Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Questions of emigration, circulation and return: mobility between the French Caribbean and France.

"The last four decades have seen the establishment of close migratory links between the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and the metropole. The present paper focuses on the.complex migratory links--including continuing emigration from the islands for work and education, return migration and circulation--which have come to characterise the 1980s. The paper aims also to contribute to the broader conceptualisation of migration and mobility. The principal conclusions reveal that the more straightforward labour migration of the years from 1963 to 1981 has been replaced by some considerable return migration (amongst young adults particularly) and circulation. The paper also demonstrates that the role of migration in reducing population growth and fertility in the islands has been much altered during the course of the 1980s. "
Repeated Clonal Relapses in Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma and the Occurrence of a Clonally Unrelated Diffuse Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Same Patient

Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) and B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL) occasionally occur in the same patient. However, molecular studies that aim at determining the clonal relationship between both lymphomas are rare. In most instances, the lymphoma components appear to be derived from the same germinal center (GC) B cell precursor. We describe the molecular monitoring of repeated clonal relapses in a patient with cHL in whom diffuse large B cell NHL (DLBCL) developed concurrently. Intriguingly, both lymphomas were clonally unrelated. Thus, the derivation from a shared precursor likely is not a general rule in cHL and DLBCL arising in the same patient.
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Escherichia coli O 157 strains isolated from humans , ca�le and pigs

A total of 90 Escherichia coli O157 isolates recovered from humans, ca�le, and pigs, were examined for the presence of the H7 antigen, ability to produce Shiga toxins and enterohemolysin as well as for antimicrobial resistance and biochemical properties. Fourteen of the human strains (n = 23) and 21 of the bovine isolates (n = 29) were of the O157:H7 serotype as determined by agglutination and PCR methods. All E. coli O157 of porcine origin (n = 38) were H-negative. Based on the ability to produce Shiga toxins (Stxs), all human and ca�le isolates and 11 strains recovered from swine were identified as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Among STEC, most human strains (18 isolates) were Stx1and Stx2-positive whereas ca�le strains were mostly Stx2-positive. Eleven porcine STEC produced either Stx1 (7 isolates) or Stx2 (4 strains) toxins; an additional 20 isolates recovered from these animals had the Stx2e toxin gene as previously determined by PCR. All human and ca�le E. coli O157 produced enterohemolysin whereas only 4 strains recovered from pigs were ehly-positive. Moreover, the PCR identification of the lpfO113 gene performed earlier revealed that this putative virulence marker was present in all porcine isolates, only in 5 strains of bovine origin but in none of E. coli O157 recovered from humans. All 90 E. coli O157 strains tested displayed 10 biochemical profiles that were different at least in one of the reaction tested. The most common atypical reaction observed among porcine O157 isolates was ability to ferment sorbitol (all strains) and production of β-glucuronidase (25 isolates). Moreover, none of the sorbitol-positive strains was able to produce indol. Four antimicrobial resistance profiles among 90 E. coli O157 strains tested were observed. Most of the isolates recovered from humans and all strains from ca�le were resistant only to rifampicin whereas the porcine strains showed resistance to either 3 antimicrobials (4 isolates) or to 4 drugs tested (34 isolates). The phenotypic data shown in the present study, together with the previously published genotypic analyses of these strains, confirm earlier suggestions that the porcine E. coli O157 strains are mostly different from those of bovine and human O157 isolates and could therefore play less important role in human STEC O157 infections.
Method for determining the osmotic fragility curves of erythrocytes in birds

The osmotic fragility of erythrocytes in 3 species of birds (Gallus gallus domesticus, Coturnix coturnix Japonica, Columba livia) and the rat was determined. The results of this study point to a smaller osmotic fragility. Birds, with elliptical erythrocytes, have a lower osmotic fragility than species with round erythrocytes, like most of the mammals.
Sequential Observation of Spontaneous Endometrial Adenocarcinoma Development in Donryu Rats

Sequential observation of spontaneous endometrial adenocarcinoma development revealed a clear, hormone-dependent, histogenetic pathway in Donryu rats. The first histological changes of the uterine endometrium appeared in both the lining epithelium and uterine gland of the endometrium at 6 mo of age, along with the beginning of persistent estrus. These changes included areas of tall columnar epithelium and gland formation in the lining epithelium as well as metaplastic change in the uterine gland. At 8 mo of age, endometrial hyperplasias were found, with subsequent increase in both incidence and degree. At 8–10 mo of age, hyperplasias were all within the limit of grade ++. After 12 mo of age, however, severe hyperplasias (grade + + +) began to increase markedly, and adenocarcinomas developed at 15 mo of age. The findings thus suggest that uterine endometrial adenocarcinomas arise from hyperplastic lesions, which should therefore be regarded as preneoplastic, as in the human case. Sequential analysis of plasma gonad steroids also ascertained a link between the appearance of these lesions and an increased estrogen: progesterone ratio, suggesting that estrogen may play an important role in development of both hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions. In Fischer-344 rats used for comparative assessment of strain differences, neither advanced histological changes nor hormonal changes were evident.
An Evaluation of the Proposed OECD Testing Strategy for Skin Corrosion

The use of testing strategies which incorporate a range of alternative methods and which use animals only as a last resort is widely considered to provide a reliable way of predicting chemical toxicity while minimising animal testing. The widespread concern over the severity of the Draize rabbit test for assessing skin irritation and corrosion led to the proposal of a stepwise testing strategy at an OECD workshop in January 1996. Subsequently, the proposed testing strategy was adopted, with minor modifications, by the OECD Advisory Group on Harmonization of Classification and Labelling. This article reports an evaluation of the proposed OECD testing strategy as it relates to the classification of skin corrosives. By using a set of 60 chemicals, an assessment was made of the effect of applying three steps in the strategy, taken both individually and in sequence. The results indicate that chemicals can be classified as corrosive (C) or non-corrosive (NC) with sufficient reliability by the sequential application of three alternative methods, i.e., structure-activity relationships (where available), pH measurements, and a single in vitro method (either the rat skin transcutaneous electrical resistance (TER) assay or the EPISKIN™ assay). It is concluded that the proposed OECD strategy for skin corrosion can be simplified without compromising its predictivity. For example, it does not appear necessary to measure acid/alkali reserve (buffering capacity) in addition to pH for the classification of pure chemicals.
Assistive Technology for Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities

The number of postsecondary students with learning disabilities has increased dramatically over the last several years. This increase, coupled with federal legislation mandating “academic adjustments” for students with disabilities, has prompted the development of postsecondary learning disability support service programs. One support service that has begun to attract considerable attention is assistive technology. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of assistive technology as it relates to postsecondary students with learning disabilities by (a) briefly tracing the development of assistive technology service for postsecondary students with learning disabilities; (b) identifying basic models of assistive technology service delivery and specific services; (c) providing a description of specific assistive technologies; (d) reviewing research on the effectiveness of assistive technology with postsecondary students with learning disabilities, with a focus on the authors' 3-year federally funded study; and (e) concluding with a summary and recommendations.
A Stage-Structured Mathematical Model for Fish Stock with Harvesting

In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for a single species fish stock with a three-stage structure: Juveniles, small adults, and large adults with two harvesting strategies for mature classes, maturity, and size selectivities. The purpose of the work is to investigate the dynamical behavior of the model and discuss the effect of harvesting. We identify the adult reproduction number $\mathcal{R}_A$ for the model; obtain the local and global stability of the trivial equilibrium when $\mathcal{R}_A 1$. Numerical simulations are provided to investigate the influence of harvesting functions, discuss the optimal harvesting rates, and explore the effect of periodic coefficients on the dynamical system.
Localized water reverberation phases and its impact on backprojection images

Coherent radiators imaged by backprojections (BP) are commonly interpreted as part of the rupture process. Nevertheless, artifacts introduced by structure related phases are rarely discriminated from the rupture process. In this study, we use a calibration event to discriminate between rupture and structure effects. We reexamine the waveforms and BP images of the 2012 Mw 7.2 Indian Ocean earthquake and a calibration event (Mw 6.2). The P wave codas of both events present similar shape with characteristic period of approximately 10 s, which are backprojected as coherent radiators near the trench. S wave BP does not image energy radiation near the trench. We interpret those coda waves as localized water reverberation phases excited near the trench. We perform a 2‐D waveform modeling using realistic bathymetry model and find that the steep near‐trench bathymetry traps the acoustic water waves forming localized reverberation phases. These waves can be imaged as coherent near‐trench radiators with similar features as that in the observations. We present a set of methodologies to discriminate between the rupture and propagation effects in BP images, which can serve as a criterion of subevent identification.
Measurement of Hematocrit in Dried Blood Spots Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Robust, Fast, and Nondestructive.

To the Editor: Dried blood spot (DBS)1 collection is an established sampling method for new born screening and is increasingly used in other domains, including therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, microbiology, and genetics. Advantages of DBS sampling are the low blood volume requirements, minimally invasive collection, favorable stability of many analytes, and the potential of patient self-sampling at home. Importantly, the introduction of more sensitive techniques in the clinical laboratory has paved the way for analysis of small volume DBS samples in clinical chemistry (1). A well-recognized concern for accurate analyte quantification using DBS is the hematocrit (Ht) effect (2). First, Ht influences blood viscosity and thereby fluidity of blood on the paper. This can lead to different volumes of blood in equally sized punches and to varying analyte concentrations within the spot, resulting in a potential bias. Second, Ht may influence analyte extraction from the paper. Third, many analytes in clinical chemistry are currently measured in plasma and/or serum, whereas DBS samples are whole blood lysates. Therefore, for many compounds, Ht is necessary to accurately convert DBS measurements to plasma/serum values. Previously proposed techniques to …
Intra‐islet proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes contributes to insulitis progression

Infiltration of pancreatic islets by immune cells, termed insulitis, increases progressively once it begins and leads to clinical type 1 diabetes. But even after diagnosis some islets remain unaffected and infiltration is patchy rather than uniform. Traffic of autoreactive T cells into the pancreas is likely to contribute to insulitis progression but it could also depend on T‐cell proliferation within islets. This study utilizes transgenic NOD mice to assess the relative contributions of these two mechanisms. Progression of insulitis in NOD8.3 TCR transgenic mice was mildly reduced by inhibition of T‐cell migration with the drug FTY720. In FTY720‐treated mice, reduced beta cell MHC class I expression prevented progression of insulitis both within affected islets and to previously unaffected islets. CTL proliferation was significantly reduced in islets with reduced or absent beta cell expression of MHC class I protein. This indicates that intra‐islet proliferation, apparently dependent on beta cell antigen presentation, in addition to recruitment, is a significant factor in progression of insulitis.
Comparative Study of the Effects of Antituberculosis Drugs and Antiretroviral Drugs on Cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-Glycoprotein

ABSTRACT Predicting drug-drug interactions (DDIs) related to cytochrome P450 (CYP), such as CYP3A4 and one of the major drug transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is crucial in the development of future chemotherapeutic regimens to treat tuberculosis (TB) and TB/AIDS coinfection cases. We evaluated the effects of 30 anti-TB drugs, novel candidates, macrolides, and representative antiretroviral drugs on human CYP3A4 activity using a commercially available screening kit for CYP3A4 inhibitors and a human hepatocyte, HepaRG. Moreover, in order to estimate the interactions of these drugs with human P-gp, screening for substrates was performed. For some substrates, P-gp inhibition tests were carried out using P-gp-expressing MDCK cells. As a result, almost all the compounds showed the expected effects on human CYP3A4 both in the in vitro screening and in HepaRG cells. Importantly, the unproven mechanisms of DDIs caused by WHO group 5 drugs, thioamides, and p-aminosalicylic acid were elucidated. Intriguingly, clofazimine (CFZ) exhibited weak inductive effects on CYP3A4 at >0.25 μM in HepaRG cells, while an inhibitory effect was observed at 1.69 μM in the in vitro screening, suggesting that CFZ autoinduces CYP3A4 in the human liver. Our method, based on one of the pharmacokinetics parameters in humans, provides more practical information associated with not only DDIs but also with drug metabolism.
Novel Effects of Azithromycin on Tight Junction Proteins in Human Airway Epithelia

ABSTRACT The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin improves lung function and prognosis among patients with cystic fibrosis or diffuse panbronchiolitis, independently of bacterial eradication. Anti-inflammatory effects have been implicated, but data from in vivo studies are scarce, and the link between abnormal electrolyte content in airway surface liquid and bronchial infections remains uncertain. In the present study, we treated human airway epithelia on filter supports with azithromycin and monitored transepithelial electrical resistance. We found that azithromycin increased transepithelial electrical resistance of airway epithelia in a dose-dependent manner. Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting showed that addition of azithromycin changed the locations of proteins in cell cultures and induced processing of the tight junction proteins claudin-1 and claudin-4, occludin, and junctional adhesion molecule-A. These effects were reversible, and no effect was seen when cells were treated with penicillin or erythromycin. The data indicate that azithromycin increases the transepithelial electrical resistance of human airway epithelia by changing the processing of tight junction proteins. The results are novel and may help explain the beneficial effects of azithromycin in patients with cystic fibrosis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, and community-acquired pneumonia.
Hydrolysis and excretion of cytoplasmic cholesteryl esters by macrophages: stimulation by high density lipoprotein and other agents.

The ability of mouse peritoneal macrophages to hydrolyze and excrete cytoplasmic cholesteryl ester droplets was studied. The macrophages were loaded with cholesteryl esters by incubation with acetylated low density lipoprotein (acetyl-LDL), which is internalized by adsorptive endocytosis. The cholesteryl esters of acetyl-LDL are hydrolyzed within lysosomes and the liberated cholesterol is re-esterified in the cytoplasm where it accumulates as cytoplasmic cholesteryl ester droplets. Hydrolysis and excretion of these stored cholesteryl esters were quantified by gas-liquid chromatographic measurement of the content of free and esterified cholesterol in cells and in medium. After removal of acetyl-LDL from the culture medium, the cytoplasmic cholesteryl esters were rapidly hydrolyzed and large amounts of free cholesterol were excreted from the cells. Hydrolysis and excretion required a cholesterol acceptor in the culture medium. The following agents were shown to be effective as cholesterol acceptors: high density lipoprotein (HDL), whole serum, the density > 1.215 g/ml fraction of whole serum, intact erythrocytes, casein, and thyroglobulin. The following agents did not promote the hydrolysis and excretion of cholesteryl esters under these experimental conditions: LDL, serum albumin, serum gamma-globulins, and phosphatidylcholine/sphingomyelin liposomes. The results indicate that net hydrolysis of cytoplasmic cholesteryl esters in macrophages is coupled to the process of cholesterol excretion and that net hydrolysis does not occur unless an effective cholesterol acceptor is present in the culture medium. -Ho, Y. K. , M. S. Brown, and J. L. Goldstein. Hydrolysis and excretion of cytoplasmic cholesteryl esters by macrophages: stimulation by high density lipoprotein and other agents.
Prognostic impact of vascular and lymphovascular invasion in early lung cancer

Background The prognostic significance of vascular and lymphatic invasion in non-small-cell lung cancer is under continuous debate. We analyzed the effect of tumor aggressiveness (lymphatic and/or vessel invasion) on survival and relapse in stage I and II non-small-cell lung cancer. Methods We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data of 457 patients with stage I and II non-small-cell lung cancer from 1998 to 2008. Specimens were analyzed for intratumoral vascular invasion and lymphovascular space invasion. Overall survival and disease-free survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were determined by the logrank test. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors. Results The incidence of intratumoral vascular invasion was 23.4%, and this correlated significantly with grade of differentiation, visceral pleural involvement, lymphovascular space invasion, and N status. The incidence of lymphovascular space invasion was 5.5%, and this correlated significantly with grade of differentiation, lymph nodes involved, and intratumoral vascular invasion. On multivariate analyses, intratumoral vascular invasion proved to be an significant independent risk factor for overall survival but not for disease-free survival. Lymphovascular space invasion was associated significantly with early tumor recurrence but not with overall survival. Conclusions Vascular and lymphatic invasion can serve as independent prognostic factors in completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer. Intratumoral vascular invasion and lymphovascular space invasion in early stage non-small-cell lung cancer are important factors in overall survival and early tumor recurrence. Further large scale studies with more recent patient cohorts and refined histological techniques are warranted.
Dermoscopic classification of Bowen's disease

Diagnostic difficulties are often encountered when attempting to clinically differentiate between various skin diseases. The use of dermoscopy may improve the diagnosis of Bowen’s disease, also known as squamous cell carcinoma in situ. However, it is difficult to distinguish between variants of Bowen’s disease, such as pigmented or hyperkeratotic types, and other skin diseases. Dermoscopic characteristics, such as surface scales and glomerular vessels in nonpigmented Bowen’s disease (classic Bowen’s disease, CBD) and small brown globules, structureless pigmentation and irregular flossy streaks in pigmented Bowen’s disease (PBD) have been reported. The dermoscopic features of Bowen’s disease in Asians have also been previously reported. However, this study did not include all the dermoscopic features of Bowen’s disease. In our present study we first defined three groups of Bowen’s disease, namely, the non-pigmented classic-type, the partially pigmented type (PPBD) and the pigmented type and subsequently evaluated and compared the dermoscopic features of these groups.
The Interaction of Proline-Rich Ligands with Profilin Probed with an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

To detect interactions of different proline-rich ligands with profilins, the authors developed a simple analytical antibody-based screening method. Profilin I or profilin IIa was coated in microplates, and ligand binding was monitored via antibody detection. Using purified components, the authors show that the assay is very sensitive as nanomolar concentrations of recombinant profilin ligands can be used. They further apply this technique to detect interaction of profilin with various proline-rich partners, either endogenously present or ectopically expressed as tagged fusions, using lysates. With this assay, the authors identify Shootin1 as a novel profilin IIa partner. In addition, they demonstrate that this assay can be used for studying competition or ternary complex formation. In conclusion, they developed a sensitive, easy-to-use, and versatile method for the study of the interaction between profilin and different ligands. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2009:350-359)
Amblyopia update: new treatments

Purpose of review This review article is an update on the current treatments for amblyopia. In particular, the authors focus on the concepts of brain plasticity and their implications for novel treatment strategies for both children and adults affected by amblyopia. Recent findings A variety of strategies has been developed to treat amblyopia in children and adults. New evidence on the pathogenesis of amblyopia has been obtained both in animal models and in clinical trials. Mainly, these studies have challenged the classical concept that amblyopia becomes untreatable after the ‘end’ of the sensitive or critical period of visual development, because of a lack of sufficient plasticity in the adult brain. Summary New treatments for amblyopia in children and adults are desirable and should be encouraged. However, further studies should be completed before such therapies are widely accepted into clinical practice.
A priori estimates and analysis of a numerical method for a turning point problem

Bounds are obtained for the derivatives of the solution of a turning point problem. These results suggest a modification of the El-Mistikawy Werle finite difference scheme at the turning point. A uniform error estimate is obtained for the resulting method, and illustrative numerical results are given. I. Introduction. We will examine the following two-point boundary value problem with Dirichlet data at the endpoints: (l.la) Ly= -eyx. (x) -p(x)yx(x) +q(x)y(x) =f(x) for -I