Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct aspiration using rapid‐exchange and low‐profile device for acute thrombo‐embolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery

Acute thrombo‐embolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is potentially fatal vascular emergency that requires rapid restoration of mesenteric blood flow as well as early diagnosis. Selective thrombolysis has been employed for this life‐threatening event. Although failed thrombolysis is a well known phenomenon, which is directly connected with bowel necrosis, emergent laparotomy, and patient death, little progress has been made in its treatment strategy. Recently, direct aspiration using rapid‐exchange and low‐profile aspiration device has been reported as a simple, safe, and effective strategy to thrombus in coronary artery. We describe the utility of direct aspiration using this sort of aspiration device for failed thrombolysis of SMA thrombo‐embolism. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute pyelonephritis with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

Paraneoplastic leukocytosis was defined as elevated white blood cell (WBC) levels caused by cytokines, likely produced by the tumor itself, without evidence of infection or myeloproliferative disease. We report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with leukocytosis caused by elevated production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) by the carcinoma. Initially, acute pyelonephritis (APN) was diagnosed and treatment for APN was ongoing, but the WBC count steadily increased to 68.8×109/L. She was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma on her neck mass, and the serum concentration of G-CSF was found to be markedly increased at 1,010 pg/mL. In spite of supportive care, the patient's condition rapidly deteriorated and the patient died on day 23 of hospital stay. Leukocytosis without definite evidence of infection could be a paraneoplastic manifestation in patients with malignant tumors, and paraneoplastic leukocytosis may be related to poor prognosis.
The analysis of the ethical, organizational and legal aspects of Polish biobanks activity.

BACKGROUND Biobanks create new opportunities for the public health (Public Health Genomics) but need some regulations. Polish biobanks are in the phase of dynamic transformations aiming at integrating their activity and adjusting them to the international standards. The aim of this article is to present the current standards held in the most important Polish institutions collecting biological samples. METHODS A survey was conducted by the questionnaire filled by managers and directors of 24 Polish biobanks. Questions concerned obtaining patient informed consent (also a consent to some future researches and access to dates by other organizations), protection of privacy, storage of the samples and the relevant information, the opinion related to the need of establishing Polish national DNA data bank and possibilities of the scientific international cooperation. RESULTS The written consent to carry out research on the samples is obtained almost everywhere, but 29% of biabanks does not acquire the consent for the future usage of the samples. Almost all inquired banks (93%, n = 22) declare the willingness to start an international cooperation. Most of respondents support the idea of establishing the Polish national DNA bank by the fusion of the already existing banks. CONCLUSION The inquiry findings point that the current biobanks procedures do not differ to any relevant degree from procedures applied in the West European countries. Many of Polish biobanking organizations are willing to cooperate with foreign sites. It may enhance the European biobanking network and gene-environmental research.
Current aspects of formulation efforts and pore lifetime related to microneedle treatment of skin

Importance of the field: The efficacy of microneedles in the area of transdermal drug delivery is well documented. Multiple studies have shown that enhancement of skin permeation by means of the creation of microscopic pores in the stratum corneum can greatly improve the delivery rates of drugs. However, skin pretreatment with microneedles is not the only factor affecting drug transport rates. Other factors, including drug formulation and rate of micropore closure, are also important for optimizing delivery by this route. Areas covered in this review: This review aims to highlight work that has been done in these areas, with an emphasis on drug formulation parameters that affect transdermal flux. What the reader will gain: This review creates an appreciation for the many factors affecting microneedle-enhanced delivery. Most results clearly indicate that microneedle skin pretreatment by itself may have different effects on drug transport depending on the formulation used, and formulation characteristics have different effects on the transport through untreated skin and microneedle-treated skin. Several formulation approaches are reported to optimize microneedle-enhanced drug delivery, including co-solvent use, vesicular, nanoparticulate and gel systems. Take home message: In addition to well-established factors that affect microneedle-assisted delivery (geometry, type of microneedle, etc.), formulation and pore viability are also critical factors that must be considered.
Correction for Tan et al., SmyD1, a histone methyltransferase, is required for myofibril organization and muscle contraction in zebrafish embryos

Histone modification has emerged as a fundamental mechanism for control of gene expression and cell differentiation. Recent studies suggest that SmyD1, a novo SET domain-containing protein, may play a critical role in cardiac muscle differentiation. However, its role in skeletal muscle development and its mechanism of actions remains elusive. Here we report that SmyD1a and SmyD1b, generated by alternative splicing of SmyD1 gene, are histone methyltransferases that play a key role in skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction. SmyD1a and SmyD1b are specifically expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles of zebrafish embryos. Knockdown of SmyD1a and SmyD1b expression by morpholino antisense oligos resulted in malfunction of skeletal and cardiac muscles. The SmyD1 morphant embryos (embryos injected with morpholino oligos) could not swim and had no heartbeat. Myofibril organization in the morphant embryos was severely disrupted. The affected myofibers appeared as immature fibers with centrally located nuclei. Together, these data indicate that SmyD1a and SmyD1b are histone methyltransferases and play a critical role in myofibril organization during myofiber maturation.
Verification of Nested Petri Nets Using an Unfolding Approach

Nested Petri nets (NP-nets) is an extension of the Petri nets formalism within the nets-within-nets approach, allowing to model systems of interacting dynamic agents in a natural way. One of the main problems in verifying of such systems is the State Explosion Problem. To tackle this problem for highly concurrent systems the unfolding method has proved to be very helpful. In this paper we continue our research on applying unfoldings for NP-nets veri cation and compare unfolding of NP-net translated into classical Petri net with direct component-wise unfolding.
Identification of personal factors that determine work outcome for adults with intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND Access to employment for people with intellectual disability (ID) has become a social priority. The aim of the present study is to try to determine which variables [sociodemographic variables, intelligence quotient (IQ), presence or absence of a psychiatric disorder, functioning, self-determination, and behavioural problems] could most reliably account for access to remunerated employment of people with ID. METHODS Two groups of people with ID participated in this study: (1) 69 workers in a sheltered-employment programme; and (2) 110 clients of programmes in sheltered workshops. Both programmes were run by the Pardo-Valcarce Foundation in Madrid (Spain). The following variables were assessed for every participant: IQ, functioning, behavioural problems, self-determination and presence of psychiatric symptoms. A binary logistic regression analysis was carried out in order to identify the variables that best explained work outcome (sheltered workshop programme vs. sheltered employment programme). RESULTS Although IQ showed no significant differences between the two groups of participants, the remaining variables did: behavioural problems, functioning, psychiatric symptoms and self-determination significantly explained work outcome. As for sociodemographic variables, whereas gender did not show any significant relationship with the labour status of the participants, significant differences were found when considering variables such as age and pension benefits. CONCLUSIONS All the main variables considered, except IQ, turned out to be significant. Our findings should be considered encouraging, as they apparently show that both personal and social efforts can help individuals to overcome their low intellectual functioning in order to achieve access to employment. Such study highlights the importance of a prior psychopathological evaluation and efforts to enhance self-determination in order to improve work inclusion for people with ID.
Recent Advances in Management of Aluminium Phosphide Poisoning

Aluminium phosphide (AlP), commonly known as celphos is a household name in villages of Punjab. This cheap solid fumigant and a highly toxic pesticide is commonly used for grain preservation. The post “green revolution” era saw alarmingly increased mortality by consumption of celphos for suicidal intent. Till date, there is no specific antidote for its intoxication and the poisoning carries extremely high mortality. The article will throw some light upon the recent advances that have been made regarding the management of acute aluminium sulphide poisoning (AAlPP).
A FINITE ELEMENT SCHEME FOR THE EVOLUTION OF ORIENTATIONAL ORDER IN FLUID MEMBRANES

We investigate the evolution of an almost flat membrane driven by competition of the homogeneous, Frank, and bending energies as well as the coupling of the local order of the constituent molecules of the membrane to its curvature. We propose an alternative to the model in (J.B. Fournier and P. Galatoa, J. Phys. II 7 (1997) 1509-1520; N. Uchida, Phys. Rev. E 66 (2002) 040902) which replaces a Ginzburg-Landau penalization for the length of the order parameter by a rigid constraint. We introduce a fully discrete scheme, consisting of piecewise linear finite elements, show that it is un- conditionally stable for a large range of the elastic moduli in the model, and prove its convergence (up to subsequences) thereby proving the existence of a weak solution to the continuous model. Numer- ical simulations are included that examine typical model situations, confirm our theory, and explore numerical predictions beyond that theory. Mathematics Subject Classification. 35K55, 74K15.
The Thylakoid Lumen Protease Deg1 Is Involved in the Repair of Photosystem II from Photoinhibition in Arabidopsis[W]

Deg1 is a Ser protease peripherally attached to the lumenal side of the thylakoid membrane. Its physiological function is unknown, but its localization makes it a suitable candidate for participation in photoinhibition repair by degradation of the photosystem II reaction center protein D1. We transformed Arabidopsis thaliana with an RNA interference construct and obtained plants with reduced levels of Deg1. These plants were smaller than wild-type plants, flowered earlier, were more sensitive to photoinhibition, and accumulated more of the D1 protein, probably in an inactive form. Two C-terminal degradation products of the D1 protein, of 16 and 5.2 kD, accumulated at lower levels compared with the wild type. Moreover, addition of recombinant Deg1 to inside-out thylakoid membranes isolated from the mutant could induce the formation of the 5.2-kD D1 C-terminal fragment, whereas the unrelated proteases trypsin and thermolysin could not. Immunoblot analysis revealed that mutants containing less Deg1 also contain less FtsH protease, and FtsH mutants contain less Deg1. These results suggest that Deg1 cooperates with the stroma-exposed proteases FtsH and Deg2 in degrading D1 protein during repair from photoinhibition by cleaving lumen-exposed regions of the protein. In addition, they suggest that accumulation of Deg1 and FtsH proteases may be coordinated.
A Histone Deacetylase Complex Mediates Biofilm Dispersal and Drug Resistance in Candida albicans

ABSTRACT Biofilms are resilient, surface-associated communities of cells with specialized properties (e.g., resistance to drugs and mechanical forces) that are distinct from those of suspension (planktonic) cultures. Biofilm formation by the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is medically relevant because C. albicans infections are highly correlated with implanted medical devices, which provide efficient substrates for biofilm formation; moreover, biofilms are inherently resistant to antifungal drugs. Biofilms are also important for C. albicans to colonize diverse niches of the human host. Here, we describe four core members of a conserved histone deacetylase complex in C. albicans (Set3, Hos2, Snt1, and Sif2) and explore the effects of their mutation on biofilm formation. We find that these histone deacetylase complex members are needed for proper biofilm formation, including dispersal of cells from biofilms and multifactorial drug resistance. Our results underscore the importance of the physical properties of biofilms in contributing to drug resistance and dispersal and lay a foundation for new strategies to target biofilm dispersal as a potential antifungal intervention. IMPORTANCE Through the formation of biofilms—surface-associated communities of cells—microorganisms can establish infections, become drug resistant, and evade the host immune system. Here we investigate how four core members of a conserved histone deacetylase complex mediate biofilm formation by Candida albicans, the major fungal pathogen of humans. We show that this histone deacetylase complex is required for biofilm dispersal, a process through which cells leave the biofilm to establish new infections. We also show that the deacetylase complex mediates biofilm drug resistance. This work provides new insight into how the physical properties of biofilms affect dispersal and drug resistance and suggests new potential antifungal strategies that could be effective against biofilms. Through the formation of biofilms—surface-associated communities of cells—microorganisms can establish infections, become drug resistant, and evade the host immune system. Here we investigate how four core members of a conserved histone deacetylase complex mediate biofilm formation by Candida albicans, the major fungal pathogen of humans. We show that this histone deacetylase complex is required for biofilm dispersal, a process through which cells leave the biofilm to establish new infections. We also show that the deacetylase complex mediates biofilm drug resistance. This work provides new insight into how the physical properties of biofilms affect dispersal and drug resistance and suggests new potential antifungal strategies that could be effective against biofilms.
Social-Enabled Data Offloading via Mobile Participation - A Game-Theoretical Approach

The exploding popularity of mobile devices enables people to enjoy benefits brought by various interesting mobile apps, such as social networking, mobile video services, and location-based services, etc. However, the ever-increasing data traffic has exacerbated congestions on current cellular networks, which results in users' dissatisfaction, especially in crowded areas. Hence, how to deal with the explosive data traffic in cellular networks becomes a challenging problem. Traditional methods rely on mobile offloading techniques to deviate the data traffic targeted to cellular networks, such as small cell, Wi-Fi, and opportunistic communication. Unfortunately, mobile users will still experience severe congestion when a large number of users request for data. Facing these challenges, we introduce the concept of mobile participation to assist data offloading by leveraging the mobility of mobile users and the social features among a group of users. A mobile caching user, who pre- caches certain amount of contents, can roam around congested areas to participate in data dissemination in order to satisfy users' requests, which can benefit both herself and users in the crowd simultaneously. Therefore, we propose a game theoretical approach to analyze the data offloading via mobile participation with joint considerations on network effects, congestion, social behaviors, and pricing strategy. Based on detailed performance analysis, we show the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Using a head-mounted camera to infer attention direction

A head-mounted camera was used to measure head direction. The camera was mounted to the forehead of 20 6- and 20 12-month-old infants while they watched an object held at 11 horizontal (−80° to + 80°) and 9 vertical (−48° to + 50°) positions. The results showed that the head always moved less than required to be on target. Below 30° in the horizontal dimension, the head undershoot of object direction was less than 5°. At 80°, however, the undershoot was substantial or between 10° and 15°. In the vertical dimension, the undershoot was larger than in the horizontal dimension. At 30°, the undershoot was around 25% in the downward direction and around 40% in the upward direction. The size of the undershoot was quite consistent between conditions. It was concluded that the head-mounted camera is a useful indicator of horizontal looking direction in a free looking situation where the head is only turned moderately from a straight ahead position.
Trade Integration and Business Cycle Synchronization in East Asia1

Abstract As trade integration deepens in East Asia, closer links among the business cycles of East Asian countries can be expected. Theoretically, however, increased trade could lead to either closer or looser business cycles across trading partners. This paper seeks to understand how the business cycles of 12 Asian economies have been influenced by increased trade among them. It finds that the increasing trade itself is not necessarily associated with an increased synchronization of their business cycles. Intra-industry trade, rather than inter-industry trade or the volume of trade itself, is the major channel through which their business cycles become synchronized. This result has important implications for the prospects for a unified currency in the region.
Prognostic Significance of Predominant Histologic Pattern and Nuclear Grade in Resected Adenocarcinoma of the Lung: Potential Parameters for a Grading System

Introduction: Currently, no agreed histologic grading system exists for lung adenocarcinomas (ADCs). With a recently updated consensus classification, the aim of this study was to assess potential prognostic factors identifiable on routine histology, which might be used as grading parameters. Methods: A retrospective study of resected pulmonary ADCs (n = 238) in patients with stage IA to IIIB disease was carried out in which various histopathological parameters were correlated with survival data. The relationship between these factors and patient survivability was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Mitotic rate was found to be a highly significant prognostic marker (p = 0.008), as was overall nuclear grade (p < 0.001). ADC subtyping was also found to be potentially important, as lepidic predominant (hazard ratio 0.99, p = 0.023) and solid predominant (hazard ratio 1.01, p = 0.003) subtypes were found to be independent (to age and tumor, node, metastasis category) prognostic predictors. Vessel invasion within tumor approached significance as a negative prognostic factor (p = 0.067). Conclusions: This study showed not only that histologic subtype and mitotic rate are important prognostic factors in lung ADCs, but also that other criteria described previously may not be useful in our specific patient population.
Lack of Specificity of Commercial Antibodies Leads to Misidentification of Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Protein

The angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) mediates most hypertensive actions of angiotensin II. To understand the molecular regulation of the AT1R in normal physiology and pathophysiology, methods for sensitive and specific detection of AT1R protein are required. Here, we examined the specificity of a panel of putative AT1R antibodies that are commonly used by investigators in the field. For these studies, we carried out Western blotting and immunohistochemistry with kidney tissue from wild-type mice and genetically modified mice lacking the major murine AT1R isoform, AT1A (AT1AKO), or with combined deficiency of both the AT1A and AT1B isoforms (AT1ABKO). For the 3 antibodies tested, Western blots of protein homogenates from wild-type kidneys yielded distinct bands with the expected size range for AT1R. In addition, these bands appeared identical in samples from mice lacking 1 or both murine AT1R isoforms. Additionally, the pattern of immunohistochemical staining in kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands of wild-type mice was very similar to that of AT1ABKO mice completely lacking all AT1R. We verified the absence of AT1R subtypes in each mouse line by the following: (1) quantitative polymerase chain reaction documenting the absence of mRNA species, and (2) functionally by assessing angiotensin II–dependent vasoconstriction, which was substantially blunted in both AT1AKOs and AT1ABKOs. Finally, these antibodies failed to detect epitope-tagged AT1AR protein overexpressed in human embryonic kidney cells. We conclude that anti-AT1R antibodies available from commercial sources and commonly used in published studies exhibit nonspecific binding in mouse tissue that may lead to erroneous results.
WNT signaling increases proliferation and impairs differentiation of stem cells in the developing cerebellum

The WNT pathway plays multiple roles in neural development and is crucial for establishment of the embryonic cerebellum. In addition, WNT pathway mutations are associated with medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. However, the cell types within the cerebellum that are responsive to WNT signaling remain unknown. Here we investigate the effects of canonical WNT signaling on two important classes of progenitors in the developing cerebellum: multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) and granule neuron precursors (GNPs). We show that WNT pathway activation in vitro promotes proliferation of NSCs but not GNPs. Moreover, mice that express activated β-catenin in the cerebellar ventricular zone exhibit increased proliferation of NSCs in that region, whereas expression of the same protein in GNPs impairs proliferation. Although β-catenin-expressing NSCs proliferate they do not undergo prolonged expansion or neoplastic growth; rather, WNT signaling markedly interferes with their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation. At a molecular level, mutant NSCs exhibit increased expression of c-Myc, which might account for their transient proliferation, but also express high levels of bone morphogenetic proteins and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, which might contribute to their altered self-renewal and differentiation. These studies suggest that the WNT pathway is a potent regulator of cerebellar stem cell growth and differentiation.