Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Juvenile dermatomyositis in the Nice area: a retrospective study 1991-2001].

INTRODUCTION Juvenile dermatomyositis is a rare disease. We conducted a retrospective chart review on patients with juvenile dermatomyositis diagnosed in the Nice area from 1991 to 2001. Our purpose was to review diagnosis criteria and treatment strategies. PATIENTS AND METHODS The cases of juvenile dermatomyositis were identified by phone investigation of physicians of the departments of paediatrics, dermatology, rheumatology and internal medicine. RESULTS Seven cases of juvenile dermatomyositis (sex ratio M/W: 0.75, medium age: 7.7 years) were identified. Myalgia and/or weakness were the main reasons for initial consultation. Cutaneous lesions were present in all patients on initial presentation. Muscular enzymes were abnormal in 4 cases out of 7. Muscular biopsy was conducted in 6 patients. In one case, MRI revealed an inflammatory involvement although no clinical or biological sign existed. Systemic corticosteroids was the initial treatment, associated with monthly intravenous immunoglobulins in 5 cases, allowing initial control of the disease in all cases. The other therapies were: methotrexate (3 cases), ciclosporin A (1 case), and chloroquine (2 cases). The evolution was monocyclic in three cases, polycyclic in four cases. With a median follow-up of two years, all the patients are alive: five under treatment, three still in first flare. COMMENT The diagnosis strategy seems relevant because at least 3 criteria of Peter and Bohan were found in 6/7 patients. Muscular biopsy appears fundamental in the diagnosis strategy. MRI was useful when it was conducted but its use has to be assessed. Therapies were those of previous published studies, except for the use of intravenous immunoglobulins as first-line treatment, associated with corticosteroids. This strategy may be justified for corticosteroid-sparing purposes. CONCLUSION Working on a real, well-codified strategy of diagnosis and treatment would enhance the uniform management of these patients.
Role(s) of the 5‐HT2C Receptor in the Development of Maximal Dentate Activation in the Hippocampus of Anesthetized Rats

Substantial evidence indicates that 5‐HT2C receptors are involved in the control of neuronal network excitability and in seizure pathophysiology. Here, we have addressed the relatively unexplored relationship between temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), the most frequent type of intractable epilepsy, and 5‐HT2CRs.
Risk factor profiles of head and neck cancer patients of Andhra Pradesh, India.

OBJECTIVE To define the demographic risk profile and stage at diagnosis among the head and neck cancer (HNC) patients reported in two hospital-based cancer registries in Andhra Pradesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck during 2002-2006. Data on the demographic profile and clinical information were obtained from hospital and clinical records. Staging was based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer and included primary tumor size (T), regional neck status (N), and group stage. The site of cancer was classified based on the International Classification of Disease for oncology (ICD-02). RESULTS A total of 5458 cases of HNC were included in this study. Majority of the subjects were in the age range of 40-69 years with a significant male preponderance in all the age groups (P<0.001). The most common habit was the combination of smoking, alcohol, and chewing in both males and females (20.1 and 35.1%, respectively) (P<0.001). Tongue and buccal mucosa were the most common sites of cancer in both males (26.8 and 12.8%, respectively) and females (22.9 and 19.8%, respectively) (P<0.001). Tongue was the commonest site of cancer occurrence with respect to all the habits (both singly and in combination) except for chewing tobacco where buccal mucosa was the most common site. Males were more likely to be diagnosed in stage 3 (37.6%) and 4 (20.6%), while females were diagnosed in stage 1 (36.3%) and 2 (32.7%) (P<0.001). CONCLUSION A male preponderance of cancer occurrence and combination of all the three habits (smoking, alcohol, and chewing) were found to be the significant risk factors. Males were more likely to be diagnosed later than females.
Evolutionary constraints shape caste‐specific gene expression across 15 ant species

Development of polymorphic phenotypes from similar genomes requires gene expression differences. However, little is known about how morph‐specific gene expression patterns vary on a broad phylogenetic scale. We hypothesize that evolution of morph‐specific gene expression, and consequently morph‐specific phenotypic evolution, may be constrained by gene essentiality and the amount of pleiotropic constraints. Here, we use comparative transcriptomics of queen and worker morphs, that is, castes, from 15 ant species to understand the constraints of morph‐biased gene expression. In particular, we investigate how measures of evolutionary constraints at the sequence level (expression level, connectivity, and number of gene ontology [GO] terms) correlate with morph‐biased expression. Our results show that genes indeed vary in their potential to become morph‐biased. The existence of genes that are constrained in becoming caste‐biased potentially limits the evolutionary decoupling of the caste phenotypes, that is, it might result in “caste load” occasioning from antagonistic fitness variation, similarly to sexually antagonistic fitness variation between males and females. On the other hand, we suggest that genes under low constraints are released from antagonistic variation and thus more likely to be co‐opted for morph specific use. Overall, our results suggest that the factors that affect sequence evolutionary rates and evolution of plastic expression may largely overlap.
Maintaining a high physical activity level over 20 years and weight gain.

CONTEXT Data supporting physical activity guidelines to prevent long-term weight gain are sparse, particularly during the period when the highest risk of weight gain occurs. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between habitual activity levels and changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference over 20 years. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is a prospective longitudinal study with 20 years of follow-up, 1985-1986 to 2005-2006. Habitual activity was defined as maintaining high, moderate, and low activity levels based on sex-specific tertiles of activity scores at baseline. Participants comprised a population-based multicenter cohort (Chicago, Illinois; Birmingham, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Oakland, California) of 3554 men and women aged 18 to 30 years at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Average annual changes in BMI and waist circumference. RESULTS Over 20 years, maintaining high levels of activity was associated with smaller gains in BMI and waist circumference compared with low activity levels after adjustment for race, baseline BMI, age, education, cigarette smoking status, alcohol use, and energy intake. Men maintaining high activity gained 2.6 fewer kilograms (0.15 BMI units per year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.18 vs 0.20 in the lower activity group; 95% CI, 0.17-0.23), and women maintaining higher activity gained 6.1 fewer kilograms (0.17 BMI units per year; 95% CI, 0.12-0.21 vs 0.30 in the lower activity group; 95% CI, 0.25-0.34). Men maintaining high activity gained 3.1 fewer centimeters in waist circumference (0.52 cm per year; 95% CI, 0.43-0.61 cm vs 0.67 cm in the lower activity group; 95% CI,0.60-0.75 cm) and women maintaining higher activity gained 3.8 fewer centimeters(0.49 cm per year; 95% CI, 0.39-0.58 cm vs 0.67 cm in the lower activity group; 95% CI, 0.60-0.75 cm) [corrected]. CONCLUSION Maintaining high activity levels through young adulthood may lessen weight gain as young adults transition to middle age, particularly in women.
Formation of furan and methylfuran from ascorbic acid in model systems and food

Previous model studies have suggested ascorbic acid as one of the major sources of furan, a possibly hazardous compound found in thermally processed foods (e.g. canned products, jars). The study showed that about 2 mmol mol−1 furan was obtained when dry-heating ascorbic acid, while much lower amounts were formed upon pressure cooking, i.e. 58 µmol mol−1 at pH 4 and 3.7 µmol mol−1 at pH 7. Model reactions also generated 2-methylfuran (MF). However, the MF levels were generally very low with the exception of the binary mixture ascorbic acid/phenylalanine (1 mmol mol−1). Studies with 13C-labelled ascorbic acid indicated that furan comprises an intact C4 unit, mainly C-3 to C-6, generated by splitting off two C1 units, i.e. CO2 and formic acid. Possible intermediates are 2-deoxyaldoteroses, 2-furoic acid and 2-furaldehyde, which are known as ascorbic acid degradation products. The mechanism of furan formation from ascorbic acid was validated based on the labelling pattern of furan and the identification of 13CO2 and H13COOH. Furan formation is significantly slowed down in binary mixtures, e.g. the presence of erythrose led to 80% less furan under roasting conditions. This is most likely due to competing reactions in complex systems, thus disfavouring furan formation. The mitigation effect is because furan, contrary to MF, is formed without recombination of ascorbic acid fragments. Therefore, furan levels are definitely much lower in foods than expected from trials with pure ascorbic acid. Consequently, conclusions should be drawn with much caution from model reactions, avoiding extrapolation from oversimplified model systems to food products.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The hypothesis 'whether subjects with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who showed under-reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to stress, would make more commission errors in attention tasks', was examined. Forty-three boys, with ADHD, who visited the psychiatric outpatient clinic, at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, were the subjects of this study. Both pre- and post-test morning saliva samples were collected from the patients at the Korean Educational Development Institute-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (KEDI-WISC), and Tests of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.) performed. The Standard scores of the T.O. V.A were compared between the patients with decreases, or increases, in the salivary cortisol levels after the test. Decreases, or increases in the salivary cortisol levels after the test were shown in 28 and 15 patients, respectively. The patients with decreased cortisol levels after the test tended to make more commission errors in compared with those with increased cortisol levels. The patients with the decreased cortisol levels after test had more omission errors in the first quarter of the test, and more commission errors in the second half of the test compared to those with the increased cotisol levels. Subjects who show decreased salivary cortisol levels after stress make more commission errors in attention tests. This suggests that the blunted HPA axis response to stress is related to the impulsivity in patients with ADHD.
Additive Manufacturing: The Most Promising Technology to Alter the Supply Chain and Logistics

To compete in a global economy, manufacturers are forced to move towards low volume production of innovative and customized products with high added value. Three-dimensional printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM) or rapid prototyping enables and facilitates production of moderate to mass quantities of products that can be individually customized. The technology is truly innovative with endless product design possibilities and potential to enhance global supply chain capabilities. The technology improves efficiencies of the entire supply chain, from the cost of distribution to assembly and carry, all the way to the component itself. This article reviews evolution of new supply chain models, examines some of the potential benefits of AM in challenging traditional manufacturing constraints, explores its impact on the traditional and global supply chain and logistics, and investigates its transformative potential and its impact on various industry segments.
Determinants of Trade Balance in Vietnam During the Period 1989-2013

Viet Nam has faced with trade deficits for a long time since opening the economy in 1986 until 2012. Improving trade balance is one of the main objectives of Vietnam’s Government. This study’s objective is to analyse main factors that affect to trade balance in Vietnam from 1989 to 2013. The examined factors are Gross domestic product (GDP), Foreign direct investment (FDI), Government expenditure (GEXP), Household expenditure (HEXP), Oil price (OIL) and Industrial growth rate (INDGR). The study uses annual data from 1989 to 2013 and applies Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method in order to investigate impact of those factors on trade balance in Vietnam. The results show that Gross domestic product, Foreign direct investment and oil price have positive impacts on trade balance while Government expenditure, Household expenditure and industrial growth rate have negative impacts on trade balance.
Cerebellum Can Be a Possible Generator of Progressive Myoclonus

A 19-month-old girl presented with progressive myoclonic jerking of both proximal lower extremities. On her brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the authors found an ill-defined mass involving cerebellar vermis and the right middle cerebellar peduncle. 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET) showed no abnormalities, but 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET revealed a well-defined hypermetabolic focus. Depth electrodes were inserted deep into the mass, which recorded focal slow waves associated with the clinical myoclonus. Following the removal of the tumor, the myoclonus was completely resolved with no neurological deficit. Here, the authors present a case showing progressive myoclonus associated with a cerebellar ganglioglioma with the electrophysiological data, which provides strong supportive evidence that the cerebellum can be a myoclonus generator.
Three‐dimensional culture of differentiated endometrial stromal cells to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in fibrin hydrogel

Neural tissue engineering is one of the most promising strategies for treatment of nerve tissue injuries. Three‐dimensional (3D) environment mimics in vivo conditions for cells. 3D distribution and growth of the cells within the scaffold are both important for neural tissue engineering. In this study, endometrial stromal cell‐derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (EnSC‐derived OPCs) were cultured in fibrin gel and cell differentiation and viability were evaluated after 8 days of post‐culture. The structural and mechanical characteristics of fibrin gel‐like scaffold were examined with rheological analysis. EnSCs were isolated from donor tissue and were induced to OPCs with growth factors (FGF2/EGF/PDGF‐AA) for 12 days, then were cultured in fibrin gel with Triiodothyronine (T3) medium for another 8 days. The viability of cells was analyzed using MTT assay for a period of 8 days culturing in a fibrin matrix. Structure of fibrin matrix and cell morphology was analyzed with SEM. TEM, immunostaining and quantitative RT‐PCR was performed for OPCs markers after cell culturing in fibrin matrix. Cell viability is enhanced in fibrin matrix after 8 days. SEM and TEM show that cells are in good integration with nano‐fibers. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT‐PCR of OPCs differentiation markers showed that Olig2, Sox10, PDGFRa, CNP, and A2B5 are expressed after 8 days culturing within fibrin matrix. Fibrin can provide a suitable 3‐D scaffold for EnSCs differentiated cells for the regeneration of CNS.
Exosomes and Cancer: A Newly Described Pathway of Immune Suppression

Exosomes are small (30 to 100 nm) membrane-bound particles that are released from normal, diseased, and neoplastic cells and are present in blood and other bodily fluids. Exosomes contain a variety of molecules including signal peptides, mRNA, microRNA, and lipids. Exosomes can function to export from cells unneeded endogenous molecules and therapeutic drugs. When exosomes are taken up by specific cells, they may act locally to provide autocrine or paracrine signals or, at a distance, as a newly described nanoparticle-based endocrine system. Specifically, mRNA transferred to cells by exosomes can result in the production of new proteins. In cancer, signals via exosomes affect the immune system by inhibiting the functions of T cells and normal killer (NK) cells and by inhibiting the differentiation of precursors to mature antigen-presenting cells. Also, exosomes increase the number and/or activity of immune suppressor cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells, T-regulatory cells, and CD14+, HLA-DR−/low cells. The effects of exosomes on the development and progression of cancers, with an emphasis on suppression of immune surveillance, is described. Also discussed are potential uses of exosomes clinically, in the development of vaccines, in targeting tumors, and in diagnosis and/or early detection. Clin Cancer Res; 17(5); 959–64. ©2011 AACR.
Insider Sentiment and Market Returns - International Evidence

In this study, I investigate the predictive content of aggregate equity purchases and sales by senior corporate officers and directors in a sample of 39 countries. I find that countrylevel net purchases by corporate insiders are positively associated with future countrylevel market returns, controlling for other contemporaneous signals and risk factors. The predictive content of aggregate insider trades is driven by countries with less transparent information environments and, to a lesser extent, lower investor protection. There is also some evidence that insiders trade on foreknowledge of changes in real activity such as future GDP growth. Collectively, the evidence is consistent with corporate insiders around the world trading upon domestic macroeconomic news, and their aggregate trading behavior having greater predictive content in countries where the quality of capital market institutions is relatively lower. The results indicate that regulatory initiatives requiring the timely disclosure of insider trades may provide international investors with useful information for their portfolio allocation.
The Taliban: Exporting Extremism

"Talibanization," the destabilizing export of Afghan-style radical Islam, may be a new term in the American political lexicon. But in Central and South Asia, where the repercussions of the superstrict Taliban rule of Afghanistan have been widely felt, the word has become all too familiar. As political fragmentation, economic meltdown, ethnic and sectarian warfare, and Islamic fundamentalism tighten their grip on Pakistan and much of the rest of the region, the dangerous behavior of Afghanistans new leaders is no longer a local affair. More and more, chaos in Afghanistan is seeping through its porous borders. The ongoing civil war has polarized the region, with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia backing the Taliban regime while Iran, Russia, India, and four former Soviet Central Asian republics support the opposition Northern Alliance. The confrontation is producing enormous economic disruption throughout the area, as the Afghan warlords' dependence on smuggling and drug trafficking grows insatiable. Into the political vacuum left by 20 years of war and the collapse of stable government has marched a new generation of violent fundamen talists, nurtured and inspired by the Talibans unique Islamist model. Thousands of foreign radicals now fighting alongside the Taliban in
Characterization of Staphylococci with Reduced Susceptibilities to Vancomycin and Other Glycopeptides

ABSTRACT During the last several years a series of staphylococcal isolates that demonstrated reduced susceptibility to vancomycin or other glycopeptides have been reported. We selected 12 isolates of staphylococci for which the vancomycin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml or for which the teicoplanin MICs were ≥8 μg/ml and 24 control strains for which the vancomycin MICs were ≤2 μg/ml or for which the teicoplanin MICs were ≤4 μg/ml to determine the ability of commercial susceptibility testing procedures and vancomycin agar screening methods to detect isolates with reduced glycopeptide susceptibility. By PCR analysis, none of the isolates with decreased glycopeptide susceptibility contained known vancomycin resistance genes. Broth microdilution tests held a full 24 h were best at detecting strains with reduced glycopeptide susceptibility. Disk diffusion did not differentiate the strains inhibited by 8 μg of vancomycin per ml from more susceptible isolates. Most of the isolates with reduced glycopeptide susceptibility were recognized by MicroScan conventional panels and Etest vancomycin strips. Sensititre panels read visually were more variable, although with some of the panels MICs of 8 μg/ml were noted for these isolates. Vitek results were 4 μg/ml for all strains for which the vancomycin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml. Vancomycin MICs on Rapid MicroScan panels were not predictive, giving MICs of either ≤2 or ≥16 μg/ml for these isolates. Commercial brain heart infusion vancomycin agar screening plates containing 6 μg of vancomycin per ml consistently differentiated those strains inhibited by 8 μg/ml from more susceptible strains. Vancomycin-containing media prepared in-house showed occasional growth of susceptible strains, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and on occasion, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Thus, strains of staphylococci with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides, such as vancomycin, are best detected in the laboratory by nonautomated quantitative tests incubated for a full 24 h. Furthermore, it appears that commercial vancomycin agar screening plates can be used to detect these isolates.
STELLINGEN behorende bij het proefschrift HOSTAGES IN THE HOMELAND, ORPHANS IN THE DIASPORA IDENTITY DISCOURSES AMONG THE ASSYRIAN/SYRIAC ELITES IN THE EUROPEAN DIASPORA

5. The tendency in current ethnopharmacology studies to over-interprete invitro results, (e.g. Gertsch, J. How scientific is the science in ethnopharmacology? Historical perspective and epistemological problems. J Ethnopharmacol 2009; 122: 177 – 183, Cos, P. et al. Anti-infective potential of natural products: How to develop a stronger in-vitro ‘proof-of-concept’. J Ethnopharmacol 2006; 106: 290–302), urges the need to set global standards for what should be considered as active.