Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of two distinct deletion targets at 11q23 in cutaneous malignant melanoma

Karyotypic and molecular data indicate that genetic alterations of the long arm of chromosome 11 (11q) are involved in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma as well as of other malignancies. We have shown previously, by analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH), that a tumor‐suppressor gene playing an important role in malignant melanoma is likely to be located within a 51‐cM region at 11q23. Its loss appeared to be a late event in tumor progression and an indicator of a less favorable clinical outcome. To further test this hypothesis on a larger set of tumors and to refine the region(s) of common allelic loss, we analyzed 21 polymorphic microsatellite repeats on 11q. A PCR‐based assay for LOH was used to study normal and tumor tissues from 53 individuals with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma or metastatic disease. Our findings indicate that in cutaneous malignant melanoma there are at least 2 distinct regions of common allelic loss on 11q, one of them centered around marker APOC3 at 11q23.1‐q23.2 delineated by markers D11S1347 and D11S4142 and spanning approximately 5 Mb and a second 3‐Mb region around marker D11S925 at 11q23.3 delineated by markers D11S528 and D11S1345. Both regions have been described as deletion targets or as being included within larger allelic deletions detected in several other common tumor types. Thus, these 2 putative melanoma‐suppressor loci are likely to harbor tumor‐suppressor genes relevant to tumorigenesis of melanoma and a number of other common human malignancies. Int. J. Cancer80:205–209, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Passive smoking and lung cancer in nonsmoking women.

OBJECTIVES The causes of lung cancer among nonsmokers are not clearly understood. To further evaluate the relation between passive smoke exposure and lung cancer in nonsmoking women, we conducted a population-based, case-control study. METHODS Case patients (n = 618), identified through the Missouri Cancer Registry for the period 1986 through 1991, included 432 lifetime nonsmokers and 186 ex-smokers who had stopped at least 15 years before diagnosis or who had smoked for less than 1 pack-year. Control subjects (n = 1402) were selected from driver's license and Medicare files. RESULTS No increased risk of lung cancer was associated with childhood passive smoke exposure. Adulthood analyses showed an increased lung cancer risk for lifetime nonsmokers with exposure of more than 40 pack-years from all household members (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 1.8) or from spouses only (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.0, 1.7). When the time-weighted product of pack-years and average hours exposed per day was considered, a 30% excess risk was shown at the highest quartile of exposure among lifetime nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS Ours and other recent studies suggest a small but consistent increased risk of lung cancer from passive smoking. Comprehensive actions to limit smoking in public places and worksites are well-advised.
A feasibility study to test 'Designer breastfeeding': A randomized controlled trial

Background. The World Health Organization challenges health professionals to increase breastfeeding rates, which means increasing initiation and duration rates. Initiation rates in the UK are improving, but evidence on duration is equivocal. Research shows increased maternal confidence and professional and peer support as key determinants in increasing breastfeeding duration rates. Aim. To compare current breastfeeding instruction with a motivationally-enhanced version. It was hypothesised that increased motivation to breastfeed would lead to increased persistence to breastfeed. Design and setting. Single, blind, randomised controlled trial with participants blinded to group membership. The setting was a single suburban hospital and community health and social care Trust serving an urban and rural population. Participants. Primigravid women (n=182) recruited at the 20-week antenatal appointment gave written informed consent to participate. Intervention. Application of a model of motivational instructional design to routine breastfeeding instruction led to the creation of an intervention package intended to increase maternal confidence through routine antenatal and postnatal instruction. Outcome measures. Women’s motivation to sustain breastfeeding, as measured by three components of the breastfeeding motivational instructional measurement scale: total value placed on breastfeeding, total perceived midwife support and total expectancy for success. Results. The motivationally-enhanced instruction significantly increased maternal confidence (t=4.81; df=89.22; p<0.001) and perceived midwife support (t=7.21; df=80.39; p<0.001). Secondary outcomes included increased persistence to breastfeed on discharge (c 2 =5.64; df=1; p<0.02) and at three weeks postnatal (c 2 =16.26; df=1; p<0.001). Conclusions. Breastfeeding is a complex behaviour with known benefits and influences. The findings present breastfeeding educators and researchers with two challenges: to explore the role of expectancy for success further in relation to women’s perceived experience of breastfeeding and to re-direct the development and testing of interventions based on the trial findings.
A survey of the neurological results of 858 spinal cord injuries; a comparison of patients treated with and without laminectomy.

T HE literature since World War I I contains many articles on the treatment of spinal cord injuries. While most authors agree in general upon proper methods of treating the complications of paraplegia, one apparently unsolved question still remains: "When is laminectomy indicated? " There seems to be uniform agreement that an exploratory laminectomy is required in patients with penetrat ing wounds of the spine. A wide difference of opinion exists, however, concerning the indications for laminectomy in cases of recent closed trauma. Most authors consider progressive neurological decline as an absolute indication for intervention, ix and some feel that most acute spinal cord injuries require laminectomy. 2'3'6'1s In this regard, Tarlov 15,16,17 held it reasonable to assume that cord function may recover provided decompressive measures be insti tuted before irreversible changes occur. Contrastingly, many observers felt that indications for laminectomy are uncommon in the early post-injury period. 4,5,s,9 Characterizing this opinion is a s tatement of Mayfield who "rarely finds it necessary to perform a laminectomy," feeling the procedure to be indicated only "(1) if it can be shown that bony compression is retarding the recovery of patients with partial cord lesions and (r if there is demonstrable obstruction of the spinal canal, if x-ray evidence shows sufficient deformity to cause cord compression and if the clinical findings harbor doubt as to whether the lesion is incomplete. " Additionally, Munro suggested that "it is outrageously dangerous" to make exploration in recently injured patients with cervical lesions. Yet, Wannamaker reported no fatalities among 4~ patients operated upon under such circumstances. Is The presence or absence of subarachnoid block, treated lightly in most reports concerning open injury, is considered by many observers to be a critical factor in assessing the need for operative intervention in patients rendered paraplegic by closed trauma. Davis stressed 4,5 the importance of
Role of polysomnography in tracheostomy decannulation in the paediatric patient

Abstract Tracheostomy in infants and children has been the subject of controversy in the medical literature, but decannulation in the paediatric patient is even more controversial. Various approaches and techniques have been used for decannulation, however in spite of all efforts it continues to be a problem. The objective of our study was to assess the role of polysomnography (PSG) in predicting readiness for decannulation. All subjects (n = 31) of the study were less than 12 years of age, and tracheostomized for periods of at least six months to ensure a minimum period of dependence on the tube. All had clinical, radiological and endoscopic clearance before PSG was performed. Twenty-one out of 22 patients with favourable PSG data were successfully decannulated. Attempts to decannulate all the nine patients with unfavourable PSG failed. The conclusion of the study was that PSG is a useful adjunct to the many methods of evaluating readiness for decannulation in children with long-term tracheostomy tubes.
Troponin I phosphorylation in the normal and failing adult human heart.

BACKGROUND In the failing human heart myofibrillar calcium sensitivity of tension development is greater and maximal myofibrillar ATPase activity is less than in the normal heart. Phosphorylation of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI)-specific NH2-terminus decreases myofilament sensitivity to calcium, while phosphorylation of other cTnI sites decreases maximal myofibrillar ATPase activity. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined cTnI phosphorylation in left ventricular myocardium collected from failing hearts at the time of transplant (n=20) and normal hearts from trauma victims (n=24). The relative amounts of actin, tropomyosin, and TnI did not differ between failing and normal myocardium. Using Western blot analysis with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that recognizes the striated muscle TnI isoforms, we confirmed that the adult human heart expresses only cTnI. A cTnI-specific MAb recognized two bands of cTnI, designated cTnI1 and cTnI2, while a MAb whose epitope is located in the cTnI-specific NH2-terminus recognized only cTnI1. Alkaline phosphatase decreased the relative amount of cTnl1, while protein kinase A and protein kinase C increased cTnI1. The percentage of cTnI made up of cTnI1, the phosphorylated form of TnI, is greater in the normal than the failing human heart (P<.00). CONCLUSIONS This phosphorylation difference could underlie the reported greater myofibrillar calcium sensitivity of failing myocardium. The functional consequence of this difference may be an adaptive or maladaptive response to the lower and longer calcium concentration transient of the failing heart, eg, enhancing force development or producing ventricular diastolic dysfunction.
Variations in central venous catheter-related infection risks among Canadian neonatal intensive care units

Background. The objective of this study was to examine central venous catheter (CVC)-related nosocomial blood stream infection risks of umbilical venous, percutaneous and Broviac catheters, as well as variations in CVC use and CVC-related risk for nosocomial blood stream infection in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods. A cohort study was performed based on 19 507 infants admitted to 17 NICUs in the Canadian Neonatal Network from January, 1996, through October, 1997. Information on these subjects was prospectively collected by trained abstractors. Incidence of infection was measured as infection episodes per 1000 patient days. The risk ratio (RR) of CVC use for nosocomial blood stream infection was calculated as the infection rate during catheter days divided by the infection rate during noncatheter days. Using a Poisson regression model we examined the adjusted RR of CVC use for nosocomial blood stream infection, controlling for patient characteristics and illness severity at admission. Interinstitutional variations in CVC-related infection risks were examined by stratified analyses. Results. CVC were used in 22.5% of patients. The incidence of nosocomial blood stream infection was 2.9 per 1000 noncatheter days, 7.2 per 1000 umbilical venous catheter days, 13.1 per 1000 percutaneous catheter days and 12.1 per 1000 Broviac catheter days. The RR for nosocomial blood stream infection, adjusted for differences in patient characteristics and admission illness severity, was 2.5 for umbilical venous catheter, 4.6 for percutaneous catheter and 4.3 for Broviac catheter (P < 0.05). There were significant (P < 0.05) risk-adjusted variations in CVC-related infection risks among NICUs. Conclusions. CVC use increased the risk of nosocomial blood stream infection. The risk of nosocomial blood stream infection in percutaneous and Broviac catheters was 70 to 80% higher than in umbilical venous catheters. There was significant variation in CVC-related infection risks among Canadian NICUs.
Extracellular ATP, a danger signal, is recognized by DORN1 in Arabidopsis.

ATP, the universal energy currency of all organisms, is released into the extracellular matrix and serves as a signal among cells, where it is referred to as an extracellular ATP. Although a signalling role for extracellular ATP has been well studied in mammals over the last 40 years, investigations of such a role in plants are at an early stage. Recently, the first plant receptor for extracellular ATP, DOes not Respond to Nucleotides (DORN1), was identified in Arabidopsis thaliana by mutant screening. DORN1 encodes a legume-type lectin receptor kinase that is structurally distinct from the mammalian extracellular ATP receptors. In the present review, we highlight the genetic and biochemical evidence for the role of DORN1 in extracellular ATP signalling, placing this within the wider context of extracellular ATP signalling during plant stress responses.
Rasgos formales de los titulares periodísticos: notas sobre diez diarios del ámbito hispánico

Como respuesta a las escasas descripciones existentes sobre los titulares periodisticos —las cuales en algunos aspectos a menudo no superan la prueba empirica que supone cotejarlas con la realidad observable en los periodicos—, en este trabajo se propone un inventario actualizado de las particularidades formales mas caracteristicas de los titulares, de acuerdo con su distribucion en un amplio corpus de prensa actual en espanol. El inventario se resume en cuatro rasgos constantes y cuatro variables. Los rasgos constantes, presentes de manera relativamente homogenea por todo el corpus (si bien algunas de sus variantes presentan ciertos condicionamientos), son los siguientes: bimembracion expresiva, elipsis, estructuras nominales y presente historico. Los rasgos variables, que muestran una distribucion menos regular, son, en cambio, los siguientes: tercera persona impersonal, verbo inicial, potencial citativo y presencia de criptonimos. El analisis se basa en un corpus de 3 689 titulares recientes publicados en espanol en las ediciones impresas de los periodicos El Pais, de Madrid (Espana); La Opinion, de Los Angeles (Estados Unidos); El Universal, de Mexico (Mexico); La Nacion, de San Jose (Costa Rica); Hoy, de Santo Domingo (Republica Dominicana); El Tiempo, de Bogota (Colombia); El Nacional, de Caracas (Venezuela); El Comercio, de Lima (Peru); El Mercurio, de Santiago (Chile), y Clarin, de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Cuando procede, se atiende el factor diatopico, y se demuestra la inexactitud de algunos planteamientos que suelen repetirse en la bibliografia especializada.
Variable prostaglandin E2 resistance in fibroblasts from patients with usual interstitial pneumonia.

RATIONALE Prostaglandin (PG) E2, a cyclooxygenase-derived lipid mediator, is a potent down-regulator of fibroblast activation in normal lung fibroblasts. Although fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are known to exhibit a defect in PGE2 synthesis, there is little information about their responsiveness to this lipid mediator. OBJECTIVES To compare responses to PGE2 in normal, usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), and other diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) fibroblasts. METHODS Fibroblasts were grown in vitro from well characterized control (n = 7), UIP (n = 17), or other DPLD (n = 13) lung tissue. The effects of PGE2 on fibroblast proliferation and collagen expression were determined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Only 3 of 12 UIP fibroblast lines exhibited PGE2-mediated inhibition of both collagen synthesis and cell proliferation, as opposed to 6 of 6 nonfibrotic control cell lines. The degree of PGE2 resistance in DPLD fibroblasts was quite variable, with UIP cells exhibiting the greatest degree of resistance to PGE2, whereas other DPLD fibroblasts manifested a degree of resistance intermediate to control and UIP. The resistance to suppression of collagen expression correlated with worse lung function. Molecular mechanisms for resistance included altered E prostanoid receptor profiles and diminished expression of the downstream kinase, protein kinase A. CONCLUSIONS The recognition that UIP fibroblasts manifest variable refractoriness to PGE2 suppression sheds new light on the activation phenotype of these cells and on the pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease.
The cyclin L homolog MOS12 and the MOS4-associated complex are required for the proper splicing of plant resistance genes.

Plant resistance (R) proteins protect cells from infections through recognizing effector molecules produced by pathogens and initiating downstream defense cascades. To mount proper immune responses, the expression of R genes has to be tightly controlled transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally. Intriguingly, alternative splicing of the R genes of the nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) type was observed in different plant species, but its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report the positional cloning and functional analysis of modifier of snc1,12 (mos12-1), a partial loss-of-function mutant that can suppress the constitutive defense responses conferred by the gain-of-function R gene mutant suppressor of npr1-1 constitutive 1 (snc1). MOS12 encodes an arginine-rich protein that is homologous to human cyclin L. A null allele of mos12-2 is lethal, suggesting it has a vital role in plant growth and development. MOS12 localizes to the nucleus, and the mos12-1 mutation results in altered splicing patterns of SNC1 and RPS4, indicating that MOS12 is required for the proper splicing of target R genes. MOS12 co-immunoprecipitates with MOS4, indicating that MOS12 associates with the MOS4-associated complex (MAC). Accordingly, splicing patterns of SNC1 and RPS4 are changed in most MAC core mutants. Our study highlights the contribution of MOS12 and the MAC in the alternative splicing of R genes, providing regulatory details on how alternative splicing is used to fine-tune R gene expression in plant immunity.
Towards a typology of disharmony

We propose an OT-theoretic typology of vowel harmony systems based on a comparative study of front/back harmony. Harmony processes are governed by ag eneral constraint that imposes feature agreement on neighboring segments. Disharmonic (“neutral”) segments arise when this constraint is dominated by markedness constraints and/or by faithfulness constraints that govern segment inventories. These constraint interactions determine whether disharmonic segments are opaque or transparent, and fix the cross-linguistically diverse behavior of the latter. We make crucial use of two modes of local constraint conjunction, which are already implicit in the current theory. Our proposal restricts this theory by eliminating the possibility of freely stipulating the domain of local conjunction.
Synthesis and electron microscopic analysis of the self‐assembly of polymer and ferritin core‐shell structures

Self‐assembly of poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and ferritin produced a spherical core‐shell structure, which was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In particular, for better understanding, the organization of such core‐shell nanostructures, an optimal protocol for preparation of TEM thin sectioning of ferritin‐P4VP composites, was developed. It entails fixing the ferritin‐P4VP complex with 2.5% glutaraldehyde and infiltrating it with a mixture of acetone/resin while omitting the OsO4 postfixation and ethanol dehydration steps of the conventional protocol. Using this method, a round‐shaped thin section structure with unevenly distributed dark and white components was observed. The dark component from the thin section structure was determined to contain ferritin by energy‐filtered TEM imaging and iron element mapping, whereas the white part was identified as P4VP by its energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variational Autoencoder based Anomaly Detection using Reconstruction Probability

We propose an anomaly detection method using the reconstruction probability from the variational autoencoder. The reconstruction probability is a probabilistic measure that takes into account the variability of the distribution of variables. The reconstruction probability has a theoretical background making it a more principled and objective anomaly score than the reconstruction error, which is used by autoencoder and principal components based anomaly detection methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms autoencoder based and principal components based methods. Utilizing the generative characteristics of the variational autoencoder enables deriving the reconstruction of the data to analyze the underlying cause of the anomaly.
Evaluation of ER, PR and HER-2 receptor expression in breast cancer patients presenting to a semi urban cancer centre in Western India.

BACKGROUND Hormone receptor expression has been reported to be low in breast cancer patients from developing countries. The pattern of receptor expression from urban and rural areas is not well studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of 206 consecutive breast cancer patients presenting to a semi urban cancer centre from 2009-2010. The demographic and clinical variables included age, residential area (rural, semi urban, or urban), menopausal status, and clinical stage. The pathological variables included tumor type, the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ, lymphovascular invasion, and expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptors by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. RESULTS The majority of patients were postmenopausal with the median age of 50 years. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common subtype (94%). The ER status was available in 101 (49.3%), PR in 99 (48.0%), and HER2 in 82 (39.8%) cases. In patients in whom this data were available, ER was positive in 44.6%, PR in 40.4%, and HER2 in 34.2%. Out of the 82 patients in whom data on all three receptors were available, 34.1% patients had triple negative tumors. Analysis of our data showed a trend toward increasing ER and PR expression with age but this was not statistically significant. The average age of menopause was between 40-50 years of age. CONCLUSION This report is an important documentation of the pathological characteristics in a predominantly rural/semi urban population of Indian breast cancer patients. Further studies from other centers with a similar background are required to confirm these results.