Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in immune responses between CMV-seronegative and -seropositive patients with myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

CMV infection is responsible for acceleration of immune senescence and linked to systemic pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated differences in the immune response between CMV‐seropositive and seronegative patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for acute myocardial infarction (MI). Peripheral blood samples were taken at six different time points: pre‐, 15, 30, 90 min, 24 h after PPCI and at 3 months after MI. Absolute counts of lymphocyte subpopulations, immune response to specific and nonspecific stimulation, serum cytokines and levels of CMV‐IgG, cardiolipin‐IgG, and anti‐endothelial cell antibodies were assessed. CMV‐seropositive patients with MI showed a twofold higher IFN‐γ production to PHA‐stimulation, up to 2.5‐fold higher levels of IP‐10 in serum and up to 30% lower serum levels of IL‐16 compared to CMV‐seronegative individuals. CMV‐seropositive patients could be divided into two subgroups with high (IL‐10Hi) and low (IL‐10Lo) IL‐10 serum levels during the acute stage of MI. The IL‐10Hi CMV‐seropositive subgroup showed an increased exit of late‐differentiated T lymphocytes, NK and NKT‐like cells from the circulation, which may potentially enhance cytotoxic damage in the ischemic myocardium. Finally, we did not observe an acceleration of autoimmunity by MI in CMV‐seropositive individuals. The immune response during acute MI showed characteristic differences between CMV seronegative and seropositive patients, with a stronger pro‐inflammatory response in seropositive patients. The effects of IP‐10, IL‐16, and IL‐10 on characteristics of acute immune responses and formation of different immune profiles in CMV‐seropositive individuals require further investigation.
Maximizing health in menopausal women with disabilities

There are nearly 30 million women with disabilities in the United States. Of these, more than 16 million are over the age of 50. Years ago, women with disabilities did not commonly live to the age of menopause, and, if they did, they reached this stage of life in a very debilitated condition. Now, women with disabilities are entering their mature years as active members of society who can look forward to productive futures. Because the health needs of women with disabilities might differ from those of other women, special attention should be focused on how physiological changes of perimenopausal and menopausal states affect this population. In addition to functional changes that might affect menopausal women with disabilities, basic health maintenance issues may be adversely affected by environmental factors. Physical barriers can influence compliance with preventive health screening that is essential in aging populations. Treatment options might need to be tailored to the individual. The disabling condition itself may progress, resulting in secondary conditions requiring creative interventions. A comprehensive evaluation and the development of a suitable management plan, which takes into account the multifactorial nature of aging as a disabled woman, are essential in delivering optimal care to this population.
Examining Two Theoretical Models Predicting American and Dutch Parents’ Mediation of Adolescent Social Media Use

ABSTRACT The goal of the present study was to utilize two theoretical models, one based on a mediation approach and the other on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), to understand parents’ mediation of their adolescents’ social media use. Data were collected from parents of adolescents ages 10–18 in two countries, the United States (US) and the Netherlands. Results indicated significant differences between the two samples. Specifically, American parents reported more concern about adolescent social media use, more positive attitudes and perceived subjective norms to control adolescent use, and higher levels of active and restrictive mediation. In general, demographics and parental concern accounted for more explained variance in mediation behaviors among Dutch parents, and the TPB-based variables accounted for more explained variance among American parents. Results suggest important implications for the integration of different theoretical models to explain parent mediation behavior.
Cardiac Septation Defects and Their PreImplantation Diagnosis

Major advances in the understanding of the underlying genetic etiologies of cardiac septation defects have provided insight into the genetic pathways involved. These genetic factors are most often transcription factors involved in the early stages of cardiogenesis. The ability to modify these genes in animal models is providing a better understanding of the role of these genes in common pathways leading to diverse forms of cardiac defects. Ultimately, our understanding of these basic processes should lead to molecular-based treatment and prevention options for those individuals most at risk for such birth defects.
Flickering Quotes

We study a dynamic limit order market with a finite number of strategic liquidity suppliers who post limit orders. Their limit orders are hit by either news (i.e. informed) traders or noise traders. We show that repeatedly playing a mixed strategy equilibrium of a certain static game is a subgame perfect equilibrium with flickering quotes. Furthermore, regardless of the distributions of the liquidation value and noise trade quantity, we always find a sequence of equilibria in mixed strategies such that the resulting random supply schedule converges in mean square, as the number of liquidity suppliers increases to infinity, to the deterministic competitive supply function. An oft noted feature of today’s equity markets is that quoting and quickly canceling are common and frequent events. Nanex describes times in which quote rates exceed 75,000 quotes per second. In one case, Protective Life Corp., which typically trades a few hundred times a day, had 21,000 messages in a 10 second interval in which there was only one transaction. Rapid cancellation of quotes is often associated with high frequency trading (HFT). In fact, according to the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) 2010 David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. Much of the work on this paper was carried out while on sabbatical visiting Columbia University. Columbia Business School, Columbia University 3022 Broadway ,NY, NY, 10027 www.nanex. net
Long-term follow-up of kidney donors: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND Kidney donors are not adversely affected by compensatory hyperfiltration of the remaining kidney in the early years after nephrectomy, but longterm longitudinal studies are lacking. METHODS The renal function and blood pressure of 75 donors was evaluated in 1984, 1.4-20.7 years after surgery. Forty-seven of the original cohort (23 male, age 38-80 years) underwent repeat study a decade later (12-31 years post-nephrectomy), using identical laboratory techniques. RESULTS Glomerular filtration rates (GFR) as measured by 51Cr EDTA clearance was relatively unchanged a decade later with 41 of 47 subjects (87%) having EDTA clearance within the normal laboratory reference range at review. The change in GFR in the remaining six subjects was statistically not significant. No correlation between GFR and time after nephrectomy was detected. Albumin excretion rate (AER), on timed overnight urine collections, was increased (> 20 micrograms/min) in 16 subjects (34%), although 14 of these individuals were also hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly increased compared with age/sex matched data from epidemiological studies of the general population (both in the UK and the US), especially in those over the age of 55 years. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the function of the solitary kidney is not adversely affected by prolonged compensatory hyperfiltration, although there appears to be an increased prevalence of microalbuminuria and hypertension. Regular follow-up of kidney donors is recommended in order to manage their complications effectively and to detect hypertension and or renal impairment early in those who may develop it.
Effectiveness of early entrepreneurship education at the primary school level: Evidence from a field research in Morocco

The present research is designed to identify the appropriate and relevant objectives that need to be pursued through entrepreneurial activities targeting elementary school children. It assesses the effectiveness of early entrepreneurship education. To do so, children aged 11 and 12 attended an entrepreneurial program and completed two versions of the same questionnaire before and after the program. We measured the development of three outcome sets of skills: non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills, cognitive entrepreneurial skills, and intentions to become an entrepreneur. The change in the dependent variable (the three sets of skills) is measured by the difference in this scale between using paired-sample t-test. Gender and parents’ occupation were controlled for. The findings of this study confirm that late childhood (11–12 years old) seems to be the adequate period in order to develop self-efficacy, a non-cognitive skill required to become an entrepreneur. Nonetheless, cognitive entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial intentions did not change after the program.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+ T cells), leptin level and weight loss after laparoscopic greater curvature plication in morbidly obese patients

Introduction The aim of the study was to detect the effect of laparoscopic greater curvature plication (LGCP) on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes – CD4+ and CD8+ T cells respectively), leptin level and weight loss in morbidly obese patients. Material and methods Morbidly obese patients (n = 20, age range: 25–50 years, body mass index (BMI) range: 37–45 kg/m2) who underwent LGCP were enrolled in a prospective study to determine the percentages of their peripheral blood T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) before and 4 months postoperatively using flow cytometry. Also, the level of their leptin before and 4 months postoperatively was established using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data are expressed as the percentage of total lymphocytes ± the standard error of the mean. Results A decrease in the BMI and loss of weight (31.20 ±1.2%) were confirmed 4 months postoperatively since BMI was 44.71 ±4.3 (range: 37–45) kg/m2 preoperatively, and decreased to 31.80 ±1.1 (range: 24–33) kg/m2 after surgery. The mean percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes significantly decreased postoperatively (38.2 ±1.5 before and 29.3 ±2.6 after operation for CD4+, 17.3 ±1.8 preoperatively and 9.5 ±1.7 postoperatively for CD8+, p < 0.05). The mean leptin level was 43.01 ±22.01 preoperatively while postoperatively it was 24.8 ±11.1 (p < 0.05), so the leptin level substantially decreased compared to its preoperative values. Conclusions This study found that weight loss after LGCP in morbidly obese patients led to decreases in levels of leptin and circulating immune cells compared to their preoperative values.
Trends in the epidemiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma in Western UP: an institutional study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to identify trends in incidence rates of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) at specific anatomic sites or within specific age or sex groups in the Western Uttar Pradesh population. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study covers the period from January 2004 through April 2009. OSCC cases were retrospectively analysed for site, age, gender and habits and the findings were formulated to chart the trends in Western U.P. RESULTS The study revealed a male to female ratio of 2.2:1 with the largest number of OSCCs developing in the fourth and fifth decades of life. Overall, the most common site was the buccal mucosa (63.75%), followed by retromolar area (15%), floor of the mouth (11.25%), lateral border of the tongue (3.75%), labial mucosa (3.75%), and palate (2.5%). Smokeless tobacco habit was more prevalent than smoking tobacco in both men as well as women. Karl - Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to find the degree of association between the two variables i.e. between gender to buccal mucosa and gender to smokeless and smoking tobacco habits, which were found to be positively correlated with respect to the age. CONCLUSION Oral cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with an incidence rate that varies widely by geographic location. Even within one geographic location, the incidence varies among groups categorized by age, sex, site or habit.
Occupation and the risk of lung cancer by histologic types and morphologic distribution: a case control study in Turkey.

BACKGROUND The lung cancer incidence rate in Turkey has been increasing since the early 1980's. Etiology of lung cancer could be affected by differences in lifestyle, working conditions, and occupational exposures. OBJECTIVES A hospital based case-control study was conducted in Turkey to provide information on the role that occupation plays in lung cancer etiology and the relationship between occupations and histologic types and the morphologic distribution of lung cancer. METHODS A total of 1,354 male cases and 1,519 controls were analysed. Basic information was obtained from patients from a standardised questionnaire. Occupational titles of the subjects were classified by standard occupational and industrial codes. Age- and smoking-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS Excess lung cancer occurred among fire-fighters (OR: 6.8, CI: 1.3-37.4), drivers (OR: 1.4, CI: 1.1-2.0), textile workers (OR: 1.7, CI: 1.1-2.7), water treatment plant workers (OR: 2.2, CI: 1.1-4.3) and highway construction workers (OR: 1.5, CI: 1.0-2.5). Workers in the textile and grain milling industries were shown to have a significant excess risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Textile workers, and those working at water treatment plants had excess risk of small cell carcinoma. Construction workers had excess risk of adenocarcinoma. Fire-fighters and workers at textile plants, grain mills, water treatment plants, and in steel production were exposed to a high risk of peripheral tumors while the risk of central tumors was excessive among drivers and highway construction workers. CONCLUSIONS The risk of lung cancer was associated with several occupations and peripheral located tumors and squamous lung cancer was the most common type.
The importance of standardized treatment in high-grade osteosarcoma: 30 years of experience from a hospital-based database

Abstract Background. Treatment of high-grade osteosarcoma remains a major challenge in orthopedic oncology as no major breakthrough in overall survival has occurred in the past 20 years. Due to the rarity of the disease, comparing the results of a single institution to best standard practice needs the establishment of clinical databases. The aim of this study was to report the cumulative 30-years’ experience of a single institution and to assess the incidence, survival and prognostic factors of high-grade osteosarcoma using a recently validated, hospital-based database, representing all citizens living in western Denmark, the Aarhus Sarcoma Registry. Material and methods. Between 1979 and 2008, 169 patients were treated at the Sarcoma Centre of Aarhus University Hospital for high-grade osteosarcoma. The incidence was calculated as a WHO age-standardized incidence per million per year. The endpoint was overall survival, analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank. Possible prognostic factors were analyzed by the uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard method. Results. The incidence of high-grade osteosarcoma in western Denmark from 1979 to 2008 was 2.7/million inhabitants/year. The five-year overall survival was 42% (95% CI 34; 49) for the whole cohort of patients with high-grade osteosarcoma and 54% (95% CI 43; 64) for patients with localized disease treated with wide excision and chemotherapy. For patients treated with curative intent, no soft tissue extension, treatment with sufficient surgical margin and standard chemotherapy, as well as a high degree of necrosis after chemotherapy were all independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Conclusion. The data from this hospital-based, validated database confirms the relevance of the known prognostic factors of high-grade osteosarcoma and emphasizes the importance of adequate surgical margins and chemotherapy.
Light at the End of the Tunnel: The Learning Curve Associated with Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Skull Base Surgery

Endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of skull base lesions has been introduced widely as an alternative to microscopic transmucosal approaches. We report the introduction of this technique to our unit, including the learning curve recognized for this procedure, comparing techniques in a concurrent case-control fashion. All patients operated on for sellar, suprasellar, or clival lesions were considered for endoscopic surgery, with 51 patients undergoing endoscopic surgery and 46 having microscopic surgery with the operating method determined by the availability of the ear, nose, and throat surgeon involved with the procedures. Endoscopic surgery compared favorably with microscopic surgery with respect to endocrine control, length of stay, diabetes insipidus, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. A learning curve was found with a significant fall in complication rates between the first third and most recent third of the cohort. Endoscopic skull base surgery has superior results to microscopic approaches once the initial learning curve is overcome, but this can be done quickly and safely.
Neural Resolution of Formant Frequencies in the Primary Auditory Cortex of Rats

Pulse-resonance sounds play an important role in animal communication and auditory object recognition, yet very little is known about the cortical representation of this class of sounds. In this study we shine light on one simple aspect: how well does the firing rate of cortical neurons resolve resonant (“formant”) frequencies of vowel-like pulse-resonance sounds. We recorded neural responses in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of anesthetized rats to two-formant pulse-resonance sounds, and estimated their formant resolving power using a statistical kernel smoothing method which takes into account the natural variability of cortical responses. While formant-tuning functions were diverse in structure across different penetrations, most were sensitive to changes in formant frequency, with a frequency resolution comparable to that reported for rat cochlear filters.
Numbers of presynaptic Ca2+ channel clusters match those of functionally defined vesicular docking sites in single central synapses

Significance Release–docking sites have been considered from a morphological point of view as the sites where synaptic vesicles dock and fuse with the active-zone membrane. Functionally, docking sites limit the maximum number of vesicles released per action potential, determining synaptic strength. Until now it has not been possible to establish a clear link between morphological and functional aspects of docking sites in mammalian brain synapses. Recent data suggest that calcium channels form several clusters in the active zone. Here, we show that the number of the clusters matches that of functional docking sites and both parameters change in parallel with age and synaptic size. Based on these results we propose a one-to-one correspondence between docking sites and calcium channel clusters. Many central synapses contain a single presynaptic active zone and a single postsynaptic density. Vesicular release statistics at such “simple synapses” indicate that they contain a small complement of docking sites where vesicles repetitively dock and fuse. In this work, we investigate functional and morphological aspects of docking sites at simple synapses made between cerebellar parallel fibers and molecular layer interneurons. Using immunogold labeling of SDS-treated freeze-fracture replicas, we find that Cav2.1 channels form several clusters per active zone with about nine channels per cluster. The mean value and range of intersynaptic variation are similar for Cav2.1 cluster numbers and for functional estimates of docking-site numbers obtained from the maximum numbers of released vesicles per action potential. Both numbers grow in relation with synaptic size and decrease by a similar extent with age between 2 wk and 4 wk postnatal. Thus, the mean docking-site numbers were 3.15 at 2 wk (range: 1–10) and 2.03 at 4 wk (range: 1–4), whereas the mean numbers of Cav2.1 clusters were 2.84 at 2 wk (range: 1–8) and 2.37 at 4 wk (range: 1–5). These changes were accompanied by decreases of miniature current amplitude (from 93 pA to 56 pA), active-zone surface area (from 0.0427 μm2 to 0.0234 μm2), and initial success rate (from 0.609 to 0.353), indicating a tightening of synaptic transmission with development. Altogether, these results suggest a close correspondence between the number of functionally defined vesicular docking sites and that of clusters of voltage-gated calcium channels.
CryptoRec: Privacy-preserving Recommendation as a Service

Recommender systems rely on large datasets of historical data and entail serious privacy risks. A server offering Recommendation as a Service to a client might leak more information than necessary regarding its recommendation model and dataset. At the same time, the disclosure of the client's preferences to the server is also a matter of concern. Devising privacy-preserving protocols using general cryptographic primitives (e.g., secure multi-party computation or homomorphic encryption), is a typical approach to overcome privacy concerns, but in conjunction with state-of-the-art recommender systems often yields far-from-practical solutions. In this paper, we tackle this problem from the direction of constructing crypto-friendly machine learning algorithms. In particular, we propose CryptoRec, a secure two-party computation protocol for Recommendation as a Service, which encompasses a novel recommender system. This model possesses two interesting properties: (1) It models user-item interactions in an item-only latent feature space in which personalized user representations are automatically captured by an aggregation of pre-learned item features. This means that a server with a pre-trained model can provide recommendations for a client whose data is not in its training set. Nevertheless, re-training the model with the client's data still improves accuracy. (2) It only uses addition and multiplication operations, making the model straightforwardly compatible with homomorphic encryption schemes. We demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of CryptoRec on three real-world datasets. CryptoRec allows a server with thousands of items to privately answer a prediction query within a few seconds on a single PC, while its prediction accuracy is still competitive with state-of-the-art recommender systems computing over clear data.