Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A quality assurance exercise to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of chromogenic in situ hybridisation for HER2 analysis in breast cancer

Background: Chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH) is an alternative to immunohistochemistry or FISH for the assessment of HER2 oncogene status in breast cancer. Although CISH is being used increasingly in routine diagnostics, there are no established inter-laboratory quality assurance programmes for this test. Methods: The reproducibility of HER2 CISH analysis was assessed when performed by seven different centres that use the test routinely in diagnostic service. Results: The results from 28 cases showed overall concordance of 98.5% (192/195 tests; κ coefficient 0.91). One of the discrepancies was due to the invasive carcinoma having been cut out in the sections received by two of the centres, and the other two were in the non-amplified/equivocal/low-amplified category. Conclusion: This is believed to be the first report of a quality assurance study assessing laboratories that use HER2 CISH routinely in clinical diagnostics. The results show that CISH is a robust technique providing a suitable assay for the frontline testing of HER2 status in breast cancer.
Multiplicação rápida, método simples e de baixo custo na produção de material propagativo de mandioca.

A baixa taxa de multiplicacao de mandioca e um dos obstaculos a sua propagacao em larga escala. De cada planta de mandioca obtem-se de 5 a 10 manivas de 20 cm de comprimento, num periodo medio de 12 meses, o que equivale a dizer que a taxa de propagacao de mandioca varia de 1:5 a 1:10. Embora produza sementes, comercialmente a mandioca e propagada vegetativamente por meio de pedacos de caule. A propagacao vegetativa tem a desvantagem de permitir a transmissao de pragas e patogenos entre as geracoes sucessivas de cultivo, caso nao sejam tomados cuidados com relacao a qualidade do material de propagacao. Essa duas caracteristicas, a baixa taxa de multiplicacao e a degenerescencia causada pelo acumulo de pragas, contribuem para escassez de manivas de boa qualidade a disposicao de agricultores. Um metodo simples e barato para aumento da taxa de multiplicacao, da mandioca e a multiplicacao rapida a qual consiste em cortar hastes da planta de mandioca em pedacos com duas ou tres gemas, e planta-los em canteiro cobertos com plasticos transparente, para reter o calor do sol. Esses canteiros sao regados frequentemente, e assim, a umidade e a temperatura elevadas induzem as manivas a brotar. Ao atingir o tamanho de 10 a 15 cm, os brotos sao cortados e posto em agua, para enraizar. Por sua vez, as manivas de duas ou tres gemas voltam a brotar, e nisso consiste a capacidade que essa tecnica tem de aumentar a taxa de multiplicacao da mandioca. As taxas de multiplicacao obtidas nesse trabalho variaram entre 1:140 a 1:170, isto e, um aumento de 14 a 17 vezes em relacao a taxa de multiplicacao convencional da mandioca (1:10). Embora esses indices estejam abaixo do potencial maximo de multiplicacao apresentado na literatura ( aumento de 60 vezes), demonstram o potencial da tecnica da multiplicacao rapida no aumento da taxa de multiplicacao da mandioca, em razao da sua simplicidade e baixo custo.
Histological evidence of disease in wild stoats (Mustela erminea) in England

Forty-four free-living stoats were collected from five game estates in England and examined for evidence of disease. All the macroscopic lesions were attributable to the trauma associated with being trapped or shot. There were no significant microscopic lesions in 27 (61 per cent) of the stoats. There was evidence of nematode parasitism in the intestines of six stoats (14 per cent), and in the lungs of five stoats (1 1 per cent), and of pulmonary granulomatous inflammation or microgranulomas in five stoats. In two of the stoats, blood-filled cavities in the liver were suggestive of peliosis hepatis, possibly associated with infection by Bartonella species or with sublethal exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides.
The virtual university: Advantages and disadvantages

In today's world everything is changing rapidly and development of technology and information has changed many existing facilities in the cultural, social, political and economic fields. Therefore, education like other changes in society and expectations that a society has from its people must change in an appropriate and acceptable way. Distance learning system (electronic) is a new approach and solution for institutions that want to move toward technology in order to change teaching methods and their environments. This system makes it possible to achieve modern education methods in an exhaustive and best way. [1] In the virtual education, all systems, activities and policies must be designed in support of the feature of interaction between students and educational materials and courses. [2]The authors of this paper try to understand the concepts, characteristics and definition of a virtual university to find the strengths and weaknesses of virtual universities and realize the solutions for the weak points. [3]
Clinical outcomes for Early Childhood Caries (ECC): the influence of salivary mutans streptococci levels.

AIM To assess the relationship between clinical outcomes for children treated for Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and salivary mutans streptococci (MS) levels. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS The study cohort consisted of 79 children (42 males, 37 females) treated for ECC, aged from 2.3 to 7.3 years at time of entry. Whole non-stimulated saliva samples were obtained from each subject prior to dental surgery and at 6 mths post dental surgery, by saturating a cotton swab in the saliva pooled in the floor of the mouth. Samples were placed into PBS on ice and processed within 2 hours. Samples were sonicated, serially diluted and plated onto MSB and SBA agar plates, then incubated 48 hours anaerobically; SBA plates were incubated an additional 24 hours aerobically. The MS level in each sample was expressed as a percentage of the total cultivable flora. The cohort was evaluated for new caries lesions at 6 months post dental surgery. Relapse was defined as the presence of new smooth surface caries lesions. STATISTICS Comparisons between Relapse (R) and Non-Relapse (NR) groups with respect to mutans streptococci levels were performed using Wilcoxon tests. Within group comparisons were performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS 57 children (72%) returned for the 6 months examination and 21 of these subjects (37%) relapsed. No statistically significant difference in median salivary MS levels existed between the R (0.20%) and NR (0.033%) groups at baseline (p=0.647) or at 6 months post dental surgery (R=0.03%; NR=0.01%; p=0.273). A statistically significant difference between baseline and 6 months post dental surgery was noted in the median salivary MS level within the R group (p=0.0007) and within the NR group (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The relapse rate (37%) was high and rapid for children treated for ECC. Dental surgery resulted in a statistically significant reduction in salivary MS reservoirs for children treated for ECC. However, this did not translate into acceptable clinical outcomes.
Biological effects of polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls in bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chicks

During the1992 breeding season, eggs of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were collected within a gradient of exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants, particularly from pulp mill point sources, on the southern coast of British Columbia, Canada. Twenty-five eggs were placed in a laboratory incubator, of which 18 hatched; chicks were sacrificed within 24 h. Hatching success was not significantly different between eggs taken from pulp mill sites and reference sites. A hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) cross-reactive protein was induced nearly sixfold in chicks from near a pulp mill at Powell River compared to those from a reference site (p < 0.05). Hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylase (BROD) activities were also significantly elevated in chicks from nests located near pulp mills compared to reference sites (p < 0.0005 and p < 0.02, respectively). A hepatic CYP2B cross-reactive protein was threefold higher in chicks from pulp mill versus reference sites, but the difference was not significant. Residual yolk sacs of eggs collected near pulp mill sites contained greater concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) compared to reference areas. No significant differences in concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), non-ortho congeners, and organochlorine pesticides occurred among sites. Regressions showed that the hepatic CYP1A cross-reactive protein and EROD and BROD activities were positively correlated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDF, and toxic equivalents (TEQsWHO—Wrld Health Organization toxic equivalence factors) in yolk sacs. No significant concentration-related effects were found for morphological, physiological, or histological parameters, such as chick growth, edema, or density of thymic lymphocytes. Using hepatic CYP1A induction as a biomarker, a no-observed-effect-level (NOEL) of 100 ng/kg and a lowest-observed-effect-level (LOEL) of 210 ng/kg TEQsWHO on a whole egg (wet weight basis) are suggested for bald eagle chicks.
An audit of the knowledge and attitudes of doctors towards Surgical Informed Consent (SIC).

BACKGROUND The Surgical Informed Consent (SIC) is a comprehensive process that establishes an information-based agreement between the patient and his doctor to undertake a clearly outlined medical or surgical intervention. It is neither a casual formality nor a casually signed piece of paper. The present study was designed to audit the current knowledge and attitudes of doctors towards SIC at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pakistan. METHODS This cross-sectional qualitative investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Department of Medical Education (DME), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad over three months period. A 19-item questionnaire was employed for data collection. The participants were selected at random from the list of the surgeons maintained in the hospital and approached face-to-face with the help of a team of junior doctors detailed for questionnaire distribution among them. The target was to cover over 50% of these doctors by convenience sampling. RESULTS Out of 231 respondents, there were 32 seniors while 199 junior doctors, constituting a ratio of 1:6.22. The respondents variably responded to the questions regarding various attributes of the process of SIC. Overall, the junior doctors performed poorer compared to the seniors. CONCLUSION The knowledge and attitudes of our doctors particularly the junior ones, towards the SIC are less than ideal. This results in their failure to avail this golden opportunity of doctor-patient communication to guide their patients through a solidly informative and legally valid SIC. They are often unaware of the essential preconditions of the SIC; provide incomplete information to their patients; and quite often do not ensure direct involvement of their patients in the process. Additionally they lack an understanding of using interactive computer-based programs as well as the concept of nocebo effect of informed consent.
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist transiently impairs antibacterial defense but not survival in murine pneumococcal pneumonia.

The inhibition of the biological activity of IL-1 by recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) has been investigated in several, controlled clinical trials. Encouraging results have been reported, in particular in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we investigated the influence of treatment of wild type mice with IL-1ra, which resulted in an incomplete and transient inhibition of IL-1 activity. Treatment with recombinant human IL-1ra resulted in an enhanced bacterial outgrowth in the lungs of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice early after induction of pneumococcal pneumonia, without influencing survival or the pulmonary inflammatory response. The effect of IL-1ra on the host response to S. pneumoniae pneumonia is modest and transient. The present data, together with the findings in IL-1R*/* mice in earlier work, suggest that IL-1 occupies a role in the pulmonary immune response to S. pneumoniae that is substantially less prominent than that of TNF-alpha.
Azacitidine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia medically unfit for or resistant to chemotherapy: a multicenter phase I/II study

Abstract The safety and efficacy of azacitidine (5-day schedule) were assessed in a multicenter study in 40 patients (median age 72 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) medically unfit for (n = 20) or resistant to chemotherapy (n = 20) from April to October 2008. Median marrow blasts were 42%. After a median follow-up of 13 months, response (complete remission [CR]/partial remission [PR]/hematologic improvement [HI]) was 50% and 10% in newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory patients, respectively (p = 0.008). Median time-to-response was 2.5 months with a median duration of 5.9 months. Median survival was not reached for responders versus 3.8 months for 15 (38%) patients with stable disease (p < 0.045). High-risk cytogenetics was associated with inferior survival (p = 0.05). Lower marrow blasts on day 15 of cycle 1, irrespective of pretreatment count, predicted subsequent response (p = 0.01). Azacitidine is active and well tolerated in elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML.
Lack of intrinsic polarity in the ligandbinding ability of keratinocyte β1 integrins

Abstract: Within the basal layer of the epidermis the β1 integrins have a pericellular distribution. Two monoclonal antibodies, 15/7 and 12G10, that detect a conformation of the β1 integrin subunit that is induced following cation or ligand occupancy selectively recognized β1 integrins at the basement membrane zone in vivo and in focal adhesions of cultured keratinocytes; they did not recognize integrins on the apical and upper lateral membranes of basal keratinocytes nor integrins on the suprabasal keratinocytes of hyperproliferative epidermis. Inhibition of intercellular adhesion did not induce the 15/7 epitope on the lateral and apical membrane domains. The surface distribution of the epitopes was consistent with the antibodies acting as reporters of ligand‐binding; in addition, the 15/7 epitope was exposed on unglycosylated, immature β1 integrins. Although the apical membrane of basal keratinocytes is not normally in contact with extracellular matrix proteins, we found that it was capable of binding fibronectin‐coated beads and that the 15/7 epitope was exposed on plasma membrane in contact with the beads. When a chimeric molecule consisting of the extracellular domain of CD8 and the cytoplasmic domain of the β1 integrin subunit, used to mimic a constitutively active β1 heterodimer, was introduced into keratinocytes it localized to the basal, lateral and apical membrane domains. We conclude that although the conformation of the keratinocyte β1 integrins differs between the basal and the lateral/apical membrane domains there is no intrinsic polarity in the ligand binding potential of the receptors.
Defining Minor Symptoms in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Thrombolysis is often withheld from acute ischemic stroke patients presenting with mild symptoms; however, up to 40% of these patients end up with a poor outcome when left untreated. Since there is lack of consensus on the definition of minor symptoms, we aimed at addressing this issue by looking for features that would better predict functional outcomes at 3 months. Methods: Among all acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to our Stroke Unit (n = 1,229), we selected a cohort of patients who arrived within 24 hours from symptoms onset, with baseline NIHSS ≤6, not treated with thrombolysis (n = 304). Epidemiological data, comorbidities, radiological features and clinical presentation (NIHSS items) were collected to identify predictors of outcome. Our cohort was tested against minor stroke definitions selected from the literature and a newly proposed one. Results: Three months after stroke onset, 97 patients (31.9%) had mRS ≥2. Independent predictors of poor outcome were age (OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.95-9.99]) and baseline NIHSS score (OR 0.79 [95% CI 0.67-0.94]), while cardioembolic aetiology was negatively associated (OR 3.29 [95% CI 1.51-7.14]). Items of NIHSS associated with poor outcome were impairment of right motor arm (OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.27-0.91]) or the involvement of any of the motor items (OR 0.69 [95% CI 0.48-0.99]). The definition of minor stroke as NIHSS ≤3 and the new proposed definition had the highest sensitivity and accuracy and were independent predictors of outcome. Conclusions: Our study confirmed that in spite of a low NIHSS score, one third of patients had poor outcome. As already described, age and NIHSS score remained independent predictors of poor outcome even in mild stroke. Also, motor impairment appeared a major determinant of poor outcome. The new proposed definition of minor stroke featured the NIHSS score and the NIHSS items that better predicted functional outcome. Awareness that even minor stroke can yield to poor outcome should sensitize patients to arrive early to the ED and neurologists to administer rt-PA.
Do Wealthy Economies Have Better Accounting Quality? International Evidence

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to empirically test whether wealthy economies have better accounting quality (AQ) compared to their “poor” counterparts. <br><br>Design/methodology/approach: To test the formulated hypothesis, this article examines accounting and market data of 40 countries' capital markets, obtained from Compustat Global and Compustat North America, and spanned throughout the last quarter of century, from 1992 to 2016. Country wealth and controlling- and valuation-usefulness of accounting information are proxied by gross domestic product per capita, conditional accounting conservatism and value relevance of earnings and book values, respectively. <br><br>Findings: Descriptive analysis, consistent with the prior literature, reveals that controlling-usefulness and valuation-usefulness of accounting information significantly negatively correlate with each other, putting them as alternative (rather than compatible) objectives of the accounting system. The major finding shows that wealthy economies report significantly more controlling-useful but about equally valuation-useful accounting information compared to their poor counterparts. <br><br>Practical implications: The findings are interesting from investors as well as standard setters' perspective. <br><br>Originality/value: According to Ball (Journal of International Accounting Research (2016), 15(2), 1–6), wealthy economies are likely to invest more in the establishment and development of a country-level reporting infrastructure such as accounting, financial, legal and political systems, which should ultimately lead to better AQ. This article argues that wealthy economies are likely to report more controlling-useful, but not necessarily more valuation-useful accounting information compared to the poor ones. This argument is based on the fact that on the one hand decision makers within the wealthy economies' capital markets are likely to intensively utilize various alternative sources of information, implying a lower demand on accounting information as a source of valuation decisions. On the other hand, demand for controlling-useful accounting information would exist even while utilizing other (external) sources of information as the inside (managerial) information helps the management to efficiently control and plan the firm activities.
Critical Care Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose of Review: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) can have profound and devastating effects on the CNS and several other organs. Approximately 15% to 20% of patients with AIS are admitted to an intensive care unit and cared for by a multidisciplinary team. This article discusses the critical care management of patients with AIS. Recent Findings: Patients with AIS require attention to airway, pulmonary status, blood pressure, glucose, temperature, cardiac function, and, sometimes, life-threatening cerebral edema. Summary: The lack of disease-specific data has led to numerous management approaches and limited guidance on choosing among them. Existing guidelines emphasize risk factors, prevention, natural history, and prevention of bleeding but provide little discussion of the complex critical care issues involved in caring for patients with AIS.
Quantification of circulating peptides and assessment of peptide uptake across the gastrointestinal tract of sheep.

Gastrointestinal absorption of peptides was examined in sheep fed a forage-based diet. Peptide concentrations were determined in arterial, portal, and mesenteric blood and plasma by quantification of amino acid concentrations before and after acid hydrolysis of samples that had been first deproteinized then subjected to Sephadex G-15 gel-filtration to remove residual protein. In contrast to other studies of ruminants, peptide concentrations for individual amino acids were lower than for the corresponding free amino acids with peptide (expressed as a proportion of total nonprotein amino acid) representing not more than . 25 to . 3 of total amino acid. Peptide concentrations in arterial, mesenteric, and portal blood and plasma were similar, indicating that on this diet there was no net uptake of peptides from the small intestine (mesenteric-drained viscera, MDV) or the whole tract (portal-drained viscera, PDV). Increasing the intake of alfalfa pellets from 800 to 1,200 g/d, while increasing the absorption and net flux across the MDV and PDV of free amino acids, had no effect on peptide absorption. Preparation of blood and plasma samples for peptide analysis with methods used in studies in which substantial peptide absorption has been reported indicated no net MDV or PDV flux of peptide. Such conflicting data on the extent of gastrointestinal peptide flux are discussed in the context of methodological differences and the importance of diet and physiological state of the animal.
Which dyskinesia scale best detects treatment response?

Numerous scales assess dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease (PD), variably focusing on anatomical distribution, phenomenology, time, severity, and disability. No study has compared these scales and their relative ability to detect change related to an established treatment. We conducted a randomized placebo‐controlled trial of amantadine, assessing dyskinesia at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks using the following scales: Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS), Lang‐Fahn Activities of Daily Living Dyskinesia Rating Scale (LF), 26‐Item Parkinson's Disease Dyskinesia scale (PDD‐26), patient diaries, modified Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale (AIMS), Rush Dyskinesia Rating Scale (RDRS), dyskinesia items from the Movement Disorder Society–sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS), and Clinical Global Impression (severity and change: CGI‐S, CGI‐C). Scale order was randomized at each visit, but raters were aware of each scale as it was administered. Sensitivity to treatment was assessed using effect size. Sixty‐one randomized dyskinetic PD subjects (31 amantadine, 30 placebo) completed the study. Four of the 8 scales (CGI‐C, LF, PDD‐26, and UDysRS) detected a significant treatment. The UDysRS Total Score showed the highest effect size (η2 = 0.138) for detecting treatment‐related change, with all other scales having effect sizes < 0.1. No scale was resistant to placebo effects. This study resolves 2 major issues useful for future testing of new antidyskinesia treatments: among tested scales, the UDysRS, having both subjective and objective dyskinesia ratings, is superior for detecting treatment effects; and the magnitude of the UDysRS effect size from amantadine sets a clear standard for comparison for new agents. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society