Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Calcium Signaling Regulates Nuclear Export of a Subset of Class IIa Histone Deacetylases following Synaptic Activity*

Background: Class IIa HDACs shuttle in a signal-regulated manner between the nucleus and cytosol. Results: Nuclear calcium signaling is required for the nuclear export of a subset of class IIa HDAC. Conclusion: Transcriptional regulation by nuclear calcium signaling involves changes in the subcellular localization of specific HDACs. Significance: Through regulating HDAC nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling nuclear calcium signaling may cause genome-wide alterations in chromatin structure in response to synaptic activity. In neurons, dynamic changes in the subcellular localization of histone deacetylases (HDACs) are thought to contribute to signal-regulated gene expression. Here we show that in mouse hippocampal neurons, synaptic activity-dependent nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling is a common feature of all members of class IIa HDACs, which distinguishes them from other classes of HDACs. Nuclear calcium, a key regulator in neuronal gene expression, is required for the nuclear export of a subset of class IIa HDACs. We found that inhibition of nuclear calcium signaling using CaMBP4 or increasing the nuclear calcium buffering capacity by means of expression of a nuclear targeted version of parvalbumin (PV.NLS-mC) led to a build-up of HDAC4 and HDAC5 in the cell nucleus, which in the case of PV.NLS-mC can be reversed by nuclear calcium transients triggered by bursts of action potential firing. A similar nuclear accumulation of HDAC4 and HDAC5 was observed in vivo in the mouse hippocampus following stereotaxic delivery of recombinant adeno-associated viruses expressing either CaMBP4 or PV.NLS-mC. The modulation of HDAC4 activity either by RNA interference-mediated reduction of HDAC4 protein levels or by expression of a constitutively nuclear localized mutant of HDAC4 leads to changes in the mRNA levels of several nuclear calcium-regulated genes with known functions in acquired neuroprotection (atf3, serpinb2), memory consolidation (homer1, arc), and the development of chronic pain (ptgs2, c1qc). These results identify nuclear calcium as a regulator of nuclear export of HDAC4 and HDAC5. The reduction of nuclear localized HDACs represents a novel transcription-promoting pathway stimulated by nuclear calcium.
Paraneoplastic eosinophilia. Report of a case with in vitro studies of hemopoiesis

Eosinophilia is an unusual paraneoplastic manifestation. The authors describe for the first time the association of eosinophilia and metastatic medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. The eosinophil count normalized during remission after chemotherapy but increased at time of relapse. The patient's serum enhanced eosinophilic differentiation of human multipotential hemopoietic precursors but was inhibitory to in vitro growth of murine myelopoietic precursors. The number of multipotential colonies which could be cultured in vitro was lower in the patient's peripheral blood than in normal controls. The authors conclude that a tumor‐related circulating factor caused eosinophilia by inducing eosinophilic differentiation and inhibiting myeloid differentiation. Such a mechanism of paraneoplastic eosinophilia has not been previously described.
The gender-based digital divide in maker culture: features, challenges and possible solutions

Despite advances made in the last five decades, women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees and occupations. This gender gap is also evident in the number of women in modern communities of technophiles called Maker culture and the common Maker co-working spaces such as fablabs. Since fablabs are considered as inclusive and collaborative workspaces, we aim to research the current level of women’s inclusion in the Maker culture, the possible root causes of women’s underrepresentation, and we examine the means to tackle this issue at a micro-level. Our findings from an ethnographic study that started in a fablab community located in the south of France and expanded through semi-structured interviews with members of the Maker culture offer interesting insights on the question of gender inequalities.JEL Codes: O3, L3, J16, I24, Q55
Relationship between obesity and oral diseases.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between obesity and periodontal status and dental caries experience of a group of Nigerian dental patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participants were selected from patients attending dental outpatient clinics of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Their weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) estimated in kg/m 2 , gingival health assessed using bleeding on probing index, oral hygiene estimated using the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), periodontal health estimated using the basic periodontal examination (BPE) and caries experience was estimated with the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. RESULTS A few participants (3.8%) were underweight, 52.6% fell within the normal BMI range, 28.2% preobese, 12.2% obese class I and 3.2% obese class II. The mean OHI-S score was 2.16 ± 1.13 among the overweight participants and 2.05 ± 1.13 among those who are not (P = 0.543). The mean DMFT score was 3.03 ± 4.25 among the overweight participants and 2.32 ± 3.01 among those who are not (P = 0.223). Sixty-five percent of participants with BPE score of 0, considered to signify periodontal health, had normal BMI while all the participants with the worst BPE score recorded belong to the obese 1 group (P = 0.070). The binary logistic regression revealed that the likely predictor of gingival bleeding in the study is BMI between 35.0 and 39.9 (obese class 2) (P = 0.046, odds ratio = 0.07, 95% confidence interval = 0.01-0.96). CONCLUSION It can be concluded from this study that there is no statistically significant relationship between obesity and periodontal status and dental caries experience in the studied group of dental patients. Increased BMI may however be a predictor of gingival bleeding.
The Limits to Dependent Growth in East-Central Europe

Between 1990 and 2017 the four central eastern European countries (CEECs), Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia narrowed the gap in economic levels with the EU average. The key driver in most of this period was inward foreign direct investment (FDI) by multinational companies (MNCs), which brought success for export-oriented manufacturing activities. This justifies a characterisation of the resulting variety of capitalism as “dependent”, following theories of dependent development used for Latin America. However, this development brought rapid growth only for a time, still leaving a substantial lag relative to western Europe. The potential for further growth is investigated with an analysis of the strategies pursued in CEECs by those MNCs, using data on the products they export. The fact of lower wages gives them good reasons for not transferring their most advanced products and processes to CEECs and the transfer of less advanced activities in turn helps keep wage levels below those of western Europe. The implication is that CEECs may not catch up with western Europe without a change in their growth model.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in AIDS-related body-cavity-based lymphomas.

BACKGROUND DNA fragments that appeared to belong to an unidentified human herpesvirus were recently found in more than 90 percent of Kaposi's sarcoma lesions associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). These fragments were also found in 6 of 39 tissue samples without Kaposi's sarcoma, including 3 malignant lymphomas, from patients with AIDS, but not in samples from patients without AIDS. METHODS We examined the DNA of 193 lymphomas from 42 patients with AIDS and 151 patients who did not have AIDS. We searched the DNA for sequences of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) by Southern blot hybridization, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or both. The PCR products in the positive samples were sequences and compared with the KSHV sequences in Kaposi's sarcoma tissues from patients with AIDS. RESULTS KSHV sequences were identified in eight lymphomas in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. All eight, and only these eight, were body-cavity-based lymphomas--that is, they were characterized by pleural, pericardial, or peritoneal lymphomatous effusions. All eight lymphomas also contained the Epstein-Barr viral genome. KSHV sequences were not found in the other 185 lymphomas. KSHV sequences were 40 to 80 times more abundant in the body-cavity-based lymphomas than in the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions. A high degree of conservation of KSHV sequences in Kaposi's sarcoma and in the eight lymphomas suggests the presence of the same agent in both lesions. CONCLUSIONS The recently discovered KSHV DNA sequences occur in an unusual subgroup of AIDS-related B-cell lymphomas, but not in any other lymphoid neoplasm studied thus far. Our finding strongly suggests that a novel herpesvirus has a pathogenic role in AIDS-related body-cavity-based lymphomas.
The nuclear receptor NHR-25 cooperates with the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway to control differentiation of the T seam cell in C. elegans

Asymmetric cell divisions produce new cell types during animal development. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans have identified major signal-transduction pathways that determine the polarity of cell divisions. How these relatively few conserved pathways interact and what modulates them to ensure the diversity of multiple tissue types is an open question. The Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway governs polarity of the epidermal T seam cell in the C. elegans tail. Here, we show that the asymmetry of T-seam-cell division and morphogenesis of the male sensory rays require NHR-25, an evolutionarily conserved nuclear receptor. NHR-25 ensures the neural fate of the T-seam-cell descendants in cooperation with the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway. Loss of NHR-25 enhances the impact of mutated nuclear effectors of this pathway, POP-1 (TCF) and SYS-1 (β-catenin), on T-seam-cell polarity, whereas it suppresses the effect of the same mutations on asymmetric division of the somatic gonad precursor cells. Therefore, NHR-25 can either synergize with or antagonize the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway depending on the tissue context. Our findings define NHR-25 as a versatile modulator of Wnt/β-catenin-dependent cell-fate decisions.
Enhancement of oxidative response and damage caused by human neutrophils to Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and gamma interferon

Invasive aspergillosis is a serious fungal infection caused by the proliferation and invasion of Aspergillus hyphae in tissue. Neutrophils (PMNs) are the most important line of defense against Aspergillus hyphae. To investigate the role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) against Aspergillus fumigatus, we studied the effects of the two cytokines on the oxidative burst and the capacity of normal human PMNs to damage hyphae of the organism. G-CSF enhanced PMN oxidative burst measured as superoxide anion (O2-) production in response to N-formylmethionyl leucyl phenylalanine, serum opsonized hyphae, and nonopsonized hyphae by 75, 37, and 24%, respectively, compared with control PMNs (P < 0.015). IFN-gamma also induced increases of 52, 71, and 96%, respectively, in response to the same stimuli (P < 0.006). In addition, the capacity of PMNs to damage hyphae as measured by the 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MMT) colorimetric metabolic assay was significantly enhanced by G-CSF and IFN-gamma (P < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively). The enhancement was achieved irrespective of serum opsonization of the hyphae, suggesting upregulatory actions of the two cytokines on signal pathways specific for opsonized and nonopsonized hyphae. The combination of the two cytokines exhibited an additive effect at the higher concentrations compared with the effects of the cytokines alone (P < 0.05). Pretreatment of PMNs with protein synthesis inhibitors showed that IFN-gamma activates PMN function through transcriptional regulation, whereas the effect of G-CSF does not require new proteins. These in vitro effects suggest modulatory roles for G-CSF and IFN-gamma in the host defense against Aspergillus hyphae irrespective of serum opsonization and a potential utility of the cytokines as adjuncts for the prevention and possible treatment of invasive aspergillosis.
1-Year Postactivation Results for Sequentially Implanted Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users

Objective: Evaluate speech recognition in quiet and in noise for a group of 12 children, all of whom underwent sequential bilateral cochlear implantation at various ages (range, 1 yr, 8 mo to 9 yr, 6 mo at time of second implant). Study Design: Retrospective. Setting: Outpatient cochlear implant clinic. Patients: Children who underwent sequential bilateral cochlear implantation. Intervention: Rehabilitative. Main Outcome Measures: Speech recognition in quiet was evaluated for each ear separately using single-word speech recognition assessments (Multisyllabic Lexical Neighborhood Test and Early Speech Perception Test) via recorded presentation. Speech recognition in noise was assessed for each ear separately and in the bilateral condition by obtaining a spondee recognition threshold in the presence of speech-weighted noise presented at 45 dB hearing level. The primary outcome measure for speech recognition in noise assessment was the signal-to-noise ratio for 50% performance, which was calculated by determining the difference between the presentation level of the noise and the presentation level at which the speech recognition threshold was obtained. The results of these assessments were contrasted between children receiving their second cochlear implant before 4 years of age and children receiving their second cochlear implant after 4 years of age. Results: A statistically significant difference for speech recognition scores in quiet was obtained between the early-implanted ear and the late-implanted ears for children receiving their second cochlear implant after 4 years of age. There was not a statistically significant difference in speech recognition scores in quiet between the early-implanted and late-implanted ears of children receiving their second cochlear before 4 years of age. Both groups of children possessed better speech recognition scores in noise (statistically significant at an &agr; = 0.05) in the bilateral condition relative to either unilateral condition. However, there was not a statistically significant relationship between speech recognition performance in noise and the duration of deafness of the later implanted ear. Conclusion: Bilateral cochlear implantation allowed for better speech recognition in noise relative to unilateral performance for a group of 12 children who underwent sequential bilateral cochlear implantation at various ages. There was not a statistically significant relationship between speech recognition in noise benefit, which was defined as the difference in performance between the first implanted ear and the bilateral condition and the age at which the second implant was received. Children receiving bilateral cochlear implants younger than 4 years of age achieved better speech recognition in quiet performance for the later implanted ear as compared with children receiving their second cochlear implant after 4 year of age.
Chromatic Aberration, Accommodation, and Color Preference in Asthenopia

Purpose. Asthenopia is a common problem associated with near work and reports suggest that colored lenses or overlays may be applied to reduce symptoms. In this study, we examine the relationship between eyestrain, color preferences, and function of the accommodation and vergence system. Specifically, we examine whether symptomatic observers select colors that reduce accommodative demand based on longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA). Methods. Forty-seven undergraduate students participated in this study. Visual discomfort symptoms were assessed using the Conlon survey. A Mark 2 Intuitive Colorimeter was used to obtain optimal colored light preferences. LCA was modeled using the Chromatic Eye and spectral power density data. A comprehensive evaluation of accommodation and vergence was performed following standard procedures. Results. A significant negative correlation (r = −0.51) was found between eyestrain symptoms and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) v' axis of colors preferences. Additionally, a significant negative correlation (r = −0.31) was found between eyestrain symptoms and LCA accommodation. Two thirds of the participants in the high discomfort group chose colors that decreased accommodative demand. Accommodative amplitude and vergence facility also correlated with LCA, accounting for 25% of the variance. Conclusions. The color preferences of individuals are systematically influenced by the functioning of their accommodation and vergence systems with increased symptomatology resulting in color selections that reduce LCA accommodative stimulus demand.
Properties of optically active vacancy clusters in type IIa diamond

In this paper we report on the positron lifetime results obtained for brown and colourless natural diamond. Optical effects of the observed vacancy defects in brown, high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) treated colourless and naturally colourless type IIa diamond samples were studied by combining the positron measurement with monochromatic illumination. Brown diamond was found to contain optically active vacancy clusters (40–60 missing atoms) strongly correlated with the optical absorption spectra. The optical activity of these vacancy clusters is manifested by a photo-excitation induced change of charge from neutral to negative. The clusters gradually disappear during the HPHT treatments, and the samples treated at 2500 °C resemble colourless samples optically and show similar positron lifetimes. The results show that the brown colour originates from the vacancy clusters and that their removal by the HPHT treatment causes the loss of coloration.
"DREEM" comes true - Students' perceptions of educational environment in an Indian medical school.

BACKGROUND The accomplishment and contentment of students depends upon their educational environment. Very few studies in India have looked at the impact of educational environment on students, there are few such studies in our country despite having a large number of medical schools. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to assess the undergraduate students' perceptions of medical education in general and educational environment in our medical school in particular. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), a validated inventory was distributed among undergraduate students in final Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) (2010-2011) and students who were undergoing internship (2010-2011) and various scores were calculated and the means were compared using Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS The mean total DREEM score was found to be 121.5/200 for final MBBS students (n = 115) and 118.4/200 (n = 109) for the internship batch students. There was no statistically significant difference between the scores of the two batches. The overall DREEM score for our Medical School during the academic year 2010-2011 (for the final MBBS and internship batch) was 120/200 (n = 224), which showed that the students' perceptions were more positive. CONCLUSION The study showed that the students' perception of the educational environment was positive. There was no statistically significant difference between the scores of the two batches (final MBBS and internship). This study helped us to introspect and identify remediable areas in the educational environment of our medical school and hence we could suggest some measures to modify them.
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; epidemiology and clinicopathological features.

OBJECTIVE To study epidemiology, clinical presentation and laboratory features of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. METHOD This retrospective review included all newly diagnosed children with acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia less than 15 years of age registered from April 1999 to December 2004 at oncology unit of National Institute of Child Health and Children Cancer Hospital, Karachi. The objective was to look for epidemiological data, the clinical features and laboratory findings at presentation and compare it with reported literature. RESULTS Acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia constituted 32% (611 /1890) of all cancers in this study. Majority of patients hailed from Karachi (59%) and interior Sindh (27%) while rest from other parts of country. Patient's referral increased over the years, from 42 in 1999 to 127 in 2004. The age ranged between 3 months to 15 years with a median age of 6.5 years. Male to female ratio was 1.7:1 Family history of cancer was present in 5% of patients. Fever and pallor were the commonest presenting features. Anaemia (86%), lymphadenopathy (75%) hepatomegaly (67%) and splenomegly (58%) were common findings on physical examination. Initial high white cell count (> 50,000) was observed in 34% patients. Haemoglobin < 7gm/dl was seen in 54% and Platelet counts less than 20,000 was observed in 33% cases. CNS disease was present in 5% and HBsAg was positive in 14% patients at diagnosis. CONCLUSION Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia accounts for one third of total registered cases. Age distribution in this series shows less prominemt early peak and more significant late peak and a median age of 6 years. Consangunity was found in 47% cases. The fraction with a WBC count above 50,000 mm3 (30%), a higher proportion with lymphadenopathy (75%) and haemoglobin less than 7 gm/dl (54%) suggest that Pakistani children have significantly higher burdens of Leukaemia cells at presentation. These may have prognostic implication resulting in poor outcome of Leukaemia in this part of the world.
Galileo Gravity Results and the Internal Structure of Io

Doppler data generated with the Galileo spacecraft's radio carrier wave were used to measure Io's external gravitational field. The resulting triaxial field is consistent with the assumption that Io is in tidal and rotational equilibrium. The inescapable conclusion is that it has a large metallic core. If the core is a eutectic mixture of iron and iron sulfide, it comprises 20.2 ± 7.4 percent of the satellite's total mass with a radius that is about 52 percent of Io's mean radius of 1821.3 kilometers; if the core is pure iron, it comprises 10.5 ± 3.7 percent of the total mass with a radius of about 36 percent of the mean radius.