Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of 7 q 31 region improves the accuracy of EGFR FISH assay in non small cell lung cancer

Background: Increase of EGFR gene copy number consequent to gene amplification and/or polysomy of chromosome 7 has been significantly associated with better clinical outcome in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with Tyrosin-Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs). The primary method to detect EGFR copy number is FISH (Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization), that in lung cancer requires a precise standardization due to the presence of intratumor heterogeneity and high frequency of chromosome 7 polysomy. Recommendations and interpretative guidelines to discriminate NSCLC patients into FISH positive (gene amplification and high chromosome 7 polysomy) and FISH negative have been proposed by the University of Colorado Cancer Center (UCCC). However, in a subset of cases the distinction between EGFR amplification and chromosome 7 polysomy can be controversial because of a complex pattern of multiple EGFR and centromere signals. Methods: In order to distinguish more accurately these two genetic events, 20 NSCLC FISH positive patients, showing a controversial pattern of EGFR and centromere specific signals, were further evaluated for the status of 7q31 distal region. Results: A discrepancy between FISH results obtained with UCCC scoring system and 7q31 control was evidenced in 2 patients (10%). Conclusion: Our data strengthen the usefulness of 7q31 region evaluation to discriminate EGFR amplification from chromosome 7 polysomy in controversial EGFR FISH positive cases. Since it has been reported a possible different contribution of amplification and polysomy to TKIs susceptibility in NSCLC, the clear distinction between these two genetic events may be important to identify a subset of patients more responsive to the therapy. Background The development and clinical application of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), such as erlotinib and gefitinib, provide important insights for the treatment of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, patients derive differPublished: 4 November 2009 Diagnostic Pathology 2009, 4:36 doi:10.1186/1746-1596-4-36 Received: 28 April 2009 Accepted: 4 November 2009 This article is available from: http://www.diagnosticpathology. org/content/4/1/36 © 2009 Casorzo et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Simplified quantitative electron microscopy of biopolymers

Shape and molecular weight of DNA can be obtained with a new method involving spontaneous surface adsorption of DNA or of other macromolecules from a solution which contains formaldehyde and a critical amount of cytochrome c. Subsequent transfer to specimen grids and electron microscopy shows individual molecules suitable for quantitative evaluation. Adsorption of DNA and fd bacteriophages is proportional to (time)0.75. Contour lengths of double‐stranded DNA are not influenced by formaldehyde. A modification of this method requires only 2 × 10−5 μg DNA.
Proteinases as hormones: targets and mechanisms for proteolytic signaling

Abstract Proteinases, such as kallikrein-related peptidases, trypsin and thrombin, can play hormone-like ‘messenger’ roles in vivo. They can regulate cell signaling by cleaving and activating a novel family of G-protein-coupled proteinase-activated receptors (PARs 1–4) by unmasking a tethered receptor-triggering ligand. Short synthetic PAR-derived peptide sequences (PAR-APs) can selectively activate PARs 1, 2 and 4, causing physiological responses in vitro and in vivo. Using the PAR-APs to activate the receptors in vivo, it has been found that PARs, like hormone receptors, can affect the vascular, renal, respiratory, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and nervous systems (central and peripheral). PARs trigger responses ranging from vasodilatation to intestinal inflammation, increased cytokine production and increased nociception. These PAR-stimulated responses have been implicated in various disease states, including cancer, atherosclerosis, asthma, arthritis, colitis and Alzheimer's disease. In addition to targeting the PARs, proteinases can also cause hormone-like effects by other signaling mechanisms that may be as important as the activation of PARs. Thus, the PARs themselves, their activating serine proteinases and their signaling pathways can be considered as attractive targets for therapeutic drug development. Further, proteinases can be considered as physiologically relevant ‘hormone-like’ messengers that can convey signals locally or systemically either via PARs or by other mechanisms.
Lack of support for the time‐dependent molecular evolution hypothesis

There is increasing momentum surrounding the hypothesis that rates of molecular evolution between individuals within contemporary populations are high, and that these rates decrease as a function of time, perhaps over several millions of years, before reaching stationarity. The implications of this are powerful, potentially reshaping our view of how climate history impacts upon both species distribution patterns and the geographic structuring of genetic variation within species. However, our assessment of the hypothesis reveals a lack of theoretical support and empirical evidence for hypothesized magnitudes of time‐dependent rates of molecular evolution, with much of the apparent rate changes coming from artefacts and biases inherent in the methods of rate estimation. Our assessment also reveals a problem with how serial sampling is implemented for mutation rate estimation using ancient DNA samples, rendering published estimates unreliable.
International Agricultural Trade and Negotiations : Coping with a New Landscape

Trade is a key element in food security but international cooperation is necessary for trade to help coping with supply shocks, to spread variations in crop yield and to dampen price volatility. While multilateral trade agreements have provided the foundations for a rule-based system, multilateralism has stalled. New economic and political conditions, in particular the new weight of emerging countries, have complicated the negotiations of a Doha agreement under the WTO. Agriculture plays a special role in the global negotiating game. Developed countries have given up many of their bargaining chips in the previous rounds of negotiation and concessions in agriculture are not sufficient for extracting concessions from emerging countries on services, procurement, and intellectual property that would make a multilateral agreement possible. Non-cooperative policies such as export restrictions are gaining momentum and distorting support is on the rise in emerging countries. With the development of bilateral agreements, there is a genuine risk of a more fragmented trading system that is unable to help coping with food insecurity. A series of research issues are listed that may help to revitalize the Doha negotiation agenda.
Object-oriented natural language requirements specification

A methodology is proposed for the formal development of software systems from a user's requirements specification in natural language into a complete implementation, proceeding through the steps of formal specification, and detailed design and implementation in an automated manner. Our methodology is based upon the theories of two-level grammar (TLG) and object-oriented design and takes advantage of the existence of several existing software design tools. We develop an iterative transformation process from the natural language specification into the final implementation, with a specification development environment to assist the user, as well as the designer in accomplishing this transformation. Our underlying formal specification methodology may also be used in the final development of the implementation. This methodology is a major advance in object-oriented software development and the software engineering process in general.
Multiple E-mail address certificate

Digital signature certificates are digitally signed identity certificates issued by trusted Certification Authorities (CA's) to individuals, devices, applications, or services. E-mail Certificates (EC's) are issued primarily for the purpose of signing and encrypting e-mail messages. E-mail clients use sender's E-mail Certificate (Private Key) for signing and recipient's E-mail Certificate (Public Key) for encrypting an e-mail message. This paper proposes inclusion of multiple e-mail addresses in E-mail Certificates and puts forward modified procedure to allow e-mail clients to use a single E-mail Certificate of an individual for different e-mail addresses to sign and encrypt e-mail messages. Further, it discusses generation of multiple e-mail address certificates and demonstrates their working using an e-mail client developed for the said purpose.
Long-Term Performance of Distressed Firms: The Role of Class-Action Lawsuits

Does shareholder litigation pay off for investors over long horizons and how much does the type of allegation matter‘ We study whether a disciplining effect occurs for distressed firms and their managers and examine two different groups of allegations. Allegations of violations of duty of loyalty effect individuals only, but duty of care pertains to the corporate entity. After litigation we observe a general transformation in firm characteristics and risk exposures, which is consistent with theory. Although generally negative, short- and long-term performance effects differ substantially between types of allegations. We observe performance reversals only in firms with individual directors accused of insider trading. Effects are similar for firms with triggering events that precede the initiation of a lawsuit. At the same time we fail to observe a simultaneous decrease in financial health in the form of their expected default frequency. Our results have important implications for regulator and institutional investor decision-making and monitoring strategies: whether to use litigation to exert control on managers, even in the presence of dual holdings of debt and equity.
Modeling of Beams’ Multiple-Contact Mode with an Application in the Design of a High-g Threshold Microaccelerometer

Beam’s multiple-contact mode, characterized by multiple and discrete contact regions, non-uniform stoppers’ heights, irregular contact sequence, seesaw-like effect, indirect interaction between different stoppers, and complex coupling relationship between loads and deformation is studied. A novel analysis method and a novel high speed calculation model are developed for multiple-contact mode under mechanical load and electrostatic load, without limitations on stopper height and distribution, providing the beam has stepped or curved shape. Accurate values of deflection, contact load, contact region and so on are obtained directly, with a subsequent validation by CoventorWare. A new concept design of high-g threshold microaccelerometer based on multiple-contact mode is presented, featuring multiple acceleration thresholds of one sensitive component and consequently small sensor size.
Medical Social Work Practice and SARS in Singapore

Abstract This article reports on the findings of a qualitative study exploring the impact of SARS on social work practice in five different hospitals in Singapore. The study sought to examine the range of interventions adopted by 28 medical social workers and the theoretical orientations underpinning them. The findings discussed include the impact of infection control practices on social work intervention, the range of interventions undertaken, respondents' reflections and self-awareness, the role of values and ethics, creativity and training, and their recommendations for future emergencies. While the findings of the study relate specifically to hospital social work practice, the crisis and trauma nature of the work makes it applicable to a broader range of practice in these areas and a range of populations. The findings from this study could also inform the development of training programs for social work and other clinical health workers, and emergency management planning.
CARBANA: Carbon analysis program forprotein sequences

There are lots of works gone into proteins to understand the nature of proteins. Hydrophobic interaction is the dominant force that drives the proteins to carry out the biochemical reactions in all living system. Carbon is the only element that contributes towards this hydrophobic interaction. Studies find that globular proteins prefer to have 31.45% of carbon for its stability. Taking this as standard, a carbon analysis program has been developed to study the carbon distribution profile of protein sequences. This carbon analysis program has been made available online. This can be accessed at www.rajasekaran. net.in/tools/carbana.html. This new program is hoped to help in identification and development of active sites, study of protein stability, evolutionary understating of proteins, gene identification, ligand binding site identification, and to solve the long-standing problem of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions.
Granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor and multiple cycles of strongly myelosuppressive alkylator‐based combination chemotherapy in children with neuroblastoma

The authors assessed key effects of granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) used prophylactically with multiple cycles of strongly myelosuppressive alkylator‐based combination chemotherapy. To the authors' knowledge, no large study has focused on G‐CSF in this setting, yet this kind of treatment has recently become standard for poor risk pediatric solid tumors such as neuroblastoma.
ROLE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICIES IN CENTRAL CO-OPERATIVE BANKS

Human resources are a term used to describe the individuals who comprise the workforce of an organization. The use of the term 'human resources' by organizations to describe the workforce capacity available to devote to the achievement of its strategies has drawn upon concepts developed in Organizational Psychology. “Recruitment forms a major part of an organization's overall resourcing strategies, which identify and secure people needed for the organization to survive and succeed in the short to medium-term. ” “Selection is the process in which candidates for employment are divided into two classes, those who are offered employment and those who are not to be. ” Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational outcomes. With reference to this context, the research paper entitled Recruitment and Selection has been prepared to put a light on Recruitment and Selection process. The main objective is to identify general practices that organizations use to recruit and select employees and, to determine how the recruitment and selection practices affect employee efficiency in central cooperative banks. It is a conceptual study and mainly based on secondary data.
Characterization of a temperature-sensitive defect of enterovirus 70: effect of elevated temperature on in vitro transcription

A crude replication complex prepared from enterovirus 70-infected cells was used to study the temperature-sensitive characteristic of the virus. The complex showed a temperature sensitivity in the in vitro incorporation of radiolabeled ribonucleoside triphosphate. The endonuclease itself did not account for the restricted RNA synthesis at the nonpermissive temperature. Analyses of the in vitro products by both gel electrophoresis and sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed that the complex synthesized three types of viral RNA only when incubated for a short period of time at the nonpermissive temperature. When the replication complex was treated with a detergent (deoxycholic acid), incorporation of ribonucleoside triphosphate into RNA at the permissive temperature was reduced to the level of that at the nonpermissive temperature. In addition, the in vitro RNA synthesis by the enterovirus 70 replication complex at the permissive temperature required a higher concentration of ATP than of other ribonucleoside triphosphates, whereas such a preference for ATP was not found in the reaction at the nonpermissive temperature. The results indicate that the initiation step of RNA synthesis by the complex is blocked at the nonpermissive temperature. The possible implications of these findings are discussed.
No Adverse Effects of Medroxyprogesterone Treatment Without Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women: Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

Objective: To determine whether cyclic medroxyprogesterone treatment given without estrogen causes adverse symptoms in postmenopausal women. Methods: This was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial of 10 days/month of medroxyprogesterone and placebo treatments given during 2 consecutive months in random order. Participants recorded their physiologic and emotional experiences on a 0-4 scale using a daily diary form. Eleven postmenopausal women aged 43-63 completed the study. The subjects were not taking hormones. Height, weight, and serum estradiol concentration were measured once. In each woman, the sum of scores for the 10 days of medroxyprogesterone was compared to the sum of scores for the 10 days of placebo using nonparametric tests. Results: No significant differences in scores were found between the 10 days on medroxyprogesterone and the 10 days on placebo. The median and range for the composite scores for premenstrual-like symptoms were 26 (20-67) during medroxyprogesterone and 25 (19-40) during placebo (P= .39). Conclusions: Medroxyprogesterone given alone does not cause adverse symptoms in postmenopausal women. Therefore, medroxyprogesterone therapy, by itself, cannot explain the side effects reported by postmenopausal women taking combined hormones.
Genomic distribution of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in mouse kidney and its relationship with gene expression

Abstract Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) proteins oxidize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytonsie (5hmC). Our recent work found a decline in global 5hmC level in mouse kidney insulted by ischemia reperfusion (IR). However, the genomic distribution of 5hmC in mouse kidney and its relationship with gene expression remain elusive. Here, we profiled the DNA hydroxymethylome of mouse kidney by hMeDIP-seq and revealed that 5hmC is enriched in genic regions but depleted from intergenic regions. Correlation analyses showed that 5hmC enrichment in gene body is positively associated with gene expression level in mouse kidney. Moreover, IR injury-associated genes (both up- and down-regulated genes during renal IR injury) in mouse kidney exhibit significantly higher 5hmC enrichment in their gene body regions when compared to those un-changed genes. Collectively, our study not only provides the first DNA hydroxymethylome of kidney tissues but also suggests that DNA hyper-hydroxymethylation in gene body may be a novel epigenetic marker of IR injury-associated genes.
Cost-Effectiveness Based Performance Evaluation for Suppliers and Operations

This research establishes a cost-effectiveness based performance evaluation system for suppliers and operations. The purpose is to provide a methodology for “integrating supplier and manufacturer capabilities through a common goal, profitability improvement, based on towering the cost of purchased materials. ” The merits of measuring supplier quality performance using total involved quality cost (TIQC) include: 1) a common measurement language— money, and 2) very simple and visible numbers along with direct and indirect toss ratios to help management and employees understand the importance of doing things right the first time. This study investigated the interactions and mutual movements among the three groups in the supply chain, (supplier, manufacturer, and customer), and integrated the results from different stages (incoming inspection, internal customers, external customers) and identified severity levels for quality events (rejects, sorting, rework, shutdown, scrap, and customer returns). A TIQC along with a predetermined cost structure and the principle of management by objectives were developed and used in planning and establishing this evaluation system for supplier performance. Very satisfactory and exacting results were obtained in the system simulation and demonstration. The evaluation system using TIQC as proposed in this study can be very beneficial for manufacturers in selecting the best suppliers and driving operational quality improvements.
Metronidazole alone or with amoxicillin as adjuncts to non-surgical treatment of chronic periodontitis: a 1-year double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.

AIM To evaluate the effects of the adjunctive use of metronidazole (MTZ) or MTZ + amoxicillin (AMX) in the treatment of generalized chronic periodontitis (ChP). A secondary aim was to examine a possible added effect of chlorhexidine to these therapies. METHODS One hundred and eighteen subjects received scaling and root planing (SRP) only or with MTZ [400 mg/thrice a day (TID)] or MTZ+AMX (500 mg/TID) for 14 days. Half of the subjects in each group rinsed with 0.12% chlorhexidine twice a day (BID) for 2 months. Subjects were clinically monitored at baseline, 3, 6 and 12-months post-therapy. RESULTS The two antibiotic groups showed lower mean number of sites with probing depth (PD) ≥5 mm and fewer subjects exhibiting ≥9 of these sites at 1-year post-treatment. Logistic regression analysis showed that antibiotics were the only significant predictors of subjects presenting ≤4 sites with PD ≥5 mm at 1 year (MTZ+AMX: OR, 13.33; 95%CI, 3.75-47.39/p = 0.0000; MTZ: OR, 7.26; 95%CI, 2.26-23.30/p = 0.0004). The frequency of adverse events did not differ between the two antibiotic treatments (p > 0.05). The chlorhexidine subgroups showed a trend (p > 0.05) to present fewer residual sites ≥5 mm compared with the placebo subgroups at 1 year. CONCLUSION Treatment of generalized ChP is significantly improved by the adjunctive use of MTZ+AMX and MTZ.
Elektromiograficzna i kliniczna ocena skutecznoœci neuromobilizacji u chorych z zespo 3 ami bólowymi czêœci lêdŸwiowo-krzy ¿ owej krêgos 3 upa Electromyographic and Clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of Neuromobilization in Patients with Low Back Pain

1 Zak3ad Rehabilitacji Oddzia3u Fizjoterapii II WL, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny 2 Klinika Rehabilitacji Medycznej, Uniwersytet Medyczny, £ódŸ 3 Instytut Fizjoterapii, Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy, Kielce 4 Zak3ad Rehabilitacji Wojewódzkiego Specjalistycznego Szpitala Dzieciêcego, Kielce 1 Division of Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, 2 Medical Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw 2 Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Medical University of £ódŸ 3 Institute of Physiotherapy, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce 4 Rehabilitation Division, Regional Specialised Paediatric Hospital, Kielce