULTS An aerobatic flight, considered to be a scenery-centered one, showed the largest saccadic amplitude among the five flight tasks, its mean value three times that of S-shaped circular flight (SLW), considered to be instrument-centered. The shortest dwell time was for landing, its dwell time length half those of the other flights, and the longest was for SLW. The post-hoc test result revealed that this measure is only partially successful in differentiating landing from the other types of flights. The regression coefficient of the aerobatic flight was about three times that of SLW, and takeoff was almost two times SLW. CONCLUSION Saccade amplitude was the most important factor in distinguishing between the two types of flights. Dwell time length was supportive, and shift rate of the line of slight was inconclusive in differentiating flight tasks. A scattergram drawn with amplitudes and dwell times gives us a clear understanding of the difference between the two types of flights.
Olfactory receptors in the mouse septal organ

In this study we have identified a repertoire of chemosensory receptors expressed in the septal organ (SO). The results suggest that septal organ neurons are specified to express receptor genes belonging to class II olfactory receptors that are also expressed in the main olfactory epithelium. We found no evidence for the expression of members from the vomeronasal receptor gene families. In the SO, no topography analogous to the receptor expression zones of the main olfactory epithelium was evident. The majority of identified receptors corresponds to genes with restricted expression in the medial and lateral zones of the main olfactory epithelium. This coincides with the expression of olfactory cell adhesion molecule (OCAM) throughout the SO, which is considered as a marker for the medial‐lateral zones. In contrast, NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 expression, a characteristic marker for the dorsal zone, was lacking in the SO. Most of the receptor types were found to be expressed in rather few SO neurons; as an exception, the receptor mOR244‐3 was observed in a very high proportion of cells. Although a very high fraction of SO neurons expressed mOR244‐3, we found no evidence for the coexpression of different receptors in individual cells. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Informational ecology and care workers: Safety alarm systems in Finnish elderly-care organizations.

OBJECTIVE This article explores the use of information and communication technologies including safety alarm technologies and their impacts on elderly-care organizations' informational ecology, or internal information environment. Results are reported from a case study on the use of safety telephones and high-tech well-being wristbands that monitor vital signs in Finnish elderly-care organizations. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Data collection involved human impact assessment methodologies including interviews and longer-term assessment processes among 78 care workers at 8 workplaces offering sheltered accommodation. The assessment results were analyzed qualitatively, also with the help of the concept of information quality. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Changes in the informational ecology were identified; informational ecology in a care unit is in many ways affected by technology use. The human impact assessment methodologies and the topic of information quality offered useful and novel points of view about daily care work in increasingly technological environments.
The public release of performance data: what do we expect to gain? A review of the evidence.

CONTEXT Information about the performance of hospitals, health professionals, and health care organizations has been made public in the United States for more than a decade. The expected gains of public disclosure have not been made clear, and both the benefits and potential risks have received minimal empirical investigation. OBJECTIVE To summarize the empirical evidence concerning public disclosure of performance data, relate the results to the potential gains, and identify areas requiring further research. DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted on MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles published between January 1986 and October 1999 in peer-reviewed journals. Review of citations, public documents, and expert advice was conducted to identify studies not found in the electronic databases. STUDY SELECTION Descriptive, observational, or experimental evaluations of US reporting systems were selected for inclusion. DATA EXTRACTION Included studies were organized based on use of public data by consumers, purchasers, physicians, and hospitals; impact on quality of care outcomes; and costs. DATA SYNTHESIS Seven US reporting systems have been the subject of published empirical evaluations. Descriptive and observational methods predominate. Consumers and purchasers rarely search out the information and do not understand or trust it; it has a small, although increasing, impact on their decision making. Physicians are skeptical about such data and only a small proportion makes use of it. Hospitals appear to be most responsive to the data. In a limited number of studies, the publication of performance data has been associated with an improvement in health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS There are several potential gains from the public disclosure of performance data, but use of the information by provider organizations for quality improvement may be the most productive area for further research.
Antitumor necrosis factor antibodies reduce hepatic steatosis during total parenteral nutrition and bowel rest in the rat.

BACKGROUND In previous studies, we demonstrated the overgrowth of gram-negative bacteria in the gut and an enhanced release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by peritoneal macrophages, suggesting that endotoxin, TNF, or both, may act as hepatotoxins to produce hepatic steatosis during total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and bowel rest. The present study attempts to better define the role of each of these two mediators. The first part examines the LD50 for various doses of endotoxin in TPN-treated rats compared with free-feeding and free-feeding saline-infused rats. In the second part we repeatedly administered anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies to rats subjected to TPN and bowel rest. METHODS In the first set of experiments, 87 male Sabra rats were randomized into three groups: free-feeding, infused with normal saline, and infused with TPN. On day 7 of the experiment, all rats received an IV injection of endotoxin at various doses (1.5, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 mg/kg). The LD50 in the three groups and at the various doses of lipopolysaccharide tested was determined at 24 hours postinjection. In the second set of experiments, 38 male Sabra rats were randomized into three groups: infused with normal saline and fed rat food ad libitum, infused with TPN, and infused with TPN but also receiving monoclonal antibodies against TNF. RESULTS Lower endotoxin doses were required to achieve LD50 in the two IV-infused groups (2.5 to 5.0 mg/kg) compared with the free-feeding group (7.5 mg/kg) (p < .03). These findings suggest a moderate increase in susceptibility to the lethal effect of endotoxin in IV-treated rats. The total hepatic fat and triglyceride levels, which were markedly increased in TPN rats, were significantly reduced by using anti-TNF antibodies. Enhanced TNF production by peritoneal macrophages during TPN was completely eliminated by anti-TNF antibodies, probably the result of suppressed TNF production. CONCLUSIONS The continuous translocation of endotoxin from gram-negative bacterial overgrowth in the gut during TPN and bowel rest results in enhanced release of TNF by macrophages. TNF causes hepatic dysfunction, portrayed in the present experimental model as hepatic steatosis. TPN-induced hepatic steatosis was significantly reduced by the administration of monoclonal antibodies against TNF-alpha.
Observation of Cavitation in a Mechanical Heart Valve in a Total Artificial Heart

Recently, cavitation on the surface of mechanical heart valves has been studied as a cause of fractures occurring in implanted mechanical heart valves. The cause of cavitation in mechanical heart valves was investigated using the 25 mm Medtronic Hall valve and the 23 mm Omnicarbon valve. Closing of these valves in the mitral position was simulated in an electrohydraulic totally artificial heart. Tests were conducted under physiologic pressures at heart rates from 60 to 100 beats per minute with cardiac outputs from 4.8 to 7.7 L/min. The disk closing motion was measured by a laser displacement sensor. A high-speed video camera was used to observe the cavitation bubbles in the mechanical heart valves. The maximum closing velocity of the Omnicarbon valve was faster than that of the Medtronic Hall valve. In both valves, the closing velocity of the leaflet, used as the cavitation threshold, was approximately 1.3–1.5 m/s. In the case of the Medtronic Hall valve, cavitation bubbles were generated by the squeeze flow and by the effects of the venturi and the water hammer. With the Omnicarbon valve, the cavitation bubbles were generated by the squeeze flow and the water hammer. The mechanism leading to the development of cavitation bubbles depended on the valve closing velocity and the valve stop geometry. Most of the cavitation bubbles were observed around the valve stop and were generated by the squeeze flow.
Variable nature of the bacterial cell surface.

Bacterial cell surfaces bear sites involved in bacterial adhesion to and colonization on other surfaces, sites that are immunogenic and sites that act as receptors for DNA and bacteriophage. The chemical natures of bacterial cell surfaces are consequently of great importance in defining many of the interactions of bacterial cells with their environments, whether these interactions involve colonization in natural ecosystems or the aetiology of bacterial disease.
Regulation of Energy Metabolism of the Heart during Acute Increase in Heart Work*

We determined the contribution of all major energy substrates (glucose, glycogen, lactate, oleate, and triglycerides) during an acute increase in heart work (1 μm epinephrine, afterload increased by 40%) and the involvement of key regulatory enzymes, using isolated working rat hearts exhibiting physiologic values for contractile performance and oxygen consumption. We accounted for oxygen consumption quantitatively from the rates of substrate oxidation, measured on a minute-to-minute basis. Total β-oxidation (but not exogenous oleate oxidation) was increased by the work jump, consistent with a decrease in the level of malonyl-CoA. Glycogen and lactate were important buffers for carbon substrate when heart work was acutely increased. Three mechanisms contributed to high respiration from glycogen: 1) carbohydrate oxidation was increased selectively; 2) stimulation of glucose oxidation was delayed at glucose uptake; and 3) glycogen-derived pyruvate behaved differently from pyruvate derived from extracellular glucose. Despite delayed activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase relative to phosphorylase, glycogen-derived pyruvate was more tightly coupled to oxidation. Also, glycogen-derived lactate plus pyruvate contributed to an increase in the relative efflux of lactate versuspyruvate, thereby regulating the redox. Glycogen synthesis resulted from activation of glycogen synthase late in the protocol but was timed to minimize futile cycling, since phosphorylase a became inhibited by high intracellular glucose.
The Janzen-Connell Model for Tropical Tree Diversity: Population Implications and the Importance of Spatial Scale

The maintenance of high diversity in tropical forests has long intrigued biologists. While explanations for tropical tree species richness are nearly as varied as the forests, much recent theory and empirical work have focused on what Clark and Clark (1984) termed the Janzen-Connell model. Independently derived by Janzen (1970) and Connell (1971), the model proposes that distanceand density-responsive seed and seedling enemies play a major role in maintaining species in the community by providing a "spacing" mechanism that disallows new recruitment inthe vicinity of existing conspecific adults. Distance-responsive enemies center their attacks around the adult tree, killing an ever-greater proportion of seeds and seedlings with increasing proximity to the adult. Densityresponsive nemies disproportionately attack high-density patches of seeds and seedlings, killing an ever-greater proportion with increasing density. Since the greatest densities of dispersed seeds tend to be found beneath and near fruiting adults, both classes of enemies are expected to concentrate their attacks in the vicinity of parent rees. Consequently, the model hypothesizes that mortality near parents is virtually complete, recruitment is limited to areas at some distance from conspecifics, and adults are more evenly spaced than expected from the pattern of seedfall. The open space in the vicinity of adults, then, is available for colonization by other species, competitive xclusion is less likely, and a large number of species can coexist in the community. Although elegantly simple on the surface, the model does not lend itself to an equally simple empirical test. The Janzen-Connell model actually presents a complex set of hypotheses, assumptions, and predictions that have led to a diversity of approaches to its evaluation (see Clark and Clark 1984). Effort has not been equally expended, however. The focus has primarily been on the existence and operation of the hypothesized spacing mechanism and on the ability of such spacing to maintain high diversity (Caswell 1978; Hubbell 1979, 1980; Augspurger 1983; Clark and Clark 1984; Connell et al. 1984; Becker et al. 1985; Howe et al. 1985; Hubbell and Foster 1986, 1987; Schupp 1988; Schupp and Frost 1989). In contrast, the population-level implications of the model have received little mpirical attention. Inherent in the model is the notion that the depredations of distanceand density-responsive enemies help regulate populations at relatively low densities (Caswell 1978; Hubbell and Foster 1986, 1987; DeAngelis and Waterhouse 1987). With few adults in a population, much of the habitat is far from the existing adults
POF control of smart intelligent structures for an hollow composite beam

This paper highlights the showing, plan and control of a splendid structure using the possibility of irregular yield info and fast yield investigating feedback control law. Accumulated piezoelectric patches are braced as sensor/actuator to the master structure at a particular restricted segment range on the pole, i.e., near to the adjusted end of the composite box column. The pole structure is shown in state space structure using the possibility of piezoelectric theory, the bar speculation and the Finite Element Method. The column is subjected to an external unsettling impact (say, inspiration or sine or unpredictable excitation). POF controller is expected for the insightful composite box column. Right when the illustrated controller is set tuned in with the plant, the plant performs well and the vibrations are damped out in a snappier time. The execution of the formed controller is thus surveyed for vibration control and the conclusions are drawn, the amusement comes about exhibit the effect of the laid out controller.
Protein methylase I. Purification and properties of the enzyme.

Abstract An enzyme, "protein methylase I," which methylates its endogenous protein has been purified from calf thymus. Acid hydrolysis of the methylated endogenous protein gives rise to two methylated amino acid derivatives. Both derivatives are very sensitive to alkali treatment, and one of the decomposition products is identified as methylurea. These findings, as well as other evidence, indicate that one of the compounds is guanidino-methylated arginine and the other is α-amino-, guanidino-methylated arginine. Various histones comprise approximately 70% of the total endogenous methylated protein, and the radioactivity is widely distributed among the various histones when the enzyme is labeled with S-adenosyl-l-methionine-methyl-14C. Protein methylase I has a pH optimum of 7.4 and a Km of 2.1 x 10-5 m for S-adenosyl-l-methionine.
Concurrent infection of lambs with parainfluenza virus type 3 and Pasteurella haemolytica.

Summary When conventionally reared lambs were infected with Pasteurella haemolytica 6 days after exposure to parainfluenza virus type 3, 79% of the animals developed severe pneumonic lesions. Uninoculated lambs or those receiving virus or bacteria alone had significantly lower levels of pneumonia (25%, 21% and 12% respectively). Because 25% of the uninoculated lambs had severe pneumonic lesions it could not be determined whether the combined infection had actually caused the pneumonia or merely aggravated existing lesions. However, it was apparent that neither agent alone was capable of increasing the prevalence or severity of pneumonia in the flock.