Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relation of increment thresholds to brightness and luminance.

Under ordinary conditions, both the brightness and the increment threshold of an illuminated disk vary directly with its luminance. However, when the disk is surrounded by an annulus more intense than the disk, the brightness of the disk decreases while its luminance remains unchanged.This set of experiments was performed to determine whether, when brightness is varied independently of luminance, the increment threshold depends upon the luminance or upon the brightness of the disk, or upon both factors. We measured the increment threshold for a flash added to the center of a large illuminated disk when the disk was surrounded by a contiguous annulus whose luminance could be varied. Measurements were also taken of the increment threshold as a function of time after the onset of the annulus. Correcting for light scattered in the eye, we found the increment threshold under all conditions to be independent of the luminance of the annulus (and thus independent of the brightness of the region), and dependent only upon the retinal illuminance of the region to which the test flash was added. It is concluded that brightness and the increment threshold cannot depend upon the same properties of the visual system.
Cutoff values for normal anthropometric variables in asian Indian adults.

OBJECTIVE Asian Indians have a high risk of developing glucose intolerance with small increments in their BMI. They generally have high upper-body adiposity, despite having a lean BMI. Therefore, this analysis was performed to find out the normal cutoff values for BMI and upper-body adiposity (waist circumference [WC] or waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]) by computing their risk associations with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The risk of diabetes with stratified BMI, WC, or WHR was computed in 10,025 adults aged > or =20 years without a history of diabetes, and they were tested by oral glucose tolerance tests, using World Health Organization criteria. The calculations were performed separately in men and women using diabetes as the dependent variable versus normoglycemia (normal glucose tolerance) in multiple logistic regression analyses. Age-adjusted and stratified BMI, WC, or WHR were used as the independent variables, using the first stratum as the reference category. The upper limit of the stratum above which the risk association became statistically significant (P < 0.05) was considered to be the cutoff for normal values. RESULTS Normal cutoff values for BMI was 23 kg/m(2) for both sexes. Cutoff values for WC were 85 and 80 cm for men and women, respectively; the corresponding WHRs were 0.88 and 0.81, respectively. Optimum sensitivity and specificity obtained from the receiver operator characteristic curve corresponded to these cutoff values. CONCLUSIONS The cutoff value for normal BMI for men and women was 23 kg/m(2). The cutoff values for WC and WHR were lower in women than in men. The values were significantly lower compared with the corresponding values in white populations.
Adult persons with intellectual disabilities on the island of Ireland.

BACKGROUND Information on the numbers of adult persons (aged 20 years and over) with intellectual disability (ID) is rarely collated at a national level. This is an impediment to service planning especially for a changing population. METHODS A database of all persons in receipt of ID services has been operating in the Republic of Ireland since 1995. In Northern Ireland, regional databases can be used to provide similar information. RESULTS A total of 25,134 persons were known to services in 2002; an overall prevalence for the island of 6.34 per 1,000. However this rate varied for different age groupings and across the two parts of the island. General population characteristics, as well as service factors, appear to account for this. Significantly more people lived with family carers in Northern Ireland. By 2021, it was estimated that the population would increase by over 20% with around one-third of persons aged over 50 years. CONCLUSIONS These data illustrate the variations that exist in the numbers of adult persons with ID known to services across and within regions of a country. Hence caution must be exercised in extrapolating prevalence rates derived in one area to another. The availability of comparative national data highlights issues around the equitable funding and delivery of services.
Modification of peri-insular hemispherotomy and surgical results.

OBJECTIVE We modified the peri-insular hemispherotomy technique devised by Villemure and Mascott. Our modified technique and the surgical results obtained with this method are presented. METHODS The frontoparietal operculum is resected, and the resection cavity is connected with the lateral ventricle. Through this cavity, a transventricular corpus callosotomy and resection of the medial temporal structures are performed. RESULTS This technique was used for 34 patients, with satisfactory surgical results. Cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement was necessary for five patients, and incomplete callosal sectioning was postoperatively detected in three cases. CONCLUSION Our modification of the peri-insular hemispherotomy can be safely and effectively used to treat epilepsy caused by hemispheric lesions, even in cases without ventricular dilation.
The cytoarchitecture of the interfascicular nucleus and ventral tegmental area of tsai in the rat

The cytoarchitecture of the ventral tegmental area of Tsai (VTA) has been studied in detail in the rat with the aid of both conventional techniques and glyoxylic acid‐fluorescence histochemistry. Three main dopamine containing cells groups can be distinguished: nucleus paranigralis, nucleus parabrachialis pigmentosus lies dorsally, and nucleus paranigralis ventrally in the VTA, while nucleus linearis continues posteriorly and medially from VTA and extends dorsally in the midline up towards the dorsal raphe nucleus. Fluorescent neurons in these three groups correspond to the A10 group. In addition to these previously described findings, the present study shows evidence for a further small but cytoarchitecturally distinct dopaminergic group called the interfascicular nucleus. This lies anterorly and ventrally in the ventral tegmentum in the midline, dorsal to the rostral portion of the interpeduncular nucleus and interpeduncular fossa.
Management of Organizational Forgetting in Construction of Organizational Absorptive Capacity

The integration of external and internal knowledge by means of absorptive capacity is a major source for an organization to enhance its competitive advantages. The previous researches pay too much attention to the absorbing process of useful knowledge from the perspective of organizational learning, but comparatively less attention is paid to some aspects like loss process of knowledge, invasion of harmful knowledge, deterioration of core knowledge and inflation of null knowledge. This paper explores the processing mechanism of absorptive capacity and constructs an integrating framework of absorptive capacity by introducing the patterns of organizational forgetting to match the phases of absorptive capacity. Meanwhile, a new perspective and some insights are provided for the management practice to improve absorptive capacity
The expanding roles of caveolin proteins in microbial pathogenesis

Caveolin proteins have been implicated in a wide range of cellular functions including lipid raft mediated endocytosis and regulation of cell signaling cascades. Recent discoveries have shown that these proteins are involved not only in regulating these homeostatic cellular functions, but also in the host response to a wide range of different infections. Both caveolin-1 and 2 have been shown to play important roles in pathogen uptake. While caveolin-1 is the most well studied member of this family, a growing body of evidence has now recognized the role of caveolin-2 in these host pathogen interactions and novel host defense mechanisms.
Automated Red Cell Antibody Analysis. A Parallel Study

Abstract. A parallel study of red cell antibodies was undertaken using two well‐known AutoAnalyzer techniques: the bromelin‐methylcellulose (BMC) method as described by Marsh, and the low‐ionic strength‐Polybrene (LISP) technique of Lalezari. In the present study, minor modifications were made to both methods, without changing the basic principle of antibody detection. The results obtained in this parallel study were compared to standard manual techniques. Screening of 13,135 sera gave 8.7% positive reactions. Of these, 22% were identified manually as being caused by red cell antibodies. Further antibodies could be identified by the machine [described elsewhere].
Low-dose IL-2 reduces lymphocyte apoptosis and increases naive CD4 cells in HIV-1 patients treated with HAART.

During HIV disease an increased in vitro apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells has been demonstrated. This can be reversed in vitro by interleukin (IL)-2. Recent trials with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and IL-2 in HIV-1-infected patients showed promising immunological and clinical results. Here we investigated the effects of subcutaneous low-dose IL-2 administration in combination with HAART on in vitro apoptosis and the relationship between apoptosis, CD4(+) counts, and HIV replication. Twenty-two asymptomatic HIV patients were randomized for HAART (arm I) and HAART plus IL-2 (arm II). Spontaneous apoptosis was decreased in both arms after 28 weeks of therapy but the reduction was highly significant only in arm II (P = 0.05 vs P = 0.001). As the percentage of apoptosis decreased, there was a significantly higher increase of both CD4(+) and CD4(+) naive T cells in arm II vs arm I. HIV plasma viremia was reduced in all patients after therapy. Our data suggest that intermittent therapy with low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 in addition to HAART induces a positive immunomodulation in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients.
Calreticulin Represses E-cadherin Gene Expression in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells via Slug*

Calreticulin (CRT) is a multifunctional Ca2+-binding molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum. In mammals, the expression level of CRT differs markedly in a variety of organs and tissues, suggesting that CRT plays a specific role in each cell type. In the present study, we focused on CRT functions in the kidney, where overall expression of CRT is quite low, and established CRT-overexpressing kidney epithelial cell-derived Madin-Darby canine kidney cells by gene transfection. We demonstrated that, in CRT-overexpressing cells, the morphology was apparently changed, and the original polarized epithelial cell phenotype was destroyed. Furthermore, CRT-overexpressing cells showed enhanced migration through Matrigel®-coated Boyden chamber wells, compared with controls. E-cadherin expression was significantly suppressed at the protein and transcriptional levels in CRT-overexpressing cells compared with controls. On the other hand, the expression of mesenchymal protein markers, such as N-cadherin and fibronectin, was up-regulated. We also found that the expression of Slug, a repressor of the E-cadherin promoter, was up-regulated by overexpression of CRT through altered Ca2+ homeostasis, and this led to enhanced binding of Slug to the E-box element in the E-cadherin promoter. Thus, we conclude that CRT regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like change of cellular phenotype by modulating the Slug/E-cadherin pathway through altered Ca2+ homeostasis in cells, suggesting a novel function of CRT in cell-cell interaction of epithelial cells.
Treatment of fetal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias

Supraventricular tachyarrhythmia has been encountered in 18 fetuses at the Yale‐New Haven Medical Center during the past 4 years. Fourteen of these fetuses had supraventricular tachycardia and underwent in utero antiarrhythmic therapy with maternally administered digoxin either alone, or on combination with verapamil, propranolol, or procainamide. Thirteen of the 14 fetuses had successful in utero conversion of cardiac rhythm to normal sinus rhythm. The 14th patient underwent successful therapy after birth. All 14 fetuses survived despite severe fetal hydrops at the time of diagnosis in 13 of 14. The four remaining fetuses had either atrial flutter (3) or fibrillation. Two of the fetuses with atrial flutter died at birth, the 3rd survived after electrical cardioversion at birth. The fetus with atrial fibrillation converted to normal sinus rhythm and survived after maternal administration of digoxin. Using M‐mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography, the nature and electrophysiologic mechanism of the arrhythmia may be deduced. The latter information is reviewed along with the fetomaternal pharmacology of various antiarrhythmic agents to devise a rational antiarrhythmic treatment program.
Complementary and alternative medicine for multiple sclerosis

We analyzed characteristics, motivation, and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine in a large sample of people with multiple sclerosis. A 53-item survey was mailed to the members of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society, chapter of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Surveys of 1573 patients (48.5 ± 11.7 years, 74% women, duration of illness 18.1 ± 10.5 years) were analyzed. In comparison with conventional medicine, more patients displayed a positive attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine (44% vs 38%, P < 0.05), with 70% reporting lifetime use of at least one method. Among a wide variety of complementary and alternative medicine, diet modification (41%), Omega-3 fatty acids (37%), removal of amalgam fillings (28%), vitamins E (28%), B (36%), and C (28%), homeopathy (26%), and selenium (24%) were cited most frequently. Most respondents (69%) were satisfied with the effects of complementary and alternative medicine. Use of complementary and alternative medicine was associated with religiosity, functional independence, female sex, white-collar job, and higher education (P < 0.05). Compared with conventional therapies, complementary and alternative medicine rarely showed unwanted side effects (9% vs 59%, P < 0.00001). A total of 52% stated that the initial consultation with their physician lasted less than 15 min. To conclude, main reasons for the use of complementary and alternative medicine include the high rate of side effects and low levels of satisfaction with conventional treatments and brief patients/physicians contacts.
Serum CEA as a predictor for the response to preoperative chemoradiation in rectal cancer

Recent data suggest that good responders to preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) have a favorable prognosis in rectal cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels for the tumor response to preoperative CRT in rectal cancer patients.
Scleromyxoedema‐like changes in four renal dialysis patients

Summary We describe four renal dialysis patients from our hospital who, over a 6‐month period, developed erythematous, thickened, indurated dermal plaques. The plaques were limited to the limbs and in three patients there were associated flexion contractures. The clinical features most resembled scleromyxoedema. All patients had previously received at least one renal transplant. Histopathology of the plaques showed features of scleromyxoedema in two patients, whereas the other two showed a different picture, more suggestive of a morphoea‐like process. There are important differences between our patients and classical scleromyxoedema. All four patients had normal immunoglobulins and no paraprotein was detected. Almost all cases of classical scleromyxoedema are associated with an IgGλ paraproteinaemia. We have not yet identified an underlying cause for this cluster of cases in our hospital. It is possible that the skin changes seen may have been precipitated by an environmental agent, such as in ‘toxic oil syndrome’ and vinyl chloride‐induced scleroderma. We discuss the differences between our patients and those with scleromyxoedema, localized or generalized morphoea and environmentally induced scleroderma. We feel that our patients show a constellation of features similar, but not identical, to scleromyxoedema. There has been only one previous report of similar patients. We believe this to be a new and distinct phenomenon.
Virus‐specific serum IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies in cytomegalovirus mononucleosis patients as determined by immunoblotting technique

The immune response to individual human cytomegalovirus (CMV) structural polypeptides was studied in paired sera from 15 adult CMV mononucleosis (CMVMN) patients and healthy controls by immunoblotting technique (IB). IgM and IgG antibodies to at least 11 structural polypeptides with molecular weights of 28K, 49K. 55K, 57K. &‐7OK, 82K, 87K, IIOK, 150K. 205K, and 235K were detected in the patients sera in the serum sample obtained in the acute phase of the disease. IgA antibodies to polypeptides with molecular weights of 66‐70K. 82K. 11OK, and 150K were also detected in these sera. In healthy seropositive adults, IgG antibodies with the same molecular weight polypeptides, excluding the 205K and 235K polypeptides, were detected as in convalescent CMV‐MN patients. A prominent reactivity of IgM and IgA antibodies to the 66‐70K and ISOK polypeptides was noted in the acute sera from all the CMV‐MN patients examined, but not in a number of late convalescent sera. The potential implications of these findings in the development of specific serological tests are discussed.
Changes to control of adaptive gait in individuals with long-standing reduced stereoacuity.

PURPOSE Gait during obstacle negotiation is adapted in visually normal subjects whose vision is temporarily and unilaterally blurred or occluded. This study was conducted to examine whether gait parameters in individuals with long-standing deficient stereopsis are similarly adapted. METHODS Twelve visually normal subjects and 16 individuals with deficient stereopsis due to amblyopia and/or its associated conditions negotiated floor-based obstacles of different heights (7-22 cm). Trials were conducted during binocular viewing and monocular occlusion. Analyses focused on foot placement before the obstacle and toe clearance over it. RESULTS Across all viewing conditions, there were significant group-by-obstacle height interactions for toe clearance (P < 0.001), walking velocity (P = 0.003), and penultimate step length (P = 0.022). Toe clearance decreased (approximately 0.7 cm) with increasing obstacle height in visually normal subjects, but it increased (approximately 1.5 cm) with increasing obstacle height in the stereo-deficient group. Walking velocity and penultimate step length decreased with increasing obstacle height in both groups, but the reduction was more pronounced in stereo-deficient individuals. Post hoc analyses indicated group differences in toe clearance and penultimate step length when negotiating the highest obstacle (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Occlusion of either eye caused significant and similar gait changes in both groups, suggesting that in stereo-deficient individuals, as in visually normal subjects, both eyes contribute usefully to the execution of adaptive gait. Under monocular and binocular viewing, obstacle-crossing performance in stereo-deficient individuals was more cautious when compared with that of visually normal subjects, but this difference became evident only when the subjects were negotiating higher obstacles; suggesting that such individuals may be at greater risk of tripping or falling during everyday locomotion.
“Jerky” dystonia in children: Spectrum of phenotypes and genetic testing

Hyperkinetic dystonia is characterized by phasic, tremulous, and “jerky” movements in addition to twisting postures. We studied longitudinally 23 index patients with hyperkinetic dystonia from a quaternary pediatric movement disorder clinic in Ireland. Four clinical categories emerged: (1) Eight patients were diagnosed with myoclonus‐dystonia, of whom seven carried heterozygous epsilon sarcoglycan (SGCE) mutations, including a novel deletion of exon 10. Gait disorder, unsteadiness, or frequent falls before 18 months were detected in all SGCE mutation carriers, whereas the typical neck‐predominant presentation developed only years later. (2) One patient classified as benign hereditary chorea, because jerks were choreiform and continuous rather than action‐induced, carried a heterozygous stop mutation of the TITF‐1 gene (Y114X, exon 2). (3) Three mutation‐negative patients were grouped as “myoclonic dystonia” with jerks only in the body regions affected by dystonia. (4) Eleven patients presented with a novel combination of dystonia and low amplitude poly‐mini myoclonus of the upper limbs and pectoral muscles (D‐PMM). In early childhood up to 3 years of age, an initial presentation with predominant gait impairment with only subtle jerks should prompt consideration of SGCE mutation analysis in addition to testing for DYT1 mutations. A causative gene for D‐PMM remains to be identified. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Gene Acquisition at the Insertion Site for SCCmec, the Genomic Island Conferring Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus becomes resistant to methicillin by acquiring a genomic island, known as staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec), which contains the methicillin resistance determinant, mecA. SCCmec is site-specifically integrated into the staphylococcal chromosome at a locus known as the SCCmec attachment site (attB). In an effort to gain a better understanding of the potential that methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolates have for acquiring SCCmec, the nucleotide sequences of attB and surrounding DNA regions were examined in a diverse collection of 42 MSSA isolates. The chromosomal region surrounding attB varied among the isolates studied and appears to be a common insertion point for acquired foreign DNA. Insertions of up to 15.1 kb were found containing open reading frames with homology to enterotoxin genes, restriction-modification systems, transposases, and several sequences that have not been previously described in staphylococci. Two groups, containing eight and four isolates, had sequences found in known SCCmec elements, suggesting SCCmec elements may have evolved through repeated DNA insertions at this locus. In addition, the attB sequences of the majority of MSSA isolates in this collection differ from the attB sequences of strains for which integrase-mediated SCCmec insertion or excision has been demonstrated, suggesting that some S. aureus isolates may lack the ability to site-specifically integrate SCCmec into their chromosomes.
Persistent Auditory Language Deficits in Adults with Learning Disabilities

To the casual observer, learning disabled adults' oral language appears adequate. When they enter college, heavy demands are placed on both receptive and expressive oral language abilities, but typically only reading and written language abilities are assessed. Dr. Blalock describes below the auditory processing, receptive, and expressive language deficits she found in her study of 80 LD adults and how they themselves observed the effects of these deficits on their performance in a variety of settings; academic, social, and vocational. Because oral language is not evaluated consistently in LD adults entering college LD programs, her findings have significant implications for assessment and program development at the college level if inroads are to be made in the improvement of the most severe and widespread deficit in LD adults, namely, the deficit in written language. Of 80 young adults diagnosed as having learning disabilities, 63 were found to have oral language and/or auditory processing deficits. These problems included deficits in auditory discrimination, comprehension, memory, auditory recall, oral formulation, and pronunciation of multisyllabic words. Problems in metalinguistic abilities were seen most frequently. These residual auditory deficits were reported to interfere with social and vocational functioning as well as with academic performance.