Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The mode and molecular mechanisms of the migration of presumptive PGC in the endoderm cell mass of Xenopus embryos

We investigated the mode of migration of presumptive primordial germ cells (pPGC) in the endoderm cell mass of Xenopus embryos at stages 7–40. The molecules underlying the migration were also studied cytochemically and immunocytologically. By examining the relative positions of pPGC and somatic cells derived from the single, fluorescein‐dextran lysine (FDL)‐injected, germ plasm‐bearing cells of stage 6 embryos, pPGC in embryos at stages 7–23 and those at stages later than 24 were assumed to passively and actively migrate in the endoderm cell mass, respectively. This assumption was supported by the observation that F‐actin, essential for active cell migration, was recognized on pPGC of the latter stages, but never on those of the former ones. In addition, the molecule like CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) found on directionally migrating PGC in mouse and zebrafish, probably Xenopus CXCR4 (xCXCR4), was detected on pPGC only at latter stages. Accordingly, F‐actin and xCXCR4, and probably β1‐integrin and collagen type IV, which are indispensable for the formation of F‐actin, are thought to be involved in the active migration of pPGC in the endoderm cell mass.
Lung Carcinoma Predictive Biomarker Testing by Immunoperoxidase Stains in Cytology and Small Biopsy Specimens: Advantages and Limitations.

CONTEXT - In the burgeoning era of molecular genomics, immunoperoxidase (IPOX) testing grows increasingly relevant as an efficient and effective molecular screening tool. Patients with lung carcinoma may especially benefit from the use of IPOX because most lung carcinomas are inoperable at diagnosis and only diagnosed by small tissue biopsy or fine-needle sampling. When such small specimens are at times inadequate for molecular testing, positive IPOX results still provide actionable information. OBJECTIVE - To describe the benefits and pitfalls of IPOX in the detection of biomarkers in lung carcinoma cytology specimens and small biopsies by summarizing the currently available commercial antibodies, preanalytic variables, and analytic considerations. DATA SOURCES - PubMed. CONCLUSIONS - Commercial antibodies exist for IPOX detection of aberrant protein expression due to EGFR L858R mutation, EGFR E746_A750 deletion, ALK rearrangement, ROS1 rearrangement, and BRAF V600E mutation, as well as PD-L1 expression in tumor cells. Automated IPOX protocols for ALK and PD-L1 detection were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as companion diagnostics for targeted therapies, but consistent interpretive criteria remain to be elucidated, and such protocols do not yet exist for other biomarkers. The inclusion of cytology specimens in clinical trials would expand patients' access to testing and treatment, yet there is a scarcity of clinical trial data regarding the application of IPOX to cytology, which can be attributed to trial designers' lack of familiarity with the advantages and limitations of cytology. The content of this review may be used to inform clinical trial design and advance IPOX validation studies.
Numerous nuclear proteins bind the long control region of human papillomavirus type 16: a subset of 6 of 23 DNase I-protected segments coincides with the location of the cell-type-specific enhancer

The long control region of the human papillomavirus type 16 genome is 856 base pairs (bp) long. It contains a cell-type-specific enhancer, a glucocorticoid response element, and sequences mediating the response to the viral gene products of open reading frame E2; all three regulate the promoter P97. We mapped binding sites of trans-acting proteins relevant for the cell-type-specific enhancer and other cis-acting elements by DNase I footprint experiments with nuclear extracts from HeLa cells. Throughout the human papillomavirus type 16 long control region 23 footprints protect 557 of 900 bp. Nine footprints fall into a 400-bp segment that was previously identified to contain the cell-type-specific enhancer. Variations of the protein concentration in the footprint reaction do not affect six of these nine footprints. At high protein concentrations, three footprints fuse to a 106-bp protected region, suggesting that this segment specifically binds several proteins of lower affinity or abundance. Unexpectedly, extracts from human MCF7 and mouse 3T3 cells, in which the enhancer is inactive, give footprints identical to those obtained with HeLa extracts. Seven footprints contain the sequence 5'-TTGGC-3'. Footprint competition experiments suggest that factor NFI binds to these seven motifs. Competition with cloned oligonucleotides in transfections suggests that these elements contribute to the enhancer function. Subcloning identifies a 232-bp fragment between positions 7524 and 7755 as sufficient for full enhancer activity. Several of the six footprinted elements on this segment may cooperate functionally, since subclones of this region show decreased or no cell-type-specific enhancer function.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Children: Does Modified Platinum- and Doxorubicin-Based Chemotherapy Increase Tumor Resectability and Change Outcome? Lessons Learned From the SIOPEL 2 and 3 Studies.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this article is to present an experience of two prospective studies from the International Childhood Liver Tumor Strategy Group (SIOPEL 2 [S2] and SIOPEL [S3]) trials and to evaluate whether modified platinum- and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy is capable of increasing tumor resectability and changing patient outcomes. METHODS Between 1995 and 2006, 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were included in the S2 trial and 70 were included in the S3 trial. Eighty-five patients remained evaluable. RESULTS Response to preoperative chemotherapy was observed in 29 of 72 patients (40%) who did not have primary surgery, whereas 13 patients underwent upfront surgery. Thirty-three patients had a delayed resection. Thirty-nine tumors never became resectable. Complete tumor resection was achieved in 34 patients (40%), including seven of those treated with liver transplantation (LTX). After a median follow-up period of 75 months, 63 patients (74%) had an event (a progression during treatment, a relapse after treatment, or death from any cause). Sixty patients died. Twenty-three of 46 patients (50%) who underwent tumor resection died. Eighteen of 27 patients (63%) with complete tumor resection (without LTX) and 20 of 34 patients (59%) with LTX survived. Only one of seven patients (14%) with microscopically involved margins survived. Overall survival at 5 years was 22%. CONCLUSION Survival in pediatric HCC is more likely when complete tumor resection can be achieved. Intensification of platinum agents in the S2 and S3 trials has not resulted in improved survival. New treatment approaches in pediatric HCC should be postulated.
Hypertensive diabetic rats in pharmacological studies.

Since hypertensive disease and diabetes frequently occur simultaneously there exists a requirement for animal models where both pathological entities are combined. The streptozotocin (STZ)-spontaneously hypertensive rat (STZ-SHR) and the obese Zucker rat are examples of animal models where hypertension and diabetes occur simultaneously. STZ-SHRs develop a hyperglycaemic syndrome, associated with other biochemical and morphological changes that to some extent approach insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1 diabetes) combined with hypertension. The obese (Fa/? ) Zucker rat is characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of obesity, hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperlipidaemia and moderate hypertension. As such it approaches the patient with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) who is simultaneously hypertensive. Lean (fa/fa) Zucker rats are suitable controls with respect to the obese animals. Both animal models (STZ-SHRs and obese Zucker rats) were characterized with respect to their biochemical, morphometric and haemodynamic properties. Both models were examined in particular with respect to the pharmacological characteristics of their cardiovascular system, as discussed in the present survey.
Auditory and visual naming tests: normative and patient data for accuracy, response time, and tip-of-the-tongue.

Naming is typically assessed with visual naming tasks, yet, some patients with genuine word-finding difficulty (evident in auditorily based discourse) show minimal difficulty on such measures. Evidence from cortical mapping, brain imaging and neuropsychological studies suggests that auditory naming measures might provide more relevant or at least, complementary information. We developed comparable auditory and visual naming tests and present normative data for accuracy, response time, and tip-of-the-tongue responses based on 100 controls. Test validity was supported by findings that left temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients (i.e., a population with expected naming difficulty) performed more poorly on auditory but not visual naming compared to right TLE patients (i.e., a population without expected naming difficulty). Internal and test-retest reliability coefficients were reasonable. Finally, test utility was assessed on an individual basis, and auditory but not visual naming performance predicted impairment.
Work demands and need for recovery from work in ageing seafarers

This study was conducted on a population of seafarers serving in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the organisation providing support at sea to the Royal Navy. An investigation into work-related fatigue in RFA personnel onboard ships was carried out following changes to the regulations concerning maximum retirement age, to determine whether age was associated with recovery from work demands. A total of 322 personnel aged from 19 to 61 years were interviewed onboard seven RFA ships. The Need for Recovery scale was used to measure fatigue and work demands exposure was measured using the Baecke questionnaire and the NASA Task Load Index. It was found that older personnel did not have higher work-related fatigue than younger personnel. A measure of frustration at work was found to be most strongly related to work-related fatigue, even in seafarers who carried out physically demanding jobs. Work-related fatigue was found to accumulate over time in personnel who continued to be exposed to work demands onboard a ship. Finally, a relatively high level of work-related fatigue was found in the RFA sample as a whole, which may hold implications for management interventions. It was concluded that older personnel in the RFA can cope with the day-to-day demands of working life as well as younger personnel, possibly due to a ‘survivor effect’, whereby those personnel who do not cope as well with work demands leave and find a different job, leaving only those who successfully deal with the demands of working life at sea. Statement of Relevance: In order to manage work demands in seafarers, it is important to identify the most fatiguing demands. Age is of interest because of the demographic ageing of the workforce. Age was not associated with a higher need for recovery. Psychological work demands had a greater effect on need for recovery than physical work demands.
Treatment of experimental visceral leishmaniasis in a T-cell-deficient host: response to amphotericin B and pentamidine

In experimental visceral leishmaniasis, euthymic but not athymic (nude) BALB/c mice respond to conventional treatment with pentavalent antimony, indicating that the in vivo efficacy of antimony is T cell dependent. This finding correlates with frequent antimony treatment failures for T-cell-deficient patients with visceral leishmaniasis. To determine whether the in vivo efficacies of alternative antileishmanial agents also require T cells, Leishmania donovani-infected euthymic and nude BALB/c mice were treated with pentamidine or amphotericin B. Pentamidine induced leishmanistatic activity in euthymic mice but had little effect in nude mice. In contrast, amphotericin B exerted potent leishmanicidal activities in both euthymic and nude animals. These results suggest that amphotericin B may be of particular use for T-cell-deficient patients with visceral leishmaniasis.
Managing indigent care: a case study of a safety-net emergency department.

OBJECTIVE To examine how one safety-net emergency department (ED) managed problems associated with the provision of indigent care in everyday life. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Interview and observational data collected in County Hospital ED, a public teaching hospital in a California city, during 6 months of 1999. STUDY DESIGN The study used ethnographic methods to document and understand day-to-day routines and practices for providing indigent care in a safety-net facility. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS One- to 2-hour semistructured interviews with a snowball sample of eight ED physicians were tape recorded, and fieldnotes were recorded in situ during 10-30 hours of participant observation per week in all areas of the ED. Data were coded to highlight themes of interest and to identify recurrent patterns of behavior. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In everyday life, providers at County ED relied on graduate medical education (GME) to manage two everyday problems, social use and tenuous financing, associated with the provision of indigent care. GME helped manage problematic social visits to time ED by defining them as interesting cases. GME helped with tenuous finances by creating a work culture that encouraged the provision of uncompensated work. CONCLUSIONS Safety-net facilities often face problems similar to those in County ED. Future research should assess the extent to which the everyday management of these problems in County ED resembles that in other safety-net facilities.
Identification of Twins from Pure (Single Speaker) and Hybrid (Fused) Syllables: An Acoustic and Perceptual Case Study

This study describes a speaker-identification task carried out using two sets of single monosyllables and two sets of hybrid monosyllables prepared from monosyllabic words spoken by a set of monozygotic twins. The task was carried out by 6 listeners who were all very familiar with the twins and by the twins themselves. The identification scores for the pure syllables showed that both twins were identified with accuracy above chance; however, the percentage scores were less than perfect in both cases (71.4% and 72.9%). Analysis of the identification scores for the hybrid syllables showed that listeners had difficulty in attributing the hybrid syllables to a single twin. This was confirmed by the lack of significance in three binomial tests. The pure syllables were analysed acoustically to obtain a set of acoustic parameters for each twin. The results of the perceptual study are discussed with reference to the acoustic parameters. In addition, the implications of the study for issues in speaker-identification are considered.
A learner-centric view of mobile seamless learning

Introduction In a major international synthesis of 1:1 (one-mobile-device-per-learner) TechnologyEnhanced Learning (TEL), Chan et al. (2006) foregrounded the notion of seamless learning. The seventeen distinguished co-authors defined seamless learning as a learning style where a learner can learn in a variety of scenarios and in which they can switch from one scenario or context (such as formal and informal learning, personal and social learning, etc.) to another easily and quickly, with the personal device as a mediator. The definition is congruent with Laouris and Eteokleous’ (2005) view that mobile learning is about increasing a learner’s capability to physically move her personal learning environment as she moves. Such an exposition was perhaps an intention to stimulate further research and changes in practice to maximise the potential of mobile learning. In this paper, seamless learning mediated by 1:1 setting is referred to as mobile seamless learning (MSL).
Structural Correlates of Reading the Mind in the Eyes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Behavioral studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impaired ability to read the mind in the eyes. Although this impairment is central to their social malfunctioning, its structural neural correlates remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we assessed Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, revised version (Eyes Test) and acquired structural magnetic resonance images in adults with high-functioning ASD (n = 19) and age-, sex- and intelligence quotient-matched typically developing (TD) controls (n = 19). On the behavioral level, the Eyes Test scores were lower in the ASD group than in the control group. On the neural level, an interaction between group and Eyes Test score was found in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ). A positive association between the Eyes Test score and gray matter volume of this region was evident in the control group, but not in the ASD group. This finding suggests that the failure to develop appropriate structural neural representations in the TPJ may underlie the impaired ability of individuals with ASD to read the mind in the eyes. These behavioral and neural findings provide support for the theories that impairments in processing eyes and the ability to infer others’ mental states are the core symptoms of ASD, and that atypical features in the social brain network underlie such impairments.
Effect of raw meat L *-value , pH and marination on cooked meat quality of broiler thigh meat

Introduction L* value (lightness) and pH have been used as predictive tools for estimating meat quality. In general, measurement of L* value is easier and faster than pH. Woelfel et al. (2002) reported that L* value seems to be of more predictive value than pH. Broiler meat with low pH or high L* value has been associated with low water-holding capacity, which results in increased cooking loss and shear value. The relationship among breast meat L* value, pH and meat quality has been reported by several researchers (Allen et al., 1998; Qiao et al., 2002).
Proximity and physical navigation in collaborative work with a multi-touch wall-display

Multi-touch, wall-sized displays afford new forms of collaboration. Yet, most data on collaboration with multi-touch displays come from tabletop settings, where users often sit and where space is a limited resource. We study how two-person groups navigate in relation to a 2.8m x 1.2m multi-touch display with 24.8 megapixels and to each other when solving a sensemaking task on a document collection. The results show that users physically navigate to shift fluently among different parts of the display and between parallel and joint group work.
Irisin in response to exercise in humans with and without metabolic syndrome.

CONTEXT Irisin is a recently identified exercise-induced myokine. However, the circulating levels of irisin in response to different types of exercise in subjects with metabolic syndrome are unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to study the levels of irisin in healthy males and subjects with metabolic syndrome at baseline and in response to exercise. DESIGN Each individual completed high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CME), and resistance exercise (RE) sessions in a random, crossover design. Percentage change in circulating irisin levels was examined. Two different irisin assays were used to compare the results of the RE study. RESULTS Circulating irisin increased immediately after HIIE, CME, and RE and declined 1 hour later. The increase was greater in response to resistance compared with either high-intensity intermittent exercise or CME. Change in irisin in response to exercise did not differ between individuals with and without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Exercise is able to increase circulating irisin levels in individuals with the metabolic syndrome as well as healthy individuals. Whether this increase may contribute to the beneficial effects of exercise on patients with the metabolic syndrome remains to be studied further.
Physical and Dynamical Properties of Asteroid Families

1890. Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston (CD- ROM). Zappala V. and Cellino A. (1996) Main belt asteroids: Present and future inventory. In Completing the Inventory of the Solar Sys- tem (T. W. Rettig and J. M. Hahn, eds.), pp. 29–44. ASP Con- ference Series 107. Zappala V. and Cellino A. (2001). Formation of asteroid families and delivery of NEO showers from the main belt. In Collisional Processes in the Solar System (M. Marov and H. Rickman, eds.), pp. 303–321. Kluwer, Dordrecht. Zappala V. , Farinella P., Knezevic Z. , and Paolicchi P. (1984) Collisional origin of the asteroid families: Mass and velocity distributions. Icarus, 59, 261–285. Zappala V. , Bendjoya Ph. , Cellino A. , Farinella P., and Froeschle C. (1995) Asteroid families: Search of a 12487 asteroid sample using two different clustering techniques. Icarus, 116, 291–314. Zappala V. , Cellino A. , Dell’Oro D. , Migliorini F. , and Paolicchi P. (1996) Reconstructing the original ejection velocity fields of asteroid families. Icarus, 124, 156–180. Zappala V. , Cellino A. , Di Martino M. , Migliorini F. , and Paolicchi P. (1997) Maria’s family: Physical structure and possible im- plications for the origin of giant NEAs. Icarus, 129, 1–20. Zappala V. , Cellino A. , Gladman B. J., Manley S. , and Migliorini F. (1998) Asteroid showers on Earth after family break-up events. Icarus, 134, 176–179. Zappala V. , Bendjoya P., Cellino A. , Di Martino M. , Dores- soundiram A. , Manara A. , and Migliorini F. (2000) Fugitives from the Eos family: First spectroscopic confirmation. Icarus, 145, 4–11. Zappala V. , Cellino A. , and Dell’Oro A. (2002) A search for the collisional parent bodies of large NEAs. Icarus, in press.
Childhood trauma in Owerri (south eastern) Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Childhood trauma is becoming a significant source of morbidity in many developing countries. Understanding the peculiar features of trauma in these areas is invaluable to the development of better preventive and treatment program. We aim to study the pattern and outcome of childhood trauma in southeastern Nigeria. METHODS Evaluation of 1,642 children managed for trauma at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri southeast Nigeria from January 1, 1999 to December 31st 2004. RESULTS Nine hundred and forty-one children (57.3%) were boys and 701 (42.7%) were girls with a mean age of 8.7 years (range 3 months-15 years). Road traffic accidents (46.7%), falls (17.1%) and assaults (16.1%) were the commonest cause of trauma. The aetiology of trauma differed significantly in the different ages (P < 0.05). Laceration (61.1%), bruises (45.0%) and fractures (21.4%) comprised the predominant type of injury encountered among the children with 997 (60.7%) having multiple injuries. The mean time to hospital presentation was 2.7 days (range 30 minutes to 17 days). Eight hundred and one (48.8%) required admission while 841 (51.2%) were discharged from the emergency unit. Laparotomy (5.3%) and skin grafting (5.0%) were the main operative procedures. There were 41 deaths (2.5%), with 27 (65.9%) of these from severe head injury, 9 (21.9%) from chest injury, 3 (7.3%) from penetrating abdominal injury and 2 (4.9%) from burns. Twenty-nine (70.7%) of the deaths occurred within 96 hours of injury. CONCLUSION There is appreciable variety of childhood trauma in our environment. Delay in presentation is a problem. Mortality can be minimized by preventive measures and improvement of emergency medical services.