Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
α-Catenin-Vinculin Interaction Functions to Organize the Apical Junctional Complex in Epithelial Cells

αE-catenin, a cadherin-associated protein, is required for tight junction (TJ) organization, but its role is poorly understood. We transfected an αE-catenin–deficient colon carcinoma line with a series of αE-catenin mutant constructs. The results showed that the amino acid 326–509 domain of this catenin was required to organize TJs, and its COOH-terminal domain was not essential for this process. The 326–509 internal domain was found to bind vinculin. When an NH2-terminal αE-catenin fragment, which is by itself unable to organize the TJ, was fused with the vinculin tail, this chimeric molecule could induce TJ assembly in the αE-catenin–deficient cells. In vinculin-null F9 cells, their apical junctional organization was impaired, and this phenotype was rescued by reexpression of vinculin. These results indicate that the αE-catenin-vinculin interaction plays a role in the assembly of the apical junctional complex in epithelia.
Action-Monitoring Dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Evidence suggests that a hyperactive frontal-striatal-thalamic-frontal circuit is associated with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but there is little agreement about the function of the exaggerated activity. We report electrophysiological evidence suggesting that part of this system monitors events and generates error signals when the events conflict with an individual's internal standards or goals. Nine individuals with OCD and 9 age-, sex-, and education-matched control participants performed a speeded reaction time task. The error-related negativity, an event-related brain potential component that reflects action-monitoring processes, was enhanced in the individuals with OCD. The magnitude of this enhancement correlated with symptom severity. Dipole modeling suggested that the locus of the enhancement corresponded to medial frontal regions, possibly the anterior cingulate cortex.
Gesture and speech in maternal input to children with Down's syndrome.

BACKGROUND Despite recent interest in relationships between maternal gesture and speech and communicative development in typically developing (TD) children, little work has examined either speech or gesture in mothers of children with Down's syndrome (DS). AIMS To compare aspects of speech and gesture production by mothers of children with DS with that of mothers of TD children. METHODS & PROCEDURES Participants were five mothers of children with DS (mean chronological age (CA) = 47.6 months; mean mental age (MA) = 22.4 months) and five mothers of TD children. To equate for expressive language ability, children in the TD and DS groups were individually matched on the basis of: (1) gender; (2) correspondence between the TD child's chronological age and the DS child's language age; and (3) observed expressive vocabulary size. Each mother-child dyad was videotaped for approximately 30 min during free play. Data analyses focused on: (1) the number and types (speech only, gesture only, mixed) of maternal utterances; (2) the gesture types (deictic, iconic, conventional, emphatic); and (3) for mixed utterances, the structure and the temporal patterning of spoken and gestured components. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Relative to mothers of TD children, mothers of children with DS produced significantly fewer utterances overall, but the distribution of utterance types did not differ between the two groups. Relative to mothers of TD children, mothers of children with DS used proportionately more deictic gestures and made more frequent use of showing. Mothers of TD children produced more pointing gestures. Finally, mothers of children with DS produced a significantly higher proportion of utterances consisting of a single gesture and a single verbal utterance; in contrast to mothers of TD children, more complex structures (one gesture with multiple verbal utterances, one verbal utterance with multiple gestures) were never observed. Within the category of utterances consisting of a gesture and a single verbal utterance, mothers of children with DS tended to produce gestures that were held throughout the complete verbal utterance, while the gestures of mothers of TD children tended to co-occur with only a portion of the utterance. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that mothers of children with DS adjust their communication to the developmental status of their child. Results are discussed in terms of the role of gesture in maternal communication and in the regulation of mother-child interaction.
Substrate effect on the optical response of silver nanoparticles

We study the influence of a substrate on the surface plasmon resonance absorption in silver nanoparticles depending on the distance between the nanoparticles and the substrate. The experimentally observed red shift of the resonant absorption is explained in the frame of the image-induced charges at the interface between the ambient medium and the substrate. The influence of a metallic substrate is negligible when the clusters are at a distance d>2R from the substrate. A dielectric substrate has much less influence on the optical response of silver clusters than a metallic one.
IMPAIRED HYPOTHALAMUS‐PITUITARY‐ADRENAL AXIS IN MEN WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES

Huang T-S, Wang Y-H, Lee S-H, Lai J-S: Impaired hypothalamus-pitutary-adrenal axis in men with spinal cord injuries. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 1998; 77:108–112 Twenty-five men with spinal cord injuries were studied for evaluation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, using corticotropin-releasing hormone and insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Twenty-five age-matched healthy male volunteers served as controls. Three spinal cord-injured subjects had hyperprolactinemia, three had elevated basal follicle-stimulating hormone levels, one had an elevated basal luteinizing hormone level, and four had hypotestosteronemia. The mean plasma adrenocorticotropin response to corticotropin-releasing hormone of spinal cordinjured subjects was smaller than that of the healthy controls but did not reach a statistical significance. The cortisol response to corticotropin-releasing hormone of the spinal cord-injured subjects was significantly lower than that of healthy controls. However, the difference disappeared if a correction was made for baseline values. Six spinal cord-injured subjects did not have a cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and they had either a minimal or no adrenocorticotropin response. Another 11 spinal cord-injured subjects had a maximal cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia below the lowest limit of normal, i.e., 0.5 μmol/1. Among these spinal cord-injured subjects, three had a less than 50% increase of plasma adrenocorticotropin after insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These findings are consistent with the notion that spinal cord-injured subjects have an altered central neurotransmitter tone and substantiate the hypothesis that an afferent neural pathway exists between the adrenal and hypothalamus and may modulate stressinduced secretion of adrenocorticotropin. Long-term abnormal adrenocorticotropin secretion may cause mild adrenocortical atrophy and, thereby, a reduced cortisol response.
A Comparison Between Wireless CROS and Bone-anchored Hearing Devices for Single-sided Deafness: A Pilot Study

Introduction This study compared wireless Contralateral Routing of Signals (CROS) hearing aid and bone-anchored hearing device (BAHD) in patients with single-sided deafness. Methods Eight adults with single-sided deafness previously implanted with a BAHD were given a 2-week trial with a CROS hearing aid and tested in unaided and aided conditions. Both devices were compared on head shadow effect reduction, speech perception measures in quiet and in noise, self-assessment questionnaires, and daily diaries. Results Both the CROS and BAHD significantly reduced the head shadow effect. QuickSIN scores were significantly better with noise presented to the poorer ear, as compared to the better ear, for the unaided condition, the BAHD, and the CROS. Scores showed no significant differences between the CROS and BAHD with noise presented to the better ear, but scores with the CROS were significantly poorer than in the unaided condition with noise presented to the poorer ear. There were no significant differences between BAHD and CROS for the ratings on the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness and Speech Spatial Qualities questionnaires. Both devices were worn an average of 10 hours per day. Four participants preferred the CROS for sound quality; three preferred the BAHD for comfort. Conclusion Comparisons of CROS and BAHD need to be re-evaluated as both technologies have evolved. In our pilot study, both devices seem comparable, with the CROS avoiding the risks of surgery, and we recommend a trial of CROS in our center for first line treatment of single-sided deafness.
Residual strain analysis in polycrystalline aggregates using diffraction measurement and finite element modelling

This paper reviews some of the modelling and experimental techniques recently employed by the authors for the analysis of the macro- and mesoscopic behaviour of polycrystalline aggregates. A joined-up approach is used for assessing the deformation behaviour of polycrystalline materials at the macroscopic and grain levels, based on combining modelling using the crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) method with experimental characterization by in situ loading and continuous lattice strain measurement by diffraction. The complementarity of the two methodologies is emphasized, as it helps to improve understanding of the physics underlying inelastic deformation, damage mechanisms, and fatigue crack initiation. The proposed approach is part of the attempt to develop a general framework that will enable reliable and accurate determination of the inhomogeneous fields of plastic strain, the regions of localized plasticity, and intergranular residual stresses. Examples are given of microscopically calibrated CPFE simulations being used to match the experimentally observed evolution of lattice stresses and strains in advanced structural alloys of industrial interest.
A Multilocus Sequence Analysis Scheme for Phylogeny of Thioclava Bacteria and Proposal of Two Novel Species

A multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) was established and performed on the genus Thioclava, including 23 strains isolated from diverse marine environments, with the aim of better differentiation of strains and species within this genus. The study was based on sequences of 16S rRNA gene and five protein-coding housekeeping genes, gyrB, rpoD, dnaK, trpB, and recA. In contrast to 16S rRNA gene-based tree that was unable to separate some species within this genus, each tree based on a single housekeeping gene and MLSA had consistently defined seven clades, corresponding to the five established ones and two novel ones. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity analyses based on genome sequences of the representative strains reconfirmed the validity of the MLSA analysis, and recommended a 97.3% MLSA similarity as the soft species threshold and nine species representing the five known and four putative novel species. Two of the four new species were identified as Thioclava sediminum sp. nov. (type strain TAW-CT134T = MCCC 1A10143T = LMG 29615T) and Thioclava marinus sp. nov. (type strain 11.10-0-13T = MCCC 1A03502T = LMG 29618T) by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Taken together, the newly established MLSA in this study first described the variability and phylogeny of the genus Thioclava which contributes to better understanding its ecology and evolution.
Radiative‐convective instability

Radiative‐moist‐convective equilibrium (RCE) is a simple paradigm for the statistical equilibrium the earth's climate would exhibit in the absence of lateral energy transport. It has generally been assumed that for a given solar forcing and long‐lived greenhouse gas concentration, such a state would be unique, but recent work suggests that more than one stable equilibrium may be possible. Here we show that above a critical specified sea surface temperature, the ordinary RCE state becomes linearly unstable to large‐scale overturning circulations. The instability migrates the RCE state toward one of the two stable equilibria first found by Raymond and Zeng (2000). It occurs when the clear‐sky infrared opacity of the lower troposphere becomes so large, owing to high water vapor concentration, that variations of the radiative cooling of the lower troposphere are governed principally by variations in upper tropospheric water vapor. We show that the instability represents a subcritical bifurcation of the ordinary RCE state, leading to either a dry state with large‐scale descent, or to a moist state with mean ascent; these states may be accessed by finite amplitude perturbations to ordinary RCE in the subcritical state, or spontaneously in the supercritical state. As first suggested by Raymond (2000) and Sobel et al. (2007), the latter corresponds to the phenomenon of self‐aggregation of moist convection, taking the form of cloud clusters or tropical cyclones. We argue that the nonrobustness of self‐aggregation in cloud system resolving models may be an artifact of running such models close to the critical temperature for instability.
Condom Effectiveness for HIV Prevention by Consistency of Use Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

Objective:We derived an estimate of male condom effectiveness during anal sex among men who have sex with men (MSM) because the most widely used estimate of condom effectiveness (80%) was based on studies of persons during heterosexual sex with an HIV-positive partner. Design:Assessed male condom effectiveness during anal sex between MSM in 2 prospective cohort studies of HIV incidence by self-reported consistency of use. Methods:Analyzed data combined from US participants in the EXPLORE trial (1999–2001) public use data set and in the VAX 004 trial (1998–1999) data set. Initially, HIV-uninfected MSM enrolled in these trials completed baseline and semiannual interviews about their sexual behaviors with male partners and underwent HIV testing. Using a time-to-event model, effectiveness of consistent condom use in preventing HIV infection was estimated among men reporting receptive and/or insertive anal sex with an HIV-positive partner and consistency of condom use. Results:Among MSM reporting any anal sex with an HIV-positive male partner, we found 70% effectiveness with reported consistent condom use (compared with never use) and no significant protection when comparing sometimes use to never use. This point estimate for MSM was less than the 80% effectiveness estimate reported for heterosexuals in HIV-discordant couples reporting consistent condom use. However, the point estimates in the 2 populations are not statistically different. Only 16% of MSM reported consistent condom use during anal sex with male partners of any HIV status over the entire observation period. Conclusions:These estimates are useful for counseling efforts and for modeling the impact and comparative effectiveness of condoms and other prevention methods used by MSM.
Morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences show that Plecotus alpinus Kiefer & Veith, 2002 and Plecotus microdontus Spitzenberger, 2002 are synonyms of Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzjakin, 1965

Genetic and morphological analyses of long-eared bats from Northern Ossetia and other Caucasian localities revealed that the sister clade of Plecotus auritus discovered in the Eastern Alps (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2001) and described as a new species by Spitzenberger (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2002) (Plecotus microdontus) and by KIEFER & VEITH (2002) (Plecotus alpinus) is conspecific with Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, described as a subspecies of P. auritus, from the vicinity of Vladikavkaz. The valid name for this species therefore is Plecotus macrobullaris. P. macrobullaris also occurs in central and eastern Turkey. Morphological as well as genetic analyses differentiate between an eastern and a western group within P. macrobullaris. From a morphological comparison of specimens of P. macrobullaris with the type specimens of Plecotus wardi from Kashmir we conclude that macrobullaris is not conspecific with wardi.
Community study of toxoplasma antibodies in urban and rural schoolchildren aged 4 to 18 years

To estimate the prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies in schoolchildren and their association with clinical and environmental data, antibody titres were measured in 1276 children aged 4 to 18 years attending primary and secondary schools. Environmental and clinical data were obtained by questionnaire. Altogether 12.8% (163/1276) of children had antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii with no difference between the sexes. Seroprevalence was higher in country children (16.6% (50/302)) than town children (10.2% (75/737)). The proportion testing positive increased with age in both town and country children. No association with cat ownership was found. Toxoplasma seropositivity was associated with a positive toxocara titre, having had a bitch whelp in the past two years, and having an unwormed dog at home. Lack of energy or tiredness in the last 12 months were the only clinical features associated with a positive titre.
High-grade lung adenocarcinomas with micropapillary and/or solid patterns: a review

Purpose of review The purpose of review is to discuss the most recent research findings on lung adenocarcinomas with solid and micropapillary patterns. Recent findings Multiple recent studies have confirmed that both patterns are associated with adverse clinicopathologic features such as lymphovascular and pleural invasion, as well as lymph node metastasis, and consequently with poor disease-free survival, overall survival, or both. Radiologic characteristics such as high 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake, a solid nodule, and size ≥2 cm have been found to be useful to detect solid and micropapillary patterns. A seminal study has shown that the presence of a micropapillary component (≥5%) is a risk factor for early locoregional recurrence in patients undergoing limited resection for small (<2 cm) adenocarcinomas, but not for patients undergoing lobectomy. Several studies have demonstrated that micropapillary-predominant tumors are associated with EGFR mutations, whereas solid-predominant tumors are negatively associated with mutations of this gene and positively associated with KRAS mutations, indicative of the lack of response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The possible role of molecular events such as loss of BRG1/BRM and activation of c-Met has been identified in solid pattern and micropapillary pattern, respectively. Summary Micropapillary and solid patterns are markers for early recurrence and poor survival in lung adenocarcinomas. In order to overcome the unfavorable outcomes, the preoperative detection of these patterns, development of targeted therapy for KRAS mutants, and discovery of biomarkers that play a significant role in development or progression or both of these patterns are warranted to help in treating lung adenocarcinoma patients with micropapillary or solid patterns or both effectively.
Reliable long-term continuous blood glucose monitoring for patients in critical care using microdialysis and infrared spectrometry

For clinical research, in-vivo blood glucose monitoring is an ongoing important topic to improve glycemic control in patients with non-adequate blood glucose regulation. Critically ill patients received much interest, since the intensive insulin therapy treatment, as established for diabetics, reduces mortality significantly. Despite the existence of commercially available, mainly amperometric biosensors, continued interest is in infrared spectroscopic techniques for reagent-free glucose monitoring. For stable long-term operation, avoiding also sensor recalibration, a bed-side device coupled to a micro-dialysis probe was developed for quasi-continuous glucose monitoring. Multivariate calibration is required for glucose concentration prediction due to the complex composition of dialysates from interstitial body fluid. Measurements were carried out with different test persons, each experiment lasting for more than 8 hours. Owing to low dialysis recovery rates, glucose concentrations in the dialysates were between 0.83 and 4.44 mM. Standard errors of prediction (SEP) obtained with Partial Least Squares (PLS) calibration and different cross-validation strategies were mainly between 0.13 and 0.18 mM based on either full interval data or specially selected spectral variables.
[Dutch interview version of the Barthel Index evaluated in patients with spinal cord injuries].

OBJECTIVE Clinimetric evaluation of a Dutch questionnaire version of the Barthel Index (BI). DESIGN Survey. SETTING Eight Dutch rehabilitation centres. METHODS Interviews with 318 spinal cord injured (SCI) patients living in the community, who were between 18 and 65 years of age at the time of the interview and who were admitted for the first time after injury to a specialized rehabilitation unit between 1986 and 1992. Validity, reliability and discriminant validity of the BI were determined. RESULTS This Dutch questionnaire version of the BI had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.87; all item-total correlations > or = 0.30). In case of persons with a complete SCI a strong and statistically significant relationship was found between BI score and the level of the lesion (Spearman-Brown correlation: 0.69; p < 0.0001). Patients with more serious lesions had significantly higher BI scores than patients with less serious lesions. CONCLUSIONS This Dutch questionnaire version of the BI was a sufficiently reliable and valid measure for assessing ability to cope in activities of daily living. Further research should be done on the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of this BI version.
A CALCINEURIN-INHIBITOR FREE PROTOCOL FOR RENAL TRANSPLANTATION IN AN “OLD FOR OLD” ALLOCATION: TWO YEAR RESULTS

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of using cyclosporine C2 monitoring in 100 kidney transplant recipients immunosuppressed with basiliximab induction and cyclosporine (Neoral), mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. We report the initial results obtained for the first 75 of these patients, and compare these to those achieved using trough C0 cyclosporine monitoring. Methods: 75 patients transplanted from August 31 2003 to March 9 2004 were included in this protocol. Of these 22 (age 25-67, mean 51 yr.) were recipients of living donor transplants and 53 (age 25-77, mean 52 yr.) of deceased donor transplants. Patients received the initial 20-mg dose of basiliximab at the time of surgery and a second 20-mg dose on the 4 post-operative day prior to discharge. Prednisone was given according to a standard taper, mycophenolate mofetil as 1000 mg twice daily, and cyclosporine was adjusted to achieve predetermined target C2 levels. These targets were: 0-4 weeks 1300 ng/ml (1150-1550), 5-8 weeks 1000 ng/ml (800-1200), 8-12 weeks 825 ng/ml (750-900), 4-12 months 750 ng/ml ( 650). Results: Graft Survival is 98.7%, and Patient Survival 100%. To date 8/75 patients have had an acute rejection (10.7%). Of these rejections 4 were Borderline Cellular Rejection, 2 Mild Cellular Rejection, 1 Vascular Cell Mediated Rejection, and 1 had C4d positive Humoral Rejection. Of the 74 patients with functioning allografts, 2 patients were converted to tacrolimus, the other 72 are maintained on cyclosporine using C2 monitoring. The mean serum creatinine level in those that experienced a rejection is 2.5 mg%, as compared to 1.7 mg% in those that have not had a rejection. Conclusions: The use of peak C2 cyclosporine monitoring has reduced the rate of rejection in this group of patients to 10.7%, as compared to an historical cohort in which an otherwise identical protocol was used with C0 trough monitoring that resulted in a rejection rate of 16% by 6 months.