Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mothers, Fathers, Sons, and Human Papillomavirus Immunization Practices

Despite the fact that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV-related cancers are on the rise in men, male HPV vaccine series completion is less than 10% in many areas. This study examined parental knowledge of the HPV vaccine and intent to vaccinate their sons. A cross-sectional study of 341 parents of boys was conducted in school settings in rural southeastern Georgia. Mothers were 2.07 times more likely than fathers to vaccinate their sons. Future research directions should include strategies to increase HPV vaccination in both genders and focus on parents' perceived severity and vulnerability of their sons to HPV infection.
Expression of Common Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Antigen ( CALLA ) by Lymphomas of B-Cell and T-Cell Lineage

Previous studies have demonstrated that the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) is expressed by leukemic cells from approximately 80% of patients with non-T-cell ALL and 30%-50% of patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blast crisis. A small number of normal bone marrow and fetal liver cells also express CALLA. but the functional role of this molecule is unknown. In the present study. we have used a monoclonal antibody (J5) specific for CALLA to study the expression of this antigen in non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Within the Bcell lymphomas. it was found that CALLA was expressed by almost all Burkitt’s and nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas. Within the T-cell lymphomas.
Validation of a serum screen for Alzheimer's disease across assay platforms, species, and tissues.

BACKGROUND There is a significant need for rapid and cost-effective biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) for advancement of clinical practice and therapeutic trials. OBJECTIVE The aim of the current study was to cross-validate our previously published serum-based algorithm on an independent assay platform as well as validate across tissues and species. Preliminary analyses were conducted to examine the utility in distinguishing AD from non-AD neurological disease (Parkinson's disease, PD). METHODS Serum proteins from our previously published algorithm were quantified from 150 AD cases and 150 controls on the Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) platform. Serum samples were analyzed from 49 PD cases and compared to a random sample of 51 AD cases and 62 controls. Support vector machines (SVM) were used to discriminate PD versus AD versus controls. Human and AD mouse model microvessel images were quantified with HAMAMATSU imaging software. Mouse serum biomarkers were assayed via MSD. RESULTS Analysis of 21 serum proteins from 150 AD cases and 150 controls yielded an algorithm with sensitivity and specificity of 0.90 for correctly classifying AD. This multi-marker approach was then validated across species and tissue. Assay of the top proteins in human and AD mouse model brain microvessels correctly classified 90-100% of the samples. SVM analyses were highly accurate at distinguishing PD versus AD versus controls. CONCLUSIONS This serum-based biomarker panel should be tested in a community-based setting to determine its utility as a first-line screen for AD and non-AD neurological diseases for primary care providers.
Acellular Dermal Matrix Slings in Tissue Expander Breast Reconstruction: Are There Substantial Benefits?

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) slings in breast reconstruction are increasingly used but are not yet validated. This study compares immediate, expander-based breast reconstruction with and without the use of inferolateral ADM slings. There were 63 patients (106 breasts) in the ADM group and 42 patients (68 breasts) in the control group. Initial intraoperative fill volumes were significantly greater in the ADM group, median 69% full (250 mL) versus 50% full (180 mL; P < 0.001). However, the number of days to complete expansion between the 2 groups was similar. One less office visit was required to complete the fills in the ADM group (P < 0.01). Drains were removed 3 days later in the ADM group (P < 0.01). Overall complication rate was greater in the ADM group (18.9% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.05), with a slightly higher percentage of expanders requiring removal due to infection in the ADM group (5.7% vs. 4.4%, P = NS). This study suggests inferolateral ADM slings in expander-based breast reconstruction allow for significantly increased initial fill volumes and may offer an aesthetic advantage; however, its use is costly and increases complications.
Neurons and extracellular neurofibrillary tangles in the hippocampal subdivisions in early‐onset familial Alzheimer's disease: A case study

Abstract We have investigated morphometrically unaffected neurons, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (I‐NFT) and extracellular neurofibrillary tangles (E‐NFT) in eight subdivisions of the hippocampal cortex in two cases of early‐onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and six cases of early‐onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD). The hippocampal subdivisions examined included: CA4, CA3, CA2, CAI, prosubiculum, subiculum and presubiculum (PRE), parasubiculum (PARA) and entorhinal cortex (ENT). CA3, CA2 and CAI in the FAD cases showed more severe neuronal loss and much greater E‐NFT formation than in the SAD cases, while ENT in both the FAD cases showed less neuronal loss and less E‐NFT formation. These data suggest that the cornu ammonis is affected more severely than the ENT in the FAD cases. These observations indicate that hippocampal pathology in the FAD cases is qualitatively as well as quantitatively different from that in sporadic cases. These results provide further evidence for pathological heterogeneity in AD, although the number of FAD cases examined is very small.
Recent trends in biological extraction of chitin from marine shell wastes: a review

Abstract The natural biopolymer chitin and its deacetylated product chitosan are widely used in innumerable applications ranging from biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture and personal care products to environmental sector. The abundant and renewable marine processing wastes are commercially exploited for the extraction of chitin. However, the traditional chitin extraction processes employ harsh chemicals at elevated temperatures for a prolonged time which can harm its physico-chemical properties and are also held responsible for the deterioration of environmental health. In view of this, green extraction methods are increasingly gaining popularity due to their environmentally friendly nature. The bioextraction of chitin from crustacean shell wastes has been increasingly researched at the laboratory scale. However, the bioextraction of chitin is not currently exploited to its maximum potential on the commercial level. Bioextraction of chitin is emerging as a green, cleaner, eco-friendly and economical process. Specifically in the chitin extraction, microorganisms-mediated fermentation processes are highly desirable due to easy handling, simplicity, rapidity, controllability through optimization of process parameters, ambient temperature and negligible solvent consumption, thus reducing environmental impact and costs. Although, chitin production from crustacean shell waste through biological means is still at its early stage of development, it is undergoing rapid progress in recent years and showing a promising prospect. Driven by reduced energy, wastewater or solvent, advances in biological extraction of chitin along with valuable by-products will have high economic and environmental impact.
Optimisation and validation of a high throughput screening compatible assay to identify inhibitors of the plasma membrane calcium ATPase pump--a novel therapeutic target for contraception and malaria.

PURPOSE ATPases, which constitute a major category of ion transporters in the human body, have a variety of significant biological and pathological roles. However, the lack of high throughput assays for ATPases has significantly limited drug discovery in this area. We have recently found that the genetic deletion of the ATP dependent calcium pump PMCA4 (plasma membrane calcium/calmodulin dependent ATPase, isoform 4) results in infertility in male mice due to a selective defect in sperm motility. In addition, recent discoveries in humans have indicated that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PMCA4 gene determines the susceptibility towards malaria plasmodium infection. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop specific PMCA4 inhibitors. In the current study, we aim to optimise and validate a high throughput screening compatible assay using recombinantly expressed PMCA4 and the HTRF® Transcreener® ADP (TR-FRET) assay to screen a drug library. METHODS AND RESULTS PMCA4 membrane microsomes were prepared from HEK293 cells overexpressing PMCA4. Western blot quantification revealed nearly nine-fold increased expression of PMCA4 compared to LacZ (control virus)-infected cells. Maximal PMCA4 microsomal activity was achieved in the TR-FRET assay with 15ng/μl microsomal concentration, 30-minute pre-incubation with compounds at 37°C, and calcium buffering with 1mM EGTA providing 1μM free-calcium. Finally a dose-response curve for carboxyeosin (a non-specific PMCA inhibitor) under optimised conditions showed significant PMCA4 inhibition. Upon confirmation that the assay was suitable for high-throughput screening, we have screened the ChemBioNet small molecule library (~21,000 compounds) against the PMCA4 assay to identify those that are its apparent inhibitors. This screening yielded 1,494 primary hits. CONCLUSIONS We have optimised the HTRF® Transcreener® ADP assay for high-throughput screening to identify PMCA4 inhibitors. The output of the screening campaign has provided preliminary chemical starting points that could be further developed to specific PMCA4 inhibitors for non-hormonal contraception or anti-malaria therapy.
Repression and Long-term Political Leadership

Abstract This paper develops a model where an incumbent may try to bribe the security forces to repress the political opposition in order to improve his/her chances of winning the elections. Such situations can be demonstrated by the cases of Cambodia, Uganda and Zimbabwe where the political leadership has used repression in and around the election times. In a collusive equilibrium, the security forces produce violence and the leader responds by giving a bribe to the former, this pair of actions taking place in each period. A collusive equilibrium exists when the bribe that a leader is prepared to pay is at least as large as the bribe that the security forces are willing to accept. We find that a harsher expected punishment (e.g. a longer prison sentence) will improve an incumbent’s incentives to collude. In contrast, security forces expecting a harsher punishment will be less likely to repress. Furthermore, we discuss the circumstances under which windfall revenue (e.g. foreign aid, resource rents) may contribute to violence and when it may prevent it.
sgk1, a member of an RNA cluster associated with cell death in a model of Parkinson's disease

In an effort to gain deeper insight into the molecular processes underlying neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, we performed gene expression profiling at several early time points after MPTP‐injection into old (1‐year) mice. We used a PCR‐based gene expression profiling method, digital expression pattern display (DEPD), a method of very high sensitivity and reproducibility, which displays almost all transcripts of a tissue. To identify cell death‐associated genes, we defined clusters of differentially expressed transcripts with expression behaviour that correlated with the temporal profile of cell death progression and characterized one of these cell death clusters further. We selected one of the strongest regulated genes, the serum and glucocorticoid‐regulated kinase 1 (sgk1), and validated its differential expression by Northern blot analysis, semiquantitative PCR and in situ hybridization. Up‐regulation of sgk1 (i) coincides with the onset of dopaminergic cell death in both the 8‐week acute and 1‐year subacute MPTP models, (ii) spans the entire brain, (iii) is attenuated by the l‐deprenyl‐mediated inhibition of the MPTP conversion to its active metabolite MPP+ and (iv) is not induced by dehydration. This study demonstrated that the combination of the DEPD technology, clustering analysis and a detailed histopathology is a useful tool for elucidating molecular pathways in neurodegenerative diseases.
Proteomic Analysis of the Mammalian Katanin Family of Microtubule-severing Enzymes Defines Katanin p80 subunit B-like 1 (KATNBL1) as a Regulator of Mammalian Katanin Microtubule-severing

The Katanin family of microtubule-severing enzymes is critical for remodeling microtubule-based structures that influence cell division, motility, morphogenesis and signaling. Katanin is composed of a catalytic p60 subunit (A subunit, KATNA1) and a regulatory p80 subunit (B subunit, KATNB1). The mammalian genome also encodes two additional A-like subunits (KATNAL1 and KATNAL2) and one additional B-like subunit (KATNBL1) that have remained poorly characterized. To better understand the factors and mechanisms controlling mammalian microtubule-severing, we have taken a mass proteomic approach to define the protein interaction module for each mammalian Katanin subunit and to generate the mammalian Katanin family interaction network (Katan-ome). Further, we have analyzed the function of the KATNBL1 subunit and determined that it associates with KATNA1 and KATNAL1, it localizes to the spindle poles only during mitosis and it regulates Katanin A subunit microtubule-severing activity in vitro. Interestingly, during interphase, KATNBL1 is sequestered in the nucleus through an N-terminal nuclear localization signal. Finally KATNB1 was able to compete the interaction of KATNBL1 with KATNA1 and KATNAL1. These data indicate that KATNBL1 functions as a regulator of Katanin A subunit microtubule-severing activity during mitosis and that it likely coordinates with KATNB1 to perform this function.
Differentiating the Effects of Familial Risk for Alcohol Dependence and Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol on Offspring Brain Morphology

BACKGROUND Offspring with a family history of alcohol dependence (AD) have been shown to have altered structural and functional integrity of corticolimbic brain structures. Similarly, prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a variety of structural and functional brain changes. The goal of this study was to differentiate the brain gray matter volumetric differences associated with familial risk and prenatal exposure to alcohol among offspring while controlling for lifetime personal exposures to alcohol and drugs. METHODS A total of 52 high-risk (HR) offspring from maternal multiplex families with a high proportion of AD were studied along with 55 low-risk (LR) offspring. Voxel-based morphometric analysis was performed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) software using 3T structural images from these offspring to identify gray matter volume differences associated with familial risk and prenatal exposure. RESULTS Significant familial risk group differences were seen with HR males showing reduced volume of the left inferior temporal, left fusiform, and left and right insula regions relative to LR males, controlling for prenatal exposure to alcohol drugs and cigarettes. HR females showed a reduction in the right fusiform but also showed a reduction in volume in portions of the cerebellum (left crus I and left lobe 8). Prenatal alcohol exposure effects, assessed within the familial HR group, was associated with reduced right middle cingulum and left middle temporal volume. Even low exposure resulting from mothers drinking in amounts less than the median of those who drank (53 drinks or less over the course of the pregnancy) showed a reduction in volume in the right anterior cingulum and in the left cerebellum (lobes 4 and 5). CONCLUSIONS Familial risk for AD and prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs show independent effects on brain morphology.
Classification Preictal and Interictal Stages via Integrating Interchannel and Time-Domain Analysis of EEG Features

The life quality of patients with refractory epilepsy is extremely affected by abrupt and unpredictable seizures. A reliable method for predicting seizures is important in the management of refractory epilepsy. A critical factor in seizure prediction involves the classification of the preictal and interictal stages. This study aimed to develop an efficient, automatic, quantitative, and individualized approach for preictal/interictal stage identification. Five epileptic children, who had experienced at least 2 episodes of seizures during a 24-hour video EEG recording, were included. Artifact-free preictal and interictal EEG epochs were acquired, respectively, and characterized with 216 global feature descriptors. The best subset of 5 discriminative descriptors was identified. The best subsets showed differences among the patients. Statistical analysis revealed most of the 5 descriptors in each subset were significantly different between the preictal and interictal stages for each patient. The proposed approach yielded weighted averages of 97.50% correctness, 96.92% sensitivity, 97.78% specificity, and 95.45% precision on classifying test epochs. Although the case number was limited, this study successfully integrated a new EEG analytical method to classify preictal and interictal EEG segments and might be used further in predicting the occurrence of seizures.
Dosimetry implications of upper tracheobronchial airway anatomy in two mouse varieties

Strain‐ and variety‐related differences in responses of mice have been reported for a variety of inhaled particulate and gaseous materials. It is important to understand the potential contributions to such responses of differences in delivered doses to the respiratory tract as well as differences in biochemical processes. Deposition doses of inhaled particles are influenced by several factors, including airway anatomy, ventilation, and particle characteristics. Tracheobronchial airway morphometry for airway generations 1–6 of the BALB/c mouse was generated using replica lung casts prepared in situ. Measurements were performed on two groups: control and ovalbumin‐sensitized male BALB/c mice. These measurements were compared with previously published airway morphometry of male B6C3F1 mice. Sensitization did not significantly change measured airway dimensions in the BALB/c mouse. However, the two mouse varieties had significant differences in airway anatomy. The differences found in airway anatomy between mouse varieties correlated with differences in body length and chest circumference. Particle deposition predictions for both varieties of mice were performed for unit density spherical particles from 0.1 to 10 μm in diameter at two ventilation rates using a published aerosol dosimetry computer code. Particle deposition in the proximal tracheobronchial tree ranged up to 3 times greater for the BALB/c mouse for a 2 μm particle diameter and high ventilation rate. These differences in predicted particle deposition suggest that observed strain and variety differences in response to inhaled particulate matter may be in part due to differences in delivered doses to the respiratory tract. Anat Rec 268:59–65, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Investigation into Medical Students' English Language Needs

Due to the acceptance of English in twentieth century as international language of science and medicine, a considerable body of medical research and literature has been produced in English. This dominance of English in medical accounts paves the way for emergence of a new ESP branch (English for Specific Purposes) as EMP (English for Medical Purposes). The basic insight into this trend is to offer course design, content and materials by being responsive to target language learners’ own agenda. Therefore, it is necessary to find out first what is specifically appropriate, available and applicable for the target situation and target language learners in terms of their needs. In discovering their needs, needs analysis is regarded as an integral part of decision making processes in EMP. Without conducting a needs analysis process, using a medical English course book might not be enough for a medical student studying in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context like Turkey since most of the medical English course books in use are mostly addressing the needs of students in an ESL (English as a Second Language) context. Accordingly, as a part of a needs analysis process, this study aims to investigate academic English language needs of first year medical students who are attending advanced English course at the Faculty of Medicine at Karadeniz Technical University. The data was collected via a structured questionnaire with 47 items. It covers five different parts focusing on medical students' purposes of learning English, significance of learning English, their preference of learning environment, language learning needs of major language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), their preference of assessment type. The questionnaire was administered to 169 students at the Faculty of Medicine at Karadeniz Technical University. Descriptive statistics was employed in order to analyze the data.
Outcome of isolated pulmonary contusion in blunt trauma patients.

To determine outcome in young, healthy blunt trauma patients with isolated pulmonary contusion, and to identify factors associated with poor outcome, we reviewed 6012 consecutive adult (aged 16-49) blunt trauma admissions. Ninety-four (7.9%) presented with an isolated pulmonary contusion defined by chest radiograph and Injury Severity Score < 25; they compromise the study group. Poor outcome was defined as death, prolonged hospitalization (> 7 days), or a severe complication (pneumonia, empyema, atelectasis requiring bronchoscopy, or bronchopleural fistula). None of the 94 study patients died. Admission chest radiograph demonstrated no contusion in 34 patients (36%). Fifteen patients (16%) required intubation, but 13 were extubated within 48 hours. Forty-one patients (44%) required insertion of a chest tube, and 20 patients (21%) had a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of < 250 on admission. Post-injury atelectasis (n = 17), pneumothorax (n = 17), effusion (n = 8), pneumonia (n = 2), empyema (n = 1), and Staphylococcal bacteremia (n = 1) complicated hospitalizations. The following clinical factors were identified as predisposing to poor outcome by univariate analysis: 1) Pulmonary contusion on admission chest radiograph (P = 0.035); 2) Three or more rib fractures (P = 0.002); 3) chest tube insertion (P = 0.010) and drainage (P = 0.020); and 4) hypoxia on admission (PO2 < 70 torr [P = .021], PaO2/FiO2 < 250 [P < 0.001]). Only PaO2/FiO2 < 250 on admission was an independent predictor of poor outcome in a multivariate analysis (P = 0.040). Our conclusion was that isolated pulmonary contusion in young, healthy patients is not associated with mortality. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)