Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunophenotyping in Myelodysplastic Syndromes Can Add Prognostic Information to Well-Established and New Clinical Scores

Background myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic clonal disorders. So, prognostic variables are important to separate patients with a similar biology and clinical outcome. We compared the importance of risk stratification in primary MDS of IPSS and WPSS with the just described revision of IPSS (IPSS-R), and examined if variables obtained by bone marrow immunophenotyping could add prognostic information to any of the scores. Methods In this prospective study of 101 cases of primary MDS we compared the relation of patients’ overall survival with WHO types, IPSS, IPSS-R, WPSS and phenotypic abnormalities of hematopoietic precursors. We examined aberrancies in myelomonocytic precursors and CD34+ cells. Patients were censored when receiving chemotherapy or BM transplantation. Survival analysis was made by Cox regressions and stability of the models was examined by bootstrap resampling. Results median age: 64 years (15–93). WHO types: 2 cases of 5q- syndrome, 7 of RA, 64 of RCDM and 28 of RAEB. In the univariate Cox analysis, increasing risk category of all scores, degree of anemia, higher percentage of BM blasts, higher number of CD34+ cells and their myeloid fractions besides increasing number of phenotypic abnormalities detected were significantly associated with a shorter survival. In the multivariate analysis comparing the three scores, IPSS-R was the only independent risk factor. Comparing WPSS with phenotypic variables (CD34+/CD13+ cells, CD34+/CD13− cells and “total alterations”) the score and “CD34+/CD13+ cells” remained in the model. When IPSS was tested together with these phenotypic variables, only “CD34+/CD13+ cells”, and “total alterations” remained in the model. Testing IPSS-R with the phenotypic variables studied, only the score and “CD34+/CD13+ cells” entered the model. Conclusions Immunophenotypic analysis of myelomonocytic progenitors provides additional prognostic information to all clinical scores studied. IPSS-R improved risk stratification in MDS compared to the former scores.
Natural Killer T Cells Infiltrate Neuroblastomas Expressing the Chemokine CCL 2

CD1d-restricted V 24-J 18–invariant natural killer T cells (iNKTs) are potentially important in tumor immunity. However, little is known about their localization to tumors. We analyzed 98 untreated primary neuroblastomas from patients with metastatic disease (stage 4) for tumorinfiltrating iNKTs using TaqMan ® reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescent microscopy. 52 tumors (53%) contained iNKTs, and oligonucleotide microarray analysis of the iNKT and iNKT tumors revealed that the former expressed higher levels of CCL2/MCP-1, CXCL12/SDF-1, CCL5/RANTES, and CCL21/SLC. Eight tested neuroblastoma cell lines secreted a range of CCL2 (0–21.6 ng/ml), little CXCL12 ( 0.1 ng/ml), and no detectable CCL5 or CCL21. CCR2, the receptor for CCL2, was more frequently expressed by iNKT compared with natural killer and T cells from blood (P 0.001). Supernatants of neuroblastoma cell lines that produced CCL2 induced in vitro migration of iNKTs from blood of patients and normal adults; this was abrogated by an anti-CCL2 monoclonal antibody. CCL2 expression by tumors was found to inversely correlate with MYCN proto-oncogene amplification and expression (r 0.5, P 0.001), and MYCN-high/CCL2-low expression accurately predicted the absence of iNKTs (P 0.001). In summary, iNKTs migrate toward neuroblastoma cells in a CCL2-dependent manner, preferentially infiltrating MYCN nonamplified tumors that express CCL2.
The Effect of Topic Selection on EFL Students’ Writing Performance

The present study aimed at measuring the effect of topic selection on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ writing performance. To this end, a quasi-experimental design was used in the study. Topic selection was considered as the independent variable and the students’ writing performance as the dependent variable. A total of 30 students were selected based on their performance on the placement test administered initially and then randomly assigned into two groups, self-selected topic group (SST) and teacher-assigned topic group (TAT). An independent-samples t test was conducted to compare the scores for the two groups. Findings of the study indicated a significant difference in the performance of the students who wrote on their self-selected topics (M = 34.53, SD = 3.32) and for those who wrote on a teacher-assigned topic, M = 26.53, SD = 5.24, t(28) = 4.98. The magnitude of the difference in the means was large (η2 = .46).
The OECD Program to Validate the Rat Hershberger Bioassay to Screen Compounds for in Vivo Androgen and Antiandrogen Responses. Phase 1: Use of a Potent Agonist and a Potent Antagonist to Test the Standardized Protocol

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has completed phase 1 of the Hershberger validation intended to identify in vivo activity of suspected androgens and anti-androgens. Seventeen laboratories from 7 countries participated in phase 1, and results were collated and evaluated by the OECD with the support of an international committee of experts. Five androgen-responsive tissues (ventral prostate, paired seminal vesicles and coagulating glands, levator ani and bulbocavernosus muscles, glans penis, and paired Cowper’s or bulbourethral glands) were evaluated. The standardized protocols used selected doses of a reference androgen, testosterone propionate (TP), and an antiandrogen, flutamide (FLU). All laboratories successfully detected TP-stimulated increases in androgen-responsive tissue weight and decreases in TP-stimulated tissue weights when FLU was co-administered. The standardized protocols performed well under a variety of conditions (e.g., strain, diet, housing protocol, bedding). There was good agreement among laboratories with regard to the TP doses inducing significant increases in tissue weights and the FLU doses decreasing TP-stimulated tissue weights. Several additional procedures (e.g., weighing of the dorsolateral prostate and fixation of tissues before weighing) and serum component measurements (e.g., luteinizing hormone) were also included by some laboratories to assess their potential utility. The results indicated that the OECD Hershberger protocol was robust, reproducible, and transferable across laboratories. Based on this phase 1 validation study, the protocols have been refined, and the next phase of the OECD validation program will test the protocol with selected doses of weak androgen agonists, androgen antagonists, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, and chemicals having no androgenic activity.
Children's Preference for Sequenced Accompaniments: The Influence of Style and Perceived Tempo

Second graders through sixth graders (N = 343) listened to 10 musical selections in music classes and marked their preference and perception of each selection's tempo on rating scales. Listeners responded to children's songs played with nine electronic keyboard sequenced accompaniments, including popular to more traditional folk styles. The tenth accompaniment style featured simple chords with piano timbre, included to represent a typical acoustic piano accompaniment. All selections were performed at the same tempo. Three versions of the survey, recorded with various song-style combinations, were prepared. Responses indicated lower preference for older students, but also revealed that students across grades judged styles more similarly than the songs. The most preferred styles were those labeled Hip-Hop, Heavy Rock Shuffle, Samba, and Funk2; the least preferred were Polka, March, Bluegrass, and Piano Chords. Song and style combinations affected children's musical preference. There was a significant correlation between perceived faster tempo and style preference for third through sixth graders, but not second graders. All styles except Samba revealed a significant but modest positive relationship between faster perceived tempo and greater preference. Students perceived the piano-chordal accompaniment to be much slower than the other styles.
Herbarium-based studies on taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of Psilochilus (Orchidaceae)

Background Psilochilus is a poorly studied orchid genus distributed from southern Mexico to south-eastern Brazil. A taxonomic revision of this Neotropical endemic based on morphological data is presented. Material and Methods Over 170 dried herbarium specimens and flowers preserved in liquid of Psilochilus were analyzed. Morphological variation among examined taxa was described based on multivariate analysis. To evaluate the similarity between niches occupied by various Psilochilus species ecological niche modeling (ENM) was applied. Species richness and the distribution patterns of Psilochilus representatives were analyzed based on squares of 5° latitude and longitude while similarities among floras between biogeographical units were measured using the Bray-Curtis index for presence/absence data. Results and Discussion A new species of the P. physurifolius-complex is described based on Central American material. Psilochilus crenatifolius is reduced to the rank of variety as P. macrophyllus var. crenatifolius. A key to 18 accepted Psilochilus species is provided. The illustrations of perianth segments of all recognized taxa are presented. The climatic niches preferred by the particular Psilochilus representatives are well separated based on ecological niche modeling analysis. Their distribution is limited mainly by the isothermality and temperature seasonality. The highest Psilochilus species richness is observed in the North Andean, Panamanian, Brazilian Planalto and Central American biogeographical provinces. A high level of endemism is observed in all those regions as well as Yungas biogeographical province. Most Psilochilus species occur in areas above 800 m of elevation. The populations were most often reported from the tropical rain forest and tropical moist deciduous forest.
A Volunteer's Perspective on the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project

The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (LTRC), in its attempt to investigate human rights violations that occurred during Liberia’s 14-year civil conflict, is the first truth commission to systematically engage a diaspora community. The LTRC Diaspora Project was an innovative effort and will likely serve as a model for future truth commissions. As such, it is timely to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the Diaspora Project. This article is a reflection on the author’s experience as a LTRC volunteer in Chicago. Having worked in one of the cities with the lowest levels of participation, I consider some of the local challenges the Diaspora Project faced and provide recommendations on how future truth commission efforts to engage diaspora communities might do so more effectively.
Retention of Fetal Membranes and its Clinical Perspective in Bovines

Retention of the fetal membranes (RFM) or Retention of Placenta (ROP) in the cow is normally defined as the condition in which the fetal membranes are not expelled within a period of 12 hours after expulsion of the fetus. Primary retention of fetal membranes results from a lack of detachment from the maternal caruncles whereas secondary retention is related to a mechanical difficulty in expelling already detached fetal membranes. There are a number of risk factors associated with RFM, including induced parturition, shortened gestation, abortion, twinning, dystocia, fetotomy, cesarean section, nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin E, selenium and carotene, infectious agents such as bovine viral diarrhea virus and immunosuppression. The most commonly used hormonal products in treating RFM are prostaglandins and oxytocin and these hormones play a role in uterine contraction and could be effective in treating retention of the fetal membranes.
How Emotional Labor and Ethical Leadership Affect Job Engagement for Chinese Public Servants

Responsiveness is important in public-service delivery. This study explores three elements that contribute to responsiveness—emotional labor, job engagement, and ethical leadership. Three findings emerge: First, in terms of workers and their expression of work-related emotion, authentic emotive expression relates positively with job engagement while pretending to feel the emotion being displayed has a negative relationship. Second, ethical leadership moderates the relationship between pretending and job engagement, in that higher levels of ethical leadership lessen the negative influence of pretense in emotive expression. This means that when employees must mask how they feel, ethical leadership compensates for the deleterious effect of expressing an emotion other than what one is feeling. This, in turn, helps to prevent decreased job engagement. Third, ethical leadership does not affect the relationship between authentic emotive expression and job engagement. The sample surveyed are government employees in China.
antigenicity of HIV-1 p 24 produced and purified in high yields from plants inoculated with a tobacco mosaic virus ( TMV )-derived vector

Production of structural proteins from foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) and bovine herpes virus (BHV-1) in Nicot ana benthamiana through the use of a tobacco mosaic virus-based vector (TMV-30B) has been reported previously. The development of the TMV-30B-HISc vector, a new version that adds a C-terminal histidine (His) sequence to the foreign protein expressed is described. Coding sequences from the FMDV VPl protein and the core protein, p24, from a clade C HIV-1 isolate from Zambia were cloned into the new vector and infective RNAs were generated for each construct to inoculate N. benthamianaplants. His-tagged proteins were purified from inoculated leaves using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) as detected by Coomassie blue staining and proteins were further characterized in Western blot assays using a commercial anti-6xHis mAb and specific polyclonal antisera for each protein. While yields obtained for the VPl-His protein after purification were similar to those in crude extracts obtained with the previous TMV-VPl vector, p24-His yields were 10–15 times higher than those of VPl-His. Twenty-five grams of TMV-p24-HISc inoculated leaves were processed to obtain 2.5 mg of isolated p24-His and the recombinant protein was inoculated in rabbits to test immunogenicity and antigenic integrity of the plant-produced p24-His. Animals developed a strong and specific humoral response to the p24-His after the first booster and immune sera was able to recognize the native p24 from a different clade expressed on the surface of the HIV-1 chronically infected HUT78/ARV T-cell line. Importantly, the recombinant p24-His proved its efficiency by confirming the serology of 117 samples previously tested by two rapid HIV-1 tests, thus representing an excellent alternative for production of highly specific diagnostic reagents for HIV endemic regions in the developing world. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Disability and employment in the USA: The quest for best practices

This paper reviews the progress to date in developing public policy, national infrastructure, and services in support of persons with disabilities seeking to enter and sustain meaningful employment. It reports on a study of ‘best practices’ in the aftermath of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and the Workforce Investment Act (1998). Unresolved disability–employment issues are explored and the paper concludes by calling for greater involvement by persons with disabilities to help resolve existing issues and improve services by identifying and promoting the adoption of ‘best practices. ’
Assessing children's perceptions of prosocial and antisocial peer behaviour

The aims of this study were to administer an assessment measure that would identify prosocial children, bullies and their victims, and to examine the underlying structure of children's perceptions of peer social behaviour in these three groups. Three versions (peer nomination, self and teacher rating) of a newly developed child social behaviour questionnaire (CSBQ) were completed by children (aged 9/10 years, n=321) and their teachers in 14 Scottish primary schools. The CSBQ is distinguished from other extant measures by its joint focus on both prosocial and antisocial child behaviours, and by its use of concrete and empirically derived items. In conjunction with sociometric data, which was also elicited from the children, the CSBQ yielded scores on 12 behavioural dimensions. Based upon the peer nomination data, a set of rigorous criteria, capable of reliably identifying children in the three groups, was developed to take account of varying peer nomination practices within and between schools. Factor analysis of the 12 measures yielded four factors (two antisocial factors, a prosocial factor and a victim factor) which accounted for 71% of the variance, and which offer further insight into the organisation of children's perceptions of social behaviour. Gender differences in peer nomination patterns and comparisons between the different informant groups are discussed in relation to previous work.
Asthma and wheezing in the first six years of life. The Group Health Medical Associates.

BACKGROUND Many young children wheeze during viral respiratory infections, but the pathogenesis of these episodes and their relation to the development of asthma later in life are not well understood. METHODS In a prospective study, we investigated the factors affecting wheezing before the age of three years and their relation to wheezing at six years of age. Of 1246 newborns in the Tucson, Arizona, area enrolled between May 1980 and October 1984, follow-up data at both three and six years of age was available for 826. For these children, assessments in infancy included measurement of cord-serum IgE levels (measured in 750 children), pulmonary-function testing before any lower respiratory illness had occurred (125), measurement of serum IgE levels at nine months of age (672), and questionnaires completed by the children's parents when the children were one year old (800). Assessments at six years of age included measurement of serum IgE levels (in 460), pulmonary-function testing (526), and skin allergy testing (629). RESULTS At the age of six years, 425 children (51.5 percent) had never wheezed, 164 (19.9 percent) had had at least one lower respiratory illness with wheezing during the first three years of life but had no wheezing at six years of age, 124 (15.0 percent) had no wheezing before the age of three years but had wheezing at the age of six years, and 113 (13.7 percent) had wheezing both before three years of age and at six years of age. The children who had wheezing before three years of age but not at the age of six had diminished airway function (length-adjusted maximal expiratory flow at functional residual capacity [Vmax FRC]) both before the age of one year and at the age of six years, were more likely than the other children to have mothers who smoked but not mothers with asthma, and did not have elevated serum IgE levels or skin-test reactivity. Children who started wheezing in early life and continued to wheeze at the age of six were more likely than the children who never wheezed to have mothers with a history of asthma (P < 0.001), to have elevated serum IgE levels (P < 0.01), to have normal lung function in the first year of life, and to have elevated serum IgE levels (P < 0.001) and diminished values for VmaxFRC (P < 0.01) at six years of age. CONCLUSIONS The majority of infants with wheezing have transient conditions associated with diminished airway function at birth and do not have increased risks of asthma or allergies later in life. In a substantial minority of infants, however, wheezing episodes are probably related to a predisposition to asthma.
Fleroxacin pharmacokinetics in aqueous and vitreous humors determined by using complete concentration-time data from individual rabbits

Although composite data from separate subjects can be used to generate single-subject estimates, intersubject variation precludes rigorous ocular pharmacokinetic analysis. Therefore, a rabbit model in which sequential aqueous and vitreous humor samples were obtained following the administration of the quinolone fleroxacin was developed. Mean data from individual animals were used for pharmacokinetic analysis. Following direct intravitreal or systemic drug administration, sequential paracenteses did not alter pharmacokinetic constants or ocular penetration and were not associated with an increase in ocular protein; contamination of vitreous humor with blood was minimal (less than 0.1%). Following direct injection or intravenous administration, vitreous humor concentration-time data were best described by one- and two-compartment models, respectively. The maximum concentration and the penetration into the aqueous and vitreous humors were 1.54 and 0.5 micrograms/ml and 27 and 10%, respectively. Elimination rates from aqueous and vitreous humors and serum were similar following parenteral drug administration. Drug elimination following direct injection was rapid, and the elimination rate from the vitreous humor was not prolonged by the coadministration of probenecid. Our animal model provides a new approach to the rigorous examination of the ocular pharmacokinetics of quinolone antimicrobial agents in the eye.
Sexual and Non-Sexual Juvenile Offenders: Developmental Antecedents and Behavioral Outcomes

Sexual and Non-Sexual Juvenile Offenders: Developmental Antecedents and Behavioral Outcomes Gretchen Thomas Sofocleous The three papers included in this dissertation are based on data from a larger cross-sectional survey study which explores the causes and patterns of sexual aggression by adolescent males incarcerated in residential treatment. The sample of interest included 504 male adolescents who were adjudicated delinquent and sanctioned to residential treatment for the commission of sexual and non-sexual crimes. Paper 1 includes a descriptive snapshot of the individual and family characteristics, childhood experiences, child maltreatment histories, childhood exposure to nudity and sexual activity, sexual crime characteristics, as well as non-sexual crime characteristics of juvenile sex offenders in residential treatment. Paper 2 focuses on the family characteristics and childhood experiences that predict group membership in juvenile sex offender and juvenile delinquent groups. Finally, paper 3 explores those factors associated with the severity of sexual crime as well as the frequency of general delinquency among juvenile sex offenders in residential treatment.
Expert and Offender Perceptions of Program Elements Linked to Successful Outcomes for Incarcerated Women

This article summarizes findings from a national study on promising correctional programs for women offenders. Information is provided about program characteristics that experts identify as predictive of positive outcomes. Similarities among correctional experts' and program participants' responses included characteristics of staff and individualized programming. Differences in perceptions of elements contributing to successful outcomes also were found. State-level administrators attributed success to methods of program operations, whereas prison administrators attributed success to treatments addressing multiple treatment needs. Results are relevant to program design, program implementation, and the generation of hypotheses linking program elements to outcomes.