Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does tissue iron status have a role in female alopecia?

successfully treated with bath PUVA [9,12,13]. The number of treatments, cumulative UVA dose and duration of remission of these patients correspond with our results. Thus, bath PUVA is probably a highly efficient alternative to oral P W A and other treatment modalities, especially, as bath P W A lacks internal side effects and prolonged photosensitization. Further, the reduction of the cumulative W A dose can be achieved in bath P W A , and therefore may be less carcinogenic than oral PUVA [8,9]. In comparison to ordinary bath PUVA the main advantage of the foil bath method is the reduction of the volume of psoralen solution (5 1 vs. 150 1). Thereby, the cost of therapy can be reduced, especially, if the patient reuses his own foil in each treatment session. In conclusion, bath P W A seems to be a highly efficient and well-tolerated regimen in the treatment of LyP.
A Novel Membrane Protein Is a Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Receptor

ABSTRACT Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) infects a number of different cell types, including mammary gland and lymphoid cells, in vivo. To identify the cellular receptor for this virus, a mouse cDNA expression library was transfected into Cos-7 monkey kidney cells, and those transfected cells able to bind virus were selected by using antibody against the virus’s cell surface envelope protein, gp52. One clone isolated from a library prepared from newborn thymus RNA, called MTVR, was able to confer virus binding to both monkey and human cells; this binding was blocked by anti-MTVR antibody. Moreover, transfection of MTVR into CV1 cells rendered them susceptible to infection by a murine leukemia virus-based retrovirus vector pseudotyped with the MMTV envelope protein. An epitope-tagged MTVR cofractionated with cellular membranes. Coimmunoprecipitation of the MMTV envelope protein and a MTVR-rabbit Fc fusion protein showed that these two proteins bound to each other. The MTVR sequence clone is unique, shows no homology to known membrane proteins, and is transcribed in many tissues.
A Chimera of Interleukin 2 and a Binding Variant of Aerolysin Is Selectively Toxic to Cells Displaying the Interleukin 2 Receptor*

Aerolysin is a bacterial toxin that binds to glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP) on mammalian cells and oligomerizes, inserting into the target membranes and forming channels that cause cell death. We have made a variant of aerolysin, R336A, that has greatly reduced the ability to bind to GPI-AP, and as a result it is only very weakly active. Fusion of interleukin 2 (IL2) to the N terminus of R336A-aerolysin results in a hybrid that has little or no activity against cells that do not have an IL2 receptor because it cannot bind to the GPI-AP on the cells. Strikingly, the presence of the IL2 moiety allows this hybrid to bind to cells displaying high affinity IL2 receptors. Once bound, the hybrid molecules form insertion-competent oligomers. Cell death occurs at picomolar concentrations of the hybrid, whereas the same cells are insensitive to much higher concentrations of R336A-aerolysin lacking the IL2 domain. The targeted channel-forming hybrid protein may have important advantages as a therapeutic agent.
Heat transport and weakening of atmospheric stability induced by mesoscale flows

We present an analytical evaluation and interpretation on how diabatic heating of the convective boundary layer (CBL) is transported upward into the midtroposphere by mesoscale flows, and how the air mixes with the environment and therefore weakens the atmospheric static stability. The thermodynamic imprint on the free atmosphere due to the irreversible processes such as mixing, dissipation, and diffusion, associated with the mesoscale flow, is more clearly shown when the forcing is periodic in time. Convective mixing in the CBL accounts for a thermodynamic perturbation of the order of a few degrees, while mixing associated with the mesoscale activity accounts for a perturbation of the order of half a degree. To isolate this last effect, we prescribe a periodic forcing with a 1 day period, so over 24 hours, the net diabatic input averages to zero, and the contribution due to the advection cancels out. In this formulation the perturbation is solely due to irreversible processes associated with the mesoscale. These perturbations are relevant, since they are smaller, but of the same order of magnitude as perturbations associated with mesoscale advection and the CBL mixing. A more complete evaluation of the relative contribution to the atmospheric perturbations due to the mesoscale activity was completed using an initial value problem approach. In this case, there is a net transport of the diabatic heat induced by the mesoscale flow. As a consequence, when the mesoscale flow persists for several days, the static stability of the atmosphere is eroded by the combined action of the diabatic heat, CBL mixing, and transport and mixing due to the mesoscale activity. In this paper we first evaluate the contribution of the irreversible processes using a periodic in time forcing. Then we examine the atmospheric impact due to a sequence of several sea breeze days, starting from rest at time zero and letting the flow evolve as an initial value problem. Results suggest that perturbations associated with mesoscale flows generated by landscape variability are of climatological importance and need to be introduced in a parametric form in coarser large-scale models, as presently is done with turbulent subgrid CBL processes.
Weight gain following subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation: A PET study

Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain weight gain after deep brain stimulation (DBS), but none provides a fully satisfactory account of this adverse effect. We analyzed the correlation between changes in brain metabolism (using positron emission tomography [PET] imaging) and weight gain after bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS in patients with Parkinson's disease. Body mass index was calculated and brain activity prospectively measured using 2‐deoxy‐2[18F]fluoro‐D‐glucose 3 months before and 4 months after the start of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in 23 patients with Parkinson's disease. Motor complications (United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS]‐IV scores) and dopaminergic medication were included in the analysis to control for their possible influence on brain metabolism. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) body mass index increased significantly by 0.8 ± 1.5 kg/m2 (P = 0.03). Correlations were found between weight gain and changes in brain metabolism in limbic and associative areas, including the orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann areas [BAs] 10 and 11), lateral and medial parts of the temporal lobe (BAs 20, 21, 22,39 and 42), anterior cingulate cortex (BA 32), and retrosplenial cortex (BA 30). However, we found no correlation between weight gain and metabolic changes in sensorimotor areas. These findings suggest that changes in associative and limbic processes contribute to weight gain after subthalamic nucleus DBS in Parkinson's disease. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Enhancing Proficiency Acquisition in Gameplay Design: An Approach Based on Project Based Learning

Game Based Learning Systems (GBLSs) constitute motivating learning environments. However, despite of many years of research in the area, this kind of system has been used only in a few real learning situations since, its design, development and adaptation still face several barriers. In fact, GBLS design is a complex process. It requires the intervention of actors with specific skills and expertise. Unfortunately, novice game designers, who do not have enough skills inspired from both, educational systems and video games, cannot create relevant and successful GBLSs. To tackle this issue, we propose to assist designers through an Intelligent Tutoring System with good pedagogical practices where learning theories, game designers profiles and skills evaluation are taken into account. This paper, presents an approach that aims to enhance expertise knowledge acquisition for and during the gameplay design. The proposed approach is based on Project Based Learning (PBL) as well as IMS LD specifications.
Unilateral cerebellar hypoplasia and mesencephalic malformation in a Hanoverian foal

Summary Neurological cases, especially in foals, are rare in the daily practical work. The most common causes are traumata and infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). This case report provides further insights into the wide spectrum of possible neuropathological lesions by detailing a complex malformation with unilateral neurological signs that occurred later post natum. Thus, clinicians should also be aware of malformations in case of respective neurological patients. A Hanoverian foal was presented with progressive ataxia. General and blood examination revealed no further alterations. By neurologic examination, a unilateral hypermetria was diagnosed and a cysternography of the head was performed. A cerebellar malformation was assumed and the foal was euthanized due to poor prognosis. At necropsy, a unilateral absence of a cerebellar hemisphere and vermis accompanied by contralateral malformation of the mesencephalon was diagnosed. The missing areas of the right cerebellar hemisphere were replaced by a cystic formation. The left part of the mesencephalic lamina quadrigemina was reduced in size and the corpus callosum was hypoplastic. Additional microscopical findings were most obvious near the cyst formation and included angiofibrosis in remaining cerebellar and mesencephalic parenchyma and leptomeninges, heterotopia of cerebellar neurons, sclerosis in cerebellar cortex, focal proliferation of meningeal cells and mild mononuclear perivascular infiltrates. Occassional irregular neuronal arrangement in the mesencephalon was also present. Infectious agents such as Borna disease virus, rabies virus, and equine herpesvirus were not detected. Therefore, the complex malformation in this foal might have been caused by a destructive, possibly ischemic event, or could represent a sequel of a primary retrocerebellar cyst with accompanying compression of adjacent parenchyma.
What Does Imaging Add to the Management of Alzheimer's Disease?

Abstract The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia continues to rise. However, a significant number of patients are undiagnosed or untreated. Given the complexities of detecting cognitive impairment and the early signs of AD, this review discusses how advances in brain imaging can help assist in improving overall management. Imaging techniques and surrogate markers may provide unique opportunities to diagnose accurately AD in presymptomatic stages with practical consequences for patients, caregivers, and physicians. The possible outcomes for using imaging and surrogate markers as adjuncts to clinical examination and as screening tools for AD, as well as tangible and intangible advantages to early diagnosis and treatment, will be discussed. The specific value of using advanced serial imaging in patients with a genetic disposition to AD will be evaluated. If neurons can be protected from neurodegenerative damage in early stages, this may preserve patient cognition, function, and quality of life, and may confer considerable societal healthcare benefits.
Molecular characterization of Eimeria spp. from chicken by Polymerase Chain Reaction based on species-specific SCAR markers

Coccidiosis in chickens is one of the major problems of poultry industry that is caused by protozoan parasites of genus Eimeria . Present study was conducted to characterize the Eimeria species infecting poultry in different regions of Chittagong district of Bangladesh. Seven species of Eimeria including E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. brunetti, E. mitis, and E. praecox have been characterized using conventional PCR analysis through amplifying unique single copy sequences derived from sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. The present study is the first of its type to use molecular tools to identify Eimeria spp. infecting chicken in Bangladesh. The study indicates that the modern molecular technique involving PCR to detect the Eimeria species are more reliable and accurate than the traditional morphology-based technique.
Effects of tobramycin solution for inhalation on global ratings of quality of life in patients with cystic fibrosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection * †

In a previously published placebo‐controlled trial, tobramycin solution for inhalation (TSI) was shown to improve lung function and other outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The objectives of the current study were to examine the effects of TSI on global ratings of health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) by patients (or their parents) and physicians blind to group assignment, and to determine whether any perceived benefits persisted over time. The global ratings of HRQOL in 520 patients with CF and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 24 weeks of placebo or treatment with TSI 300 mg b.i. d. , both administered in cycles of 28 days on drug (or placebo) followed by 28 days off, for a total of three cycles. After each on‐drug cycle, patients or parents, and physicians, were asked to rate whether the patient's condition was better, unchanged, or worse.
Small head size is related to low Mini-Mental State Examination scores in a community sample of nondemented older adults

Article abstract The objective of this analysis was to determine the relationship, if any, of head size to performance on a cognitive screening test among elderly nondemented adults participating in a community-based survey. The study sample included 825 subjects (533 women, 292 men), age 70 to 95 years. Multivariate analyses, with adjustment for age and education, revealed that smaller head size was associated with low Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (i.e., below the 10th percentile) in both men and women. For every 1-centimeter increment in head size, there was a corresponding reduction of \f20% in the probability of a low MMSE score.
Use of cattle farm resources by badgers (Meles meles) and risk of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) transmission to cattle

Nocturnal observations, radio telemetry and time–lapse camera surveillance were used to investigate visits by badgers (Meles meles L.) to two cattle farms. During 59 half–nights (ca. 295 h) of observation and 17 nights (ca. 154 h) of camera surveillance, 139 separate visits to farm buildings, by at least 26 individually identifiable badgers from two social groups, were recorded. The badgers, which included three individuals infected with bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis), used cowsheds, feedsheds, barns, haystacks, slurry pits, cattle troughs and farmyards to exploit a range of food resources, including cattle feed and silage. Cattle feed was contaminated with badger faeces and badgers also came into close contact with cattle. The minimum number of badgers visiting farm buildings per night was negatively correlated with local 24 h rainfall. We conclude that exploitation by badgers of resources provided by cattle farms constitutes a potentially important mechanism for tuberculosis transmission from badgers to cattle.
Evaluation of the risk of anti-SSA/Ro-SSB/La antibody-associated cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus in fetuses of mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus exposed to hydroxychloroquine

Background Based on the potential involvement of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling in the pathogenesis of neonatal lupus (NL), it was hypothesised that fetal exposure to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a TLR inhibitor, might reduce the risk of anti-SSA/Ro/SSB/La antibody-associated cardiac manifestations of NL (cardiac-NL). Methods Cardiac-NL children (N=50) and controls (N=151) were drawn from the following overlapping pregnancy studies: Research Registry for NL; PR Interval and Dexamethasone Evaluation in Cardiac-NL; and Predictors of Pregnancy Outcomes: Biomarkers in Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Pregnancies met the following inclusion criteria: documentation of maternal anti-SSA/Ro/SSB/La antibodies at pregnancy, confirmation of medication use and child's outcome, a diagnosis of SLE before pregnancy and birth by 31 December 2007. Results Seven (14%) of the cardiac-NL children were exposed to HCQ compared with 56 (37%) of the controls (p=0.002; OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.63). Cases and controls were similar with respect to demographic and antibody status. Multivariable analysis adjusting for birth year, maternal race/ethnicity, antibody status, non-fluorinated steroid use and prior cardiac-NL risk yielded an OR associated with HCQ use of 0.46 (95% CI 0.18 to 1.18; p=0.10). Conclusion This case–control study suggests that, in mothers with SLE with anti-SSA/Ro/SSB/La antibodies, exposure to HCQ during pregnancy may decrease the risk of fetal development of cardiac-NL. Prospective studies are needed for confirmation.
p120 Is a Major Substrate of Tyrosine Phosphorylation upon B Cell Antigen Receptor Stimulation and Interacts in Vivo with Fyn and Syk Tyrosine Kinases, Grb2 and Shc Adaptors, and the p85 Subunit of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (*)

We and others have demonstrated that the c-cbl proto-oncogene product is one of the earliest targets of tyrosine phosphorylation upon T cell receptor stimulation. Given the similarities in the B and T lymphocyte antigen receptors, and the induction of pre-B leukemias in mice by the v-cbl oncogene, we examined the potential involvement of Cbl in B cell receptor signaling. We demonstrate prominent and early tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl upon stimulation of human B cell lines through surface IgM. Cbl was associated in vivo with Fyn and, to a lesser extent, other Src family kinases. B cell activation also induced a prominent association of Cbl with Syk tyrosine kinase. A substantial fraction of Cbl was constitutively associated with Grb2 and this interaction was mediated by Grb2 SH3 domains. Tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc, which prominently associated with Grb2, was detected in association with Cbl in activated B cells. Thus, Grb2 and Shc adaptors, which associate with immunoreceptor tyrosine based activation motifs, may link Cbl to the B cell receptor. B cell activation also induced a prominent association between Cbl and the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase resulting in the association of a substantial fraction of PI 3-kinase activity with Cbl. Thus, Cbl is likely to play an important role to couple the B cell receptor to the PI 3-kinase pathway. Our results strongly suggest a role for p120 in signaling downstream of the B cell receptor and support the idea that Cbl participates in a general signal transduction function downstream of the immune cell surface receptors.
Analysis of spontaneous base substitutions generated in mismatch-repair-deficient strains of Escherichia coli

We used the lacI system of Escherichia coli to examine the distribution of base substitution mutations occurring spontaneously in different mismatch-repair-deficient strains. The examination of almost 1,200 nonsense mutations generated in strains carrying the mutS, mutH, and mutU alleles confirmed that transitions are highly favored over transversions. The detailed analysis of relative mutation rates at different sites revealed that the pattern of hot spots and cold spots is strikingly similar in each of the three strain backgrounds, strongly supporting the notions that the products of the three genes are part of the same system and that in the absence of any of the components the entire system fails to function. The distribution of mutations occurring in the absence of mismatch repair defined a pronounced topography of the lacI gene. There was no obvious correlation of the hot spots or cold spots with either nearest-neighbor sequences or A X T richness of the immediate surrounding sequence.
Mutation searching in colorectal cancer studies: experience with a denaturing high‐pressure liquid chromatography system for exon‐by‐exon scanning of tumour suppressor genes

Aims: In hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) disorders such as familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non‐polyposis colon cancer, the identification of germline mutations greatly assists in the clinical management of families. In addition, study of somatic mutations in the cancers themselves (both hereditary and sporadic) has been fundamental in the elucidation of the initiation and progression of CRC. Many of the genes underlying CRC development are large; hence mutation screening is a timeconsuming and labour‐intensive process requiring a rapid and accurate alternative to gel‐based systems such as single‐strand confirmational polymorphism (SSCP) or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Here we report our progress using denaturing gradient high‐pressure liquid chromatography (DHPLC) in the screening of the mismatch repair genes MLH1 and MSH2 and in screening the APC and HPP1 tumour suppressor genes for mutations. Methods: Genomic DNA was amplified using intronic primer sets spanning individual exons in the gene(s) under study. PCR products were subjected to DHPLC and the resultant chromatographs were compared with those of normal controls and aberrant peaks identified. Amplified products with aberrant peaks in the study samples underwent manual sequencing to confirm the presence of sequence variants. Results: The proportion of amplified fragments showing aberrant peaks (hits) ranged from 18 to 30% and in the case of every gene, more than 80% of these could be confirmed as a sequence variant by manual sequencing. The highest rate was found in HPP1, where all hits were found to be sequence variants, and the lowest rate was found in MSH2, where manual sequencing failed to find a sequence variant in 17% of the hits attained. Mutations varied in their nature from directly truncating through splice variants to missense and deletion mutations. Traces for each mutation displayed unique shapes and both deletions and single base changes were equally dramatic. During the mutation scanning many polymorphisms presented as aberrant peaks, as would be expected. Importantly, the same polymorphism gave an identical chromatographic tracing between individuals, opening the possibility to identify common polymorphisms on pattern recognition alone. There remains, though, the possibility that rare pathogenic variants may assume an identical shape. Conclusions: The results indicate that DHPLC is a sensitive and efficient technique for screening of DNA for sequence variants. Given that polymorphisms comprised the largest proportion of variants found in each gene (66‐100%), excluding these by pattern recognition would markedly reduce the amount of sequencing required.
Indirect simultaneous positioning of deformable objects with multi-pinching fingers based on an uncertain model

A new approach to the control of indirect simultaneous positioning of deformable objects is presented. Many manufacturing processes that deal with deformable objects such as clothes and rubber sheets involve a positioning of multiple points on a deformable object. The multiple points should be guided simultaneously to the desired locations. Moreover, these positioned points cannot be manipulated directly. This operation is referred to as indirect simultaneous positioning. In this article, we will propose a new control law for indirect simultaneous positioning of a deformable object based on its uncertain model and will show the robustness of the proposed control law. First, a simplified physical model of a deformable object is developed for its positioning operation. Second, indirect simultaneous positioning of an extensible object is formulated. Based on a linearized model of an extensible object, we will propose a novel control law for indirect simultaneous positioning. Next, we will prove the robustness of the proposed control law theoretically. Finally, experimental results will show the robustness of our proposed control law against the discrepancy between a real fabric and its uncertain model.