Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pediatric cardiac-gated CT angiography: assessment of radiation dose.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to determine a dose range for cardiac-gated CT angiography (CTA) in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS ECG-gated cardiac CTA simulating scanning of the heart was performed on an anthropomorphic phantom of a 5-year-old child on a 16-MDCT scanner using variable parameters (small field of view; 16 x 0.625 mm configuration; 0.5-second gantry cycle time; 0.275 pitch; 120 kVp at 110, 220, and 330 mA; and 80 kVp at 385 mA). Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology measured 20 organ doses. Effective dose calculated using the dose-length product (DLP) was compared with effective dose determined from measured absorbed organ doses. RESULTS Highest organ doses included breast (3.5-12.6 cGy), lung (3.3-12.1 cGy), and bone marrow (1.7-7.6 cGy). The 80 kVp/385 mA examination produced lower radiation doses to all organs than the 120 kVp/220 mA examination. MOSFET effective doses (+/- SD) were as follows: 110 mA: 7.4 mSv (+/- 0.6 mSv), 220 mA: 17.2 mSv (+/- 0.3 mSv), 330 mA: 25.7 mSv (+/- 0.3 mSv), 80 kVp/385 mA: 10.6 mSv (+/- 0.2 mSv). DLP effective doses for diagnostic runs were as follows: 110 mA: 8.7 mSv, 220 mA: 19 mSv, 330 mA: 28 mSv, 80 kVp/385 mA: 12 mSv. DLP effective doses exceeded MOSFET effective doses by 9.7-17.2%. CONCLUSION Radiation doses for a 5-year-old during cardiac-gated CTA vary greatly depending on parameters. Organ doses can be high; the effective dose may reach 28.4 mSv. Further work, including determination of size-appropriate mA and image quality, is important before routine use of this technique in children.
A Novel Heterodimerization Domain, CRM1, and 14-3-3 Control Subcellular Localization of the MondoA-Mlx Heterocomplex

ABSTRACT Among members of the bHLHZip family of transcriptional regulators, MondoA and Mlx have the unique property of cytoplasmic localization. We have proposed that MondoA-Mlx heterodimers accumulate in the nucleus in response to extracellular cues. Our previous work implicated heterodimerization between MondoA and Mlx and a conserved domain in the N terminus of MondoA as important determinants of MondoA-Mlx subcellular localization. MondoA and Mlx share sequence similarity in their bHLHZip domains and C termini. Here we show that for both MondoA and Mlx, this C-terminal domain has cytoplasmic localization activity that is required by the protein monomers to accumulate in the cytoplasm. This C-terminal domain is also a novel dimerization interface that functions independently of the leucine zipper to mediate heterotypic interactions between MondoA and Mlx. Dimerization between MondoA and Mlx inactivates the cytoplasmic localization activity of their C termini and is necessary for the heterocomplex to accumulate in the nucleus. MondoA-Mlx heterodimers, while poised for nuclear entry, are retained in the cytoplasm by conserved domains in the N terminus of MondoA. Mondo conserved regions (MCRs) II and III contribute to cytoplasmic localization of MondoA-Mlx by functioning as a CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal and as a novel binding site for 14-3-3 family members, respectively. We propose that the nuclear accumulation of MondoA and Mlx is a two-step process. First, heterodimerization abolishes the cytoplasmic localization activity of their C termini. Second, an extracellular signal(s) must overcome the cytoplasmic localization function imparted by CRM1 and 14-3-3 binding to the N terminus of MondoA.
Mode of HIV transmission associated with risk of oral lesions in HIV-infected subjects in Thailand.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine if route of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission is associated with the risk of oral lesions in HIV-infected subjects in Thailand. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed in 186 HIV-infected heterosexuals (aged 21-65 years, mean 32 years), and 82 HIV-infected intravenous drug users (IVDUs) (aged 16-50 years, mean 30 years). The following information was recorded: route of HIV transmission, total lymphocyte cell counts, weight, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, medications, presence of denture, plaque index, and presence of oral lesions. The association between mode of HIV transmission and the risk of oral lesions among the subjects was determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Oral lesions were found in 138 HIV-infected heterosexuals (75%) and in 37 HIV-infected IVDUs (46%). Oral candidiasis (OC) was the most common lesion among both groups (44% vs. 28%), followed by hairy leukoplakia (HL) (33% vs. 10%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between mode of HIV transmission and the risk of oral lesions after controlling for the total lymphocyte cell counts and other confounding factors [OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.5-6.4; P = 0.002]. OC was significantly associated with heterosexual route of HIV transmission [OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.2-4.7; P = 0.014]. Similar association was also observed with HL [OR 3.7; 95% CI 1.5-9.1; P = 0.004]. CONCLUSIONS Mode of HIV transmission is associated with the risk of oral lesions in HIV-infected subjects in Thailand. Further studies should be performed to determine if the risk of oral lesions is associated with differences in HIV-subtypes.
Intravitreal melphalan for refractory or recurrent vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and complications of intravitreal chemotherapy for viable vitreous seeding from retinoblastoma. METHODS Intravitreal injection of melphalan (8-50 μg in 0.05 mL) followed by injection site cryotherapy. RESULTS Among 12 treated cases, success with control of vitreous seeds was achieved in 10 of 12 cases at immediate follow-up (0-3 months), 8 of 10 cases at short-term follow-up (3-6 months), and 6 of 10 cases at long-term (>6 months) follow-up. Among those 8 cases that received an 8- to 10-μg dose, control was achieved in 6 of 8 cases at immediate follow-up, 5 of 7 cases at short-term follow-up, and 3 of 7 cases at long-term follow-up. Complications with the 8- to 10-μg dose were minor and included preretinal hemorrhage and retinal vasculitis with retinal pigment epithelial alterations. Of those 4 that received a 50-μg dose, immediate, short-term, and long-term control was 100%, but complications of cataract, vitreous hemorrhage, subretinal hemorrhage, severe hypotonia, and phthisis lead to enucleation in 2 cases. There was no case of orbital tumor recurrence or retinoblastoma metastasis (follow-up range, 8-66 months). CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal melphalan for recurrent vitreous seeds from retinoblastoma appears to provide vitreous seed control in some patients. A high dose (50 μg) of melphalan is toxic and should be avoided.
Expression of Sterol 27-Hydroxylase (CYP27A1) Enhances Cholesterol Efflux*

Cholesterol efflux from CHOP cells transfected with sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) was compared with non-transfected and mock-transfected cells. Transfection caused expression of CYP27A1, formation of 27-hydroxycholesterol, and inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis. Transfection enhanced cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A-I or human plasma by 2–3-fold but did not affect the efflux in the absence of acceptor. The analysis of released sterols revealed that 27-hydroxycholesterol represented only a small proportion of sterols, most of which was non-oxidized cholesterol. Time course and dose dependence studies showed that expression of CYP27A1 in CHOP cells mostly affected the efflux of the “fast” cholesterol pool, and relatively more cholesterol was released with low concentrations of an acceptor. Preincubation of non-transfected cells with exogenous 27-hydroxycholesterol (10−9 and 10−7 m) led to the stimulation of cholesterol efflux by 24–60%. Expression of CYP27A1 in CHOP cells did not affect ABCA1 expression and abundance of ABCA1 protein. Thus, introduction of CYP27A1 into cells stimulates cholesterol efflux and therefore may increase protection against atherosclerosis.
The neurobiology of human obesity

Earlier ideas that sympathetic nervous system activity is low in human obesity, contributing to weight gain through absence of sympathetically mediated thermogenesis, can now be discounted. The application of sympathetic nerve recording techniques and isotope dilution methodology quantifying neurotransmitter release from sympathetic nerves has established that the sympathetic outflows to the kidneys and skeletal muscle vasculature are activated in obese humans. The cause remains unclear. The adipocyte hormone, leptin, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system in rodents, but whether this applies in humans is uncertain. Cross‐sectional studies suggest a quantitative link exists between regional sympathetic nervous tone (most notably in the kidneys) and rates of leptin release, but definitive studies documenting that leptin administration activates the human sympathetic nervous system have not been done. What might be the clinical implications of these new findings? The demonstration that the suppressed sympathetic tone characterizing many experimental models of obesity does not exist in human obesity weakens the case for the use of β3‐adrenergic agonists as thermogenic agents to facilitate weight loss. Although the neurogenic character of obesity‐related hypertension is now established, whether antiadrenergic antihypertensive drugs are the preferred agents for blood pressure reduction has not been adequately tested. Multiple site central venous sampling, disclosing release of leptin into the internal jugular veins, led to the demonstration that the leptin gene is also expressed in the brain, in addition to adipocytes. Brain resistance to leptin has been inferred in human obesity, given that overweight is accompanied by high plasma leptin levels. The fact that the genes for leptin and its receptors are normally expressed in the brain in human obesity, and that release of leptin from the brain is actually increased, argues against this. Brain leptin release has the potential to override the peripheral, adipocyte leptin system.
Customer-oriented GMPLS service management and resilience differentiation

Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) is currently under standardization at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It basically reuses the MPLS control plane (IP routing and signaling) for various technologies such as fiber switching, DWDM, SONET, and packet MPLS. In this article, we propose a management architecture, which allows a service provider to offer customers various services based on a GMPLS infrastructure. The business model behind the architecture is comparable to the online flight ticket sales systems known.
MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION AND CREATIVITY

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of offering an extrinsic reward to Individuals who were Involved In creative writing. Two essential components of creative writing that were Investigated were the qualtty of creative writing, as assessed by two raters who were working In the domain of writing, and motivational orientation which was assessed mainly by a locus of control test. A class of creative writing students served as sUbJects. Complete data was obtained for 17 of them and partial data for three more. The motivational orientation of the class which served as subjects of the study was profl1ed according to the locus of control test (lIE Scale) and a Likert Scale that was created for this study. The results Indicated that the class profile was no different than a random group of subjects. The study explored the relationship between the creative quality of writing students produced and Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Inter-rater reltabl1lty on the samples of student writing could not be establtshed between the ratings of the two evaluators, so this question could not be answered. Exploratory methods were used to explore the data for discernible patterns, but none were found. The study attempted to Investigate the differential effects of offering a reward for writing on the subjects according to motivational orientation. The use of exploratory methods failed to provide any evidence for any differential effects. The conclusion of the study was that creatlvtty was a difficult area to research, particularly using a quantttative approach. It was suggested that vii the study of creativ1ty and motivation be focused on established authors whose creative quality had been already established by their publ1catlon record. Then, by qualitative techniques such as Interviews, the motivational styles of some of these established writers could be explored In the search for patterns that could provide Information on the relationship between motivation and creativity.
Factors in relation with self–regulation of Hypertension, based on the Model of Goal Directed behavior in Yazd city

Introduction: Hypertension is a chronic disease, which represents one of the most common public health problems in the world and afflicts about 28% of the North Americans, 44% of the Europeans and 26% of the East Mediterranean people aged 35 to 64 years. In Iran, about 11.5% of the people who are over 15 years old are afflicted. Hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular disease; it is the leading cause of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and aortic aneurysm. Materials and Methods: This is a cross–sectional study, carried out on 200 patients who were referred to the Health centers of Yazd city in center of Iran. We adapted tools from previous studies. All patients were asked to express their personal goals with respect to their hypertension values. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were determined and their Alfa cronbach was (a=0.83). Results: The mean number of years with hypertension was 8.7[+/–]7.6. Men and women showed moderately high means for attitudes, subjective norms, and positive anticipated emotions toward trying to reduce or maintain their blood pressure. The data indicated there is significantly different between the personnel and housewives, with p<0.001. In addition, the personnel's mean grade scores for trying the self–regulation of their blood pressure was (15.9[+/–]4.08) and, in the housewives was (12.49[+/–]4.33). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Model of Goal Behavior can explain more than 52% of the self–regulation of hypertension, so, this Model can be a basic Model for intervention in education, in order to decrease and control hypertension in patients.
Enhancing Performance of a Horizontal Axis Tidal Turbine using Adaptive Blades

Free stream tidal turbines are a source of growing interest in the marine renewable energy field. Some designs use variable pitch blade control devices in order to maximize the efficiency of the turbines; however these are complex to design, construct and maintain under the severe load conditions sub sea devices experience. Adaptive materials have been used in the wind industry to create bend-twist coupled blades in an effort to bring turbine efficiency ever closer to the Betz limit, and increase annual energy capture. This work encompasses a feasibility study, focusing on hydrodynamic performance calculations, wherein the blade geometry is artificially reconfigured as a function of flow velocity. The pressure distribution over the blade is also analysed. The concept of a passively adaptive tidal turbine blade is shown to increase annual energy capture, reduce blade loading and delay cavitation inception.
Concurrent chromosomal alterations at 3q27, 8q24 and 18q21 in B‐cell lymphomas

Recurrent chromosomal translocations in malignant lymphomas most commonly involve 18q21(bcl‐2), 8q24 (c‐myc) and 3q27 (bcl‐6), with an incidence of 27%, 11% and 6%, respectively. Individual cases concurrently harbouring two of these three rearrangements have been previously reported. This report describes four patients with cytogenetic alterations affecting all three loci, which was confirmed by molecular analysis in one case. Clinically, each patient had aggressive B‐cell lymphoma with disseminated disease often involving the central nervous system, poor response to chemotherapy and short survival. Activation of c‐myc in association with deregulation of bcl‐2, bcl‐6 or both confers high‐grade disease with a poor prognosis.
Social information and personal interests modulate neural activity during economic decision-making

In the present study we employed electrophysiological recordings to investigate the levels of processing at which positive and negative descriptions of other people bias social decision-making in a game in which participants accepted or rejected economic offers. Besides social information, we manipulated the fairness of the assets distribution, whether offers were advantageous or not for the participant and the uncertainty of the game context. Results show that a negative description of the interaction partner enhanced the medial frontal negativity (MFN) in an additive manner with fairness evaluations. The description of the partner interacted with personal benefit considerations, showing that this positive or negative information only biased the evaluation of offers when they did not favor the participant. P300 amplitudes were enhanced by advantageous offers, suggesting their heightened motivational significance at later stages of processing. Throughout all stages, neural activity was enhanced with certainty about the personal assignments of the split. These results provide new evidence on the importance of interpersonal information and considerations of self-interests relative to others in decision-making situations.
Informed consent and biobanks: a population-based study of attitudes towards tissue donation for genetic research

Aims: The procurement and usage of tissue samples has begun receiving increasing legal and ethical attention. The authors' aim was to develop an empirically based understanding of public attitudes to the use of tissue for research. Method: A questionnaire was distributed to a randomized sample (n=1,000) of the population in the age group 18 - 85 in Västerbotten County, Sweden. Results: The response rate was approximately 60%. There was a general acceptance of genetic research based on biobank material (71%) but, though it is often a prerequisite for tissue-based research, a majority (62%) would not allow researchers to examine their healthcare records without specific consent. A majority (66.8%) accepted surrogate decisions by research ethical committees; 48% of the respondents estimated that they would feel respected if they were notified each time a sample was used. When compared and ranked with other issues, informed consent was a principal concern to a minority (4%) only. Should research efforts generate information on future health risks, a majority (55%) would want to be told only if treatment was available. Conclusion: Though genetic research in bioethical debate is often viewed as a potential threat to the integrity of the donor, the confidentiality of medical records still seems to concern donors more. Research ethical committees have support in the majority of the population for some surrogate decisions. The current emphasis on the question of informed consent in policy making for biobank-based research does not seem to be reflected unambiguously in the concerns of the general public.
The effects of age and gender on brachial artery endothelium‐dependent vasoactivity are stimulus‐dependent

Impaired endothelium‐dependent vasomotion in response to flow‐mediated, cholinergic, and cold pressor stimulation has been demonstrated in the presence of both atherosclerosis and cardiac risk factors. This study investigated the effects of different vasoactive stimuli on brachial artery vasomotion with respect to age and gender. Forty healthy subjects (20 men and 20 women), ages 23 to 52 years, were studied. Using 7.5 MHz ultrasound, brachial artery diameter and Doppler flow velocity at baseline, following 5 min of ipsilateral blood pressure cuff occlusion (flow‐mediated), during contralateral hand immersion in ice (cold pressor) and after sublingual nitroglycerin administration, were measured in older subjects (> 40 yrs) and younger subjects (< 40 yrs). Among normal subjects, % diameter change in response to the flowmediated stimulus was less in older men than in younger men (6.8 ± 3.2% vs. 11.5 ± 7.4%, p < 0.05); older and younger women had comparable responses (10.0 ± 5.3% vs. 11.6 ± 4.3%, p = NS). With cold pressor, normal older men and older women vasoconstricted (–1.2 ± 0.9%, –2.2 ± 4.7%) compared with younger subjects who vasodilated (1.4 ± 2.5%, 0.6 ± 2.3%, p<0.02). The cold pressor test elicited comparable responses among older normal subjects. Nitroglycerin, a nonendothelium‐mediated stimulus, induced significant vasodilatation in all the groups. In conclusion, endothelium‐mediated responses in subjects of varying age and gender are stimulus‐dependent. Flow‐mediated vasodilatation could not differentiate older premenopausal women from younger women; cold pressor stimulus could.
Epidemiology of bacterial pathogens associated with infectious diarrhea in Djibouti

During a survey examining the causes of diarrhea in the East African country of Djibouti, 140 bacterial pathogens were recovered from 209 diarrheal and 100 control stools. The following pathogens were isolated at comparable frequencies from both diarrheal and control stools: enteroadherent Escherichia coli (EAEC) (10.6 versus 13%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) (11 versus 10%), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (7.7 versus 12%), Salmonella spp. (2.9 versus 3%), and Campylobacter jejuni-C. coli (3.3 versus 5%). Surprisingly, the EAEC strains isolated did not correspond to well-recognized EPEC serogroups. No Yersinia spp. , enteroinvasive E. coli, or enterohemorrhagic E. coli were isolated during the course of this study. Only the following two genera were recovered from diarrheal stools exclusively: Shigella spp. (7.7%) and Aeromonas hydrophila group organisms (3.3%). Shigella flexneri was the most common Shigella species isolated. Patients with Shigella species were of a higher average age than were controls (27 versus 13 years), while subjects with Campylobacter or Salmonella species belonged to younger age groups (2.6 and 1.6 years, respectively). Salmonella cases were more often in females. Shigella diarrhea was associated with fecal blood or mucus and leukocytes. ETEC was not associated with nausea or vomiting. Anorexia, weight loss, and fever were associated with the isolation of Salmonella and Aeromonas species. EAEC, ETEC, EPEC, and Shigella species were resistant to most drugs used for treating diarrhea in Africa, while the antibiotic most active against all bacteria tested was norfloxacin. We conclude that in Djibouti in 1989, Shigella and Aeromonas species must be considered as potential pathogens whenever they are isolated from diarrheal stools and that norfloxacin should be considered the drug of choice in adults for treating severe shigellosis and for diarrhea prophylaxis in travelers.