Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of ERCC1 and TUBB3 in Locally Advanced Cervical Squamous Cell Cancer and its Correlation with Different Therapeutic Regimens

Background Several studies in solid tumors have shown that expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and class III β-tubulin (TUBB3) can predict response to chemoradiotherapy and might be prognostic factors. We assessed the role of ERCC1 and TUBB3 expressions as predictive and prognostic factors in locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma (LACSCC) patients treated with different neoadjuvant regimens. Methods ERCC1 and TUBB3 were detected in 88 patients with LACSCC by immunohistochemical analysis. Sixty-two patients were included in 3 different prospective trials and grouped as follows: vinorelbine or docetaxel (group A, n = 44) and ifosfamide-vinorelbine-cisplatin (group B, n = 18). Both groups were compared with standard cisplatin chemoradiotherapy (group C, n = 26). Clinical data at baseline, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were also collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to analyze the risk factors. Results Thirty-five patients (39.8%) and 18 (20.5%) had high ERCC1 and TUBB3 expression, respectively. Both proteins were overexpressed in tumors with unfavorable characteristics. High ERCC1 was associated with advanced FIGO stage (p = 0.034) and progressive disease (49% vs. 28%). Poor DFS (p = 0.021) and OS (p = 0.005) were observed in group C patients with high ERCC1 expression. Multivariate analysis showed that ERCC1 expression, FIGO stage and pretreatment hemoglobin level were significant prognostic factors (p = 0.002, p = 0.008 and p = 0.005, respectively). Conclusions ERCC1 expression could be a predictive and prognostic factor in LACSCC patients who receive cisplatin monotherapy. Conversely, TUBB3 had no impact on survival in patients treated with antimicrotubule agents.
Nutritional Factors and Preservation of C-Peptide in Youth With Recently Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To test the novel hypothesis that nutritional factors previously associated with type 1 diabetes etiology or with insulin secretion are prospectively associated with fasting C-peptide (FCP) concentration among youth recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Included were 1,316 youth with autoantibody-positive type 1 diabetes who participated in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study (baseline disease duration, 9.9 months; SD, 6.3). Nutritional exposures included breastfeeding and age at introduction of complementary foods, baseline plasma long-chain omega-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), vitamin D, vitamin E, and, from a baseline food frequency questionnaire, estimated intake of the branched-chain amino acid leucine and total carbohydrate. Multiple linear regression models were conducted to relate each nutritional factor to baseline FCP adjusted for demographics, disease-related factors, and other confounders. Prospective analyses included the subset of participants with preserved β-cell function at baseline (baseline FCP ≥0.23 ng/mL) with additional adjustment for baseline FCP and time (mean follow-up, 24.3 months; SD, 8.2; n = 656). FCP concentration was analyzed as log(FCP). RESULTS In adjusted prospective analyses, baseline EPA (P = 0.02), EPA plus DHA (P = 0.03), and leucine (P = 0.03) were each associated positively and significantly with FCP at follow-up. Vitamin D was unexpectedly inversely associated with FCP (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Increased intake of branched-chain amino acids and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may support preservation of β-cell function. This represents a new direction for research to improve prognosis for type 1 diabetes.
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 16/PCTAIRE Kinase 1 Is Activated by Cyclin Y and Is Essential for Spermatogenesis

ABSTRACT Cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16, PCTK1) is a poorly characterized protein kinase, highly expressed in the testis and the brain. Here, we report that CDK16 is activated by membrane-associated cyclin Y (CCNY). Treatment of transfected human cells with the protein kinase A (PKA) activator forskolin blocked, while kinase inhibition promoted, CCNY-dependent targeting of CDK16-green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the cell membrane. CCNY binding to CDK16 required a region upstream of the kinase domain and was found to be inhibited by phosphorylation of serine 153, a potential PKA phosphorylation site. Thus, in contrast to other CDKs, CDK16 is regulated by phosphorylation-controlled cyclin binding. CDK16 isolated from murine testis was unphosphorylated, interacted with CCNY, and exhibited kinase activity. To investigate the function of CDK16 in vivo, we established a conditional knockout allele. Mice lacking CDK16 developed normally, but male mice were infertile. Spermatozoa isolated from their epididymis displayed thinning and elongation of the annulus region, adopted a bent shape, and showed impaired motility. Moreover, CDK16-deficient spermatozoa had malformed heads and excess residual cytoplasm, suggesting a role of CDK16 in spermiation. Thus, CDK16 is a membrane-targeted CDK essential for spermatogenesis.
Treatment with metformin of non‐diabetic men with hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia and central fat distribution: the BIGPRO 1.2 trial

In the BIGPRO 1 trial, one year of treatment with metformin in non‐diabetic obese subjects with a central fat distribution had no significant effect on fasting plasma triglyceride concentration or on blood pressure despite a decrease in weight, fasting plasma insulin and glucose concentrations. To re‐evaluate the effect of metformin on fasting triglyceride concentration and on blood pressure, the BIGPRO 1.2 trial included non‐diabetic men (n=168) with a fasting plasma triglyceride concentration ≥1.7 and ≤6.5 mmol/l, high blood pressure (systolic ≥140 and ≤180 and/or diastolic ≥90 and ≤105 mmHg, or treatment for hypertension) and a waist‐to‐hip ratio ≥0.95.
Appropriating drama pedagogy: learning from the local practices in Hong Kong

This paper aims at describing and explaining how drama pedagogy is appropriated in Chinese language classrooms in Hong Kong. Drawing on the theories of dialogue and appropriation of Mikhail Bakhtin, the research shows that the dialogicality of drama in Hong Kong's classrooms is conditional, and therefore deviant from the conventional as conceptualised and described in the major literature. A spectrum of the appropriation of drama pedagogy in language classrooms in Hong Kong is developed and discussed. At one end of the spectrum, there is still the domination of the teacher's monologic input of official knowledge and skills; at the other end, destabilisation of the centrality of the text and the authoritarian role of the teacher is identified suggesting alteration in the classroom communication routine, and even the opening of the drama world. This spectrum illustrates how the teachers waver between persisting with monologue and embracing dialogue, the result of which is the development of a hybrid approach to appropriate drama pedagogy.
The theories of reasoned action and planned behavior: Overview of findings, emerging research problems and usefulness for exercise promotion

Abstract This paper summarizes the results of published studies that have applied the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior to the prediction of exercising intentions and behavior. In particular, the paper illustrates the knowledge we have gained from the application of thesetheoriesand how these theoretical frameworks could be used to guide the development of exercise promotion programs. Finally, research are noted.
Metal Oxide Gas Sensors: Sensitivity and Influencing Factors

Conductometric semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors have been widely used and investigated in the detection of gases. Investigations have indicated that the gas sensing process is strongly related to surface reactions, so one of the important parameters of gas sensors, the sensitivity of the metal oxide based materials, will change with the factors influencing the surface reactions, such as chemical components, surface-modification and microstructures of sensing layers, temperature and humidity. In this brief review, attention will be focused on changes of sensitivity of conductometric semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors due to the five factors mentioned above.
Design and Impacts of a Youth-directed Café Scientifique Program

We have modified the popular Cafe Scientifique model for engaging adults in dialog on issues at the nexus of science and society to address the specific needs and interests of high-school age youth. Key elements of the model are Youth Leadership Teams that guide the program design and assist with implementation; a speaker preparation process to help scientists better connect with the teen audience; and a highly interactive program that goes beyond the typical short presentation and lively discussion by incorporating other means to actively explore the topic of the event. Our objectives in offering the program are to make science and scientists more engaging and accessible to youth; to help youth see science and technology research and discoveries as relevant to their daily lives; and to encourage positive attitudes toward science, scientists, and science, technology, engineering, and math careers. As a result of this project, we expected youth would develop:• an informal community that engages in scientific discourse, thought, and exploration;• a deep and nuanced understanding of current issues in science and technology and be able to communicate that understanding confidently and expertly;• skills and attitudes for lifelong learning and an appreciation of science as a career and as a way of thinking. The summative evaluation used a quasi-experimental design with matched control-treatment groups (N = 383) to study the impact of the program on (1) attitudes toward science, scientists, and science careers and (2) Positive Youth Development (PYD). The evaluation data demonstrated the program positively impacted participants' science-related attitudes; however, the degree to which the program's PYD outcomes were achieved is less conclusive.
Large-Scale Assessment of Skills in a Whole Language Curriculum: Two Districts' Experiences.

Abstract Two mid-sized midwestern school districts that have made philosophical commitments to implementation of a whole language curriculum were studied to determine the degree to which large-scale learning of traditional reading and writing skills was occurring. Because whole language is difficult to define, curricula in the district were compared with theoretical principles of whole language extant in the literature to determine the degree to which they embodied such principles. Standardized test scores covering a significant number of years prior to implementation of whole language through the present were analyzed, and interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators. Standardized test scores showed no significant change since the implementation of whole language. Interviews revealed concurrence that skills were being learned as well as in a traditional curriculum, and a pronounced preference for whole language was expressed because of its positive affective and social effects.
Effects of Importance of Success and Expectations for Success on Effectiveness at Deceiving

When people are motivated to tell an effective lie, they are less successful when others can observe their nonverbal cues. It was predicted that expectations for success would moderate this motivational impairment effect, such that it would occur primarily when expectations were low. Ninety-six women who thought of themselves as very independent told two stories (one true, one fabricated) that illustrated their dependence and two that illustrated independence to an interviewer described as very trusting (high expectations for success) or very wary (low expectations). They either expected to be evaluated by the interviewer (high importance of success) or did not (low importance). Judges rated the sincerity of each story. As predicted, participants' lies were especially detectable (in relation to their truths) when it was important to the participants to succeed but they had low expectations for success.
Consumer product evaluation based on tactile sensory information

This paper presents the results of an experiment in which consumers were asked to examine visually and touch samples of fabric. The participants were either given or not given verbal information relevant to the product category, and provided answers to the dependent variables immediately or after a 4-minute delay. The results showed that memory, confidence in memory, and confidence in product evaluation were positively influenced by the availability of verbal information and therefore support the proposition that relevant verbal information can improve the encoding, retention, and retrieval of consumer experiences that include sensory information and lead to preferences that are better defined. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical significance of scalp abnormalities in asymptomatic head-injured infants

Objectives 1) To identify clinical features indicating a high risk of skull fracture (SF) and associated intracranial injury (ICI) in asymptomatic head-injured infants. 2) To develop a clinical decision rule to determine which asymptomatic head-injured infants require head imaging. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of all asymptomatic head-injured infants 0–24 months of age presenting to the emergency department of an urban children’s hospital. Infants were considered asymptomatic if they had no clinical signs of brain injury, or of basilar or depressed SF. Among subjects who had head imaging, we assessed the utility of age, scalp hematoma size, and scalp hematoma location for predicting SF and ICI. Results Of 422 study patients, 45 (11%) were diagnosed with SF and 13 (3%) with ICI. In the 172 subjects who had head imaging, there was a stepwise relationship between hematoma size and likelihood of SF. Parietal and temporal hematomas were highly associated with SF; frontal hematomas were not. There was a trend toward higher rates of SF in younger patients. Both large scalp hematoma and parietal hematoma were associated with ICI. Using these data, we developed a clinical decision rule to determine which asymptomatic infants need head imaging. In our study population, this rule has a sensitivity of 0.98 and specificity of 0.49 for SF, and it detects all 13 cases of ICI. The clinical rule calls for imaging in 146/422 (35%) study subjects. Conclusions Among asymptomatic head-injured infants, the risk of SF and associated ICI is correlated with scalp hematoma size, hematoma location, and weakly with patient age. We propose a clinical decision rule that could identify most cases of SF and ICI while not requiring head imaging for most patients. This decision rule should be validated in other study populations.
Drosophila male sex peptide inhibits siesta sleep and promotes locomotor activity in the post-mated female

Quiescence, or a sleep-like state, is a common and important feature of the daily lives of animals from both invertebrate and vertebrate taxa, suggesting that sleep appeared early in animal evolution. Recently, Drosophila melanogaster has been shown to be a relevant and powerful model for the genetic analysis of sleep behaviour. The sleep architecture of D. melanogaster is sexually dimorphic, with females sleeping much less than males during day-time, presumably because reproductive success requires greater foraging activity by the female as well as the search for egg-laying sites. However, this loss of sleep and increase in locomotor activity will heighten the risk for the female from environmental and predator hazards. In this study, we show that virgin females can minimize this risk by behaving like males, with an extended afternoon ‘siesta’. Copulation results in the female losing 70 per cent of day-time sleep and becoming more active. This behaviour lasts for at least 8 days after copulation and is abolished if the mating males lack sex peptide (SP), normally present in the seminal fluid. Our results suggest that SP is the molecular switch that promotes wakefulness in the post-mated female, a change of behaviour compatible with increased foraging and egg-laying activity. The stress resulting from SP-dependent sleep deprivation might be an important contribution to the toxic side-effects of male accessory gland products that are known to reduce lifespan in post-mated females.
The msbB Mutant of Neisseria meningitidis Strain NMB Has a Defect in Lipooligosaccharide Assembly and Transport to the Outer Membrane

ABSTRACT A deletion-insertion mutation in msbB, a gene that encodes a lipid A acyltransferase, was introduced into encapsulated Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain NMB and an acapsular mutant of the same strain. These mutants were designated NMBA11K3 and NMBA11K3cap-, respectively. Neither lipooligosaccharide (LOS) nor lipid A could be isolated from NMBA11K3 although a number of techniques were tried, but both were easily extracted from NMBA11K3cap-. Immunoelectron microscopy using monoclonal antibody (MAb) 6B4, which recognizes the terminal Galβ1-4GlcNAc of LOS, demonstrated that NMB, NMBcap-, and NMBA11K3cap- expressed LOS circumferentially, while MAb 6B4 did not bind to the surface of NMBA11K3. However, cytoplasmic staining of NMBA11K3 with MAb 6B4 was a consistent observation. Mass-spectrometric analyses demonstrated that the relative amounts of the lipid A-specific C12:0 3-OH and C14:0 3-OH present in the membrane preparations (MP) from NMBA11K3 were substantially decreased (25- and 23-fold, respectively) compared to the amount in MP from its parent strain, NMB. Western blot analyses of MP from NMBA11K3 demonstrated that the levels of porin in the outer membrane of NMBA11K3 were also substantially decreased. These studies suggest that the lipid A acylation defect in encapsulated NMBA11K3 influences the assembly of the lipid A and consequently the incorporation of porin in the outer membrane.
Lipids in Health and Disease

Background: Butyrylcholinesterase is an enzyme that may serve as a marker of metabolic syndrome. We (a) measured its level in persons with diabetes mellitus, (b) constructed a family tree of the enzyme using nucleotide sequences downloaded from NCBI. Butyrylcholinesterase was estimated colorimetrically using a commercially available kit (Randox Lab, UK). Phylogenetic trees were constructed by distance method (Fitch and Margoliash method) and by maximum parsimony method. Results: There was a negative correlation between serum total cholesterol and butyrylcholinesterase (-0.407; p < 0.05) and between serum LDL cholesterol and butyrylcholinesterase (-0.435; p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation among the other biochemical parameters. In the evolutionary tree construction both methods gave similar trees, except for an inversion in the position of Sus scrofa (M62778) and Oryctolagus cuniculus (M62779) between Fitch and Margoliash, and maximum parsimony methods. Conclusion: The level of butyrylcholinesterase enzyme was inversely related to serum cholesterol; dendrogram showed that the structures from evolutionarily close species were placed near each other.
Optimizing the detection of bipolar II disorder in outpatient private practice: toward a systematization of clinical diagnostic wisdom.

BACKGROUND We review a clinical diagnostic approach to validate a redefinition of bipolar II disorder (BPII), which bypasses several conservative steps in the DSM-IV Mood Module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Clinician Version (SCID-CV) to make detection of BPII more "clinician-friendly. " METHOD 563 consecutive private outpatients presenting with a DSM-IV-diagnosed major depressive episode (MDE) were included in the analyses. We used a modified SCID-CV in a semistructured way, used a duration of hypomania > or =2 days (rather than the 4-day floor cutoff recommended), did not follow the SCID-CV's stem (mood) skip-out instruction, focused more on past history of overactive behavior rather than mood change, and assessed hypomanic features both outside and during index MDE. Validation of BPII so-defined against major depressive disorder (MDD) was undertaken in the Washington University tradition. The study was conducted from June 1999 to December 2003. RESULTS BPII occurred in 56.8% of patients. Compared with MDD, BPII had a significantly earlier index age and age at onset of first MDE and higher rates of atypical features, depressive recurrences, hypomanic symptoms during MDE, trait mood lability, and bipolar family history (p = .0000 for all variables). CONCLUSIONS Our experience suggests that when probing history for past hypomanic episodes, behavioral activation should be inquired first, thereby facilitating the patient's subsequent recall of euphoria and/or irritability during such activated periods. Information from significant others or past records is also crucial. In light of these clinical procedures, BPII emerged as more prevalent than MDD. We submit that clinicians have the distinct advantage of intimate knowledge of their patients, which, coupled with the procedures outlined herein, can maximize the yield of BPII diagnoses.
Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastroduodenal ulcerations still account for the majority of nonvariceal gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The causative roles of Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are still being discussed, but the role of H. pylori appears less significant in the complicated ulcers, while NSAIDs are increasingly implicated. The two factors do not appear to potentiate each other, and some data suggest that H. pylori should not be eradicated in the context of an NSAID-related ulcer hemorrhage. The role of triage and risk assessment was highlighted in several of last year's publications, and increasing attention has been given to the cost aspects of peptic ulcer bleeding. There have been few comparative therapeutic trials, but several reports from Japan make a case for ethanol injection as an alternative to other injection agents. However, a randomized comparative trial is needed to further define the role of this technique. Radiological embolization techniques and minimally invasive surgery are increasingly becoming viable options in patients with complex cases, and a multidisciplinary approach is perhaps even more crucial today than ever before.
Attenuation of innate immunity by cytomegalovirus IL-10 establishes a long-term deficit of adaptive antiviral immunity

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and many other pathogens exploit the IL-10 pathway, as part of their infectious cycle, either through their own encoded IL-10 (hcmvIL-10 for HCMV) or manipulation of the cellular IL-10 signaling cascade. Based on the in vitro demonstrations of its pleiotropic and cell type-dependent modulatory nature, hcmvIL-10 could profoundly attenuate host immunity, facilitating the establishment and maintenance of a persistent infection in an immune-competent host. To investigate the impact of extrinsic IL-10 on the induction and maintenance of antiviral immune responses in vivo, rhesus macaques were inoculated with variants of rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) either expressing or lacking the RhCMV ortholog of hcmvIL-10 (rhcmvIL-10). The results show that rhcmvIL-10 alters the earliest host responses to viral antigens by dampening the magnitude and specificity of innate effector cells to primary RhCMV infection. In addition, there is a commensurate reduction in the quality and quantity of early and long-term, RhCMV-specific adaptive immune responses. These findings provide a mechanistic basis of how early interactions between a newly infected host and HCMV could shape the long-term virus–host balance, which may facilitate the development of new prevention and intervention strategies for HCMV.