Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Relevance of E2F Family Members in Ovarian Cancer—An Evaluation in a Training Set of 77 Patients

Purpose: The major obstacle in treating ovarian cancer is the rapid development of platinum resistance during therapy. Deregulation of members of the E2F family of transcription factors is crucially involved in carcinogenesis and probably in mechanisms underlying platinum resistance. We therefore investigated the relevance of the whole set of E2F family members in predicting clinical outcome and their significance in predicting platinum resistance. Experimental Design: Real-time PCR of all E2F family members was done from 77 ovarian carcinomas, defined as our training set, and 8 healthy control samples. The correlation with clinicopathologic characteristics, platinum resistance, and survival was investigated. Furthermore, the cross-talk of E2F family members was assessed for its value in predicting survival and platinum resistance. Results: The proliferation-promoting E2F1 and E2F2 were associated with grade 3 tumors and residual disease >2 cm in diameter after initial surgery. Survival analyses showed low expression of E2F1 or E2F2 to be significantly associated with favorable disease-free and overall survival (E2F1, P = 0.039 and 0.047, respectively; E2F2, P = 0.009 and 0.006, respectively). In contrast, high expression of inhibiting E2F4 or E2F7 predicted favorable disease-free and overall survival (E2F4, P = 0.047 and 0.042, respectively; E2F7, P = 0.048 and 0.042, respectively). A high E2F2 to E2F4 ratio was the most valuable prognostic variable for disease-free survival in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 6.494; P = 0.002). Tumors considered platinum resistant were associated with lower E2F4 and E2F7 expression (P = 0.012 and 0.009, respectively) compared with platinum-sensitive tumors. Again, ratios of E2F1 or E2F2 to E2F7 were the most favorable variables in predicting platinum resistance. Conclusions: We here show that deregulation of both proliferation-promoting and proliferation-inhibiting E2F transcription factors and their cross-talk is crucially involved in the tumor biology of ovarian cancer and influences clinical outcome. Furthermore, down-regulation of E2F7 may contribute to mechanisms underlying platinum resistance, and calculation of ratios of proliferation-promoting E2F1 to E2F7 could serve as a putative predictor of platinum resistance.
From Abnormal to Normal

In this paper we look at the growth experience of 25 transition countries during the 25 years since the dissolution of the USSR. We find that compared to expectations from a parsimonious growth model the region in the 2000’s seems normal in terms of growth performance, i.e. transition in the region is over in this respect. Institutions, speed of reform and macro variables fail to show a stable correlation with (conditional) growth when comparing the early and later periods of transition. We also find that the countries in the former Soviet Union (FSU12), doing substantially worse during the 1990’s, in the 2000’s are performing better than the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (EU10). This is partly explained by rising fuel prices but also point to strong macro forces of mean reversion. Despite this, the gap between the regions is wider in 2015 than in 1991, emphasizing the challenge of making up for deep crises. Finally, the model analysis suggests that looking forward the main challenge for the FSU12 countries (in particular the non-fuel exporters) is to promote more capital investment whereas the main challenge for EU10 is to increase the productivity of existing factors of production.
EXTRACELLULAR LIGNINOLYTIC ENZYMES PRODUCTION BY Pleurotus eryngii ON AGROINDUSTRIAL WASTES

Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Gillet (MCC58) was investigated for its ligninolytic ability to produce laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP), aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO), and lignin peroxidase (LiP) enzymes through solid-state fermentation using apricot and pomegranate agroindustrial wastes. The reducing sugar, protein, lignin, and cellulose levels in these were studied. Also, the production of these ligninolytic enzymes was researched over the growth of the microorganism throughout 20 days, and the reducing sugar, protein, and nitrogen levels were recorded during the stationary cultivation at 28 ± 0.5°C. The highest Lac activity was obtained as 1618.5 ± 25 U/L on day 12 of cultivation using apricot. The highest MnP activity was attained as 570.82 ± 15 U/L on day 17 in pomegranate culture and about the same as apricot culture. There were low LiP activities in both cultures. The maximum LiP value detected was 16.13 ± 0.8 U/L in apricot cultures. In addition, AAO activities in both cultures showed similar trends up to day 17 of cultivation, with the highest AAO activity determined as 105.99 ± 6.3 U/L on day 10 in apricot cultures. Decolorization of the azo dye methyl orange was also achieved with produced ligninolytic enzymes by P. eryngii using apricot and pomegranate wastes.
The effect of ethnicity on the presentation and management of oesophageal and gastric cancers: a UK perspective

Background Studies show disparities in the management of oesophageal and gastric cancers between different ethnic groups. Asian patients with gastric adenocarcinoma present with less advanced disease and are more likely to undergo curative resection. For oesophageal cancer, the rate of surgery in Black patients is half that of Caucasians. However, these studies originate from the United States where demographics differ from that of the UK. Methods We undertook a 5-year retrospective audit of patients diagnosed with oesophageal and gastric cancers at City Hospital, Birmingham (UK), which serves three major ethnic groups: Caucasians, Blacks and Asians. Results Data were extracted from 244 patients' records that included 133 gastric and 111 oesophageal cancers. Caucasians were more likely to present within 3 months of symptom onset than Asians or Blacks. Asians were less likely to be referred for urgent endoscopy than Caucasians or Blacks (P<0.05). Significant differences in reported symptoms were found between ethnic groups with Caucasians more likely to report dysphagia and less likely to describe abdominal pain than other ethnic groups. There was a lower rate of curative operation for Asians but this did not reach significance. Conclusion Ethnicity seems to influence health-seeking behaviour, with Caucasians more likely to present earlier for medical attention and Asian patients less likely to be referred for urgent endoscopy. Improvements in symptom education amongst patients and health professionals alike may accelerate referral and improve outcome. The favourable disease patterns reported in the United States ‘Asians’ and the lower surgery rates reported in the United States ‘Blacks’ are not shown in this UK population.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Versus Mini-Gastric Bypass for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives:This prospective, randomized trial compared the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) and laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass (LMGBP) in the treatment of morbid obesity. Summary Background Data:LRYGBP has been the gold standard for the treatment of morbid obesity. While LMGBP has been reported to be a simple and effective treatment, data from a randomized trial are lacking. Methods:Eighty patients who met the NIH criteria were recruited and randomized to receive either LRYGBP (n = 40) or LMGBP (n = 40). The minimum postoperative follow-up was 2 years (mean, 31.3 months). Perioperative data were assessed. Late complication, excess weight loss, BMI, quality of life, and comorbidities were determined. Changes in quality of life were assessed using the Gastro-Intestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Results:There was one conversion (2.5%) in the LRYGBP group. Operation time was shorter in LMGBP group (205 versus 148, P < 0.05). There was no mortality in each group. The operative morbidity rate was higher in the LRYGBP group (20% versus 7.5%, P < 0.05). The late complications rate was the same in the 2 groups (7.5%) with no reoperation. The percentage of excess weight loss was 58.7% and 60.0% at 1 and 2 years, respectively, in the LPYGBP group, and 64.9% and 64.4% in the LMGBP group. The residual excess weight <50% at 2 years postoperatively was achieved in 75% of patients in the LRYGBP group and 95% in the LMGBP group (P < 0.05). A significant improvement of obesity-related clinical parameters and complete resolution of metabolic syndrome in both groups were noted. Both gastrointestinal quality of life increased significantly without any significant difference between the groups. Conclusion:Both LRYGBP and LMGBP are effective for morbid obesity with similar results for resolution of metabolic syndrome and improvement of quality of life. LMGBP is a simpler and safer procedure that has no disadvantage compared with LRYGBP at 2 years of follow-up.
Similar Decline in Post-Myocardial Infarction Mortality among Subjects with and without Diabetes

Background:Data from the 1970s and 1980s suggest that the rate of mortality from coronary disease for patients with diabetes has changed less than that for patients without diabetes. We evaluated trends in post-myocardial infarction mortality and morbidity in patients with and without diabetes over a 7-year period from 1990 through 1997, when substantial changes occurred in the management of coronary disease. Methods:All patients discharged with the primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (MI) from any Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the country between October 1990 and September 1997 were identified. Demographic, comorbid conditions, inpatient, outpatient, mortality, and readmission data were extracted. Mortality, trends in mortality over time, revascularization, readmissions, and length of hospital stay for MI were compared for the group with diabetes and the group without diabetes. Independent predictors of survival using a Cox regression model were examined. Results:We identified 67,889 patients with MI, of whom 17,756 (26%) had diabetes. At 60 days post-MI, there was a 29% higher mortality rate in the group with diabetes (5.2% versus 4.0%, P < 0.001), which increased to 35% at 1 year (16.1% versus 11.9%, P < 0.001). Diabetes was independently associated with increased overall mortality. Age-adjusted 1-year post-MI mortality from 1991 to 1998 had a significant downward trend (4.9% decrease in odds of mortality per year, P < 0.001) regardless of diabetes status. Conclusions:Patients with diabetes showed a trend toward declining 1-year post-MI mortality rate that was not significantly different from that seen in patients without diabetes. Further work needs to be done to narrow the gap between the two groups.
Prevalence of suspected tuberculosis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia according to conventional and molecular methods

Background: Although the prevalence of suspected tuberculosis (TB) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains high, there has been a modest decrease in recent years. In this multi-center cross-sectional study, the prevalence of TB was determined by various techniques with the aim of identifying differences and indicating where there is uniformity in findings. Materials and Methods: A total of 3404 samples were collected from Saudi TB patients from different regions in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Hail, Qassim, Jazan, and Taif. Different techniques including Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN), Mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGiT), Lowenstein–Jensen (LJ), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to screen for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Results: ZN stain showed that Riyadh and Dammam had the highest prevalence of MTB with 22% and 21%, respectively, while prevalence was lowest in Jazan and Hail with an incidence of 2% and 3%, respectively. MGiT culture showed that Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah had the highest prevalence with a rate of 26%, 22%, and 22%, respectively. LJ culture showed the highest prevalence in Riyadh and Dammam with 22% and 21%, respectively. Of all the techniques, the highest detection rate was by PCR which was 10.46% while ZN stain technique was 6.64%, for MGiT culture it was 8.34%, and for LJ culture it was 7.7%. Conclusion: This study is the first in which different methods have been used for detection in the various regions of Saudi Arabia. Collected data are important not only for patients and physicians but for future epidemiological studies to monitor the spread of MTB infection in Saudi Arabia.
Nitric oxide regulates ovarian blood flow in the rat during the periovulatory period.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to characterize the roles of nitric oxide (NO) on the rat ovarian blood flow (OBF) during the preovulatory period. METHODS AND RESULTS Immature Sprague-Dawley rats were primed with pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin (PMSG, 15 IU) and given hCG (15 IU) 48 h later. The ovary was exposed 48-56 h after PMSG, a laser Doppler probe was attached to the ovarian surface and OBF was measured at two time periods: preovulatory (PO) 48 h after PMSG and ovulatory (OV) 6-8 h after hCG. A non-selective NO synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), was injected i.v. (4 and 10 mg/kg) or intrabursally (1 mg/kg). Intravenous administration of L-NAME to OV rats rapidly increased blood pressure and reduced OBF by 30%, which returned to the pretreatment level within 30 min. L-NAME given into the ovarian bursa of both PO and OV rats did not affect blood pressure and reduced OBF by nearly 40%, which remained low throughout the experiment. Intravenous injection of hCG to PO rats increased OBF to 116.1% at 5 min and 133.5% at 30 min in relation to the pretreatment level. When L-NAME was given intrabursally, subsequent hCG injection was without effect. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that locally produced NO is important for the maintenance and increase of rat OBF during the preovulatory period.
The Effect of Building Facades on Outdoor Microclimate—Reflectance Recovery from Terrestrial Multispectral Images Using a Robust Empirical Line Method

Climate change and the urban heat island effect pose significant health, energy and economic risks. Urban heat mitigation research promotes the use of reflective surfaces to counteract the negative effects of extreme heat. Surface reflectance is a key parameter for understanding, modeling and modifying the urban surface energy balance to cool cities and improve outdoor thermal comfort. The majority of urban surface studies address the impacts of horizontal surface properties at the material and precinct scales. However, there is a gap in research focusing on individual building facades. This paper analyses the results of a novel application of the empirical line method to calibrate a terrestrial low-cost multispectral sensor to recover spectral reflectance from urban vertical surfaces. The high correlation between measured and predicted mean reflectance values per waveband (0.940 (Red) 0.967 (NIR)) confirmed a near-perfect positive agreement between pairs of samples of ranked scores. The measured and predicted distributions exhibited no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. Accuracy measures indicate absolute errors within previously reported limits and support the utility of a single-target spectral reflectance recovery method for urban heat mitigation studies focusing on individual building facades.
Structural and antigenic heterogeneity of lipopolysaccharides of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli

The techniques of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, silver staining, and immunoblotting were used to analyze the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure of 20 strains of Campylobacter jejuni and 4 strains of Campylobacter coli belonging to more than 22 thermostable serotypes. The LPSs of all strains examined were shown to be of a low-molecular-weight type, and these low-molecular-weight LPSs conferred heat-stable serospecificity. High-molecular-weight banding observed with both in vivo LPS in proteinase K digests of whole cell lysates and purified LPS was shown to be due to the ready ability of Campylobacter lipopolysaccharide to form aggregates rather than to the presence of O polysaccharide chains. Purified LPSs from two strains of C. jejuni were also subjected to gross chemical analysis. The high-lipid A to low-neutral sugar ratio of both LPSs was typical of LPSs lacking O polysaccharide chains.
Who Is the Beneficiary of Slack on Corporate Financial Performance and Corporate Philanthropy? Evidence from South Korea

As stakeholder relations vary depending on firm characteristics, the associations among corporate financial performance (CFP), corporate giving, and corporate social performance (CSP) are complex. In this paper, we contribute to the literature by exploring CFP as a predictor of CSP by differentiating the stakeholder groups that firms interact with; that is, primary versus secondary stakeholder relations. Our study also extends the existing literature by examining who the beneficiaries of corporate philanthropy are, and the role played on the CFP/CSP association. By extracting a sample of 52 firms and 312 firm-year observations from the Korea Economic Justice Institute database, we find that while CFP has a positive effect only on primary stakeholder relations, corporate philanthropy has a positive impact on both primary and secondary stakeholder relations. Furthermore, we observe an overall influence of CFP on stakeholder relations when corporate philanthropy is high. Our findings suggest that differentiating multiple stakeholder groups together with the role played by corporate philanthropy provides a more valuable and meaningful analysis of the antecedents of CSP.
Fat Embolism and Related Effects During Reamed and Unreamed Intramedullary Nailing in a Pig Model

Objectives To determine whether reamed or unreamed femoral intramedullary nailing is more adverse to pulmonary function, the authors compared three populations of healthy pigs, analyzing the biochemical and hemodynamic effects related to fat embolism. Likewise, the authors histologically evaluated the presence of bone marrow fat embolism in lungs, heart, kidney, brain, and retina. Design Randomized, experimental model. Setting Laboratory. Participants Twenty-five male Duroc Jersey adult healthy pigs divided in three groups. Intervention Reamed and unreamed intramedullary nailing. Outcome measurements Biochemical, hemodinamical, and histologic analysis. Methods In the first group of ten pigs, a reamed nail was inserted; in the second group of ten specimens, the authors placed an unreamed nail; and in the third group of five animals (control), only the surgical approach was made without opening the medullary cavity. Results The authors did not find statistically significant differences in pulmonary function between the reamed and unreamed group in the hemodynamic, biochemical, and histopathologic parameters evaluated. The histologic analysis of the lung tissue revealed a statistically significant difference between the nailed groups and the control (P < 0.04). Conclusions In this animal model, the results indicate that pulmonary changes and fat embolization during intramedullary nailing occur to the same degree in reamed and in unreamed femurs.
Identification of the gene controlling the synthesis of the major bacteriophage T5 membrane protein

After infection of Escherichia coli B by bacteriophage T5, a major new protein species, as indicated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, appears in the cells' membranes. Phage mutants with amber mutations in the first-step-transfer portion of their DNA have been tested for their ability to induce membrane protein synthesis after they infect E. coli B. We have found that phage with mutations in the Al gene of T5 do not induce the synthesis of the T5-specific major membrane protein, whereas phage that are mutant in the A2 gene do induce its synthesis. We conclude that gene Al must function normally for T5-specific membrane protein biosynthesis to occur and that only the first 8% (first-step-transfer piece) of the DNA need be present in the cell for synthesis to occur.
Postauricular Periosteal-Pericranial Flap for Mastoid Obliteration and Canal Wall Down Tympanomastoidectomy

Objective: To describe an effective technique for mastoid cavity obliteration in canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy for chronic otitis media and review its efficacy in producing a dry, low-maintenance, small mastoid cavity. Design: Retrospective clinical study of a consecutive series of procedures from 1995 to 2000. Setting: Tertiary referral center and institutional academic practice in otology and neurotology. Patients: Sixty consecutive procedures for active chronic otitis media with a minimum follow-up of 12 months (mean, 31 mo; range, 12–80 mo). Intervention: All patients had canal wall down mastoidectomy with simultaneous tympanoplasty including split-thickness skin grafting. An inferiorly pedicled, periosteal-pericranial flap was used in conjunction with autologous bone pate to obliterate the mastoid cavity. The additional length provided by the pericranial extension of the flap permitted it to reach superior to the lateral canal and into the sinodural angle, with improved coverage of bone pate and better reduction of cavity size. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was control of suppuration and creation of a dry, low-maintenance mastoid cavity, which was assessed using a previously developed semiquantitative scale. This scale includes a temporal dimension to assess control of infection. Secondary outcome measures included postoperative complications (i.e., hematoma, infection, flap necrosis, and meatal stenosis) and incidence of recurrent or residual cholesteatoma. Results: Forty-nine ears (82%) maintained a small, dry, healthy mastoid cavity. Five ears (8%) had intermittent otorrhea easily controlled by topical treatment. Six ears (10%) had suboptimal control of otorrhea, of which four had meatal stenosis. There were no residual or recurrent cholesteatomas. Outcomes remained stable over progressively longer follow-up, up to 80 months. Conclusion: Obliteration of a canal wall down mastoid cavity by a postauricular periosteal-pericranial flap with autologous bone pate is a reliable and effective technique that results in a dry, trouble-free mastoid cavity in 90% of patients with active chronic otitis media.