Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can Donor Implantation Renal Biopsy Predict Long-Term Renal Allograft Outcome?

Background: Donor kidney implantation biopsy (IB) is performed on a regular basis, particularly as part of clinical studies. Objective: To determine the utility of donor implantation renal biopsy to predict the long-term renal allograft outcome. Methods: A Medline search for studies in English was performed with the following key words: implantation biopsy, renal transplantation and long-term outcome. Results: Sixteen trials involving 8,122 kidney transplants were identified, of which 6 were prospective studies. The histological abnormalities were scored mainly by the Banff schema and the graft outcome was defined either by delineating the delta changes in the pathology score or glomerular filtration rate. Normal histology with a well-functioning renal allograft had a favorable outcome. The extent to which the baseline tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis and vascular changes had on the long-term outcome varied from one study to another. Conclusion: Abnormal IB has a better chance of predicting early graft outcome. The review questions the current wisdom for routine IB on all donors. In some donor kidneys, a biopsy provides significant prognostic information, such as older donor kidney, those with history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidneys with abnormal creatinine. Future research on IB is necessary to find a more useful method to predict the long-term transplant outcome.
TBCRC009: A multicenter phase II study of cisplatin or carboplatin for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and evaluation of p63/p73 as a biomarker of response.

1025 Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis compared to other BC subtypes and lacks specific therapeutic targets. Platinum chemotherapy (CTx) may be active in this population. The p53 family members p63 and p73 are expressed in about 40% of TNBC and may predict response to platinum. TBCRC009 is a multicenter single arm phase II study of single agent platinum in metastatic TNBC. METHODS Eligible metastatic TNBC patients (pts) had measurable disease, available archival tumor, ≤ 1 prior metastatic therapy, and no prior platinum CTx. Pts were assigned by physician choice (limited to equal enrollment in each arm) to cisplatin 75mg/m2 or carboplatin AUC=6 every 21 days with optional extension to 28 days after cycle 1. Co-primary endpoints were: 1) Response Rate (RR) and 2) whether tumor p63/p73 expression by qRT-PCR predicts response. Results for endpoint 1 are presented. RESULTS 86 TNBC pts enrolled between June 2007-Oct 2010. Med age=52 (30-78), 80% White, 8% Black. 64% had ECOG PS=0, 86% had adjuvant CTx, 70% had prior anthracycline and 73% prior taxane. Mean # of disease sites = 2.4; lymph nodes (52), lung (41), bone (25), liver (24). Optional research biopsies were collected from 8 pts. Overall RR was 30.2% (95% CI 22.1%-39.4%), including 4 CR (4.7%), 22 PR (25.6%). All 4 CRs remain progression-free 156, 71, 44, and 24 weeks since study entry, and 3 stopped treatment after 6 cycles. The CBR (CR+PR+SD>6 mo) was 34%. Exploratory subgroup analysis of RR: Cis 37%, Carbo 23%; 1st line 31.7%, 2nd line 20%. Med # cycles = 4 (range 1-19), with 10 pts ≥ 10 cycles. Med PFS = 89 days and 4 pts remain on study at abstract submission. 33% of pts progressed by 6 weeks, but 33% remained on study for ≥ 6 mos. 51 treatment related grade 3/4 toxicities occurred: Gr 4 included neutropenia (1) and HTN (1); Gr3 included fatigue (8), neutropenia (6), anemia (5), hyponatremia (4). CONCLUSIONS First or second line single agent platinum is active and well tolerated in metastatic TNBC with durable CRs and PRs. p63/p73 analysis, additional correlative studies, and BRCA mutation analysis is ongoing. Final updated efficacy analysis for primary endpoint 1 will be presented.
Tunable magnetic resonance in metal-dielectric- metal layered structures

Metal/dielectric layered gratings are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The results show that tunable MR can be achieved by only modulating the vertical chirped width dh. The linear relationship between MR wavelength and dh is found. Analytic formula deduced from LC model show good agreement with the simulated results, and the effective width of sanwich structure is obtained The linear dependence may provide a new way for proper experiment condition selection and offer a new choice for tunable MR and broad bandwidth of magnetic metamaterials.
Robust extraction of baseline signal of atmospheric trace species using local regression

Abstract. The identification of atmospheric trace species measurements that are representative of well-mixed background air masses is required for monitoring atmospheric composition change at background sites. We present a statistical method based on robust local regression that is well suited for the selection of background measurements and the estimation of associated baseline curves. The bootstrap technique is applied to calculate the uncertainty in the resulting baseline curve. The non-parametric nature of the proposed approach makes it a very flexible data filtering method. Application to carbon monoxide (CO) measured from 1996 to 2009 at the high-alpine site Jungfraujoch (Switzerland, 3580 m a.s.l.), and to measurements of 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) from Jungfraujoch (2000 to 2009) and Mace Head (Ireland, 1995 to 2009) demonstrates the feasibility and usefulness of the proposed approach. The determined average annual change of CO at Jungfraujoch for the 1996 to 2009 period as estimated from filtered annual mean CO concentrations is −2.2 ± 1.1 ppb yr−1. For comparison, the linear trend of unfiltered CO measurements at Jungfraujoch for this time period is −2.9 ± 1.3 ppb yr−1.
In vitro cytotoxicity activity of Semecarpus anacardium extract against Hep 2 Cell Line and Vero cell line.

Cancer is the major public difficulty and one of the top causes of death in the prosperous countries. Conventional plants are precious source of novel cytotoxic agents and are still in performance better role in health concern. The study was intended to estimation of the anticancer activity of Methanolic Extract of Semecarpus anacardium nut on the human epidermoid larynx carcinoma cell line (Hep 2). The Nuts of Semecarpus anacardium methanolic Extract was tested for its inhibitory effect in 96 micro plate formats against Hep 2 Cell Line. The percentage viability of the cell line was carried out by using Trypan blue dye exclusion method. The cytotoxicity of Semecarpus anacardium on Hep 2 cell was evaluated by the SRB assay. Cyclophosphamide was used as positive control. Dose response curves constructed between the ranges between 10 mg/ml to 0.0196 mg/ml for Semecarpus anacardium. IC50 value and R value of Semecarpus anacardium on Hep 2 cell was 468 μg/ml and 0.688 respectively by SRB assay. IC50 value of Semecarpus anacardium on Vero cell was not found and R value 0.008 by SRB assay.
Intrabodies based on intracellular capture frameworks that bind the RAS protein with high affinity and impair oncogenic transformation

We have applied in vivo intracellular antibody capture (IAC) technology to isolate human intrabodies which bind to the oncogenic RAS protein. IAC facilitates the capture of antibody fragments, in this case single‐chain Fvs (scFvs), which tolerate reducing environments, such as the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Three anti‐RAS scFvs with different affinity, solubility and intracellular binding activity were characterized. The anti‐RAS scFvs with highest affinity were expressed relatively poorly in mammalian cells, and greater soluble expression was achieved by mutating the antibody framework to canonical consensus scaffolds, previously derived from IAC, without losing antigen specificity. Mutagenesis experiments showed that the consensus scaffolds are functional as intrabody fragments without an intra‐domain disulfide bond. Furthermore, we could convert an intrabody which does not bind RAS in mammalian cells into a high‐affinity reagent capable of inhibiting RAS‐mediated NIH 3T3 transformation by exchanging VH and VL complementarity‐determining regions onto its consensus scaffold. These data show that the consensus scaffold is a robust framework by which to improve intrabody function.
The effect of long term under- and over-feeding on the expression of six major milk protein genes in the mammary tissue of sheep

Milk protein synthesis in the mammary gland involves expression of six major milk protein genes whose nutritional regulation remains poorly defined. In this study, the effect of long term under- and over-feeding on the expression of αs1-casein: CSN1S1, αs2-casein: CSN1S2, β-casein: CSN2, κ-casein: CSN3, α-lactalbumin: LALBA and β-lactoglobulin: BLG gene in sheep mammary tissue (MT) was examined. Twenty-four lactating dairy sheep, at 90–98 d in milk, were divided into three groups and fed the same ration, for 60 d, in quantities which met 70% (underfeeding), 100% (control) and 130% (overfeeding) of their energy and crude protein requirements. The results showed a significant reduction on mRNA of CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2 and BLG gene in the MT of underfed sheep compared with the overfed ones and a significant reduction in CSN3 and LALBA gene expression compared with the respective control animals. Significant positive correlations were observed between the mRNA levels of milk proteins’ genes with the milk protein yield and milk yield respectively. In conclusion, the feeding level and consequently the nutrients availability, affected the milk protein yield and milk volume by altering the CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, CSN3, LALBA and BLG gene expression involved in their metabolic pathways.
Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The aim of this study was to compare the response of symptoms and cytokine ratios in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with ingestion of probiotic preparations containing a lactobacillus or bifidobacterium strain. METHODS Seventy-seven subjects with IBS were randomized to receive either Lactobacillus salivarius UCC4331 or Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, each in a dose of 1 x 10 10 live bacterial cells in a malted milk drink, or the malted milk drink alone as placebo for 8 weeks. The cardinal symptoms of IBS were recorded on a daily basis and assessed each week. Quality of life assessment, stool microbiologic studies, and blood sampling for estimation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell release of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 were performed at the beginning and at the end of the treatment phase. RESULTS For all symptoms, with the exception of bowel movement frequency and consistency, those randomized to B infantis 35624 experienced a greater reduction in symptom scores; composite and individual scores for abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating/distention, and bowel movement difficulty were significantly lower than for placebo for those randomized to B infantis 35624 for most weeks of the treatment phase. At baseline, patients with IBS demonstrated an abnormal IL-10/IL-12 ratio, indicative of a proinflammatory, Th-1 state. This ratio was normalized by B infantis 35624 feeding alone. CONCLUSIONS B infantis 35624 alleviates symptoms in IBS; this symptomatic response was associated with normalization of the ratio of an anti-inflammatory to a proinflammatory cytokine, suggesting an immune-modulating role for this organism, in this disorder.
Holonic and optimal medical decision making under uncertainty

Holonic multi agent medical diagnosis system combines the advantages of the holonic paradigm, multi agent system technology, and swarm intelligence in order to realize a highly reliable, adaptive, scalable, flexible, and robust Internet based diagnosis system for diseases. This paper concentrate on the decision process within our system and will present our ideas, which are based on decision theory, and here, especially, on Bayesian probability since, among others, uncertainty is inherent feature of a medical diagnosis process. The presented approach focuses on reaching the optimal medical diagnosis with the minimum risk under the given uncertainty. Additional factors that play an important role are the required time for the decision process and the produced costs.
The metabolism of (1- 14 C) phenylalanine, (3- 14 C) cinnamic acid and (2- 14 C) ferulic acid in the rat.

(1971). The Metabolism of [1-14C] Phenylalanine, [3-14C] Cinnamic Acid and [2-14C] Ferulic Acid in the Rat. Archives Internationales de Physiologie et de Biochimie: Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 589-618.
Past-Users of HRT are Osteopenic Four Months After Discontinuation: An Observational and Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) helps to prevent osteoporosis. The effect of short-term discontinuation of a long-term HRT on bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy post-menopausal women is unknown. Fifteen women on HRT (HRT users), 17 who never used HRT (non-users) and 8 former HRT users (past-HRT users) were recruited. BMD was measured by DXA. Our results allow to hypothesize that BMD may decline after short-term HRT discontinuation, which would increase the fracture risks. Indeed, our results show that past-HRT users are osteopenic just as non-users. However, these results should be re-examined using a prospective trial and a larger sample size.
So different and still so similar: The plant compound rosmarinic acid mimics bacterial homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals

ABSTRACT Apart from inter-bacteria communication quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms also enable inter-domain interactions. To interfere with bacterial QS, plants were found to secrete compounds; most of which of unknown identity. We have identified the plant compound rosmarinic acid (RA) to modulate Pseudomonas aeruginosa QS by binding to the RhlR QS regulator. RA was found to be a homoserine-lactone (HSL) mimic that caused agonistic effects on transcription, resulting ultimately in a stimulation of several RhlR controlled phenotypes like virulence factor synthesis or biofilm formation. Our study was initiated by in silico screening of an RhlR model with compound libraries, demonstrating that this approach is suitable to tackle a major bottleneck in signal transduction research, which is the identification of sensor protein ligands. Previous work has shown that plant compounds interfere with the function of orphan QS regulators. Our study demonstrates that this has not necessarily to be the case since RhlR forms a functional pair with the RhlI synthase. A wide range of structurally dissimilar compounds have been found to mimic HSLs suggesting that this class of QS regulators is characterized by a significant plasticity in the recognition of effector molecules. Further research will show to what extent RA impacts on QS mechanisms of other bacteria.
DNA-Level Diversity and Relatedness of Helicobacter pylori Strains in Shantytown Families in Peru and Transmission in a Developing-Country Setting

ABSTRACT The efficiency of transmission of a pathogen within families compared with that between unrelated persons can affect both the strategies needed to control or eradicate infection and how the pathogen evolves. In industrialized countries, most cases of transmission of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori seems to be from mother to child. An alternative model, potentially applicable among the very poor in developing countries, where infection is more common and the sanitary infrastructure is often deficient, invokes frequent transmission among unrelated persons, often via environmental sources. In the present study, we compared the genotypes of H. pylori from members of shantytown households in Peru to better understand the transmission of H. pylori in developing-country settings. H. pylori cultures and/or DNAs were obtained with informed consent by the string test (a minimally invasive alternative to endoscopy) from at least one child and one parent from each of 62 families. The random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprints of 57 of 81 (70%) child-mother strain pairs did not match, nor did the diagnostic gene sequences (>1% DNA sequence difference), independent of the child's age (range, 1 to 39 years). Most strains from siblings or other paired family members were also unrelated. These results suggest that H. pylori infections are often community acquired in the society studied. Transmission between unrelated persons should facilitate the formation of novel recombinant genotypes by interstrain DNA transfer and selection for genotypes that are well suited for individual hosts. It also implies that the effective prevention of H. pylori infection and associated gastroduodenal disease will require anti-H. pylori measures to be applied communitywide.
Microporous Carbon Nanoplates from Regenerated Silk Proteins for Supercapacitors

Novel carbon-based microporous nanoplates containing numerous heteroatoms (H-CMNs) are fabricated from regenerated silk fibroin by the carbonization and activation of KOH. The H-CMNs exhibit superior electrochemical performance, displaying a specific capacitance of 264 F/g in aqueous electrolytes, a specific energy of 133 Wh/kg, a specific power of 217 kW/kg, and a stable cycle life over 10000 cycles.
Developing Health Promotion Interventions on Social Networking Sites: Recommendations from The FaceSpace Project

Online social networking sites offer a novel setting for the delivery of health promotion interventions due to their potential to reach a large population and the possibility for two-way engagement. However, few have attempted to host interventions on these sites, or to use the range of interactive functions available to enhance the delivery of health-related messages. This paper presents lessons learnt from “The FaceSpace Project”, a sexual health promotion intervention using social networking sites targeting two key at-risk groups. Based on our experience, we make recommendations for developing and implementing health promotion interventions on these sites. Elements crucial for developing interventions include establishing a multidisciplinary team, allowing adequate time for obtaining approvals, securing sufficient resources for building and maintaining an online presence, and developing an integrated process and impact evaluation framework. With two-way interaction an important and novel feature of health promotion interventions in this medium, we also present strategies trialled to generate interest and engagement in our intervention. Social networking sites are now an established part of the online environment; our experience in developing and implementing a health promotion intervention using this medium are of direct relevance and utility for all health organizations creating a presence in this new environment.
Extravascular lung water measurement in critically ill patients

In intensive care patients, due to increase in hydrostatic pressure and hyperpermeability state, pulmonary edema occurs. In this review, we discussed about definition and amount of extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) which relates to an increasing pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure or increasing capillary permeability. EVLWI-to-intrathoracic blood volume ratio is useful in determining the cause of pulmonary edema. EVLWI can be helpful in approximation of the amount of fluid overload and capillary leak in acute inflammatory injury. This is identified as a prognostic marker that is related to respiratory function and mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis. Usage of EVLWI for determining of pulmonary edema in children would be beneficial.
Alignment of 3 (but Not 4) DNA Strands within a RecA Protein Filament (*)

Homologous genetic recombination is required for recombinational DNA repair, is involved in the successful segregation of chromosomes at cell division, and contributes to the generation of genetic diversity in all organisms. In order to recombine, the homologous sequences in two chromosomes must first be aligned. Alignment is preceded in most cases by the processing of one of the chromosomes to generate a region of singlestranded DNA. By mechanisms that are still unclear, a search for homology is then conducted in three dimensions which ends with homologous alignment. A central issue within this problem is the structure of the potentially novel DNA pairing intermediates that mediate a chromosome-chromosome interaction leading to a productive genetic exchange. Structures in which 3 or even 4 DNA strands are interwound over a significant length, DNA triplexes and quadruplexes, have played a major role in thinking about homologous genetic recombination for decades. Stable triplex and quadruplex DNA structures are known (1–3), but all have special requirements for sequence and/or strand orientation. The structures proposed to occur during recombination must form regardless of the primary structure or base content of the sequence itself, and strands with identical sequences must be oriented parallel to each other. These constraints test the limits of current information about DNA structure. A putative DNA triplex structure proposed as a recombination intermediate, called R-form DNA, has recently been the target of a range of experimental and computer modeling efforts (4–6). Of necessity, most of the experimental manifestations of these ideas have focused on the RecA protein and the DNA strand exchange reactions it promotes. The status of these investigations is summarized here. Additional discussion of these topics may be found in several recent reviews (5, 7–13). The RecA protein promotes an efficient DNA strand exchange reaction in vitro involving 3 or 4 strands (Fig. 1). RecA first forms a nucleoprotein filament on a circular ssDNA or a gapped duplex (DNA1). The length of DNA1 is increased by 50% or more, and any duplex portions of DNA1 are underwound by about 40% within this filament, with the presumed elimination of base-stacking interactions (14–16). A homologous linear duplex DNA (DNA2) is then paired with DNA1 to form what is sometimes termed a joint molecule. A rapid but limited DNA strand exchange can occur in the presence of an ATP analog, ATPgS, that is not hydrolyzed by RecA. This phase of the reaction can occur anywhere on DNA2, typically produces 1–3 kilobase pairs of hybrid DNA, and is mediated by binding energy within the filament (17–20). This nascent hybrid DNA is extended in a final reaction phase that requires ATP hydrolysis and proceeds 59 to 39 relative to the ssDNA or the single-stranded gap in DNA1 (23). The ends of DNA2 where this unidirectional process normally begins and terminates are often referred to as the proximal and distal ends, respectively.