Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of lymph node metastasis and clear cell histology in ovarian carcinoma limited to the pelvis (pT1M0 and pT2M0).

BACKGROUND The prognostic significance of lymph node (LN) metastasis in clinically early-stage (pT1M0 or pT2M0) ovarian carcinoma has not yet been fully elucidated. METHODS From 1988 to 1997, 94 patients with ovarian carcinoma of pT1M0 (n = 78) or pT2M0 (n = 16) classification underwent surgery including systematic pelvic and paraaortic LN dissection. We investigated the prognostic factors of intraperitoneally determined early-stage ovarian carcinoma focusing on LN metastasis. RESULTS LN metastasis was seen in 5.1% of pT1M0 and in 31.3% of pT2M0 tumors. Univariate analysis of grade, histology (clear cell vs others), size of primary tumor, peritoneal cytology, and LN metastasis revealed that histology (P < 0.01), size of tumor (P < 0.05), and LN metastasis (P < 0.0005) were related to patient survival of early-stage ovarian carcinoma. Peritoneal cytology (P = 0.053) and grade (P = 0.059) had marginal statistical significance. A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that clear cell histology (P < 0.05) and LN metastasis (P < 0. 005) are significant independent prognosticators of patient survival. Three (two with clear cell adenocarcinoma and one with mucinous adenocarcinoma) of nine patients with LN metastasis had died of the disease by the time of the present analysis. Two of the three deceased patients had recurrent tumors in distant organs (bone and brain/liver), one had pleural and peritoneal carcinomatosis, and no patients had retroperitoneal recurrence. This suggests that LN metastasis indicates that tumor cells may have already spread systemically at the time of treatment and, at the same time, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) may be effective in eradicating retroperitoneal metastasis in some instances of ovarian carcinoma. CONCLUSION Clear cell histology and LN metastasis are indicators of poor prognosis for patients with tumors limited to the pelvis. Therapeutic significance of systematic RPLND for pT1M0/pT2M0 ovarian carcinomas needs to be further investigated by randomized studies.
Rosiglitazone Did Not Induce Acute Kidney Injury in Normocholesterolemic Rats Despite Reduction in Glomerular Filtration Rate

Background/Aims: Rosiglitazone (RGL) has been used to ameliorate lipids homeostasis and also to treat inflammatory diseases. However, RGL may reduce renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) predisposing to acute kidney injury (AKI). We investigated whether the treatment with RGL induces AKI in normocholesterolemic (NC) and hypercholesterolemic (HC) rats. Methods: We measured GFR by inulin clearance technique and we quantified urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) in all groups at baseline and during Ang II-stimulated vasoconstriction. Moreover, we evaluated the presence of renal damaged by histologic examination. Results: At baseline, NC and HC had normal and similar GFR. RGL treatment reduced GFR only in NC+RGL. Unexpectedly, HC+RGL showed high levels of uNGAL although GFR was at normal range. During Ang II-stimulated vasoconstriction, all groups showed reduction in GFR to the same range and we found high levels of uNGAL and high score of renal damage in HC and HC+RGL. Conclusion: RGL acts distinctly in normocholesterolemia and in hypercholesterolemia. Reduction in GFR provoked by RGL treatment did not allow the diagnosis of AKI in NC even in the presence of ANG II-stimulated vasoconstriction. However, AKI was diagnosed in HC+RGL at baseline although GFR was within normal range.
LTBP4 genotype predicts age of ambulatory loss in duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) displays a clinical range that is not fully explained by the primary DMD mutations. Ltbp4, encoding latent transforming growth factor‐β binding protein 4, was previously discovered in a genome‐wide scan as a modifier of murine muscular dystrophy. We sought to determine whether LTBP4 genotype influenced DMD severity in a large patient cohort.
[Hyponutrition prevalence among patients with digestive neoplasm before surgery].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence and degree of hyponutrition among patients with resectable digestive neoplasm that will be submitted to surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS Observational cross-sectional descriptive study carried out from november of 2005 to march of 2006, assessing the nutritional status of all patients aged > or = 18 years with resectable digestive neoplasm submitted to scheduled surgery at the General and Digestive Surgery Department of the Hospital Complex of Orense (Spain). Eighty patients were studied, 41 men and 39 women aged 27-92 years. RESULTS Diagnosis categorization was as follows: colonic neoplasm 27 patients, rectal neoplasm 24, gastric neoplasm 23, and pancreatic neoplasm 6. Fifty-three percent of the patients assessed had lost 5% of their usual weight within the previous 3 months. Serum albumin levels were lower than 3.5 mg/dL in 49% of the cases. Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment shows a hyponutrition prevalence of 50% (29% with moderate hyponutrition or at risk for hyponutrition and 21% with severe hyponutrition). Hyponutrition was related to age, increasing with increasing age (p < 0.05), and to the kind of digestive neoplasm (higher prevalence among patients with gastric neoplasm). CONCLUSIONS Hyponutrition prevalence among patients with resectable digestive neoplasm is high. There is a similarity between the relative data relating to percentage of weight loss, serum albumin levels, and nutritional assessment obtained by applying the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment. Further studies on hyponutrition prevalence among oncologic patients at our setting would be desirable.
Drug metabolism in liver disease: Activity of hepatic microsomal metabolizing enzymes

The concentration of cytochrome P‐450 and activities of the microsomal enzymes aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethylmorphine demethylase were measured in hepatic tissue obtained at biopsy from 69 patients. Antipyrine half‐life (AP t½) was measured simultaneously as an in vivo marker of drug metabolism. Values for each index of the drug‐metabolizing system varied greatly, but the mean values in groups of patients with mild hepatitis or inactive cirrhosis did not differ significantly from those of controls. Hepatic cytochrome P‐450 content and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity were lower in patients with severe hepatitis or active cirrhosis than in controls, but ethylmorphine demethylase activity was unchanged in the patients. Drug ingestion was associated with enhancement of drug‐metabolizing enzymes in all patients but those with severe liver disease; ethylmorphine demethylase activity was enhanced proportionately more than aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity or cytochrome P‐450 concentration. The observation that aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethylmorphine demethylase activities are influenced to a different extent by liver disease and also by drug ingestion indicates functional heterogeneity of the hepatic microsomal drug‐metabolizing system in man. Correlations between t½ and hepatic drug oxidases were weak, even when allowance was made for variation in liver size. Thus, the rate of drug metabolism in vivo assessed by measuring AP t½ does not appear to be closely related to the activity of some hepatic drug‐metabolizing enzymes.
Integrin α chain cytoplasmic tails regulate “antibody‐redirected” cell adhesion, independently of ligand binding

Here we describe a novel “antibody‐redirected cell adhesion” (ARCA) assay. This assay measures heterotypic cell‐cell adhesion, resulting from antibody bridging between Fcγ receptors type II (CD32) on leukocytes, and clustered intergrins on adherent cell monolayers. This ARCA activity, facilitated by integrins αβ1 or α4β1, required an intact cytoskeleton, but did not involve typical integrin ligand binding sites or divalent cations. Furthermore, deletion of the α4 cytoplasmic tail almost completely abrogated integrin ARCA activity, suggesting an alteration of integrin recruitment into adhesive sites. If two or more tail residues were present after the conserved GFFKR motif, then ARCA activity was largely restored. Although α4 tail deletion caused loss of ARCA activity, it had no effect on the binding of VCAM‐1 to intact α4‐transfected K562 cells. In conclusion, the integrin α chain tail can positively regulate integrin‐dependent cell adhesion by a receptor recruitment/clustering mechanism independent of conventional integrin ligand‐binding considerations.
Steady-state pharmacokinetics of fleroxacin in patients with skin and skin structure infections

Steady-state pharmacokinetics of oral fleroxacin were studied in six males who had skin or skin structure infections and who were receiving 400 mg of fleroxacin once a day. Blood samples (n = 10) and total urine output were collected during a 24-h dosing interval. Fleroxacin concentrations in serum and urine were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The maximum concentration in serum and the time to achieve that maximum were 6.2 +/- 2.2 micrograms/ml and 0.94 +/- 0.62 h, respectively. The absorption half-life, alpha half-life, beta half-life, apparent steady-state volume of distribution, apparent total body clearance, and renal clearance were 0.56 +/- 0.37 h, 0.78 +/- 0.51 h, 10.56 +/- 1.40 h, 0.85 +/- 0.31 liters/kg, 129.2 +/- 19.6 ml/min, and 53.3 +/- 16.7 ml/min, respectively. Fleroxacin disposition in this patient population was similar to that in noninfected volunteers with normal renal function.
The relationship between arm-span measurement and height with special reference to gender and ethnicity.

OBJECTIVE The relationship between height and arm-span measurement in both sexes and different ethnic groups was studied in order to assess the use of the arm-span measurement as a suitable proxy indicator for height. SETTING School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University. SUBJECTS Five hundred and fifty-three subjects (272 male and 281 female) aged 23.3 years (s.d. 5.5). RESULTS Correlation coefficients (r = 0.73-0.89) indicated a clear association between arm-span measurements and height in all groups. However, arm-span was found to be significantly different (P < 0.01) from height in two ethnic groups, the Afro-Caribbean's of both sexes and Asian males. This suggests that arm-span measurements may be an inappropriate proxy for height in certain populations. CONCLUSION The arm-span measurement and height relationship is significantly different in Afro-Caribbean and Asian males. This suggests that any future studies attempting to use arm-span measurement as a proxy for height must consider these ethnic differences.
The Assembly of Laminin-5 Subunits (*)

Laminin-5 is a heterotrimer composed of α3, β3, and γ2 chains, produced by keratinocytes and the human squamous cell carcinoma line (SCC-25), and is one of the candidate proteins for the genetic lesion in junctional epidermolysis bullosa. Two-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (first dimension, nonreducing conditions; second dimension, reducing conditions) revealed that the immunoprecipitated laminin-5 from a SCC-25 cell fraction consisted of α3, β3, and γ2 monomers, a β3γ2 heterodimer, and an α3β3γ2 heterotrimer. The presence of the β3γ2 heterodimer, but not heterodimers containing an α3 chain and any of the other chains, was suggestive of assembly of laminin-5 proceeding from a β3γ2 heterodimer to an α3β3γ2 heterotrimer. We showed, by cotransfection experiments using full-length recombinant β3 and γ2 chains in a human cell line devoid of endogenous laminin-5, that stable heterodimers can be formed in the absence of α3 chain expression. In the SCC-25 cell fraction, the α3 monomer pool was the smallest of the monomers. Pulse-chase experiments using the cell fraction also indicated that the heterotrimer was assembled after a 10-min pulse and was nearly absent after a 24-h chase. These results are consistent with the synthesis of α3 being limiting for heterotrimer assembly, with rapid association of the α3 chain with β3γ2 heterodimers to form complete heterotrimers. Treatment with tunicamycin reduced the size of each of the laminin-5 subunits, indicating that all chains are glycosylated, but that N-linked glycosylation is not necessary for chain assembly and secretion.
Synchrotron-aided reconstruction of the conodont feeding apparatus and implications for the mouth of the first vertebrates

The origin of jaws remains largely an enigma that is best addressed by studying fossil and living jawless vertebrates. Conodonts were eel-shaped jawless animals, whose vertebrate affinity is still disputed. The geometrical analysis of exceptional three-dimensionally preserved clusters of oro-pharyngeal elements of the Early Triassic Novispathodus, imaged using propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography, suggests the presence of a pulley-shaped lingual cartilage similar to that of extant cyclostomes within the feeding apparatus of euconodonts (“true” conodonts). This would lend strong support to their interpretation as vertebrates and demonstrates that the presence of such cartilage is a plesiomorphic condition of crown vertebrates.
Decreased Surface Tension of Upper Airway Mucosal Lining Liquid Increases Upper Airway Patency in Anaesthetised Rabbits

The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) is a disorder characterised by repetitive closure and re‐opening of the upper airway during sleep. Upper airway luminal patency is influenced by a number of factors including: intraluminal air pressure, upper airway dilator muscle activity, surrounding extraluminal tissue pressure, and also surface forces which can potentially act within the liquid layer lining the upper airway. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of upper airway mucosal lining liquid (UAL) surface tension (γ) in the control of upper airway patency. Upper airway opening (PO) and closing pressures (PC) were measured in 25 adult male, supine, tracheostomised, mechanically ventilated, anaesthetised (sodium pentabarbitone), New Zealand White rabbits before (control) and after instillation of 0.5 ml of either 0.9 % saline (n= 9) or an exogenous surfactant (n= 16; Exosurf Neonatal) into the pharyngeal airway. The γ of UAL (0.2 μl) was quantified using the ‘pull‐off’ force technique in which γ is measured as the force required to separate two curved silica discs bridged by the liquid sample. The γ of UAL decreased after instillation of surfactant from 54.1 ± 1.7 mN m−1 (control; mean ±s.e.m.) to 49.2 ± 2.1 mN m−1 (surfactant; P < 0.04). Compared with control, PO increased significantly (P < 0.04; paired t test, n= 9) from 6.2 ± 0.9 to 9.6 ± 1.2 cmH2O with saline, and decreased significantly (P < 0.05, n= 16) from 6.6 ± 0.4 to 5.5 ± 0.6 cmH2O with surfactant instillation. Findings tended to be similar for PC. Change in both PO and PC showed a strong positive correlation with the change in γ of UAL (both r > 0.70, P < 0.001). In conclusion, the patency of the upper airway in rabbits is partially influenced by the γ of UAL. These findings suggest a role for UAL surface properties in the pathophysiology of OSA.
Design, Testing and Calibration of a "Reference SEU Monitor" System

Accelerator Single Event Effect (SEE) testing is often carried out using beams calibrated and monitored by the facility provider. Occasionally these beam data have been incorrect due to unknown detector degradations, faulty detectors, set-up changes, misalignments or contaminated beams. The facility user (experimenter) has no means of checking suspicious beams and often discovers data discrepancies too late, often at home base when analysing the data previously gathered on-site. So in order to minimise test errors due to faulty beams, the user should have a simple reference system that allows beam re-checking capabilities. Such a system, based on Single Event Upsets (SEUs) in a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) and the use of a laptop, is described here. The basic design of the 'Reference SEU Monitor' is detailed, including selection and calibration of SRAMs under different heavy ion, proton and neutron test conditions. The selected SRAM type, Atmel AT60142F, was further SEU characterised and extensive validated under extreme test conditions such as high temperature and total dose.
Effects of ultrapure dialysis fluid on nutritional status and inflammatory parameters.

BACKGROUND Malnutrition and chronic systemic inflammatory response syndrome not only coexist in uraemia, but may also have a bi-directional cause-and-effect relationship. To evaluate the role of dialysate-related cytokine induction in inflammatory response and nutritional status, we conducted a prospective comparison of two dialysis fluids differing in their microbiological quality. METHODS Forty-eight early haemodialysis patients were assigned to either treatment with conventional (potentially microbiologically contaminated) or on-line produced ultrapure dialysis fluid. Study parameters were bacterial growth, markers of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6), and parameters of nutritional status (estimated dry weight, upper mid-arm muscle circumference, serum albumin concentration, insulin-like growth factor 1, leptin, and protein catabolic rate). Patients were followed for 12 months. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in demographic and treatment characteristics, degree of bacterial contamination of the dialysate, markers of systemic inflammation, or parameters of nutritional status among the two treatment groups at recruitment. Changing from conventional to ultrapure dialysis fluid reduced significantly the levels of IL-6 (19+/-3 pg/ml to 13+/-3 pg/ml) and CRP (1.0+/- 0.4 mg/dl to 0.5+/-0.2 mg/dl), and resulted in significant increases in estimated dry body weight, mid-arm muscle circumference, serum albumin concentration, levels of the humoral factors, and in protein catabolic rate after 12 months. Continuous use of conventional dialysis fluid (median 40-60 c.f.u./ml) was not associated with significant alterations in markers of inflammation (IL-6 21+/-4 pg/ml vs 24+/-6 pg/ml, CRP 0.9+/-0.3 mg/dl vs 1.1+/-0.4 mg/dl) or of nutritional status at any time of the study. All differences in systemic inflammation and nutritional parameters observed during the study period (from recruitment to month 12) were significant between the two patient groups. CONCLUSIONS Cytokine induction by microbiologically contaminated dialysis fluid has a negative impact on nutritional parameters of early haemodialysis patients. The microbiological quality of the dialysis fluid represents an independent determinant of the nutritional status in addition to known factors, such as dose of dialysis and biocompatibility of the dialyser membrane. Ultrapure dialysis fluid adds to the cost of the dialytic treatment, but may improve the nutritional status in long-term haemodialysis patients.
Human colon epithelial cells productively infected with human immunodeficiency virus show impaired differentiation and altered secretion

Selected strains of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) types 1 and 2 are able to infect human colon epithelial cells in vitro, suggesting a mechanism for the anal route of HIV transmission. In some cases, HIV is not produced by infected colon cells but can be rescued after coculture with T-lymphoid cells. One of the HIV strains (HIV1-NDK) replicated well in colonic cells. A transmission electron microscope study demonstrated two major structural perturbations in producer colon cells: an unusual number of secretion bodies and the appearance of intracellular lumina with disorganized microvilli, indicating a defect in brush border assembly and differentiation. Either abnormality could account for HIV-induced enteropathy consisting of chronic diarrhea and malabsorption in the absence of enteric pathogens. Moreover, HT29 cells infected with HIV provide a unique model for selection of enterotropic HIV strains.
Reviews of 5523 - "ProtoSound: A Personalized, Scalable Sound Recognition System for d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users

Reviewer 4 (1AC) Expertise Expert Originality High originality Significance High significance Rigor High rigor 1AC: Recommendation We recommend Accept with Minor Revisions. 1AC: The Meta-Review This paper focuses on improving sound recognition for people who are D/HoH. The authors introduce a system called ProtoSound which is a system which allows D/HoH users personalised sound recognisers by recording some examples. The authors motivate the work with a large participant survey (N=472) to understand personalization preferences of DHH users. The authors evaluate ProtoSound by two quantitative evaluations on real-world datasets and a field study using a built realtime mobile application. Notably, the study does not include an evaluation with DHH users which the authors are planning on doing in the future.
Impact of seminal cytomegalovirus replication on HIV‐1 dynamics between blood and semen

The genital tract of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) is an anatomic compartment that supports local HIV‐1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication. This study investigated the association of seminal CMV replication with changes in HIV‐1 clonal expansion, evolution and phylogenetic compartmentalization between blood and semen. Fourteen paired blood and semen samples were analyzed from four untreated subjects. Clonal sequences (n = 607) were generated from extracted HIV‐1 RNA (env C2‐V3 region), and HIV‐1 and CMV levels were measured in the seminal plasma by real‐time PCR. Sequence alignments were evaluated for: (i) viral compartmentalization between semen and blood samples using Slatkin–Maddison and FST methods, (ii) different nucleotide substitution rates in semen and blood, and (iii) association between proportions of clonal HIV‐1 sequences in each compartment and seminal CMV levels. Half of the semen samples had detectable CMV DNA, with at least one CMV positive sample for each patient. Seminal CMV DNA levels correlated positively with seminal HIV‐1 RNA levels (Spearman P = 0.05). A trend towards an association between compartmentalization of HIV‐1 sequences sampled from blood and semen and presence of seminal CMV was observed (Cochran Q test P = 0.12). Evolutionary rates between semen and blood HIV‐1 populations did not differ significantly, and there was no significant association between seminal CMV DNA levels and the frequency of non‐unique clonal HIV‐1 sequences in the semen. In conclusion, the effects of CMV replication on HIV‐1 viral and immunologic dynamics within the male genital tract are not significant enough to perturb evolution or disrupt compartmentalization in the genital tract. J. Med. Virol. 84:1703–1709, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.