Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Failure of Vaccination With Idiotypic Protein or DNA, (+/−IL-2), the Depletion of Regulatory T Cells, or the Blockade of CTLA-4 to Prolong Dormancy in Mice With BCL1 Lymphoma

Immunization of mice with the idiotype (Id) immunoglobulin from the murine B cell lymphoma, BCL1, before inoculating tumor cells can induce tumor dormancy. In this model, the tumor cells grow for a short period of time and then regress. The mice live for months or years with approximately 1 million tumor cells in their spleens. Some mice relapse due to decreases in the anti-Id antibody titers or the development of mutations in the residual tumor cells which render them refractory to negative signaling by the anti-Id antibody. In this study we determined whether we could eliminate the residual dormant cells by using a DNA vaccine against the Id or by immunomodulation of T-cell subsets in vivo. Our results demonstrate that dormancy can be maintained by further immunizations with either the BCL1 Id protein or DNA vaccine encoding its single-chain Fv fragment. We also found that a cytotoxic T-cell response was not induced by either in vivo administration of vaccine alone or by the vaccine plus interleukin-2. In addition the injection of anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associate antigen did not prolong dormancy. Finally, the in vivo administration of anti-CD25 to deplete regulatory T cells did not prolong dormancy. Dormancy in this model is dependent primarily upon anti-Id antibodies, our results suggest that other strategies to target residual dormant BCL1 cells are warranted. They also suggest that the elimination of dormant tumor may represent a greater challenge than the elimination of primary tumors.
Successful recovery of the physiological status of coho salmon on board a commercial gillnet vessel by means of a newly designed revival box

Successful application of fish-revival techniques in commercial fishing prior to release of nontarget species requires clear evidence that recovery devices do indeed improve physiological status and minimize postcapture delayed mortality. This study provides such evidence for a newly designed recovery box (Fraser box) that assisted gill ventila - tion. Immediately after capture by gillnet, adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were in a state of severe meta- bolic exhaustion and stress, based on a comprehensive analysis of plasma and muscle tissue. However, when placed in a Fraser recovery box for 1-2 h, both lethargic and vigorous fish showed significant metabolic recovery and their abil - ity to swim was also quickly restored. An emphatic demonstration of the benefit of the Fraser box was the successful revival of >90% of fish that appeared dead at capture. Furthermore, postcapture delayed mortality was only 2.3% after a 24-h observation period. Therefore, in the context of commercial salmon gillnet fishing, revival of nontarget coho salmon in a Fraser box, in combination with a soak time (total time the gillnet is in the water) 70 min and careful fish handling to minimize physical trauma, could improve physiological status, restore swimming ability, and markedly reduce postcapture delayed mortality. Farrell et al.
The Neural Correlates of Childhood Linguistic Isolation

Compared to adults, young children have a remarkable ability to rapidly acquire language in all its breadth and complexity. Given adults’ superior cognitive skills, the question is why. Is it the case that the neural representation of language is different when acquisition begins at a later age? The idea that the outcome of language acquisition is dependent on the age when the learning begins is known as the critical period for language. The existence of critical period phenomena is well documented within the animal kingdom. An example is learning the species-typical song in songbirds, which is dependent on exposure to conspecific song during a critical temporal window (Marler, 1970). Because almost all typically developing hearing children are deeply immersed in language from birth, however, the critical period hypothesis for language is difficult to test. Unlike the acquisition of spoken languages, the acquisition of sign languages by deaf children is frequently delayed for a variety of reasons. In the USA, about 90% of deaf children are at risk for language delay because they are born to hearing parents who do not know any sign language (Schein, 1989). In the United States, deaf children typically receive special services by preschool age or younger. In rare cases in the USA and more often in Latin American countries where special services can be non-existent (Senghas & Coppola, 2001), deaf children may not be exposed to any language until adolescence. Such children lack access to spoken or sign language due to variety of life circumstances and a lack of schooling. Sometimes when such cases are discovered, attempts are made to provide them with sign language through immersion. These rare circumstances of language development offer a unique
The Optimum Distribution of Effort

When a limited amount of effort is available for the performance of two related tasks, the practical of how it is to be divided between them in order to obtain the best over-all result is one which constantly arises in operations research. The object of the present paper is to show how the question can often be put in quantitative form, and then to give it a simple mathematical solution in illustrative cases, interpreting the results in the language of recommended procedures. Operations Research, ISSN 0030-364X, was published as Journal of the Operations Research Society of America from 1952 to 1955 under ISSN 0096-3984.
Development and validation of the ORACLE score to predict risk of osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a composite index, the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment by Composite Linear Estimate (ORACLE), that includes risk factors and ultrasonometric outcomes to screen for osteoporosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Two cohorts of postmenopausal women aged 45 years and older participated in the development (n = 407) and the validation (n = 202) of ORACLE. Their bone mineral density was determined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasonometry (QUS), and their historical and clinical risk factors were assessed (January to June 2003). Logistic regression analysis was used to select significant predictors of bone mineral density, whereas receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the discriminatory performance of ORACLE. RESULTS The final logistic regression model retained 4 biometric or historical variables and 1 ultrasonometric outcome. The ROC areas under the curves (AUCs) for ORACLE were 84% for the prediction of osteoporosis and 78% for low bone mass. A sensitivity of 90% corresponded to a specificity of 50% for identification of women at risk of developing osteoporosis. The corresponding positive and negative predictive values were 86% and 54%, respectively, in the development cohort. In the validation cohort, the AUCs for identification of osteoporosis and low bone mass were 81% and 76% for ORACLE, 69% and 64% for QUS T score, 71% and 68% for QUS ultrasonometric bone profile index, and 76% and 75% for Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool, respectively. ORACLE had the best discriminatory performance in identifying osteoporosis compared with the other approaches (P < .05). CONCLUSION ORACLE exhibited the highest discriminatory properties compared with ultrasonography alone or other previously validated risk indices. It may be helpful to enhance the predictive value of QUS.
Classic Spotlight: Staying in Shape and Discovery of the mrdAB and mreBCD Operons

H ow nonspherical bacteria maintain their shape is a long-standing question in bacteriology. That the peptidoglycan (PG) sacculus is critical to maintain both cell shape and integrity was established early on when treatment of bacterial rods with lysozyme was found to convert them into protoplasts that are both spherical and osmotically unstable (1). The ﬁrst evidence that cell shape is also controlled by factors that are not required for build-ing a sacculus per se came from a famous “large-scale” screen of 400 temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli mutants at the Pasteur Institute. Some of these formed spherical cells at 42°C. Moreover, these cells were osmotically stable, indicating that they still pos-sessedanintactbutsphericalPGsacculus(2). Thenextdecadesawtheisolationofadditionalcellshapemutantsofboth E. coli and Bacillus species by various laboratories. Many of these propagated as osmotically stable spheroids in a nonconditional fashion, and corresponding mutations in E. coli mapped to two regions of the chromosome: near lipA at (cid:2) 14 min ( mrd , rodA , and rodX alleles) and near rpsL at (cid:2) 73 min ( mre , mon , envB , and rodY alleles). Meanwhile, the (cid:3) -lactam amdinocillin (compound be-came available as an important and tool (3). The drug causes E. to phenocopy and Spratt and Pardee
Importance of Early Allergen Contact for the Development of a Sustained Immunoglobulin E Response in a Dog Model

Background: Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergies are postulated to require early allergen contact and sensitization for the full development of sustained IgE levels. Methods: Thirty-two Beagle dogs from seven litters selectively bred for their high IgE response were sensitized by subcutaneous injection of chicken ovalbumin (OVA), peanut extract and recombinant birch pollen allergen (Bet v 1). In half of the dogs from each litter, sensitization injections were started on the first day of life; the other half of the same litter was first sensitized at the age of 4 months. To evaluate whether early sensitization also predisposes the animals to IgE responses to other allergens later in life, we injected a recombinant timothy grass pollen allergen (Phl p 5) later on, at the age of 10–12 months. Allergen-specific serum IgE and IgG levels were evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, 21 dogs were challenged with aerosolized OVA to measure bronchoconstrictive changes in lung function. Results: Early sensitized dogs developed significantly higher OVA-specific serum IgE levels than late sensitized dogs, in contrast to the IgG levels, which were lower in these dogs (p < 0.001). The increase in specific serum IgE and IgG following boosting remained different between the two groups for over a year. Titers of specific serum IgE and IgG were also different after sensitization with a new allergen injected later in life for the first time. Dynamic pulmonary compliance and resistance, both parameters for bronchoconstriction induced by OVA aerosol challenge, were also significantly higher in early sensitized dogs (for both parameters, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Contact with an allergen early in life is decisive for the development of sustained IgE levels and the development of IgE responses to additional allergens encountered later in life. Allergen avoidance during early life may have some preventive effect on IgE-mediated allergy in dogs.
The Use of Herbal Preparations to Alleviate Climacteric Disorders and Risk of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer in a German Case-Control Study

Background:The use of herbal preparations (HEP) to alleviate climacteric disorders is expected to increase as women seek alternatives to menopausal hormone therapy to avoid the associated breast cancer risk. Data are sparse on the long-term effects of HEP containing phytoestrogens and black cohosh on breast cancer risk. Methods: Within a German case-control study, associations between patterns of HEP use and incident breast cancer were investigated in 10,121 postmenopausal women (3,464 cases, 6,657 controls). Information on HEP use was collected in face-to-face interviews supported by a list of brand names. Multivariate logistic and polytomous regression analyses were done. Findings: Ever use of HEP (9.9%) was inversely associated with invasive breast cancer [odds ratio (OR), 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63-0.87] in a dose-dependent manner (OR, 0.96 per year of use; P = 0.03). Classes of HEP did not differ significantly (Pheterogeneity = 0.81). Risks for invasive ductal (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.87) and combined lobular/mixed/tubular tumors (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58-1.01) were similarly reduced by any HEP use but not for in situ carcinomas (1.34; 95% CI, 0.86-2.09). There were no substantial differences in associations of HEP use by estrogen receptor status (ER+ OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62-0.89; ER− OR, 0.68, 95% CI, 0.50-0.93) and progesterone receptor status of the tumor. Interpretation: Our findings support the hypothesis that HEP use protects from invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Among conceivable modes of action, those independent of estrogen receptor–mediated pathways seem to be involved (i.e., cytotoxicity, apoptosis). (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(8):2207–13)
Negligible effects of ocean acidification on Eurytemora affinis (Copepoda) offspring production

Abstract. Ocean acidification is caused by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide dissolving in the oceans leading to lower seawater pH. We studied the effects of lowered pH on the calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis during a mesocosm experiment conducted in a coastal area of the Baltic Sea. We measured copepod reproductive success as a function of pH, chlorophyll a concentration, diatom and dinoflagellate biomass, carbon to nitrogen (C : N) ratio of suspended particulate organic matter, as well as copepod fatty acid composition. The laboratory-based experiment was repeated four times during 4 consecutive weeks, with water and copepods sampled from pelagic mesocosms enriched with different CO2 concentrations. In addition, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of animals from the mesocosms was measured weekly to test whether the copepod's defence against oxidative stress was affected by pH. We found no effect of pH on offspring production. Phytoplankton biomass, as indicated by chlorophyll a concentration and dinoflagellate biomass, had a positive effect. The concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the females was reflected in the eggs and had a positive effect on offspring production, whereas monounsaturated fatty acids of the females were reflected in their eggs but had no significant effect. ORAC was not affected by pH. From these experiments we conclude that E. affinis seems robust against direct exposure to ocean acidification on a physiological level, for the variables covered in the study. E. affinis may not have faced acute pH stress in the treatments as the species naturally face large pH fluctuations.
Ebola--an ongoing crisis.

In March 2014, an outbreak of a febrile illness associated with a high case fatality rate was identified in the Gueckedou region of Guinea–Conakry, a remote part of West Africa. An international field investigation was initiated. On April 16, the Journal published a preliminary report identifying the outbreak as due to Ebola virus.1 The initial sequence data showed that the outbreak strain was Zaire ebolavirus, but a strain distinct from those identified in prior outbreaks, such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Gabon. In Guinea there appeared to be ongoing human-to-human transmission. Over the next 4 .
Expression of the myelin basic protein gene locus in neurons and oligodendrocytes in the human fetal central nervous system

The myelin basic protein (MBP) gene locus is composed of two overlapping transcription units that share all of the MBP exons. One of these transcription units expresses the MBPs and the other expresses a family of proteins structurally related to the MBPs. This second transcription unit is called the Golli gene, and the entire complex is called the Golli‐mbp gene. In this study, the expression of the Golli gene was examined in the human fetal central nervous system (CNS). By using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction cloning we have identified eight new members of the Golli gene family of transcripts expressed in the human CNS. Golli gene expression was examined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and surprisingly, Golli products were found to be expressed in neurons as well as oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, the subcellular distribution of Golli immunoreactivity in fetal spinal cord interneurons shifted between the various laminae. Golli protein was localized within the nuclei of interneurons in the posterior horn, but was found in the cell bodies and processes of interneurons in the anterior horn. Within oligodendrocytes, Golli protein was detected in the cell bodies and processes, including processes which were wrapping axonal segments. Golli mRNA expression was also observed in neurons within the cerebral cortex between 18 and 20 weeks postconception, prior to myelination of this brain region. During this period, there was a striking developmental increase in the numbers and in the locations of neurons expressing Golli mRNAs within the cortical plate. The diverse distribution of Golli proteins within neurons and oligodendrocytes indicates that their function is quite different from that of the MBPs to which they are closely related. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Definition of phenotypic characteristics of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) might be etiologically different from adult-onset IBD. We analyzed disease phenotypes and progression of childhood-onset disease and compared them with characteristics of adult-onset disease in patients in Scotland. METHODS Anatomic locations and behaviors were assessed in 416 patients with childhood-onset (276 Crohn's disease [CD], 99 ulcerative colitis [UC], 41 IBD type unclassified [IBDU] diagnosed before seventeenth birthday) and 1297 patients with adult-onset (596 CD, 701 UC) IBD using the Montreal classification. RESULTS At the time of diagnosis in children, CD involved small bowel and colon (L3) in 51% (138/273), colon (L2) in 36%, and ileum (L1) in 6%; the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract (L4) was also affected in 51%. In 39%, the anatomic extent increased within 2 years. Behavioral characteristics progressed; 24% of children developed stricturing or penetrating complications within 4 years (vs 9% at diagnosis; P < .0001; odds ratio [OR], 3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86-5.92). Compared with adults, childhood-onset disease was characterized by a "panenteric" phenotype (ileocolonic plus upper GI [L3+L4]; 43% vs 3%; P < .0001; OR, 23.36; 95% CI, 13.45-40.59) with less isolated ileal (L1; 2% vs 31%; P < .0001; OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.03-0.12) or colonic disease (L2; 15% vs 36%; P < .0001; OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.46). UC was extensive in 82% of the children at diagnosis, versus 48% of adults (P < .0001; OR, 5.08; 95% CI, 2.73-9.45); 46% of the children progressed to develop extensive colitis during follow-up. Forty-six percent of children with CD and 35% with UC required immunomodulatory therapy within 12 months of diagnosis. The median time to first surgery was longer in childhood-onset than adult-onset patients with CD (13.7 vs 7.8 years; P < .001); the reverse was true for UC. CONCLUSIONS Childhood-onset IBD is characterized by extensive intestinal involvement and rapid early progression.
Effect of Drawing a Discard Tube on PT and APTT Results in Healthy Adults

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare results obtained for the prothrombin time (PT) and the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) using specimens drawn with and without a discard tube in healthy adults. DESIGN: A specimen of blood in a 3.2% sodium citrate, 5.0 mL tube was drawn from one arm with a discard tube and from the other arm without a discard tube on 35 healthy adults. A PT and APTT were performed on each specimen using a fibrometer. SETTING: The PT and APTT tests were all performed in the student laboratory of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at East Carolina University. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Study subjects included technician, technologist, and phlebotomist employees of the clinical laboratory at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and faculty and junior and senior students in the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. All participants signed an informed consent prior to venipuncture. INTERVENTIONS: Two coagulation specimens were drawn from each subject. Specimens in a discard (no anticoagulant) tube and then an anticoagulated tube were drawn from one arm, and a specimen in a single anticoagulant tube was drawn from the other arm. The PT and APTT were performed using standardized procedures with Pacific Hemostasis reagents and controls and a BBL FibroSystem fibrometer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The degree of difference between PT results and between APTT results for specimens drawn with and without a discard tube. RESULTS: Based on paired t-test analyses, no difference in mean PT results and no difference in mean APTT results were found between specimens drawn with a discard tube and those drawn without a discard tube at an alpha of 0.05. Paired-samples correlation coefficients were significant for both the PT and the APTT at an alpha of 0.05, showing precision between results with and without a discard tube for both coagulation tests. CONCLUSIONS: Relative to sampling from a population of healthy adults, drawing a discard tube before a sodium citrate tube for coagulation testing appears to make an insignificant difference. Replication of these results with patients receiving anticoagulant therapy and/or patients with abnormal coagulation results, would offer cost savings by justifying elimination of discard tubes for blood draws for coagulation testing only. Such a change in protocol would also reduce the likelihood of nosocomial blood loss in vulnerable patient populations. ABBREVIATIONS USED: APTT = activated partial thromboplastin time; NCCLS = National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards; PT = prothrombin time.
Sub-pixel localization of edges in JPEG images

Many methods for edge detection have been proposed in the last two-three decades. Sometimes is desirable to increase resolution of system for edge detection. There are two ways how to deal with this problem. Either a sensor with a greater number of pixels is used or method for edge detection with sub-pixel accuracy is applied. In some cases, only JPEG pictures are used as incoming data. In this paper we analyze how JPEG compression of picture changes the accuracy of edge localization. JPEG pictures with different compression quality were used to test three methods for edge localization in 1-D images with sub-pixel accuracy: method that approximates real 1-D picture with function erf (EFA) and edge detectors based on statistical moments (STM) or spatial moments (SPM) of the image function. This paper presents results of simulations of noiseless pictures and pictures with Gaussian noise. Lower and upper 5% quantiles are chosen as the accuracy criterion.
In Vivo Translation of the Triple Gene Block of Potato Virus X Requires Two Subgenomic mRNAs

ABSTRACT The 25-kilodalton (25K), 12K, and 8K movement proteins of potato virus X are derived from overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). Using an in vivo complementation assay, we have shown that the 25K protein is expressed from a functionally monocistronic mRNA, whereas the 12K and 8K proteins are from a bicistronic mRNA. Translation of the 8K ORF is by leaky ribosome scanning through the 12K ORF.