Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in a Postpartum Pap Smear

BACKGROUND There are several reported cases that describe female genital tract infections with opportunistic fungi, such as Blastomyces dermatitidis, Coccidioides immitis, Aspergillus flavus, Cryptococcus neoformans and Mucor. We describe a case of paracoccidiodomycosis limited to the uterine cervix. To the best of our knowledge, no such case has been described before in the English-language literature. CASE A 27-year-old, healthy female, gravida 3, para 2, abortion 1, presented for a routine gynecologic examination at six weeks' postpartum. Her past medical history was unremarkable. A routine cervical/endocervical smear revealed the presence of multiple fungal forms at different stages of development with a characteristic "pilot's wheel" appearance consistent with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Detailed medical examination of the patient did not reveal the presence of the primary infection in any other system. Cultures of the endometrium revealed no growth of the fungal organisms. The patient was asymptomatic, and therefore no therapy was initiated. Repeat Papanicolaou smears were negative for organisms. CONCLUSION Paracoccidioidomycosis can present as a limited form, involving the cervix only. Identification and recognition of the infection are important in cytopathology.
Network‐level assessment of reward‐related activation in patients with ADHD and healthy individuals

Reward processing is a key aspect of cognitive control processes, putatively instantiated by mesolimbic and mesocortical brain circuits. Deficient signaling within these circuits has been associated with psychopathology. We applied a network discovery approach to assess specific functional networks associated with reward processing in participants with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Interactive effects of LPS and dentine matrix proteins on human dental pulp stem cells

AIM To investigate the combinatorial effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and extracted dentine matrix proteins (eDMP) on regenerative and inflammatory responses in human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). METHODOLOGY Culture media were supplemented with several concentrations of LPS, eDMP and combinations of both. Cell viability was assessed over 1 week by MTT assay; cell survival was evaluated after 24 h and 7 days by flow cytometry. The expression of mineralization-associated marker genes was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). To analyse the inflammatory response, secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6) was quantified in the initial and the late phase of cell culture by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were treated nonparametrically and Mann-Whitney U-tests were performed to compare all experimental groups (α = 0.05). RESULTS Whereas LPS had no impact on viability, eDMP led to a concentration-dependent decrease, which was significant after 7 days (P ≤ 0.024). A moderate decline of cell survival induced by LPS was detected after 48 h (P ≤ 0.026), whereas eDMP was able to reverse this effect. eDMP alone caused increased expression of tested marker genes, LPS had no regulatory effect. Combined eDMP and LPS induced an upregulation of collagen type I and osteocalcin, whereas expression levels of dentine matrix acidic phosphoprotein and dentine sialophosphoprotein were similar to the control. IL-6-secretion was increased by LPS over time. eDMP markedly elevated initial production of IL-6 (P ≤ 0.002), but suppressed LPS-induced cytokine production in the later phase. CONCLUSIONS Lipopolysaccharide did not affect cell viability but interfered with odontoblast-like cell differentiation of DPSCs. Proteins from the dentine matrix may have a protective effect, attenuate the detrimental impact of LPS and thus play an important role during pulp repair.
Multiscale Kinetic Modeling Reveals an Ensemble of Cl–/H+ Exchange Pathways in ClC-ec1 Antiporter

Despite several years of research, the ion exchange mechanisms in chloride/proton antiporters and many other coupled transporters are not yet understood at the molecular level. Here, we present a novel approach to kinetic modeling and apply it to ion exchange in ClC-ec1. Our multiscale kinetic model is developed by (1) calculating the state-to-state rate coefficients with reactive and polarizable molecular dynamics simulations, (2) optimizing these rates in a global kinetic network, and (3) predicting new electrophysiological results. The model shows that the robust Cl:H exchange ratio (2.2:1) can indeed arise from kinetic coupling without large protein conformational changes, indicating a possible facile evolutionary connection to chloride channels. The E148 amino acid residue is shown to couple chloride and proton transport through protonation-dependent blockage of the central anion binding site and an anion-dependent pKa value, which influences proton transport. The results demonstrate how an ensemble of different exchange pathways, as opposed to a single series of transitions, culminates in the macroscopic observables of the antiporter, such as transport rates, chloride/proton stoichiometry, and pH dependence.
True flotation and physical entrainment: The mechanisms of fiber loss in flotation heinking

The mechanisms of fiber loss in flotation deinking were studied using fibers with the same geometry but different surface hydrophobicities. The fiber loss was directly compared with the contact angle of fibers in the pulp suspensions. It was found that both true flotation and physical entrainment will contribute to the fiber loss, but physical entrainment is the major contributor. Fiber geometry and froth structure will significantly affect the physical entrainment. Only part of the entrained fibers can be washed away from the froth during water drainage. To reduce fiber loss in flotation deinking, effective control of foam structure and stability is very important.
Is Cytology Useful in the Diagnostic Workup of Male Breast Lesions?

OBJECTIVE To determine the value of cytology in the workup of male breast lesions, important for the management in a same-day breast clinic. STUDY DESIGN A total of 146 fine needle aspirations (FNAs) from the male breast were classified in the categories malignant, suspicious, atypical, benign and inadequate. Cytohistologic correlation was done. RESULTS Histologic correlation was available in 85 cases. On FNA the 15 malignant cases were classified as malignant (n = 11), suspicious for malignancy (n = 2) or atypical (n = 2). Of the 35 benign lesions on histology 3 cases were classified as atypia and 1 as suspicious for malignancy on FNA. In the inadequate FNAs (n = 45), the corresponding histologic specimens were benign, no carcinomas were diagnosed. The sensitivity and specificity of the FNA compared to the definite resection diagnosis were 100% and 90.2%, respectively. The results were comparable with the outcomes of the reviewed studies on male breast lesions in the recent literature. CONCLUSION Based on the nature of the benign breast lesions in man, a substantial number of inadequate FNAs were obtained. However, due to the good cytohistologic correlations in the group of malignant lesions, we can conclude that cytology remains an important diagnostic tool in the initial workup of male breast carcinomas.
Effects of complete water fasting and regeneration diet on kidney function, oxidative stress and antioxidants.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to observe the influence of 11-days complete water fasting (WF) and regeneration diet (RD) on renal function, body weight, blood pressure and oxidative stress. BACKGROUND Therapeutic WF is considered a healing method. METHODS Ten volunteers drank only water for 11 days, followed by RD for the next 11 days. Data on body weight, blood pressure, kidney functions, antioxidants, lipid peroxidation, cholesterols, triacylglycerols and selected biochemical parameters were obtained. RESULTS WF increased uric acid and creatinine and decreased glomerular filtration rate. After RD, the parameters were comparable to baseline values. Urea was not affected. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) decreased and maintained stable after RD. Fasting decreased α-tocopherol and increased γ-tocopherol, no significant changes were found after RD. Coenzyme Q10 decreased after RD. HDL-cholesterol decreased in WF. Total- and LDL-cholesterol decreased after RD. Other biochemical parameters were within the range of reference values. CONCLUSIONS The effect of the complete fasting on kidney function was manifested by hyperuricemia. Renal function was slightly decreased, however maintained within the reference values. After RD, it returned to baseline values. The positive effect of the complete water fasting was in the reduction of oxidative stress, body weight and blood pressure (Tab. 3, Ref. 25).
Caspase-mediated cleavage of the stacking protein GRASP65 is required for Golgi fragmentation during apoptosis

The mammalian Golgi complex is comprised of a ribbon of stacked cisternal membranes often located in the pericentriolar region of the cell. Here, we report that during apoptosis the Golgi ribbon is fragmented into dispersed clusters of tubulo-vesicular membranes. We have found that fragmentation is caspase dependent and identified GRASP65 (Golgi reassembly and stacking protein of 65 kD) as a novel caspase substrate. GRASP65 is cleaved specifically by caspase-3 at conserved sites in its membrane distal COOH terminus at an early stage of the execution phase. Expression of a caspase-resistant form of GRASP65 partially preserved cisternal stacking and inhibited breakdown of the Golgi ribbon in apoptotic cells. Our results suggest that GRASP65 is an important structural component required for maintenance of Golgi apparatus integrity.
Leukemia inhibitory factor promotes olfactory sensory neuronal survival via phosphoinositide 3‐kinase pathway activation and Bcl‐2

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a neuropoietic cytokine, has been implicated in the control of neuronal development. We previously reported that LIF plays a critical role in regulating the terminal differentiation of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Here, we demonstrate that LIF plays a complementary role in supporting the survival of immature OSNs. Mature OSNs express LIF, which may be elaborated in a paracrine manner to influence adjacent neurons. LIF null mice display more apoptotic immature neurons than do their wild‐type littermates. LIF treatment of dissociated OSNs in vitro significantly reduces the apoptosis of immature OSNs. Double immunocytochemical analysis indicates that the survival of immature OSNs is dependent on the presence of LIF. LIF activates the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) pathways and induces the expression of the antiapoptotic molecule Bcl‐2 in OSNs, whereas inhibition of the PI3K pathway blocks LIF‐dependent OSN survival and Bcl‐2 induction. Thus, LIF plays a central role in maintaining the size and integrity of the population of immature neurons within the olfactory epithelium; this population is critical to the rapid recovery of olfactory function after injury. LIF may play a similar role elsewhere in the CNS and thus be important for manipulation of stem cell populations for therapeutic interventions. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beyond the blues: the need for integrated care pathways

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and has significant human and economic consequences. Many people who survive have significant psychological distress, and diminished quality of life and failure to return to work or resume normal family and social roles are not uncommon. Increased attention has been focused on the role of depression, both as a predictor and a consequence of CHD, especially myocardial infarction. When depression is linked with CHD the outcome inevitably increases disease burden. The importance of early detection and early referral for treatment before hospital discharge may be an optimum moment along the care pathway.
Innovation and Trade in the Presence of Credit Constraints

This paper examines how trade liberalization affects investments in R&D at the firm level. In a model where entrepreneurs are heterogeneous in their wealth endowment, they rely differently on external funds. In the presence of capital market imperfections, this implies heterogeneous access to external funds such that poor entrepreneurs run smaller firms, are less likely to invest in R&D, and more likely to exit the market. Decreasing trade costs resulting from tariff reductions exacerbate these characteristics. Using firm-level panel data on seven Latin American countries for 2006 and 2010, we find support for our theoretical predictions. While recent studies emphasize a positive impact of trade liberalization on firms' productivity-enhancing activities, we provide novel evidence showing that financial constraints can impair the effect on R&D efforts. To address potential endogeneity concerns, we verify our findings using external financial dependence based on U.S. firms. These results suggest that imperfect capital markets can prevent welfare gains from trade liberalization to materialize.
Evisceration following Abdominal Scarification in Neonates

Invasive traditional practices which are frequently harmful are common in the care of children including neonates in developing countries. We report two cases of evisceration of intra-abdominal viscera in two neonates subjected to abdominal scarification with razor blades following febrile illnesses. The greater omentum and a loop of jejunum, respectively, were eviscerated. Both were successfully managed and discharged home. Consent was obtained from the parents for the use of the photos. These cases highlight the dangers of invasive traditional practices on neonates and the urgent need for enlightenment campaigns as well as enactment of policies to help protect these children in developing countries.
The Campesino-to-Campesino agroecology movement of ANAP in Cuba: social process methodology in the construction of sustainable peasant agriculture and food sovereignty

Agroecology has played a key role in helping Cuba survive the crisis caused by the collapse of the socialist bloc in Europe and the tightening of the US trade embargo. Cuban peasants have been able to boost food production without scarce and expensive imported agricultural chemicals by first substituting more ecological inputs for the no longer available imports, and then by making a transition to more agroecologically integrated and diverse farming systems. This was possible not so much because appropriate alternatives were made available, but rather because of the Campesino-a-Campesino (CAC) social process methodology that the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) used to build a grassroots agroecology movement. This paper was produced in a ‘self-study’ process spearheaded by ANAP and La Via Campesina, the international agrarian movement of which ANAP is a member. In it we document and analyze the history of the Campesino-to-Campesino Agroecology Movement (MACAC), and the significantly increased contribution of peasants to national food production in Cuba that was brought about, at least in part, due to this movement. Our key findings are (i) the spread of agroecology was rapid and successful largely due to the social process methodology and social movement dynamics, (ii) farming practices evolved over time and contributed to significantly increased relative and absolute production by the peasant sector, and (iii) those practices resulted in additional benefits including resilience to climate change.
A 1.83µJ/classification nonlinear support-vector-machine-based patient-specific seizure classification SoC

To mitigate seizure-affected patients, SoCs [1-3] have been developed 1) to detect electrical onset of seizure seconds before the clinical onset, and 2) to combine the SoC with neurostimulation. In particular, having detection delay of <;2s (for real-time suppression) while maintaining high detection rate is challenging [4]. However, [2] had a long latency (13.5s) and [3] suffered from a low detection rate (84.4%) with a high false alarm (max. 14.7%) due to an intermittent limit of the Linear Support Vector Machine (LSVM). In this paper, we present a Non-Linear SVM (NLSVM)-based seizure detection SoC which ensures a >95% detection accuracy, <;1% false alarm and <;2s latency.
Lack of Impact of Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Sleepiness, Mood and Quality of Life.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with sleepiness, depression and reduced quality of life. However, it is unclear whether mild OSA has these negative impacts. Using data from the Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study (APPLES), this study determined whether participants with mild OSA had greater sleepiness, more depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life in comparison to those without OSA. METHODS 239 individuals evaluated for participation in APPLES with a baseline apnea hypopnea index (AHI) < 15 /hour were assigned to 1 of 2 groups: No OSA (N=40, AHI < 5 /hour) or Mild OSA (N=199, 5 to <15 /hour) based on their screening polysomnogram. Scores on their Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI) were compared between groups. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the No OSA and Mild OSA groups on any of the 5 measures: ESS (No OSA, 9.8 ± 3.5 vs Mild OSA, 10.6 ± 4.3, p=0.26), SSS,(2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 2.9 ± 1.0, p=0.52), HAM-D (4.6 ± 3.0 vs. 4.9 ± 4.7, p=0.27), POMS (33.5 ± 22.3 vs. 28.7 ± 22.0, p=0.70), SAQLI (4.5 ± 0.8 vs. 4.7 ± 0.7, p=0.39). CONCLUSION Individuals with mild OSA in this cohort do not have worse sleepiness, mood or quality of life in comparison to those without OSA.
A ‘danse macabre’: tau and Fyn in STEP with amyloid beta to facilitate induction of synaptic depression and excitotoxicity

Alzheimer's disease, with its two most prominent pathological factors amyloid beta and tau protein, can be described as a disease of the synapse. It therefore comes as little surprise that NMDA receptor‐related synaptic dysfunction had been thought for several years to underlie the synaptic pathophysiology seen in Alzheimer's disease. In this review I will summarise recent evidence showing that the NMDA receptor links the effects of extracellular amyloid beta with intracellular tau protein. Furthermore, the antagonistic roles of Fyn and STEP in NMDA receptor regulation, synaptic plasticity and induction of synaptic depression will be discussed.
An exploratory trial of parental advice for increasing vegetable acceptance in infancy

Research suggests that repeatedly offering infants a variety of vegetables during weaning increases vegetable intake and liking. The effect may extend to novel foods. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of advising parents to introduce a variety of single vegetables as first foods on infants' subsequent acceptance of a novel vegetable. Mothers of 4- to 6-month-old infants in the UK, Greece and Portugal were randomised to either an intervention group (n 75), who received guidance on introducing five vegetables (one per d) as first foods repeated over 15 d, or a control group (n 71) who received country-specific ‘usual care’. Infant's consumption (g) and liking (maternal and researcher rated) of an unfamiliar vegetable were assessed 1 month post-intervention. Primary analyses were conducted for the full sample with secondary analyses conducted separately by country. No significant effect of the intervention was found for vegetable intake in the three countries combined. However, sub-group analyses showed that UK intervention infants consumed significantly more novel vegetable than control infants (32·8 (sd 23·6) v. 16·5 (sd 12·1) g; P =0·003). UK mothers and researchers rated infants' vegetable liking higher in the intervention than in control condition. In Portugal and Greece, there was no significant intervention effect on infants' vegetable intake or liking. The differing outcome between countries possibly reflects cultural variations in existing weaning practices. However, the UK results suggest in countries where vegetables are not common first foods, advice on introducing a variety of vegetables early in weaning may be beneficial for increasing vegetable acceptance.
Area of Submucosal Invasion and Width of Invasion Predicts Lymph Node Metastasis in pT1 Colorectal Cancers

BACKGROUND: The prediction of lymph node metastasis by current histopathological methods is imprecise. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate currently used and possible new high-risk features associated with lymph node metastasis to identify the markers of lymph node metastasis. DESIGN/PATIENT/SETTING: Two hundred seven pT1 cancers were identified through the Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Services database and digitally scanned. Phenotypic and quantitative features of the pT1 cancers were evaluated. Lymph node metastasis and high-risk feature status were obtained through pathology reports of resections, and high-risk phenotypic features were identified. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was noted in 19 patients (9.2%). pT1 cancers with lymph node metastasis had a significantly wider area of invasion (p = 0.001) and greater area of submucosal invasion (p < 0.001) compared with pT1 cancers without lymph node metastasis. Qualitative features such as grade of differentiation and vascular and lymphatic invasion were significant predictors of lymph node metastasis (p < 0.0001, p = 0.039, and p = 0.018). Modified receiver-operating characteristics curves generated cutoff values of 11.5 mm for the width of invasion and 35 mm2 for the area of submucosal invasion. When tested separately with other qualitative factors on multivariate analysis, both width greater than 11.5 mm (OR, 12.12; 95% CI, 2.19–67.23; p = 0.004) and area of submucosal invasion greater than 35 mm2 (OR, 22.44; 95% CI, 2.7–186.63; p = 0.004) was predictive of lymph node metastasis. LIMITATIONS: This is a retrospective study and is limited by its small sample size. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that the width and area of submucosal invasion are potential predictors of lymph node metastasis and superior to the depth of invasion. Together with the other qualitative phenotypic features, these quantitative factors could be used to decide the most appropriate treatment for pT1 cancers.
A high-speed FFT processor for OFDM systems

This paper proposes a high-speed FFT processor for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The proposed architecture uses a single-memory for a small hardware size and uses a radix-4 algorithm for high speed. Its memory is partitioned into four banks for high-speed computation. It uses an in-place memory strategy that stores butterfly outputs in the same memory location used by butterfly inputs. The architecture has been modeled by VHDL and logic synthesis has been performed using the Samsung/sup /spl trade// 0.5/spl mu/m SOG cell library (KG80). The implemented FFT processor consists of 98,326 gates excluding RAM. The processor can operate at 42MHz and calculate a 256-point complex FFT in 6/spl mu/s.