Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro evidence for the presence of hematopoietic stem cells in the adult human liver

Previous studies have identified novel lymphoid phenotypes in the adult human liver and provided evidence to suggest that lymphoid differentiation can occur locally in this organ. The aim of this study was to examine the adult human liver for the presence of hematopoietic stem cells that may provide the necessary precursor population for local hematopoietic and lymphoid differentiation. Hepatic mononuclear cells (HMNC) were extracted from normal adult liver biopsy specimens using a combination of mechanical disruption and enzymatic digestion. The stem cell marker CD34 was found on 0.81% to 2.35% of isolated HMNCs by flow cytometry. CD34+ HMNCs were positively selected using magnetically labeled beads, and the enriched population was further examined for surface markers characteristically expressed by immature hematopoietic cells and early progenitors. CD45 was expressed by 49% (±23%) of CD34+ HMNCs, indicating their hematopoietic origin. CD38, one of the first markers to be expressed by developing progenitor cells was found on 50% (±22%) of CD34+ HMNCs indicating the presence of both pluripotent stem cells and committed precursors. The majority (90%) of CD34+ HMNCs coexpressed the activation marker human leukocyte antigen DR, consistent with actively cycling cells. Functional maturation of these hepatic progenitors was shown by the detection of multilineage hematopoietic colony formation after tissue culture. Erythroid (BFU‐E), granuloctye‐monocyte (CFU‐GM), and mixed colonies (CFU‐GEMM) were detected after culture of unseparated HMNCs and the enriched CD34+ HMNC population; 14.3 ± 13.2 (mean ± SD) BFU‐E, 3.1 ± 3.1 CFU‐GM, and 0.4 ± 0.9 CFU‐GEMM per 1 × 105 unseparated HMNCs and 16.0 ± 9.5 BFU‐E and 1.7 ± 0.9 CFU‐GM were identified per 2.4 × 103 CD34+ HMNCs plated. The detection of surface markers characteristic of immature hematopoietic cells and colony formation in tissue culture provides evidence for the presence of hematopoietic stem cells and early progenitor cells in the adult human liver. This would suggest that the adult human liver continues to contribute to hematopoiesis and may be an important site for the differentiation of lymphohematopoietic cells involved in disease states, such as autoimmune hepatitis and graft rejection after liver transplantation
Biased, not blind: An experimental test of self-serving biases in service users’ evaluations of performance information

Based on literature about motivated reasoning, this article proposes that choosing a public service provider from among competing options may bias service users in a positive direction when evaluating the performance of their chosen provider. Users are expected to defend their choice through processes of goal reprioritization, meaning that they will alter the weight they assign to given pieces of information depending on the (in)convenience of that information. This article uses nine experimental studies to test this expectation on students who had recently chosen to study at one university instead of competing universities. As expected, findings show signs of biases in students’ evaluations, but the biases are small and not consistently significant. Thus, prior research may have been too pessimistic regarding the general potential of performance information in the public sector.
Penetration depth of nickel titanium and stainless steel finger spreaders in curved root canals.

OBJECTIVE To compare, radiographically, the differences in the penetration depths of nickel titanium and stainless steel finger spreaders in curved root canals. DESIGN A comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The study was carried out at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from September 2001 to June 2002. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty patients with curved mesial canals of their mandibular first molars were randomly selected for the study. The angle of curvature for each root canal was radiographically determined before instrumentation. Canals were prepared by K flexo file using the step back preparation technique. The apical preparation was done upto no. 30 and cervical flaring upto no. 45. Gates Glidden drills nos. 2-4 were used in the cervical 2-3 mms of the canal.A no. 20 stainless steel and a fine medium nickel titanium finger spreader were inserted alternately into the same prepared canal and radiographed using the paralleling technique. The distance from the tip of the spreader to the apex of the root was measured radiographically by vernier calliper. RESULTS Penetration of nickel-titanium finger spreader was significantly (p<0.05) deeper than the stainless steel spreader of comparable size. The ease of stainless steel penetration decreased with increasing angle of curvature of the canal. CONCLUSION Nickel-titanium spreaders may give better results for lateral condensation in curved canals because of their deeper penetration.
Environmental factors affecting temporal and spatial patterns of soil redox potential in Florida Everglades wetlands

Redox potential impacts wetland ecosystem functions and processes. This study assessed the temporal and spatial patterns and variability of soil redox potential in relation to: 1) hydrology, 2) soil phosphorus (P) enrichment, and 3) dominant vegetation community in an Everglades wetland. Probes installed for 2-week periods required 8 to 10 days for measurements to stabilize, considerably longer than what has been reported in the literature. Probes installed for 1 year yielded more stable measurements and were more useful for ecological analysis. Redox temporal patterns were related to water table fluctuation with redox increasing exponentially as the water table decreased from 5 cm above marsh surface. Large-scale spatial redox patterns were found in relation to P enrichment with higher average redox occurring in moderately-enriched regions (−134 mV) than in highly-enriched or unenriched regions (−185 mV for both). Vegetation community had no effect on redox status. Water level change was the primary driver of small-scale spatial variability (soil profile) with redox measurements varying more near the marsh surface during low water conditions. The degree of redox response to water table fluctuation decreased with increasing soil depth. These findings are important in understanding how altering hydrology can affect soil processes and ecosystem function.
Sensitivity of hemozoin detection by automated flow cytometry in non‐ and semi‐immune malaria patients

Cell‐Dyn automated blood cell analyzers use laser flow cytometry technology, allowing detection of malaria pigment (hemozoin) in monocytes. We evaluated the value of such an instrument to diagnose malaria in febrile travelers returning to Berlin, Germany, the relation between the instrument's performance and the patients' immune status, and the capacity to increase its sensitivity.
Magnetic stimulation of human premotor or motor cortex produces interhemispheric facilitation through distinct pathways

We explored interhemispheric facilitation (IHF) between (a) left and right primary motor cortex (M1) and (b) left dorsal premotor (dPM) and right M1 in 20 right‐handed healthy human subjects using a paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol. A conditioning TMS pulse (CP) applied to left M1 or dPM with an intensity of 80% and 60% active motor threshold (CP80%AMT and CP60%AMT, respectively) was followed by a test pulse (TP) over right M1 induced by anterior–posterior‐ or posterior–anterior‐ (TPAP, TPPA) directed currents in the brain at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 3–8 and 10 ms. EMG was recorded from left first dorsal interosseous muscle. In the main experimental condition IHF was evoked by CP80%AMT over left M1 and TPAP at ISIs of 6 and 8 ms. The same CP80%AMT produced IHF at an ISI of 8 ms when applied over left dPM but only with TPPA. In addition, when CP60%AMT was given to M1, IHF was present at an ISI of 6 ms (but not 8 ms) when followed by TPPA, indicating that IHF elicited over dPM was not caused by current spread of the conditioning pulse to M1. We conclude that IHF can be induced differentially by conditioning M1 and dPM using subthreshold CP. These facilitatory interactions depended on the intensity and ISI of the CP as well as the current flow direction of the TP. We suggest that not only do the CPs activate separate anatomical pathways but also that these pathways project to different populations of interneurons in the receiving M1. These may correspond to elements involved in the generation of I3 and I1 waves, respectively.
Replying, disliking, flagging: How users engage with uncivil and impolite comments on news sites

: Uncivil and impolite user comments diminish the quality of deliberative discussions in the comment sections of news sites. This study investigates how users engage against such comments. Replying, disliking, and flagging are distinguished as different options of user engagement that vary in their functionality for discussion sections. To investigate the effects of incivility and impoliteness on user engagement, we conducted a 2 (civil vs. uncivil user comment) x 2 (polite vs. impolite user comment) online experiment. Results show that users engaged against impolite comments that attacked Muslims by flagging or by writing a reply against the language style or a reply against the expressed opinion. Inci-vility did not influence user engagement. The effects are moderated by Islamophobic attitudes. The results give detailed insights into readers’ behavior in discussion threads and have consequences for professional moderation.
Macroeconomic Factors in Oil Futures Markets

This paper documents new evidence against perfect risk spanning in crude oil futures, and develops an affine futures pricing model that allows for unspanned macroeconomic factors. Compared to previous estimates, the oil spot premium is more volatile and strongly procyclical, which suggests that previous models miss the majority of variation in oil risk premiums. The estimates reveal a dynamic two-way relationship between oil futures and economic activity: productivity shocks are associated with higher oil prices, while oil price shocks affect economic activity by lowering future consumption spending. Unspanned macro factors also affect the valuation of real options. This paper was accepted by Karl Diether, finance.
Relation between Sport Activity and Mental Rotation: Comparison of Three Groups of Subjects

The aim was to observe the relation between sport activity and performance on a mental image-transformation task. A classical mental rotation task using abstract stimuli was administered to three groups: (a) gymnasts who used mental and physical rotations in their practice, (b) athletes whose activities required very little motor rotation, and (c) nonathletes. Both sport groups performed similarly and obtained significantly shorter response times than those of the nonathletes. We suggest that the regular practice of spatial activities, such as sports, could be related to the spatial capacities of the participants.
Analysis of two chondroitin sulfate utilization mutants of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that differ in their abilities to compete with the wild type in the gastrointestinal tracts of germfree mice

Previously, we isolated two mutants of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that were unable to grow on the mucopolysaccharide chondroitin sulfate (CS). One of these mutants (46-1) was outcompeted by the wild type in the intestinal tracts of germfree mice, whereas the other mutant (46-4) competed equally with the wild type. In the present article, we report a detailed characterization of these two mutants. Assays of enzymes in the CS utilization pathway revealed that 46-1 did not express one of these enzymes, chondro-6-sulfatase. The absence of chondro-6-sulfatase activity in extracts from 46-1 allowed us to detect a previously unknown activity of another enzyme in the CS breakdown pathway, beta-glucuronidase. In addition to hydrolyzing its normal substrate (an unsulfated disaccharide), beta-glucuronidase also hydrolyzed the 6-sulfated disaccharide subunit of CS. Two-dimensional gel analysis of polypeptides produced by 46-1 showed that several proteins other than the 6-sulfatase were either missing or expressed aberrantly. Thus, 46-1 could be a regulatory mutant. Mutant 46-4 was unable to grow on CS, hyaluronic acid, or disaccharides of CS. Thus, expression of the CS pathway enzymes could not be induced. Nonetheless, the growth pattern of 46-4 and some other findings indicate that the structural genes for these enzymes were still intact. The most likely target of mutant 46-4 is a regulatory locus that is required for expression of CS utilization genes. A surprising characteristic of 46-1 was its inability to grow on heparin, a mucopolysaccharide which is structurally similar to CS but is utilized by a different pathway. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
High prevalence of human cytomegalovirus in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic carcinoma.

PURPOSE Recent epidemiological data indicate that a history of increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family, is sexually transmitted in adults and can persistently infect prostatic epithelium in non-immunocompromised hosts. Based on increased awareness of the oncogenic potential of this virus, we decided to reexplore the issue of whether HCMV might be involved in prostate cancer pathogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Paraffin embedded biopsy specimens from 22 randomly selected patients with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions and prostatic carcinoma were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing to detect HCMV nucleic acids and determine whether HCMV gene products were specifically associated with neoplastic cells. RESULTS We detected HCMV proteins and/or nucleic acids in all 22 of the 22 preneoplastic and neoplastic prostate lesions evaluated. HCMV proteins were specifically and often highly expressed in basal cell hyperplasia and PIN lesions, and to a lesser degree in carcinoma cells. RESULTS To our knowledge these data demonstrate for the first time the specific localization of HCMV nucleic acids and proteins in a high percent of PIN and prostate carcinoma lesions, and raise the possibility that HCMV might contribute to the natural history of prostatic cancer.
Performance Implications of International Product Strategies and the Integration of Marketing Activities

This study investigated the relationships among firm performance, international markets, international product strategy, and the international integration of marketing activities. Performance was operationalized using sales growth and return on investment. Hypotheses were tested on the relationship between a firm's performance and (1) the match between its international product strategy and the international market served, and (2) the match between its international product strategy and the international integration of its marketing activities. These hypotheses were supported when sales growth was used as a dependent variable. No statistically significant relationship was found between either match and return on investment.
Evaluating the presence of marketing capabilities: A multidimensional, hierarchical index

We propose a multidimensional instrument to assess the degree of presence of marketing capabilities a firm possesses, at three levels of abstraction. We first present the theoretical framework for marketing capabilities and discuss the main scales proposed by Vorhies et al. Then, we detail the steps required to develop and validate our third-order formative instrument. We assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the proposed instrument via partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) applied to a sample of 199 French small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Finally, we check the nomological validity of our instrument by testing the positive effect of marketing capabilities on organisational performance.
Stxbp4 Regulates ΔNp63 Stability by Suppression of RACK1-Dependent Degradation

ABSTRACT p63, a member of the p53 tumor suppressor family, is essential for the development of epidermis as well as other stratified epithelia. Collective evidence indicates that ΔNp63 proteins, the N-terminally deleted versions of p63, are essential for the proliferation and survival of stratified epithelial cells and squamous cell carcinoma cells. But in response to DNA damage, ΔNp63 proteins are quickly downregulated in part through protein degradation. To elucidate the mechanisms by which ΔNp63 proteins are maintained at relatively high levels in proliferating cells but destabilized in response to stress, we sought to identify p63 interactive proteins that regulate p63 stability. We found that Stxbp4 and RACK1, two scaffold proteins, play central roles in balancing ΔNp63 protein levels. While Stxbp4 functions to stabilize ΔNp63 proteins, RACK1 targets ΔNp63 for degradation. Under normal growth conditions, Stxbp4 is indispensable for maintaining high basal levels of ΔNp63 and preventing RACK1-mediated p63 degradation. Upon genotoxic stress, however, Stxbp4 itself is downregulated, correlating with ΔNp63 destabilization mediated in part by RACK1. Taken together, we have delineated key mechanisms that regulate ΔNp63 protein stability in vivo.
Experimental Physiology –Research Paper: Exercise training combined with angiotensin II receptor blockade reduces oxidative stress after myocardial infarction in rats

An increase in oxidative stress and decrease in antioxidant enzymes have been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (MI). In this study in rats, treadmill exercise training and losartan treatment began 1 week post‐myocardial infarction (MI) and lasted 8 weeks. We evaluated the changes in the mRNA and protein expressions for the enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase after exercise and losartan treatment post‐MI. Our results demonstrated that GPx and catalase mRNA levels were comparable among all the groups, while the mRNA level for manganese SOD (MnSOD) was significantly increased in exercise training with/without losartan treatment compared with the sedentary post‐MI group. Moreover, the mRNA level for gp91phox was dramatically decreased by a combination of exercise and losartan treatment. The protein levels for MnSOD were significantly elevated by exercise training in combination with losartan treatment. The protein levels for catalase were significantly increased in response to exercise, and further augmented by exercise together with losartan treatment. Thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances in plasma were significantly increased in the post‐MI rats, but were decreased by exercise or losartan treatment, indicating that both exercise and losartan may reduce lipid oxidative damage. In addition, catalase and SOD enzymatic activities were significantly enhanced by exercise combined with losartan treatment. Our results suggest that exercise training improves catalase and MnSOD expression and attenuates oxidative stress. These effects are potentiated when combining exercise with angiotensin II receptor blockade.
When does the educational use of ICT become a source of technostress for Finnish teachers?

The accelerating digitalization of society has resulted in a demand to speed-up the implementation of ICT in teaching, and changes in curriculum policies reflect this development. However, the demand to increase the educational use of ICT may also cause stress. The aim of the current study was to explore how demographics are associated with technostress and which factors predict it in Finnish school teachers. The data was collected with the OPEKA online self‑evaluation questionnaire tool. The sample consisted of 2,741 teachers. The results indicated that subject teachers were more “technostressed” than class teachers, female teachers were more stressed than males, and teachers with 16–30 years of working experience were more stressed than teachers with 0–15 years of experience. The key predictors of the technostress were ICT competence, the concordance of the educational use of ICT with the teaching style, school support, and attitudes to the educational use of ICT. High ICT competence, high concordance of ICT with the teaching style, high levels of school support, and positive attitudes to ICT were associated with low levels of technostress. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings, and the practical implications and the need for future studies are explored.
Radial optic neurotomy using nasal and temporal approach incisions: histopathologic study in human cadaver eyes.

OBJECTIVE To examine the structural effect of radial optic neurotomy (RON) using nasal and temporal approach incisions on the nasal side of the optic nerve (ON) using dominant and nondominant hands in human cadaver eyes. METHODS Transvitreal RON was performed in 9 eyes with a microvitreoretinal blade by a right-handed surgeon. A nasal approach was used in 4 left eyes (using the right hand) and in 2 right eyes (using the left hand), and a temporal approach was used in 3 right eyes (using the right hand). Histologic sections were examined for depth of nerve penetration and for effect on critical structures. RESULTS The scleral canal was fully incised in all cases. The mean depth of nerve penetration was 555 micro25 microing the nasal approach and 246.7 microing the temporal approach) (P =.12). The globe was not ruptured in any eye. In a single right eye approached temporally using the right hand, the adventitial sheath of the central retinal artery was lacerated. CONCLUSIONS RON in human cadaver eyes results in lysis of the scleral canal at the ON head. Greater depth and improved safety of incision can be achieved by always approaching the incision from the nasal side of the ON using the dominant or nondominant hand.
Co-infection Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV: systematic review (1980-2010).

INTRODUCTION The co-infection Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV has been described as a clinical event of great relevance. The objective of this study was to describe clinical and epidemiological aspects published in literature. METHODS It is a systematic review of a descriptive nature from the databases Medline, Lilacs, SciELO, Scopus, from 1980 to 2010. RESULTS There were 83 articles (2.8 articles/year) with a total of 291 cases. The co-infection was described in 1980 and this situation has become the defining AIDS clinical event in Brazil. This is the country with the highest number of publication (51.8%) followed by Argentina (27.7%). The majority of cases are amongst adult men (65.3%) native or from endemic regions with serological diagnosis in the chronic stage (97.9%) and indeterminate form (50.8%). Both diseases follow the normal course, but in 41% the reactivation of the Chagas disease occurs. The most severe form is the meningoencephalitis, with 100% of mortality without specific and early treatment of the T. cruzi. The medication of choice was the benznidazole on doses and duration normally used for the acute phase. The high parasitemia detected by direct or indirect quantitative methods indicated reactivation and its elevation is the most important predictive factor. The lower survival rate was related to the reactivation of the Chagas disease and the natural complications of both diseases. The role of the antiretroviral treatment on the co-infection cannot yet be defined by the knowledge currently existent. CONCLUSIONS Despite the relevance of this clinical event there are still gaps to be filled.