Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of the Varicella-Zoster Virus Gene Product Encoded by Open Reading Frame 35 in Viral Replication In Vitro and in Differentiated Human Skin and T Cells In Vivo

ABSTRACT Although genes related to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame 35 (ORF35) are conserved in the herpesviruses, information about their contributions to viral replication and pathogenesis is limited. Using a VZV cosmid system, we deleted ORF35 to produce two null mutants, designated rOkaΔ35(#1) and rOkaΔ35(#2), and replaced ORF35 at a nonnative site, generating two rOkaΔ35/35@Avr mutants. ORF35 Flag-tagged recombinants were made by inserting ORF35-Flag at the nonnative Avr site as the only copy of ORF35, yielding rOkaΔ35/35Flag@Avr, or as a second copy, yielding rOka35Flag@Avr. Replication of rOkaΔ35 viruses was diminished in melanoma and Vero cells in a 6-day analysis of growth kinetics. Plaque sizes of rOkaΔ35 mutants were significantly smaller than those of rOka in melanoma cells. Infection of melanoma cells with rOkaΔ35 mutants was associated with disrupted cell fusion and polykaryocyte formation. The small plaque phenotype was not corrected by growth of rOkaΔ35 mutants in melanoma cells expressing the major VZV glycoprotein E, gE. The rOkaΔ35/35@Avr viruses displayed growth kinetics and plaque morphologies that were indistinguishable from those of rOka. Analysis with ORF35-Flag recombinants showed that the ORF35 gene product localized predominantly to the nuclei of infected cells. Evaluations in the SCIDhu mouse model demonstrated that ORF35 was required for efficient VZV infection of skin and T-cell xenografts, although the decrease in infectivity was most significant in skin. These mutagenesis experiments indicated that ORF35 was dispensable for VZV replication, but deleting ORF35 diminished growth in cultured cells and was associated with attenuated VZV infection of differentiated human skin and T cells in vivo.
Intracranial meningiomas: experiences at the Mayo Clinic.

18 to 20, 1978. On June 1, 1885, Francesco Durante, professor of clinical surgery at the University of Rome, performed the first successful operation for an intracranial tumor when he removed a pre dominantly unilateral meningioma of the left olfactory groove. This procedure followed the celebrated Bennett-Godlee case, which resulted in a fatality, by only 6 months. ' If we were to designate an intracranial neoplasm that has had the most effect on the development of neurologic surgery, very likely the intracranial meningioma would be pro minently considered. ' Harvey Cushing3) suggested the term "meningioma" when he delivered the Cavendish Lecture in 1922. He was the first to use electrocautery in intracranial surgery to remove a meningioma of the olfactory groove in 1927.4
Prevalence and Relatedness of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains in the Feces and on the Hides and Carcasses of U.S. Meat Goats at Slaughter

ABSTRACT We determined the prevalences of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feces, hide, and carcasses of meat goats at a U.S. processing plant. Prevalences were 11.1%, 2.7%, and 2.7%, respectively. Sixteen pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtypes were identified among 49 E. coli O157:H7 isolates, some of which were present on multiple sample types or collection days.
Granger Causal Analysis between the NAO and SSTs in the North Atlantic basin

This paper uses Granger causality test techniques to investigate the causal order of the air-sea interactions between the anomalous NAO index and the NCAR/NCEP SST anomalies over the northern hemisphere. Compared to the simple lead/lagged correlation, the Granger causality analysis is generally more reliable since it ensures that any apparent oceanic influence upon the atmosphere is uniquely provided by the ocean and is not related to preceding anomalies in the atmosphere itself (and vice versa when looking at the atmospheric influence upon the ocean). Using this technique, it is found that on seasonal timescales, preceding SST anomalies around the Gulf Stream region show significant Granger causality with the wintertime NAO. In contrast, the preceding NAO anomalies’ influence on the wintertime SST field is rather restricted. Additional findings show that regions of the SST field can cause up to 20% of the variance in the winter NAO. Importantly the regions that show significant causality with the wintertime NAO are limited to the Gulf Stream extension. In contrast to simple correlation analysis, our analysis does not show significant causality related to SST anomalies in either the Greenland or subtropical regions. These results suggest that the Gulf Stream SSTs have an important influence in initiating disturbances of the atmospheric circulation over the wintertime North Atlantic. The dynamics related to this influence still need to be investigated further.
Yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for solid pancreatic neoplasms

Abstract Objective: Both endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cytology may provide tissue diagnoses in solid pancreatic neoplasms. However, there are scant data comparing these two methods. This study aims at retrospectively comparing EUS-FNA and ERCP tissue sampling and ability of cytopathological diagnosis in solid pancreatic neoplasms and to determine usefulness and adverse events of combining both procedures. Material and methods: Two hundred and thirty four patients suspected to have solid pancreatic mass on abdominal ultrasound and/or computed tomography (CT) were enrolled. EUS-FNA (group A), ERCP cytology (group B) and combined procedures (Group C) performed in 105, 91 and 38 cases, respectively. Results: Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 98.9%, 93.3% and 98.1% for group A, and 72.1%, 60% and 71.4% for group B. Those for group C were all 100%. Sensitivity for malignancy in the pancreas head was 100% for group A and 82.4% for group B, and in the pancreas body and tail, 97.6% for group A and 57.1% for group B. EUS-FNA was more sensitive than ERCP cytology in diagnosing malignant pancreatic neoplasms 21–30 mm in size (p = 0.0068), 31–40 mm (p = 0.028) and ≥41 mm (p < 0.0001). Sensitivity for pancreatic malignancy with group C was 100% regardless of mass location or size. Adverse events were 1.9%, 6.6% and 2.6% following EUS-FNA, ERCP and combined procedures, respectively. Conclusions: EUS-FNA is superior to ERCP cytology for diagnosis of solid pancreatic neoplasms. Although combination of both procedures provide efficient tissue diagnosis and with a minimal adverse events rate, a prospective study including larger number of patients is required.
The synthesis of proteoglycans in fat‐storing cells of rat liver

Fat‐storing cells (perisinusoidal stellate cells) were isolated by enzymatic digestion of rat liver and purified by a single‐step Nycodenz ® gradient to yield 11.4·106 cells per liver, with a purity of 74% and a viability of 76%. Monolayer cultures of fat‐storing cells incorporated both [35S]sulfate and [3H]glucosamine into glycosaminoglycans; the rate of incorporation increased with culture time (3‐fold between the third and eighth days in culture). About 80% of newly formed glycosaminoglycans were secreted into the medium. Analysis of the types of glycosaminoglycans revealed a different pattern for cells and medium, respectively, which is subject to culture time. Heparan sulfate remains primarily cell‐bound and, therefore, has a low fractional secretion rate. Chondroitin sulfate and even more dermatan sulfate are the main types of glycosaminoglycans in the medium. Dermatan sulfate represents about 60% of total medium glycosaminoglycans. In advanced cultures (eighth day), this type becomes the predominant one in the cell layer. The reduction of the molecular weight of native medium‐sulfated molecules by papain digestion and β‐elimination and the puromycin‐induced inhibition of their synthesis by more than 75% suggest the formation of glycosaminoglycans as complex proteoglycans. It is concluded that fat‐storing cells are a major cellular source of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate in liver connective tissue. Since the pattern of proteoglycans of fat‐storing cells closely resembles that found in the fibrotic liver matrix, this cell type might be of pathogenetic significance for the accumulation of chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate in cirrhotic connective tissue.
Transplanted multipotential neural precursor cells migrate into the inflamed white matter in response to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Transplanted neural precursor cells remyelinate efficiently acutely demyelinated focal lesions. However, the clinical value of cell transplantation in a chronic, multifocal disease like multiple sclerosis will depend on the ability of transplanted cells to migrate to the multiple disease foci in the brain. Here, we expanded newborn rat neural precursor cells in spheres and transplanted them intracerebroventricularly or intrathecally in rats. The cells were labeled by the nuclear fluorescent dye Hoechst or by incubation with BrdU to enable their identification at 2 days and 2 weeks after transplantation, respectively. Spheres consisted of PSA‐NCAM+, nestin+, NG2− undifferentiated precursor cells that differentiated in vitro into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. Spheres that were transplanted into intact rats remained mostly in the ventricles or in the spinal subarachnoid space. Following transplantation at peak of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cells migrated into the brain or spinal cord parenchyma, exclusively into inflamed white matter but not into adjacent gray matter regions. After 2 weeks, many transplanted cells had migrated into distant white matter tracts and acquired specific markers of the astroglial and oligodendroglial lineages. Thus, the inflammatory process may attract targeted migration of transplanted precursor cells into the brain parenchyma. GLIA 41:73–80, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ifosfamide continuous infusion plus etoposide in the treatment of elderly patients with aggressive lymphoma: A phase II study

A prospective phase II study was performed to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of continuous infusion ifosfamide plus etoposide combination in elderly patients (older than 70 years) with intermediate or high grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Chemotherapy was administered with mesna in order to avoid hemorrhagic cystitis. The 21 patients included were either unable to receive the usual front‐line chemotherapy given in our institution or relapsing after or not responding to conventional chemotherapy. Only one out of 97 courses of chemotherapy was followed by serious complication consisting in non‐lethal pneumonitis. Four out of seven previously untreated patients and five patients treated in first relapse achieved complete response (75 per cent). Out of nine refractory or previously multi‐treated patients, only one achieved complete response. We conclude that combination of continuous infusion ifosfamide plus etoposide deserves to be evaluated on a larger scale so that the optimum doses and schedule may be defined.
Psychoanalysis Representation and Neuroscience: the Freudian unconscious and the Bayesian brain

This chapter presents a philosophical synthesis of a range of work relating psychoanalysis and neuroscience. The overall argument is (1) material in these and related fields can usefully be integrated via the notion of representation; (2) the appropriate notion of representation is a biological one common both to psychoanalysis and the Holmholtz/Bayes tradition in neuroscience; and consequently (3) the Freudian unconscious may be understood as realized in what is now described as the Bayesian brain. Psychoanalysis began as an extension of the intuitive commonsense psychology in whose terms we make sense of one another in everyday life. In this we understand one another as persons who have subjective experience of an objective world, and whose actions are informed by mental states and processes such as those of emotion, desire, belief, intention, and will. Such states and processes have intentionality: that is, they are about things and situations in the world, and they are capable of both truth (or accuracy) or falsehood (or inaccuracy). This ‘aboutness’ has historically been regarded as the defining feature of mental phenomena. Recent work in philosophy, however, has enabled us to see that the intentionality of the mental can be understood in terms of the notion of representation; and Ruth Garrett Millikan has argued that representation itself can be seen as a biological phenomenon which has evolved for the selective advantages it confers. So on this account the intentionality of mental phenomena can be understood as realized by the biological functioning of the brain. Such representational functioning is here explicated via the current Helmholtz/Bayes approach to neuroscience developed from work by Geoffrey Hinton and his colleagues. This approach has recently been advanced by Karl Friston in such a way as to unify a number of basic theories in neuroscience and to integrate them with evolution. This framework is particularly relevant for psychoanalysis, since Freud was trained in the school of Helmholtz and framed his early theories in terms of free energy; and this has enabled Friston and Richard Carhart-Harris to relate Freud’s claims to data from neuropsychology, neuroimaging, and psychopharmacology. The same framework can also be used to link Freud’s theories with the findings of affective neuroscience, including the homeostatic regulatory emotional and
Comparison of endothelial cell loss by specular microscopy between phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery

Aim: To compare the endothelial cell loss between phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery (SICS). Endothelial cell loss was also compared in phacoemulsification group by temporal clear corneal incision (CCI) and by superior scleral incision (SI) technique. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 eyes of 200 patients were included in the study. Cases were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A had undergone phacoemulsification and Group B had under gone manual SICS. In Group A 50 cases were performed by temporal CCI and remaining 50 cases were performed by superior SI technique. Endothelial cell count was evaluated by using a noncontact specular microscope. Results: Mean endothelial cell loss (cells/mm 2 ) in Group A was 307.80 (12.33%), 397.79 (15.93%), and 421.69 (16.89%) on 1 week, 6 week, and 3 month postoperative period, respectively. In Group B, it was 270.86 (10.63%), 385.22 (15.12%), and 413.68 (16.24%) on 1 week, 6 week, and 3 month postoperative period, respectively. There was no clinical and statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) between the two groups. The mean endothelial cell loss in Group A by CCI was 340.68 (13.61%), 427.80 (17.08%), and 448.70 (17.92%) and by SI was 274.92 (11.05%), 367.78 (14.78%), and 394.68 (15.83%) on 1 week, 6 week, and 3 month postoperative period respectively. There was statistically significant difference in endothelial cell loss at 1 week (P < 0.05) but it was not statistically significant on 6 week and 3 month postoperatively (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There was no clinically or statistically significant difference in endothelial cell loss or visual acuity between phacoemulsification and manual SICS at 3 month postoperative period.
Regional Ventilation Is the Main Determinant of Alveolar Deposition of Coarse Particles in the Supine Healthy Human Lung During Tidal Breathing.

BACKGROUND To quantify the relationship between regional lung ventilation and coarse aerosol deposition in the supine healthy human lung, we used oxygen-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and planar gamma scintigraphy in seven subjects. METHODS Regional ventilation was measured in the supine posture in a 15 mm sagittal slice of the right lung. Deposition was measured by using planar gamma scintigraphy (coronal scans, 40 cm FOV) immediately postdeposition, 1 hour 30 minutes and 22 hours after deposition of 99mTc-labeled particles (4.9 μm MMAD, GSD 2.5), inhaled in the supine posture (flow 0.5 L/s, 15 breaths/min). The distribution of retained particles at different times was used to infer deposition in different airway regions, with 22 hours representing alveolar deposition. The fraction of total slice ventilation per quartile of lung height from the lung apex to the dome of the diaphragm at functional residual capacity was computed, and co-registered with deposition data-apices aligned-using a transmission scan as reference. The ratio of fractional alveolar deposition to fractional ventilation of each quartile (r) was used to evaluate ventilation and deposition matching (r > 1, regional aerosol deposition fraction larger than regional ventilation fraction). RESULTS r was not significantly different from 1 for all regions (1.04 ± 0.25, 1.08 ± 0.22, 1.03 ± 0.17, 0.92 ± 0.13, apex to diaphragm, p > 0.40) at the alveolar level (r22h). For retention times r0h and r1h30, only the diaphragmatic region at r1h30 differed significantly from 1. CONCLUSIONS These results support the hypothesis that alveolar deposition is directly proportional to ventilation for ∼5 μm particles that are inhaled in the supine posture and are consistent with previous simulation predictions that show that convective flow is the main determinant of aerosol transport to the lung periphery.
In Vivo Effects of Ovarian Steroid Hormones on the Expressions of Estrogen Receptors and the Composition of Extracellular Matrix in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in Rats

Female athletes have a significantly higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than their male counterparts. Sex steroid hormones are considered to have an influence as risk factors for female ACL injuries. We hypothesized that estrogen and progesterone have specific and synergistic influences on the composition of extracellular matrix in ACL. By ovariectomy (OVX) followed by subcutaneous estradiol (E2) and/or progesterone (P4) replacement, 40 female rats were divided into 5 groups: E2, P4, combined E2 and P4 (EP), OVX control, and sham group. After 30 days, using undecalcified sections of knee joints in conjunction with immunofluorescence staining of estrogen receptor α and β (ERα and ERβ), collagen types 1 and 3, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), the immunoreactivities of these proteins in two distinct parts of ACL, proximal and middle portions, were compared semiquantitatively among experimental groups. By E2 replacement, the expressions of ERα in ACL fibroblasts were elevated compared to the OVX group. At the proximal portion, the immunoreactivities of type 1 collagen by E2 replacement, type 3 collagen by P4 replacement, and COMP by E2 or P4 replacement were significantly reduced. At the middle portion, the immunoreactivity of type 3 collagen was significantly elevated by E2 replacement. However, no differences were observed between the sham and OVX groups. These findings suggest that ACL is ER-dependent and that ovarian hormones alter ligament tissue composition, especially at the proximal portion. Female hormonal influences are partly involved in the biological properties of ACL.
Relationships with peers and use of the school environment of mainstream secondary school pupils with Asperger Syndrome (high-functioning autism): a case-control study

This study is of the in-school social relationships with peers of mainstream secondary school pupils with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism (AS/HFA) and of matched controls. Fifty-seven pupils participated in the study (30 with AS/HFA and 27 controls), ranging from school years 7-13 (age 11-18 years). By comparison with controls, pupils with AS/HFA engaged in fewer social interactions during the school day, both in and out of lessons, spent break and lunch times inside in quieter more closely adult supervised areas of the school, reported having fewer friends, were less physically active, were more likely to be the targets of bullying but had equally good school attendance records. Implications for further research are discussed.
The Relationship between Thyroid Hormone Levels and Corrected QT Interval and QT Dispersion in Non-Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death are common in hemodialysis patients. These cardiac complications are often associated with prolonged QTc interval (QTc) and QTc dispersion (QTcd). Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) can alter autonomic modulation of heart rate and cause increased inhomogeneity of ventricular recovery time. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between thyroid hormone levels and QTc and QTcd in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients. Methods: We enrolled 29 non-diabetic hemodialysis patients without thyroid disease. After each hemodialysis session, a 12-lead ECG was recorded. Before each hemodialysis session, routine laboratory tests and measurement of thyroid hormone levels were performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to QTc (group 1 QTc ms, group 2 QTc ≥ 430 ms). We examined the relationship between QTc or QTcd and thyroid hormone in the respective groups and then compared the results from the 2 groups. Results: The mean age was 54.06 ± 14.72 years and the means of QTc and QTcd were 433.82 ± 22.03 ms, 59.10 ± 28.29 ms, respectively. Homocysteine levels were significant higher in group 2 than group 1 (p 0.05) and QTcd was comparable between groups. In group 1, QTc and QTcd were not significant correlated with TSH, T3, fT4 and biochemical parameters. In group 2, QTc was significant positively correlated with TSH (p 0.05) and QTcd was not significant correlated with thyroid hormone levels. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that TSH is associated with prolonged QTc interval and hyperhomocysteinemia in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients. Moreover, we suggest that SH may be associated with prolonged QTc in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients. However, further studies are required to elucidate the role of the L-thyroxine doses and TSH target levels in hemodialysis patients.
Carbohydrate-rich foods: glycaemic indices and the effect of constituent macronutrients

The glycaemic index (GI) ranks foods according to their acute glycaemic impact and is used in planning meals for patients invoking glycaemic control through diet. Kurakkan (Eleusine coracana) flour roti, rice flour roti, atta flour roti, boiled breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis/Artocarpus communis) and boiled legumes (mungbean, cowpea and chickpea) were categorized as low-GI foods (relative to white bread; Prima Crust Top™), and the corresponding GI (± standard error of the mean) values were 70±8, 69±7, 67±9, 64±7, 57±6, 49±8 and 29±5, respectively. Kurakkan flour pittu and wheat flour roti were classified as medium-GI foods with GI values of 85±6 and 72±6. Hoppers, rice flour pittu, wheat flour pittu and Olu-milk rice (seeds of Nymphaea lotus) were categorized as high-GI foods, and the corresponding GI (± standard error of the mean) values were 120±8, 103±7, 101±8 and 91±8, respectively. The GI values significantly (P<0.01) and negatively correlated with the insoluble dietary fibre (ρ = − 0.780), soluble dietary fibre (ρ = − 0.712) and protein (ρ = − 0.738) contents in grams per 100 g digestible starch containing foods.