Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inductive interactions and embryonic equivalence groups in a basal metazoan, the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi

Ctenophores undergo locomotion via the metachronal beating of eight longitudinally arrayed rows of comb plate cilia. These cilia are normally derived from two embryonic lineages, which include both daughters of the four e1 micromeres (e11 and e12) and a single daughter of the four m1 micromeres (the m12 micromeres). Although the e1 lineage is established autonomously, the m1 lineage requires an inductive interaction from the e1 lineage to contribute to comb plate formation. Successive removal of the e1 progeny at later stages of development indicates that this interaction takes place after the 32‐cell stage and likely proceeds over a prolonged period of development. Normally, the e11 cell lies in closest proximity to the m12 cell that generates comb plate cilia; however, either of the e1 daughters (e11 or e12) is capable of emitting the signal required for m1 descendants to form comb plates. Previous cell lineage analyses indicate that the two e1 daughters generate the same suite of cell fates. On the other hand, the m1 daughters (m11 and m12) normally give rise to different cell fates. Reciprocal m1 daughter deletions show that in the absence of one daughter, the other cell can gene‐rate all the cell types normally formed by the missing cell. To‐gether, these findings demonstrate that the two m1 daughters (m11 and m12) represent an embryonic equivalence group or field and that differences in the fates of the two m1 daughters are normally controlled by cell–cell interactions. These combined properties of ctenophore development, including the utilization of deterministic cleavage divisions, inductive interactions, and the establishment of embryonic fields or equivalence groups, are remarkably similar to those present in the development of various bilaterian metazoans.
Calcium dynamics and buffering in motoneurones of the mouse spinal cord

1 A quantitative analysis of endogenous calcium homeostasis was performed on 65 motoneurones in slices of the lumbar spinal cord from 2‐ to 8‐day‐old mice by simultaneous patch‐clamp and microfluorometric calcium measurements. 2 Somatic calcium concentrations were monitored with a temporal resolution in the millisecond time domain. Measurements were performed by using a monochromator for excitation and a photomultiplier detection system. 3 Somatic calcium signalling was investigated during defined voltage‐clamp protocols. Calcium responses were observed for membrane depolarizations positive to −50 mV. A linear relation between depolarization time and free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) indicated that voltage‐dependent calcium influx dominated the response. 4 Endogenous calcium homeostasis was quantified by using the ‘added buffer’ approach. In the presence of fura‐2 and mag‐fura‐5, calcium transients decayed according to a monoexponential function. Decay‐time constants showed a linear dependence on dye concentration and the extrapolated constant in the absence of indicator dye was 371 ± 120 ms (n= 13 cells, 21 °C). 5 For moderate elevations (< 1 μm), recovery kinetics of depolarization‐induced calcium transients were characterized by a calcium‐independent, ‘effective’ extrusion rate γ= 140 ± 47 s−1 (n= 13 cells, 21 °C). 6 The endogenous calcium binding ratio for fixed buffers in spinal motoneurones was κB’= 50 ± 17 (n= 13 cells), indicating that less than 2% of cytosolic calcium ions contributed to [Ca2+]i. 7 Endogenous binding ratios in spinal motoneurones were small compared to those found in hippocampal or cerebellar Purkinje neurones. From a functional perspective, they provided motoneurones with rapid dynamics of cytosolic [Ca2+]i for a given set of influx, extrusion and uptake mechanisms. 8 With respect to pathophysiological conditions, our measurements are in agreement with a model where the selective vulnerability of spinal motoneurones during excitotoxic conditions and motoneurone disease partially results from low endogenous calcium buffering.
Monoclonal antibodies to the hypervariable region 1 of hepatitis C virus capture virus and inhibit virus adsorption to susceptible cells in vitro.

To analyze the neutralizing-related activity of antibodies against the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in more detail, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against HVR1 were raised by immunizing various strains of mice with one of two synthetic HVR1 peptides that had been derived from two isolates of HCV. The epitope specificity of all six mAbs could be assigned by the use of a series of linear peptides in competitive ELISA. It seems that most subregions in the amino acid sequence of HVR1 can induce a humoral immune response in mice. All three mAbs specific to HVR1-6-1 had the ability to capture homologous HCV-6 and inhibit its absorption to susceptible cells in vitro despite the fact that the epitope of each mAb was at a different location in HVR1, whereas the other three mAbs specific to HVR1-7 could not capture HCV-6 nor inhibit the absorption of HCV-6 to susceptible cells. The data in this study suggest that mAbs against HVR1 can prevent the infectivity of HCV in an isolate-specific and epitope position-independent manner.
Effect of Electrical Field on Barley Seed Germination Stimulation

The present paper provides the data on seed germination stimulation in the corona discharge field and energy content conveyed to seed. The effect of physical treatment on seed germination is discussed in the review of literature. Abundant experimental evidence suggests that the methods of physical treatment used at optimal doses have a positive impact on seed viability. However, many authors do not indicate the initial seed germination and viability. Tests were carried out with barley seed following active experimental planning procedures for three factors – field strength, time from treatment to sowing and seed moisture. In compliance with the standard methodology germination tests were done in four replications, 100 seed per replication. Seed viability tests were conducted in two replications, 100 seed per replication. Statistically processed experimental data suggest that the effect of electrical field in the first fraction of the electric separator significantly increased seed germination, compared with the untreated control. The difference between the seed germination in the second fraction and in the control was insignificant. It was also identified that viability and germination differences between the seed in the first fraction of the electric separator and in the control were significant. Experimental evidence indicates that the content of energy conveyed to seed depends on the strength of the electrical field and electrical properties of seed.
Studies of respiratory physiology in the newborn infant. III. Measurements of mechanics of respiration.

Considerable attention has recently been focused on the mechanical factors in respiration of normal adults and of those with respiratory abnormalities. This report presents observations on the mechanics of respiration in 23 normal newborn infants and 2 infants critically ill with-neonatal respiratory distress. The data are derived from simultaneous measurements of tidal volume and intraesophageal pressure changes.
MiR-26 b inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation , migration , and invasion by targeting EphA 2

Deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in cancer progression as a result of changes in expression of their target genes. In this study, we investigated the expression of miR-16b in eight hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, revealed the roles of miR-26b on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and confirmed that EphA2 is a direct target of miR-26b. The miR-26b expression was decreased and EphA2 expression was evaluated in HCC cell lines. Luciferase assays revealed that miR-26b inhibited EphA2 expression by targeting the 3’-untranslated region of EphA2 mRNA. Overexpression of miR-26b dramatically inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cells by targeting EphA2. Moreover, miR-26b down-regulated c-Myc and CyclinD1 expression, which was reversed by overexpressed EphA2. Taken together, our data demonstrated the mechanism of miR-26b contributed to HCC progression and implicated that miR-26b’s potential in HCC therapy.
Modeling Laminar Recordings from Visual Cortex with Semi-Restricted Boltzmann Machines

The proliferation of high density recording techniques presents us with new challenges for characterizing the statistics of neural activity over populations of many neurons. The Ising model, which is the maximum entropy model for pairwise correlations, has been used to model the instantaneous state of a population of neurons. This model suffers from two major limitations: 1) Estimation for large models becomes computationally intractable, and 2) it cannot capture higher-order dependencies. We propose applying a more general maximum entropy model, the semi-restricted Boltzmann machine (sRBM), which extends the Ising model to capture higher order dependencies using hidden units. Estimation of large models is made practical using minimum probability flow, a recently developed parameter estimation method for energy-based models. The partition functions of the models are estimated using annealed importance sampling, which allows for comparing models in terms of likelihood. Applied to 32-channel polytrode data recorded from cat visual cortex, these higher order models significantly outperform Ising models. In addition, extending the model to spatiotemporal sequences of states allows us to predict spiking based on network history. Our results highlight the importance of modeling higher order interactions across space and time to characterize activity in cortical networks.
Assessment of Diurnal Variability of Peak Expiratory Flow in Stable Asthmatics

Five daily readings of peak expiratory flow (PEF) were obtained for three days on 100 patients with chronic stable asthma. The variability of PEF was calculated as the amplitude percent mean (A%M) from the readings obtained on the third day, and compared to previously reported data from 152 healthy Indian adults. Patients with severe asthma exhibited significantly higher A%M than patients with both mild and moderate asthma (p<0.05), but there was considerable overlap across disease categories. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve plotted to assess the performance of PEF variability as a discriminator in diagnosing asthma was 0.826, with best discrimination at a value of 12.5 (sensitivity 0.640, specificity 0.941). Using a cut-off value of 16.5 (as proposed earlier by us) improved specificity to 0.987 but reduced sensitivity to 0.510. Using a traditional cut-off of 20, specificity remained almost unchanged (0.993), but sensitivity dropped further to 0.440. Thus A%M>16.5 is a useful marker of bronchial asthma in epidemiological studies in India. However, its use in population screening, clinical diagnosis, or in the assessment of the severity of asthma in individual patients has serious limitations because of poor sensitivity.
Lymphomatoid papulosis in children: a study of 10 children registered by the Dutch Cutaneous Lymphoma Working Group

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a chronic recurrent self‐healing condition, with histological features suggestive of a malignant lymphoma. Only a few cases have been described in children. We report 10 children with this skin disease and compare them with the adult type of LyP and childhood cases described in the literature. Although LyP has the same clinical picture and histology in both age groups, in contrast with the adult type no transformation into malignancy has been described in childhood.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY CHILDREN BORN AFTER APPLICATION FOR THERAPEUTIC ABORTION REFUSED: Their mental health, social adjustment and educational level up to the age of 21

120 children born in 1939-1942 after their mothers had applied for therapeutic abortion on psychiatric grounds and had been refused were compared with an appropriate control group of the same size. Many more unwanted than control children had not had the advantage of a secure family life during childhood. There was a statistically significant difference (p<.005) between the number of unwanted children who received public assistance and the control group. The unwanted were registered more often in psychiatric services for antisocial and criminal behavior slightly more often for drunken misconduct and received much less theoretical education than the control group. More of them were exempt from military service and of the girls more married early and had children earlier. Differences between the groups are often statistically significant and when not significant always point in the same direction: The unwanted children were in a worse situation than were the control children. The results of the study indicate that if a woman applies for legal abortion it will mean that the prospective child runs the risk of having to overcome greater social and mental handicaps than its peers if the abortion is refused. Legislation on therapeutic abortion should also consider the social risks to the expected child.
FGFR1/3 Tyrosine Kinase Fusions Define a Unique Molecular Subtype of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: The fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-3 fusion genes have been recently demonstrated in a subset of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To aid in identification and treatment of these patients, we examined the frequency, clinicopathologic characteristics, and treatment outcomes of patients who had NSCLC with or without FGFR fusions. Experimental Design: Fourteen known FGFR fusion variants, including FGFR1, FGFR2, and FGFR3, were detected by RT-PCR and verified by direct sequencing in 1,328 patients with NSCLC. All patients were also analyzed for mutations in EGFR, KRAS, HER2, BRAF, ALK, RET, and ROS1. Clinical characteristics, including age, sex, smoking status, stage, subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma, relapse-free survival, and overall survival, were collected. Results: Of 1,328 tumors screened, two (0.2%) were BAG4-FGFR1 fusion and 15 (1.1%) were FGFR3-TACC3 fusion. Six of 1,016 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were FGFR3-TACC3 fusions and 11 of 312 lung squamous cell carcinoma harbored BAG4-FGFR1 or FGFR3-TACC3 fusions. Compared with the FGFR fusion-negative group, patients with FGFR fusions were more likely to be smokers (94.1%, 16 of 17 patients, P < 0.001), significantly associated with larger tumor (>3 cm; 88.2%, 15 of 17 patients, P < 0.001) and with a tendency to be more poorly differentiated (53.9%, nine of 17 patients, P = 0.095). Conclusions: FGFR fusions define a molecular subset of NSCLC with distinct clinical characteristics. FGFR is a druggable target and patients with FGFR fusions may benefit from FGFR-targeted therapy, which needs further clinical investigation. Clin Cancer Res; 20(15); 4107–14. ©2014 AACR.
Coexistence of MALT-type lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

Abstract A 66-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed as having a MALT-type lymphoma by histopathological examination. The lesion involved the vocal folds bilaterally, occupying the larynx and extending beyond it, as shown by computed tomography (CT). A course of radiation therapy with moderate doses was given. Six months later, a squamous cell carcinoma was found in the larynx and total laryngectomy was then performed. The patient remained well, without recurrence, 46 months after the operation, thus, MALT-type lymphoma may coexist with a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
Treatment with Cestode Parasite Antigens Results in Recruitment of CCR2+ Myeloid Cells, the Adoptive Transfer of Which Ameliorates Colitis

ABSTRACT Awareness of the immunological underpinnings of host-parasite interactions may reveal immune signaling pathways that could be used to treat inflammatory disease in humans. Previously we showed that infection with the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, used as a model helminth, or systemic delivery of worm antigen (HdAg) significantly reduced the severity of dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis in mice. Extending these analyses, intraperitoneal injection of HdAg dose-dependently suppressed dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis, and this was paralleled by reduced gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production and increased IL-10 production from mitogen-activated splenocytes. Treatment with HdAg resulted in a CCR2-dependent recruitment of CDllb+ F4/80+ Ly6Chi Gr-1lo monocyte-like cells into the peritoneum 24 h later that were predominantly programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive and CXCR2 negative. In vitro assays indicated that these cells were unable to suppress T cell proliferation but enhanced IL-10 and IL-4 production from activated T cells. Adoptive transfer of the HdAg-recruited monocytic cells into naive mice blocked DSS-induced colitis. These findings add to the variety of means by which treatment with parasitic helminth-derived antigens can ameliorate concomitant disease. A precise understanding of the mechanism(s) of action of HdAg and other helminth-derived antigens (and a parallel consideration of putative side effects) may lead to the development of novel therapies for human idiopathic disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.
The effects of sense of coherence, demands of illness, and social support on quality of life after surgery in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To examine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) as an index of adaptation status and concepts related to self-care skills of patients who have been diagnosed with and undergone surgery for digestive system cancer: sense of coherence (SOC), social support, demands of illness, and the thought "Why me? " DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING General hospitals in Japan. SAMPLE 60 patients who had been newly diagnosed with digestive system cancer and had undergone surgery. METHODS Questionnaires were distributed to participants whose discharge date had been determined. The questionnaires were returned through the mail within two weeks of the discharge date. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES QOL, SOC, social support, demands of illness, and the thought "Why me? " FINDINGS QOL was strongly correlated with SOC and the demands of illness and was moderately correlated with social support. The only variable that was negatively correlated with SOC was the question, "Why me? " SOC and demands of illness accounted for 54% of the variance in QOL; social support was not a significant factor. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that SOC is positively correlated with QOL and the demands of illness are negatively correlated with QOL among study participants. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Nursing interventions focusing on SOC and illness demands may have a significant effect on QOL of patients following cancer surgery.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oils Obtained from Mentha longifolia L . Hudson , Dried by Three Different Techniques

The way of drying the fresh herbal material influences the chemical content and the biological activities of their essential oils. The influence of the different drying methods of the herb Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracted essential oils has been analyzed in this study. Drying has been carried out in three ways: in the natural way, in the laboratory oven (45°C) and in the absorptional low-temperature condensational drier (35°C). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil has been estimated by FRAP and DPPH assays, while the antimicrobial activity has been estimated by the diffusible and micro-delusional method, testing on the nine types of bacteria and two types of fungi. The essential oil obtained from the herb dried in the natural way has shown the highest antioxidant activity and the lowest from the herb dried in the laboratory oven. Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus and Enterococcus faecalis have shown the highest sensitivity on the three samples. The oil obtained from the herb dried in the absorptional low-temperature drier has shown the strongest antimicrobial effect.
Association of aplastic anemia and FoxP3 gene polymorphisms in Koreans

ABSTRACT Objectives: Aplastic anemia (AA) is characterized by pancytopenia and bone marrow failure, and most acquired AA is an immune-mediated disorder. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppressing autoreactive T cells were decreased in AA patients. FoxP3 is a major regulator for the development and function of Tregs. Polymorphism in FoxP3 was shown to be associated with various autoimmune diseases, however, has not yet been studied in AA. In this study, we examined the association between FoxP3 polymorphisms and AA in Korean patients. Methods: The study population consisted of 94 patients diagnosed by bone marrow examination in Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) during 1997–2012 and 195 healthy controls. FoxP3 polymorphisms (rs5902434 del/ATT, rs3761548 C/A, rs3761549 C/T, rs2232365 A/G) were analyzed by PCR-sequencing method. We analyzed differences of genotype and allele frequencies between patients and controls. We also compared differences of genotype and allele frequencies between responder and non-responder in patients treated with immunosuppressive therapy (IST). For the statistical analysis, the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used and P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: There was no signiﬁcant difference in the genotype frequencies of FoxP3 polymorphisms between patients and controls. With regards to the allele frequencies, rs3761548 C allele was significantly higher in AA patients than in controls (87.4% vs. 79.7%, P = 0.047). In patients treated with IST, rs3761549 C allele was significantly higher in non-responder patients than in responders (89.6% vs. 66.7%, P = 0.036) and female rs3761549 C/C genotype carriers were associated with greater risk for non-response to IST (84.2% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.006). Conclusion: Polymorphisms in rs3761548 and rs3761549 of FoxP3 in our population were associated with disease susceptibility and response for IST, respectively. This study suggests an association between FoxP3 polymorphisms and AA in Korean patients and will be useful in further understanding the genetic basis of disease susceptibility and response to IST in AA patients.
Scale for the Measurement of “Satisfaction” with Medical Care: Modifications in Content, Format and Scoring

The methodological development of a scale to measure attitudes toward physicians and primary medical care, and efforts to ascertain its reliability and validity have been reported previously. As a direct result of further experience with this scale, several modifications were incorporated and the revised scale subjected to additional evaluation. The modifications specifically address the methods employed in developing a revised set of items, the rationale for changing the response alternative format, and the derivation of a modified Scale Product scoring method. When compared to the traditional Thurstone scoring method, the reliabilities of the Scale Product method, using corrected split-half reliability coefficients, were found to be consistently superior. The complete scale is published with scale values and direction of affect, such that it can be used without modification or additional information by other investigators.