Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Species-Specific Primer for Identification of Anopheles quadriannulatus sp. B (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ethiopia Using a Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay

Abstract Anopheles quadriannulatus Theobald historically has been reported from southern Africa, Zanzibar islands, and Ethiopia. However, based on evidences of genetic incompatibility between crosses of South African and Ethiopian populations, the population from Ethiopia was recently reported as a distinct species designated as An. quadriannulatus sp. B. An. quadriannulatus sp. A, denoted the southern African population. To distinguish the two populations, the IGS (intergenic spacer) region of rDNA was sequenced to design a primer specific for An. quadriannulatus sp. B. A cocktail polymerase chain reaction (PCR) involving Anopheles gambiae Giles universal (UN) primer, the new primer and other primers specific for members of the An. gambiae complex produced the expected diagnostic products for the respective species. Using extracted DNA and crushed body parts as sources of template DNA, this assay was reliably used to identify samples of An. quadriannulatus sp. B.
Critical appraisal of the mouse model of myocardial infarction

In order to critically evaluate the utility of a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI) for therapeutic studies, we investigated survival, haemodynamic measurements and histopathology in mice with an occluding suture placed at one of three distinct sites along the left anterior descending coronary artery. The suture was placed at the atrioventricular juncture (High), or at two sites more distally towards the base (Middle and Low). In the High group, only 33% of animals survived 7 days after MI (P < 0.05 compared to all other groups). Only the Middle group had significantly reduced haemodynamics compared to sham‐operated animals (maximum left ventricular pressure: 55.9 ± 3.5 versus 80.8 ± 5.1 mmHg, maximum change in pressure over time : 2003 ± 172 versus 4402 ± 491, P < 0.01). Histological examination showed morphological changes in all MI groups. The Middle group had larger lesions than the Low group (P < 0.05). Lesions in the anterior and lateral walls correlated, albeit weakly, with cardiac function. Power calculations indicated that, despite a certain amount of intragroup variation, the Middle Suture model may be useful for therapeutic studies to assess the effects of treatment on cardiac function and overall lesion size.
Raman and morphological characteristics of carbon nanotubes depending on substrate temperatures by chemical vapor deposition

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films were synthesized at low pressure using nickel as catalyst by thermal chemical vapor deposition with hydrogen-acetylene mixture. The Raman characteristics and morphological features of CNTs at different substrate temperatures were investigated. The variation of CNTs morphological feature mainly depends on the substrate temperatures. In the low temperature range (450-550degC), the film consists of graphite particles and CNTs mixture with some amorphous phase. With increase the temperature (550-650degC), the tube content increases, and the tube diameter decreases. At high temperature range (700-800degC), the film consists of CNTs and nanoparticles mixture. Raman spectroscopy results show that the intensity ratio ID/IG of the G- and D-band has a maximum at the medium temperature of 600degC, and the width of G band becomes narrow with the substrate temperature. The growth behaviors of CNTs at different temperatures are discussed based on the experimental results.
Comprehensive testing of positionally cloned asthma genes in two populations.

RATIONALE Replication of gene-disease associations has become a requirement in complex trait genetics. OBJECTIVES In studies of childhood asthma from two different ethnic groups, we attempted to replicate associations with five potential asthma susceptibility genes previously identified by positional cloning. METHODS We analyzed two family-based samples ascertained through an asthmatic proband: 497 European-American children from the Childhood Asthma Management Program and 439 Hispanic children from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. We genotyped 98 linkage disequilibrium-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five genes: ADAM33, DPP10, GPR154 (HUGO name: NPSR1), HLA-G, and the PHF11 locus (includes genes SETDB2 and RCBTB1). SNPs were tested for association with asthma and two intermediate phenotypes: airway hyperresponsiveness and total serum immunoglobulin E levels. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Despite differing ancestries, linkage disequilibrium patterns were similar in both cohorts. Of the five evaluated genes, SNP-level replication was found only for GPR154 (NPSR1). In this gene, three SNPs were associated with asthma in both cohorts, although the opposite alleles were associated in either study. Weak evidence for locus-level replication with asthma was found in the PHF11 locus, although there was no overlap in the associated SNP across the two cohorts. No consistent associations were observed for the three other genes. CONCLUSIONS These results provide some further support for the role of genetic variation in GPR154 (NPSR1) and PHF11 in asthma susceptibility and also highlight the challenges of replicating genetic associations in complex traits such as asthma, even for genes identified by linkage analysis.
Antecedents of Green Purchase Behaviour: An Examination of Moderating Role of Green Wash Fear

This study was designed to examine the effect of customer perceived green wash fear on certain critical antecedents that develop green purchase intentions among customers. The major antecedents such as customer perceived eco-literacy, perceived individual benefits, perceived customer effectiveness and perceived customer social responsibility were identified from prior empirical evidence. The skepticism in the minds of the customer about green claims was demonstrated by verifying the moderating role of perceived green wash fear on development of green purchase behaviour. The constructs in this study were conceptualized as reflective or formative based on theoretical considerations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in which perceptions of 188 retail customers from Cochin area in Kerala state of India were collected using a structured questionnaire. Variance-based structural equation modelling was used to analyze the linkage among variables of importance. The study found that, other than perceived customer effectiveness, all other variables significantly developed green purchase intentions. The perceived green wash fear was found to be significantly moderating all significant antecedents in the theoretical framework. The study concluded that for sustainable development, green-wash practices should be curbed effectively and customers should be properly and correctly informed about green properties of the products.
Effects of a New Positioner on the Precision of Hip Bone Mineral Density Measurements

In an attempt to reduce patient positioning errors, the authors tested the use of a new hip‐specific positioning tool, OsteoDyne's Hip Positioner System (HPS). The HPS is an “A” frame splint designed to abduct both legs approximately 15° to hold them in full extension at the hips and knees and to lock the feet in a neutral position. Seventy volunteer women aged 35–82 years were randomly assigned in two age‐matched groups (mean age 56 years). Each group underwent two consecutive femur dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans with intermediate repositioning using the HPS system and two others utilizing the standard hip positioner provided with Hologic and Lunar scanners. One technician performed all scans using a Hologic QDR 1000‐Plus and Lunar DPX‐Plus densitometer. One hundred and fifty volunteer women aged 50–84 years (mean age, 64 years) were recruited in a multicenter study for the assessment of precision. Each subject underwent three consecutive femur DXA scans with intermediate repositioning using the HPS system. The coefficient of variation (CV) was significantly improved at the femoral neck by the use of the HPS with 0.7 versus 1.2 with the Hologic densitometer but only moderately altered at other sites. Similar results were found with the Lunar densitometer with improvement of precision at the femoral neck, 0.8 versus 1.8 with a similar trend but no significant difference at the other regions. No statistical difference was noted between the femoral neck BMD measured with the HPS system and with the standard positioners in either group. The mean precision of data obtained on the QDR 1000+ was 0.8% (range 0.1–1.4) for the femoral neck BMD, 1.1% (range 0.1–3.0) for the trochanter BMD, 2.3% (range 0.2–5.2) for Ward's triangle BMD, and 0.8% (range 0.1–1.9) for the total femur BMD. The mean precision of data obtained on the QDR 2000 was 0.7% (range 0.1–2), 1% (range 0.1–4.9), 2.6% (range 0.3–5.7), and 0.7% (range 0.1–1.8), respectively. In conclusion, data obtained with the new OsteoDyne's HPS seem capable of reducing patient positioning errors for the hip measurement. Its use is likely to improve confidence in hip bone mineral density measurements.
Extensive spatial genetic structure revealed by AFLP but not SSR molecular markers in the wind‐pollinated tree, Fagus sylvatica

Studies of fine‐scale spatial genetic structure (SGS) in wind‐pollinated trees have shown that SGS is generally weak and extends over relatively short distances (less than 30–40 m) from individual trees. However, recent simulations have shown that detection of SGS is heavily dependent on both the choice of molecular markers and the strategy used to sample the studied population. Published studies may not always have used sufficient markers and/or individuals for the accurate estimation of SGS. To assess the extent of SGS within a population of the wind‐pollinated tree Fagus sylvatica, we genotyped 200 trees at six microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and 250 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and conducted spatial analyses of pairwise kinship coefficients. We re‐sampled our data set over individuals and over loci to determine the effect of reducing the sample size and number of loci used for SGS estimation. We found that SGS estimated from AFLP markers extended nearly four times further than has been estimated before using other molecular markers in this species, indicating a persistent effect of restricted gene flow at small spatial scales. However, our SSR‐based estimate was in agreement with other published studies. Spatial genetic structure in F. sylvatica and similar wind‐pollinated trees may therefore be substantially larger than has been estimated previously. Although 100–150 AFLP loci and 150–200 individuals appear sufficient for adequately estimating SGS in our analysis, 150–200 individuals and six SSR loci may still be too few to provide a good estimation of SGS in this species.
A randomised, controlled trial of a 4% cutaneous emulsion of sodium cromoglicate in treatment of atopic dermatitis in children

ABSTRACT Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Sodium cromoglicate (SCG) is a chromone with anti-inflammatory, anti-itch and anti-allergic activity. This trial is a 12-week comparison (RCT) of a 4% SCG cutaneous emulsion with its vehicle in AD. Materials and methods: 208 children aged 2–12 years participated, 104 in each group. The primary endpoint was change in SCORAD score. Secondary endpoints included SASSAD score, topical steroid usage and global assessments. Results: SCORAD was reduced by 28% (SCG group) and by 19% (vehicle): difference was statistically significant (p = 0.03) after 8 weeks and nearly significant (p = 0.09) after 12. A similar result occurred in SASSAD (p = 0.001 at 8 weeks). In subjects without major protocol deviations (SCG-64, vehicle-63), difference in SCORAD remained significant at 12 weeks (p = 0.04). Weight of topical steroids reduced in both groups: −0.60 ± 1.3 g/day (35%), SCG and −0.05 ± 1.1 g/day vehicle (p = 0.04). Treatment success, defined as investigator global opinion graded very or moderately effective, was significantly more frequent in SCG group (p = 0.025). Application site discomfort reported by 12.5% of subjects in SCG group and 16.5% in vehicle group. Conclusions: SCG 4% cutaneous emulsion provides an effective, well-tolerated, steroid-sparing treatment for AD in children.
Establishment of a human polyclonal oral epithelial cell line.

OBJECTIVE To develop a human oral epithelial cell line to constitute a continuous source of cells readily available for human oral epithelial cell research. STUDY DESIGN Oral epithelial cells from a 30-week gestational, stillborn male fetus were grown in serum-free medium and transfected by lipid-mediation with the shuttle vector plasmid, pZ189, containing the T-antigen coding region and replication origin from the SV40 virus. RESULTS Resulting cultures produced foci of rapidly multiplying cells that failed to senesce, in contrast to controls. The transformed culture, designated GMSM-K, was polyclonal. The original culture possessed a normal human male karyotype, and the transformed line was largely hypotetraploid. Multiple clones, isolated from soft agar studies and low density plating, showed decreased doubling times. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry confirmed an epithelial phenotype. Cells did not generate tumors in nude mice. CONCLUSION Few human epithelial cell lines are available to investigators and most are tumor-derived. The nontumor-derived GMSM-K line has value as a resource for human oral epithelial cell research.
Testing MIMO systems with coupled reverberation chambers: A wideband channel model

In this paper, a new testbed composed of two reverberation chambers coupled through a waveguide is presented. A new wideband channel model for this testbed is emphasized. The theory about the waveguide coupling the two chambers is first reminded leading to a full description of the channel model. This model includes all the characteristics of the environment like the possibility to reproduce the number of degrees of freedom in the channel and the correlation between antennas. Some simulation results are presented showing a good agreement with theoretical and measurements results.
Prospective Evaluation of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Elastography and High-Frequency B-Mode Ultrasound in Compensated Patients for the Diagnosis of Liver Fibrosis/Cirrhosis in Comparison to Mini-Laparoscopic Biopsy

Abstract Purpose: Ultrasound is a well-established noninvasive test for assessing patients with liver disease. This study aims to prospectively compare ultrasound to the new technique elastography (ARFI) for the assessment of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: High-frequency B-mode ultrasound (liver surface/vein irregularity, liver homogeneity, spleen size), ARFI quantification, mini-laparoscopic liver evaluation including biopsy were prospectively obtained in compensated patients scheduled for liver biopsy. For the diagnosis of cirrhosis, a combined gold standard (cirrhosis at histology and/or at macroscopic liver evaluation) was used. Results: Out of 157 patients, 35 patients were diagnosed cirrhotic. Ultrasound (combination of liver vein and/or surface irregularity) showed no significant difference compared to ARFI quantification for the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis (Ishak> = 3) and cirrhosis. Diagnosis of cirrhosis had a sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV of 83 %(± 12) / 82 %(± 7) / 57 %(± 14) / 94 %(± 4), respectively, with ultrasound and 86 %(± 12) / 81 %(± 7) / 57 %(± 13) / 95 %(± 4), respectively, with ARFI quantification. The sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV for the detection of significant fibrosis were 68 %(± 13) / 86 %(± 7) / 71 %(± 13) / 84 %(± 7), respectively, for ultrasound and 70 %(± 12) / 84 %(± 7) / 69 %(± 12) / 84 %(± 7), respectively, for ARFI quantification. Conclusion: ARFI elastography and high-frequency B-mode ultrasound show similar and good results for the diagnosis of compensated liver cirrhosis and high-grade fibrosis. A key benefit of both methods is the high NPV suggesting them as noninvasive exclusion tests.
Effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on fatty acid status and visual function in treated children with hyperphenylalaninemia.

BACKGROUND Children with phenylalanine-hydroxylase deficiency (type-I hyperphenylalaninemia, HPA) follow a low-phenylalanine diet, severely restricted in animal foods and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). Consequently, they have a poor LCPUFA status, particularly for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is relevant to visual and neural development. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of a 12-month supplementation with LCPUFA in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in treated children with HPA. STUDY DESIGN Twenty children with well-controlled HPA were randomly allocated to receive either a fat supplement (supplying 26% as fatty acids including DHA, 8%) or a placebo. The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte lipids and the visual evoked potentials were measured at baseline and after 12 months of supplementation. Reference data were obtained from healthy children of comparable age. RESULTS At baseline children with HPA had a poorer DHA status and prolonged P100 wave latencies than the reference group. At the end of the trial the LCPUFA group showed a significant increase in DHA levels of erythrocyte lipids. In the LCPUFA group P100 wave latency decreased and was negatively associated with the DHA changes. CONCLUSIONS A balanced dietary supplementation with LCPUFA in children with HPA is associated with an increase of the DHA pool and improved visual function.
Impact of Tumor Purity on Immune Gene Expression and Clustering Analyses across Multiple Cancer Types

The impact of tumor purity on assessing relationships between gene expression and clinicopathological features is unclear. With the use of TCGA data, less pure samples could confound correlations with gene expression, mutation burdens, gene clustering, and molecular taxonomy. Surgical archives of tumor specimens are often impure. The presence of RNA transcripts from nontumor cells, such as immune and stromal cells, can impede analyses of cancer expression profiles. To systematically analyze the impact of tumor purity, the gene expression profiles and tumor purities were obtained for 7,794 tumor specimens across 21 tumor types (available in The Cancer Genome Atlas consortium). First, we observed that genes with roles in immunity and oxidative phosphorylation were significantly inversely correlated and correlated with the tumor purity, respectively. The expression of genes implicated in immunotherapy and specific immune cell genes, along with the abundance of immune cell infiltrates, was substantially inversely correlated with tumor purity. This relationship may explain the correlation between immune gene expression and mutation burden, highlighting the need to account for tumor purity in the evaluation of expression markers obtained from bulk tumor transcriptome data. Second, examination of cluster membership of gene pairs, with or without controlling for tumor purity, revealed that tumor purity may have a substantial impact on gene clustering across tumor types. Third, feature genes for molecular taxonomy were analyzed for correlation with tumor purity, and for some tumor types, feature genes representing the mesenchymal and classical subtypes were inversely correlated and correlated with tumor purity, respectively. Our findings indicate that tumor purity is an important confounder in evaluating the correlation between gene expression and clinicopathologic features such as mutation burden, as well as gene clustering and molecular taxonomy. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(1); 87–97. ©2017 AACR.
Portfolio assessment in medical students' final examinations

The introduction of an outcome-based approach to education at Dundee Medical School in Scotland instigated a search for assessment methods that would appropriately assess the students' achievements in terms of the learning outcomes. Portfolio assessment has been developed for this purpose and has been adopted for the summative assessment of students in their final examination in Dundee. The contents of the portfolio and the assessment process have been defined and the first cohort of students to be assessed in this way has been studied. The evaluation of the approach demonstrated strong staff support. Students were also positive although with some reservations. It is concluded that portfolio assessment is a powerful approach to assessing a range of curriculum outcomes not easily assessed by other methods and is worthy of inclusion in the assessor's toolkit.
Multiple Doses of Sitagliptin, a Selective DPP‐4 Inhibitor, Do Not Meaningfully Alter Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Warfarin

Sitagliptin is an orally active, highly selective dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP‐4) inhibitor for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This randomized, open‐label, 2‐part, 2‐period crossover study assessed pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of warfarin in the presence/absence of multiple‐dose sitagliptin. Twelve participants received treatments A and B separated by >7‐day washout: treatment A involved coadministration of sitagliptin 200 mg/d for 11 days (days 1–11) and warfarin 30 mg on day 5, and treatment B involved warfarin 30 mg alone on day 1. R(+) warfarin, S(−) warfarin, and international normalized ratio (INR) were assayed predose and up to 168 hours postdose. The geometric mean ratios (GMRs; warfarin + sitagliptin/warfarin alone) (90% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 0.99 (0.95, 1.03) and 0.95 (0.90, 1.02) for the AUC0‐∞ of R(+) and S(−) warfarin, respectively. GMRs (warfarin + sitagliptin/warfarin alone) (90% CIs) were 0.89 (0.86, 0.93) and 0.89 (0.86, 0.92) for the Cmax of R(+) and S(−) warfarin, respectively. INR AUC0–168 h and INRmax GMRs were 1.01 (0.96, 1.06) and 1.08 (1.00, 1.17), respectively. Coadministration of sitagliptin and warfarin was generally well tolerated. Pharmacokinetics (AUC for R(+) and S(−) warfarin) and pharmacodynamics (INR of R(+) or S(−) warfarin) were not meaningfully altered following coadministration of multiple‐dose sitagliptin and single‐dose warfarin, indicating that no dosage adjustment for warfarin is necessary when coadministered with sitagliptin.
Weighted student funding in the Netherlands: A model for the U.S.?

Although a relatively new idea in the U.S., weighted student funding (WSF) for individual schools has a long history in the Netherlands. This country of about 16.5 million people has been using a version of WSF for all its primary schools (serving children from age 4 to 12) for 25 years. In this article we describe and evaluate the Dutch system and explore what insights there might be for the U.S., taking into account the very different cultural and normative contexts of the two countries. We find that, compared to those with few weighted students, Dutch schools with high proportions of weighted students have almost 60 percent more teachers per pupil as well as more support staff per teacher. Even these large resource advantages, however, are not sufficient by themselves to eliminate all quality shortfalls in the high‐weight schools, where quality is measured by school policies and practices. We conclude that weighted student funding for schools within districts in the U.S. is not likely to deliver the same highly progressive funding patterns as in the Netherlands because of the complex, multilayered U.S. education system and the absence of a political consensus in favor of generous weights. © 2011 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.