Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electron Tomographic and Ultrastructural Analysis of the Cryptosporidium parvum Relict Mitochondrion, its Associated Membranes, and Organelles

Abstract. Sporozoites of the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum possess a small, membranous organelle sandwiched between the nucleus and crystalloid body. Based upon immunolabelling data, this organelle was identified as a relict mitochondrion. Transmission electron microscopy and tomographic reconstruction reveal the complex arrangement of membranes in the vicinity of this organelle, as well as its internal organization. The mitochondrion is enveloped by multiple segments of rough endoplasmic reticulum that extend from the outer nuclear envelope. In tomographic reconstructions of the mitochondrion, there is either a single, highly‐folded inner membrane or multiple internal subcompartments (which might merge outside the reconstructed volume). The infoldings of the inner membrane lack the tubular “crista junctions” found in typical metazoan, fungal, and protist mitochondria. The absence of this highly conserved structural feature is congruent with the loss, through reductive evolution, of the normal oxidative phosphorylation machinery in C. parvum. It is proposed that the retention of a relict mitochondrion in C. parvum is a strategy for compartmentalizing away from the cytosol toxic ferrous iron and sulfide, which are needed for iron sulfur cluster biosynthesis, an essential function of mitochondria in all eukaryotes.
Phylogenetic Distance of Thelohania butleri Johnston, Vernick, and Sprague, 1978 (Microsporidia; Thelohaniidae), a Parasite of the Smooth Pink Shrimp Pandalus jordani, from its Congeners Suggests Need for Major Revision of the Genus Thelohania Henneguy, 1892

ABSTRACT. Thelohania butleri, a microsporidian that causes mortality and commercial losses in the smooth pink shrimp Pandalus jordani, is of taxonomic interest as a species resembling the poorly studied type species, Thelohania giardi, of the large, polyphyletic genus Thelohania. We examined the ultrastructure of T. butleri to confirm its identity and reconstructed phylogenies using ribosomal DNA to find the relationship of T. butleri with other Thelohania species in crayfish and ants. Light and transmission electron microscopy from specimens collected from the type locality, the Pacific coast of Canada, confirmed the identity and demonstrated a development similar to that of T. giardi, involving a series of binary fissions without formation of a plasmodium. Phylogenetic analyses consistently showed T. butleri to be distantly related to other Thelohania species, and closely related to species from marine decapods within a larger fish‐parasitic clade. Together, features such as host group and habitat, developmental morphology, and phylogeny suggest T. butleri may be a closer relative to T. giardi than any other Thelohania species represented by DNA data so far, and thus imply species from crayfish and ants may not belong in this genus. Results also confirm that genus Thelohania and family Thelohanidae are in need of revision.
Wizard of Oz vs autonomous: Children's perception changes according to robot's operation condition

The presence of robots in human lifestyle is no longer a distant reality, as robots are being employed in several fields, including educational purposes. However, most of the research in educational robotics does not use autonomous social behavior, but rather techniques like Wizard of Oz (WoZ). This paper presents the very first test in a school environment of a robotic architecture to control an autonomous system for educational interactions, evaluated from user's perspective when compared to a teleoperated situation. The architecture aims to manage three main communication robot resources — speech, vision and gesture — in an autonomous way and provide an interaction as acceptable as when someone controls the robot. The experiment was performed randomly assigning 82 students aged between 7 and 11 to interact with a NAO robot in two conditions of robot operation: autonomous and teleoperated. The results suggest that there is no significant difference between the conditions in user's enjoyment and system time response, but they decreased their perception regarding robot's intelligence after knowing about the teleoperation.
Empagliflozin and Kinetics of Renal Glucose Transport in Healthy Individuals and Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

Renal glucose reabsorption was measured with the stepped hyperglycemic clamp in 15 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 15 without diabetes after 2 days and after more chronic (14 days) treatment with empagliflozin. Patients with T2DM had significantly greater maximal renal glucose transport (TmG) compared with subjects without diabetes at baseline (459 ± 53 vs. 337 ± 25 mg/min; P < 0.05). Empagliflozin treatment for 48 h reduced the TmG in both individuals with and without diabetes by 44 ± 7 and 53 ± 6%, respectively (both P < 0.001). TmG was further reduced by empagliflozin in both groups on day 14 (by 65 ± 5 and 75 ± 3%, respectively). Empagliflozin reduced the plasma glucose concentration threshold for glucose spillage in the urine similarly in individuals with T2DM and without diabetes to <40 mg/dL, which is well below the normal fasting plasma glucose concentration. In summary, sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibition with empagliflozin reduces both TmG and threshold for glucose spillage in the urine in patients with T2DM and those without diabetes.
Feature Analysis and Automatic Identification of Leukemic Lineage Blast Cells and Reactive Lymphoid Cells from Peripheral Blood Cell Images

Automated peripheral blood (PB) image analyzers usually underestimate the total number of blast cells, mixing them up with reactive or normal lymphocytes. Therefore, they are not able to discriminate between myeloid or lymphoid blast cell lineages. The objective of the proposed work is to achieve automatic discrimination of reactive lymphoid cells (RLC), lymphoid and myeloid blast cells and to obtain their morphologic patterns through feature analysis.
Lipid composition of subcellular membranes of an FY1679‐derived haploid yeast wild‐type strain grown on different carbon sources

The aim of the project EUROFAN (European Functional Analysis Network) is to elucidate the function of unknown genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at a large scale. Functional analysis is based on general and specific tests with yeast deletion strains. A prerequisite for these studies is a profound knowledge of the biochemistry and cell biology of the corresponding wild‐type strain FY1679. As a contribution from our laboratory we present here a systematic lipid analysis of the major organelles isolated from FY1679 grown in the presence of different carbon sources. Phospholipid, sterol and fatty acid composition are characteristic for each organelle. Moreover, growth of the yeast on glucose, ethanol or lactate causes in some cases marked changes of the organelle lipid pattern. As the most prominent example, cultivation of the yeast on non‐fermentable carbon sources results in an increase of mitochondrial cardiolipin. As another example, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids is enhanced in cells grown on ethanol or lactate as compared to glucose. Thus, the lipid composition of yeast subcellular membranes reflects in a significant way the nutrient conditions caused by variation of the carbon source. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low levels of interferon‐γ in nasal fluid accompany raised levels of T‐helper 2 cytokines in children with ongoing allergic rhinitis

The T‐helper 2 (Th2) cytokines interleukin‐(IL‐) 4, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐10 and the Th1 cytokine IFN‐γ and their associations with eosinophils, eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and immunoglobulin (Ig) E were studied in nasal lavage fluid from 60 school children with allergic seasonal rhinitis and 36 nonatopic healthy controls, before and during the pollen season. Eosinophil differential counts and IgE increased significantly in the patients during the pollen season. The eosinophil differential counts, ECP and IgE were all significantly higher during the season than in specimens simultaneously obtained from the nonatopic controls. Before season, the levels of ECP and IgE, but not eosinophils, were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. During the season the nasal lavage fluid levels of IFN‐γ were significantly lower and the IL‐4/IFN‐γ quotients significantly higher in the allergic than in the control children. In the allergic children, but not in the controls, the nasal fluid levels of the Th2 cytokines IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐10 increased during the season, and together with IL‐6, were correlated with the differential counts of eosinophils, and with the levels of ECP and IgE. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that a deficient release of the Th1 cytokine IFN‐γ plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation. Regardless of whether the defective IFN‐γ secretion is primary or a consequence of suppression by other cytokines, it will in the atopic subjects enhance the release of Th2 cytokines, which in turn will facilitate the development of allergic inflammation.
Does the Presence of Dystrophic Features in Patients With Type 1 Neurofibromatosis and Spinal Deformities Increase the Risk of Surgery?

Study Design. Retrospective chart and radiographical review. Objective. To present the demographics of patients with scoliosis and neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1), to record the incidence of dystrophic features, and to determine whether the presence of dystrophic features increase the risk of surgery in patients with NF-1 and associated spinal pathology. Summary of Background Data. The most common of the osseous complications of NF-1 is spinal deformity, occurring in 10% to 30% of individuals with NF-1. Many of these patients will eventually require surgery for curve progression, which makes study of demographics and identification of features predicting the need for surgery essential in this patient population. Methods. A retrospective review was performed in patients with NF-1 and spinal deformities, followed in a multidisciplinary neurofibromatosis center. A subset of 56 patients with complete radiographical evaluation was reviewed for identification of risk factors for spine surgery. Results. One hundred thirty-one patients from a population of 694 patients with NF-1 (19%) had scoliosis. Mean age at diagnosis of scoliosis was 9 years (range; 1–17 yr). Scoliosis and need for surgery were equally distributed between males and females. In the group of 56 patients, 63% had 3 or more dystrophic features. The presence of 3 or more dystrophic features was the strongest predictor of the need for surgery (odds ratio = 14.34; P < 0.001). Individual features most predictive of need for surgery were the presence of vertebral scalloping (odds ratio = 13.19; P < 0.001) followed by the presence of dural ectasia (odds ratio = 6.38; P = 0.005). Patients with no dystrophic features were unlikely to progress to need for surgery. Conclusion. Scoliosis and need for surgery were equally distributed between males and females. The presence of 3 or more dystrophic features was highly predictive of the need for surgery, with the most significant individual predictors being vertebral scalloping and dural ectasia. A combination of radiographical and MRI features can be used to predict need for spinal surgery. Level of Evidence: 3
Health literacy and urbanicity among cancer patients.

PURPOSE Low health literacy is associated with inadequate health care utilization and poor health outcomes, particularly among elderly persons. There is a dearth of research exploring the relationship between health literacy and place of residence (urbanicity). This study examined the association between urbanicity and health literacy, as well as factors related to low health literacy, among cancer patients. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a population-based sample of 1,841 cancer patients in Wisconsin. Data on sociodemographics, urbanicity, clinical characteristics, insurance status, and health literacy were obtained from the state's cancer registry and participants' answers to a mailed questionnaire. Partially and fully adjusted multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to examine: (1) the association between urbanicity and health literacy and (2) the role of socioeconomic status as a possible mediator of this relationship. FINDINGS Rural cancer patients had a 33% (95% CI: 1.06-1.67) higher odds of having lower levels of health literacy than their counterparts in more urban areas of Wisconsin. The association between urbanicity and health literacy attenuated after controlling for socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS Level of urbanicity was significantly related to health literacy. Socioeconomic status fully mediated the relationship between urbanicity and health literacy. These results call for policies and interventions to assess and address health literacy barriers among cancer patients in rural areas.
Bio-Root and Implant-Based Restoration as a Tooth Replacement Alternative

We previously reported that dental stem cell–mediated bioengineered tooth root (bio-root) regeneration could restore tooth loss in a miniature pig model. As a potential new method for tooth restoration, it is essential to compare this method with the widely used commercial dental implant–based method of tooth restoration. Tooth loss models were created by extracting mandibular incisors from miniature pigs. Allogeneic periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were isolated and cultured. A PDLSC sheet was prepared by adding 20.0 µg/mL vitamin C to the culture medium; in addition, a hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP)/DPSC graft was fabricated and cultured in a 3-dimensional culture system. A total of 46 bio-root implantations and 9 dental implants were inserted, and crown restorations were performed 6 mo after implantation. Histological, radiological, biomechanical, and elemental analyses were used to evaluate and compare tissue-engineered bio-roots and dental implants to the natural tooth roots. After 6 mo, both computed tomography scans and histological examinations showed that root-like structures and dentin-like tissues had formed. Three months after crown restoration, clinical assessments revealed that tooth function was equivalent in the regenerated bio-root and the dental implant. Biomechanical testing showed that the bio-roots were similar to natural tooth roots in compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and torsional force; however, these properties were significantly higher in the dental implants. Elemental analysis revealed a higher similarity in elemental composition between bio-roots and natural tooth roots than between bio-roots and dental implants. However, the dental implant success rate was 100% (9 of 9) and the bio-root success rate was only 22% (10 of 46). Taken together, we showed that an allogeneic HA/TCP/DPSC/PDLSC sheet could successfully build a bio-root with structure and function similar to the natural tooth root; however, tissue engineering procedures must be optimized further to improve the success rate.
Surveillance of small round structured virus (SRSV) infection in England and Wales, 1990–5

Data from the national surveillance scheme for general outbreaks of intestinal disease, and the national laboratory reporting scheme were used to describe the epidemiology of small round structured virus (SRSV) infections in England and Wales. Between 1990 and 1995, there were 7492 laboratory reports of SRSV. Rates of reported illness were highest among infants, young children and the elderly. During 1992–5, some 707 SRSV outbreaks were reported. Outbreaks in hospital wards and residential facilities for the elderly accounted for 76% of the total, and annual numbers increased more than sixfold over the study period. There were wide regional variations in the numbers of SRSV outbreaks and laboratory reports. Both sporadic cases and outbreaks in the community are likely to be underestimated, but these passive surveillance systems provide an insight into the burden of SRSV infection among the institutionalized elderly.
Managing organizational entry in China: the roles of newcomer–supervisor exchange, incumbent support, and perceived insider status

Abstract The socialization literature has long recognized the important role of perceived insider status in facilitating newcomer adjustment, but knowledge on how to cultivate this desirable psychological state is limited. This study examines newcomer–supervisor exchange as an antecedent of perceived insider status of newcomers, which in turn facilitates their social adjustment and task mastery during organizational entry. We also explore incumbent support as a boundary condition for these effects. We conducted a survey study on 320 new employees and 92 supervisors in China. This study revealed that newcomer–supervisor exchange was related positively to newcomers’ perceived insider status, and perceived insider status mediated the positive relationships of newcomer–supervisor exchange with social adjustment and task mastery. In addition, incumbent support moderated the positive relationship between newcomer–supervisor exchange and perceived insider status, as well as the positive mediated relationships of newcomer–supervisor exchange with social adjustment and task mastery through perceived insider status. Specifically, these relationships were weaker when incumbent support was higher. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
COL6A1 Polymorphisms Associated With Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum and Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Study Design. A case–control association study was conducted to investigate the genetic etiology for ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL). Objective. To determine whether COL6A1 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to OLF and OPLL in Chinese Han population. Summary of Background Data. The COL6A1 has been identified as a susceptibility gene for OPLL in Japanese. The susceptibility gene for OPLL may be different among various populations, so we investigated whether COL6A1 polymorphisms are also associated with OPLL in Chinese Han population. OLF and OPLL are similar in epidemiology, etiology, and pathology, and common coexist. Hereditary factors may be implicated in OLF and COL6A1 may be a potential susceptibility gene for OLF, so we investigated the relations between COL6A1 polymorphisms and OLF. Methods. Four known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of COL6A1 were genotyped among 338 Chinese Han subjects by high throughput GenomeLab SNPstream genotyping system. Allele frequency and genotype distribution of each polymorphism were compared using a contingency &khgr;2 test between 183 cases (90 OPLL, 61 OLF, and 32 OPLL coexisting with OLF) and 155 controls. Results. Among 4 studied SNPs, allele frequency of promoter (−572T) SNP demonstrated the most significant difference not only between OPLL cases and controls (P = 2.65E-4), but also between OLF cases and controls (P =7.38E-4). Moreover, the overall frequency of haplotypes constructed from promoter (−572), intron 32 (−29), and intron 33 (+20) SNPs showed significant difference not only between the patients with OPLL and controls, but also between the patients with OLF and controls (P = 5.86E-3, P = 1.5E-8, respectively). Conclusion. This is the first report on SNPs of COL6A1 in OLF that suggests polymorphisms may be a risk factor for OLF. Our findings indicate that COL6A1 may be a common susceptibility gene for OLF and OPLL in Chinese Han population.
Family Firms and Labor Productivity: The Role of Enterprise‐Level Bargaining in the Italian Economy

We investigate the role of Italian firms in labor productivity performance. We find that family‐owned firms have lower labor productivity than their non‐family counterparts. In a second step, we estimate the role of firm‐level bargaining (FLB) to determine whether family‐controlled firms that adopt this type of bargaining may partially close the gap in terms of labor productivity with their non‐family competitors. Our results, obtained through IV estimation to control for endogeneity bias, suggest that enterprises under family governance achieve significant labor productivity gains—greater than those achieved by their non‐family counterparts—when they adopt firm‐level bargaining.
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: What a Neurologist Should Know

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are episodes of movement, sensation or behavior changes similar to epileptic seizures but without neurological origin. They are somatic manifestations of psychological distress. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the practical aspects of this, most often misdiagnosed disorder, which will be of clinical relevance to all practicing neurologists. Patients with PNES are often misdiagnosed and treated for epilepsy for years, resulting in significant morbidity. Video-EEG monitoring is the gold standard for diagnosis. Five to ten percent of outpatient epilepsy populations and 20 to 40 percent of inpatient and specialty epilepsy center patients have PNES. These patients inevitably have comorbid psychiatric illnesses, most commonly depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other dissociative and somatoform disorders, and personality pathology, especially borderline type. Many have a history of sexual and physical abuse. 75 to 85 percent of patients with PNES are women. Although PNES can occur at any age, they typically begin in young adulthood. Treatment involves discontinuing antiepileptic drugs in patients without concurrent epilepsy and referring for appropriate psychiatric care. Additional larger controlled studies to determine the best treatment modalities are needed.
Does intellectual capital allow improving innovation performance? A quantitative analysis in the SME context

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between the strength of intellectual capital (IC) and small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach Primary data of 150 SMEs belonging to manufacturing medium-high tech industries were collected through a survey. The methodology consists of a confirmatory factor analysis and a cluster analysis, complemented by a t-test, to assess whether there is a significant difference in terms of innovation performance of SMEs characterized by a different strength of IC. Findings Overall, the findings show that SMEs of the sample can be divided into two groups characterized by a different strength of IC, and those SMEs disclosing a higher strength of IC, in terms of human capital, innovation capital and relational capital, exhibit a significantly higher radical and incremental innovation performance. Practical implications The present study provides SME entrepreneurs and managers with an empirical evidence that possessing strong IC in its three dimensions seems to help SMEs reinforce their ability to generate both radical and incremental innovation. This calls that SME entrepreneurs and managers need to identify and effectively manage IC in order to strengthen and effectively leverage their investments on IC. Originality/value This study is particularly relevant because, instead of focusing on single categories of IC as previous studies mainly do, it adopts an overarching perspective of the dimensions of IC and their impact on both radical and incremental innovation performance. Moreover, it focuses on the SME context which has been less investigated than large firms within the domain of IC.