Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Haemopoietic progenitor cell differentiation: flow cytometric assessment in bone marrow and thymus

Summary. We have recently shown that expression of any of the lineage‐associated molecules CD2, CD7, CD10, CD19 or CD33 does not ensure lineage‐commitment of CD34+ progenitor cells. Further, normal progenitor cells and leukaemic blast cells have been shown to coexpress molecules associated with more than one haemopoietic lineage. Five‐dimensional flow cytometric analysis of normal bone marrow cells was exploited to investigate the hypothesis of a developmental stage in haemopoiesis comprising CD34+ cells coexpressing CD2, CD5, CD7, CD10, CD19 and CD33 or any combination of these molecules. We report on a subpopulation of CD34+ bone marrow cells constituting < 5% of the CD34+ cells and characterized by extensive coexpression of several molecules associated with the B lymphoid, T lymphoid and myeloid lineages. There is every probability that some cells display the CD34+ CD2+ CD5+ CD7+ CD10+ CD19+ CD33+ phenotype. Studies on postnatal thymocytes suggest that this may be the phenotype or one of a few phenotypes of a candidate thymus‐seeding progenitor cell population. Finally, our findings that CD34+ as well as CD34+ CD5+ thymocytes can be driven into non‐T‐lymphoid differentiation by cytokines, support the notion that the thymus is seeded by uncommitted progenitors.
Is a Political Science of Human Rights Possible?

The political science of human rights rests on a philosophical contradiction. The contemporary conception of human rights derives from the ‘classical’ conception of natural rights, which was based on the philosophy of natural law. Modern social science derives from nineteenth-century positivism, which arose precisely to refute the philosophy of natural tow, and to exclude the concept of natural rights from scientific discourse. The concept of human rights retains from its natural-law heritage its inherent prescriptive character, but it is, for that reason, not a proper object of scientific study by the canons of positivism. I show how this philosophical confusion affects the contemporary political science of human rights. I argue that the political science of human rights should be interdisciplinary between philosophy and social science, between the social sciences, and between political science and international relations. Law should be removed from its hegemonic role in human-rights studies, and relocated correctly within this interdisciplinary approach.
Valproate (VPA) Metabolites in Various Clinical Conditions of Probable VPA‐Associated Hepatotoxicity

Summary: Of a cohort of 470 epileptic patients in whom valproate (VPA) serum metabolites had been measured, 170 subjects without symptoms or signs of hepatic side effects were chosen as a reference group to establish the usual metabolic pattern. A wide interindividual variation of VPA metabolite concentrations was noted. Infants receiving VPA monotherapy and comedication with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) showed lower concentrations of the potential hepatotoxin 4‐ene‐VPA than did older children. In 11 patients with early symptoms and signs of possible fatal VPA‐associated hepatotoxicity, the following spectrum of benign clinical conditions was observed: unusually severe side effect during initiation of VPA therapy (1 patient), high VPA dosage (2 patients), reversible impairment of coagulation with bleeding manifestations in association with a slight increase in transaminase levels (1 child), and reversible liver dysfunction associated with febrile illness (7 patients). Reversible or irreversible fulminant liver failure had occurred in 5 children. Three of the 4 children with a fatal outcome had massive lactic acidosis. In all patients with probable VPA‐associated hepatotoxicity, some aspects of VPA metabolism differed distinctly from that of the reference group, but the interindividual profile of metabolites varied considerably, even in the subgroup of 4 children who died. Impairment of VPA β‐oxidation and increase of metabolites of alternative metabolic pathways (ω‐ and ω1‐hydroxylation, dehydrogenation reactions) were the most frequent findings. Increased values of 2‐n‐propyl‐4‐pentenoic acid metabolite of VPA (4‐ene‐VPA), could be detected only in 1 of the 5 patients with fulminant liver failure and in one other child with a slight hepatic dysfunction, indicating that this VPA metabolite is not the decisive hepatotoxin or indicator of hepatotoxicity. Because we cannot distinguish between benign and life‐threatening hepatic adverse reactions on the basis of VPA metabolites, all identified changes are considered secondary to an as‐yet‐unknown primary metabolic event. The most toxic compound could be VPA itself, which may unmask an inborn or an acquired metabolic defect in the processing of fatty acids.
Adenovirus-mediated transfer of caspase-3 with Fas ligand induces drastic apoptosis in U-373MG glioma cells.

Impaired function of apoptosis-related genes is deeply involved in oncogenesis and the progression of cancers, and caspase-3 plays a critical role as an executioner of apoptosis. We introduced the caspase-3 gene via an adenovirus (Adv) vector into Alexander hepatoma cells, MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and U251 and U-373MG glioma cells which have different endogenous levels of caspase-3 expression. None of the cell lines underwent apoptosis by overexpression of caspase-3, indicating that induction of caspase-3 alone is not applicable for cancer gene therapy. Next, we investigated whether overexpression of caspase-3 could enhance Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis in these four cell lines. In U-373MG cells, which showed the highest level of expression of surface Fas among the four cell lines, coinfection of the Adv for caspase-3 (Adv-caspase-3) and the Adv for Fas ligand (Adv-FL) induced a remarkably increased degree of apoptosis compared with that induced by the single infection of either Adv-caspase-3 or Adv-FL. Similar results were obtained by cotreatment with anti-Fas antibody in U-373MG cells. These data suggest that when strong proapoptotic upstream stimuli are induced, the level of caspase-3 expression determines the degree of apoptosis in cancer cell lines. In conclusion, overexpression of caspase-3 alone did not induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Both a strong proapoptotic signal and a high expression of caspase-3 were required to induce drastic apoptosis in cancers. This strategy would be highly beneficial for selected cancer patients.
Cellular Levels of trp RNA-Binding Attenuation Protein in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Expression of the Bacillus subtilis trp genes is negatively regulated by an 11-subunit trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP), which is activated to bind RNA by binding l-tryptophan. We used Western blotting to estimate that there are 200 to 400 TRAP 11-mer molecules per cell in cells grown in either minimal or rich medium.
Financial Effects of Private Vs. Government Stock Ownership: Evidence from Literature of Listed Chinese Companies

We collect evidence from the literature of listed Chinese companies about private vs. government stock ownership in seven financial areas. Based on a total of 106 financial effects examined, our study categorizes 39% as positive effects of private ownership, 25% as negative effects of private ownership, and 36% as mixed or ambiguous. Thus, private ownership seems to have an advantage over government ownership, but privatization per se in China seems not an absolute guarantee for effective corporate financial management.
N‐3 but not N‐6 fatty acids reduce the expression of the combined adhesion and scavenger receptor CD36 in human monocytic cells

CD36, a multifunctional adhesion receptor e.g. for thrombospondin and collagen, as well as a scavenger receptor for oxidized low density lipoprotein, is expressed e.g. on platelets and monocytes. By this dual role it might be involved in early steps of atherosclerosis like the recruitment of monocytes and formation of foam cells. We therefore studied the effects of n‐3 fatty acids on CD36 expression in human monocytic cells. Incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n‐3) into cellular phospholipids resulted in a significant reduction of CD36 expression at the mRNA and protein level, whereas arachidonic acid (AA, C20: 4n‐6) and linoleic acid (LA, C18:2n‐6) tended to increase CD36 expression compared to the control. This specific down‐regulation of CD36 by n‐3 fatty acids in cells involved in the initiation and progression of atherogenesis and inflammation, represents a further mechanism that may contribute to the beneficial effects of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in these disorders.
Childhood growth and exposure to dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene and polychlorinated biphenyls.

OBJECTIVES Dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), toxic contaminants known to be persistent in the environment, may affect growth. We investigated whether growth from birth to 10 years of age is associated with blood concentrations of DDE and PCB taken at 8 years of age. STUDY DESIGN We ambispectively followed up a cohort of 343 German children. DDE and PCB blood concentrations were determined in 1995. Height measurements were conducted prospectively between 1994 and 1997 and obtained retrospectively from each Child's Health Card. Linear regression models for repeated measurements, controlling for confounding factors, were applied. RESULTS Growth was significantly reduced by an average of 1.8 cm (P <.0275) for girls in the highest DDE concentration quartile (>.44 microg/L in whole blood) compared with girls in the lowest quartile (0.08-0.2 microg/L). There was no observed growth effect of DDE in boys. PCB blood concentrations were not related to growth reduction in either girls or boys. CONCLUSIONS Background level concentrations to DDE, but not PCB, during childhood are associated with a small reduction in growth for girls evident through the age of 8 years. The observed differences narrow at the year 9 examination and disappear at the year 10 examination. No effects on boys' heights were observed.
Age-Related Gender Differential in Outcome After Blunt or Penetrating Trauma

Although laboratory studies indicate that female rodents better tolerate the deleterious consequences of trauma and have higher survival rates than male rodents, it remains unclear whether a similar gender dimorphic pattern is evident in humans. In view of this, the association between gender and mortality in trauma patients admitted to a University Level I Trauma Center was assessed. All adult patients admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Trauma Center with blunt or penetrating injury between July 1996 and March 2001 were selected for analysis. Patients were categorized by mechanism (blunt or penetrating), and odds ratios (ORs) were used to compare the risk of death among males compared with females. The ORs were stratified according to age and were adjusted for demographic, medical, and injury characteristics. Male blunt trauma patients <50 years old had a 2.5 times (95% CI 1.3–4.9) higher risk of death than females; however, for those ≥50 years old, a smaller, nonstatistically significant difference was apparent (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8–2.3). Conversely, for penetrating trauma, males <50 years old exhibited an increased yet nonsignificant risk of death (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.6–5.4), whereas those ≥50 years old had a survival advantage (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02–0.5). Laboratory studies have demonstrated that estrogens are salutary and androgens are detrimental for survival following trauma-hemorrhage. The results of this study suggest that the physiologic pattern of premenopausal adult female sex hormones may provide a survival advantage in blunt trauma patients; however, the converse pattern prevails for the penetrating trauma patients.
Development of rhizosecretion as a production system for recombinant proteins from hydroponic cultivated tobacco

Rhizosecretion is an attractive technology for the production of recombinant proteins from transgenic plants. However, to date, yields of plantderived recombinant pharmaceuticals by this method have been too low for commercial viability. Studies conducted focused on three transgenic plant lines grown in hydroponic culture medium, two expressing monoclonal antibodies Guy's 13 and 4E10 and one expressing a small microbicide polypeptide cyanovirin‐N. Rhizosecretion rates increased significantly by the addition of the plant growth regulator α‐naphthalene acetic acid. The maximum rhizosecretion rates achieved were 58 Hg/g root dry weight/24 h for Guy's 13, 10.43 μg/g root dry weight/24 h for 4E10, and 766 μg/g root dry weight/24 h for cyanovirin‐N, the highest figures so far reported for a full‐length antibody and a recombinant protein, respectively. The plant growth regulators indolebutyric acid, 6–benzylaminopurine, and kinetin were also demonstrated to increase rhizosecretion of Guy's 13. The effect of the growth regulators differed, as α‐naphthalene acetic acid and indole‐butyric acid increased the root dry weight of hydroponic plants, whereas the cytokinins benzylaminopurine and kinetin increased rhizosecretion without affecting root mass. A comparative glycosylation analysis between MAb Guy's 13 purified from either hydroponic culture medium or from leaf extracts demonstrated a similar pattern of glycosylation comprising high mannose to complex glycoforms. Analysis of the hydroponic culture medium at harvest revealed significantly lower and less complex levels of proteolytic enzymes, in comparison with leaf extracts, which translated to a higher proportion of intact Guy's 13 IgG in relation to other IgG products. Hydroponic medium could be added directly to a chromatography column for affinity purification, allowing simple and rapid production of high purity Guy's 13 antibody. In addition to the attractiveness of controlled cultivation within a contained environment for pharmaceutical‐producing plants, this study demonstrates advantages with respect to the quality and downstream purification of recombinant proteins. —Drake, P. M. W. , Barbi, T. , Sexton, A. , McGowan, E. , Stadlmann, J., Navarre, C. , Paul, M. J., Ma, J. K. ‐C. Development of rhizosecretion as a production system for recombinant proteins from hydroponic cultivated tobacco. FASEB J. 23, 3581–3589 (2009). www.fasebj. org
Lymph node size and metastatic infiltration in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Preoperative lymph node staging of lung cancer by CT relies on the premise that malignant lymph nodes are larger than benign ones. Lymph nodes > 1 cm in size are regarded as metastatic nodes. The surgical approach and potential application of neoadjuvant therapy regimens are dependent on this evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a morphometric study, hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes from 256 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were analyzed. The lymph nodes were counted, the largest diameter of each lymph node was measured, and each lymph node was analyzed for metastatic involvement by histopathologic examination. The frequency of metastatic involvement was calculated and correlated with lymph node size. Preoperative CT scans of 80 patients were retrospectively analyzed by a staff radiologist. Lymph node size was measured, and lymph nodes were evaluated due to radiologic criteria. The radiologic evaluation was compared to the histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS A total of 2,891 lymph nodes were present in the 256 specimens examined for this study. One hundred thirty-nine patients had a pN0 status, whereas 117 patients had lymph nodes that were positive for cancer. Two thousand four hundred eighty-six lymph nodes (86%) were tumor-free, while 405 (14%) showed metastatic involvement on histopathologic examination. The mean (+/- SD) diameter of the nonmetastatic lymph nodes was 7.05 +/- 3.75 mm, whereas infiltrated nodes had a diameter of 10.7 +/- 4.7 mm (p = 0.005). One thousand nine hundred fifty-three of the tumor-free lymph nodes (79%) and 170 of the metastatic lymph nodes (44%) were < 10 mm in diameter. Of 139 patients with no metastatic lymph node involvement, 101 (77%) had at least one lymph node that was > 10 mm in diameter. Of 127 patients with metastatic lymph node involvement, 12% had no lymph node that was < 10 mm. The independent radiologic evaluation of the CT scans of 80 patients yielded a sensitivity of 57.1% and a specificity of 80.6%. CONCLUSION Lymph node size is not a reliable parameter for the evaluation of metastatic involvement in patients with NSCLC.
A hedonic valuation in Putrajaya Wetlands

This study is designed to estimate the economic value of green spaces in the land of Putrajaya by using the Hedonic Pricing Method (HPM). Economic valuation regarding green spaces in Putrajaya is targeted to give an efficient solution in investment and also to facilitate the residents of Putrajaya upon the value of the environment that they received and the significance of reserving the great environment for future consumptions. Survey questionnaires were distributed to 415 respondents in Putrajaya Wetlands who lived in the housing area 2-15 Km from this park. A Hedonic Pricing Model is developed by taking housing price as the dependent variable and structural of the house including distance to the green area as the independent variables. Housing price is used as a proxy to quantify the economic value of green space. Two models (linear model and semi-log model) mainly based on hedonic price model are formulated and regressed through ordinary least square (OLS) method. In term of model comparison, the result revealed that semi-log model (Model 2) performed better than the linear model (Model 1). As expected, a significant inverse relationship between the housing price and its distance from the residential area and the Putrajaya Wetland has been found whereby a slight decrease of 1 Km of the distance will positively increase the housing price by 5.9%. The result positively shows that the green space has contributed indirectly towards the housing price and it indicates that green space is a vital part of urban development in the city area. In conclusion, the green space provides benefits especially regarding its economic value. Thus, conserves and preserve in maintaining this area is ought to be implemented.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia and inflammatory biomarkers in the premature neonate

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common, serious sequela of premature birth. Inflammation is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of BPD. Often initiated by a pulmonary fetal inflammatory response, lung inflammation is exacerbated by mechanical ventilation and exposure to supplemental oxygen. In response to these initiators of injury, a complex interaction occurs between proteins that attract inflammatory cells (ie, chemokines), proteins that facilitate the transendothelial migration of inflammatory cells from blood vessels (ie, adhesion molecules), proteins that promote tissue damage (ie, pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteases), and proteins that modulate the process (eg, anti-inflammatory cytokines, binding proteins and receptor antagonists). In addition, during recovery from inflammatory injury, growth factors and other substances that control normal lung growth and mediate repair influence subsequent lung structure. In this review, we discuss the role of each aspect of the inflammatory process in the development of BPD. This discussion will include data from measurements of biomarkers in samples of fluid aspirated from the airways of human infants relevant to each phase of inflammation. Despite their limitations, these measurements provide some insight into the role of inflammation in the development of BPD and may be useful in identifying infants at risk for the disease.
Conservation of Glutamine-Rich Transactivation Function between Yeast and Humans

ABSTRACT Several eukaryotic transcription factors such as Sp1 or Oct1 contain glutamine-rich domains that mediate transcriptional activation. In human cells, promoter-proximally bound glutamine-rich activation domains activate transcription poorly in the absence of acidic type activators bound at distal enhancers, but synergistically stimulate transcription with these remote activators. Glutamine-rich activation domains were previously reported to also function in the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombe but not in the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that budding yeast lacks this pathway of transcriptional activation. The strong interaction of an Sp1 glutamine-rich domain with the general transcription factor TAFII110 (TAFII130), and the absence of any obvious TAFII110 homologue in the budding yeast genome, seemed to confirm this notion. We reinvestigated the phenomenon by reconstituting in the budding yeast an enhancer-promoter architecture that is prevalent in higher eukaryotes but less common in yeast. Under these conditions, we observed that glutamine-rich activation domains derived from both mammalian and yeast transcription factors activated only poorly on their own but strongly synergized with acidic activators bound at the remote enhancer position. The level of activation by the glutamine-rich activation domains of Sp1 and Oct1 in combination with a remote enhancer was similar in yeast and human cells. We also found that mutations in a glutamine-rich domain had similar phenotypes in budding yeast and human cells. Our results show that glutamine-rich activation domains behave very similarly in yeast and mammals and that their activity in budding yeast does not depend on the presence of a TAFII110 homologue.
Positive association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and C-reactive protein is confounded by hormonal contraceptive use.

BACKGROUND Studies of the relationship between vitamin D and inflammation are equivocal. This may be due to unaccounted confounding. Hormonal contraceptive (HC) use is associated with elevated circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in Caucasians and African-Americans, but its effects on 25(OH)D in other ethnicities are unclear. HC use is associated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory biomarker. Our objectives were to assess the effect of HC use on 25(OH)D across ethnic groups, and to examine the association between HC, 25(OH)D and CRP in an ethnically diverse population of young adults. METHODS We recruited Caucasian, East Asian, and South Asian individuals (n=1,403) from Toronto, Canada. Fasting blood measures of 25(OH)D and CRP were obtained. RESULTS Across ethnic groups, women HC users (n=280) had higher 25(OH)D and CRP than women HC non-users (n=695) and men (n=428) (p<0.008 and p<0.0001, respectively). Circulating 25(OH)D was positively associated with CRP in the entire population in models not accounting for HC use (β=0.010±0.003; p<0.0001). There was no association when men and women HC non-users were examined separately. Among women HC users, there was no association after accounting for hormone dose. A positive association between 25(OH)D and CRP among individuals above the median 25(OH)D (≥51.9 nmol/L) was not significant after adjustment for HC use. No association was observed among individuals below the median. CONCLUSIONS HC use and 25(OH)D were positively associated across ethnic groups. We found no association between 25(OH)D and CRP when HC use was accounted for. HC use confounds the association between 25(OH)D and CRP.