Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The 208delG mutation in FSCN2 does not associate with retinal degeneration in Chinese individuals.

PURPOSE The 208delG (c.72delG, p.Thr25GlnfsX120) mutation in the FSCN2 gene was reported to cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) and autosomal dominant macular degeneration (ADMD). The purpose of this study was to detect the 208delG mutation in Chinese individuals, with or without hereditary retinal degeneration. METHODS DNA fragments encompassing the 208delG mutation were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplicons were analyzed by sequencing or/and heteroduplex- single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. An ophthalmic evaluation was conducted in those individuals with the 208delG mutation. RESULTS The 208delG mutation was detected in 8 of 242 unrelated probands: 175 with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), 20 with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), and 47 with cone-rod dystrophy (CORD). Of the eight, the retinal diseases were RP in six probands, LCA in one proband, and CORD in one proband. The disease was transmitted as an autosomal dominant (one family), autosomal recessive (two families), or sporadic (five families) trait. The mutation did not cosegregate with retinal degeneration in three families, whereas five normal family members also had the mutation. In addition, this mutation was also detected in 13 of 521 unrelated control subjects. CONCLUSIONS The 208delG mutation in FSCN2 is not associated with hereditary retinal degeneration in the Chinese individuals examined, which contradicts the original report about mutation in FSCN2 as a cause of ADRP and ADMD. This finding reminds us that great care is needed in making mutation-disease associations.
The use of molecular genetic markers to demonstrate the effect of organ environment on clonal dominance in a human renal‐cell carcinoma grown in nude mice

Transduction of the SNI2C human renal‐cell carcinoma line with the neoR gene produces a genetically „tagged”︁ cell population within which individual clones can be identified if they dominate the tumor during its growth in vivo. We used this technique to determine whether the clones that dominate the primary local tumor and its metastases are the same or different when the tumor is growing in different organ sites in nude mice. The results show that clonal dominance is influenced by the organ environment in which the primary tumor grows, i.e., distinct clones dominated in the kidney, colon and subcutaneous sites. In addition, tumors grown in the orthotopic site (kidney) were all populated by the same dominant clones, and each distant visceral metastasis retained the same clonality. SNI2C neoR‐cells grown in an epithelial, ectopic site (colon) produced tumors with uniquely different dominant clones, and their visceral metastases retained the dominant pattern expressed by the parent tumor from which they were derived. In contrast, SNI2C tumors growing subcutaneously showed a random pattern of clonal dominance in both their primary and metastatic sites. Parallel cytogenetic analyses could not demonstrate these patterns. We conclude that the organ environment significantly influences clonal dominance of human renal carcinoma and that tumor injection into orthotopic sites may produce a more reproducible selection of dominant clones.
Unusual Pattern of Whitening of Eyebrows Following Sunitinib Therapy: A Case Report with Brief Review of Literature

Sunitinib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor which has shown high activity in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients and is now widely used for the same. It is generally well tolerated, but sometimes, it exhibits a distinct pattern of novel side effects that require monitoring and management. Important known side effect of sunitinib includes fatigue, diarrhea, anorexia, skin toxicity, and hypertension which need special mention. Considering its effectiveness in first-line setting in mRCC and paucity of other good options, utmost efforts are made to continue it with identification of side effects which may require only slight dose modification or no dose alteration. We report here a 38-year-old male who was diagnosed as a case of mRCC and started on sunitinib at the diagnosis and developed whitish discoloration of eyebrows and body hairs after 3 months of starting sunitinib. In view of good overall response to treatment and no other significant toxicity, sunitinib was continued with good tolerability.
High-Pressure Homogenization as a Non-Thermal Technique for the Inactivation of Microorganisms

In the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, and food industries high-pressure homogenization is used for the preparation or stabilization of emulsions and suspensions, or for creating physical changes, such as viscosity changes, in products. Another well-known application is cell disruption of yeasts or bacteria in order to release intracellular products such as recombinant proteins. The development over the last few years of homogenizing equipment that operates at increasingly higher pressures has also stimulated research into the possible application of high-pressure homogenization as a unit process for microbial load reduction of liquid products. Several studies have indicated that gram-negative bacteria are more sensitive to high-pressure homogenization than gram-positive bacteria supporting the widely held belief that high-pressure homogenization kills vegetative bacteria mainly through mechanical disruption. However, controversy exists in the literature regarding the exact cause(s) of cell disruption by high-pressure homogenization. The causes that have been proposed include spatial pressure and velocity gradients, turbulence, cavitation, impact with solid surfaces, and extensional stress. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the existing literature about microbial inactivation by high-pressure homogenization. Particular attention will be devoted to the different proposed microbial inactivation mechanisms. Further, the different parameters that influence the microbial inactivation by high-pressure homogenization will be scrutinized.
Current guidelines and their recommendations for prolactin monitoring in psychosis

Guidelines on the use of second-generation antipsychotics and physical health monitoring have begun to include information on hyperprolactinemia, and generally recommend that patients should be queried about possible symptoms related to elevated prolactin: menstrual abnormalities, galactorrhea and sexual dysfunction. However, with only two exceptions, none of the guidelines suggest performing baseline plasma prolactin levels. Although several of the guidelines mention the potential for hyperprolactinemia to be associated with osteopenia and osteoporosis, there is no guidance how to monitor for this. Product labeling for the different antipsychotics inform the clinician about potential risks but are not helpful with precise monitoring recommendations. The internal medicine literature contains important information regarding the pulsatile secretion of prolactin, differential diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia, and plasma levels of prolactin usually associated with certain symptoms that would be useful for the prescriber of antipsychotics to be aware of. The prudent clinician should consider obtaining a baseline plasma prolactin level and at least one follow-up measurement when starting any patient on a new antipsychotic. This will help guide clinical decisions about antipsychotic dosage, switching antipsychotic medications, or considering ancillary treatments to protect bone mass. These decisions would be within the context of considering other adverse events as well as the overall effectiveness of the antipsychotic medication being used.
E-mentoring in public health nursing practice.

Attrition in the public health nursing work force combined with a lack of faculty to teach public health prompted development of a "long-distance" learning project. Practicing associate degree nurses enrolled in an online course in population-based practice worked with experienced public health nurse "e-mentors. " Student-mentor pairs worked through course assignments, shared public health nursing experiences, and problem-solved real-time public health issues. Nursing faculty served as coordinators for student learning and mentor support. Over 3 years, 38 student-mentor pairs participated in the project. Students reported they valued the expertise and guidance of their mentors. Likewise, mentors gained confidence in their practice and abilities to mentor. Issues related to distance learning and e-mentoring centered around use of technology and adequate time to communicate with one another. E-mentoring is a viable strategy to connect nurses to a learning, sharing environment while crossing the barriers of distance, agency isolation, and busy schedules.
Dengue and Typhoid Co-infection- Study from a Government Hospital in North Delhi.

BACKGROUND Concurrent infection with two agents can result in an illness having overlapping symptoms creating a diagnostic dilemma for the treating physician. The symptoms of dengue may mimic other diseases such as leptospirosis, influenza A, Salmonella Typhi, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and malaria. There is paucity of data regarding dengue and typhoid co- infection both in the developed and developing countries. This study attempts to find the current co- infection rates in North Delhi. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was done between August and November 2013. Medical records of 659 patients exhibiting febrile illness who visited Kasturba Hospital were studied. Dengue specific IgM antibodies were detected by Dengue IgM antibody capture ELISA test. Serodiagnosis of Salmonella infection was conducted by Widal test in the hospital. RESULTS Of the 659 febrile sera samples tested here, 141 (21.39%) tested positive for dengue. Of these 91 were females and 50 males. Of the dengue cases, eleven were co-infected with enteric fever (11/141= 7.8%). Maximum number of dengue positive cases seen in age group 0-10 y. Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was zero. Age groups of patients co-infected with dengue and typhoid were as follows: 0-10 y: 5, 11-20 y: 3, 21-30 y: 2, >60 y: 1. CONCLUSION Co-infection should always be kept in mind while dealing with cases of dengue or enteric fever with or without atypical features. In order to reduce the burden of disease, along with improvement of sanitation and personal hygiene, emphasis should be given on vaccination against typhoid.
Automated Execution Control and Dynamic Behavior Monitoring for Android (TM) Applications

We explore techniques for eliciting a behavioral description from an Android smartphone app in a controlled manner. A description of app behavior is useful for performing subsequent analysis such as model checking, for example to verify the app satisfies a set of desirable security properties. Our solution is to dynamically execute the app in a customized version of the Android SDK emulator, which provides many of an app's inputs as responses to invoked API calls. A more focused set of input values computed offline are then injected to the app via hooks introduced into the Android API implementation. To dynamically monitor app behavior, we instrument the app bytecode to record control and data flows during execution. We also instrument the Android API to record all of the app's inputs and outputs. We have used this technique on the DARPA Automated Program Analysis for Cybersecurity (APAC) program to reveal hidden, triggerable attacks in independently developed challenge apps. Our framework for extracting app behavior is part of Droid Reasoning, Analysis, and Protection Engine (DRAPE), an integrated, semi-automated app behavior analysis system capable of discovering hidden malware in Android apps.
Ingestion of sodium plus water improves cardiovascular function and performance during dehydrating cycling in the heat

We studied if salt and water ingestion alleviates the physiological strain caused by dehydrating exercise in the heat. Ten trained male cyclists ( V ˙ O 2 m ⁢ a x : 60 ± 7 mL/kg/min) completed three randomized trials in a hot‐dry environment (33 °C, 30% rh, 2.5 m/s airflow). Ninety minutes before the exercise, participants ingested 10 mL of water/kg body mass either alone (CON trial) or with salt to result in concentrations of 82 or 164 mM Na+ (ModNa+ or HighNa+ trial, respectively). Then, participants cycled at 63% of V ˙ O 2 m ⁢ a x for 120 min immediately followed by a time‐trial. After 120 min of exercise, the reduction in plasma volume was lessened with ModNa+ and HighNa+ trials (−11.9 ± 2.1 and −9.8 ± 4.2%) in comparison with CON (−16.4 ± 3.2%; P < 0.05). However, heat accumulation or dissipation (forearm skin blood flow and sweat rate) were not improved by salt ingestion. In contrast, both salt trials maintained cardiac output (∼1.3 ± 1.4 L/min; P < 0.05) and stroke volume (∼10 ± 11 mL/beat; P < 0.05) above CON after 120 min of exercise. Furthermore, the salt trials equally improved time‐trial performance by 7.4% above CON (∼289 ± 42 vs 269 ± 50 W, respectively; P < 0.05). Our data suggest that pre‐exercise ingestion of salt plus water maintains higher plasma volume during dehydrating exercise in the heat without thermoregulatory effects. However, it maintains cardiovascular function and improves cycling performance.
Haptic Perception of Material Properties and Implications for Applications

Perceiving the material properties of objects through touch is generally superior to the perception of shape. We review major material properties accessible through haptic interaction, along with theoretical accounts of the underlying perceptual processes. These include roughness, friction, compliance, and thermal properties. Subsequently, we describe algorithms that have been used to render these same material properties on haptic devices. We then point to applications that have capitalized on the accessibility of material through touch, including tactile displays, simulation of mechanical mechanisms in the automobile, and medical training simulators.
Geographic and occupational risk factors for ventricular septal defects: Washington State, 1987-2003.

OBJECTIVE Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is currently the most common congenital cardiac malformation in the United States, but little is known about its etiology. The objective of this study was to address the hypothesis that parents' residence in eastern Washington, a region heavily dominated by the agricultural industry, and employment in agriculturally related occupations can influence the presence of a VSD in their offspring. DESIGN Population-based case-control study. SETTING Washington State from January 1, 1987, through December 31, 2003. PATIENTS Children aged 0 to 2 years diagnosed as having a VSD (n = 3489), and other infants selected at random as control subjects (n = 13 290). MAIN EXPOSURES Parental occupation and county of maternal residence were obtained from the birth certificate. The latter was categorized according to region (east vs west), rural-urban classification, and the proportion of farm and crop land. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Diagnosis of VSD within the first 2 years of life. RESULTS The risk of VSD was greater for infants whose mothers resided in eastern Washington (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.65). The risk of VSD with other cardiac malformations (n = 1205) exhibited a stronger geographic association than did isolated VSD (n = 2284). Analyses restricted to eastern Washington did not reveal a clear relationship between the risk of VSD and an increasing proportion of agricultural land in the mother's county of residence. Parental occupation in agriculture was not associated with the presence of VSD. CONCLUSION Although these findings suggest regional variation in Washington State in the occurrence of VSD, the basis for this variation remains to be determined.
Estimation of the Initial Viral Growth Rate and Basic Reproductive Number during Acute HIV-1 Infection

ABSTRACT During primary infection, the number of HIV-1 particles in plasma increases rapidly, reaches a peak, and then declines until it reaches a set point level. Understanding the kinetics of primary infection, and its effect on the establishment of chronic infection, is important in defining the early pathogenesis of HIV. We studied the viral dynamics of very early HIV-1 infection in 47 subjects identified through plasma donation screening. We calculated how fast the viral load increases and how variable this parameter is among individuals. We also estimated the basic reproductive ratio, the number of new infected cells generated by an infectious cell at the start of infection when target cells are not limiting. The initial viral doubling time had a median of 0.65 days with an interquartile range of 0.56 to 0.91 days. The median basic reproductive ratio was 8.0 with an interquartile range of 4.9 to 11. In 15 patients, we also observed the postpeak decay of plasma virus and found that the virus decay occurred at a median rate of 0.60 day−1, corresponding to a half-life of 1.2 days. The median peak viral load was 5.8 log10 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml, and it was reached 14 days after the virus was quantifiable with an assay, with a lower limit of detection of 50 copies/ml. These results characterize the early plasma viral dynamics in acute HIV infection better than it has been possible thus far. They also better define the challenge that the immune response (or therapeutic intervention) has to overcome to defeat HIV at this early stage.
Genome‐wide linkage analysis of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in a Swedish population

Background Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is a common complex disorder characterized by itching and irritation in the nose, bouts of sneezing, watery rhinorrhoea, nasal congestion and itchy eyes with tears and swelling. Like other atopic disorders such as allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis, the development involves complex interactions of genes and environmental factors.
Inverse correlation between expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase activity and production of metastasis in K-1735 murine melanoma cells.

The purpose of these studies was to determine whether the induction of NO synthase activity in murine K-1735 melanoma cells correlated with their metastatic potential. Nonmetastatic, metastatic, and somatic cell hybrids (produced by fusion of nonmetastatic and metastatic cells) were injected i.v. into syngeneic C3H/HeN mice. Metastatic cells survived to produce experimental lung metastases, whereas nonmetastatic cells did not. The various clones and somatic cell hybrids were incubated in vitro with combinations of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 1, gamma-interferon, and lipopolysaccharide. Nonmetastatic cells exhibited high levels of inducible NO synthase activity and NO, whereas metastatic cells did not. Both the cytotoxic effects of the cytokines and NO production were inhibited by the addition of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, a specific inhibitor of NO synthase. These data demonstrate an inverse correlation between production of endogenous NO and the ability of K-1735 cells to survive in syngeneic mice to produce lung metastases.
The Cytoplasmic Tail Slows the Folding of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Env from a Late Prebundle Configuration into the Six-Helix Bundle

ABSTRACT Effects of the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Env on the process of membrane fusion were investigated. Full-length Env (wild type [WT]) and Env with its CT truncated (ΔCT) were expressed on cell surfaces, these cells were fused to target cells, and the inhibition of fusion by peptides that prevent Env from folding into a six-helix bundle conformation was measured. For both X4-tropic and R5-tropic Env proteins, ΔCT induced faster fusion kinetics than did the WT, and peptides were less effective at inhibiting ΔCT-induced fusion. We tested the hypothesis that the inhibitory peptides were less effective at inhibiting ΔCT-induced fusion because ΔCT folds more quickly into a six-helix bundle. Early and late intermediates of WT- and ΔCT-induced fusion were captured, and the ability of peptides to block fusion when added at the intermediate stages was quantified. When added at the early intermediate, the peptides were still less effective at inhibiting ΔCT-induced fusion but they were equally effective at preventing WT- and ΔCT-induced fusion when added at the late intermediate. We conclude that for both X4-tropic and R5-tropic Env proteins, the CT facilitates conformational changes that allow the trimeric coiled coil of prebundles to become optimally exposed. But once Env does favorably expose its coiled coil to inhibitory peptides, the CT hinders subsequent folding into a six-helix bundle. Because of this facilitation of maximal exposure and hindrance of bundle formation, the coiled coil is optimally exposed for a longer time for WT than for ΔCT. This accounts for the greater peptide inhibition of WT-induced fusion.
EXISTENCE OF WEAK SOLUTIONS FOR DEGENERATE SEMILINEAR ELLIPTIC EQUATIONS IN UNBOUNDED DOMAINS

In this study, we prove the existence of a weak solution for the degenerate semilinear elliptic Dirichlet boundary-value problem Lu µug1 + h(u)g2 = f in , u = 0 on @ in a suitable weighted Sobolev space. Here the domain R n , n 3, is not necessarily bounded, and h is a continuous bounded nonlinearity. The theory is also extended for h continuous and unbounded.
The socket-shield technique: a proof-of-principle report.

AIM Clinical studies have suggested that retaining roots of hopeless teeth may avoid tissue alterations after tooth extraction. Therefore, the objective of this proof-of-principle experiment was to histologically assess a partial root retention (socket-shield technique) in combination with immediate implant placement. MATERIAL AND METHODS In one beagle dog, the third and fourth mandibular pre-molar were hemisected and the buccal fragment of the distal root was retained approximately 1 mm coronal to the buccal bone plate. Following application of enamel matrix derivate, a titanium implant was placed lingual to that tooth fragment either with or without contact to the buccal tooth fragment and a healing abutment was connected. Four months after implant placement, histological evaluation, and backscatter scanning electron microscopy were performed. RESULTS All four implants were osseointegrated without any histologic inflammatory reaction and the tooth fragment was devoid of any resorptional processes. On the buccal side, the tooth fragment was attached to the buccal bone plate by a physiologic periodontal ligament. On the lingual side of the fragment, newly formed cementum could be detected. In the areas where the implant was placed into the fragment, newly formed cementum was demonstrated directly on the implant surface. CONCLUSIONS Retaining the buccal aspect of the root during implant placement does not appear to interfere with osseointegration and may be beneficial in preserving the buccal bone plate.
Novel Large-Area Attachment for High-Temperature Power Electronics Module Application

Soft soldering is still the standard bonding method in order to provide a large void-free joining area in power electronics module applications. Ag sintering has been proven for small-area die attach applications to increase junction temperature and reliability. In this paper, we explore silver sintering technology further for large-area high-temperature substrate bonding in order to enable full benefits of SiC power semiconductors in terms of higher junction temperature, higher power density and higher reliability.