Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of glycoproteins in the epithelial cells of human and other mammalian gallbladder: A review

The mammalian gallbladder mucosa is lined by a simple columnar epithelium. Typical surface epithelial cells (principal cells) contain short microvilli, secretory granules, dense bodies, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. Dense bodies are thought to be lysosomes. Secretory granules contain mucous glycoproteins which are released to the lumen by exocytosis. Oligosaccharide side chains of mucous glycoproteins may provide a favorable environment for nucleation of cholesterol in gallstone formation; therefore they have been studied during the past decades. Histochemical techniques allow the in situ identification of carbohydrates at both the cellular and subcellular levels. The oligosaccharide chains of principal cell mucous glycoproteins have been studied by classical histochemical techniques (PAS, alcian blue, HID, etc). These techniques indicate that mammalian gallbladder mucous glycoproteins are heavily sulphated, whereas sialic acid residues are scarce. Neutral mucins have not been described in the mammalian gallbladder. Electron microscopic studies have located the oligosaccharide chains in secretory granules and Golgi apparatus. More recently, lectins (molecules which specifically recognize and bind with different saccharides or saccharide sequences) have been applied for the intracellular localization of carbohydrate residues. Lectin histochemistry has detected fucose, galactose, N‐acetylglucosamine, N‐acetylgalactosamine and N‐acetylneuraminic acid residues in mucous granules, Golgi apparatus and apical membrane of human principal cells. Mannose residues were observed only in dense bodies. The combined use of deglycosylation procedures and lectin histochemistry has revealed a variety of terminal sequences in oligosaccharide chains of gallbladder mucous glycoproteins: Neu5Ac(α2‐3)Gal(β1‐3)GalNAc, Neu5Ac(α2‐3)Gal(β1‐4)GlcNAc and Gal(β1‐4)GlcNAc. This technology also suggested the occurrence of N‐linked oligosaccharides in the dense bodies of principal cells. Mucous granules mainly contained mucin‐type O‐linked oligosaccharides although some N‐linked chains have also been detected. Gallstone formation is probably a complex process depending on multiple factors. Mucous glycoproteins are one of the factors involved in this process. Histochemical methods offer an excellent research tool for the characterization of glycoproteins in the epithelial cells of the gallbladder, thus contributing to the elucidation of the pathophysiology of gallstone formation. Microsc. Res. Tech., 38:616–630, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Efficacité post autorisation de mise sur le marché de la vaccination antigrippale saisonnière contre l’hospitalisation avec une grippe confirmée virologiquement chez l’adulte en Europe

Notre objectif etait de mesurer chez les adultes en Europe l’efficacite des vaccins (EV) anti-grippaux saisonniers contre l’hospitalisation avec une grippe confirmee en laboratoire. Nous avons coordonne une etude cas-temoins multicentrique dans 29 hopitaux de 12 pays entre 2011 et 2017. Nous avons fait une analyse des donnees groupees lors de chaque saison grippale. Entre 2011-12 et 2016-17, nous avons recrute 3436 cas de grippe et 5969 temoins. L’EV tous virus confondus etait de 26% ; elle etait de 40% chez les 18-64 ans, 25% chez les 65-79 ans et 23% chez les 80 ans et plus. Par saison, l’EV variait entre 15% en 2016-17 et 44% en 2013-14. L’EV etait particulierement basse chez les seniors lors des saisons grippales dominees par le sous-type de grippe A(H3N2), atteignant 10% en 2011-12 et 2016-17 chez les personnes âgees de 80 ans et plus. Nos resultats suggerent une EV faible a moderee contre la grippe hospitalisee chez l’adulte. Le renforcement et l’evaluation de modes de prevention complementaires, tels que l’usage prophylactique d’antiviraux, la vaccination du personnel soignant et les approches non-pharmaceutiques (masque, hygiene des mains) devraient etre une priorite.
Immobilization of Laccase Produced by Pycnoporus sanguineus for Reuse in the Remediation of Catechol

The catechol (1, 2-dihydroxybenzene) can be oxidized by enzymatic action, and then turned into quinone. Laccase (EC 1.10.3.2) is an enzyme produced mainly by fungi of white decomposition, which contains copper, and catalyzes the oxidation of phenolic substrates by coupling the reduction of O2 to water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reutilization of Alginate Chitosan Laccase (ACL) beads for remediation of the catechol. In this study, the laccase was produced by the fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus. For the immobilization of the enzyme, 2% calcium alginate and the culture supernatant of the fungus cultivation were used. The mixture was dropped into a solution containing 2% CaCl2, for formation of beads. To ensure resistance enabling the reuse the beads, they were immersed in 0.3% chitosan solution. Enzymatic activity, optimum pH and optimum temperature were determined for the ACL beads and free enzyme. For reuse assay, 13 enzymatic cycles were realized, under agitation. As a result, we obtained optimum pH of 5.0 for free enzyme and ACL beads, optimum temperature of 40°C for free enzyme and 50°C for ACL beads. In the reuse test, it was shown that after 13 cycles of enzymatic activity, i.e. oxidation of catechol, it was stable until the 7o cycle. It can be concluded that the present study was effective for immobilization of laccase enzyme and oxidation of catechol.
Personality, Ideology, Intelligence, and Self-Rated Strengths

This study looked at the individual difference correlates of self-rated character strengths and virtues. In all, 280 adults completed a short 24-item measure of strengths, a short personality measure of the Big Five traits and a fluid intelligence test. The Cronbach alphas for the six higher order virtues were satisfactory but factor analysis did not confirm the a priori classification yielding five interpretable factors. These factors correlated significantly with personality and intelligence. Intelligence and neuroticism were correlated negatively with all the virtues, while extraversion and conscientiousness were positively correlated with all virtues. Structural equation modeling showed personality and religiousness moderated the effect of intelligence on the virtues. Extraversion and openness were the largest correlates of the virtues. The use of shortened measured in research is discussed.
Validity of Psychological Assessment: Validation of Inferences from Persons' Responses and Performances as Scientific Inquiry into Score Meaning. Research Report RR-94-45.

The traditional conception of validity divides it into three separate and substitutable types – namely, content, criterion, and construct validities. This view is fragmented and incomplete, especially in failing to take into account evidence of the value implications of score meaning as a basis for action and of the social consequences of score use. The new unified concept of validity interrelates these issues as fundamental aspects of a more comprehensive theory of construct validity addressing both score meaning and social values in both test interpretation and test use. That is, unified validity integrates considerations of content, criteria, and consequences into a construct framework for empirically testing rational hypotheses about score meaning and theoretically relevant relationships, including those of both an applied and a scientific nature. Six distinguishable aspects of construct validity are highlighted as a means of addressing central issues implicit in the notion of validity as a unified concept. These are content, substantive, structural, generalizability, external, and consequential aspects of construct validity. In effect, these six aspects function as general validity criteria or standards for all educational and psychological measurement, including performance assessments, which are discussed in some detail because of their increasing emphasis in educational and employment settings.
Perceived Entitativity and the Black-Sheep Effect: When Will We Denigrate Negative Ingroup Members?

ABSTRACT Although ingroup favoritism is a robust effect, there are notable exceptions. For example, the outgroup extremity effect indicates outgroup derogation, whereas the black-sheep effect indicates ingroup derogation. We propose that perceived entitativity, the degree to which a group is viewed as a unified social entity, may help explain ingroup derogation. Negative ingroup members from high perceived entitativity groups may pose a meaningful threat to the perceiver's social identity that can be alleviated by denigrating the target (i.e., the black-sheep effect). Participants evaluated high or low quality essays attributed to ingroup and outgroup members. Participants did not differentiate based on ingroup/outgroup membership for low perceived entitativity groups. However, when rating high perceived entitativity groups, ingroup extremity emerged. These results confirm and provide explanations for ingroup denigration.
Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the breast

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the breast is a rare malignancy, with fewer than 20 cases documented in the literature. Given the paucity of reported cases, there is limited information available to guide the diagnosis and management of patients with this tumor. We present a case of a 39-year-old woman with a palpable right breast mass that was initially diagnosed by core needle biopsy as infiltrating carcinoma with prominent lymphoplasmacytic stroma. Subsequent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide resulted in a marked decrease in the size of the mass. After wide local surgical excision, pathology revealed a lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the breast. Given the excellent treatment response, our experience may help clinicians determine future therapeutic strategies for this rare breast tumor.
An adaptive linear prediction algorithm for joint blind equalization and blind multiuser detection in CDMA

An adaptive algorithm based on linear prediction is presented for joint blind equalization and multiuser detection for asynchronous CDMA systems in multipath propagation. The linear prediction is computationally efficient and numerically robust. It is shown that the new method is insensitive to estimation error of propagation delay, or chip timing. Simulation results show that the proposed method is also near-far resistant, and compare favorably to many existing methods.
Intensive Conventional Insulin Therapy for Type II Diabetes: Metabolic effects during a 6-mo outpatient trial

Objective— To determine whether tight glycemic control can be obtained using intensive conventional split-dose insulin therapy in the outpatient management of type II diabetes without development of unacceptable side effects. Research Design and Methods— Fourteen type II diabetic subjects were treated with an intensive program of conventional insulin (subcutaneous NPH and regular insulin before breakfast and supper) for 6 mo. Insulin dose adjustments were based on an algorithm built on frequent CPG measurements (4–6 times/day). Patients were monitored biweekly as outpatients and admitted 1 day/mo for metabolic evaluation. Results— Glycemic control was achieved by 1 mo (mean plasma glucose fell from 17.5 ± 0.9 to 7.7 ± 0.7 mM, P < 0.001) and remained in this range thereafter. Hypoglycemic events at 1 mo were infrequent (mean ± SE events per patient per month: 4.1 ± 0.3) and mild in nature, and progressively decreased to 1.3 ± 0.5 events/mo by 6 mo. After treatment, basal HGO fell 44% from 628 ± 44 to 350 ± 17 μmol·m−2·min−1 (P < 0.001), and maximal rates of glucose disposal measured by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (1800 pmol·m−2·min−1) improved from 1418 ± 156 to 1657 ± 128 μmol·m−2·min−1 (P < 0.05). The total dose of exogenous insulin required was 86 ± 13 U at 1 mo and 100 ± 24 U at 6 mo. During treatment, mean serum insulin levels increased from 308 ± 80 to 510 ± 102 pM (P < 0.05), while body weight increased from 93.5 ± 5.8 to 102.2 ± 6.8 kg (P < 0.001). Both pre- and posttreatment glucose disposal rates correlated with the total exogenous insulin dose required to achieve glycemic control (r = −0.75 and −0.78, both P < 0.005). Weight gain was inversely related to the pretreatment glucose disposal rate (r = −0.53, P < 0.05) and directly correlated with both mean day-long serum insulin level (r = 0.67, P < 0.01) and total exogenous insulin dose (r = 0.62, P < 0.02). Conclusions— Intensive CIT, when combined with CBG measurements, can be used to rapidly improve glycemic control in type II diabetes without development of unacceptable hypoglycemia. This degree of metabolic improvement, however, requires large doses of exogenous insulin to overcome peripheral insulin resistance and results in greater hyperinsulinemia with progressive weight gain.
Biomechanical Measures of Neuromuscular Control and Valgus Loading of the Knee Predict Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk in Female Athletes: A Prospective Study

Background Female athletes participating in high-risk sports suffer anterior cruciate ligament injury at a 4- to 6-fold greater rate than do male athletes. Hypothesis Prescreened female athletes with subsequent anterior cruciate ligament injury will demonstrate decreased neuromuscular control and increased valgus joint loading, predicting anterior cruciate ligament injury risk. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods There were 205 female athletes in the high-risk sports of soccer, basketball, and volleyball prospectively measured for neuromuscular control using 3-dimensional kinematics (joint angles) and joint loads using kinetics (joint moments) during a jump-landing task. Analysis of variance as well as linear and logistic regression were used to isolate predictors of risk in athletes who subsequently ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament. Results Nine athletes had a confirmed anterior cruciate ligament rupture; these 9 had significantly different knee posture and loading compared to the 196 who did not have anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Knee abduction angle (P <. 05) at landing was 8° greater in anterior cruciate ligament-injured than in uninjured athletes. Anterior cruciate ligament-injured athletes had a 2.5 times greater knee abduction moment (P <. 001) and 20% higher ground reaction force (P <. 05), whereas stance time was 16% shorter; hence, increased motion, force, and moments occurred more quickly. Knee abduction moment predicted anterior cruciate ligament injury status with 73% specificity and 78% sensitivity; dynamic valgus measures showed a predictive r2 of 0.88. Conclusion Knee motion and knee loading during a landing task are predictors of anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in female athletes. Clinical Relevance Female athletes with increased dynamic valgus and high abduction loads are at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury. The methods developed may be used to monitor neuromuscular control of the knee joint and may help develop simpler measures of neuromuscular control that can be used to direct female athletes to more effective, targeted interventions.
Vaccination Against Helicobacter pylori in Non‐Human Primate Models and Humans

Several vaccination studies have been performed in monkeys and humans testing the feasibility of prophylactic and therapeutic immunizations against Helicobacter pylori. The monkey studies showed that immune responses were induced by oral vaccination with the mucosal adjuvant LT (Escherichia coli heat‐labile enterotoxin), parenteral administration with a cationic lipid adjuvant, and by mucosal priming followed by parenteral boosts. Both prophylactic and therapeutic activities were demonstrated in monkeys, providing a strong impetus for human vaccine trials. Preliminary studies in humans were undertaken in order to identify a tolerable dose of LT adjuvant or to test the effectiveness of mutant atoxic LT adjuvants. The results from these preliminary studies suggest that native LT causes diarrhoea at doses required for adjuvanticity while a mutant LT does not. In one study in which infected human subjects were vaccinated with orally administered urease antigen with native LT, there was a modest reduction in the level of H. pylori gastric colonization. A second clinical study employing H. pylori whole cell antigen and a mutant LT in infected subjects showed immune responses and although the subjects remained infected, the study was not designed to measure reduction in H. pylori colonization. Recombinant Salmonella expressing urease and other H. pylori antigens have been effective in mice (see accompanying Frontlines Topic Review by John O. Nedrud [ 1 ]), but monkey studies are not possible because of host range restriction. Human trials of parenteral immunization, mucosal immunization with mutant LT and live Salmonella vectors are needed to fully assess the ability of vaccines to prevent or treat H. pylori infections.
Quantifying the eddy diffusivity of the Southern Ocean II : spatial variability and the role of the mean flow

A diagnostic framework is presented, based on the Nakamura e ffective diffusivity, to investigate the regional variation in eddy diffusivity. Comparison of three different diffusivity calculations enables the effects of locall y enhanced tracer diffusion to be distinguished from the streamwise average and the dist inct on between locally generated complexity in the tracer structure and betw e n that advected into a particular domain. The results highlight the important ro le the mean flow plays in determining the eddy diffusivity. The effective diffusi vity is not simply related to the eddy kinetic energy: in the presence of a strong mean flo w the eddy diffusivity can be suppressed even in the presence of moderately s trong eddy activity, conversely in a region of weak mean flow the eddy diffusivity c an be enhanced even in the presence of only weak eddy activity. This casts do ubt n the ability of paramterizations based solely on the eddy kinetic energy to adequately characterize the eddy diffusivity in regions of strongly varying mean flow such as the Southern Ocean. The results are, however, consistent with the eddy tr ansport and mixing variability predicted by potential vorticity based argume nts. JULY 2008 SHUCKBURGH ET Al. 3
Cutting and closing without recombination in V(D)J joining.

Open and shut junctions are rare (V(D)J joining products in which site‐specific recognition, cleavage and re‐ligation of joining signals has been uncoupled from recombination. Here, we investigate the relationship of opening and shutting to recombination in two ways. First, we have tested a series of substrates containing one or two joining signals in an in vivo assay. Opening and shutting can be readily observed in substrates that have only one consensus joining signal. Thus, unlike recombination, the majority of open and shut events do not require interactions between two canonical joining signals. Next we examined two‐signal substrates to investigate the effect of signal proximity on the frequency of dual open and shut events. These experiments indicate that at least some of the time opening and shutting can be a two‐signal transaction. Together these results point to two mechanistically related, but distinct origins for open and shut joining events. In one case, cutting and closing may occur without interaction between two signals. In the other, we suggest that interaction of a canonical signal with ‘cryptic’ signal‐like elements whose sequence is extensively diverged from canonical signals, may bias the V(D)J recombination machinery towards opening and shutting rather than recombination. Open and shut operations could in this way provide a means whereby mistakes in target recognition by the V(D)J recombination machinery produce a non‐recombinant outcome, avoiding deleterious chromosomal rearrangements in lymphoid tissues.
Perinatal Factors Affecting Serum Hepcidin Levels in Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Background: Hepcidin, an iron-regulatory hormone, plays a key role in preventing iron overload. Few studies have investigated the regulation of hepcidin in low-birth-weight (LBW) infants who are vulnerable to iron imbalance. Objectives: To identify perinatal factors associated with serum hepcidin levels in LBW infants. Methods: Ninety-two LBW infants with a median gestational age (GA) of 32.6 weeks and birth weight of 1,587 g were prospectively enrolled. Serum hepcidin-25 (Hep25) levels were measured from umbilical cord blood using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The relationship between Hep25 levels and prematurity or other possible hepcidin-regulatory factors was evaluated. Results: The median Hep25 level was 7.3 ng/mL (interquartile range: 2.85-16.38). log(Hep25) correlated with birth weight (r = 0.229, p = 0.028), log(interleukin-6 [IL-6]) (r = 0.408, p < 0.001), log(erythropoietin) (r = -0.302, p = 0.004), transferrin saturation (r = 0.29, p = 0.005), soluble transferrin receptor (r = -0.500, p < 0.001), and log(ferritin) (r = 0.696, p < 0.001). Serum iron and hemoglobin levels did not correlate with log(Hep25). Hep25 levels were higher among infants with chorioamnionitis and infants born vaginally and lower among infants born to mothers with pregnancy-induced hypertension than among infants without the respective characteristics. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the significant association of log(Hep25) with GA, log(IL-6), log(erythropoietin), and soluble transferrin receptor. Conclusions: Among LBW infants, GA, IL-6, erythropoietin, and soluble transferrin receptor were associated with Hep25 levels. Therefore, prematurity, inflammation, hypoxia, and erythropoietic activity may be important perinatal factors that affect hepcidin levels.
YSDD: a novel mutation in HBV DNA polymerase confers clinical resistance to lamivudine

Summary. The emergence of drug‐resistant virus in hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients treated with lamivudine is well documented. In this study, we determined the mutations occurring in the tyrosine–methionine–aspartate–aspartate (YMDD) amino acid motif of the HBV DNA polymerase gene, as well as upstream and downstream of this region, in patients with breakthrough virus during lamivudine therapy. Thirty‐one Turkish patients (20 patients HBeAg positive, 11 patients HBeAg negative and anti‐HBe positive) with chronic HBV infection who completed at least 104 weeks of lamivudine treatment were investigated. All patients received lamivudine, (150 mg/day), for 104 weeks, with or without 4 months of interferon (IFN) combination. HBV‐specific sequences were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from sera of patients with breakthrough virus, and the PCR products were directly analysed by sequencing. Breakthrough virus was detected in seven of the 31 patients (22.6%) between 9 and 18 months of therapy. Of the seven patients, six were HBeAg positive at baseline, and four had a double mutation consisting of rtM204V and rtL180M, while two had an rtM204I change. In one patient, two base substitutions at rt204 (ATG → AGT; T to G and G to T) lead to a methionine to serine change (YMDD → YSDD). This novel DNA pol mutation was detected at month 18 of lamivudine treatment. In addition, this new variant had the rtL180M mutation and a 12 base pair deletion in the pre‐S1 region between nucleotides 43–54. The YSDD mutation was still present 6 months after lamivudine discontinuation.In vitro transfection studies also confirmed that the YSDD strain is resistant to lamivudine. In conclusion, the results indicate that, in addition to a Met → Val and Met → Ile change in YMDD, a Met → Ser change at rt204 (YMDD → YSDD) associated with the rtL180M change can also emerge during lamivudine treatment, which confers lamivudine resistance in vivo and in vitro, leading to virological breakthrough and ALT increases.