Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of soft tissue tumours by Tru‐Cut® biopsy

Tru‐Cut® biopsies were obtained from 52 consecutive patients referred with soft tissue tumours. Forty‐five patients had soft tissue sarcomas; seven had benign soft tissue tumours. Of the biopsies 96 per cent provided adequate material for diagnosis. The histological diagnosis made from the Tru‐Cut biopsy was compared with that made from the resected specimen. There were no false positive diagnoses of malignancy. The accuracy of Tru‐Cut biopsy was 98 per cent for the diagnosis of malignancy and 94 per cent for the diagnosis of sarcoma. Tumour subtype was correctly specified in 85 per cent of sarcomas and tumour grade in 88 per cent. Tru‐Cut biopsy should replace open biopsy as the primary means of diagnosis of soft tissue tumours unless a satisfactory tissue sample cannot be obtained.
Effects of dietary energy levels using calcium salts of fatty acids on nutritive value of diets and milk quality in peripartum dairy goats

Peripartum is a critical period for dairy goats, as dry matter intake (DMI) is not enough to supply the energy requirement for foetal growth and subsequent lactation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) to increase dietary energy level of peripartum dairy goats and its effects on nutritive value of diets and milk quality. Twenty multiparous Saanen goats (body weight 63.5±10.3 kg) were distributed in a completely randomised design in four treatments at the following dietary energy levels: 2.6 Mcal of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter (Mcal ME/kg DM) - control diet; and 2.7, 2.8, and 2.9 Mcal/kg DM - with added CSFA. Goats were housed in individual stalls and evaluated in the peripartum period, by measuring body weight (BW), DMI, dry matter and nutrient digestibility of diets, blood composition, and milk quality and yield. Increasing dietary energy level to 2.9 Mcal ME/kg DM had no effect on BW and did not limit DMI. CSFA supplementation increased intake of total digestible nutrients and did not affect fibre digestion. Blood triglycerides and cholesterol concentration increased with CSFA addition. The treatments had no effect on milk yield and composition; however, CSFA supplementation changed the fatty acid concentration of milk fat, increasing levels of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids. In conclusion, peripartum dairy goats supplemented with CSFA to increase dietary energy level up to 2.9 Mcal ME/kg DM had a greater supply of total digestible nutrients and showed altered fatty acid concentration of milk fat.
Local specific immunotherapy in allergic conjunctivitis

Abstract We evaluated the effect of local specific immunotherapy in 40 patients suffering from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. Twenty patients received saline solution in both eyes; and 20 others received local specific immunotherapy in both eyes. Sodium cromoglycate drops were instilled in both eyes in all patients. Subjective and objective symptoms, and cytological findings had significantly improved after 1 year in the group treated with local specific immunotherapy plus sodium cromoglycate compared to the group treated with sodium cromoglycate and saline solution.
Changing nuclear landscape and unique PML structures during early epigenetic transitions of human embryonic stem cells

The complex nuclear structure of somatic cells is important to epigenomic regulation, yet little is known about nuclear organization of human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Here we surveyed several nuclear structures in pluripotent and transitioning hESC. Observations of centromeres, telomeres, SC35 speckles, Cajal Bodies, lamin A/C and emerin, nuclear shape and size demonstrate a very different “nuclear landscape” in hESC. This landscape is remodeled during a brief transitional window, concomitant with or just prior to differentiation onset. Notably, hESC initially contain abundant signal for spliceosome assembly factor, SC35, but lack discrete SC35 domains; these form as cells begin to specialize, likely reflecting cell‐type specific genomic organization. Concomitantly, nuclear size increases and shape changes as lamin A/C and emerin incorporate into the lamina. During this brief window, hESC exhibit dramatically different PML‐defined structures, which in somatic cells are linked to gene regulation and cancer. Unlike the numerous, spherical somatic PML bodies, hES cells often display ∼1–3 large PML structures of two morphological types: long linear “rods” or elaborate “rosettes”, which lack substantial SUMO‐1, Daxx, and Sp100. These occur primarily between Day 0–2 of differentiation and become rare thereafter. PML rods may be “taut” between other structures, such as centromeres, but clearly show some relationship with the lamina, where PML often abuts or fills a “gap” in early lamin A/C staining. Findings demonstrate that pluripotent hES cells have a markedly different overall nuclear architecture, remodeling of which is linked to early epigenomic programming and involves formation of unique PML‐defined structures. J. Cell. Biochem. 107: 609–621, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Moving Average for Continuous Quality Control: Time to Move to Implementation in Daily Practice?

To the Editor: Recently, Ng et al. described a new method for optimization of moving average (MA)1 QC procedures (1). The accompanying editorial mentioned that, during the last 50 years, slow but continuous improvements have been made in the understanding and methodology of MA in the move toward continuous analytical quality assurance (2). Although these improvements are being made, general implementation of MA for continuous QC on clinical laboratories has failed and many laboratories are struggling with the implementation and application of MA QC. In this letter, we address several steps that we consider to be important to support a more general implementation of MA as a continuous QC instrument in medical laboratories. Most improvements that really affected the use of MA in clinical laboratories originate from the 1970s and 1980s. For example, the algorithms described by Bull et al. in 1974 are still the basis of the application of MA today in most, if not all, hematology analyzers (3). Interestingly, Bull et al. stated that, because their findings were based on visual inspection of MA patterns, future MA research should focus on developing objective measures of MA performance (3). Recently, 2 methods have been described that allow more objective and realistic insight into MA performance. Ng et al. (1) described an MA optimization method that used the average number of patient samples affected until error detection (ANPed), and we reported the use of bias detection curves and …
Topical diclofenac in hyaluronan gel for the treatment of solar keratoses

This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study assessed the efficacy and safety of a topical gel containing 3% diclofenac in 2.5% hyaluronan in 150 patients with solar keratoses (SK). The active treatment was compared with the vehicle only, hyaluronan gel, as placebo over a 12‐week period. Patients in both groups applied the active treatment or placebo to a targeted area of skin (0.25 g b.d.). At 12 weeks the mean lesion‐count reduction in the targeted area was not significantly different between treatments. However, at post‐termination follow up (16 weeks), there was a highly significant decrease in the number of lesions, 6.2 ± 7.5 standard deviations (SD) (56.1% reduction) in the active treatment group compared with 2.4 ± 4.3 SD (23.6% reduction) in the placebo group (P < 0.001). Other efficacy measures (complete lesion resolution, >50% lesion reduction) were also significantly different (P < 0.01) between treatments at 16 weeks. In conclusion, topical 3% diclofenac in 2.5% hyaluronan gel was effective and well tolerated in this study, suggesting a role for this therapy in the treatment of SK.
Dental management of patients receiving oral bisphosphonate therapy: expert panel recommendations.

BACKGROUND In light of the uncertainty surrounding the incidence of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BON) and concomitant risk factors, dentists have questioned how to manage the care of patients receiving oral bisphosphonate therapy. Expert panelists were selected by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs on the basis of their expertise in the relevant subject matter and on their respective dental or medical specialties, and the panel was tasked with developing guidance for dentists treating these patients. METHODS There are no data from clinical trials evaluating dental management of the care of patients receiving oral bisphosphonate therapy and, therefore, these recommendations are based on a thorough review of the available literature relating to bisphosphonate use and osteonecrosis of the jaw. After reviewing the literature, the panel developed these recommendations based on their expert opinion. RESULTS These panel recommendations focus on conservative surgical procedures, proper sterile technique, appropriate use of oral disinfectants and the principles of effective antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS The recommendations are a resource for dentists to use in their practice, in addition to the dentist's own professional judgment, the information available in the dental and medical literature, and information from the patient's treating physician. The recommendations must be balanced with the practitioner's professional judgment and the individual patient's preferences and needs.
iNKT Cells Require CCR4 to Localize to the Airways and to Induce Airway Hyperreactivity1

iNKT cells are required for the induction of airway hyperreactivity (AHR), a cardinal feature of asthma, but how iNKT cells traffic to the lungs to induce AHR has not been previously studied. Using several models of asthma, we demonstrated that iNKT cells required the chemokine receptor CCR4 for pulmonary localization and for the induction of AHR. In both allergen-induced and glycolipid-induced models of AHR, wild-type but not CCR4−/− mice developed AHR. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of wild-type but not CCR4−/− iNKT cells reconstituted AHR in iNKT cell-deficient mice. Moreover, we specifically tracked CCR4−/− vs wild-type iNKT cells in CCR4−/−:wild-type mixed BM chimeric mice in the resting state, and when AHR was induced by protein allergen or glycolipid. Using this unique model, we showed that both iNKT cells and conventional T cells required CCR4 for competitive localization into the bronchoalveolar lavage/airways compartment. These results establish for the first time that the pulmonary localization of iNKT cells critical for the induction of AHR requires CCR4 expression by iNKT cells.
A late Quaternary planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotope record of the Banda Sea: Chronostratigraphy, orbital forcing, and paleoceanographic implications

A detailed oxygen isotope time-scale based on planktonic foraminifera Globigerinoides sacculifer at site MD012380 in the Banda Sea was established for the past 820 kyrs by correlating the record to the astronomically tuned benthic oxygen isotope chronology of MD972143. Ages for marine isotope stratigraphic (MIS) events from 2.0 back to 21.1 were designated for this western tropical Pacific record. Spectral analysis of the δ^18 O time-series reveals distinct periodicities of 100, 41, and 23 kyrs, indicating strong orbital forcing, yet the power of each band varies through time. The time-series of three other paleo-proxies, namely, coarse fraction (CF), lightness of sediments and δ^13 C of Globigerinoides sacculifer, were subjected to cross-spectral analyses against the oxygen isotope record. The Mid-Brunhes (MIS 13 -10, 535-333 ka) divides the record into two time domains characterized by different spectral behaviors. Before the Mid-Brunhes, the analyzed proxies show relatively stronger powers at the 41-kyr band, and the coherence among various proxies is relatively high. After the Mid-Brunhes, 100-kyr periodicity becomes to dominate the δ^18 O and coarse fraction records while coherence among the various proxies becomes weaker. The spectral behaviors of the various paleo-proxies appear to vary through the late Quaternary and are fundamentally changed by the Mid-Brunhes event, suggesting the existence of an ever changing, internally complicated system of the Banda Sea under the influence of orbital forcing during the last 820 kyrs.
Corneal curvature radius: Oculometric considerations with reference to age and refractive change

Usually posterior eye segment structures are emphasized when discussing myopia development. N o doubt, vitreous length is the most important single parameter in the predominantly axial myopia so typical of cases appearing during childhood and adolescence. The role of corneal power appears minor, and this applies even more to the other anterior segment parameters: anterior chamber depth and lens thickness. All optical components are, however, correlated to some extent. In particular this is valid for the growth phase which is to leave the eye with its eventual adult refractive value and axial length. Towards the other end of life we encounter cases of senile myopia, undoubtedly due to sclerosis of the lens, or possibly associated with other anterior segment change. Regarding the intervening age interval myopic change appears in some adults, although in general there is refractive stability. Obviously, also other components than axial and vitreous length are to be considered. The present paper is mainly a review dealing with the role of corneal curvature. It was inspired from a recent article by Goss et al. (1985) who emphasized the stability of corneal power during the refractively unstable teenage-years. Cases of adult-onset myopia, or cases with adult myopia progression were, however, also reported, where increased corneal power of young adult life had contributed to the change in refraction. The findings were based on longitudinal observations.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese Shinjang wolf

Abstract In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese Shinjang wolf (Canis lupus desertorum) was sequenced for the first time using blood samples obtained from a female wolf captured from Altay in Shinjang, China. Sequence analysis showed that the genome structure was in accordance with other Canidae species and it contains 12S rRNA gene, 16S rRNA gene, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 1 control region.
CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein (cid:97) Activation of the Rat Growth Hormone Promoter in Pituitary Progenitor GHFT1-5 Cells*

High level, anterior pituitary-specific expression of the rat growth hormone (rGH) promoter requires cooperative actions of several different transcription factors. Previously, we described a series of multisubunit, tis-sue-general, transcription factor complexes that bound to the GHF3 activation site and strongly regulated rGH promoter activity. A 43-kDa DNA-binding subunit com- mon to each of the different GHF3 complexes is identified here as the transcription factor, CCAAT/Enhancer- binding Protein (cid:97) (C/EBP (cid:97) ). In human monocyte U937 cells, which do not express the endogenous or trans- fected GH genes, co-expression of C/EBP (cid:97) and Pit-1 synergistically activated the transfected rGH promoter. Full-length C/EBP (cid:97) was present in the GH-secreting GC, and prolactin-secreting 235-1, pituitary cell lines, but not in GHFT1-5 cells, which are transformed at a stage in development immediately prior to GH expression. Transient expression of C/EBP (cid:97) in GHFT1-5 cells strongly activated the co-transfected rGH promoter through the GHF3 binding site; a second activation site mapped to evolutionary conserved GH promoter se- quences between (cid:50) 106 and (cid:50) 33. C/EBP (cid:97) activation was synergistic with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and forskolin, activators of protein kinases C and A, respectively. Thus, C/EBP (cid:97) is an important regulator of rGH promoter activity that appears to function in synergy with Pit-1,
Oral exfoliative cytology as a screening tool for iron overload in β-thalassemia patients

Background: Increased iron overload is frequent problem in thalassemia patients, and this is monitored by serum ferritin levels or chemical assessment of the iron levels in liver tissue. However, repeated monitoring of serum ferritin levels to assess the iron overload is an invasive procedure associated with practical problems. Aims: To use Perl′s Prussian blue reaction to evaluate the iron overload in beta-thalassemia patients by staining the oral cytosmears. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 35 patients diagnosed with beta-thalassemia. Cytosmears were prepared from exfoliated oral epithelial cells, fixed in 70% ethanol and stained with Perl′s Prussian blue stain for detection of blue colored granules in the cytoplasm. Results: 29/35 (82.9%) cases showed a positive reaction for Perl′s Prussian blue reaction while 6/35 (17%) cases did not show the presence of blue colored granules in the oral cytosmears. The presence of iron detected by Perl′s Prussian blue reaction correlated with serum ferritin level (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Perl′s Prussian blue reaction can be used to evaluate the iron overload in beta-thalassemia patients by staining the oral cytosmears. It is a simple and noninvasive method for assessment of iron overload in such patients.
Overlap between neurodegenerative disorders

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the formation of distinct pathological changes in the brain, including extracellular protein deposits, cellular inclusions, and changes in cell morphology. Since the earliest published descriptions of these disorders, diagnosis has been based on clinicopathological features, namely, the coexistence of a specific clinical profile together with the presence or absence of particular types of lesion. In addition, the molecular profile of lesions has become an increasingly important feature both in the diagnosis of existing disorders and in the description of new disease entities. Recent studies, however, have reported considerable overlap between the clinicopathological features of many disorders leading to difficulties in the diagnosis of individual cases and to calls for a new classification of neurodegenerative disease. This article discusses: (i) the nature and degree of the overlap between different neurodegenerative disorders and includes a discussion of Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, the fronto‐temporal dementias, and prion disease; (ii) the factors that contribute to disease overlap, including historical factors, the presence of disease heterogeneity, age‐related changes, the problem of apolipoprotein genotype, and the co‐occurrence of common diseases; and (iii) whether the current nosological status of disorders should be reconsidered.
Morphological Variations in the Transverse Venous Sinus Anatomy of Dogs and its Relationship to Skull Landmarks

We characterized the anatomical morphology of the transverse venous sinus (TVS) of 69 canine adult cadavers belonging to three groups: brachycephalic (B), dolichocephalic (D) and mesaticephalic (M). In addition, we outlined its path over the skull using five classic human craniometric points (CPs): the asterion (ast), the bregma (b), the glabella (g), the stephanion (st) and the pterion (pt). The study aimed to establish anatomical differences in the TVS between groups and in the relationship between the TVS and skull. We found that TVS anatomy and its relationships to skull landmarks vary markedly between the groups, with similar anatomical arrangements in B and M. The TVS length can be ranked as M < B < D (with D being the biggest), whereas the width can be ranked as M < D < B (with B being the widest) with the right side being smaller than the left. In the B and M groups, the TVS assumes a craniocaudal trajectory that is closer to the lateral skull wall than in D, where the TVS presents a caudocranial direction. By documenting the morphological characteristics of the TVS, we can create a set of anatomical references allowing construction of a basic framework to greatly decrease the probability of TVS injury during neuronavigation procedures when supported by a good knowledge of the skull, brain anatomies and their relationships.
Ginger-induced Ileal Motility is Modified by Stress: Sex Differences in Rats

Ginger is widely used as a spice and also an effective herbal medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders. On the other hand, stress can induce various modulation of digestive motility. Here, we investigated ginger effects on stress-induced motility of the isolated ileum in male and female rats, in vitro. Rats (Wistar, SPF, 7-12 weeks of age, 148-393 g BW) were divided into Control (1G) and 3G groups. 3G stress (every day for 10 min) was loaded by centrifugal apparatus for 1, 3, 15 and 30 days. After the stress loading at each day, a 1 cm-long section of the ileum was isolated under barbiturate anesthesia and fixed to a Magnus-type chamber filled with Tyrode solution. Ileal movements were observed for 60 s following application of zingerone, which is also called vanillylacetone and a key component of the pungency of ginger (0.1-10 μM). Spontaneous motility movements with phasic and tonic patterns were observed in the ileum. The former was a peristalsis-like movement and the latter was a slow fluctuation of the baseline. Ginger induced enhanced effects on the rhythmic phasic motility in relation to amplitude. In the female, 3G gravity loading had no effects on the ginger-induced motility, however, suppressive effect of the ginger-induced phasic movements was clearly observed at day 15 in the male. The present study showed that gravity stress changed ginger-induced effects on phasic ileal motility in the male, but not in the female, indicating that sex differences were observed in the ginger effects modulated by stress loading.
Effect of cryptorchidism on testicular enzymes involved in androgen biosynthesis.

Unilateral cryptorchidism was produced in 100 g male rats. Some of the - animals were hypophysectomized 2–3 days before the testicular operation. Half the intact and half the hypophysectomized rats were injected with 100 IU HCG daily from the time of operation. Three weeks later the ability of the cryptorchid testes to convert progesterone to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, 4- androstenedione and testosterone was compared with that of the scrotal testes of the same animals. In all cases the activities of the scrotal testes were significantly greater. Although hypophysectomy caused a marked reduction in the enzymic activity of the scrotal testes, that of the abdominal testes was reduced even more. The scrotal testes responded to HCG with marked increases in activity in both the normal and hypophysectomized groups. The cryptorchid testes of the hypophysectomized rats showed an increase from their very low levels, but those in the intact rats did not respond. Apparently there is a limit to the response of the crypt.
Influence of the Organic Matrix on Root Dentine Erosion by Citric Acid

This investigation was conducted in an attempt to clarify the role of the organic matrix in bovine dentine demineralisation by 1% citric acid. Dentine slabs (n = 15) were treated for 2 min with 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl, a strong protein solvent), 2% glutaraldehyde (GDA, a protein fixative) or deionised water (DIW, as negative control) prior to each of 5 demineralisation periods of 30 min. The mineral loss (ΔZ), lesion depth (LD) and surface loss (SL) were determined after each period of demineralisation, by transverse microradiography. The NaOCl-treated group showed higher ΔZ and LD than the GDA- and DIW-treated groups. No differences between GDA and DIW groups were found. The ΔZ and LD profiles were explained by quadratic fits (r2 >0.80; p = 0.001) in all groups. SL was detected only in the NaOCl-treated group. The data suggested that the maintenance of the organic matrix in the lesion might be important to reduce the erosion progression rate.