Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and typing of systemic amyloidosis: The role of abdominal fat pad fine needle aspiration biopsy

Introduction: Systemic amyloidosis (SA) has a broad nonspecific clinical presentation. Its diagnosis depends on identifying amyloid in tissues. Abdominal fat pad fine needle aspiration (FPFNA) has been suggested as a sensitive and specific test for diagnosing SA. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine FPFNA from 38 patients (16 women and 20 men, age range 40–88 years) during a 15-year period were reviewed. Smears and cell blocks were stained with Congo red (CR). A panel of antibodies (serum amyloid protein, serum amyloid A, albumin, transthyretin, kappa light chain and lambda light chain) was used on six cell blocks from five patients. The FNA findings were correlated with clinical and histological follow-up. Results: FPFNAs were positive, confirmed by CR in 5/39 (13%), suspicious in 1/39 (3%), negative in 28/39 (72%), and insufficient for diagnosis in 5/39 (13%) of cases. In all the positive cases, SA was confirmed within 2–16 weeks. Among the 28 negative cases, SA was diagnosed in 21, the rest were lost to follow-up. Among the insufficient cases, SA was diagnosed in four and one was lost to follow-up. Specificity was 100%, whereas sensitivity was 19%. SA typing using cell block sections was successful in three, un-interpretable in one, and negative in two cases. Conclusion: FPFNA for SA is not as good as previously reported. This may be due to different practice setting, level of experience, diagnostic technique, or absence of abdominal soft tissue involvement. A negative result of FPFNA does not exclude SA. Immune phenotyping of amyloid is possible on cell block.
A stochastic model for the convergence behavior of the affine projection algorithm for Gaussian inputs

The paper presents an analytical model for predicting the stochastic behavior of the affine projection (AP) algorithm. The model is derived for autoregressive (AR) Gaussian inputs and for unity step size (fastest convergence). Deterministic recursive equations are presented for the mean weight and mean square error for a large number of adaptive taps, N, as compared to the algorithm order, P. The model predictions show better agreement between theory and simulations in transient and steady-state than previous models described in the literature. The learning behavior of the AP algorithm is of great interest in applications such as acoustic echo cancellation.
Molecular profiles of allograft rejection following inhibition of CD40 ligand costimulation differentiated by cluster analysis

Recent technological advances in biomedical research, such as genomesequences and DNA microarrays, have dramatically increased the size ofrelevant databases. A major challenge is the extraction of a limitednumber of parameters from these databases that can differentiate anddiagnose complex biological states. In a model of cardiactransplantation investigating immunosuppression by inhibition of CD40ligand costimulation, we have applied a combination of clusteralgorithms and self‐organizing maps to analyze a panel of 60 candidategenes. Dendrograms generated by cluster analysis distinguisheddifferent molecular bases of rejection. Using self‐organizing maps, weidentified nine genes (CD4, CCR3, CCR5, LTβ, MIP‐1α, MIP‐2, CD8α,IP‐10, and RANTES), each with a unique profile of transcriptionalexpression, that reproduce the differentiation of states of rejectionin dendrograms. Using histology and immunohistochemistry, we correlateddifferential regulation of CD4 and CD8 at the levels of mRNA andprotein. Our strategy of data reduction successfully decreased thenumber of genes to nine, which are sufficient to differentiate distinctstates of rejection in our experimental protocol.
Partial Depletion of CREB-Binding Protein Reduces Life Expectancy in a Mouse Model of Huntington Disease

Previous studies have reported that mutant huntingtin (htt) interferes with cyclic AMP response element binding protein binding protein (CBP)-mediated transcription, possibly by inhibiting the acetylation of histones. In Drosophila models that express fragments of mutant htt, histone deacetylase inhibitors reverse deficits in histone acetylation, rescue photoreceptor degeneration, and prolong their survival. These compounds also improve motor deficits in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington disease (HD). To determine whether endogenous CBP depletion contributes to HD pathogenesis, we crossed HD-N171-82Q transgenic mice with mice harboring a disrupted CBP gene and produced mice with partial (50%) depletion of CBP. This reduction of CBP levels decreased the life expectancy of the HD-N171-82Q Line 6 mouse model. The loss of CBP had no obvious impact on the severity of motor impairment, degeneration of the striatum, mutant htt inclusion formation, or global levels of acetylated histones H3 or H4 in brain. In cell models, we confirmed that mutant htt inclusions recruit human CBP but found no evidence for interactions between soluble forms of mutant htt and CBP. Although we identified no neurological explanation for the decreased life expectancy of HD-N171-82Q mice with partial depletion of CBP, the data are consistent with the notion that CBP function mitigates mutant htt toxicity by a currently unidentified mechanism.
Authors’ reply

Cite this article as: Sodhi PK, Takkar B, Sodhi JP, Sodhi N. Comment on: A case of perforating injury of eyeball and traumatic cataract caused by acupuncture. Indian J Ophthalmol 2016;64:947-8. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non‐commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
Regulation of human hepatic drug transporter expression by pro-inflammatory cytokines

Background: Sinuosidal and canalicular hepatic drug transporters, involved in drug uptake in the liver and drug secretion in the bile, respectively, play a major role in liver drug clearance. Inflammation is well-known to impair expression of these transporters in rodents; data about this topic have been more recently reported in human hepatocytes. Objective: The present review is designed to summarise the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 toward human hepatic drug and bile salt transporters. Methods: Recent studies aimed at analyzing transporter expression and activity in cytokines-exposed primary human hepatocytes and well-differentiated human hepatoma cells are resumed and discussed. Results/conclusion: Exposure to IL-1β, TNF-α or IL-6 markedly alters expression profile of human hepatic transporters. Bile salt transporters as well as sinusoidal solute carrier transporters are usually repressed, whereas ATP-binding cassette drug efflux pumps remain unchanged or are either downregulated or upregulated. These changes are observed at mRNA levels, but also, for some of the transporters, at protein and activity levels. They are likely to contribute to alterations of drug pharmacokinetics, impairment of bile salt secretion and cholestasis caused by inflammation in humans.
Xylose Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Challenges and Prospects

Many years have passed since the first genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains capable of fermenting xylose were obtained with the promise of an environmentally sustainable solution for the conversion of the abundant lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. Several challenges emerged from these first experiences, most of them related to solving redox imbalances, discovering new pathways for xylose utilization, modulation of the expression of genes of the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and reduction of xylitol formation. Strategies on evolutionary engineering were used to improve fermentation kinetics, but the resulting strains were still far from industrial application. Lignocellulosic hydrolysates proved to have different inhibitors derived from lignin and sugar degradation, along with significant amounts of acetic acid, intrinsically related with biomass deconstruction. This, associated with pH, temperature, high ethanol, and other stress fluctuations presented on large scale fermentations led the search for yeasts with more robust backgrounds, like industrial strains, as engineering targets. Some promising yeasts were obtained both from studies of stress tolerance genes and adaptation on hydrolysates. Since fermentation times on mixed-substrate hydrolysates were still not cost-effective, the more selective search for new or engineered sugar transporters for xylose are still the focus of many recent studies. These challenges, as well as under-appreciated process strategies, will be discussed in this review.
Effects of molding on property of thermally conductive and electrically insulating polyamide 6–based composite

Thermally conductive and electrically insulating polyamide 6 (PA6) matrix quaternary composites were prepared by hot press molding and injection molding, respectively. The quaternary composites were composed of zero-dimensional aluminum oxide particle, one-dimensional silicon carbide whisker, two-dimensional flake graphite, and PA6 resin matrix. Morphology, structure, density, thermal conductivity, volume electrical resistivity, and tensile strength of two types of composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, thermal conductivity tester, high resistance micro-current tester, and tensile tester. The results showed that crystallinity, thermal conductivity, density, and tensile strength of hot press molding samples were superior to those of samples made by injection molding method. This is due to that hot press molding method can provide higher molding pressure and longer annealing time than injection molding. The mechanism could be explained that the performances of the composites were promoted by increasing molding pressure and annealing time.
Advanced signal analysis of acoustic emission data to discrimination of different corrosion forms

Aim of the present work is to give an analytical approach suitable to distinguish three different corrosion forms through the use of acoustic emission technique. Corrosion attacks have been obtained on three different types of martensitic stainless steel in a FeCl3 solution, using conditions set by the ASTM G48 standard. These martensitic stainless steel used were characterised by different mechanical, microstructural and electrochemical properties, which lead to the development of specific corrosion forms, albeit the steels were tested in the same environmental conditions. A multivariate statistical analysis approach, based on principal component analysis (PCA) and self-organising map (SOM), has been adopted to evaluate AE data and to obtain highlight damage-sensitive features. Specific clusters of variables related to specific corrosion phenomena have been identified, promoting this analysis approach as a potential procedure for discriminating onset of a specific corrosion mechanism.
Gender dysphoria in childhood

Abstract Gender dysphoria (GD) in childhood is a complex phenomenon characterized by clinically significant distress due to the incongruence between assigned gender at birth and experienced gender. The clinical presentation of children who present with gender identity issues can be highly variable; the psychosexual development and future psychosexual outcome can be unclear, and consensus about the best clinical practice is currently under debate. In this paper a clinical picture is provided of children who are referred to gender identity clinics. The clinical criteria are described including what is known about the prevalence of childhood GD. In addition, an overview is presented of the literature on the psychological functioning of children with GD, the current knowledge on the psychosexual development and factors associated with the persistence of GD, and explanatory models for psychopathology in children with GD together with other co-existing problems that are characteristic for children referred for their gender. In light of this, currently used treatment and counselling approaches are summarized and discussed, including the integration of the literature detailed above.
NF‐κB function in B lymphocytes

Summary: NF‐κB proteins were identified in the search for mechanisms that regulate B‐lymphocyte‐specific transcription of immunoglobulin κ light chain genes. Twenty‐five years later, though the function of the κB site in the enhancer remains enigmatic, NF‐κB proteins have been shown to have important roles in B‐cell development, maintenance, and function. In this review, we summarize the functions of NF‐κB in B cells. An overview of B‐cell biology that identifies stages in the life of B lymphocytes for the general reader is followed by three sections that examine the role of NF‐κB family of proteins in B‐cell development, mature B‐cell survival and B‐cell function. We endeavor throughout to suggest mechanisms and implications of the wide‐ranging observations that have been made and conclude by highlighting the need to understand NF‐κB‐mediated gene expression in more depth.
Retrospective on the development of aequorin and aequorin‐based imaging to visualize changes in intracellular free [Ca2+]

In this review, we take a retrospective look at the discovery and utilization of the Ca2+‐sensitive bioluminescent protein complex, aequorin. We do consider the contribution it has made to our understanding of the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence, but it is in the application of extracted and purified aequorin as a reporter of Ca2+ dynamics in living cells, which is arguably its major contribution to biological and biomedical science. Following its extraction, purification, and subsequent availability in the mid‐1960s, aequorin became the intracellular reporter of choice until it was replaced in the late 1970s by easier‐to‐use fluorescence‐based reporters. From the mid‐1980s onwards, however, aequorin‐based Ca2+ imaging underwent a renaissance following the cloning of the aequorin gene and the emergence of routine techniques to target and express it exogenously in plant and animal systems. The development of aequorin as a tool continues as spectral varieties are being developed that allow simultaneous imaging of Ca2+ dynamics in different cellular organelles and microdomains. We predict that further developments in the use of aequorin, as well as other bioluminescent proteins, will continue, especially in the areas of regenerative medicine and whole organism imaging. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 563–586, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Two new coumarins from the bark of Streblus indicus (Bur.) Corner

Abstract Two new coumarins 7-O-(6-O-(5-O-3,4,5-tri-methoxycinnamate-β-d-apiofuranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-6-methoxy coumarin (1) and 7-O-(6-O-(4-(2-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-ethoxy)-3-methoxy-cinnamyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-6-methoxy coumarin (2), along with 10 known metabolites, were isolated from the bark of Streblus indicus, their structures were identified by comparison of experimental and published spectroscopic data. (S)-marmesinin (6) and scoparone (7) exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus strain with the MIC values of 62.5 and 125.0 μg/mL, respectively. Betulinic acid showed inhibitory activity in vitro against MCF-7 cell with IC50 value of 9.5 ± 0.1 μM.
Macrophage‐Derived Delta‐like Protein 1 Enhances Interleukin‐6 and Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 Production by Fibroblast‐like Synoviocytes in Mice With Collagen‐Induced Arthritis

We previously reported that blockade of the Notch ligand delta‐like protein 1 (DLL‐1) suppressed osteoclastogenesis and ameliorated arthritis in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanisms by which joint inflammation were suppressed have not yet been revealed. This study was undertaken to determine whether DLL‐1 regulates the production of RA‐related proinflammatory cytokines.
Orthodontics as a prospective career choice among undergraduate dental students: A prospective study

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate the factors influencing the career choice of dental students and to identify the future life plans of the students at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University Dental College who had chosen orthodontics as their future specialty. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological descriptive survey was conducted using a set of questionnaire among the second year to fourth year students at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Data were categorized by demographic variables and were analyzed with statistical methods using descriptive statistical analysis. Results: The most important factor influencing the decision to pursue specialty in orthodontics was considering that "orthodontics is intellectually challenging" (23%), followed by "previous positive experience" (15%). The decision to become an orthodontist was made by 3.7% of the respondents in the first year of their course, 44.4% in the second year of their study, 11.1% during the third year of their study, 25.9% during the fourth year of their study, while none of them had made their decision during the final year of their dental school studies. Only one student (3.7) said he planned to work in a private college in an academic setting, five students (18.5%) had plans to do private practice, two students indicated that they would work for the Ministry of Health, while most students (40.7%) reported that they were planning to try a combination of all of the above. Six students (22.2%) remained undecided. Conclusions: Majority of the students who had chosen orthodontics as their future specialty of choice at Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University Dental College, Saudi Arabia had taken up this specialty as they felt that orthodontics was intellectually challenging.
Development of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus fortified with Vitis vinifera marc flour.

Some by-products of wine industry still contain nutrients and functional compounds that make them potential ingredients to formulate new high value-added food products. The aim of this study is to develop milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus fortified with marc flour of different cultivars of Vitis vinifera from wine production and to evaluate their influence on fermentation kinetics, probiotic counts, phenolic compounds, sugar content and antioxidant activity. The acidification time was significantly shortened by these enrichments (by up to 2.7 h), and the bacterial count during cold storage resulted in stronger fortification of samples (up to 4.13 %) when compared to control tests. Fermented milk containing grape marc showed considerable amounts of phenolic compounds with notable antioxidant activity, as well as significant amounts of total sugars. The most important aspect of this paper is the feasibility of using winery by-products, rich in phenolic compounds, as natural supplements to fortify probiotic-fermented milk.
Epidemiology of Bladder Cancer

iments, rats treated with androgenic hormones developed more bladder tumours than animals treated with oestrogenic hormones [5, 6]. It is therefore suggested that at least some androgenic hormones stimulate (or do not inhibit) oncogenesis while oestrogenic hormones do the opposite. For yet undetermined reasons black men experience only half the risk of white men, whereas the risk for black women is 40–50% lower than the risk for white women (fig. 2). The higher risk among whites is primarily due to an excess of superficial tumours. The risk of invasive disease is similar among both racial groups. This suggests that whites are more likely to be diagnosed with tumours, which remain undetected among black men and are less likely to progress. Nevertheless, the higher risk in whites may also be due to different risk factors operating in the black and white populations. Furthermore, racial biologic variations and Katja K.H. Abena, Lambertus A.L. M. Kiemeneya,b Departments of aEpidemiology and bUrology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Role of external ventricular drainage in the management of intraventricular hemorrhage; its complications and management

Background: External ventricular drainage (EVD) is the procedure of choice for the treatment of acute hydrocephalus and increased intracranial pressure in patients of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and intracerebral hemorrhage with hydrocephalus and its sequelae. We evaluated the use of EVD in patients of SAHs (spontaneous/posttraumatic with/without hydrocephalus), hypertensive intracerebral bleeds with interventricular extensions, along with evaluation of the frequency of occurrence of complications of the procedure, infectious and noninfectious, and their management. Methods: During the period of 2½ years, between September 2012 and February 2015, 130 patients were subjected to external drainage procedure and were prospectively enrolled in this study. Information was collected on each patient regarding age, sex, diagnosis, underlying illness, secondary complications, other coexisting infections, use of systemic steroids, antibiotic treatment (systemic and intraventricular), and whether any other neurosurgical procedures were performed within 2 weeks of EVD insertion or any time the duration of ventriculostomy. Results: The study population of 130 patients underwent a total of 193 ventriculostomies. Thirty-six patients had ventriculostomy infection (27.6%). Evaluation of the use of EVD was done by comparing preoperative and postoperative grading scores. Forty-nine patients survived and improved their score from Grade 3–5 to Grade 2–4. Twenty-nine patients were moderately disable, 16 were severely disable, and 5 were left in the vegetative state. Evaluation of outcome of patients revealed that there was an overall mortality of 61 (46.9%) patients both in the acute phase and later. 33 of the 39 patients having Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) 3–5 at the time of EVD insertion expired, as against 20 of the 51 patients in GCS 6–8. Patients in GCS 9–12 had an even better outcome, with 8 of the 35 patients in this group expiring. Conclusions: The use of EVD should be undertaken only in situation where it is absolutely necessary and ventriculostomy should be kept only for the duration required, and this should be monitored on a daily basis, given the exponential increase in infection after 5 days.
Chromosomal Mosaicism in Human Feto-Placental Development: Implications for Prenatal Diagnosis

Chromosomal mosaicism is one of the primary interpretative issues in prenatal diagnosis. In this review, the mechanisms underlying feto-placental chromosomal mosaicism are presented. Based on the substantial retrospective diagnostic experience with chorionic villi samples (CVS) of a prenatal diagnosis laboratory the following items are discussed: (i) The frequency of the different types of mosaicism (confined placental, CPM, and true fetal mosaicisms, TFM); (ii) The risk of fetal confirmation after the detection of a mosaic in CVS stratified by chromosome abnormality and placental tissue involvement; (iii) The frequency of uniparental disomy for imprinted chromosomes associated with CPM; (iv) The incidence of false-positive and false-negative results in CVS samples analyzed by only (semi-)direct preparation or long term culture; and (v) The implications of the presence of a feto-placental mosaicism for microarray analysis of CVS and non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS).