Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Progesterone receptor immunoreactivity in pancreatic endocrine tumors. An immunocytochemical study of 156 neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas, gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and skin

Background. The immunoreactivity for progesterone receptors (PR) of the majority of endocrine cells of the human pancreas has prompted the authors to investigate if PR expression is maintained in pancreatic endocrine tumors and is correlated with the main clinicopathologic features of these neoplasms. Furthermore, the study has been extended to other neuroendocrine cells and tumors to determine whether PR immunoreactivity is a common feature of neuroendocrine cells and tumors other than those of the pancreas.
Tabletop Computed Lighting for Practical Digital Photography

We apply simplified image-based lighting methods to reduce the equipment, cost, time, and specialized skills required for high-quality photographic lighting of desktop-sized static objects such as museum artifacts. We place the object and a computer-steered moving-head spotlight inside a simple foam-core enclosure and use a camera to record photos as the light scans the box interior. Optimization, guided by interactive user sketching, selects a small set of these photos whose weighted sum best matches the user-defined target sketch. Unlike previous image-based relighting efforts, our method requires only a single area light source, yet it can achieve high-resolution light positioning to avoid multiple sharp shadows. A reduced version uses only a handheld light and may be suitable for battery-powered field photography equipment that fits into a backpack.
Detection of Gastric Helicobacter Species in Free-ranging Lynx (Lynx lynx) and Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Sweden

Specimens of gastric mucosa and liver of 25 free-ranging Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and four red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) shot in Sweden during 1999–2000, were investigated for the presence of Helicobacter species. Histopathology, bacteriologic culture and urease test, Helicobacter genus-specific 16S rDNA PCR analysis, and DNA sequence analysis were applied. Numerous Helicobacter-like organisms were observed histologically in the gastric mucosa of one fox. Helicobacter spp. were detected in the stomach by PCR analysis in 17 (68%) of the lynx and in three (75%) of the foxes. Seven of the positive lynx were also positive in the urease test. PCR fragments, amplified from lynx and foxes, were sequenced and compared with those of known Helicobacter species. PCR products from lynx were closely related (≥98% homology) to H. heilmannii, and PCR fragments from foxes demonstrated close homology to H. heilmannii and H. salomonis. No Helicobacter spp. or Helicobacter-like organisms could be cultured. The PCR analysis of the liver was negative for all animals. The pathologic significance of the presence of Helicobacter spp. in the stomach of free-ranging lynx and foxes remains uncertain.
A Pmk1-Interacting Gene Is Involved in Appressorium Differentiation and Plant Infection in Magnaporthe oryzae

ABSTRACT In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, the PMK1 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase gene regulates appressorium formation and infectious growth. Its homologs in many other fungi also play critical roles in fungal development and pathogenicity. However, the targets of this important MAP kinase and its interacting genes are not well characterized. In this study, we constructed two yeast two-hybrid libraries of M. oryzae and screened for Pmk1-interacting proteins. Among the nine Pmk1-interacting clones (PICs) identified, two of them, PIC1 and PIC5, were selected for further characterization. Pic1 has one putative nuclear localization signal and one putative MAP kinase phosphorylation site. Pic5 contains one transmembrane domain and two functionally unknown CTNS (cystinosin/ERS1p repeat) motifs. The interaction of Pmk1 with Pic1 or Pic5 was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation assays. Targeted gene deletion of PIC1 had no apparent effects on vegetative growth and pathogenicity but resulted in a significant reduction in conidiation and abnormal germ tube differentiation on onion epidermal cells. Deletion of PIC5 led to a reduction in conidiation and hyphal growth. Autolysis of aerial hyphae became visible in cultures older than 4 days. The pic5 mutant was defective in germ tube growth and appressorium differentiation. It was reduced in appressorial penetration and virulence on the plant. Both PIC1 and PIC5 are conserved in filamentous ascomycetes, but none of their orthologs have been functionally characterized. Our data indicate that PIC5 is a novel virulence factor involved in appressorium differentiation and pathogenesis in M. oryzae.
A tese da independência do Banco Central e a estabilidade de preços: uma aplicação do método Cukierman à história do FED

O objetivo do texto e discutir a tese de que propoe a independencia dos bancos centrais (IBC). Para tanto, aplica-se o metodo de avaliacao do grau de autonomia dos bancos centrais - elaborado por Alex Cukierman - ao "Federal Reserve System" em alguns importantes eventos da historia monetaria americana. Verifica-se se o grau de autonomia das autoridades monetarias nos Estados Unidos esta relacionado com as taxas de inflacao do pais. A partir dos resultados alcancados, o artigo efetua uma discussao sobre a validade da tese da IBC.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterium Bacillus siamensis KCTC 13613T

ABSTRACT Bacillus siamensis KCTC 13613T, a novel halophilic Bacillus species isolated from a salted Thai food, produced antimicrobial compounds against plant pathogens and promoted plant growth by volatile emission. We determined the 3.8-Mb genome sequence of B. siamensis KCTC 13613T to reveal the plant-beneficial effect at the genomic level.
High-Performance Stacked Double-Layer N-Channel Poly-Si Nanosheet Multigate Thin-Film Transistors

A high-performance stacked double-layer N-channel poly-Si nanosheet (NS) multigate thin-film transistor (DLNS-TFT) is demonstrated successfully. The proposed device has low cost, is easy to fabricate, and is compatible with Si MOSFET, active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, and active-matrix liquid-crystal display fabrication. This DLNS-TFT reveals high driving current (> 105 A/um), high Ion/Ioff ratio (> 108), high mobility (42 cm2/Vs), and low parasitic resistance, when compared with single-layer nanosheet TFT. The DLNS-TFT also has a high density and satisfies the driving current monolithic multilayer 3-D IC in the ITRS 2015 version technology roadmap to the year 2030.
Faculty Development and the Concept of "Profession".

faculty members are more skillful and creative, academic programs work more effectively, and entire colleges have been revitalized. Yet, in a more important way, the promise of faculty professional development remains unfulfilled. In this essay I want to develop an idea which accounts in part for this limitation: we have paid too little attention to the concept of profession in the phrase "faculty professional development programs. " I am suggesting here that the way we come to understand the key terms that define our work influences the character and success of our efforts.
"nangangamuhan" : an analysis of the standard employment contract (POEA-SEC) for Filipino seafarers

This thesis explores the terms and conditions of the standard employment contract (POEA-SEC) for overseas Filipino seafarers. The contract, and the workers’ experience of it, is studied as an institutional arrangement prescribed by the Philippine government for the deployment of seafarers as contractual workers in the global labour market. This study aims to answer questions posed at the outset of this research on the enforcement and implementation of the POEA-SEC and its effectiveness in protecting the welfare and well-being of seafarers. This research examined the views, perceptions and experiences of seafarers and other major stakeholders in relation to their use of the POEA-SEC. The process of approval of the POEA-SEC was used as a case study to generate qualitative data. Multiple approaches such as legal analysis, semi-structured interviews, site observation, and focus groups were employed to gather evidence. Participants all came from the Philippines, a developing country in Southeast Asia. The thesis argues that the POEA-SEC is essentially an economic arrangement, which is fundamentally constructed to capture the remittance of workers. The contract is insufficient to address the problems associated with the vulnerability of the working conditions currently experienced by Filipino seafarers. Deploying the seafarers as short-term, contractual and cheap labour under the POEA-SEC undermines long established labour protection legislation, which is designed to protect the rights of workers to, for example, security of tenure and competitive rates of employment. The experience of the seafarers on-board the ship suggests that the contract cannot intercede in a beneficial way and falls short as a legal document to protect Filipino seafarers. The contract is remote from seafarers, merely symbolic and systematically fails to address seafarer issues, such as fatigue, stress and anxiety which affect their health and well-being. What is reflected in the inadequacy of the contract is the inability (and, it might be argued, collusion) of the Philippine state (and others, e.g. trade unions) to protect its citizens (as migrant labour) from the sometimes onerous demands of seafaring and the worst excesses of capital (shipowners and their proxies i.e. crewing agencies).
Single-molecule study of full-length NaChBac by planar lipid bilayer recording

Planar lipid bilayer device, alternatively known as BLM, is a powerful tool to study functional properties of conducting membrane proteins such as ion channels and porins. In this work, we used BLM to study the prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) NaChBac in a well-defined membrane environment. Navs are an essential component for the generation and propagation of electric signals in excitable cells. The successes in the biochemical, biophysical and crystallographic studies on prokaryotic Navs in recent years has greatly promoted the understanding of the molecular mechanism that underlies these proteins and their eukaryotic counterparts. In this work, we investigated the single-molecule conductance and ionic selectivity behavior of NaChBac. Purified NaChBac protein was first reconstituted into lipid vesicles, which is subsequently incorporated into planar lipid bilayer by fusion. At single-molecule level, we were able to observe three distinct long-lived conductance sub-states of NaChBac. Change in the membrane potential switches on the channel mainly by increasing its opening probability. In addition, we found that individual NaChBac has similar permeability for Na+, K+, and Ca2+. The single-molecule behavior of the full-length protein is essentially highly stochastic. Our results show that planar lipid bilayer device can be used to study purified ion channels at single-molecule level in an artificial environment, and such studies can reveal new protein properties that are otherwise not observable in in vivo ensemble studies.
Quantitative proton short‐echo‐time LASER spectroscopy of normal human white matter and hippocampus at 4 Tesla incorporating macromolecule subtraction

Accurate quantification of in vivo short‐echo‐time (TE) 1H spectra must account for contributions from both mobile metabolites and less mobile macromolecules, which can fluctuate in disease. The purpose of this study was to develop an approach for the acquisition and processing of macromolecule information to optimize metabolite quantification accuracy and precision. Human parietal white matter (8‐cm3 voxel) and posterior hippocampus (1.7‐cm3 voxel) metabolite levels were quantified, following manomolecule subtraction, from short‐echo‐time spectra (TE = 46 ms) acquired at 4.0 Tesla with localization by adiabatic selective refocusing (LASER). Nineteen metabolites were fit using a time domain Levenberg‐Marquardt minimization that incorporated prior knowledge of metabolite lineshapes. The macromolecule contribution to the spectrum was reduced by 87% (P < 0.05) when the acquisition of single averages of the full spectrum and macromolecule spectrum were interleaved to reduce subtraction errors due to motion. Subtracting the Hankel Lanczos singular value decomposition (HLSVD) fit of the macromolecule spectrum, which contained no random noise, did not alter quantified metabolite levels but did not increase metabolite quantification precision. Several metabolites had higher concentrations in the posterior hippocampus compared to parietal white matter, which emphasizes the need to carefully control for partial volume contamination in hippocampal spectroscopy studies. Magn Reson Med 49:918–927, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Effect of a Nurse-Managed CHF Clinic on Patient Readmission and Length of Stay

Hospital readmission for exacerbation of symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a major home healthcare problem and expense. To address this problem and curb the increasing expense and patient lifestyle disruption, a group of staff nurses at the Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center developed a nurse-managed clinic to follow all patients with CHF after discharge. Within 6 months of the clinic's operation, readmissions of these patients decreased by 4%, and the length of stay decreased by 1.6 days.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction after prepubertal chemotherapy and cranial irradiation for acute leukaemia.

BACKGROUND We assessed adult hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function following treatment with chemotherapy and cranial irradiation for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. METHODS The patients (n = 12) had median age at diagnosis of 4.7 years, and at assessment of 20.8 years. They collected a daily urine sample over two to five consecutive menstrual cycles (total of 41 cycles) for analysis of LH and steroid excretion. Blood sampling and ovarian ultrasound examination was performed in the early follicular phase. Sixteen healthy women with regular menstrual cycles were recruited as controls. RESULTS Urinary LH excretion was significantly lower in patients throughout the cycle, particularly during the LH surge (P < 0.0001). The length of the luteal phase was significantly shorter in patients than in normal controls (12.2 +/- 0.3 versus 13.6 +/- 0.4 days, P = 0.01) with a high prevalence of short (< or =11 days) luteal phases (15/39 cycles). Luteal phase pregnanediol excretion was slightly but not significantly lower. Follicular and luteal phase excretion of oestrone was lower in patients than in controls (P = 0.01). Early follicular phase plasma oestradiol was also lower in the patient group (P = 0.032) although LH, FSH, inhibin A and B concentrations were similar. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that treatment for childhood leukaemia results in subtle ovulatory disorder in some patients, probably related to cranial irradiation. Follow-up of these women is required to detect any effect on reproductive potential.
Nonlinear Tax Incidence and Optimal Taxation in General Equilibrium

We study the incidence of nonlinear labor income taxes in an economy with a continuum of endogenous wages. We derive in closed form the effects of reforming nonlinearly an arbitrary tax system, by showing that this problem can be formalized as an integral equation. Our tax incidence formulas are valid both when the underlying assignment of skills to tasks is fixed or endogenous. We show qualitatively and quantitatively that contrary to conventional wisdom, if the tax system is initially suboptimal and progressive, the general‐equilibrium “trickle‐down” forces may raise the benefits of increasing the marginal tax rates on high incomes. We finally derive a parsimonious characterization of optimal taxes.
A Human Vitamin B12 Trafficking Protein Uses Glutathione Transferase Activity for Processing Alkylcobalamins*

Pathways for tailoring and processing vitamins into active cofactor forms exist in mammals that are unable to synthesize these cofactors de novo. A prerequisite for intracellular tailoring of alkylcobalamins entering from the circulation is removal of the alkyl group to generate an intermediate that can subsequently be converted into the active cofactor forms. MMACHC, a cytosolic cobalamin trafficking chaperone, has been shown recently to catalyze a reductive decyanation reaction when it encounters cyanocobalamin. In this study, we demonstrate that this versatile protein catalyzes an entirely different chemical reaction with alkylcobalamins using the thiolate of glutathione for nucleophilic displacement to generate cob(I)alamin and the corresponding glutathione thioether. Biologically relevant thiols, e.g. cysteine and homocysteine, cannot substitute for glutathione. The catalytic turnover numbers for the dealkylation of methylcobalamin and 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin by MMACHC are 11.7 ± 0.2 and 0.174 ± 0.006 h−1 at 20 °C, respectively. This glutathione transferase activity of MMACHC is reminiscent of the methyltransferase chemistry catalyzed by the vitamin B12-dependent methionine synthase and is impaired in the cblC group of inborn errors of cobalamin disorders.
The effect of clobetasone butyrate and other topical steriods on skin thickness of the domestic pig

A new glucocorticoid, clobetasone butyrate, has been shown in patients to have good topical anti‐inflammatory activity and a minimal effect on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal function. Among a group of topically active corticosteroids, compared in a controlled study in the domestic pig, clobetasone butyrate is shown to cause less epidermal thinning than any of the others except only 1% hydrocortisone. This evidence of a lesser atrophogenic effect may indicate further dissociation of unwanted from wanted properties in clobetasone butyrate.
Cutting Edge: IL-17–Secreting Innate Lymphoid Cells Are Essential for Host Defense against Fungal Infection

IL-17–mediated immunity has emerged as a crucial host defense mechanism against fungal infections. Although Th cells are generally thought to act as the major source of IL-17 in response to Candida albicans, we show that fungal control is mediated by IL-17–secreting innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and not by Th17 cells. By using a mouse model of oropharyngeal candidiasis we found that IL-17A and IL-17F, which are both crucial for pathogen clearance, are produced promptly upon infection in an IL-23–dependent manner, and that ILCs in the oral mucosa are the main source for these cytokines. Ab-mediated depletion of ILCs in RAG1-deficient mice or ILC deficiency in retinoic acid–related orphan receptor c−/− mice resulted in a complete failure to control the infection. Taken together, our data uncover the cellular basis for the IL-23/IL-17 axis, which acts right at the onset of infection when it is most needed for fungal control and host protection.
Prevalence of antibodies to human caliciviruses (HuCVs) in Kuwait established by ELISA using baculovirus‐expressed capsid antigens representing two genogroups of HuCVs

Baculovirus recombinant‐expressed antigens of Norwalk viruses (rNV) and a Mexico strain (rMX) of the Snow Mountain serogroup of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) were used in enzyme immunoassays to study the antibody prevalence among the Kuwaiti population and foreign workers employed in Kuwait. The antibody titers in 16 different age groups which ranged from neonates to centenarians were investigated by testing eight different dilutions of each serum (1:200–1:25,600). The results indicate that NV infection is widespread in Kuwait and affects all age groups. Ninety‐eight percent of the 433 serum samples tested had antibodies to rNV. In the 50–79‐year‐old age group, the antibody levels to rNV were higher and significantly different from those in children 0–7 years old. In infants, the rNV antibodies did not diminish by 4 months of age and their titer steadily increased with age. When 414 of these sera samples were tested for antibodies to rMX, 96% positive serological responses were observed. Antibody titers to rMX were reduced in infants from 4 to 11 months; however, 95% of the samples were positive. These data indicate that children born in Kuwait are infected with Norwalk‐like viruses at a very early age. Finally, antibodies to rNV and rMX were found in 98% of 151 and in 95% of 148 foreign workers, respectively. J Med Virol 51:115–118, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional roles of Fli‐1, a member of the Ets family of transcription factors, in human breast malignancy

The Ets family of transcription factors is implicated in malignant transformation and tumor progression, including invasion, metastasis and neo‐angiogenesis. In the present study, we found that the Fli‐1 gene, a member of the Ets family, was highly expressed in several breast cancer cell lines (MDA‐MB231, MDA‐MB436, BT‐549 and HCC1395). To investigate the functional roles of Fli‐1 in breast cancer malignancy, we introduced an expression plasmid containing full‐length Fli‐1 cDNA into MCF7 breast cancer cells in which endogenous expression of Fli‐1 was barely detectable. Overexpression of Fli‐1 in MCF7 cells led to inhibition of apoptosis induced by serum depletion or ultraviolet irradiation, although it did not affect cell growth rate in liquid media, colony formation in soft agar or the in vitro invasion capacity of the cells. Expression of Fli‐1 and antiapoptotic bcl‐2 was coordinately upregulated by serum depletion in MCF7 cells, and the upregulation was inhibited by treatment of the cells with a c‐Jun–NH2‐terminal kinase‐specific inhibitor. Furthermore, expression of the bcl‐2 gene and protein was enhanced in Fli‐1‐overexpressing MCF7 cells compared with mock‐transfected cells. In addition, human bcl‐2 promoter activity was transactivated by Fli‐1. These results suggest that Fli‐1 contributes to the malignancy of human breast cancer by inhibiting apoptosis through upregulated expression of the bcl‐2 gene. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 1775–1784)