Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Change in CA 125 levels after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy is an independent predictor of epithelial ovarian tumour outcome.

BACKGROUND CA 125 assays enable treatment response monitoring in ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS This multicentric study was carried out to assess the prognostic value of the CA 125 change after the first and the second courses of induction chemotherapy (CT). Of the 494 stage IIc-IV patients, 194 had a surgical second look, 397 (80.4%) relapsed and 382 (77.3%) died from cancer. Median (range) follow-up time was 34 months (3-215 months). RESULTS In Cox models, CA 125 change after the first course (P < 0.0001), residual tumour (P = 0.003), CA 125 before the second course (P = 0.025) and patients' age (P = 0.048) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). A normal CA 125 before each of the two first CT courses or a CA 125 decrease >50% after the first course with a normal CA 125 before the second course identify patients with good prognosis. Both criteria retained a significant value in predicting second-look findings by univariate and multivariate analysis (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Among well-established prognostic factors in ovarian cancers, the CA 125 change after first course of CT was independent prognostic factors for both achievement of pathological complete response and OS.
Institutions and emerging markets: effects and implications for multinational corporations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of institutions in emerging markets by sketching out the unique institutional features of these markets and their implications for multinational corporations (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach – The study is conceptual in nature and provides an examination and interrelation of some of the key developments of institution-based research in the context of emerging market studies. Findings – This paper examines several idiosyncratic institutional features of emerging markets, including institutional voids, the relative importance of informal compared to formal institutions, institutional pressures by local governments, as well as institutional change and transitions. Practical implications – The paper discusses key effects and implications of the unique institutional environments of emerging markets for managers of MNCs, such as the relevance and importance of context, political, economic and social adaptability, as well as institutional arbitrage. S.
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines and Their Use in International Research

Research in human pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), is one of the most dynamic research fields. Despite the high public attention, especially for hESC research, there is only scattered information on the number of hESC lines and the degree, dynamics, and diversification of their use on a global level. In this study we present data on the current number of publicly disclosed hESC lines, on the extent and impact of experimental work involving hESCs, and on the use of specific hESC lines in international research. The results are based on the evaluation of nearly 1,000 research papers published by the end of 2008, which describe experimental work on hESCs, and of a comprehensive database of published hESC lines. The average impact of hESC research papers is high at 7.422, with a predominance of research output by the United States. Of at least 1,071 original hESC lines derived up to November 2009 at 87 institutions in 24 countries, only a fraction is thoroughly characterized. Our data show the global predominance of a few hESC lines in research, but also reveal remarkable country‐specific differences. Comparison of hESC and hiPSC application did not show a diminished role for hESC research, but rather revealed that, up to this time, both fields continue to expand, exist independently, and partially overlap. STEM CELLS 2010;28:240–246
A CMOS Quadrature VCO With Subharmonic and Injection-Locked Techniques

A 1-V quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) using subharmonic and injection-locked techniques (SHIL-QVCO) is presented. Instead of using the traditional transformer-coupling LC tank with a large area to implement the quadrature output, we use a frequency-doubled differential pair with an injection-locked method. The proposed QVCO is implemented with a TSMC 0.18- μm 1P6M CMOS process having a 1.4 × 0.67 × mm2 chip area. This QVCO has the advantages of low phase noise and low power consumption. Experimental results show that the QVCO has a phase noise of - 126 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 1 MHz and a power consumption of 4.9 mW to achieve a 186 figure of merit. Moreover, a tuning frequency between 2.17 and 2.52 GHz can be obtained with a tuning voltage range of 0-1 V for the IEEE 802.15. 4.
Macrophage‐Lineage Cells Negatively Regulate the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Pool in Response to Interferon Gamma at Steady State and During Infection

Bone marrow (BM) resident macrophages (Mϕs) regulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization; however, their impact on HSC function has not been investigated. We demonstrate that depletion of BM resident Mϕs increases HSC proliferation as well as the pool of quiescent HSCs. At the same time, during bacterial infection where BM resident Mϕs are selectively increased we observe a decrease in HSC numbers. Moreover, strategies that deplete or reduce Mϕs during infection prevent HSC loss and rescue HSC function. We previously found that the transient loss of HSCs during infection is interferon‐gamma (IFNγ)‐dependent. We now demonstrate that IFNγ signaling specifically in Mϕs is critical for both the diminished HSC pool and maintenance of BM resident Mϕs during infection. In addition to the IFNγ‐dependent loss of BM HSC and progenitor cells (HSPCs) during infection, IFNγ reduced circulating HSPC numbers. Importantly, under infection conditions AMD3100 or G‐CSF‐induced stem cell mobilization was impaired. Taken together, our data show that IFNγ acts on Mϕs, which are a negative regulator of the HSC pool, to drive the loss in BM and peripheral HSCs during infection. Our findings demonstrate that modulating BM resident Mϕ numbers can impact HSC function in vivo, which may be therapeutically useful for hematologic conditions and refinement of HSC transplantation protocols. Stem Cells 2015;33:2294–2305
Serous Tubal In Situ Carcinoma (STIC) in Primary Peritoneal Serous Carcinomas

Recent new data in the pathogenesis of serous pelvic cancer and the introduction of serous tubal in situ carcinoma (STIC) and its precursors have raised the question that whether all primary peritoneal cancers (PPC) are in fact of tubal origin. Therefore, the present study evaluates the frequency of STIC and its precursor lesions in cases that were diagnosed as PPC using the morphologic criteria of the most recent WHO classification. The present study evaluates immunohistochemically (Ki-67 and p53 staining) the presence of STIC and its precursor lesions (p53 signature, serous tubal intraepithelial lesion [STIL]) in the completely processed Fallopian tubes of 46 consecutive PPCs. STIC was detected in 10 patients (21.7%) and p53 signature in 9 cases (19.6%). No STIL was observed. All except 1 STIC occurred at the fimbriated end of the Fallopian tube, and a bilateral involvement was detected in 2 cases. These precursor lesions were missed during the initial routine screening. Repeated staining for p53 was negative in STIC in 2 cases. STIC and p53 signature as precursor lesions of pelvic serous cancer are detected in some but not all the cases of primary serous peritoneal cancer. There might be the 2 different carcinogenetic pathways within PPC, and further studies are required to identify the source of serous cancer in cases without an STIC lesion.
Antigen Controls IL-7Rα Expression Levels on CD8 T Cells during Full Activation or Tolerance Induction1

The high-affinity chain of the IL-7 receptor, IL-7Rα (CD127), is expressed by effector CD8 T cells that have the capacity to become memory cells. IL-7Rα expression is uniformly high on naive CD8 T cells, and the majority of these cells down-regulate expression upon antigenic challenge. At the peak of expansion, the fraction of effectors expressing high IL-7Rα varies depending on the response examined. The signals that a CD8 T cell receives during a response to Ag that lead to altered expression of IL-7Rα have not been fully defined. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Ag alone is sufficient to down-regulate IL-7Rα on all cells and most of the cells rapidly re-express the receptor upon removal from Ag. Expression was not altered by the B7.1 costimulatory ligand or when IL-12 was present to provide the signal needed for development of effector functions, indicating that TCR engagement is sufficient to regulate IL-7Rα expression. Consistent with this, in vivo priming with peptide Ag resulted in IL-7Rα expression that inversely correlated with Ag levels, and expression levels were not changed when IL-12 or adjuvant were administered with Ag. A large fraction of the cells present at the peak of expansion had re-expressed IL-7Rα, but most of these cells failed to survive; those that did survive expressed high IL-7Rα levels. Thus, Ag-dependent signals regulate IL-7Rα levels on responding CD8 T cells, and this occurs whether the responding cells become fully activated or are rendered tolerant by administration of peptide Ag alone.
High risk of tuberculosis in health care workers in Romania.

SETTING The main university hospital in Iasi, Romania. OBJECTIVE To assess whether health care workers (HCWs) have a higher risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) than the general population, and if TB incidence varies between departments, to develop adequate infection control measures. DESIGN All records of TB cases among HCWs were reviewed by cross-checking laboratory and medical records (retrospectively, 1971--1996; prospectively 1997--2003, following the implementation of the first World Health Organization pilot project in Romania). Annual TB incidence rates among HCWs were calculated and compared with those of the general population; relative and attributable risk with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS Fifty TB cases were diagnosed in HCWs; 42% were nurses, 24% ancillary staff, 12% physicians, 10% laboratory staff, 10% administrative staff and 2% radiology technicians. The mean incidence of TB in Romania during the study period was 96.8 per 100,000 persons/year (95%CI 83.5-110.1); the mean incidence among HCWs was 942.8/100,000 persons/year (95%CI 726.3-1159.3, P < 0.001); comparing the two previous absolute risks, the mean relative risk was 11 (95%CI 8-14) and the attributable risk 846. CONCLUSION TB is a major occupational hazard in Iasi, Romania, where a great potential exists for further development of an effective infection control plan.
Leadership behavior impact on employee engagement

As the age of employer enlightenment continues to unfold, for the past halfcentury researchers have collected mounting empirical evidence linking management theory and environmental factors to worker productivity. The rise of professional research over the past several years has however signaled a change in the marketability of this research within the business community. The change is prompted by a newfound interest in workforce productivity as a source of profitability (Colan, 2009; Corporate Leadership Council, 2004; Gebauer, Lowman, & Gordon, 2008; Thomas, 2000, 2009). The study of management systems, the system of interrelationships between supervisory characteristics and organizational performance, has gained new found interest through common underpinnings innate to measures of employee engagement. The profit potential born out of workforce productivity now has business leaders seeking to understand the management and leadership practices that show a strong relationship to employee commitment. Savvy business leaders understand the new economy is dependent upon leaders nurturing the commitment and goodwill of the employee population. Employee attitudes expressed in the research as employee commitment, and more recently as employee engagement, capture the relationship between employee’s perceptions and how those perceptions translate into organizational performance. The ability to increase organizational performance depends upon the quality of leadership within an organization, and the literature has established solid linkages between employee engagement and organizational performance. This study seeks to identify and determine the relationship between leadership behaviors, employee engagement and organizational performance in an effort to effect positive change.
Thermal enhancement of melphalan and oxaliplatin cytotoxicity in vitro

It has been established that hyperthermia can enhance cytotoxicity of some chemotherapeutic agents. This has led to various clinical trials of thermochemotherapy, although many questions remain unanswered. The effects of various agents have been studied on animal tumours with different histopathology at elevated temperatures. These studies indicated that alkylating agents were most effective to all tumours at a moderately elevated temperature. Cisplatin was also effective to all tumours, but its effectiveness at 41.5°C was less than that of alkylating agents. To quantitatively study these findings, the magnitude of thermal enhancement of melphalan, an alkylating agent, and that of oxaliplatin, a new platinum compound, were studied at 37-44.5°C by the colony formation assay. The dose of each agent was kept constant, and cell survival was determined as a function of treatment time. The cell survival curve was exponentially related with treatment time at all test temperatures, and the T 0 (the time to reduce survival from 1 to 0.37) decreased with an increasing temperature. These results suggested that the cytotoxic effect of these agents occurred with a constant rate at 37°C, and the rate was facilitated with an increasing temperature. This suggests that heat can accelerate the cytotoxic chemical reaction, leading to substantial thermal enhancement. The thermal enhancement ratio (TER, the ratio of the T 0 at 37°C to the T 0 at an elevated temperature) increased with an increase in the temperature. The activation energy for melphalan at moderately elevated temperatures was largest among the agents tested in the laboratory and that for oxaliplatin was approximately half of the melphalan activation energy. This suggests that the thermal enhancement for the cytotoxicity of melphalan or alkylating agents might be the greatest. Potential mechanisms of thermal enhancement of cytotoxicity were discussed.
[Pregnancy and diabetes: physiopathological aspects].

UNLABELLED During a pregnancy metabolic and hormonal modifications aimed at survival and fetal growth were observed, many of which regard glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. During pregnancy insulinemia progressively rises while insulin action at hepatic level falls with a consequent development of insulin resistance. This condition, connected mainly to contra-insular activity of pregnancy hormones, may cause, in susceptible pregnant women, an impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes or may cause, in diabetic women, a worsening of metabolic control. At same time diabetes may negatively influence the embryo , fetus and perinatal events. The nutrients, used by the fetus mainly as a source of energy, through the placenta or directly by means of a mechanism of "facilitated transport" (glucose), or by means of a system of "active transport" requiring energy (amino acids). In particular, maternal hyperglycemia constantly determines a fetal hyperglycemia which is corrected by increasing insulin secretion with a consequent fetal hyperinsulinism. Modified concentration of fetal nutrients and hyperglycemia in particular, are through responsible, in diabetes, for the embryo-fetal pathology of which the man features are malformation, hypertropic cardiomyopathy, placental insufficiency, pre-eclampsia, macrosomia, fetal intrauterine death, delay in fetal lung maturity, hypoglycemia, and neonatal hypocalcemia. IN CONCLUSION strict metabolic control of pre-pregnancy diabetes already at conception and the treatment of gestational diabetes are the best way to protect fetal-maternal health in diabetic pregnancy.
Fungicidal effects of chemical disinfectants, UV light, desiccation and heat on the amphibian chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

The efficacy of a number of disinfection treatments was tested on in vitro cultures of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the causative agent of chytridiomycosis in amphibians. The aim was to evaluate the fungicidal effects of chemical disinfectants, sterilising ultraviolet (UV) light, heat and desiccation, using methods that were feasible for either disinfection in the field, in amphibian husbandry or in the laboratory. The chemical disinfectants tested were: sodium chloride, household bleach (active ingredient: sodium hypochlorite), potassium permanganate, formaldehyde solution, Path-X agricultural disinfectant (active ingredient: didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, DDAC), quaternary ammonium compound 128 (DDAC), Dithane, Virkon, ethanol and benzalkonium chloride. In 2 series of experiments using separate isolates of B. dendrobatidis, the fungicidal effect was evaluated for various time periods and at a range of chemical concentrations. The end point measured was death of 100% of zoospores and zoosporangia. Nearly all chemical disinfectants resulted in 100%, mortality for at least one of the concentrations tested. However, concentration and time of exposure was critical for most chemicals. Exposure to 70% ethanol, 1 mg Virkon ml(-1) or 1 mg benzalkonium chloride ml(-1) resulted in death of all zoosporangia after 20 s. The most effective products for field use were Path-X and the quaternary ammonium compound 128, which can be used at dilutions containing low levels (e.g. 0.012 or 0.008%, respectively) of the active compound didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. Bleach, containing the active ingredient sodium hypochlorite, was effective at concentrations of 1% sodium hypochlorite and above. Cultures did not survive complete drying, which occurred after <3 h at room temperature. B. dendrobatidis was sensitive to heating, and within 4 h at 37 degrees C, 30 min at 47 degrees C and 5 min at 60 degrees C, 100% mortality occurred. UV light (at 1000 mW m(-2) with a wavelength of 254 nm) was ineffective at killing B. dendrobatidis in culture.
A Comparison of Lurkers and Posters Within Infertility Online Support Groups

&NA; Current research shows that online support groups can offer people affected by infertility a unique and valuable source of social support. However, to date most research has focused on the experiences of people who post messages to online infertility support groups; in comparison, little is known about how “lurkers” (ie, those individuals who read messages but do not post messages) use and benefit from online infertility support groups. The purpose of the present study was to compare the use and experience of online infertility support groups between lurkers and posters. A total of 295 participants who were recruited from several online infertility support groups completed an online questionnaire containing questions about their use and experience of online support groups and measures of loneliness, social support, marital satisfaction, and perceived infertility‐related stress. Differences between lurkers and posters were analyzed using Mann‐Whitney U and &khgr;2 or Fisher exact tests. Results revealed that compared with posters, lurkers visited the online support groups less often and scored significantly lower in overall satisfaction with the online support group. However, both lurkers and posters reported gaining a range of unique benefits from access to an online support group. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in loneliness, social support, infertility‐related stress, and marital satisfaction between lurkers and posters. These findings suggest that reading messages posted to online support groups may be as beneficial as interacting with the group.
Death after Joint Replacement

This review considers the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism following lower limb arthroplasty and femur neck fracture and considers whether some of these deaths are preventable. The data considered refer to short-term in-hospital prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin. Mortality rates depend on the type of surgery, with fracture of the femur being associated with the highest rates and knee replacement associated with the lowest. Short-term prophylaxis with dalteparin does appear to reduce the risk of death, but the risk extends well beyond discharge from hospital. Studies of extended out-of-hospital prophylaxis in order to reduce deaths related to thromboembolism are warranted.
Isolation and Characterization of Human Intestinal Bacteria Capable of Transforming the Dietary Carcinogen 2-Amino-1-Methyl-6-Phenylimidazo[4,5-b]Pyridine

ABSTRACT 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is a carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amine formed in meat products during cooking. Although the formation of hazardous PhIP metabolites by mammalian enzymes has been extensively reported, research on the putative involvement of the human intestinal microbiota in PhIP metabolism remains scarce. In this study, the in vitro conversion of PhIP into its microbial derivate, 7-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-phenyl-6,7,8,9-tetrahydropyrido[3′,2′:4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-5-ium chloride (PhIP-M1), by fecal samples from 18 human volunteers was investigated. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that all human fecal samples transformed PhIP but with efficiencies ranging from 1.8 to 96% after 72 h of incubation. Two PhIP-transforming strains, PhIP-M1-a and PhIP-M1-b, were isolated from human feces and identified by fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism and pheS sequence analyses as Enterococcus faecium strains. Some strains from culture collections belonging to the species E. durans, E. avium, E. faecium, and Lactobacillus reuteri were also able to perform this transformation. Yeast extract, special peptone, and meat extract supported PhIP transformation by the enriched E. faecium strains, while tryptone, monomeric sugars, starch, and cellulose did not. Glycerol was identified as a fecal matrix constituent required for PhIP transformation. Abiotic synthesis of PhIP-M1 and quantification of the glycerol metabolite 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA) confirmed that the anaerobic fermentation of glycerol via 3-HPA is the critical bacterial transformation process responsible for the formation of PhIP-M1. Whether it is a detoxification is still a matter of debate, since PhIP-M1 has been shown to be cytotoxic toward Caco-2 cells but is not mutagenic in the Ames assay.