Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Minimal Residual Disease Detection Prior to Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Post-transplant Outcome in High Risk Neuroblastoma

Abstract Purpose: Autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) has become standard therapy in high risk stage IV neuroblastoma (NB) patients. Residual NB cells in the bone marrow (BM) shortly before SCT may shape the overall survival. Methods: Thus, we sought to thoroughly investigate minimal residual disease (MRD) in BM prior to SCT using conventional and real time RT-PCR for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as well as morphology. To avoid influence of residual NB cells in the stem cell harvest, 17 patients transplanted with MRD negative grafts (n=11 CD34-selected and n=6 unmanipulated) are included in the final analysis, only. Results: 35% of these patients are alive with a median follow up of 8.6 years. In the BM of 9/17 patients residual NB cells could be detected < 40 d before SCT. These patients had a significant lower overall survival compared to patients without BM involvement based on combined RT-PCR and morphology results (11% vs. 62%, p=0.026) or using RT-PCR, only (p=0.01). In contrast morphology on its own did not lead to a significant discrimination between both groups. Conclusion: Our results obtained in a small cohort of stage IV NB patients suggest that MRD diagnostic in the BM shortly before SCT might be a valuable predictive tool for these patients but requires conformation in a multicenter study.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – The tools of the trait

The aim of this review is to analyze how our knowledge on the etiology, pathology, and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has profited from the application of biotechnology tools for the identification of disease markers, the development of animal disease models, and the design of innovative therapeutics. In humans, ALS‐specific clinical, genetic or protein biomarkers, or panels of biomarkers stemming from genomics and proteomics analyses can be critical for early diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, drug validation in clinical trials, and identification of therapeutic targets for subsequent drug development. At the same time, animal models representing a number of human superoxide dismutase 1 mutations, intermediate‐filament disorganization or axonal‐transport defects have been invaluable in unraveling aspects of the pathophysiology of the disease; in each case, these only represent a small proportion of all ALS patients. Preclinical and clinical trials, although at present heavily concentrating on pharmacological approaches, are embracing the emerging alternative strategies of stem‐cell and gene therapy. In combination with a further subcategorization of patients and the development of corresponding model systems for functional analyses, they will significantly influence the already changing face of ALS therapy.
Serotypes, Virulence Genes, and Intimin Types of Shiga Toxin (Verotoxin)-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Healthy Sheep in Spain

ABSTRACT Fecal swabs obtained from 1,300 healthy lambs in 93 flocks in Spain in 1997 were examined for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). STEC O157:H7 strains were isolated from 5 (0.4%) animals in 4 flocks, and non-O157 STEC strains were isolated from 462 (36%) lambs in 63 flocks. A total of 384 ovine STEC strains were characterized in this study. PCR showed that 213 (55%) strains carried the stx1 gene, 10 (3%) possessed the stx2 gene, and 161 (42%) carried both the stx1 and the stx2 genes. Enterohemolysin (ehxA) and intimin (eae) virulence genes were detected in 106 (28%) and 23 (6%) of the STEC strains, respectively. The STEC strains belonged to 35 O serogroups and 64 O:H serotypes (including 18 new serotypes). However, 72% were of 1 of the following 12 serotypes: O5:H−, O6:H10, O91:H−, O117:H−, O128:H−, O128:H2, O136:H20, O146:H8, O146:H21, O156:H−, O166:H28, and ONT:H21 (where NT is nontypeable). Although the 384 STEC strains belonged to 95 different seropathotypes (associations between serotypes and virulence genes), 49% of strains belonged to only 11. O91:H− stx1stx2 (54 strains) was the most common seropathotype, followed by O128:H− stx1stx2 (33 strains) and O6:H10 stx1 (25 strains). Three strains of serotypes O26:H11, O156:H11, and OX177:H11 had intimin type β1; 5 strains of serotype O157:H7 possessed intimin type γ1; and 15 strains of serotypes O49:H−, O52:H12, O156:H− (12 strains), and O156:H25 had the new intimin, intimin type ζ. The majority (82%) of ovine STEC strains belonged to serotypes previously found to be associated with human STEC strains, and 51% belonged to serotypes associated with STEC strains isolated from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Thus, this study confirms that healthy sheep are a major reservoir of STEC strains pathogenic for humans.
Early returns on an institutional repository: an exploration of the validity and functionality of pocketknowledge

This poster presentation will reflect qualitatively on the challenges and opportunities of PocketKnowledge (http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php) as an institutional repository. The main question explored is whether such repositories are best understood as new competitors in the academic publishing world or as on-going documentations of the larger intellectual life of the institution. The early experience of one such repository, PocketKnowledge - a social archive developed and implemented by EdLab, a research unit of the Gottesman Libraries, Teachers College Columbia University - reveals that users are motivated not only to participate in an institutional repository, but also to document their intellectual life understood more broadly than publication. This suggests that the latter understanding of an institutional repository is a more reasonable, incremental expectation in what is surely an uphill battle against the long-established prestige of publishing in printed academic journals, and that institutional repositories such as PocketKnowledge should consider the strategic addition of functionalities that can highlight the intellectual life of the institution, not simply the intellectual production of its members.
Self-sorted D2D discovery for alleviating in-band emission in LTE networks

Proximity service (ProSe) enables the adjacent mobile devices communicate with each other on device to device (D2D) links in the Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) system. Device neighbor discovery is the first step to the D2D communication. In LTE-A networks, D2D discovery beacons are multiplexed with cellular signal, it will lead to in-band emission interference (IBEI). IBEI will lead to considerable interference to cell UEs uplink control signal. Therefore, reducing the IBEI caused by D2D discovery signal and keeping a high discovery ratio are the objective of discovery algorithm designing. In this paper, we propose a new distributed discovery algorithm named self-sorted (SS) discovery algorithm. First, SS algorithm is motivated by greedy resource block (RB) selection method for keeping a higher discovery ratio. Second, we use self-sorted method for converging the D2D user equipments (DUEs) who will cause severe IBEI transmit discovery beacons in minimum sub-frames such that reducing the impact of IBEI to eNB. Through simulation results, our proposed algorithm is proven to be better than existing distributed D2D discovery algorithm.
Prosthodontic Management of Xerostomic Patient: A Technical Modification

Xerostomia is often a contributing factor in both minor and serious health problems. It can affect nutrition and dental as well as psychological health. Common problems faced by such patients are glossitis, mucositis, angular cheilitis, dysgeusia, and difficulty in chewing and swallowing. One of the major problems associated with xerostomic patients is the poor tolerance and retention of removable dental prostheses because of thin dry atrophic mucosa and lack of a saliva film. This paper describes a new technique of incorporating a salivary reservoir in the maxillary complete denture. The salivary reservoir fabricated by this technique provided good lubrication of the oral tissues and was easily cleansed by the wearer and was fabricated from routine denture materials.
Parental separation at birth and depression in adulthood: a long-term follow-up of the Finnish Christmas Seal Home Children

Background. Early separation of a child from the mother has been considered a risk factor for later depression. We investigated the association between very early separation and depression in adulthood in a unique dataset. Method. The index cohort consisted of 3020 subjects born in 1945–1965 in Finland, isolated from their family due to tuberculosis in the family and placed in special nurseries, immediately after birth, for an average time of 7 months. Those subjects alive at 1 January, 1971 were identified. For every index subject two reference subjects were chosen, the matching criteria being sex, year of birth and place of birth. Data on depression were obtained from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register by the end of year 1998. Results. In males, 4·2% of the index subjects and 2·6% (Adjusted Rate Ratio RR 1·7, 95% CI 1·3–2·3) of the reference subjects had been treated in hospital due to a depressive episode. In females the respective figures were 3·9% for index subjects and 3·6% (RR 1·1, 95% CI 0·8–1·5) for reference subjects. Conclusions. The index subjects had an elevated risk for hospital treated depression in adulthood. One explanation may be that the very early temporal separation from the mother at birth may have unfavourable effects on later psychological development. On the other hand, separation from the parents at birth was not found to be strongly associated with severe adulthood depression.
Simulation Training in Emergency Medicine (STEM): An Integral Component of Residency Curriculum

In the field of emergency medicine (EM), health professionals should be able to function effectively in the dynamic, uncertain, time-pressured, and high-stakes environment of the emergency department. Simulation training in emergency medicine (STEM) can be a tool to create an environmental milieu which allows developing health professionals' knowledge, skills and attitudes. It amplifies realistic experience in a safe and controlled environment and in an interactive fashion, providing feedback and hence, effective and experiential learning. It also provides a basis for teaching and assessment by simulating encounters on complex issues, multidisciplinary issues, team dynamics, communication skills and professionalism and dealing with challenging patients and family members. This article highlights the current evidence on the usefulness of simulation in training residents in EM and its need to be integrated into the basic framework of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education - International (ACGME-I) accredited emergency medicine residency curriculum and assessment in Singapore. This will eventually lead to transfer of skills into real world settings and have an impact on patient safety, and hence improve patient outcomes.
Characterization of a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a lymphocyte surface antigen for the cetacean homologue to CD45R

As part of our current efforts to develop assays and reagents to study the immune system of marine mammals, and in view of the effort currently made to develop monoclonal antibodies to cell surface proteins of lymphocyte subsets in different species, the present paper reports on the characterization of a monoclonal antibody against the homologue of CD45R on cetacean lymphocytes. The specificity of this antibody has been characterized on the basis of immunoprecipitation of the antigen it recognized, immunoperoxidase staining on cetacean lymph node and thymus sections, as well as one and two‐colour flow cytometric analysis of cetacean peripheral blood mononuclear cells and single‐cell suspensions of thymus, lymph node and spleen. Anti‐cetacean CD45R (F21.H) immunoprecipitated proteins of 180, 200 and 220×103 MW, with the 180×103 MW form being predominantly expressed on T cells and the 220×103 MW form expressed predominantly on B cells and thymocytes. F21.H labelled all B cells and a proportion of T cells on single‐cell suspensions of spleen cells. CD45R− killer whale peripheral blood lymphocytes expressed a higher density of CD2 than CD45R+, a characteristic of memory T cells. Killer whale T lymphocytes also lost the expression of CD45R upon activation with concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). This is the first report of a monoclonal antibody to CD45R in cetaceans, and this antibody is foreseen as a possible valuable diagnostic and research tool to assess immune functions of captive and wild cetaceans as part of the evaluation of their health status.
Vieillir (mais) travailler

Allonger la vie professionnelle implique de concevoir des demarches coherentes pour permettre de vieillir au travail et donc de lier politiques des retraites, de l’emploi et du travail. Depuis 2003, politiques et comportements ont evolue : reduction des preretraites, glissement des âges de depart a la retraite, augmentation du chomage et persistance de sorties precoces vers l’inactivite et pour raisons de sante, developpement du travail apres la retraite. Or les conditions de travail determinent en partie la possibilite de rester, la necessite de s’eloigner d’une situation de travail (exigences posturales, travail de nuit, pression temporelle, changements notamment). Si le vieillissement se traduit par une fragilisation de l’organisme, une usure accentuee ou ralentie selon l’environnement de travail, ces effets sont tres variables, plus ou moins toleres selon les situations de travail, les possibilites d’adapter sa facon de travailler avec l’experience. D’ou une necessaire reflexion sur la soutenabilite des systemes de travail.
Thalamic deep brain stimulation activates the cerebellothalamocortical pathway

To investigate the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation (DBS), the authors studied the effects of thalamic DBS on the cerebellothalamocortical (CTC) pathway. With DBS turned off, excitability of the CTC pathway was reduced. Turning DBS on resulted in facilitation of the CTC pathway. Therefore, thalamic DBS appears to activate rather than inhibit the target area.
Formation of Heteromeric Kv2 Channels in Mammalian Brain Neurons*

The formation of heteromeric tetramers is a common feature of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. This results in the generation of a variety of tetrameric Kv channels that exhibit distinct biophysical and biochemical characteristics. Kv2 delayed rectifier channels are, however, unique exceptions. It has been previously shown that mammalian Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 are localized in distinct domains of neuronal membranes and are not capable of forming heteromeric channels with each other (Hwang, P. M., Glatt, C. E., Bredt, D. S., Yellen, G., and Snyder, S. H. (1992) Neuron 8, 473–481). In this study, we report a novel form of rat Kv2.2, Kv2.2long, which has not been previously recognized. Our data indicate that Kv2.2long is the predominant form of Kv2.2 expressed in cortical pyramidal neurons. In contrast to the previous findings, we also found that rat Kv2.1 and Kv2.2long are colocalized in the somata and proximal dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons and are capable of forming functional heteromeric delayed rectifier channels. Our results suggest that the delayed rectifier currents, which regulate action potential firing, are encoded by heteromeric Kv2 channels in cortical neurons.
A Survey of Current Practice of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Hospitalized Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients in the United States

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are at an increased risk of thrombosis, particularly when hospitalized. Several clinical practice guidelines now recommend pharmacologic prophylaxis for hospitalized ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients. It is unclear to what extent gastroenterologists are aware of these recommendations and whether they are administering pharmacologic venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis appropriately. Our aim was to explore current practice of VTE prophylaxis in hospitalized IBD patients in the United States. Methods: A survey was mailed electronically to gastroenterologists whose electronic mail address was listed in the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) database. This survey included clinical vignettes outlining scenarios for consideration of VTE prophylaxis. Results: A total of 6227 surveys were sent to gastroenterologists nationwide, and 591 physicians chose to participate (response rate 9.5%). Respondents (80.6%) believed that hospitalized IBD patients have a higher risk of VTE than other inpatients. A total of 29.1% were unaware of any recommendations addressing pharmacologic prophylaxis included in ACG IBD guidelines and 34.6% would give pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis to a hospitalized patient with severe ulcerative colitis. Heparin VTE prophylaxis use was associated with gastroenterologists who indicated that their practices comprised more than 50% of patients with IBD (P=0.0001), being a physician at an academic hospital (P=0.0001) and providers having less than 5 years practice experience (P=0.003). Conclusions: Despite reasonable awareness of the increased risk of thrombosis in hospitalized IBD patients, many US gastroenterologists may not follow clinical practice guidelines and use pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis.
Living Room on the Move: Autonomous Vehicles and Social Experiences

Developing autonomous vehicles is technically complex and up to now research has focused on technical improvement and operative safety. As the level of automation increases the role of the driver will change; from controlling every movement of the vehicle into becoming an operator/passenger. Little is known about how this new context will affect the social experiences with and within the vehicle. This workshop focuses on three different kinds of social experience and socializing, namely; between other road users and the autonomous car, the social activities taking place within the autonomous car, and lastly the relationship between the car and the operator. The workshop aims at exploring possible practices, research and design directions of autonomous vehicles in relation to these social experiences. A human-centered design approach is the core of the workshop, with playful field excursions and ideation sessions.
Research into the Main Tendencies and Perspectives of Psychosocial Development of the Existing and Potential “Middle-Class” Representatives in the Modern Russian Society

The article contains an overview of the results of research of the peculiarities of psychosocial development and the structure of psychosocial identity of typical representatives of the “middle-class”, the students of the leading universities and high schools. The detailed analysis highlights the significant differences and key problems of psychosocial development of each of the three lifestages. Based on psychosocial approach, there have been analyzed the social and psychological factors for typical personal deformations and the coping mechanisms therewith. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015. v6n4s2p236
Mass Microscope for MALDI Molecular Imaging in Biological Tissue Sections

Mass microscope combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) is applied for imaging of biomolecules due to the high resolution of microscopic lens present in the instrument for scanning the tissue sections at the level of micro meter (μm) to reveal the distribution of molecules in samples. Therefore, the MALD-IMS is a powerful tool in investigating the morphology of biological tissue samples without any time consuming extraction, purification and separation procedures. This technique can reveal the distribution of hundreds of ion signals in a single measurement and also helps in understanding the cellular profile of the biological system. In addition, the distribution of targeted biomolecules in tissue sections can be an important for the diagnosis, early detection and understanding of disease mechanism in sample. Here, we demonstrated the tissue sample preparations and application of matrix, mass spectrometric techniques, imaging software and application of MALDI-IMS for the visualization of various types of biomolecules such as lipids, peptides/proteins, drugs, metabolites and volatile substances in variuos tissue samples.
Brain Cancer Risk and Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs): Assessing the Geomagnetic Component

Abstract Cancer cluster studies in North Carolina identified several communities in which there existed an elevated risk of brain cancer. These findings prompted a series of case-control studies. The current article, which originated from the results of the 3rd of such studies, is focused on inclusion of the earth's own geomagnetic fields that interact with electromagnetic fields generated from distribution power lines. This article also contains an assessment of the contribution of confounding by residential (e.g., urban, rural) and case characteristics (e.g., age, race, gender). Newly diagnosed brain cancer cases were identified for a 4-county region of central North Carolina, which the authors chose on the basis of the results of earlier observations. A 3:1 matched series of cancer cases from the same hospitals in which the cases were diagnosed served as the comparison group. Extensive geographic information was collected and was based on an exact place of residence at the time of cancer diagnosis, thus providing several strategic geophysical elements for assessment. The model for this assessment was based on the effects of these two sources of electromagnetic fields for an ion cyclotron resonance mechanism of disease risk. The authors used logistic regression models that contained the predicted value for the parallel component of the earth's magnetic field; these models were somewhat erratic, and the elements were not merged productively into a single statistical model. Interpretation of these values was difficult; therefore, the modeled values for the model elements, at progressive distances from the nearest power-line segments, are provided. The results of this study demonstrate the merits of using large, population-based databases, as well as using rigorous Geographic Information System techniques, for the assessment of ecologic environmental risks. The results also suggest promise for exposure classification that is compatible with the theoretical biological mechanisms posited for electromagnetic fields.
A few good reasons to consider a beam nite element formulation on the Lie group SE p 3 q

Based on an original interpolation method we develop a beam nite element formulation on the Lie group SEp3q which relies on a mathematically rigorous framework and provides compact notations. We work out the beam kinematics in the SE(3) context, the beam deformation measure and obtain the expression of the internal forces using the virtual work principle. The proposed formulation exhibits important features from both the theoretical and numerical points of view. The approach leads to a natural coupling of position and rotation variables and thus di ers from classical Timoshenko/Cosserat formulations. We highlight several important properties such as a constant deformation measure over the element, an invariant tangent sti ness matrix under of rigid motions or the absence of shear locking.