Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drosophila segmentation: after the first three hours.

Not long ago, there were streams of illuminating discover ies about early Drosophiladevelopment and these have built a coherent picture of the first three hours (Nusslein-Volhard, 1991). Now these streams have slowed: attempts to find clar ifying principles have been held up at a particular phase in development, the period when segment polarity genes begin to take over the task of patterning the segment. At that time, the pair rule genes (Nusslein-Volhard and Wieschaus, 1980) have already laid down the segmented body plan. It was suggested that the prime function of pair rule genes is “to locate boundaries that delimit fields or gradients of posi tional information” (Lawrence, 1987). The purposes of this speculative essay are to assess this hypothesis with respect to new evidence about the segment polarity genes, to consider the functions of these genes and to question some modern trends. (There is a swarm of reviews in this field; please see them for primary references: e.g. Martinez-Arias,
Use of social network sites among depressed adolescents

ABSTRACT Social network sites (SNSs) are relatively new phenomena, and the relationship between SNSs and psychopathology remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the type of SNSs depressed adolescents use and the incidence of depressive disclosure on SNSs among them. The study was designed to be cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 53 adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorder, as confirmed by K-SADS-PL, and 55 non-depressed adolescents. The Children’s Depression Inventory, Social Anxiety Scale and Social Network Use Questionnaire were administered. The primary finding was that the amount of time spent on the Internet and on SNSs was significantly higher among depressed adolescents than non-depressed adolescents. Additionally, depressed adolescents reported significantly higher disclosure of anhedonia, worthlessness, guilt, loss of concentration, irritability and thoughts of suicide on SNSs. The intensity of the depression sharing was significantly higher in the depressed group. Depressed young people use social networks to express their symptoms. Adolescents’ disclosure on social networks may be able to guide relatives, friends and mental health professionals.
The Need for Additional Investigation of Room Decontamination Processes

From the Infectious Disease Division, Infection Control Section, and the Employee Health Service, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, and State University of New York School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York (all authors). Address reprint requests to Burke A. Cunha, MD, Winthrop-University Hospital, 222 Station Plaza North, Suite 432, Mineola, NY 11501. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010; 31(7):775-776 © 2010 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved. 0899-823X/2010/3107-0020$15.00. DOI: 10.1086/653817
Psychological distress associated with severe lower-limb injury.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the psychological morbidity associated with limb-threatening injuries. It was hypothesized that a substantial proportion of patients who sustain a severe lower-limb injury will report serious psychological distress. METHODS Adult patients who were admitted to one of eight level-I trauma centers for treatment of an injury threatening the lower limb were enrolled during their initial hospitalization. Patients were recontacted at three, six, twelve, and twenty-four months after the injury and asked to complete the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), a fifty-three-item, self-reported measure of psychological distress. Patients who screen positive on the BSI are considered likely to have a psychological disorder and should receive a mental health evaluation. Longitudinal regression techniques were used to model positive case status (i.e., likely to have a psychological disorder) as a function of patient, injury, and treatment characteristics. RESULTS Of the 569 patients enrolled, 545 (96%) completed at least one BSI and 385 (68%) completed all four. Forty-eight percent of the patients screened positive for a likely psychological disorder at three months after the injury, and this percentage remained high (42%) at twenty-four months. Two years after the injury, almost one-fifth of the patients reported severe phobic anxiety and/or depression. While these two subscales reflected the highest prevalence of severe psychological distress, none of the BSI subscales reflected the prevalence expected from a normal sample (i.e., 2% to 3%). Factors associated with a likely psychological disorder included poorer physical function, younger age, non-white race, poverty, a likely drinking problem, neuroticism, a poor sense of self-efficacy, and limited social support. Relatively few patients reported receiving any mental health services following the injury (12% at three months and 22% at twenty-four months). CONCLUSIONS Severe lower-limb injury is associated with considerable psychological distress. More attention to the psychological as well as the physical health of patients who sustain a limb-threatening injury may be needed to ensure an optimal recovery following these devastating injuries.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of endovenous radiofrequency obliteration, endovenous laser therapy, and foam sclerotherapy for primary varicosis.

AIM Radiofrequency obliteration (RFO), endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and foam sclerotherapy (FS) are potential treatments for varicose veins. A systematic review was undertaken to assess their safety and effectiveness and to compare these endoluminal therapeutic options with conventional ligation and vein stripping. METHODS An electronic health database search was performed on all studies published between 1970 and 2007 describing RFO, EVLT, and FS for treating varicose veins. RESULTS Twenty-nine EVLT studies, 32 RFO studies and 22 FS trials were included. RFO was associated with the worst short and long-term safety and efficacy results compared to EVLT and FS regarding ''complete occlusion at the end of follow-up'', ''phlebitis'', ''deep vein thrombosis'', and ''paraesthesia''. EVLT had the best results concerning the long-term effectiveness parameters for ''occlusion at the end of follow-up'' and ''recanalization, recurrence or development of new veins'', compared to RFO and FS. Foam sclerotherapy of varicose veins is associated with a higher recurrence rate in patients with saphenofemoral incompetence compared to the rates after EVLT or RFO treatment. CONCLUSION EVLT, RFO, and FS seem to be safe and effective modalities with good short and mid-term RESULTS Acquisition of comparative long-term and very long-term data on clinical efficacy (particularly with regard to the formation of recurrent varicose veins), safety, quality of life outcomes and costs is needed by large high-quality prospective randomized trials of endovenous techniques versus each other and versus surgery before considering endovenous techniques as the standard treatment.
Effect of Short-term Arginine Supplementation on Vasodilation and Performance in Intermittent Exercise in Judo Athletes

Arginine supplementation has been shown to induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation and enhance exercise performance via increasing nitric oxide (NO) production in patients with various cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of short-term arginine supplementation on vasodilation and performance in intermittent anaerobic exercise in well-trained male athletes. Ten elite male college judo athletes completed 2 trials in a randomized crossover and placebo-controlled design. All subjects received 6 g/day arginine (ARG trial) or placebo (CON trial) for 3 days before undertaking an intermittent anaerobic cycling test. In each exercise test, the subjects alternated 20-sec all-out exercise and 15-sec rest periods for 13 sets on a cycle ergometer. Vasodilation was measured using photoplethysmography in pre-supplementation, pre-exercise, and 0, 3, 6, 10, 30, and 60 min of post-exercise. The 2 trials had similar vascular reflection index and heart rate before the exercise test. Immediately after exercise reflection index of both trials was significantly reduced, then it showed a trend of decrease at 6 and 10 min after exercise (p<0.1). However, no significant difference in refection index and heart rate was found at any the same time point between the trials. There was no significant difference in power drop of each set and the decrements of peak and average power between the trials. This study suggested that the short-term arginine supplementation had no effect on exercise-induced vasodilation and performance in intermittent anaerobic tests in well-trained male judo athletes.
Comparison of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Duloxetine Treatment Outcomes in Women Patients with Somatic Symptom Disorder

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a debilitating disorder that significantly diminishes quality of life and causes psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. The paper explored the efficiency of the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in SSD. The current investigation is a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of 31 first-diagnosed SSD patients in comparison to age, education and marital status matched 31-first-diagnosed SSD patients who received duloxetine over a 6-week course of treatment. Somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist-Revised 90 (SCL-90), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were administered to the participants. EMDR group showed enhanced improvement relative to baseline after 6 weeks of treatment compared to duloxetine group. We concluded that EMDR appears to be a highly promising therapy and should be considered among the first-line interventions in the treatment of SSD.
Platelet Adhesion and Aggregate Formation in Type I Diabetes Under Flow Conditions

To study platelet activation as a phenomenon that may precede development of angiopathy in diabetes mellitus, we compared platelet adhesion and thrombus formation in a flow system with blood from insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic subjects with and without macroangiopathy and age- and sex-matched control subjects. Adhesion and thrombus formation on matrix of cultured human endothelial cells (ECM) and adhesion on matrix of human fibroblasts (FBM) were studied after exposure to flowing blood at shear rates of 300 and 1300 s−1 and exposure times of 1, 3, 5, and 10 min (and 20 min in adhesion experiments). Blood was anticoagulated with trisodium citrate (1:10 vol/vol, 110 mM) or low-molecular-weight heparin ([LMWH] 20 U/ml). Endothelialcell cultures were either unstimulated or stimulated with 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) 16 h before isolating their matrix. Platelet adhesion on ECM and FBM in citrated and LMWH-anticoagulated blood was identical in diabetic patients and controlsubjects, with comparable increases of adhesion with increasing perfusion times. Platelet aggregate formation on ECM of PMA-stimulated cells with LMWH-anticoagulated blood was similar in diabetic patients, whether macroangiopathy was present, compared with controlsubjects. Fibrin deposition and fibrinopeptide A generation during perfusion were comparable in diabetic and control subjects. Platelet thromboxane B2 formation after stimulation with arachidonic acid was increased in diabetic patients without macroangiopathy compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects. In the perfusion system, thepatterns of platelet adhesion and aggregate formation on extracellular matrix in flowingblood of diabetic patients (with or without macroangiopathy), and healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects followed a similar pattern. An increase in platelet–vessel wall interaction in diabetes mellitus was not detected, even in the presence of macroangiopathy.
Reinstating e-voting as a socio-technical system: A critical review of the current development in developing countries

E-voting failures to increase public confidence in elections, improve political participation and deliver public services have often been overlooked for the sake of bureaucratic convenience. There is also a growing belief among developing countries that technology is the only solution for credible elections. This present study critically reviews the current state of research on e-voting in developing countries through a systematic examination of sixty seven academic papers. The findings reveal a lack of research continuity and that there is evidence of leapfrogging in the current studies where socio-technical system design processes have preceded strategic design inquiries. This paper then propounds the use of Socio-Technical Systems theory to perceive the technology and proposes courses for future research on e-voting in developing countries.
Malformations of the middle and inner ear on CT imaging in 22q11 deletion syndrome

The 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), the most frequent microdeletion syndrome in humans, presents with a large variety of abnormalities. A common abnormality is hearing impairment. The exact pathophysiological explanation of the observed hearing loss remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the middle and inner ear malformations as seen on computer tomographic imaging in patients with 22q11DS. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 11 22q11DS patients who had undergone a CT of the temporal bone in the past. Of the 22 examined ears, two showed an abnormal malleus and incus, 10 presented with a dense stapes superstructure, and three ears had an abnormal orientation of the stapes. With regard to the inner ear, 12 ears showed an incomplete partition type II with a normal vestibular aqueduct. In four ears the vestibule and lateral semicircular canal were composed of a single cavity, in 14 ears the vestibule was too wide, and three ears had a broadened lateral semicircular canal. These findings suggest that malformations of the stapes, cochlea, vestibule, and lateral semicircular canal are frequent in 22q11DS. To our knowledge, the current study involves the largest case series describing middle and inner ear malformations in 22q11DS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Leaning to the Left: Increasing the Donor Pool by Using the Left Lobe, Outcomes of the Largest Single-center North American Experience of Left Lobe Adult-to-adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Objective: Centers offering adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) mostly use right lobe grafts due to fears of providing recipients with insufficient hepatic volume, and the technical challenges presented by using left lobe grafts (LLGs). LLGs therefore represent approximately 5% of adult LDLTs performed in the United States. Here we present the largest North American experience with the use of LLG for adult LDLT. Methods: Analysis of a prospectively maintained database of LDLTs performed from 1998 to 2015 at our institution. Results: A total of 214 adult LDLTs were studied. Fifty-six patients (26%) received LLG. LLG recipients were more likely to be women, had significantly lower BMI, graft weight, and graft-weight-recipient-weight ratios (P < 0.05 for all). There were no significant differences in vascular or biliary complication between the groups. No significant differences existed in patient or graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years (P = 0.747 and P = 0.398 respectively). Despite significantly increased risk of small-for-size syndrome in LLG, there was no increased risk of retransplant within 90-days or perioperative mortality in LLG recipients (P = 0.308 and P = 0.932 respectively). Graft type did not predict patient or graft outcomes on regression analysis (P = 0.857 and 0.399 respectively). Conclusions: Despite smaller graft sizes, outcomes of adult LDLT using LLG are comparable to right lobe grafts transplants. Left lobes can provide an important resource in an era of severe organ shortages, and these data should serve to allay the concerns of the transplant community in the United States.
How Effective Are Pictograms in Communicating Risk About Driving-Impairing Medicines?

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of 2 pictograms in communicating risk in terms of respondents’ level of understanding, estimated level of driving risk, and intention to change driving behavior. The added value of a side-text was also investigated. Methods: Two experiments were conducted among 270 drivers visiting a pharmacy. Experiment one used a 2 (rating model vs. triangle model pictogram, same side-text) × 3 (minor vs. moderate vs. severe driving risk) between-subjects design. Respondents (n = 30 per condition) were exposed to one of the 6 conditions. To verify the added value of the side-text, a 2 (rating model with side-text vs. rating model without side-text) × 3 (same categories as before) between-subjects design was used. Results: Although the majority of the respondents understood that the pictograms were related to driving behavior, less than 10 percent and about 36 percent of the respondents looking at the triangle model and at the rating model, respectively, understood it fully. For all categories of risk, respondents who saw the rating model pictogram associated the pictogram significantly more often with risk of medication intake for driving than those who saw the triangle model pictograms. Those exposed to the triangle model overestimated the driving risk of the lowest category and underestimated the risk of the highest category; 78.8 percent of the respondents stated they were (very) likely to change their driving behavior if they were confronted with the pictogram. The added value of the side-text was not confirmed. Conclusions: Despite not being fully self-explanatory in conveying warnings and safety-related information, the pictograms evaluated in this research provided good insight into the different levels of driving risks, especially the rating model pictogram, because respondents’ intentions to change their driving behaviors increased with higher categories of risk. The added value of the side-text in the rating model pictogram was not confirmed in this research. Pictograms can be seen as a valuable means to reinforce both written and spoken information given to patients by health care providers at the time of consultation.
MMPI Profiles of Brain-Damaged and Schizophrenic Patients

Since perceptual, motor, and conceptual tests for brain-damage generally seem unable to differentiate organic from schizophrenic NP patients, an attempt was made to determine whether measures taken from a personality test might prove so capable. Accordingly the MMPI profiles of 50 organics with evidence of cerebral lesions were compared to those of 50 schizophrenics. Significant between-diagnosis effects appeared on six scales and four rules were developed from the data. In cross-validational studies, the signs proved to be useful in differentiating brain-damaged from schizophrenic males but seemed to be of no value with female Ss.
Phase I study of highly selective supradose cisplatin infusions for advanced head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE To determine the maximum dose-intensity of cisplatin (DDP) that could be administered by selective intraarterial (IA) infusion in combination with systemic sodium thiosulfate neutralization to patients with head and neck carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-two patients (23 untreated stage III/IV, 19 recurrent) received highly selective IA DDP, rapidly delivered through microcatheters placed angiographically, to a maximum dose-intensity of 200 mg/m2/wk. Concurrently, the systemic effects of DDP were neutralized by intravenous (IV) bolus sodium thiosulfate. RESULTS Problems related to the infusion technique occurred in eight of 140 courses, all of which were inconsequential. The rates of reversible grade I/II and grade III/IV toxicity were 14.8% and 1.1%, respectively. Dose-limiting toxicity, which consisted of severe electrolyte loss, occurred at a dose of 200 mg/m2/wk. The maximum-tolerated dose of DDP was 150 mg/m2 administered weekly for four doses. The overall and complete response rates in 38 assessable patients were 19 of 22 (86%) and nine of 22 (41%) for stage III/IV untreated tumors and 10 of 16 (62%) and four of 16 (25%) for patients with recurrent disease, respectively. CONCLUSION This pharmacologic strategy permits the selective and rapid delivery of extremely high doses of DDP to head and neck carcinomas with minimal procedural complications, low systemic toxicity, and high tumor response rates.
The Rhetoric of Culture as an Act of Closure in a Cross-National Software Development Department

Global software teams work on interdependent tasks across geographies, time zones, and cultures. Studies of cross-national software teams report that the main challenges are sharing knowledge, creating trust, and establishing common ground. In this study we examine another challenge—the use of the word “culture” as an exclusionary act of closure. As theorized by Metiu, who builds on Weber, closure occurs when one group seeks to preserve the advantages of their situation relative to another group. We conducted an ethnographic study of a cross-national software department with members in Denmark and the Philippines. We found that “culture” was invoked by employees in the Danish office to explain failed collaborations, but not by employees in the Philippines. Filipino employees formulated other explanations for problems, and actively resisted cultural explanations. We argue that employees in the Danish office used a “rhetoric of culture” as an act of closure, and we focus on technology choices and behavior as they were impacted by closure.
Unanticipated Repression Function Linked to Erythroid Krüppel-Like Factor

ABSTRACT The erythroid cell-specific transcription factor erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF) is an important activator of β-globin gene expression. It achieves this by binding to the CACCC element at the β-globin promoter via its zinc finger domain. The coactivators CBP and P300 interact with, acetylate, and enhance its activity, helping to explain its role as a transcription activator. Here we show that EKLF can also interact with the corepressors mSin3A and HDAC1 (histone deacetylase 1) through its zinc finger domain. When linked to a GAL4 DNA binding domain, full-length EKLF or its zinc finger domain alone can repress transcription in vivo. This repressive activity can be relieved by the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A. Although recruitment of EKLF to a promoter is required to show repression, its zinc finger domain cannot bind directly to DNA and repress transcription simultaneously. In addition, the target promoter configuration is important for enabling EKLF to exhibit any repressive activity. These results suggest that EKLF may function in vivo as a transcription repressor and play a previously unsuspected additional role in regulating erythroid gene expression and differentiation.