Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clues to epidermal cancer proneness revealed by reconstruction of DNA repair-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum skin in vitro

Sun exposure has been clearly implicated in premature skin aging and neoplastic development. These features are exacerbated in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a hereditary disease, the biochemical hallmark of which is a severe deficiency in the nucleotide excision repair of UV-induced DNA lesions. To develop an organotypic model of DNA repair deficiency, we have cultured several strains of primary XP keratinocytes and XP fibroblasts from skin biopsies of XP patients. XP skin comprising both a full-thickness epidermis and a dermal equivalent was succesfully reconstructed in vitro. Satisfactory features of stratification were obtained, but the expression of epidermal differentiation products, such as keratin K10 and loricrin, was delayed and reduced. In addition, the proliferation of XP keratinocytes was more rapid than that of normal keratinocytes. Moreover, increased deposition of cell attachment proteins, α-6 and β-1 integrins, was observed in the basement membrane zone, and β-1 integrin subunit, the expression of which is normally confined to basal keratinocytes, extended into several suprabasal cell layers. Most strikingly, the in vitro reconstructed XP skin displayed numerous proliferative epidermal invasions within dermal equivalents. Epidermal invasion and higher proliferation rate are reminiscent of early steps of neoplasia. Compared with normal skin, the DNA repair deficiency of in vitro reconstructed XP skin was documented by long-lasting persistence of UVB-induced DNA damage in all epidermal layers, including the basal layer from which carcinoma develops. The availability of in vitro reconstructed XP skin provides opportunities for research in the fields of photoaging, photocarcinogenesis, and tissue therapy.
An oxygen-dependent X-ray dose-rate effect in Serratia marcescens.

Anoxic bacteria were found to be independent of x-ray dose rate between 167 and 2130 rads/min. Fully aerobic bacteria were less sensitive to radiation at low dose rates. Aerobic bacteria at very low oxygen tensions were more sensitive to radiation at low dose rates. A possible explanation for the observed phenomenon is to assume repair of radiation damage. Repair of radiation damage in Serratia was demonstrated by preliminary UV treatment. At the lowest oxygen tension a change in the observed K value with dose rate demonstrated oxygen depletion by radiation. Measurements of K values at conventional dose rates are liable to be in error unless gas equilibration is very efficient.
Recharacterisation of three Parasitodiplogaster species based on morphological and molecular profiles

Three previously described Parasitodiplogaster spp. , P. nymphanema , P. obtusinema and P. trigonema were re-isolated from their type locality, Barro Colorado Island Research Station, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in Panama. The re-isolated materials were morphologically observed to compare with the original descriptions and molecularly characterised by DNA sequences of the near-full-length small subunit and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA genes. Although the male tail characters, i.e. , arrangement of genital papillae and spicule and gubernaculum morphologies, were close to the original descriptions, a compressed stoma with two (right subventral and dorsal) teeth was observed for the first time and confirmed in the newly re-isolated materials. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the three re-isolated species are close to P. laevigata , P. citrinema and P. popenema , forming the P. laevigata group in the genus, and this group was separated into three subgroups, P. citrinema + P. popenema (subgroup 1), P. nymphanema + P. obtusinema (subgroup 2) and P. laevigata + P. trigonema and three undescribed species (subgroup 3). The P. laevigata group is characterised by a relatively compressed stoma with two (right subventral and dorsal) teeth, arrangement of genital papillae (three or four precloacal and four postcloacal pairs), but distinguishable from each other by stomatal morphology, i.e. , the shortest and most compressed being in subgroup 3, widest in subgroup 1, and intermediate in subgroup 2. Furthermore, a large and long spicule and gubernaculum were observed in subgroup 2 as its hypothesised apomorphy.
Visual field constriction

Background: The antiepileptic drug (AED) vigabatrin (VGB) causes concentric visual field constriction. Anecdotal reports involving tiagabine (TGB) have implied that this may be a class effect of all AEDs with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)–related actions. We investigated the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of VGB and TGB in rat brain and eye. Methods: Adult male rats (n = 8) were administered 0.9% saline (control), VGB (500 or 1,000 mg/kg), or TGB (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg). At 1 (TGB) and 4 hours (VGB) postdosing, the animals were killed, a blood sample was obtained, their brains were dissected into five anatomic regions, and the retina and vitreous humor were isolated from each eye. Samples were analyzed for GABA concentrations and the activity of the enzyme GABA-transaminase (GABA-T). Plasma and tissue drug concentrations were also determined. Results: VGB treatment produced a decrease in the activity of GABA-T and a rise in GABA concentrations in all tissues investigated. This effect was most pronounced in the retina. VGB concentrations were as much as fivefold higher in the retina than in the brain. TGB was without effect on GABA concentrations and activity of GABA-T. TGB concentrations were notably lower in the retina than in the brain. Conclusions: Accumulation of VGB in the retina, with or without an increase in GABA, may be responsible for the visual field constriction reported clinically. In contrast, TGB had no effect on GABA concentrations and did not accumulate in the retina. These results suggest that TGB is unlikely to cause visual field defects in humans.
The aetiology and management of atrophic rhinitis

Atrophic rhinitis is a chronic, debilitating and recalcitrant disease of the nasal cavities that is prevalent in several parts of the world. It has unique epidemiological features and clinical characteristics. Clinicians and researchers for decades have tried to postulate theories for the aetiology of the primary form of the disease. Management of the disease has seen several medical therapeutic regimens including alternative forms of medicine. Surgical options for the condition are also not completely satisfactory with a number of failures and recurrences. The authors provide here a comprehensive review of the existing literature as regards the aetiology and management of this refractory condition.
Conformational and Functional Differences between Recombinant Human Lens αA- and αB-Crystallin*

Human and other mammalian lens proteins are composed of three major crystallins: α-, β-, and γ-crystallin. α-Crystallin plays a prominent role in the supramolecular assembly required to maintain lens transparency. With age, the crystallins, especially α-crystallin, undergo posttranslational modifications that may disrupt the supramolecular assembly, and the lens becomes susceptible to other stresses resulting in cataract formation. Because these modifications occur even at a relatively young age, it is difficult to obtain pure, unmodified crystallins for in vitro experiments. α-Crystallin is composed of two subunits, αA and αB. Before the application of recombinant DNA technology, these two α-crystallin subunits were separated from calf lens in the denatured state and reconstituted by the removal of the denaturant, but they were not refolded properly. In the present studies, we applied the recombinant DNA technology to prepare native, unmodified αA- and αB-crystallins for conformational and functional studies. The expressed proteins from Escherichia coli are in the native state and can be studied directly. First, αA and αB cDNAs were isolated from a human lens epithelial cell cDNA library. The cDNAs were cloned into a pAED4 expression vector and then expressed in E. coli strain BL21(DE3). Pure recombinant αA- and αB-crystallins were obtained after purification by gel filtration and DEAE liquid chromatography. They were subjected to conformational studies involving various spectroscopic measurements and an assessment of chaperone-like activity. αA- and αB-crystallins have not only different secondary structure, but also tertiary structure. 1-Anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate fluorescence indicates that αB-crystallin is more hydrophobic than αA-crystallin. The chaperone-like activity, as measured by the ability to protect insulin aggregation, is about 4 times greater for αB- than for αA-crystallin. The resulting data provide a base line for further studies of human lens α-crystallin.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidy: XXY, XXX, XYY, and XXYY

Objective: Attentional problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity have been described as behavioral features associated with sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA). In this study, the authors compare attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in 167 participants aged 6 to 20 years with 4 types of SCA (XXY n = 56, XYY n = 33, XXX n = 25, and XXYY n = 53). They also evaluate factors associated with ADHD symptomatology (cognitive and adaptive scores, prenatal vs postnatal ascertainment) and describe the clinical response to psychopharmacologic medications in a subset of patients treated for ADHD. Methods: Evaluation included medical and developmental history, cognitive and adaptive functioning assessment, and parent and teacher ADHD questionnaires containing DSM-IV criteria. Results: In the total study group, 58% (96/167) met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD on parent-report questionnaires (36% in XXY, 52% in XXX, 76% in XYY, and 72% in XXYY). The Inattentive subtype was most common in XXY and XXX, whereas the XYY and XXYY groups were more likely to also have hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. There were no significant differences in Verbal, Performance, or Full Scale IQ between children with symptom scores in the ADHD range compared with those below the ADHD range. However, adaptive functioning scores were significantly lower in the group whose scores in the ADHD range were compared with those of the group who did not meet ADHD DSM-IV criteria. Those with a prenatal diagnosis of XXY were less likely to meet criteria for ADHD compared with the postnatally diagnosed group. Psychopharmacologic treatment with stimulants was effective in 78.6% (66/84). Conclusions: Children and adolescents with SCA are at increased risk for ADHD symptoms. Recommendations for ADHD evaluation and treatment in consideration of other aspects of the SCA medical and behavioral phenotype are provided.
Promoting oral health during pregnancy: current evidence and implications for Australian midwives.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to examine current evidence supporting the promotion of oral health during pregnancy and proffer aspects of a potential role for Australian midwives. BACKGROUND Research continues to show that poor oral health during pregnancy can have an impact on the health outcomes of the mother and baby. Poor maternal oral health increases the chances of infants developing early caries and is strongly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm and low birth-weight babies. Unfortunately in Australia, no preventive strategies exist to maintain the oral health of pregnant women. DESIGN Systematic review. METHOD This review examines all literature on oral health during pregnancy published to date in the English language and focuses on whether preventive oral health strategies during the prenatal period are warranted in Australia and if so, how they could be provided. RESULTS Maintaining oral health is important during pregnancy and many developed countries have implemented preventive strategies to address this issue using non-dental professionals such as prenatal care providers. However, despite the positive international evidence, limited importance is being given to the oral health of pregnant women in Australia. It is also evident that the unique potential of prenatal care providers such as midwives to assess and improve maternal oral heath is not being thoroughly utilised. Compounding the issue in Australia, especially for pregnant women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, is the limited access to public dental services and the high cost of private dental treatment. CONCLUSION Promoting and maintaining oral health during pregnancy is crucial, and preventive prenatal oral health services are needed in Australia to achieve this. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Midwives have an excellent opportunity to offer preventive oral health services by providing oral health assessments, education and referrals for pregnant women attending antenatal clinics.
Pediatric considerations in sedation for patients with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

During sedation and recovery the airway of children with obstructive sleep apnea is vulnerable to collapse. This vulnerability arises from both an inherent collapsibility of the pharyngeal airway in these children and a heightened sensitivity to sedative and anesthetic agents. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic support may be required to defend pharyngeal airway patency in children with obstructive sleep apnea both during sedation and recovery.
Total mercury content in canine hair before and after administration of vaccines containing thiomersal.

OBJECTIVES Thiomersal is ethylmercury containing compound. It has been used as a preservative in vaccines since the 1930s because it is very effective in preventing bacterial contamination. Ethylmercury penetrates into growing hair in a similar manner as methylmercury. DESIGN A total of 48 hair samples were collected from vaccinated dogs. Each sample was accompanied with a questionnaire including data on age, gender, vaccinations. Total mercury content in hair, granules and vaccines was determined by the direct method of cold vapours using an AMA 254 (advance mercury analyser; Altec Ltd., Czech Republic). RESULTS At first we performed two pre-experiments. In first pre-experiment, the highest value of total mercury content was 0.732 mg.kg-1. The content of total mercury ranged from 0.022 to 0.092 mg.kg-1 in the second pre-experiment. The results were not statistically significant in the pre-experiments. In the main experiment the lowest concentration of total mercury in dog's hair was 0.002 mg.kg-1 and the highest value was 0.560 mg.kg-1. The median value of total mercury ranged from 0.023 to 0.033 mg.kg-1. The results were not statistically significant in the main experiment. Total mercury content in vaccines corresponded with the declared quantity. Rather, results showed mercury content to be correlated with the consumption of feed containing fish. CONCLUSIONS Thiomersal preservative, contained in vaccine, does not increase content of total mercury in canine hair. Our results have shown that content of mercury in hair depends on fish consumption (fish granules, fish treats and fresh fish).
The outcome after treatment of venous thromboembolism is different in surgical and acutely ill medical patients. Findings from the RIETE registry

Summary. Background: The history of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and the rationale for thromboprophylaxis in surgical patients are well understood. The situation is less clear for acutely ill medical patients. Objectives: To compare the clinical presentation of VTE and clinical outcomes of immobile acutely ill medical patients with surgical patients. Patients: RIETE (Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) is a Spanish registry of consecutively enrolled patients with objectively confirmed, symptomatic acute VTE. In this analysis, clinical characteristics of patients, details of anticoagulant therapy, and outcomes of all enrolled acutely ill medical patients with immobility ≥ 4 days, and surgical patients are included. Results: Of 6160 patients enrolled up to December 2003, 756 (12%) were acutely ill medical patients with immobility ≥ 4 days, and 884 (14%) were surgical patients who developed VTE within 2 months of surgical intervention. Only 28% of acutely ill medical patients had received thromboprophylaxis, compared with 67% of surgical patients. During the 3‐month follow‐up period, both fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) and fatal bleeding occurred more frequently in acutely ill medical patients. Immobility in acutely ill medical patients, cancer, and PE were associated with a significantly higher risk of fatal PE or bleeding. Conclusions: In patients treated for VTE, the incidences of fatal PE, fatal bleeding, and major bleeding were significantly higher in acutely ill medical patients compared with surgical patients. Given the low percentage of acutely ill medical patients who had received thromboprophylaxis, increasing its use appropriately may reduce the incidence of VTE and associated complications.
Canine Distemper Outbreak in Rhesus Monkeys, China

Since 2006, canine distemper outbreaks have occurred in rhesus monkeys at a breeding farm in Guangxi, People’s Republic of China. Approximately 10,000 animals were infected (25%–60% disease incidence); 5%–30% of infected animals died. The epidemic was controlled by vaccination. Amino acid sequence analysis of the virus indicated a unique strain.
Physiological roles of murine DAP10 adapter protein in tumor immunity and autoimmunity

Summary: The immune system has evolved to tolerate what is self and reject what is foreign. The recognition of self from non‐self is performed by activating and inhibitory receptors, which signal immune cells via adapter molecules, determining the outcome of the immune response. DAP10, a transmembrane adapter protein expressed broadly in hematopoietic cells, associates with NKG2D activating receptor forming a multisubunit complex, which recognizes self‐proteins upregulated during tumorigenesis, infection, and autoimmune response. Analysis of immune reactions against syngeneic tumors, as well as autoimmune responses in the DAP10‐deficient mice, revealed an important physiological role of DAP10 signaling in maintaining tolerance to self, probably by controlling the development and activation threshold of autoreactive T cells.
Cross-platform usability and eye-tracking measurement and analysis model

Evaluating the usability of cross-platform interactive systems has become increasingly important. In this paper, we review the interpretations of current eye-movement metrics across several usability and HCI studies. We found that the existing eye-tracking metrics and their associated interpretations do not consider cross-platform usability (CPU) aspects. Therefore, taking into consideration the characteristics of user interaction with Multiple User Interfaces (MUIs), a usability-engineering model, which is called Eye Tracking Measurement and Analysis model for Cross-Platform Usability (CPU-EMA), has been developed. This model decomposed eye-tracking metrics for cross-platform usability into four high-level metrics, namely, cross-platform fixation, saccade, scanpath and gaze. The high-level metrics were further decomposed into low-level metrics with possible interpretations for cross-platform usability. The model also provided procedures for measuring and analysing cross-platform usability using eye-movement data.
Protection by Terminalia Chebula against Lipopolysachharide-reactivated Antigen-induced Arthritis via Modulation of Toll-like Receptors in Murine Model

Reactivation of antigen induced arthritis by bacterial lipopolysachharide (LPS) in a murine model was used to determine whether Terminalia chebula exerts its protective activity via modulation of Toll-like receptors (TLR). Arthritis was induced in 8-9 weeks old female Swiss albino mice by intra-articular antigen challenge following immunization with antigen. Oral administration of LPS caused reactivation of arthritis. Treatment with hydroalcoholic extract of Terminalia chebula lowered the plasma level of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α), a TLR4 downstream cytokine and increased the plasma levels of interleukin 2 (IL2), which is TLR2 cytokine, significantly. (p˂ 0.001) The results indicate that Terminalia chebula might be acting as TLR2 agonist or at some intermediary stage between TLR2 activation and IL-2 production. The role of TLR4 in mediating the protective action of TC cannot be ruled out.
Identification and characterization of Lyme disease spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, isolated in Korea

Lyme disease spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, were identified and characterized for the first time in Korea. Four isolates, designated Konkuk-1, Konkuk-2, Kangwon-3, and KM-4, were made from midgut suspensions of three Ixodes ticks and heart tissue from one mouse, Apodemus agrarius, collected from Chungbuk and Kangwon provinces. The four Korean isolates and B. burgdorferi sensu lato from other geographic areas and biological sources were compared by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for protein profiles, Western blot (immunoblot) analysis for reactivities with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, and agarose gel electrophoresis for plasmid profiles. Two typing schemes using polymerase chain reaction identified three of the isolates as members of group VS461 and one, Kangwon-3, as Borrelia garinii. These results demonstrate the potential for human Lyme disease to occur in some provinces of Korea.
Introductory Project in Electrical Engineering as a tool to improve motivation among second-year students

The course Introductory Project in Electrical Engineering was designed to expose students beginning their second year of studies to the discipline of electrical engineering in order to increase their motivation. The course took place for the first time at the Department of Electrical Engineering of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in 2011. The core of the course was a team-based design project of a window cleaning robot. The present study, which used quantitative instruments alongside qualitative ones, indicates significant improvement in intrinsic motivation of students who participated in the course.
d-Glucaric Acid and Galactaric Acid Catabolism by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Cell-free extract (crude extract) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens grown on d-glucuronate or d-glucarate converts d-glucarate and galactarate to a mixture of 2-keto-3-deoxy- and 4-deoxy-5-keto-d-glucarate. These compounds are then converted by partially purified crude extract to an intermediate tentatively identified as 2,5-diketoadipate. The same enzyme preparation further decarboxylates this intermediate to α-ketoglutarate semialdehyde, which is subsequently oxidized in a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent reaction to α-ketoglutaric acid. Since A. tumefaciens converts d-glucuronic acid to d-glucarate, a pathway from d-glucuronate to α-ketoglutarate in A. tumefaciens was determined.