Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification, prioritization, and evaluation of glycoproteins for aggressive prostate cancer using quantitative glycoproteomics and antibody‐based assays on tissue specimens

Prostate cancer is highly heterogeneous in nature; while the majority of cases are clinically insignificant, some cases are lethal. Currently, there are no reliable screening methods for aggressive prostate cancer. Since most established serum and urine biomarkers are glycoproteins secreted or leaked from the diseased tissue, the current study seeks to identify glycoprotein markers specific to aggressive prostate cancer using tissue specimens. With LC‐MS/MS glycoproteomic analysis, we identified 350 glycopeptides with 17 being altered in aggressive prostate cancer. ELISA assays were developed/purchased to evaluate four candidates, that is, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), periostin, membrane primary amine oxidase (VAP‐1), and cathepsin L, in independent tissue sets. In agreement with the proteomic analysis, we found that COMP and periostin expressions were significantly increased in aggressive prostate tumors while VAP‐1 expression was significantly decreased in aggressive tumor. In addition, the expression of these proteins in prostate metastases also follows the same pattern observed in the proteomic analysis. This study provides a workflow for biomarker discovery, prioritization, and evaluation of aggressive prostate cancer markers using tissue specimens. Our data suggest that increase in COMP and periostin and decrease in VAP‐1 expression in the prostate may be associated with aggressive prostate cancer.
‘Ancient’ DNA in the resting egg bank of a microcrustacean can serve as a palaeolimnological database

Recent work on the diapausing egg banks of zooplankton, such as Daphnia (Crustacea: Anomopoda), indicates that these eggs can remain viable for decades while, theoretically, DNA can remain intact for even longer periods (i.e. centuries or millennia). We isolated diapausing eggs of Daphnia from a 30 m long sediment core taken from a hypereutrophic, northern German lake (Belauer See), with some eggs found in dated core material as old as 4500 years. Using microsatellite markers, we analysed the genetic structure of the resting eggs dated as old as ca. 200 years, and found that, although levels of heterozygosity remained remarkably stable, significant genetic differentiation (Nei's D = 0.36; FST= 0.15) between recent and ‘ancient’ resting eggs (including allele frequency shifts and private alleles) was detected. These shifts represent either species–level changes in this complex (i.e. species–specific characters of ephippia are not always robust), or intraspecific shifts in genetic variation, or a combination of both. This study demonstrates that the egg banks of aquatic zooplankton can serve as repositories of both genetic (intrapopulational) and ecological (interspecific) information. The use of molecular markers, such as microsatellites, on diapausing egg/seed banks may open new avenues of enquiry related to tracking the long–term genetic (and/or species) shifts that are associated with long–term environmental changes.
Experimental Inoculation of Male Rats with Coxiella burnetii: Successful Infection but No Transmission to Cage Mates

ABSTRACT Beginning in 2007, the largest human Q fever outbreak ever described occurred in the Netherlands. Dairy goats from intensive farms were identified as the source, amplifying Coxiella burnetii during gestation and shedding large quantities during abortions. It has been postulated that wild rodents are reservoir hosts from which C. burnetii can be transmitted to domestic animals and humans. However, little is known about the infection dynamics of C. burnetii in wild rodents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) can be experimentally infected with C. burnetii and whether transmission to a cage mates occurs. Fourteen male brown rats (wild type) were intratracheally or intranasally inoculated with a Dutch C. burnetii isolate obtained from a goat. At 3 days postinoculation, a contact rat was placed with each inoculated rat. The pairs were monitored using blood samples and rectal and throat swabs for 8 weeks, and after euthanasia the spleens were collected. Rats became infected by both inoculation routes, and detection of C. burnetii DNA in swabs suggests that excretion occurred. However, based on the negative spleens in PCR and the lack of seroconversion, none of the contact animals was considered infected; thus, no transmission was observed. The reproduction ratio R 0 was estimated to be 0 (95% confidence interval = 0 to 0.6), indicating that it is unlikely that rats act as reservoir host of C. burnetii through sustained transmission between male rats. Future research should focus on other transmission routes, such as vertical transmission or bacterial shedding during parturition.
An “All 5-mm Ports” Selective Approach to Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Appendectomy, and Anti-Reflux Surgery

Laparoscopic appendectomy, cholecystectomy, or anti-reflux procedures are conventionally performed with the use of one and often two 10/12-mm ports. While needlescopic or micropuncture laparoscopic procedures reduce postoperative pain, they invariably involve the use of one 10/12-mm port and the instruments applied have their ergo-dynamic shortcomings. Between September 2002 and March 2003, we have attempted an “all 5-mm ports” approach in 49 laparoscopic procedures, which included 18 of 59 laparoscopic cholecystectomies (31%), 26 diagnostic laparoscopies for suspected appendicitis (of which we proceeded to a laparoscopic appendectomy in 17 patients), and in the last 5 of 9 laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications. Conversion of one of the 5-mm ports to a 10-mm port was required in 5 of the 18 (28%) laparoscopic cholecystectomies and in 6 of the 17 (35%) laparoscopic appendectomies to facilitate organ retrieval in patients with large gallstones (>5 mm in diameter) and in obese patients with fatty mesoappendix. There were no conversions to open surgery. No significant differences in the operating time between the laparoscopic procedures performed by the all 5-mm ports approach or the conventional approach were observed. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred in this series. The “all 5-mm ports” approach to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy in selected patients and to laparoscopic fundoplication appears feasible and safe. A randomised comparison between this approach and the conventional laparoscopic approach to elective cholecystectomy and fundoplication in which two of the ports employed are of the 10-mm diameter is warranted.
Increased Prevalence of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: Impaired nasal breathing is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether atopy to perennial allergens and existence of perennial allergic rhinitis was a risk factor for OSAS. Methods: In a case-control study, we compared the proportions of OSAS patients with atopy to perennial allergens and perennial allergic rhinitis to the proportions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Seventy-two OSAS patients (mean age 60.7 years; 79.4% male) and 44 COPD patients (mean age 63.6 years; 88.6% male) were selected from a hospital outpatients’ clinic in Switzerland. All patients completed a respiratory symptom questionnaire, performed spirometry and had a skin prick test for atopy. Results: OSAS patients were significantly heavier than COPD patients (BMI 32.4 ± (SD) 6.6 vs. 29.2 ± 6.6 kg/m2, p = 0.04) and had a better lung function than COPD patients (FEV1% predicted 91.3 ± 19.2 vs. 51.6 ± 18.9%, p < 0.001). Patients with OSAS were more likely to be sensitized to perennial allergens such as house dust mite (23.6 vs. 4.5%, p = 0.009) and dog (18 vs. 4.5%, p = 0.04) than the COPD patients. Perennial allergic rhinitis (having nose problems [nasal obstruction and/or runny nose and/or sneezing] all year and being atopic to at least one perennial allergen) was reported in 11% of OSAS patients but in only 2.3% of COPD patients (p = 0.15). Conclusion: We conclude that subjects with OSAS may have an increased risk of being allergic to perennial allergens and suffer from perennial rhinitis. Awareness of this risk may have important consideration in the clinical situation.
Friendship Quality and Psychosocial Outcomes among Children with Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract This study examined differences in friendship quality between children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and orthopedic injury (OI) and behavioral outcomes for children from both groups. Participants were 41 children with TBI and 43 children with OI (M age=10.4). Data were collected using peer- and teacher-reported measures of participants’ social adjustment and parent-reported measures of children’s post-injury behaviors. Participants and their mutually nominated best friends also completed a measure of the quality of their friendships. Children with TBI reported significantly more support and satisfaction in their friendships than children with OI. Children with TBI and their mutual best friend were more similar in their reports of friendship quality compared to children with OI and their mutual best friends. Additionally, for children with TBI who were rejected by peers, friendship support buffered against maladaptive psychosocial outcomes, and predicted skills related to social competence. Friendship satisfaction was related to higher teacher ratings of social skills for the TBI group only. Positive and supportive friendships play an important role for children with TBI, especially for those not accepted by peers. Such friendships may protect children with TBI who are rejected against maladaptive psychosocial outcomes, and promote skills related to social competence. (JINS, 2014, 21, 1–10)
Patterns of prescribing of nutritional supplements in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS A large number of prescriptions are issued for nutritional supplements under British National Formulary classifications 9.4. 1 (foods for special diets) and 9.4. 2 (enteral feeds), but little is known about the characteristics of the patients who receive them. We used the General Practice Research Database to examine patterns of prescribing of these supplements. METHODS We selected patients who had been prescribed supplements under classifications 9.4. 1 and 9.4. 2 during 1996-1997. Descriptive statistics were used to examine how prescribing varied. RESULTS 28644 patients received prescriptions during 1996-1997. Among the 27413 (96%) patients prescribed supplements for oral use, 14750 received supplements for enteral nutrition alone, 8122 received supplements for special diets alone and 4541 had both types of supplement. 51% of patients receiving supplements for special diets were <18 years. The commonest diagnoses among such children were milk intolerance (24%) and malnutrition (17%). 94% of patients receiving supplements for enteral nutrition were adult, 52% of whom had cancer or cardiovascular disease. Only 4% of patients had weight and height recorded prior to first prescription. CONCLUSIONS The GPRD provides valuable information on the characteristics of patients prescribed nutritional supplements. But because only limited data are available on their nutritional status prior to supplementation, it is hard to assess whether general practitioners are prescribing these supplements appropriately.
Apoptosis and mitosis in tumours of the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the dog.

The presence of apoptotic cell death was evaluated in routinely processed tissue samples of 39 neoplasms of the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the dog using the method of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (T d T) mediated deoxyuridine-5'-triphosphate (d UTP)-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL). The degree of apoptosis was related to the frequency of mitosis, an index of cell proliferation. The correlation between the apoptotic index (AI), the percentage of positive cells after randomly enumerating 1000 cells and the mitotic count (MC), the number of mitotic figures in 10 fields at a magnification of 400 times was assessed by the Spearman non-parametric correlation test. TUNEL signals were observed in all types of tumours as brown products detected in non-pyknotic nuclei, in non-identifiable rounded structures (so-called apoptotic bodies) and occasionally in the cytoplasm, either singly or in combination. An inverse relationship between AI and MC was observed in benign tumours, while no correlation was found between AI and MC in either malignant or locally invasive tumours. Among benign tumours, intracutaneous cornifying epithelioma, fibroma, haemangioma and Schwannoma had high AI and low MC, while histiocytomas had low AI and high MC and pilomatrixomas low AI and MC. All malignant tumours had low AI and high MC, except for fibrosarcomas, which had high AI and MC. Finally, higher heterogeneity was observed among locally invasive tumours, as they had high AI and low MC (squamous cell carcinomas), and low AI with either low MC (haemangiopericytomas) or high MC (basal cell tumours). The classification of the tumours according to their AI (>15.8% high and <15.8% low) and MC (>9 high, <9 low) did not reflect the clinical behaviour of some tumour types.
Internet-based Prescription of Sildenafil: A 2104-Patient Series

Background The Internet is becoming increasingly important as a way for patients to acquire medical information and as a means for patient-physician communication. Questions about appropriate use of this new technology have been brought to the fore by the many patients using the Internet to seek sildenafil prescriptions. Objective To present the first description of a physician designed and directed Internet-based prescribing system of sildenafil, together with data covering more than 2,100 patient encounters. Methods Retrospective analysis of a large case series from a medical practice that prescribes sildenafil based on medical and sexual histories obtained through a physician designed and directed World Wide Web (WWW) site, compared against patients from clinics at a Midwestern inner city medical center. We compared all 2,104 Internet patients seeking sildenafil prescriptions online between June 14, 1998, and March 1, 1999, with all 36 medical center patients obtaining sildenafil prescriptions during the same period. The outcome measures compared were: completeness of medical record; patient safety as noted by the follow up responses of all patients requesting refills, any comments received by the internet site (webmaster), and patient or physician comments noted in the clinic medical record; satisfaction as noted by the follow up responses of all patients requesting refills, any comments received by the internet site (webmaster), and patient or physician comments noted in the clinic medical record; examinations and laboratory tests. Results Fifty-six percent of Internet requests came from 46 states, and 44% from eight foreign countries. Of 2,104 requests, 2,100 were granted. Three hundred ten patients have requested medication refills: all reported erections sufficient for intercourse and 69% said their satisfaction exceeded all expectations; none were at all dissatisfied. Side effect rates were comparable to those in the literature. Comparison of the medical history obtained from Internet patients with that recorded in clinic patients' charts revealed that the former was far more complete. No clinic patient received any examination or laboratory test specific for erectile dysfunction or its causes. There were no reported deaths or serious complications in either group. Conclusions Internet-based prescription of sildenafil provides the physician with a complete and very detailed medical and sexual history for 100% of patients without denying any information routinely obtained in a direct patient contact setting. Internet-based practice, which may be expected to require far fewer healthcare resources than traditional settings, rates very high in patient satisfaction among patients requesting a refill; no negative comments were received from all other patients. Overall, these data support the safety and effectiveness of Internet prescribing of selected medications.
Nonlinear Stochastic H 2 / H ∞ Control With State-Dependent Noise

For a system governed by Itô-type nonlinear stochastic differential equation with state-dependent noise, the H2/H∞ control problem is considered, which combines the H2 optimization with the robust H∞ performance. A cross-coupled Hamilton-Jacobi equations associated with the nonlinear stochastic H2/H∞ control are obtained, based on which, sufficient conditions for designing the finite and infinite horizon nonlinear stochastic H2/H∞ controllers are derived. Some results on linear stochastic H2/H∞ control can be viewed as corollaries of this paper.
Effects of long-term meditation practice on attentional biases towards emotional faces: An eye-tracking study

Attentional biases towards affective stimuli reflect an individual balance of appetitive and aversive motivational systems. Vigilance in relation to threatening information reflects emotional imbalance, associated with affective and somatic problems. It is known that meditation practice significantly improves control of attention, which is considered to be a tool for adaptive emotional regulation. In this regard, the main aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of meditation on attentional bias towards neutral and emotional facial expressions. Eyes were tracked while 21 healthy controls and 23 experienced meditators (all males) viewed displays consisting of four facial expressions (neutral, angry, fearful and happy) for 10 s. Measures of biases in initial orienting and maintenance of attention were assessed. No effects were found for initial orienting biases. Meditators spent significantly less time viewing angry and fearful faces than control subjects. Furthermore, meditators selectively attended to happy faces whereas control subjects showed attentional biases towards both angry and happy faces. In sum we can conclude that long-term meditation practice adaptively affects attentional biases towards motivationally significant stimuli and that these biases reflect positive mood and predominance of appetitive motivation.
Efficacy of Early Clinical Evaluation in Predicting Direct Home Discharge of Elderly Patients After Hospitalization in Internal Medicine

Objectives Early evaluation of direct home discharge (DHD) after hospitalization of elderly patients is important to organize discharge planning quickly. Many scores, scales, and indices have been developed to improve discharge planning. Is clinical judgment better than functional status, comorbidity, or cognitive function scales in predicting DHD of elderly patients after hospitalization? Methods Ninety-seven patients, aged 75 years or older, admitted from the emergency department to an internal medicine department in a French teaching hospital between December 1, 2006 and May 1, 2007, were enrolled prospectively in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics and functional status, comorbidity, and cognitive function scales were determined. The primary outcome was the percentage of correct discharge prediction made by junior and senior doctors within the first 48 hours upon admission. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were assessed to determine predictive variables of patients’ discharge. Results Junior and senior doctors obtained correct prediction in 74.2% and 73.2% of cases, respectively (P > 0.99). Activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and duration of hospitalization were predictive of DHD (95% confidence interval [CI] −6.1 to 0.2, P = 0.037; 95% CI −2.1 to 9.9, P = 0.003; 95% CI −3 to 9.1, P = 0.0001, respectively) in the univariate analysis. Instrumental activities of daily living was an independent predictive variable of patients’ discharge in a logistic regression. No difference between clinical evaluation and the use of an independent predictive variable regarding the prediction of DHD was found. Conclusions Early clinical evaluation is as effective as the use of functional status scales to predict DHD of hospitalized elderly patients.
Effects of stimulus bandwidth on the imitation of ish fricatives by normal-hearing children.

PURPOSE Recent studies from the authors' laboratory have suggested that reduced audibility in the high frequencies (because of the bandwidth of hearing instruments) may play a role in the delays in phonological development often exhibited by children with hearing impairment. The goal of the current study was to extend previous findings on the effect of bandwidth on fricatives/affricates to more complex stimuli. METHOD Nine fricatives/affricates embedded in 2-syllable nonsense words were filtered at 5 and 10 kHz and presented to normal-hearing 6- to 7-year-olds who repeated words exactly as heard. Responses were recorded for subsequent phonetic and acoustic analyses. RESULTS Significant effects of talker gender and bandwidth were found, with better performance for the male talker and the wider bandwidth condition. In contrast to previous studies, relatively small (5%) mean bandwidth effects were observed for /s/ and /z/ spoken by the female talker. Acoustic analyses of stimuli used in the previous and the current studies failed to explain this discrepancy. CONCLUSIONS It appears likely that a combination of factors (i.e., dynamic cues, prior phonotactic knowledge, and perhaps other unidentified cues to fricative identity) may have facilitated the perception of these complex nonsense words in the current study.
Enterprise architectures: enablers of business strategy and IS/IT alignment in government

Purpose – Drawing on established alignment and architectural theory, this paper seeks to present the argument that an organisation's enterprise architecture can enable the alignment of business strategy and information systems and technology (IS/IT). Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a detailed case study of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), where a high degree of alignment and international recognition of excellence in business and enabling IS/IT performance are documented.Findings – The ABS enterprise architecture was developed in 1999‐2001 and describes the organisation's physical business and IS/IT elements, and the connective relationships that inform the alignment condition. The ABS architecture is robustly holistic in form, and is characterised by a strong and equal focus on business operations, the deliberate inclusion of an IS/IT governance framework, the structuring and hosting of corporate information for business delivery, and the efficient reuse of IS/IT components.Orig.