Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuronal differentiation associated with Gli3 expression predicts favorable outcome for patients with medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant cerebellar tumor arising in children, and its ontogenesis is regulated by Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling. No data are available regarding the correlation between expression of Gli3, a protein lying downstream of Shh, and neuronal differentiation of MB cells, or the prognostic significance of these features. We re‐evaluated the histopathological features of surgical specimens of MB taken from 32 patients, and defined 15 of them as MB with neuronal differentiation (ND), three as MB with both glial and neuronal differentiation (GD), and 14 as differentiation‐free (DF) MB. Gli3‐immunoreactivity (IR) was evident as a clear circular stain outlining the nuclei of the tumor cells. The difference in the frequency of IR between the ND+GD (94.4%) and DF (0%) groups was significant (P < 0.001). The tumor cells with ND showed IR for both Gli3 and neuronal nuclei. Ultrastructurally, Gli3‐IR was observed at the nuclear membrane. The overall survival and event‐free survival rates of the patients in the ND group were significantly higher than those in the other groups. The expression profile of Gli3 is of considerable significance, and the association of ND with this feature may be prognostically favorable in patients with MB.
Epstein‐Barr virus genomes are found predominantly in IgA‐positive B cells in the blood of healthy carriers

B lymphocytes have been identified as the main reservoir of latent Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) in healthy virus carriers. We have established a semi‐quantitative PCR method to estimate the EBV genome load in the blood B‐cell subpopulation in healthy individuals. EBV DNA was detected in subfractionated IgM‐, IgG‐ and IgA‐positive B cells. Between 80% and 90% of the viral DNA was found in the IgA‐positive compared with the IgA‐negative fraction. Int. J. Cancer 83:50–54, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exploratory search for relevant features of the impact of leadership on team performance

This research explores the link between team leadership and team performance. Firstly, it is argued here that leadership performance is positively related to team performance. Secondly, it is hypothesized that leaders' personality profiles have an impact on their leadership performance. Thirdly, it is postulated that team role balance is also associated with team performance. Results show that the leadership performance of 4th-year student leaders is significantly related to the performance of the IDP teams that they lead; that is to say, the better the leadership performance the better the team performance. Results also demonstrate that the leader students' personality profile may impact on their leadership performance. The results showed no association between team role balance and the performance of the IDP teams.
Treatment of acute renal failure secondary to multiple myeloma with chemotherapy and extended high cut-off hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Extended hemodialysis using a high cut-off dialyzer (HCO-HD) removes large quantities of free light chains in patients with multiple myeloma. However, the clinical utility of this method is uncertain. This study assessed the combination of chemotherapy and HCO-HD on serum free light chain concentrations and renal recovery in patients with myeloma kidney (cast nephropathy) and dialysis-dependent acute renal failure. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS An open-label study of the relationship between free light chain levels and clinical outcomes in 19 patients treated with standard chemotherapy regimens and HCO-HD. RESULTS There were sustained early reductions in serum free light chain concentrations (median 85% [range 50 to 97]) in 13 patients. These 13 patients became dialysis independent at a median of 27 d (range 13 to 120). Six patients had chemotherapy interrupted because of early infections and did not achieve sustained early free light chain reductions; one of these patients recovered renal function (at 105 d) the remaining 5 patients did not recover renal function. Patients who recovered renal function had a significantly improved survival (P < 0.012). CONCLUSION In dialysis-dependent acute renal failure secondary to myeloma kidney, patients who received uninterrupted chemotherapy and extended HCO-HD had sustained reductions in serum free light chain concentrations and recovered independent renal function.
Pattern of Failure Analysis in Metastatic EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors to Identify Candidates for Consolidation Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

Introduction: The role of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with metastatic lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations is not defined. We evaluated the pattern of failure in patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy to identify candidates for consolidation SBRT. Methods: Computed tomography scans were reviewed in a cohort of EGFR-mutant patients enrolled on prospective TKI trials. Initial progression in sites of original disease (primary/metastatic) or new sites was classified as original site failure (OF) or distant site failure (DF), respectively. Simultaneous OF/DF was labeled ODF. Disease characteristics were analyzed for associations with patterns of failure using actuarial competing risks methodology. Results: Complete serial imaging was available in 49 patients with measurable disease. Median time to any progression was 8.3 months. The majority failed initially in original disease sites with OF, ODF, and DF frequencies being 47.0%, 32.6%, and 20.4%, respectively. Primary tumor size was the most significant predictor of OF in univariate and multivariate analysis (p = 0.004). Median time to progression was 3 months shorter in patients with OF compared with DF. Ten patients (20%) were retroactively classified as consolidation SBRT candidates based on the extent of disease at time of best response to TKI therapy, and in seven of these, initial progression occurred in original tumor sites. Conclusion: Initial progression of TKI-treated cancers occurred predominantly in original disease sites. Consolidation SBRT was judged feasible in a subset of patients following maximum TKI response and may have prevented oligoprogression in most of these. In addition, we hypothesize that consolidation SBRT for residual disease could delay subsequent metastatic reseeding.
Optimal Constellations Design for Trellis Coded Unitary Space-Time Modulation

We give a new formulation of the problem of signal design based on the design criteria for trellis coded unitary space-time communication system. Two key differences in our approach from that of previous method are that we not only combine the constellation design and set partition process together, we also use directly the Chernoff bound of the pairwise probability of error as design metric, which is a better figure of merit than previously used chordal distance, for unitary constellation design. By novelty employing a theorem for the Clarke subdifferential of the sum of the k largest singular values of the unitary matrix, we present a numerical optimization procedure for finding good constellations and report the best signal constellations found. Simulation results show that these constellations improve significantly upon the previously used constellations of unitary space-time signals
Top-down mass spectrometry of integral membrane proteins

Top-down mass spectrometry focuses on intact proteins, thereby avoiding loss of information accompanying ‘shotgun’ protocols that reduce the proteome to a collection of peptides. A suite of liquid-chromatography technologies has been developed for purification of intact integral membrane proteins in aqueous/organic solvent mixtures compatible with biological ‘soft-ionization’ mass spectrometry, preserving covalent structure into the gas phase. Multiply charged protein ions are fragmented in the gas phase, using either collision-activated or electron-capture dissociation, thus yielding complex spectra of sequence-dependent product ions that collectively define the original native covalent state of an intact protein. Top down offers a more detail-orientated approach to post-transcriptional and post-translational diversity allowing an enhanced insight beyond genomic translation, which has now extended into the bilayer proteome.
Tunable dispersion slope compensator with a chirped fiber grating and a divided thin-film heater for 160-Gb/s RZ transmissions

We have developed the tunable dispersion slope compensator with a chirped fiber grating and a divided thin-film heater composed of 32 thin-film heaters for single-channel 160-Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) transmission. We successfully demonstrated the dispersion slope change between -20 and +20 ps/nm/sup 2/ and ability of this dispersion slope compensation in 160-Gb/s RZ transmission by the simulations.
Female Genital Schistosomiasis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

A 37-year-old woman, originally from South Africa, presented for a gynecologic examination. Speculum examination revealed a friable cervical lesion. Both the cervical smear and biopsy contained intact, viable schistosome eggs consistent with those of Schistosoma haematobium. Appropriate treatment was initiated promptly, avoiding significant morbidity. The diagnosis of female genital schistosomiasis must be considered when the patient has a history of travel to or residence in endemic areas.
Comparison of Artesunate and Chloroquine Activities against Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes

ABSTRACT The gametocidal activities of chloroquine and artesunate were compared. The relative risk (RR) of having detectable gametocytes appear after treatment initiation was lower in artesunate-treated patients (n = 792) than in chloroquine-treated patients (n = 695) (RR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.40; P < 0.0001). The duration and magnitude of gametocyte carriage were also lower for artesunate than chloroquine. By reducing the transmission of Plasmodium vivax to the vector, artesunate could therefore reduce the incidence of P. vivax malaria.
The Value of Human Capital Expenditure: Tracing Its Relevance, Reliability and Diminishing Marginal Return

Disclosure of human resources-related expenditure that contributes to a firm’s value-creation, would expect to have value relevance in equity markets. This study uses data from listed companies in Australia over 8 years, covering accounting regime change and share-market upheaval, to trace the value relevance of disclosure of human capital expenditure (HCE). In doing so, it extends the basic value relevance model to provide findings not only on total and disaggregated HCE disclosures but other factors affecting the market’s evaluation of HCE’s value-creation process, namely, diminishing marginal return from labour and the reliability of using industry-based HCE information.
Interactive Exploration of Hierarchical Density Clusters in Gene Expression Data

Clustering gene expression data is an important task in bioinformatics research and biomedical applications. In this paper, we present an effective clustering algorithm for gene expression data. The clustering algorithm is based on the analysis of data's density distribution. We propose an intersecting partition of gene expression data into the supports of data points. Density clusters are maximally connected regions at certain density levels, and thus, can be organized in a hierarchical structure. For interactive visual exploration, we use a 2D radial layout of the hierarchical density cluster tree with linked as well as embedded views of parallel coordinates and heat maps. Our system supports the understanding of the distribution of density clusters and the patterns of the density clusters. Experimental results for common gene expression data sets shows the effectiveness and scalability of the algorithm.
Advances in Glomeromycota taxonomy and classification

Concomitant morphological and molecular analyses have led to major breakthroughs in the taxonomic organization of the phylum Glomeromycota. Fungi in this phylum are known to form arbuscular mycorrhiza, and so far three classes, five orders, 14 families and 29 genera have been described. Sensu lato, spore formation in 10 of the arbuscular mycorrhiza-forming genera is exclusively glomoid, one is gigasporoid, seven are scutellosporoid, four are entrophosporoid, two are acaulosporoid, and one is pacisporoid. Spore bimorphism is found in three genera, and one genus is associated with cyanobacteria. Here we present the current classification developed in several recent publications and provide a summary to facilitate the identification of taxa from genus to class level.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of the HIV/AIDS Drugs Abacavir, Zidovudine, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Indinavir, Lopinavir, and Nelfinavir

Combination therapy with antiretroviral drugs is used for the treatment of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. To achieve optimal drug concentrations for viral suppression and avoidance of drug toxicity, monitoring of drug levels has been considered essential. We set up an analytical procedure for monitoring the plasma concentrations of a total of seven drugs: abacavir, zidovudine, efavirenz, nevirapine, indinavir, lopinavir, and nelfinavir. The plasma samples were liquid/liquid extracted and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The compounds were monitored by ultraviolet detection: indinavir, lopinavir, and nelfinavir at 215 nm; efavirenz at 254 nm, and abacavir, zidovudine, and nevirapine at 266 nm. Two different extraction procedures and two different HPLC eluents on a C8 reversed-phase HPLC column were used to monitor all seven compounds. Under steady state conditions, the plasma concentrations of antiviral drugs in 175 patients were correlated with the time after the last dosing to define the peak or trough levels. Due to the short plasma elimination half-life of abacavir and zidovudine, only peak levels could be determined for these compounds, whereas both peak and trough levels could be assessed for the other compounds because of a longer plasma elimination half-life. The mean peak concentrations (µg/ml) were 0.69 for abacavir and 0.57 for zidovudine; the mean peak/trough concentrations (µg/ml) were 2.07/1.32 for efavirenz, 2.43/2.23 for nevirapine, 5.48/1.08 for indinavir, 4.69/3.51 for lopinavir, and 3.54/1.45 for nelfinavir. The described analytical method offers a broad-spectrum monitoring of plasma levels of antiretroviral drugs.
Polycomb Complexes and the Propagation of the Methylation Mark at the Drosophila Ubx Gene*

Polycomb group proteins are transcriptional repressors that control many developmental genes. The Polycomb group protein Enhancer of Zeste has been shown in vitro to methylate specifically lysine 27 and lysine 9 of histone H3 but the role of this modification in Polycomb silencing is unknown. We show that H3 trimethylated at lysine 27 is found on the entire Ubx gene silenced by Polycomb. However, Enhancer of Zeste and other Polycomb group proteins stay primarily localized at their response elements, which appear to be the least methylated parts of the silenced gene. Our results suggest that, contrary to the prevailing view, the Polycomb group proteins and methyltransferase complexes are recruited to the Polycomb response elements independently of histone methylation and then loop over to scan the entire region, methylating all accessible nucleosomes. We propose that the Polycomb chromodomain is required for the looping mechanism that spreads methylation over a broad domain, which in turn is required for the stability of the Polycomb group protein complex. Both the spread of methylation from the Polycomb response elements, and the silencing effect can be blocked by the gypsy insulator.
Cholangiocarcinoma in Cirrhosis: Value of Hepatocyte Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: The diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (ICC) remains elusive at imaging, which is a critical issue in cirrhotic patients in whom a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be established only by imaging. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of MRI in the diagnosis of ICC in cirrhosis using ‘hepatocyte-specific' Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents. Methods: Sixteen histologically proven and retrospectively identified ICCs on cirrhosis were investigated with hepatocyte-specific magnetic resonance contrast agents (6 in Bologna with Gd-EOB-DTPA and 10 in Milan with Gd-BOPTA). The control group consisted of 41 consecutively and prospectively collected nodules (31 HCCs) imaged with Gd-EOB-DTPA. Results: Fifteen ICC nodules (94%) displayed hypointensity in the hepatobiliary phase, suggesting malignancy. Thirteen cholangiocarcinomas (81%) showed hyperenhancement in the venous phase. Only 2 cholangiocarcinoma nodules showed hypoenhancement in the venous phase, corresponding to washout, in both cases preceded by rim enhancement in arterial phase. All the hepatocarcinomas showed hypointensity in hepatobiliary phase, but was always preceded by hypointensity in the venous phase; arterial rim enhancement was never observed in any hepatocarcinoma or regenerative nodule. Conclusions: MRI with hepatocyte-specific Gd-based contrast agents showed a pattern of malignancy in almost all the ICCs, concurrently avoiding misdiagnosis with hepatocarcinoma. These findings suggest a greater diagnostic capacity for this technique compared with the results of MRI with conventional contrast agents reported in the literature in this setting.
Hypoxanthine Concentration in Plasma during the First Two Hours after Birth in Normal and Asphyxiated Infants

Summary: The measurement of arterial plasma concentration of hypoxanthine in 16 healthy newborn infants showed a prominent increase after birth compared with the umbilical cord levels. Peak values were found 10–20 min after birth with a maximal value of 11.9 μmole/liter in the normal newborns. In five asphyxiated infants the postnatal pattern of hypoxanthine was the same as for normal infants but the increase was even more prominent. A mean peak value of 33.7 μmole/liter was noted in the asphyxiated infants. Our results indicate that the hypoxanthine concentration is influenced not only by the degree of hypoxia, but also by the peripheral circulation and the time interval between the hypoxic event and the blood sampling. It is concluded that hypoxanthine assay may be of clinical value for the detection of past hypoxia as a semi-quantitative test.Speculation: It is possible to differentiate a group of asphyxiated infants from normal infants by measurements of plasma hypoxanthine concentration. A new biochemical measure of perinatal hypoxia thus appears available. Knowledge about the change in hypoxanthine concentration is however of much greater value than that of a single plasma sample which may be misleading.
Characterising the TP53-deleted subgroup of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: an analysis of additional cytogenetic abnormalities detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridisation and array-based comparative genomic hybridisation

Deletion of the TP53 gene on chromosome 17p13.1 is the prognostic factor associated with the shortest survival in CLL. We used array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (arrayCGH) to identify additional DNA copy number changes in peripheral blood samples from 74 LRF CLL4 trial patients, 37 with ≥5% and 37 without TP53-deleted cells. ArrayCGH reliably detected deletions on 17p, including the TP53 locus, in cases with ≥50%TP53-deleted cells detected by fluorescence in situ hybridisation, plus seven additional cases with deleted regions on 17p excluding TP53. Losses on chromosomal regions 18p and/or 20p were found exclusively in cases with ≥5%TP53-deleted cells (p < 0.001), 38% having one or both losses. The incidence of additional cytogenetic abnormalities, reflecting an increased chromosomal instability, was higher in ≥5%TP53-deleted cases (p = 0.02). In particular, amplification of 2p and deletion of 6q were both more frequent. Cases with >20%TP53-deleted cells had the worst prognosis in the LRF CLL4 trial.
A Market Model for Stochastic Smiles

We introduce a new approach that allows to construct no-arbitrage market models of implied volatility surfaces. The need for developing such models has long been recognized. The framework presented here makes it possible to generate models of a joint evolution of an arbitrary number of option price processes together with the underlying price process. The key idea of the approach is to take a deterministic smile model as a backbone around which a stochastic smile model can be constructed without violating no-arbitrage constraints.
Filling dependence of electronic properties on the verge of metal-Mott-insulator transition in Sr1-xLaxTiO3.

Introducing holes (or partly eliminating electrons) in Mott-Hubbard insulator LaTiO 3 3 (with 3d 1 configuration) can be carried out by partial substitution of La with Sr, which produces the strongly correlated metallic phase. Systematic variation of electronic properties in Sr 1-x La x TiO 3 was investigated as a function of the 3d band filling (x) by measurements of resistivity, Hall coefficient, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat. Up to the vicinity of the metal-insulator phase boundary (x c ∼0.95), Sr 1-x La x TiO 3 behaves as a Fermi liquid system where the carrier mass and scattering rate critically increase as the x=1 (LaTiO 3 ) insulator is approached
Plasma Lipoprotein Lipase and Hepatic Lipase Activities in Friedreich’s Ataxia

SUMMARY: Plasma triglycerides although within the normal range have been shown to be higher in Friedreich’s ataxia than in control subjects. To determine whether this difference could be ascribed to a reduced catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, the activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HL), released into plasma after an heparin injection, were measured in 13 cases of Friedreich’s ataxia and 14 control subjects of comparable signs. LPL was found to be significantly lower in the ataxic patients. Moreover about half of the cases clustered below the normal range for both lipase activities. This subgroup of Friedreich’s patients had significantly higher plasma triglycerides than those with normal lipase activities. Further studies are needed to relate these findings to other characteristics of the disease.