Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pigmented dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (Bednar tumour): melanocytic colonization or neuroectodermal differentiation? A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study

Approximately 5% of cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans contain dendritic melanocytes; such lesions are often known as Bednar tumours. These neoplasms have received little attention in the literature but seem to show no great clinicopathological differences from conventional dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans except for the presence of melanocytes. The existence of such tumours, combined with ultrastructural evidence, has led some leading authors to regard them all as being of neuroectodermal origin. Seven examples of the pigmented variant are presented herein, of which six have been studied immunohistochemically and one has been examined ultrastructurally. Except for the presence of melanocytes in each tumour, no evidence of neuroectodermal (in particular perineural fibroblastic) differentiation has been demonstrated. The histogenesis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and its pigmented variant is discussed. The possibility that the pigmentation may simply reflect secondary melanocyte colonization from the epidermis should be considered.
Visualization of hepatitis C virions and putative defective interfering particles isolated from low‐density lipoproteins

SUMMARY. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in highly infectious sera has been shown to be predominantly associated with low‐density lipoproteins. To determine whether the association is specific to low‐density lipoproteins (LDL) or very low‐density lipoproteins (VLDL), we fractionated HCV‐containing plasma by a column chromatographic procedure known to separate these classes. Hepatitis C virus RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was associated primarily with the very low‐density (VLDL) fraction. However, it could not be ruled out that virus‐associated LDL may have eluted with this fraction. Hepatitis C virus virions isolated from sera having sufficient titre for visualization by electron microscopy are generally coated with antiviral antibodies, therefore we utilized the lipid association to isolate antibody‐free virions. Very low‐density lipoproteins were isolated by ultracentrifugal flotation and then treated with deoxycholate to release the virions. These were then isolated in a highly purified form by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient. The 1.10–1.11 gml‐1 region of the gradients contained 60–70 nm particles. Particles with similar surface structure but having a diameter of only 30–40 nm constituted about 30% of the total. The latter may represent defective interfering particles. The identity of both small and large particles with HCV virions and associated particles was confirmed by their trapping on grids by an anti‐HCV E2 monoclonal antibody, and by their aggregation by rabbit antiserum to an amino‐terminal peptide of E1. Thus, both E1 and E2 epitopes are displayed on the surface of intact HCV virions.
Further Characterization of the Executive Memory Impairment Following Frontal Lobe Lesions

In this article we describe a 41-year-old man who, following an operation to repair a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm, manifested the "hallmark" features of a dysexecutive memory impairment. Of particular note was the patient's apparently normal level of recognition memory but impaired recall on tasks matched for difficulty in control subjects. However, further testing revealed that the patient's recognition memory was not normal under all circumstances. Implications of these data for the interpretation and further investigation of the dysexecutive deficit are discussed.
Características sociosanitarias asociadas al envejecimiento: factores predictores y de riesgo

Son escasos los estudios sociosanitarios que analizan la salud de las personas mayores desde una perspectiva multidimensional. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la salud psicologica, la salud percibida y los valores de laboratorio en las personas mayores no institucionalizadas. Se realizo un estudio transversal sobre una muestra representativa de 600 personas de 65 o mas anos del municipio de Naron (A Coruna). La dependencia funcional, la enfermedad cerebrovascular, la insuficiencia cardiaca congestiva y la diabetes se relacionaron con la coexistencia de deterioro cognitivo y sintomas depresivos. Tener un escaso contacto con otros se asocio con la presencia de deterioro cognitivo, mientras que la insatisfaccion con el apoyo se relaciono con la presencia de sintomas depresivos y con la coexistencia de ambos. Los sintomas depresivos fueron el principal predictor de la mala salud percibida, seguidos de la necesidad de un cuidador en el total de la muestra y en las mujeres, y de la enfermedad del tejido conectivo en los hombres. En cuanto a los valores de laboratorio, un porcentaje importante de sujetos los mostraron fuera de los intervalos de referencia para los adultos jovenes, sugiriendo la necesidad de elaborar patrones de referencia especificos para las personas mayores.
Performance of neonatal ventilators: the effects of changes in resistance and compliance

The authors tested the ability of 6 neonatal ventilators (Baby bird, Bourns BP-200, Veriflo, Bourns LS, ServoVent, SI-75) to deliver a preset tidal volume with minimal pressures when the compliance and resistance of test lung were altered. The authors also studied the effects of gas leaks from the system and the effects of PEEP. When the ventilator cycling rates exceeded 28–43/min, gas trapping occurred despite compliances and resistance appropriate for a healthy term infant. With a normal compliance and an elevated resistance, gas trapping occurred above rates of 4–6/min. Under these same conditions (normal compliance, elevated resistance), only 24–46% of the preset tidal volume was delivered. The different ventilators caused the pressure within the test lung to exceed 5, 10, and 15 cm H2O for differing amounts of time (sec)/min.
A Sign of the Times: An Analysis of Organizational Members' Email Signatures

Drawing from genre theory in organizational communication (Yates & Orlikowski, 1992), this study examines the content and function of email signatures used by organizational members. Email signatures are appended at the end of email messages and contain information about the sender such as his or her title, postal address, and phone number. One hundred and ninety-three email signatures were collected and analyzed in this study. A content analysis revealed demographic and occupational differences in signature content and suggests the potential impression management function of signatures. Based on the results from the content analysis, the evolution of the memo genre in email messages and implications of new communication technologies for contemporary organizational life are discussed.
A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The association of theWDR36 gene with glaucoma has been controversial in the literature. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of all reported common polymorphisms in WDR36 with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and its subtypes: high tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods: Publications in PUBMED and EMBASE databases up to March 9, 2016 were searched for case–control association studies of WDR36 with POAG, HTG, and/or NTG. Reported studies giving adequate genotype and/or allele information were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of individual polymorphisms were estimated using the allelic model. Results:Our literature search yielded 122 records, among which 5 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, involving a total of 1352 POAG patients and 894 controls. Five WDR36 polymorphisms were meta-analyzed, rs11241095, rs10038177, rs17553936, rs13186912, and rs13153937. However, none of them was significantly associated with POAG, HTG, or NTG. The mostinvestigated polymorphisms, rs11241095 and rs10038177, had a pooled-OR of 1.09 (95% CI: 0.94–1.28, P= .25, I=0) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.71–1.39, P= .97, I=77%), respectively, for POAG. Conclusion:The existing data in the literature do not support a significant role ofWDR36 in the genetic susceptibility of POAG or its subtypes. Further replication studies in specific populations are warranted. Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval, HTG = high tension glaucoma, IOP = intraocular pressure, NOS = Newcastle Ottawa Scale, NTG = normal tension glaucoma, OR = odds ratio, POAG = primary open angle glaucoma, SNP = single-nucleotide polymorphism.
Experimental approaches to the interpretation of absorbed organic residues in archaeological ceramics

Abstract All scientific investigations require experimentation to test hypotheses and support interpretations. Thus, experimental studies are an indispensable aspect of investigations of organic residues from archaeological ceramics. Experimental methods have been applied to provide insights into factors relating to vessels use and burial. Studies relating to vessel use have used replica vessels, ceramic chips and powder to investigate both physical and chemical phenomena relating to organic residue deposition and transformations. Ethnographic vessels are employed to bridge a practical gap, providing insights into the impacts of long-term vessel use that would be impossible to address in laboratory experiments. By combining such studies we have provided important insights into the chemical compositions observed and prompted searches for novel marker compounds that might otherwise have been overlooked. Potsherds impregnated with organic residues provide substrates for investigating the impacts of burial on chemical and stable isotopic compositions.
Precise localisation of 3p25 breakpoints in four patients with the 3p-syndrome.

In patients with the 3p-syndrome, hemizygous deletion of 3p25-pter is associated with profound growth failure, characteristic facial features, and mental retardation. We performed a molecular genetic analysis of 3p25 breakpoints in four patients with the 3p- syndrome, and a fifth patient with a more complex abnormality, 46,XY,der(3)t(3;? )(p25.3;? ). EBV transformed lymphoblasts from each of the patients were initially characterised using fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) and polymorphic microsatellite analyses. The 3p-chromosome from each patient was isolated from the normal chromosome 3 in somatic cell hybrid lines and subsequently analysed with polymorphic and monomorphic PCR amplifiable markers from 3p25. The analysis clearly shows that all five breakpoints are distinct. Furthermore, we have identified yeast artificial chromosomes that cross the 3p25 breakpoints of all four 3p-patients. Two of the patients were deleted for the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor gene, although neither has yet developed evidence of VHL disease. The patient with the most centromeric breakpoint, between D3S1585 and D3S1263, had the most severe clinical phenotype including an endocardial cushion defect that was not observed in any of the four patients who had more telomeric breakpoints. This study should provide useful insights into critical regions within 3p25 that are involved in normal human growth and development.
Importance of environmental distractors in the effects of nicotine on short-term memory.

This study examined the role of environmental context in mediating the effects of nicotine on short-term memory performance (i.e., working memory). Male and female smokers (n = 12, overnight tobacco abstinent) and nonsmokers (n = 11) were administered nicotine (20 ug/kg) and a placebo (0 ug/kg) by means of a measured-dose nasal spray procedure on separate days. Participants were tested on a variant of S. Sternberg's (1966) memory search task. Half of the memory task sets involved the presentation of an auditory environmental distraction. Improvements in short-term memory performance with nicotine were primarily seen in smokers and in the presence of the distracting stimuli. These results suggest that environmental conditions, such as the presence of a distracting stimulus, may play an important role in mediating the effects of nicotine.
Shear stress triggers insertion of voltage-gated potassium channels from intracellular compartments in atrial myocytes

Significance The heart is continuously subjected to mechanical forces. The atria in particular are susceptible to changes in the mechanical environment due to their unique position as “pressure sensors. ” Here, we show that increased shear stress induces the recruitment of potassium channels from intracellular storage pools to the plasma membrane, via signaling pathways that link the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. This process is altered in myocytes experiencing chronically increased mechanical stress. The incorporation of channels into the membrane causes changes in the electrical activity of the myocyte and may be an important way for cells to adapt to increased mechanical forces. Atrial myocytes are continuously exposed to mechanical forces including shear stress. However, in atrial myocytes, the effects of shear stress are poorly understood, particularly with respect to its effect on ion channel function. Here, we report that shear stress activated a large outward current from rat atrial myocytes, with a parallel decrease in action potential duration. The main ion channel underlying the increase in current was found to be Kv1.5, the recruitment of which could be directly observed by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, in response to shear stress. The effect was primarily attributable to recruitment of intracellular pools of Kv1.5 to the sarcolemma, as the response was prevented by the SNARE protein inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide and the calcium chelator BAPTA. The process required integrin signaling through focal adhesion kinase and relied on an intact microtubule system. Furthermore, in a rat model of chronic hemodynamic overload, myocytes showed an increase in basal current despite a decrease in Kv1.5 protein expression, with a reduced response to shear stress. Additionally, integrin beta1d expression and focal adhesion kinase activation were increased in this model. This data suggests that, under conditions of chronically increased mechanical stress, the integrin signaling pathway is overactivated, leading to increased functional Kv1.5 at the membrane and reducing the capacity of cells to further respond to mechanical challenge. Thus, pools of Kv1.5 may comprise an inducible reservoir that can facilitate the repolarization of the atrium under conditions of excessive mechanical stress.
Diferenciais de salários por raça e gênero: aplicação dos procedimentos de Oaxaca e Heckman em pesquisas amostrais complexas

Este artigo decompoe o diferencial de salarios por cor e sexo dos trabalhadores brasileiros usando os microdados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilio (PNAD). A metodologia consiste em estimar a equacao de salarios (Mincer, 1974) com a correcao do vies de selecao das informacoes dos salarios (Heckman, 1979). Em seguida, a decomposicao do diferencial da media do logaritmo do salario/hora foi obtida pelo procedimento de Oaxaca (1973) apresentada em dois efeitos: caracteristicas produtivas e discriminacao. A analise empirica tem como foco o uso adequado de procedimentos de modelagem estatistica em pesquisas, por amostragem complexa, conforme os trabalhos de Skinner e Smith (1989) e Pessoa e Silva (1998). Os resultados indicam a necessidade de se incorporar o plano amostral e a correcao do vies de selecao da informacao dos salarios, visando melhorar a qualidade das estimativas das equacoes de salarios e avaliar adequadamente as medidas de discriminacao. Como exemplo, a estimativa do coeficiente de discriminacao, D, entre homens e mulheres de cor branca e 0,37 sem a correcao do vies e 0,30 com a correcao do vies de selecao das informacoes dos salarios.
Sample size determination for the non-randomised triangular model for sensitive questions in a survey

Sample size determination is an essential component in public health survey designs on sensitive topics (e.g. drug abuse, homosexuality, induced abortions and pre or extramarital sex). Recently, non-randomised models have been shown to be an efficient and cost effective design when comparing with randomised response models. However, sample size formulae for such non-randomised designs are not yet available. In this article, we derive sample size formulae for the non-randomised triangular design based on the power analysis approach. We first consider the one-sample problem. Power functions and their corresponding sample size formulae for the one- and two-sided tests based on the large-sample normal approximation are derived. The performance of the sample size formulae is evaluated in terms of (i) the accuracy of the power values based on the estimated sample sizes and (ii) the sample size ratio of the non-randomised triangular design and the design of direct questioning (DDQ). We also numerically compare the sample sizes required for the randomised Warner design with those required for the DDQ and the non-randomised triangular design. Theoretical justification is provided. Furthermore, we extend the one-sample problem to the two-sample problem. An example based on an induced abortion study in Taiwan is presented to illustrate the proposed methods.
Digital electrostatic acoustic transducer array

In this paper we present the fabrication and characterization of an array of electrostatic acoustic transducers. The array is micromachined on a silicon wafer using standard micro-machining techniques. Each array contains 2n electrostatic transducer membranes, where “n” is the bit number. Every element of the array has a hexagonal membrane shape structure, which is separated from the substrate by 3μm air gap. The membrane is made out 5μm thick polyimide layer that has a bottom gold electrode on the substrate and a gold top electrode on top of the membrane (250nm). The wafer layout design was diced in nine chips with different array configurations, with variation of the membrane dimensions. The device was tested with 90 V giving and sound output level as high as 35dB, while actuating all the elements at the same time.
Intervention using a novel biodegradable hollow stent containing polylactic acid-polyprolactone-polyethylene glycol complexes against lacrimal duct obstruction disease

Lacrimal duct obstruction disease (LDOD) is a common ophthalmologic disease. Stent implantation surgery is one of the most effective therapies. In this study, we intended to find out the satisfactory biodegradable stents containing poly-L-lactic acid-polycaprolactone-polyethylene glycol (PLLA- PCL- PEG) complexes for therapeutic application in LDOD. Stents made of PLLA- PCL- PEG complexes in various ratios, were prepared and used in vitro to determine stents with appropriate mechanical properties and shorter range of bio-degradation for study in vivo. Thirty-two rabbits were randomized into eight groups of four eyes each in advance for test in vivo. The selected stents were implanted into the left lacrimal ducts of 16 rabbits and silica gel stents as the control for the other 16 rabbits. At four points in time (1, 4, 10 and 16 weeks after the implantation), weight loss rate (WLR) of the stents was measured and analysed. To access the change of lacrimal duct, fluorescein excretion test, lacrimal duct endoscopy and histopathological testing were conducted. The stent containing PLLA: PCL6: 4+ 15%PEG was selected for study in vivo. Analysis of weight loss rate (WLR), fluorescein excretion test, lacrimal duct endoscopy and histopathological testing indicated that the selected stent was biodegradable and caused minimal stimulation and earlier tissue restoration in the lacrimal epithelium compared with the silica gel stent used as the control. The study results suggest that the PLLA: PCL6: 4+ 15% PEG stent is a satisfactory biodegradable stent as a promising alternative for therapeutic application in LDOD, which showed tissue compatibility, biodegradation and adequate mechanical intensity.
Ranking spaces for predicting human movement in an urban environment

A city can be topologically represented as a connectivity graph, consisting of nodes representing individual spaces and links if the corresponding spaces are intersected. It turns out in the space syntax literature that some defined topological metrics can capture human movement rates in individual spaces. In other words, the topological metrics are significantly correlated to human movement rates, and individual spaces can be ranked by the metrics for predicting human movement. However, this correlation has never been well justified. In this paper, we study the same issue by applying the weighted PageRank algorithm to the connectivity graph or space–space topology for ranking the individual spaces, and find surprisingly that: (1) the PageRank scores are better correlated to human movement rates than the space syntax metrics, and (2) the underlying space–space topology demonstrates small world and scale free properties. The findings provide a novel justification as to why space syntax, or topological analysis in general, can be used to predict human movement. We further conjecture that this kind of analysis is no more than predicting a drunkard's walking on a small world and scale free network.
Short-term Effect of Infliximab Is Reflected in the Clot Lysis Profile of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Study

Background:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is recognized as an independent risk factor for thrombosis. First, we investigate whether the concentration of fibrinolysis inhibitors is increased in patients with IBD. Second, we investigate the effect of infliximab induction therapy on the hemostatic profile. Methods:This prospective study included 103 patients with IBD starting infliximab therapy and 113 healthy controls. Plasma was collected before the first infliximab infusion (wk 0) and after induction therapy (wk 14). Patients not showing a clinical response on induction were considered as primary nonresponders. Fibrinolysis inhibitors were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Using a clot lysis assay, the area under the curve (global marker for coagulation/fibrinolysis), 50% clot lysis time (marker for fibrinolytic capacity), and amplitude (indicator for clot formation) were determined. Results:Patients with IBD selected for infliximab treatment have higher area under the curve (median 29 [interquartile range, 20–38]) and amplitude (0.4 [0.3–0.5]) compared with healthy controls (18 [13–24] and 0.3 [0.2–0.3], respectively, P < 0.001). Primary nonresponders showed a decrease neither in inflammatory markers nor in hemostatic parameters, whereas in primary responders, a decrease in inflammatory markers was associated with a decrease in both area under the curve (29 [20–38] (wk 0) to 20 [14–28] (wk 14), P < 0.001) and amplitude (0.4 [0.3–0.5] (wk 0) to 0.3 [0.3–0.4] (wk 14), P < 0.001). Conclusions:This is the first prospective study demonstrating that the clot lysis profile differs between patients with IBD and healthy individuals. On infliximab induction treatment, this clot lysis profile normalizes in responders suggesting that infliximab treatment is advisable for patients with IBD with an activated hemostatic profile.