Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multivariate analysis of the prognostic significance of DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction in ovarian cancer determined by flow cytometry following detection of cytokeratin-labeled tumor cells.

OBJECTIVE The outcome of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is poor despite aggressive therapy including surgery and multiagent chemotherapy. Valid prognostic factors are necessary to estimate the course of the disease and to define biologically similar subgroups for analysis of therapeutic efficacy. METHODS This study is the first published prospective study concerning the prognostic significance of DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction in ovarian cancer following enrichment of tumor cells by cytokeratin labeling. Epithelial cells were labeled by FITC-conjugated cytokeratin antibody (CK 5, 6, 8, and 17) prior to flow cytometric cell cycle analysis in 129 fresh specimens of primary ovarian cancer. RESULTS Recurrence-free survival of patients with DNA-diploid primary ovarian cancer was significantly better compared to that of patients with DNA-aneuploid tumors in univariate analysis (47% vs 18%, P = 0.01). The tumor-dependent overall survival of patients with DNA-diploid tumors was 57% compared to 30% with DNA-aneuploid tumors (P = 0.04). In FIGO stage III ovarian cancer DNA-ploidy, optimized by cytokeratin gating for tumor cells, achieved independent prognostic significance. No significance was found for S-phase fraction. However, despite convincing methodological advantages in the detection of DNA-aneuploid subpopulations the clinical significance of cytokeratin gating of epithelial cells was only marginal. CONCLUSION DNA-ploidy has been shown to be as powerful or even more so in comparison to postoperative residual tumor in multivariate analysis for predicting clinical outcome in advanced ovarian cancer. Thus, determination of DNA-ploidy should be introduced to currently recruiting phase III studies for therapy of ovarian cancer for better definition of prognostic subgroups.
Effects of insulin and dietary myoinositol on impaired peripheral motor nerve conduction velocity in acute streptozotocin diabetes.

The factors influencing the development of impaired sciatic motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) in acute experimental diabetes were examined. Decreased MNCV developed by the 14th day after streptozotocin administration but only in rats which became hyperglycemic. Insulin treatment, begun on day 3, failed to prevent imparied MNCV in diabetic rats in which improved or normal weight gain and a decreased degree of hyperglycemia was induced. However, insulin treatment prevented the development of impaired MNCV in a group of diabetic rats in which the tail vein plasma glucose concentration was never found to exceed 160 mg/dl during days 6 through 14, andin which the mean plus or minus SEM of the average plasma glucose concentration for each animal during the same period was 75 plus or minus 18 mg/dl. In normal rats fed diets containing 0.011% or 0.069% free myoinositol (a presumably normal range), sciatic nerve free myoinositol concentrations were 90- and 60-fold higher than those in plasma. On these diets the development of impaired MNCV in the diabetics was associated with a decrease in nerve free myoinositol as compared with nerves from normals fed the same diet, despite similar plasma levels in the normals and diabetics. Plasma and nerve free myoinositol increased with increasing dietary myoinositol content in both normals and diabetics, and nerve myoinositol content could be acutely increased by an i.p. myoinositol load. By supplementing the diets with 1.0% myoinositol, the difference in nerve myoinositol in normal and diabetic rats on day 14 was abolished; on this diet the development of impaired MNCV in the diabetics was moderated or totally prevented, despite persistent hyperglycemia and elevated nerve sorbitol and fructose concentrations. Insulin treatment that prevented impaired MNCV prevented a decrease in nerve myoinositol in diabetics. These studies suggest that insulin deficiency, and possibly hyperglycemia, are primary factors in the development of imparied MNCV in acute experimental diabetes. However, the development of impaired MNCV appears to be related in some manner to a derangement in the regulation of nerve free myoinositol content, which appears to be subject to modification by increases in plasma myoinositol concentration over a critical range.
Health and social consequences of marital violence: A synthesis of evidence from India

Health and social consequences of marital violence: A synthesis of evidence from India This report synthesises what is known about the health and social consequences of marital violence for women in India. It includes both a review of published and unpublished materials, and the presentation of new evidence, from further analysis of surveys of youth available to the Population Council, of these consequences for young women in India. The review focuses on sexual, reproductive and child health consequences, including contraceptive use, experience of symptoms of infection, pregnancy-related care, unintended pregnancy and abortion, foetal, perinatal and early childhood mortality; maternal and child nutrition; and mental health outcomes. It also reviews evidence of a range of social outcomes including substance use, women's autonomy and self-efficacy; and inter-generational effects (witnessing parental violence when growing up). The study was undertaken with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), India. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. The Population Council is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organisation that seeks to improve the wellbeing and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science and public health research, and helps build research capacities in developing countries. iii Acknowledgements vii Executive summary xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Introduction and objectives 1 Definitions and consequences of intimate partner violence: Framework for analysis 2 Methodology 4 Chapter 2: Marital violence in India: The situation 6 Chapter 3: Marital violence and sexual and reproductive health consequences 12 Modern contraceptive use 12 Unintended pregnancy and abortion 16 Reproductive tract infection, sexually transmitted infection and HIV 22 Pregnancy-related complications and care seeking 32 Foetal, perinatal and early childhood mortality 36 Chapter 4: Marital violence and the nutritional status of women and children 44 Nutritional status of women 44 Nutritional status of children 44 Chapter 5: Marital violence and mental health consequences 50 Chapter 6: Marital violence and social consequences 58 Substance use 58 Women's …
Physicochemical Properties of Amphotericin B Liposomes Prepared by Reverse-Phase Evaporation Method

Abstract The physicochemical properties of phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol liposomes containing amphotericin B and prepared by reverse-phase evaporation method were studied. Uniformly dispersed liposomal suspensions were obtained by employing 3:1 ratio (by volume) of diethyl ether to normal saline, 5 min sonication time at 7°C, and evaporation of diethyl ether at 25°C. Microscopic examination showed that the prepared liposomes were spheroids with unilamellar, oligolamellar, or multilamellar structure. The liposomes containing amphotericin B 2.0 mol% of total lipid led to the highest percentage of drug entrapment. Liposomes with maximum entrapment efficiency were obtained from using 250 µmol of total lipid. The liposomal amphotericin B possessing the highest drug entrapment efficiency (approximately 95%) with particle size range of 1307–1451 nm was the one composed of 1:1 molar ratio of phosphatidylcholine to cholesterol.
Seasonal Variations of T-Cell Cytokine Pattern in Peripheral Blood from Atopic Subjects

Previous studies on the effect of seasonal exposure to the sensitizing antigen on T-cell cytokine pattern from atopic subjects evaluated T-cell cytokine production by titration in the serum or culture supernatants. The purpose of this study was to determine the seasonal variations of T-cell cytokine pattern from atopic subjects at the single-cell level. We examined the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon -γ expression in peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from 11 subjects with grass-pollen-sensitive allergy before and during the 1999 grass pollen season using a flow cytometric method of intracellular cytokine detection. Eight healthy volunteers served as the control group. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes showed no seasonal variations of IL-4- and interferon-γ-producing T cells in atopic subjects. However, there was a decreased percentage of IL-4-producing cells among peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from the atopic subjects both during and outside the pollen season in comparison to the controls. We did not find seasonal variations of T-cell cytokine pattern in peripheral blood from atopic subjects. However, we observed a decreased percentage of IL-4-producing T cells in peripheral blood from these subjects in comparison to healthy controls. These data add to the view of a continuous migration of T helper 2 (TH2) cells from the blood to the tissues of primary allergen exposure.
Effects of intracerebroventricular administration of D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, on luteininizing hormone release in ovariectomized lambs.

To determine whether endogenous glutamate and aspartate control LH secretion via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the sheep, we evaluated the effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP5) on secretion of LH in ovariectomized lambs. Twelve lambs were ovariectomized and surgically implanted with lateral cerebroventricular cannulae. At the time of the experiment, (38 wk of age) they received intracerebrally 4 injections of either 50 (n = 4), 100 (n = 4), or 200 micrograms (n = 4) of AP5. Blood samples were collected every 10 min for 8 h with animals receiving AP5 at hours 4, 5, 6, and 7. Patterns of LH during the preinjection period were compared to those during the period encompassing AP5 injections. Mean concentrations of LH were lower during AP5 injections than during the preinjection periods, a response that was not influenced by dose (0.87 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.69 +/- .07 ng/ml; p < 0.01). LH pulse amplitude decreased during AP5 treatment relative to the preinjection periods, but this difference was not statistically significant (0.79 +/- 0.11 vs. 0.68 +/- 0.10 ng/ml; p = 0.09). There were no effects of AP5 on LH pulse frequency (1.00 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.83 +/- 0.15 pulses/h for injection and preinjection periods; p > 0.10). A second experiment was done to evaluate a higher dose of AP5. Four animals were chosen to receive 4 injections of 2 mg of AP5 in a design identical to that used in the first experiment.
Retrospective Clinical Studies in Microsurgery: Has the Quality of Reporting Changed in the Last 2 Decades?

BACKGROUND Although the level of evidence is an important parameter during critical appraisal, the quality of reporting is similarly relevant. It is surprising that no objective analysis of the quality of reporting of the most common group of studies (ie, evidence level 4) has been performed to date. METHODS A hand search was conducted including all issues of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, British Journal of Plastic Surgery, Journal of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Annals of Plastic Surgery, and Microsurgery for the years 1992, 2002, and 2012. All evidence level 4 studies with a focus on microsurgical reconstruction were included in the study. To assess the quality of reporting, a modification of an established quality assessment scale for retrospective clinical studies was used. This instrument generates a total possible score of 32, with a score of lower than 11, 12 to 21, and 22 to 32 representing poor, fair, and good quality of reporting, respectively. RESULTS A total of 223 studies were included in the final analysis. An increase in the number of published case series was noted (46, 73, and 104 in 1992, 2002, and 2012, respectively). Similarly, an increase in the median number of patients was seen over time (8 [range, 2-165], 11 [range, 2-660], and 16 [range, 2-819] patients in 1992, 2002, and 2012, respectively) (P = 0.03). Most of the studies were conducted in Asia (38.1%) and North America (30.5%) and predominantly focused on head and neck (30.5%) as well as lower extremity reconstruction (21.5%). Although the quality of reporting was poor in 1992 and 2002 (median score, 10 [range, 3-19] in both years), an improvement to a fair quality of reporting was noted in 2012 (median score, 13 [range, 4-24]) (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The trend to publish an increasing number of case series with a focus on microsurgical reconstruction is paralleled by an improvement in the quality of reporting. Although a favorable trend is seen, increased efforts are indicated to further improve the quality of case series in microsurgery.
An investigation into the internal business logic required for successful strategic customer service initiatives in organisations offering clients an integrated package of products and services

Purpose: This paper is directed at gaining an understanding of the internal business logic of an organisation in order to better determine the requirements for a successful customer service initiative in an organisation offering an integrated package of products and services. Problem Investigated: Customer service strategies rarely have any meaningful impact within the product development departments of service-oriented organisations. A different approach is therefore required to engender a service culture within product development. Methodology: A literature study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the concept of Service-Dominant Logic and service-transition strategies (such as servitization); the problem statement was supported and research objectives empirically achieved through a series of open-ended interviews and focus groups (qualitative, narrative-enquiry) following a purposive sampling strategy. Findings and Conclusion: The results revealed that a servicedominant environment or service culture are not natural phenomena that occur following a customer service initiative. Rather a service culture can be borne from a service-dominant environment when a complex-adaptive systems theory to organisational management is utilised. A positive impact on customer satisfaction was also identified due to the organisational culture at play within the product-development departments. Value of the Research: The results suggest that product development strategies that address the `mind of the customer' rather than just the `voice of the customer' can -through the use of a complex-adaptive systems management theory - engender a service-orientation which will lead to better customer satisfaction and therefore a higher degree of competitiveness for the organisation at large.
Stress and Hypothermia in Mice in A Nose-Only Cigarette Smoke Exposure System

In nose-only exposure systems, animals need to be restrained inside a tube, which leads to stress. Stress is known to cause hyperthermia in rodents. Chronically repeated episodes of hyperthermia could be detrimental to animal health and influence results of nose-only exposure studies. Therefore we investigated whether hyperthermia occurred in male C57BL/6J mice that were restrained for increasing lengths of time, using nosepieces held at room temperature, preheated at 37°C, or thermostat controlled at different temperatures, with and without exposure to different concentrations of cigarette smoke. Body temperature, body weight, plasma corticosterone levels, and adrenal weights were recorded. Restraint using nosepieces at room temperature caused a time-dependent decrease in body temperature, which could be reversed by preheating the nosepieces to 37°C. Cigarette smoke dose-dependently caused an additional decrease, which was counteracted by controlling nosepiece temperature at 38°C. During 3 mo of exposure using heated nosepieces, Δ body temperature remained constant. Body weight gain did not differ between smoke-exposed and room air-breathing animals exposed using either heated or room-temperature nosepieces, but both groups gained significantly less weight, while adrenal weights were significantly and similarly increased, when compared to unrestrained littermates. Plasma corticosterone levels did not differ between the three groups. In conclusion, during restraint in nose-only exposure tubes with room temperature metal nosepieces, mice suffer a pronounced hypothermia. Preventing this by heating the nosepieces does not reduce the stress experienced by the animals.
Metazoan parasite communities of rock cod Eleginops maclovinus along southern Chilean coast and their use as biological tags at a local spatial scale.

The composition of the metazoan parasite fauna of the rock cod Eleginops maclovinus from three locations in southern Chile was compared to assess the local spatial variation of the community component of their parasitic faunas. A total of 13 108 metazoan parasites (5267 endoparasites and 7841 ectoparasites) belonging to 34 taxa were collected from 268 specimens of E. maclovinus between October 2008 and March 2009. The populations and community quantitative descriptors were estimated. Altogether, 97.4% of the fish were infected with at least one parasite taxon. The most prevalent species were Hypoechinorhynchus magellanicus (Acanthocephala), Caligus rogercresseyi, Lepeophtheirus mugiloides, Clavella adunca (Copepoda) and Similascarophis sp. (Nematoda). Five species are new records for this host: Argulus araucanus, Hirudinea gen. sp1. , Hirudinea gen. sp2. , Benedenia sp. and Camallanidae gen. sp. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed that the metazoan parasite fauna of E. maclovinus varied qualitatively and quantitatively among three locations, with 89.7% of fish being correctly assigned to their respective locations. This suggested that parasites could be a reliable tool to discriminate individual fish from geographically close locations. There was a weak relationship between the parasite fauna and fish size and there were no accumulations of parasites in the host over time, which could be associated with ontogenetic changes of diet associated with habitat use.
Antiretroviral Treatment Effect on Immune Activation Reduces Cerebrospinal Fluid HIV-1 Infection

Objective:To define the effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on activation of T cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, and interactions of this activation with CSF HIV-1 RNA concentrations. Design:Cross-sectional analysis of 14 HIV-negative subjects and 123 neuroasymptomatic HIV-1-infected subjects divided into 3 groups: not on ART (termed “offs”), on ART with plasma HIV-1 RNA >500 copies/mL (“failures”), and on ART with plasma HIV-1 RNA ≤500 copies/mL (“successes”). T-cell activation was measured by coexpression of CD38 and human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR). Other measurements included CSF neopterin and white blood cell (WBC) counts. Results:CD8 T-cell activation in CSF and blood was highly correlated across all subjects and was highest in the offs, lower in the failures, and lower still in the successes. While CD8 activation was reduced in failures compared to offs across the range of plasma HIV-1, it maintained a coincident relation to CSF HIV-1 in both viremic groups. In addition to correlation with CSF HIV-1 concentrations, CD8 activation in blood and CSF correlated with CSF WBCs and CSF neopterin. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of blood CD8 T-cell activation, along with plasma HIV-1 RNA and CSF neopterin, with CSF HIV-1 RNA levels. Conclusions:The similarity of CD8 T-cell activation in blood and CSF suggests these cells move from blood to CSF with only minor changes in CD38/HLA-DR expression. Differences in the relation of CD8 activation to HIV-1 concentrations in the blood and CSF in the 2 viremic groups suggest that changes in immune activation not only modulate CSF HIV-1 replication but also contribute to CSF treatment effects. The magnitude of systemic HIV-1 infection and intrathecal macrophage activation are also important determinants of CSF HIV-1 RNA levels.
Diets Alter the Gut Microbiome of Crocodile Lizards

The crocodile lizard is a critically endangered reptile, and serious diseases have been found in this species in recent years, especially in captive lizards. Whether these diseases are caused by changes in the gut microbiota and the effect of captivity on disease remains to be determined. Here, we examined the relationship between the gut microbiota and diet and disease by comparing the fecal microbiota of wild lizards with those of sick and healthy lizards in captivity. The gut microbiota in wild crocodile lizards was consistently dominated by Proteobacteria (∼56.4%) and Bacteroidetes (∼19.1%). However, the abundance of Firmicutes (∼2.6%) in the intestine of the wild crocodile lizards was distinctly lower than that in other vertebrates. In addition, the wild samples from Guangdong Luokeng Shinisaurus crocodilurus National Nature Reserve also had a high abundance of Deinococcus–Thermus while the wild samples from Guangxi Daguishan Crocodile Lizard National Nature Reserve had a high abundance of Tenericutes. The gut microbial community in loach-fed crocodile lizards was significantly different from the gut microbial community in the earthworm-fed and wild lizards. In addition, significant differences in specific bacteria were detected among groups. Notably, in the gut microbiota, the captive lizards fed earthworms resulted in enrichment of Fusobacterium, and the captive lizards fed loaches had higher abundances of Elizabethkingia, Halomonas, Morganella, and Salmonella, all of which are pathogens or opportunistic pathogens in human or other animals. However, there is no sufficient evidence that the gut microbiota contributes to either disease A or disease B. These results provide a reference for the conservation of endangered crocodile lizards and the first insight into the relationship between disease and the gut microbiota in lizards.