Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human herpesvirus 6 DNA in blood cells of human immunodeficiency virus-infected men: correlation of high levels with high CD4 cell counts.

The relationship between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and the progression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection to AIDS was evaluated using the polymerase chain reaction to quantitate HHV-6 genome equivalents in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and saliva of 32 HIV-1-seropositive men. Unlike other herpesviruses, HHV-6 was found with higher frequency and in higher copy numbers of HIV-infected men with high rather than low CD4 cell counts. Among subjects with > 400 CD4 cells/mL, 100% had detectable HHV-6 genomes in PBMC compared with 57.9% of subjects with < 400 CD4 cells/mL (P < .05). There was no significant correlation between HHV-6 antibody titer or number of amplifiable copies of HHV-6 DNA in saliva and stage of HIV disease or CD4 cell number.
LILRA2 Selectively Modulates LPS-Mediated Cytokine Production and Inhibits Phagocytosis by Monocytes

The activating immunoglobulin-like receptor, subfamily A, member 2 (LILRA2) is primarily expressed on the surface of cells of the innate immunity including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils but not on lymphocytes and NK cells. LILRA2 cross-linking on monocytes induces pro-inflammatory cytokines while inhibiting dendritic cell differentiation and antigen presentation. A similar activating receptor, LILRA4, has been shown to modulate functions of TLR7/9 in dendritic cells. These suggest a selective immune regulatory role for LILRAs during innate immune responses. However, whether LILRA2 has functions distinct from other receptors of the innate immunity including Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and FcγRI remains unknown. Moreover, the effects of LILRA2 on TLR4 and FcγRI-mediated monocyte functions are not elucidated. Here, we show activation of monocytes via LILRA2 cross-linking selectively increased GM-CSF production but failed to induce IL-12 and MCP-1 production that were strongly up-regulated by LPS, suggesting functions distinct from TLR4. Interestingly, LILRA2 cross-linking on monocytes induced similar amounts of IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF and MIP-1α but lower levels of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-10 and IFNγ compared to those stimulated with LPS. Furthermore, cross-linking of LILRA2 on monocytes significantly decreased phagocytosis of IgG-coated micro-beads and serum opsonized Escherichia coli but had limited effect on phagocytosis of non-opsonized bacteria. Simultaneous co-stimulation of monocytes through LILRA2 and LPS or sequential activation of monocytes through LILRA2 followed by LPS led lower levels of TNFα, IL-1β and IL-12 production compared to LPS alone, but had additive effect on levels of IL-10 and IFNγ but not on IL-6. Interestingly, LILRA2 cross-linking on monocytes caused significant inhibition of TLR4 mRNA and protein, suggesting LILRA2-mediated suppression of LPS responses might be partly via regulation of this receptor. Taken together, we provide evidence that LILRA2-mediated activation of monocytes is significantly different to LPS and that LILRA2 selectively modulates LPS-mediated monocyte activation and FcγRI-dependent phagocytosis.
Multimedia answering: enriching text QA with media information

Existing community question-answering forums usually provide only textual answers. However, for many questions, pure texts cannot provide intuitive information, while image or video contents are more appropriate. In this paper, we introduce a scheme that is able to enrich text answers with image and video information. Our scheme investigates a rich set of techniques including question/answer classification, query generation, image and video search reranking, etc. Given a question and the community-contributed answer, our approach is able to determine which type of media information should be added, and then automatically collects data from Internet to enrich the textual answer. Different from some efforts that attempt to directly answer questions with image and video data, our approach is built based on the community-contributed textual answers and thus it is more feasible and able to deal with more complex questions. We have conducted empirical study on more than 3,000 QA pairs and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Grover algorithm with zero theoretical failure rate

In a standard Grover's algorithm for quantum searching, the probability of finding the marked item is not exactly 1. In this paper we present a modified version of Grover's algorithm that searches a marked state with full successful rate. The modification is done by replacing the phase inversion by phase rotation through angle phi. The rotation angle is given analytically to be phi = 2 arcsin(sin [pi/(4J+6)]/sin beta), where sin beta = 1/rootN, N is the number of items in the database, and J is any integer equal to or greater than the integer part of [(pi /2)-beta]/(2 beta). Upon measurement at the (J+1)th iteration, the marked state is obtained with certainty.
Comparison of Nine Commercially Available Clostridium difficile Toxin Detection Assays, a Real-Time PCR Assay for C. difficile tcdB, and a Glutamate Dehydrogenase Detection Assay to Cytotoxin Testing and Cytotoxigenic Culture Methods

ABSTRACT The continuing rise in the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection is a cause for concern, with implications for patients and health care systems. Laboratory diagnosis largely relies on rapid toxin detection kits, although assays detecting alternative targets, including glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and toxin genes, are now available. Six hundred routine diagnostic diarrheal samples were tested prospectively using nine commercial toxin detection assays, cytotoxin assay (CYT), and cytotoxigenic culture (CYTGC) and retrospectively using a GDH detection assay and PCR for the toxin B gene. The mean sensitivity and specificity for toxin detection assays were 82.8% (range, 66.7 to 91.7%) and 95.4% (range, 90.9 to 98.8%), respectively, in comparison with CYT and 75.0% (range, 60.0 to 86.4%) and 96.1% (91.4 to 99.4%), respectively, in comparison with CYTGC. The sensitivity and specificity of the GDH assay were 90.1% and 92.9%, respectively, compared to CYT and 87.6% and 94.3%, respectively, compared to CYTGC. The PCR assay had the highest sensitivity of all the tests in comparison with CYT (92.2%) and CYTGC (88.5%), and the specificities of the PCR assay were 94.0% and 95.4% compared to CYT and CYTGC, respectively. All kits had low positive predictive values (range, 48.6 to 86.8%) compared with CYT, assuming a positive sample prevalence of 10% (representing the hospital setting), which compromises the clinical utility of single tests for the laboratory diagnosis of C. difficile infection. The optimum rapid single test was PCR for toxin B gene, as this had the highest negative predictive value. Diagnostic algorithms that optimize test combinations for the laboratory diagnosis of C. difficile infection need to be defined.
Fast global convergence of gradient methods for high-dimensional statistical recovery

Many statistical $M$-estimators are based on convex optimization problems formed by the combination of a data-dependent loss function with a norm-based regularizer. We analyze the convergence rates of projected gradient and composite gradient methods for solving such problems, working within a high-dimensional framework that allows the data dimension $\pdim$ to grow with (and possibly exceed) the sample size $\numobs$. This high-dimensional structure precludes the usual global assumptions---namely, strong convexity and smoothness conditions---that underlie much of classical optimization analysis. We define appropriately restricted versions of these conditions, and show that they are satisfied with high probability for various statistical models. Under these conditions, our theory guarantees that projected gradient descent has a globally geometric rate of convergence up to the \emph{statistical precision} of the model, meaning the typical distance between the true unknown parameter $\theta^*$ and an optimal solution $\hat{\theta}$. This result is substantially sharper than previous convergence results, which yielded sublinear convergence, or linear convergence only up to the noise level. Our analysis applies to a wide range of $M$-estimators and statistical models, including sparse linear regression using Lasso ($\ell_1$-regularized regression); group Lasso for block sparsity; log-linear models with regularization; low-rank matrix recovery using nuclear norm regularization; and matrix decomposition. Overall, our analysis reveals interesting connections between statistical precision and computational efficiency in high-dimensional estimation.
Costs associated with office visits for diarrhea in infants and toddlers

We determined costs associated with diarrhea in a <36-month-old ambulatory population. Children with acute diarrhea were enrolled during the rotavirus season at three centers. Questionnaires to assess costs of both medical and nonmedical factors were administered at the enrollment visit and 1 week later. Office computer records were reviewed to identify all visits by children with diarrhea during 1 year. Fifty-one patients were enrolled. The average cost per episode of diarrhea was †289, which included: †144, missed work; †57, office visits; †23, laboratory tests; †21, medications; †18, changed diet/oral rehydration solutions; †15, travel; †7, extra diapers; and †6, extra child care. During 1 year diarrhea accounted for 4% of all visits and 10% of visits among those <36 months old. The annual cost at the three centers was †346 000, which extrapolates to †0.6 to †1.0 billion for the United States. Twenty-one percent of this cost was attributable to rotavirus diarrhea. We conclude that outpatient care for pediatric diarrhea is a major health care cost in the United States.
The histogenesis of large‐cell gastric lymphomas

The stomach is a common site of primary extranodal lymphomas, particularly of B-cell type. Excluding the rare occurrence of a typical mantle cell lymphoma, the majority of these lymphoid malignancies is a diffuse large-cell lymphoma. An important minority, however, is composed of smaller cells and displays distinctive clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features. Isaacson and his group performed extensive investigations on this speci®c neoplasm and clearly determined its histological and clinical characteristics, and related it to other lymphomas with a similar appearance, occurring in extranodal sites, in particular in association with mucosal organs. Because of this unique occurrence in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, these neoplasms were termed MALT lymphomas. The architecture of the lesion and the morphology of the neoplastic cells show a striking resemblance to Peyer's patches, particularly to their marginal zone and its characteristic cellular constituents. Since the immunophenotype of the atypical elements and the molecular structure of their Ig heavy chain, displaying somatic hypermutation, are also compatible with a marginal zone origin, this B-cell subtype most likely represents the normal counterpart of the atypical cell in MALTomas or extranodal marginal zone cell lymphomas.
The tumor suppressor gene DAPK2 is induced by the myeloid transcription factors PU.1 and C/EBPα during granulocytic differentiation but repressed by PML‐RARα in APL

DAPK2 is a proapoptotic protein that is mostly expressed in the hematopoietic tissue. A detailed DAPK2 expression analysis in two large AML patient cohorts revealed particularly low DAPK2 mRNA levels in APL. DAPK2 levels were restored in APL patients undergoing ATRA therapy. PML‐RARA is the predominant lesion in APL causing transcriptional repression of genes important for neutrophil differentiation. We found binding of PML‐RARA and PU.1, a myeloid master regulator, to RARA and PU.1 binding sites in the DAPK2 promoter. Ectopic expression of PML‐RARA in non‐APL, as well as knocking down PU.1 in APL cells, resulted in a significant reduction of DAPK2 expression. Restoring DAPK2 expression in PU.1 knockdown APL cells partially rescued neutrophil differentiation, thereby identifying DAPK2 as a relevant PU.1 downstream effector. Moreover, low DAPK2 expression is also associated with C/EBPα‐mutated AML patients, and we found C/EBPα‐dependent regulation of DAPK2 during APL differentiation. In conclusion, we identified first inhibitory mechanisms responsible for the low DAPK2 expression in particular AML subtypes, and the regulation of DAPK2 by two myeloid transcription factors underlines its importance in neutrophil development.
Impact of bariatric surgery on oral health conditions: 6-months cohort study.

OBJECTIVES We evaluate oral health conditions before and after bariatric surgery. METHODS The sample was composed of 59 patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Salivary flow, periodontal pocket depth and dental wear were evaluated before and after 6 months of surgery. Body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP) and glucose levels were obtained from the patient's medical files. A t-test was used for dependent samples. RESULTS The mean BMI decreased from 49.31 ± 8.76 to 35.52 ± 8.12 kg/m(2) in 6 months after surgery (P < 0.000). Before surgery, 67% of patients had high levels of CRP and 38% higher blood glucose levels and after surgery there were significant reductions in these levels (P < 0.001). Salivary flow ranged from 0.84 to 0.95 ml/min. There was increased prevalence of periodontal pockets (P = 0.022) and mean pocket depth increased to about 0.5 mm (P < 0.001). The percentage of surfaces with dental wear in dentine was significantly higher after bariatric surgery (P = 0.002), while dental wear in enamel decreased (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Bariatric surgery may improve systemic conditions. However, it had a negative impact on oral health conditions because of an increase in periodontal disease and dental wear.
Testosterone and oestradiol in relation to tobacco smoking, body mass index, energy consumption and nutrient intake among adult men

There is substantial evidence linking steroid hormones and diet to cancer aetiology. The evidence on lifestyle determinants of steroid hormones, however, is limited. We have conducted a study to identify dietary and other lifestyle predictors of testosterone and oestradiol among adult men. Subjects were 112 healthy Greek men, recruited as controls in a case–control study on the aetiology of liver cancer. Demographic data and detailed histories of smoking habits and alcohol consumption were recorded. Diet was assessed through an interviewer‐administered validated food‐frequency questionnaire. Serologic measurements of oestradiol, testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin were also conducted. We developed linear regression models to evaluate the associations of smoking and dietary factors with serum testosterone and oestradiol. The results indicate that, among men, both testosterone and oestradiol serum levels decline with age, whereas body mass index may be inversely related with testosterone and positively with oestradiol. The evidence concerning alcohol in relation to these hormones is inconclusive. Emerging evidence concerning smoking suggests positive associations with both hormones in the blood. The principal nutritional findings are a positive association of carbohydrate intake with testosterone levels and a set of inverse associations of vitamins with oestradiol.
Inhibitors in mild/moderate haemophilia A: An update

Summary The development of inhibitors in patients with mild/moderate hemophilia A is an increasingly recognized occurrence and is manifested by the patients’ bleeding pattern becoming more severe. Inherited (hemophilia genetic mutations) and acquired (type and delivery of factor VIII replacement therapy) factors have been associated with an increased likelihood of developing factor VIII inhibitors. Although the use of bypassing agents (i.e. activated prothrombin complex concentrates and recombinant factor VII activated) has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling bleeding episodes in patients who develop factor VIII inhibitors, the limited data available in the literature are insufficient to determine the optimal approach to the eradication of inhibitors (i.e. immune tolerance induction, immunosuppression or both) for this group. Particular attention should be directed to the prevention of this complication in those patients with mild/moderate hemophilia recognized to be at increased risk of developing a factor VIII inhibitor. In conclusion, large prospective trials are warranted in order to elucidate the many still unclear pathogenic and therapeutic aspects of the development of inhibitors in patients with mild/moderate hemophilia A.
Growth cone morphology and trajectory in the lumbosacral region of the chick embryo

We quantitatively analyzed several features of orthogradely labeled peripheral growth cones in the lumbosacral region of the chick embryo. We compared motoneuron growth cones in regions where they appear to express specific directional preferences (the plexus region and regions where muscle nerves diverge from main nerve trunks), which we operationally defined as “decision regions,” to motoneuron growth cones in other pathway regions (the spinal nerve, nerve trunk, and muscle nerve pathways) which we termed, for contrast, “non-decision region. ” We found that motoneuron growth cones are larger, more lamellepodial, and have more complex trajectories in decision regions. Sensory growth cone populations, which are thought to be dependent upon motoneurons for outgrowth (Landmesser, L., and M. Honig (1982) Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 8: 929), do not enlarge or become more lamellepodial in motoneuron decision regions, suggesting that this local environment does not affect all species of growth cones equally and that the alterations in motoneuron growth cones in these regions may be relevant to their specific guidance. In addition, the resemblance between the sensory population and other closely fasciculating growth cones lends support to the suggestion that sensory neurons utilize motoneuron neurites as a substratum. We suggest that the convoluted trajectories, enlarged size, and more lamellepodial morphology of motoneuron growth cones in decision regions is either related directly to the presence of specific cues that guide motoneurons or to some aspect of this environment that allows them to respond to specific cues.
Regulated splicing of the alpha 6 integrin cytoplasmic domain determines the fate of breast cancer stem cells

Regulated splicing of the alpha6 integrin cytoplasmic domain determines the fate of breast cancer stem cells" (2014). SUMMARY Although the a6b1 integrin has been implicated in the function of breast and other cancer stem cells (CSCs), little is known about its regulation and relationship to mechanisms involved in the genesis of CSCs. We report that a CD44 high /CD24 low population, enriched for CSCs, is comprised of distinct epithelial and mesenchymal populations that differ in expression of the two a6 cytoplasmic domain splice variants: a6A and a6B. a6Bb1 expression defines the mesenchymal population and is necessary for CSC function, a function that cannot be executed by a6A integrins. The generation of a6Bb1 is tightly controlled and occurs as a consequence of an autocrine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling that culminates in the transcriptional repression of a key RNA-splicing factor. These data alter our understanding of how a6b1 contributes to breast cancer, and they resolve ambiguities regarding the use of total a6 (CD49f) expression as a biomarker for CSCs.
The Effect of Lenders' Credit Risk Transfer Activities on Borrowing Firms' Equity Returns

Although innovative credit risk transfer techniques help to allocate risk more optimally, policy-makers worry that they may detrimentally affect the effort spent by financial intermediaries in screening and monitoring credit exposures.This paper examines the equity market’s response to loan announcements.In common with the literature it reports a significantly positive average excess return – the well known ‘bank certification’ effect.However, if the lending bank is known to actively manage its credit risk exposure through large scale securitization programmes then the magnitude of the effect falls by two-thirds.The equity market does not appear to place any value on news of loans extended by banks that are known to transfer credit risk off their books. Key words: bank loans, credit derivatives, bank certification JEL classification numbers: G12, G21
A Panel of Candidate Tumor Antigens in Colorectal Cancer Revealed by the Serological Selection of a Phage Displayed cDNA Expression Library1

In the last few years it has been shown that the humoral immune response in cancer patients is a rich source of putative cancer vaccine candidates. To fully explore the complex information present within the Ab repertoire of cancer patients, we have applied a method, serological Ag selection, to molecularly define tumor Ags recognized by the humoral immune response in colorectal cancer (CRC). First, we built a cDNA display library by cloning a cDNA library from CRC cell line HT-29 for expression as a fusion protein with a filamentous phage minor coat protein, pVI. This cDNA display library was then enriched on pooled sera from CRC patients who had undergone active specific immunization with autologous tumor. We identified a panel of 19 clones reactive with the serum pool. Seventeen of 19 (89%) clones showed reactivity with one or more of the eight Ag-reactive sera, conversely six of eight (75%) sera were reactive with at least one of the 19 clones. Sequencing revealed that these 19 clones represented 13 different Ags. A detailed serological analysis of the 13 different Ags showed preferential reactivity to sera of cancer patients for six different Ags. Four of these Ags displayed increased serum reactivity after the active specific immunization procedure. Furthermore, one of the six Ags, a novel Ag homologous to HSPC218, showed restricted expression in normal testis, suggesting that it belongs to the cancer-testis Ag family. Some of the Ags we have identified may be candidates for tumor vaccination, for sero-diagnosis of cancer, as prognostic markers, or as probes for monitoring tumor cell-based vaccination trials.
Structural composition of lung parenchymal strip and mechanical behavior during sinusoidal oscillation.

The lung parenchymal strip is comprised of many different anatomic elements, including small vessels, small airways, and alveolar walls. We questioned whether the relative amounts of these different structures are important in determining the mechanical behavior of this preparation during dynamic oscillations. We studied 16 parenchymal strips (10 x 2 x 2 mm) from 12 Sprague-Dawley rats. The strips were suspended in an organ bath filled with Krebs solution, bubbled with 95% O2-5% CO2, and maintained at 37 degrees C. One end of the strip was attached to a force transducer, and the other end was attached to a lever system that effected length (L) changes. We oscillated the strips at various resting tensions (T) (0.9 and 1.5 g), frequencies (0.1, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 Hz), and amplitudes (1.1, 2.4, and 5.3% of optimal L). We obtained T vs. L curves and calculated the resistance, elastance, and hysteresivity (ratio of energy dissipated to energy stored) of the tissue. At the end of the experiment, the strips were fixed in Formalin at T = 1 g. Histological sections were examined, and the amounts of airway, blood vessel, and alveolar wall were quantified using point counting techniques. We found that whereas resistance varied significantly with frequency and T, elastance and hysteresivity varied with only T. The fractional areas of alveolar, blood vessel, and bronchial wall were 86.3 +/- 0.5 (SE), 8.4 +/- 0.3, and 5.3 +/- 0.4%. Only hysteresivity and the fractional area of alveolar wall were significantly correlated at the lower resting tension (r = -0.76, P = 0.02). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)