Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of lip print patterns and its use for personal identification among the populations of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India

Background: Personal identification plays an inevitable role in forensic investigation. Lip print is one of the evidences that can be left in the crime scene, which helps in identification purpose. Hence, the present study was undertaken to provide deeper inside view of use of cheiloscopy in personal identification, focusing on sex and age variability of lip print patterns in the population of Rajnandgaon city, Chhattisgarh, India. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 (100 males and 100 females) subjects of age 15-55 years, residing in different areas of Rajnandgaon city. The sex of the individual was determined as per the description given by Vahanwala et al. Frequency distribution and Chi-square test were used for data analysis by SPSS 16.0 V software. Results: The most common lip print pattern in entire population was Type I (27.5%). Very highly significant difference was found in the distribution of lip print patterns among males and females in the entire population, group I, and group III, respectively (P < 0.0001). The overall accuracy of cheiloscopy in sex determination was (high) 87.95%, 87.65%, 90.5%, and 80% in group 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Conclusion: Thus, it can be concluded that lip prints can be used as one of the important forensic tools for personal identification on the basis of their age and gender variability among the populations.
Detection and Management of Diabetic Glomerulopathy in Children and Adolescents with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus: Need for Improved Knowledge and Better Care

Current modalities of detection and management of incipient diabetic nephropathy in childhood and adolescence are summarized and the open questions outlined. In particular, the predictive value of microalbuminuria for later nephropathy in adolescents is examined. Microalbuminuria is not as strong a predictor as suggested in earlier studies - recent studies show up to 50% of microalbuminuria can revert to normal. We advocate that the association of well-established risk markers and promoters of renal injury, including degree and tracking of albuminuria, glycemic control, blood pressure changes, incipient retinopathy and genetic background, allow more precise assessment of the individual risk of developing nephropathy and the decision to start pharmacological intervention. The major impact of strict glycemic control to prevent the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy is emphasized, as well as the need for a multidisciplinary team to optimize the care of pediatric diabetic patients. We discuss other therapeutic options, i.e. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is), moderate dietary protein intake, and other drugs. ACE-Is may provide a second line intervention in a well selected, high-risk subgroup of microalbuminuric diabetic adolescents.
Prognostic factors and outcomes of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter: a population-based study

Objective This study investigated the prognostic factors and outcomes of a large observational cohort of patients with primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter, which was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Methods We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program to identify 1910 patients who had available clinical and follow-up information and were diagnosed for primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter between 2004 and 2013. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the epidemiology, treatment practices, and tumor characteristics of the patients. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to analyze the patient data. Results The median overall survival (OS) was 46 months, and the 5-year OS rate was 41.8%. The median CSS was 78 months, and the 5-year CSS rate was 54.3%. Multivariate analysis identified tumor grade, tumor size, AJCC stage, M stage, cancer-directed surgical procedure and radiation as independent factors of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter. For early stage patients, the surgical procedure was associated with fairly longer survival and additional radiation may cause more harm than benefit. Meanwhile, for advanced stage patients, the impact of surgery on OS and CSS greatly decreased. Radiation exerted a very limited impact on clinical outcomes. Patients with bad tumor differentiation or a large tumor size were more likely to have advanced stage disease. Conclusion Durable cancer control can be expected in patients treated with surgery for early stage UTUC. The presence of advanced stage disease exerts a profound detrimental effect on the survival of patients.
Secretion of glycosylated pro-B-type natriuretic peptide from normal cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a key cardiac hormone in cardiorenal homeostasis, is produced as a 108 amino acid prohormone, proBNP1-108, which is converted to a biologically active peptide BNP1-32 and an inactive N-terminal (NT)-proBNP1-76. The widely accepted model is that the normal heart releases a proteolytically processed BNP1-32 and NT-proBNP, whereas the diseased heart secretes high amounts of unprocessed/glycosylated proBNP1-108 or inappropriately processed BNPs. In contrast, circulating proBNP1-108 has recently been identified in healthy individuals, indicating that the normal heart also secretes unprocessed proBNP1-108. However, the mechanism of proBNP1-108 secretion from the normal heart remains elusive. Our goal was to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying proBNP1-108 intracellular trafficking and secretion from the normal heart. METHODS We expressed preproBNP in cardiomyocytes, and determined the subcellular localization and dominant intracellular and extracellular forms of BNP. RESULTS Intracellular immunoreactive BNPs were first accumulated in the Golgi apparatus, and then distributed throughout the cytoplasm as secretory vesicles. The predominant intracellular form of BNP was nonglycosylated proBNP1-108, rather than BNP1-32. Glycosylated proBNP1-108, but not nonglycosylated proBNP1-108, was detected as the major extracellular form in the culture supernatants of preproBNP-expressing cell lines and primary human cardiomyocytes. Ablation of O-glycosylation of proBNP1-108 at T71 residue, near the convertase recognition site, reduced the extracellular proBNP1-108 and increased extracellular BNP1-32. CONCLUSIONS Intracellular proBNP trafficking occurs through a conventional Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum pathway. Glycosylation of proBNP1-108 controls the stability and processing of extracellular proBNP1-108. Our data establish a new BNP secretion model in which the normal cardiac cells secrete glycosylated proBNP1-108.
Induction Therapy Does Not Improve Survival for Clinical Stage T2N0 Esophageal Cancer

Introduction: This study compared survival after initial treatment with esophagectomy as primary therapy to induction therapy followed by esophagectomy for patients with clinical T2N0 (cT2N0) esophageal cancer in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: Predictors of therapy selection for patients with cT2N0 esophageal cancer in the NCDB from 1998 to 2011 were identified with multivariable logistic regression. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. Results: Surgery was used in 42.9% (2057 of 4799) of cT2N0 patients. Of 1599 esophagectomy patients for whom treatment timing was recorded, induction therapy was used in 44.1% (688). Pretreatment staging was proven accurate in only 26.7% of patients (210 of 786) who underwent initial surgery without induction treatment and had complete pathologic data available: 41.6% (n = 327) were upstaged and 31.7% (n = 249) were downstaged. Adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy or radiation therapy) was given to 50.2% of patients treated initially with surgery who were found after resection to have nodal disease. There was no significant difference in long-term survival between strategies of primary surgery and induction therapy followed by surgery (median 41.1 versus 41.9 months, p = 0.51). In multivariable analysis, induction therapy was not independently associated with risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16, p = 0.32). Conclusions: Current clinical staging for early-stage esophageal cancer is highly inaccurate, with only a quarter of surgically resected cT2N0 patients found to have had accurate pretreatment staging. Induction therapy for patients with cT2N0 esophageal cancer in the NCDB is not associated with improved survival.
Mineral Nutrient Requirements of a Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Cell Suspension Culture : Evaluation of a Medium Formulated from Seed Composition Data.

The mineral nutrient requirements of Pinus taeda cells were explored using quantitative cell culture growth measurements. An appraisal was thereby made of the critical features of a novel and successful medium which was developed specifically for this gymnosperm using chemical composition data for developing seeds, and characterized by generally high concentration of all micronutrients, high magnesium, and low calcium. The high magnesium concentration was found not to be detrimental and possibly beneficial whereas the calcium level bordered on a deficiency threshold. Within the microelements high iodide was found to be essential, as was a higher borate level than is present in media developed for angiosperms. High zinc concentrations were also beneficial, with normal levels permitting slower but nevertheless healthy growth. An improved medium was thereby formulated which was stress-free and exhibited broader genotype specificity. This new formulation has proved very successful in maintaining long-term growth of highly uniform and apparently meristematic suspension cultures of Pinus radiata.
Differential hormonal regulation of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in rabbit and mouse uterus

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been shown to be essential for the implantation of mouse blastocysts. The present study was designed to determine how LIF protein was hormonally regulated in rabbit and mouse uterus using immunohistochemistry. In unmated rabbits, LIF protein was at a low level in the uterine epithelium and glands, and up‐regulated by progesterone alone or estradiol‐17β and progesterone combined. Estradiol‐17β alone had no apparent effect. In ovariectomized mice, the level of LIF protein was very low in the uterine epithelium and glands, and was up‐regulated by estradiol‐17β alone or estradiol‐17β and progesterone combined. Progesterone alone had no apparent effect. These results suggest that LIF protein is differentially regulated in rabbit and mouse uterus by progesterone and estrogen, respectively. This would explain the high level of LIF protein observed in uterine epithelium and glands prior to blastocyst implantation in the two species with different hormonal requirements for implantation. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Attachment discontinuity in a high-risk sample

In this study, we evaluated complex patterns of attachment discontinuity across time in 133 individuals from the Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation. In addition to individuals who were either insecure or secure across infancy, late adolescence, and adulthood (Stably Insecure and Stably Secure, respectively), we found three additional groups: Infant/Adolescent Secure, Infant/Adult Secure, and Infant-only Secure. Changes in attachment representations in these groups across time corresponded to stresses and supports in the socio-emotional context. The two groups classified as secure in adulthood (Stably Secure and Infant/Adult Secure) experienced more positive relationship-based outcomes than the other three groups. Our results suggest that continuity may be a reflection of a stable social context as much as it is an artifact of early working models, and illustrate “homeorhetic” pathways of development, in which not only the direction but the length of a developmental pathway can constrain future developmental trajectories.
Interferon-induced inhibition of Chlamydia trachomatis: dissociation from antiviral and antiproliferative effects

The yield of infectious Chlamydia trachomatis was analyzed in human (HeLa) and mouse (McCoy) cell lines treated with the human interferon (IFN) subtypes IFN-alpha A and IFN-alpha D, with their hybrids [IFN-alpha AD (BglII), IFN-alpha AD (PvuII), and IFN-alpha DA (BglII)] constructed in vitro from their expression plasmids, or with IFN-beta 1 or buffy coat IFN. In HeLa cells, a significant inhibition of Chlamydia infectivity was obtained with IFN-alpha D, IFN-alpha DA (BglII), and buffy coat IFN. In McCoy cells, IFN-alpha AD (BglII) and IFN-alpha AD (PvuII) induced a strong degree of inhibition of Chlamydia infectivity. In McCoy cells, there was a correlation among the antichlamydial, antiviral, and antiproliferative activities of the different IFNs tested. In HeLa cells, however, the ability of a particular IFN subtype to inhibit Chlamydia infectivity did not always correlate with its inhibitory effects on encephalomyocarditis virus replication or with its antiproliferative activity.
Growth plate explants respond differently to in vitro static and dynamic loadings

This study aimed at investigating the effects of static and dynamic compression applied on growth plate explants using matched compressive strains. Growth plate explants from 4‐week‐old swine ulnae were submitted to in vitro static (10% strain) or dynamic (oscillating between 7% and 13% at 0.1 Hz) unconfined compression for 48 h. The total growth plate height, the combined proliferative and hypertrophic thickness and the resulting ratio between these two thicknesses were evaluated. Standard immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the protein expression of key components of the extracellular matrix: aggrecan, type II collagen, type X collagen, and MMP13. In the statically loaded samples, the columnar organization of the cells was preserved but with slight columns deviation from the growth axis. Decreases in all histomorphological parameters were important and a notable loss of aggrecan, type II and type X collagens expressions was denoted. In the dynamically loaded samples, a severe loss of columnar arrangement was observed in the proliferative and hypertrophic zones. However, dynamic compressive loads preserved the proliferative and hypertrophic zones ratio and contributed to the synthesis of aggrecan and type II collagen in the extracellular matrix. The exact response of the growth plate to mechanical stresses along with optimal loading parameters could help improve the current treatment approaches or develop new treatment approaches for the underlying progressive musculoskeletal deformities. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29:473–480, 2011
The Planar: an interdisciplinary approach to a VR enabled tool for generation and manipulation of 3D data in industrial environments

We introduce the early prototype of the Planar, a novel input/output device designed for application in task areas focusing on the generation and manipulation of 3D data, e.g. CAD or styling. Technically, the Planar offers a spatially aware pen-sensitive display, mounted on an adjustable, scooter-like autonomous platform. The movable screen, with 6 degrees of freedom, can act like a window into 3D virtual environments and allows for efficient 2D and 3D interaction at the same time. Through our research, we have developed an interdisciplinary approach that aims to overcome a variety of drawbacks within many VR installations while extending the concepts of existing conventional systems. Our primary areas of focus include: working environments, forms of interaction, ergonomics, and process integration. In order to demonstrate the potential of the Planar we show a small review and a sketching/annotation application. The overall goal of this work is to contribute to the development of real VR applications.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE REMITTANCES FLOWS FOR ROMANIA

By all analyses, the remittances flows describe a trend of significant growth worldwide, over the past two decades, currently representing an extremely important component of capital for the poor and developing countries. Compared to other capital flows (foreign direct investment, development aid or other types of private capital), the remittances size is positioned, generally, only behind FDI, causing direct and indirect socio-economic effects, far more profound than other types of capital. Moreover, studies show that remittances flows tend to a much greater stability over time as compared to other balance of payments flows, especially the exports and the private capital. Romania is an important recipient economy. If in 2000, the value of the entries was 96 million USD, in 2008, the amounts remitted from abroad reached a peak of over 9.2 billion USD, after which, during the global economic crisis, they declined, reaching a value of 3.5 billion USD, in 2013. Over the years, along with FDI, the capital flows from remittances have significantly contributed to the economic growth and to the increase of the welfare of an important part of the population by improving economic and social status. However, how important have the remittances flows proved to be for the economy as a whole? Is there any influence of these amounts on the inflation, labour market, education, or entrepreneurship? How much is Romania losing by dispatching such an important part of its population to work abroad, and how much does it earn from the money remitted home?
Ly-49W, an Activating Receptor of Nonobese Diabetic Mice With Close Homology to the Inhibitory Receptor Ly-49G, Recognizes H-2Dk and H-2Dd1

The diversity and ligand specificity of activating Ly-49 receptors expressed by murine NK cells are largely unknown. We cloned a new Ly-49-activating receptor, expressed by NK cells of the nonobese diabetic mouse strain, which we have designated Ly-49W. Ly-49W is highly related to the known inhibitory receptor Ly-49G in its carbohydrate recognition domain, exhibiting 97.6% amino acid identity in this region. We demonstrate that the 4D11 and Cwy-3 Abs, thought to be Ly-49G specific, also recognize Ly-49W. Rat RNK-16 cells transfected with Ly-49W mediated reverse Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of FcR-positive target cells, indicating that Ly-49W can activate NK-mediated lysis. We further show that Ly-49W is allo-MHC specific: Ly-49W transfectants of RNK-16 only lysed Con A blasts expressing H-2k or H-2d haplotypes, and Ab-blocking experiments indicated that H-2Dk and Dd are ligands for Ly-49W. Ly-49W is the first activating Ly-49 receptor demonstrated to recognize an H-2k class I product. Ly-49G and Ly-49W represent a new pair of NK receptors with very similar ligand-binding domains, but opposite signaling functions.
ABCG2 Transports Sulfated Conjugates of Steroids and Xenobiotics*

The mechanism for the cellular extrusion of sulfated conjugates is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated whether human wild type ABCG2 transports estrone 3-sulfate (E1S) using membrane vesicles from cDNA-transfected mouse lymphoma cell line (P388 cells). The uptake of [3H]E1S into ABCG2-expressing membrane vesicles was stimulated by ATP, and the Km value for [3H]E1S was determined to be 16.6 μm. The ABCG2-mediated transport of [3H]E1S was potently inhibited by SN-38 and many sulfate conjugates but not by glucuronide and glutathione conjugates or other anionic compounds. Other sulfate conjugates such as [3H]dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and [35S]4-methylumbelliferone sulfate (Km = 12.9 μm) and [35S]6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethyl-2-methylamino-4-(3-pyridylmethyl)benzothiazole (E3040) sulfate (Km = 26.9 μm) were also transported by ABCG2. Although [3H]methotrexate, [3H]17β-estradiol-17β-D-glucuronide, [3H]2,4-dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione, and [14C]4-methylumbelliferone glucuronide were transported by ABCG2, this took place to a much lesser extent compared with [3H]E1S. It was suggested that ABCG2 preferentially transports sulfate conjugates and that E1S and DHEAS are the potential physiological substrates for this transporter.
Antiangiogenic activity of genistein in pancreatic carcinoma cells is mediated by the inhibition of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 and the down‐regulation of VEGF gene expression

Previous reports indicate that Genistein, a naturally occurring isoflavonoid, exhibits strong antiangiogenic activity. The underlying mechanism of inhibition, however, remains unclear. Among the biologic effects of Genistein are the inhibition of tyrosine kinases and the inhibition of hypoxic activation of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1), one of the main regulators of VEGF gene expression.
Functional Defects in the External and Internal Thin Gates of the γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Transporter GAT-1 Can Compensate Each Other*

Background: Mutations in “thin” extra- and intracellular gates of GAT-1 impair gating and transport. Results: Transport activity of extracellular gate mutant can be rescued by its intracellular counterpart. Conclusion: A functional interaction of the external and internal gates of GAT-1 is essential for transport. Significance: The new insights into GAT-1 gating may be relevant for other transporters. The GABA transporter GAT-1 belongs to the neurotransmitter:sodium:symporters which are crucial for synaptic transmission. GAT-1 mediates electrogenic transport of GABA together with sodium and chloride. Structure-function studies indicate that the bacterial homologue LeuT, which possess extra- and intracellular thin gates, is an excellent model for this class of neurotransmitter transporters. We recently showed that a conserved aspartate residue of GAT-1, Asp-451, whose LeuT equivalent participates in its thin extracellular gate, is functionally irreplaceable in GAT-1. Only the D451E mutant exhibited residual transport activity but with an elevated apparent sodium affinity as a consequence of an increased proportion of outward-facing transporters. Because during transport the opening and closing of external and internal gates should be tightly coupled, we have addressed the question of whether mutations of the intracellular thin gate residues Arg-44 and Asp-410 can compensate for the effects of their extracellular counterparts. Mutation of Asp-410 to glutamate resulted in impaired transport activity and a reduced apparent affinity for sodium. However, the transport activity of the double mutant D410E/D451E was increased by approximately 10-fold of that of each of the single mutants. Similar compensatory effects were also seen when other combinations of intra- and extracellular thin gate mutants were analyzed. Moreover, the introduction of D410E into the D451E background resulted in lower apparent sodium affinity than that of D451E alone. Our results indicate that a functional interaction of the external and internal gates of GAT-1 is essential for transport.