Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus in a contemporary cohort of high grade glioma patients

Abstract Introduction: High grade glioma (HGG) treatment has seen a paradigm shift with intensified regimes, but hospitalisation burden is partially attributed to side effects of therapy. Symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus (HC) is a potential complication. Aim of this study was to investigate its incidence, risk factors and treatment in a contemporary cohort. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of HGG patients. Patients with symptomatic communicating HC were identified and demographic, tumour and treatment variables extracted from hospital notes. Descriptive statistics were performed and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated. Results: From a cohort of 278 eligible HGG patients, 8 (3%) were diagnosed with symptomatic communicating HC. In the subgroup of patients with intraoperative opening of the ventricular system during previous surgery (N = 66), hydrocephalus developed in 10.6% of cases (N = 7). Symptoms were lethargy (N = 5), headache (N = 3), confusion (N = 3), gait disturbance (N = 3) and urinary incontinence (N = 1); three patients presented resembling normal pressure hydrocephalus. A higher rate of intraoperative opening of the ventricles was found in the HC group (p = .0002); all other variables were equally distributed. The increased odds for developing HC for patients with intraoperative opening of the ventricles reached statistical significance (OR = 25.0339, 95% CI = 3.0196–207.5449, p = .0028), whereas previous radiotherapy only increased odds by tendency. Hydrocephalic patients were treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunts and all but one patient improved. One patient had a complication attributed to the shunt procedure The median overall survival after shunting was 4 months. Conclusions: Symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus occurred in 3% of HGG patients and in 10.6% in the subgroup with previous intraoperative opening of the ventricles. Treatment with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is effective and has a low complication rate.
Corneal thickness mapping by 3D swept‐source anterior segment optical coherence tomography

Purpose: To assess accuracy and repeatability of central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements obtained by swept‐source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT), spectral‐domain retinal OCT with corneal module and ultrasound pachymetry (USP), and to assess repeatability of pachymetric mapping with AS‐OCT.
Efficacy of microwave hyperthermia and chemotherapy in the presence of gold nanoparticles: An in vitro study on osteosarcoma

Objective: Hyperthermia, generated using microwave (MW), infrared, ultrasound and other methods, is often utilised as an adjuvant technique to sensitise cancer lesions to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In the current research, MW hyperthermia efficacy in synergism with chemotherapy was investigated in the presence and absence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Materials and methods: Saos-2 cell line derived from human osteogenic sarcoma was used in the study. Various experiments were performed on the cells in the presence of doxorubicin and GNPs with MW hyperthermia. All required control groups were also considered. The in vitro experiments were conducted for GNPs of 20 and 40 nm, each at two concentrations of 13.2 and 26.4 µg/mL. After 48 hours, MTT assay was performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic parameters on cell survival. Results: In groups with GNP-incubated cells, the cell survival was more than 95%. After chemotherapy, survival was determined as 37.1% and 62.8% with and without 40 nm GNPs, respectively. Following the combined treatment of hyperthermia and chemotherapy, survival declined to 17% and 4.1% in the presence of 20 and 40 nm GNPs, respectively. GNPs of 40 nm diameter and 26.4 µg/mL concentration showed the highest synergistic effect on MW hyperthermia, combination of MW hyperthermia and chemotherapy, and chemotherapy, respectively. Dox with 40 nm GNPs had a higher cell destruction rate in comparison to chemotherapy alone. Conclusion: Although no cytotoxicity was observed from GNP incubation alone, their presence along with MW led to a decrease in survival rate, such that the lethal effects of MW hyperthermia with GNPs were comparable with that of doxorubicin. All combined treatments in the presence of 40 nm GNPs produced a higher efficiency in comparison to similar groups without GNPs and with 20 nm GNPs.
In vitro mechanical evaluation of a limited contact dynamic compression plate and hybrid carpal arthrodesis plate for canine pancarpal arthrodesis

Summary Objective: To compare the mechanical properties of pancarpal arthrodesis (PCA) constructs stabilized at 20° of extension using either a 3.5 mm limited contact dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP) or a 3.5/2.7 mm hybrid plate (HP). Methods: Seven forelimb pairs were used from dogs of similar size. All soft tissues were removed except for supporting structures of the carpus and proximal metacarpal region. All plates were accurately bent to 20°, and then instrumented with two, 350Ω strain gauges applied at the level of the bend. Constructs were embedded in epoxy moulds then mounted onto a servo-hydraulic testing machine. Specimens were loaded for 10 cycles at 100N, 200N and 300N. Tenth cycle construct compliance (CC), maximum angular deformation (MAD), and peak plate strain (PPS) were compared using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student-Newman- Keuls post-hoc tests (p <0.05). Results: Regardless of load, CC was 29% to 33% smaller in the HP than the LC-DCP group (p <0.03). In each group, the CC significantly increased with increasing loads (p <0.02). Mean MAD was 19% to 22% less in HP than LC-DCP constructs, with significant differences seen at 200N and 300N loads. In both groups, MAD was significantly greater with increasing loads (p <0.02). In addition, PPS was 37% to 43% smaller for HP than LC-DCP. Clinical significance: The mechanical advantages of the HP over the LC-DCP make it a viable alternative for PCA. Smaller CC, MAD and PSS of the HP may reduce the risk of implant failure and postoperative morbidity following PCA.
Characterization of a second gene (ZSOD22) of Na+/H+ antiporter from salt‐tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and functional expression of ZSOD2 and ZSOD22 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We reported in our previous paper on the characterization of the Na+/H+‐antiporter gene (ZSOD2) closely related to the salt‐tolerance of yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. In the present paper, we have cloned a second gene (ZSOD22) of Na+/H+ antiporter from Z. rouxii. The deduced amino acid sequence of Zsod22p was highly homologous to that of Zsod2p, Sod2p from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Nha1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The open reading frames (ORFs) from ZSOD2 or ZSOD22 were inserted into a yeast expression vector pYES2, and their constructs (pZSOD2 and pZSOD22) were used to transform the salt‐sensitive S. cerevisiae. pZSOD2‐ or pZSOD22‐harboring‐recombinant S. cerevisiae cells showed increases in salt tolerance. However, the Z. rouxii disruptant of ZSOD22 did not show any phenotypes related to salt tolerance or osmotolerance, unlike that of ZSOD2. The transcriptional expression of ZSOD22 was not observed by Northern blot analysis even in Z. rouxii cells subjected to NaCl‐shock. From these results we conclude that although Z. rouxii includes at least two copies of the Na+/H+‐antiporter gene (ZSOD2 and ZSOD22), ZSOD2 encodes a functional product as an antiporter and ZSOD22 is poorly transcribed, if at all. The nucleotide sequence data of ZSOD22 will appear in the DDBJ, EMBL and GenBank nucleotide sequence databases with the following accession number: AB010106. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of Color Doppler US and CT Portography in Evaluating Portal Hypertension in Children

Objectives To compare grayscale and color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) findings to that of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) portography in the evaluation of portal hypertension in children. Methods Thirty children (mean age, 11.4 years) with definitive clinical and laboratory diagnoses of portal hypertension were included in the study. Liver parenchymal changes, portal vein thrombosis, cavernous transformation, splenomegaly, recanalization of the paraumbilical vein, ascites collateral vessels, and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated prospectively. Results Liver parenchymal heterogeneity (n = 21) was detected more often by CDUS than MDCT (P = 0.002). CDUS and MDCT established similar results for increased right/left lobe ratio, lobulation of the liver contour, ascites, and splenomegaly. Portal vein thrombosis, cavernous transformation, and recanalization of the paraumbilical vein were comparable between CDUS and MDCT (&kgr; = 1, P < 0.01). Collaterals were detected more by MDCT portography than by CDUS. Esophageal collaterals and azygous vein dilatation were seen only by MDCT portography (P < 0.01, P = 0.024; respectively). Conclusions CDUS was superior to MDCT in identifying parenchymal changes and hemodynamic parameters. MDCT was superior in detecting abnormal collateral circulation. The combination of these two modalities provides more comprehensive information than either alone in the diagnosis and follow-up of portal hypertension.
Carbohydrates Borne on Human Glycophorin A Are Recognized by Porcine Kupffer Cells

Background. We have previously shown that when porcine livers are perfused with human blood, porcine Kupffer cells extract up to 3 units of human erythrocytes over the course of a 72 hr perfusion. We have previously hypothesized that the recognition event responsible for this interaction involves a lectin receptor on the surface of the porcine Kupffer cell interacting with a carbohydrate epitope on the surface of the human erythrocytes. Methods. Treatments to disrupt the protein core of purified glycoproteins from the surface of human erythrocytes included: pronase, trypsin, β-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), and heating to 90°. Alternatively, we have removed the carbohydrate residues from purified human red blood cell (RBC) glycoproteins using glycosidases. Erythrocyte binding in the presence or absence of treated glycoproteins was quantified by 51Chromium-labeled RBC recognition by primary cultures of porcine Kupffer cells. Results. Human, but not porcine, erythrocytes were bound by in vitro primary cultures of porcine Kupffer cells. Binding was inhibited by preincubation of porcine Kupffer cells with purified human erythrocyte glycoproteins (hEGP) from human erythrocyte membranes. Pretreatment of human EGP with pronase, trypsin, 2-ME, or heating did not interfere with the ability of human EGP to inhibit the binding of human erythrocytes to porcine Kupffer cells. Deglycosylation of the purified hEGP completely disrupted hEGP ability to inhibit the binding of human erythrocytes to porcine Kupffer cells. Conclusion. We conclude that porcine Kupffer cells bind xenogeneic human RBC by recognition of a carbohydrate epitope on the surface of human erythrocytes. We hypothesize that this binding is mediated by a porcine Kupffer cell lectin receptor.
Chronic stress in adulthood followed by intermittent stress impairs spatial memory and the survival of newborn hippocampal cells in aging animals: prevention by FGL, a peptide mimetic of neural cell adhesion molecule

In this study, we examined whether chronic stress in adulthood can exert long-term effects on spatial-cognitive abilities and on the survival of newborn hippocampal cells in aging animals. Male Wistar rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable stress at midlife (12 months old) and then reexposed each week to a stress stimulus. When evaluated in the water maze at the early stages of aging (18 months old), chronic unpredictable stress accelerated spatial-cognitive decline, an effect that was accompanied by a reduction in the survival of newborn cells and in the number of adult granular cells in the hippocampus. Interestingly, spatial-memory performance in the Morris water maze was positively correlated with the number of newborn cells that survived in the dentate gyrus: better spatial memory in the water maze was associated with more 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells. Administration of FGL, a peptide mimetic of neural cell adhesion molecule, during the 4 weeks of continuous stress not only prevented the deleterious effects of chronic stress on spatial memory, but also reduced the survival of the newly generated hippocampal cells in aging animals. FGL treatment did not, however, prevent the decrease in the total number of granular neurons that resulted from prolonged exposure to stress. These findings suggest that the development of new drugs that mimic neural cell adhesion molecule activity might be of therapeutic relevance to treat stress-induced cognitive impairment.
Detached Leaf and Whole Plant Assays for Soybean Aphid Resistance: Differential Responses Among Resistance Sources and Biotypes

ABSTRACT The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is a pest of cultivated soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. , in North America. Recent developments in host plant resistance studies have identified at least four soybean aphid resistance genes (Rog1–4) and two soybean aphid biotypes (biotype 1 and 2), defined by differential survivability on resistant soybean. Detached soybean leaves were tested as a more rapid and practical assay to assess host plant resistance and virulence. Two susceptible lines (‘Wyandot’ and ‘Williams 82’) and two resistant lines (PI 243540 and PI 567301B) were examined. Various life history characteristics were compared among aphids on whole plants and detached leaves. Results indicated that resistance to soybean aphid was lost using detached leaves of PI 567301B but retained with PI 243540. To test for aphid virulence, net fecundities were compared among biotype 1 and biotype 2 after rearing on detached leaves of the resistant ‘Jackson’ (to which biotype 2 is virulent). A significant difference was detected in net fecundities among biotypes on detached leaves of Jackson and used to predict growth rates and virulence from 30 field-collected individuals of unknown virulence. No field individuals matched biotype 2 predictions, but four individuals had higher net fecundities than biotype 2 predictions (13%) and could be considered moderately virulent. The results indicated that the retention of soybean aphid resistance in detached leaves is dependent on PI and resistant source, but if resistance is retained, detached leaves could be used to determine soybean aphid virulence.
A kinematic comparison of ergometer and on-water rowing

The purpose of this investigation was to compare on- water rowing with ergometer rowing by identifying the important kinematic variables, using vector loop analy sis. Two hypotheses were investigated that provided evidence that rowing ergometers are valid simulators of actual rowing and that the trunk segment is the major contributor to the total linear oar velocity. Thirty subjects were filmed rowing on-water and on an ergom eter. The film was digitized for X and Y coordinates of the body joint locations for a cycle of rowing from catch to finish. A model of rowing was designed such that the rowing movement could be defined as comprising two closed vector loops. The digitized data were fitted to the vector loop model to derive kinematic variables from the drive phase of rowing. Five kinematic variables that described the contributions of five body segments to the total linear oar velocity were analyzed statistically to find differences in the patterns of on-water and ergometer rowing. The results indicated that the kine matics of the upper arm and forearm segments were significantly different in the two types of rowing. These differences were of minor importance because of the small contributions made by the arms at the catch. The differences at the finish were a result of the lifting of the oar from the water not exhibited in ergometer rowing. The vector loop analysis provided the major finding that the trunk segment contributed significantly more to the drive phase portion of the rowing cycle for both on-water and ergometer rowing although the legs initiated the drive phase. Despite the differences that occurred in the arm motion at the beginning and end of the drive phase, most of the kinematic variables were similar throughout the drive phase, particularly for the legs and trunk. The objective of developing a biome chanical test that uses kinematic measures obtained on an ergometer is supported by the findings of this study, and such a study would supplement physiologic measures used in the selection of rowers.
The Human Low Affinity Immunoglobulin G Fc Receptor III-A and III-B Genes

The human Fc receptor with low affinity for IgG (FcRIII, CD16) is encoded by two nearly identical genes, FcRIII-A and FcRIII-B, resulting in tissue-specific expression of alternative membrane-anchored isoforms. The transmembrane CD16 receptor forms a heteromeric structure with the FcRI () and/or CD3 () subunits on the surface of activated monocytes/macrophages, NK cells, and a subset of T cells. The expression of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored CD16 isoform encoded by the FcRIII-B gene is restricted to polymorphonuclear leukocytes and can be induced by Me2SO differentiation of HL60 cells. We have isolated and sequenced genomic clones of the human FcRIII-A and FcRIII-B genes, located their transcription initiation sites, identified a different organization of their 5′ regions, and demonstrated four distinct classes of FcRIII-A transcripts (a1-a4) compared with a single class of FcRIII-Bb1 transcripts. Both CD16 promoters (positions −198 to −10) lack the classical “TATA” positioning consensus sequence but confer transcriptional activity when coupled to the human lysozyme enhancer. Both promoters also display different tissue-specific transcriptional activities reflecting the expected gene expression of FcRIII-A and FcRIII-B in NK cells versus polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Within the −198/-10 fragments, the sequences of the two CD16 genes have been identified to differ in 10 positions. It is suggested that these nucleotide differences might contribute to cell type-specific transcription of FcRIII genes.
Inhibition of Calcineurin Phosphatase Activity by a Calcineurin B Homologous Protein*

Calcineurin, a Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase, plays a key role in T-cell activation by regulating the activity of NFAT (nuclear factor of activatedT cells), a family of transcription factors required for the synthesis of several cytokine genes. Calcineurin is the target of the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporin A and FK506 complexed with their cytoplasmic receptors cyclophilin and FKBP12, respectively. In this study we report that calcineurin is also the target of a recently identified Ca2+-binding protein, CHP (forcalcineurin homologous protein), which shares a high degree of homology with the regulatory B subunit of calcineurin and with calmodulin. In Jurkat and HeLa cells, overexpression of CHP specifically impaired the nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of NFAT but had no effect on AP-1 transcriptional activity and only a small (<25%) inhibitory effect on the transcriptional activity of NFκB. Further study indicated that CHP inhibits calcineurin activity. In cells overexpressing CHP, the phosphatase activity of immunoprecipitated calcineurin was inhibited by ∼50%; and in a reconstituted assay, the activity of purified calcineurin was inhibited up to 97% by the addition of purified recombinant CHP in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, prolonged activation of Jurkat cells was associated with a decreased abundance of CHP, suggesting a possible regulatory mechanism allowing activation of calcineurin. CHP, therefore, is a previously unrecognized endogenous inhibitor of calcineurin activity.
Boron Composition Dependence of Magnetic Anisotropy and Tunnel Magnetoresistance in MgO/CoFe(B) Based Stack Structures

We investigated magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties in MgO/(Co<sub>0.25</sub>Fe<sub>0.75</sub>)<sub>100-</sub><i>x</i>B<i>x</i> stack structures with <i>x</i>=0, 15, 20, and 25 (in at.%). After annealing at 350°C, the easy axis of magnetization switches from in-plane to perpendicular direction in 1.5-nm-thick CoFeB with the B composition near <i>x</i>=15 . The effective magnetic anisotropy energy density (<i>K</i><sub>eff</sub>) shows a maximum of 1.9×10<sup>5</sup> J/m<sup>3</sup> in the 1.5 nm-thick CoFeB film with <i>x</i>=20 annealed at 350 °C. <i>K</i><sub>eff</sub> is determined by the competition between contributions of interface anisotropy energy per effective CoFeB thickness (<i>K</i><sub>i</sub>/<i>t*</i>, where <i>t*</i> is the effective CoFeB layer thickness) and demagnetization energy (-<i>M</i><sub>S</sub><sup>2</sup>/2μ<sub>0</sub>) . Bulk magnetic anisotropy energy (<i>K</i><sub>b</sub>) is negligibly small with comparison to those two terms. To obtain MgO/ferromagnetic stack structure with a high <i>K</i><sub>eff</sub>, materials and structures that reduce demagnetization energy while maintaining a high <i>K</i><sub>i</sub> and a thin <i>t*</i> have to be explored. In MTJs with the higher B compositions, high TMR ratio is obtained at higher annealing temperature. High TMR ratio of 136% is observed in a MTJ with <i>x</i>=25 annealed at 350 °C.
Consequences of Hoxb1 duplication in teleost fish

SUMMARY Vertebrate evolution is characterized by gene and genome duplication events. There is strong evidence that a whole‐genome duplication occurred in the lineage leading to the teleost fishes. We have focused on the teleost hoxb1 duplicate genes as a paradigm to investigate the consequences of gene duplication. Previous analysis of the duplicated zebrafish hoxb1 genes suggested they have subfunctionalized. The combined expression pattern of the two zebrafish hoxb1 genes recapitulates the expression pattern of the single Hoxb1 gene of tetrapods, possibly due to degenerative changes in complementary cis‐regulatory elements of the duplicates. Here we have tested the hypothesis that all teleost duplicates had a similar fate post duplication, by examining hoxb1 genes in medaka and striped bass. Consistent with this theory, we found that the ancestral Hoxb1 expression pattern is subdivided between duplicate genes in a largely similar fashion in zebrafish, medaka, and striped bass. Further, our analysis of hoxb1 genes reveals that sequence changes in cis‐regulatory regions may underlie subfunctionalization in all teleosts, although the specific changes vary between species. It was previously shown that zebrafish hoxb1 duplicates have also evolved different functional capacities. We used misexpression to compare the functions of hoxb1 duplicates from zebrafish, medaka and striped bass. Unexpectedly, we found that some biochemical properties, which were paralog specific in zebrafish, are conserved in both duplicates of other species. This work suggests that the fate of duplicate genes varies across the teleost group.