Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Redefining thymus medulla specialization for central tolerance

During &agr;&bgr;T cell development, the thymus medulla represents an essential microenvironment for T cell tolerance. This functional specialization is attributed to its typical organized topology consisting of a branching structure that contains medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) networks to support negative selection and Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell (T-reg) development. Here, by performing TEC-specific deletion of the thymus medulla regulator lymphotoxin &bgr; receptor (LT&bgr;R), we show that thymic tolerance mechanisms operate independently of LT&bgr;R-mediated mTEC development and organization. Consistent with this, mTECs continue to express Fezf2 and Aire, regulators of intrathymic self-antigens, and support T-reg development despite loss of LT&bgr;R-mediated medulla organogenesis. Moreover, we demonstrate that LT&bgr;R controls thymic tolerance by regulating the frequency and makeup of intrathymic dendritic cells (DCs) required for effective thymocyte negative selection. In all, our study demonstrates that thymus medulla specialization for thymic tolerance segregates from medulla organogenesis and instead involves LT&bgr;R-mediated regulation of the thymic DC pool.
Arctic Sea Ice Decline Significantly Contributed to the Unprecedented Liquid Freshwater Accumulation in the Beaufort Gyre of the Arctic Ocean

The Beaufort Gyre (BG) is the largest liquid freshwater reservoir of the Arctic Ocean. The liquid freshwater content (FWC) significantly increased in the BG in the 2000s during an anticyclonic wind regime and remained at a high level despite a transition to a more cyclonic state in the early 2010s. It is not well understood to what extent the rapid sea ice decline during this period has modified the trend and variability of the BG liquid FWC in the past decade. Our numerical simulations show that about 50% of the liquid freshwater accumulated in the BG in the 2000s can be explained by the sea ice decline caused by the Arctic atmospheric warming. Among this part of the FWC increase, 60% can be attributed to surface freshening associated with the reduction of the net sea ice thermodynamic growth rate, and 40% to changes in ocean circulation, which makes freshwater more accessible to the BG for storage. Thus, the rapid increase of the BG FWC in the 2000s was due to the concurrence of the anticyclonic wind regime and the high freshwater availability. We also find that if the Arctic sea ice had not declined, the liquid FWC in the BG would have shown a stronger decreasing tendency at the beginning of the 2010s owing to the cyclonic wind regime. From our results we argue that changes in sea ice conditions should be adequately taken into account when it comes to understanding and predicting variations of BG liquid FWC in a changing climate.
High-sensitivity troponin assay improves prediction of cardiovascular risk in patients with cerebral ischaemia

Background and purpose Clinical scores are recommended for predicting cardiovascular risk in patients with cerebral ischaemia to inform secondary prevention. Blood biomarkers may improve prediction beyond clinical scores. Methods Within the observational Find-AF trial (ISRCTN46104198), 197 patients >18 years of age with cerebral ischaemia and without atrial fibrillation had blood sampled at baseline. The predictive value of five biomarkers for a combined vascular endpoint (acute coronary syndrome, stroke, cardiovascular death) and all-cause mortality was determined, alone and in addition to the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS), Stroke Prognostic Instrument 2 (SPI-2) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIH-SS). Results There were 23 vascular events (11.7%) and 13 deaths (6.6%) to 1 year follow-up. In multivariate analyses of all markers, only high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTropT) remained independently predictive for vascular events (p=0.045) and all-cause mortality (p=0.004). hsTropT was higher in patients with a vascular event (median 12.7 ng/ml vs 5.1 ng/ml), and patients with hsTropT above the median of 6.15 ng/ml had vascular events more frequently (HR 3.86, p=0.008). For prediction of vascular events as well as all-cause mortality, hsTropT significantly improved multivariate Cox regression models with ESRS, SPI-2 or NIH-SS. The c-statistic increased non-significantly from 0.695 (ESRS) or 0.710 (hsTropT) to 0.747 (ESRS+hsTropT) and from 0.699 (SPI-2) to 0.763 (SPI-2+hsTropT). No patient with a low-risk ESRS and an hsTropT below the median had a vascular event or died. Conclusions hsTropT predicts vascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with acute cerebral ischaemia and improves prediction beyond established clinical scores.
Performance of Multi-User MIMO Precoding with Limited Feedback over Measured Channels

In multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems, channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) allows for multi-user spatial multiplexing and thus increases the system throughput. We assume that CSIT is obtained by means of a finite-rate feedback channel through channel vector quantization (CVQ) at the receiver. In this paper we use real channel measurements to study the effect of CVQ on the sum rate of a MU-MIMO system employing linear precoding. The measurement data has been acquired using Eurecom's MIMO Openair Sounder (EMOS). The EMOS can perform realtime MIMO channel measurements synchronously over multiple users. We consider CVQ using a Fourier codebook, a random codebook and a random codebook exploiting the second order statistics of the channel. For comparison, we also show the capacity of a single-user system using time division multiple access (TDMA) with no CSIT at all. The results show that the Fourier codebook shows very poor performance in the measured channels. Random codebooks - although suboptimal - provide a much better performance in the measured channels.
Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Aqueous, Methanolic and Alkaloid Extracts from Mitragyna Speciosa (Rubiaceae Family) Leaves

Studies on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Mitragyna speciosa leaf extracts are lacking. In this study the antioxidant properties of water, methanolic and alkaloid M. speciosa leaf extracts were evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. The amount of total phenolics and flavanoid contents were also estimated. The DPPH IC50 values of the aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were 213.4, 104.81 and 37.08 μg/mL, respectively. The total phenolic content of the aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were 66.0 mg, 88.4, 105.6 mg GAE/g, respectively, while the total flavanoid were 28.2, 20.0 and 91.1 mg CAE/g respectively. The antioxidant activities were correlated with the total phenolic content. This result suggests that the relatively high antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract compared to aqueous and alkaloid extract could be possibly be due to its high phenolic content. The aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity. The extracts showed antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhi and Bacillus subtilis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of extracts determined by the broth dilution method ranged from 3.12 to 6.25 mg/mL. The alkaloid extract was found to be most effective against all of the tested organisms.
Early Impairment of Transmural Principal Strains in the Left Ventricular Wall After Short-Term, High-Fat Feeding of Mice Predisposed to Cardiac Steatosis

Background—Myocardial lipid accumulation precedes some cardiomyopathies, but little is known of concurrent effects on ventricular mechanics. We tested the hypothesis that intramyocardial lipid accumulation during a short-term, high-fat diet (HFD) affects 2-dimensional strains in the heart. We examined the hearts of nontransgenic (NTG) mice and of transgenic mice predisposed to elevated triacylglyceride (TAG) storage linked to low-level overexpression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR-&agr;). Methods and Results—Myocardial lipid and transmural principal strains E1 and E2 were determined in vivo with 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging before and after 2 weeks of an HFD in both PPAR-&agr; and NTG littermate mice. Baseline lipid was elevated in PPAR-&agr; compared with NTG mice. An HFD increased mobile lipid by 174% in NTG mice (P<0.05) and by 79% in PPAR-&agr; mice (P<0.05). After an HFD, lipid and TAG were higher in PPAR-&agr; versus NTG mice by 63% and 81%, respectively. However, TAG in PPAR-&agr; mice after an HFD was similar to TAG in PPAR-&agr; mice fed a regular diet, suggesting that the magnetic resonance spectroscopy signal from lipid is not exclusive to TAG. Only at the highest lipid contents, achieved in PPAR-&agr; mice, were strains affected. Endocardial strain was most compromised, with a negative correlation to lipid (P<0.05). Conclusions—A short-term HFD elevated myocardial lipid measures as determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which became dissociated from TAG content in hearts predisposed to cardiac steatosis. The increased lipid was associated with concurrent, transmural reductions in E1 and E2 strains across the left ventricular wall. Strains were attenuated at the highest levels of lipid accumulation, suggesting a threshold response. Thus, 2-dimensional strains are impaired early and without left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, owing to cardiac steatosis.
PROTAMINE PURIFICATION OF STREPTOKINASE AND EFFECT OF pH AND TEMPERATURE ON REVERSIBLE INACTIVATION

1. Treatment of crude concentrates of streptokinase with protamine results in removal of about 90 per cent of the nitrogenous material, including nucleic acid and protease inhibitor, with little or no loss of activity. 2. Streptokinase solutions undergo reversible inactivation with changes in pH. The rate and extent of inactivation are dependent on pH, being greatest over a very narrow range about pH 5. The rate and extent of inactivation are also a function of temperature, both increasing with the temperature of incubation. The rate of reactivation is a function of pH and temperature, increasing as either is raised. However, as the temperature is raised above about 23°C. , or the pH above about 9, a secondary, irreversible inactivation of streptokinase occurs.
Individuals from North America, Australasia, and Africa are infected with four different genotypes of human herpesvirus 8.

To study human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) transmission between individuals and in populations, we developed a system for genetic fingerprinting of HHV-8 strains based on variation in the HHV-8 K1, glycoprotein B (gB), and glycoprotein H (gH) genes. Using this system, we sequenced nearly the entire K1 gene (840 bp); two segments of the gB gene (open reading frame 8), totaling 813 bp; and a 702-bp segment of the gH gene (open reading frame 22) from blood and tissue samples obtained from 40 human immunodeficiency virus-infected and noninfected individuals, including those with Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, or Castleman's disease. The specimen collection was assembled from individuals living in diverse geographical locations, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Uganda, and Zambia. As reported by others, K1 was the most variable gene, with up to 16% variation at the nucleotide sequence level and up to 32% variation at the amino acid sequence level. Despite this extensive sequence variation, the K1 amino acid sequence contained 14 conserved cysteine sites, suggesting a conserved tertiary structure. gB and gH sequences were highly conserved, in most cases differing by <0.6% in pairwise comparisons. K1 was the most useful gene for strain discrimination, but the other genes enabled the discrimination of strains with identical K1 sequences. Individuals from diverse geographic locations were infected with four different HHV-8 genotypes; strains did not strictly segregate by continent of origin. The majority of HHV-8 strains from the United States and Europe were relatively closely related, whereas some strains identified from Uganda and Australia were phylogenetically distant. Genotype I strains were the most common and were found on three continents. Identical sequences were found in specimens obtained from different body sites and at different times from the same individual.
An evaluation of the role of the Clinical Placement Coordinator in student nurse support in the clinical area.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the Clinical Placement Coordinator (CPC) and the continued development of the role in the context of the provision of student support in the clinical area. BACKGROUND Following the introduction of the Registration/Diploma in Nursing Studies programme in the Republic of Ireland in 1994 the post of CPC was created to support student nurses in the clinical area. The CPC is an experienced nurse who provides dedicated support to student nurses in a variety of clinical settings however, unlike the role of mentor/preceptor they do not have a client/patient caseload. To date no major evaluation of the post has taken place. Therefore the Department of Health and Children commissioned a national evaluation of the post of which part of the findings are reported in this paper. METHODOLOGY A two-stage study is described utilizing a mixed-methods approach. Data collection included individual and focus group interviews and questionnaires. Interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis and data collected from questionnaires were analysed utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics. FINDINGS An analysis of the data identified the responsibilities and functions of CPC were multivariate, however, core elements of the role were evident. The core elements were identified as student support and practice development. The central and most frequent finding from the data collected was the individual support students received from CPCs throughout their clinical placement. CONCLUSION The role of CPC was evaluated as a positive addition to the realm of student support and the clinical team. The positioning of the post in the clinical area also adds the dimension of a CPC being a link between student nurses and the various groups that provide student support, this is essential in light of the changing role of the nurse tutor following the full integration of preregistration nurse education into the third-level sector and the development of a formal preceptorship role for clinical nurses in the Republic of Ireland.
Orbitally Paced Carbon and Deep‐Sea Temperature Changes at the Peak of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum

The late Paleocene to early Eocene warming trend was punctuated by a series of orbitally paced transient warming events, associated with the release of isotopically light carbon into the ocean‐atmosphere system. These events occurred throughout the early Eocene, critically persisting during onset, peak, and termination of the early Eocene climatic optimum (EECO) and the onset of the middle Eocene cooling. Here we present a ~5.2‐Myr‐long high‐resolution benthic foraminiferal stable‐isotope record spanning the peak of the early Eocene “hothouse” from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 208 Site 1263. Our new oxygen isotope record confirms the presence of short‐term warming events during the peak and termination of the EECO, previously described in coeval bulk carbonate records. The degree of change between deep‐sea temperature and concurrent carbon release during these events is consistent with previous findings for Eocene thermal maximum 2 to 3, suggesting that the orbitally forced processes that triggered these perturbations in the exogenic carbon pool were similar. Additionally, the long‐term background carbon isotope signature reveals a rapid enrichment of up to ~1.0‰ across the peak warmth of the EECO, ~51.6 Ma, without a corresponding shift in the oxygen record, suggesting a decoupling from climate. We speculate that this carbon shift reflects a non‐recurrent adjustment in the mean (steady) state of the deep‐ocean carbon reservoir due to a significant change in carbon source/sink, the biological pump, and/or ocean circulation during the extreme greenhouse conditions of the EECO.
Factors associated with pregnancy and growth rates in New Zealand replacement dairy heifers

AIMS: To investigate factors associated with pregnancy rate in a number of herds of contract rearing replacement dairy heifers. These factors included the average daily gain of a heifer mob, the average bodyweight of the mob at the start of grazing, the number of heifers in the mob, the length of the grazing period, the breed of heifers, the grazing season and the region from where the heifers originated. METHODS: The data included 21,061 heifers from 111 farms in the five North Island regions of Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Taranaki, Waikato and Wanganui. The heifers were part of a contract rearing programme where they were raised for a period of time on farms different to their farm of origin with a goal of obtaining high pregnancy rate and a maximum age at first calving of 24 months. Heifers were weighed at arrival post-weaning. A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to predict mob-level pregnancy rates. RESULTS: A significant association was observed between the odds of pregnancy and average daily gain and heifer breed. Pregnancy in Holstein-Jersey crossbreed was 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 – 3.2) times that of Ayrshire, 1.2 (95% CI 1.1 – 1.6) times that of Holstein and 1.3 (95% CI 1.1 – 1.5) times that of Jersey heifers. An increase of one standard deviation in the average daily weight gain of a replacement heifer mob increased average pregnancy rates by 3.3% equivalent to an OR of 2.5 (95% CI 1.3– 4.9). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Post-weaning growth rate represents a major influence on the onset of puberty which in turn determines the suitability of heifers for mating when breeding starts. Improving the post-weaning average daily gain of replacement herds, especially Holstein-Jersey crossbred heifers, is therefore expected to improve pregnancy rate. Factors (e.g., management, environmental, etc.) associated with different grazing seasons should be investigated to determine potential associations with pregnancy rate.
Esophagorespiratory Fistulas: Survival and Outcomes of Treatment

Goal: The purpose of this study was to characterize outcomes of esophagorespiratory fistulas (ERF) by etiology and initial treatment strategy. Background: ERF is a morbid condition for which optimal treatment strategies and outcomes are still in evolution. Study: Medical records and images were reviewed for all patients diagnosed with ERF at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, between September 1, 2001 and January 1, 2012. Fistulas were classified as malignant or benign. Treatment strategies were classified as surgical or nonsurgical (typically esophageal stent placement). Technical and clinical success, survival, and survival free of second intervention were assessed. Results: A total of 123 patients with acquired ERF were identified, of whom 65 (53%) were malignant and 58 (47%) benign. Initial treatment strategy was nonsurgical in 88 (72%) patients and surgical in 35 (28%); lower Charlson comorbidity scores were associated with increased likelihood of surgery. Technical and clinical success was seen in a majority of patients treated both surgically and nonsurgically. Patients with malignant ERF treated surgically survived longer than patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment (hazard ratio=5.6, P=0.005). In contrast, those with benign ERF had similar overall survival regardless of whether they received initial surgical or nonsurgical treatment; reintervention was more common in those who underwent nonsurgical treatment (hazard ratio=2.3, P=0.03). Conclusions: We conclude that survival in malignant ERF is better with surgical intervention in selected patients. Surgical and nonsurgical techniques achieve similar survival in benign ERF, but reintervention is more common in those treated endoscopically.
Hispanic Ethnicity and Hidden Barriers to CPA Exam Success

The performance of Hispanic candidates on the CPA Exam has not been studied to identify predictors of performance. However, speculations have been made in the literature that, understandably, proficiency in the English language is a factor. Our study aims to combine the jurisdiction performance on the CPA Exam from 2015 and 2019 with U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the proportion of Hispanic residents that speak English to identify if there is an association to be found between language and performance. To this end, we explore whether the propensity of a Hispanic population to speak English is associated with improved performance. We begin with a descriptive analysis of Puerto Rico candidates and seven jurisdictions that had relatively high participation on the CPA Exam and the greatest proportion of Hispanics in their population. We found the Puerto Rico pass rate consistently below the other jurisdictions. This result suggests that the greater the proportion of Hispanic people, the lower the overall performance.
Transmit Antenna Selected V-BLAST Systems With Power Allocation

This paper considers intelligent transmit antenna selection (TAS) combined with power allocation (PA) for closed-loop multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communications. We present two novel TAS techniques for Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST) systems combined with PA that improve the uncoded error rate performance over flat-fading channels. Furthermore, we extend these techniques to V-BLAST with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (V-BLAST-OFDM) over frequency-selective channels and present TAS techniques combined with space-frequency PA. Computer simulation results demonstrate significant performance gains for these schemes, which can also be achieved with limited rate feedback, even in the presence of channel estimation errors. These techniques seem attractive for cellular reverse link systems, since due to TAS, they can improve performance by using only a small number of transmit radio frequency (RF) chains in the user terminals.
Efficacy and Safety of 2% and 4% Articaine for Lower Third Molar Surgery

This double-blind crossover randomized clinical trial compared the efficacy of 2 concentrations of articaine, 2% (A2) and 4% (A4), with 1:200,000 epinephrine, for lower third molar removal. During 2 separate appointments with either A2 or A4, both similarly positioned lower third molars in 46 volunteers were extracted. The following were evaluated: onset and duration of anesthetic action on soft tissues, intraoperative bleeding, hemodynamic parameters, postoperative analgesia, and mouth opening and wound healing during the 7th postoperative day, along with the incidence, type, and severity of adverse reactions. Nearly identical volumes of both anesthetic solutions were used for each appointment: 3.4 ± 0.9 mL ≈ 68 mg of articaine (A2) and 3.3 ± 0.8 mL ≈ 132 mg of articaine (A4). Statistical analysis indicated no differences in onset or duration of anesthetic action on soft tissues or duration of postoperative analgesia evoked by A2 and A4 anesthetic solutions (P > 0.05). The surgeon’s rating of intraoperative bleeding was considered minimal throughout all surgery with both anesthetic solutions. While transient changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were observed, these factors were clinically insignificant and were uninfluenced by articaine concentration (P > 0.05). No systemic or local adverse reactions were observed in the preoperative and postoperative periods due to A2 or A4, but 1 case of bilateral paresthesia was observed. There were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative (7th day) values of mouth opening and wound healing whether volunteers received A2 or A4 (P > 0.05). In conclusion, both A2 and A4, administered in equal volumes, were effective and safe during lower third molar surgery, and no significant differences were found between their efficacy and safety (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02457325).