Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
40 Years of Radiation Single Event Effects at the European Space Agency, ESTEC

This summary paper is based on an invited talk given at the Single Event Effects (SEE) Symposium at La Jolla, California, USA on 12 April 2011, titled '40 Years of SEE at ESA/ESTEC' (European Space Agency/European Space Research and Technology Centre). As an historical summary paper covering radiation activities within the ESTEC Components Laboratory, this paper primarily focus on my own SEE experiences and involvement from 1970 to 2010.
An antisense oligonucleotide targeting the growth hormone receptor inhibits neovascularization in a mouse model of retinopathy.

PURPOSE We have demonstrated that a 2'-O-methoxyethyl modified antisense oligonucleotide against the mouse growth hormone (GH) receptor (GHr) reduces GH binding and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 in normal mice. We tested whether this systemically delivered antisense oligonucleotide could inhibit neovascularization in mice with oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR). METHODS OIR was induced in C57BL/6 mice by housing them in 75% oxygen across postnatal days (P)7 to 12 followed by five days in room air. Shams were in room air from P0-17. GHr antisense oligonucleotide, ATL 227446, was administered by early (P7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17) or late (P12-16) intervention at doses of 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg. Other mice were treated with either vehicle (saline), the somatostatin analog octreotide (20 mg/kg/bi-daily), or control oligonucleotides ATL 261303 (at 20 mg/kg by late and early intervention) or ATL 260120 (at 20 and 30 mg/kg by early intervention only). Blood vessel profiles were counted in 3 mm paraffin sections of inner retina. RESULTS OIR increased blood vessel profiles by 2.5 fold compared to shams. In OIR, early intervention GHr antisense oligonucleotide ATL 227446 reduced blood vessel profiles at higher doses including 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg resulted in the greatest reduction (38%). In OIR, late intervention with all doses of GHr antisense oligonucleotide ATL 227446 reduced blood vessel profiles to a similar extent, and the highest dose resulted in a 26% reduction compared to OIR. Octreotide reduced blood vessel profiles in OIR mice by 26%. In OIR, ATL 261303 had no effect on blood vessel profiles, while 30 mg/kg ATL 260120 reduced blood vessel profiles by 18%. CONCLUSIONS Systemically delivered antisense oligonucleotides directed against the GHr are a potential novel treatment for ocular neovascularization related disorders.
Random Urinary Calcium/Creatinine Ratio for Screening Hypercalciuria in Children with Hematuria

Background Hypercalciuria is one of the most common causes of unexplained isolated hematuria. The diagnostic methods for hypercalciuria have not yet been standardized. The aim of this study was to assess whether random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio could be used as a screening tool for hypercalciuria in children with hematuria. Methods This prospective study included 264 children with primary hematuria for whom both random and 24 hr urinary evaluations were performed. Pearson correlation and ROC curve were used to assess the correlations. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze effects of age, weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area on random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio. Results There was a moderately strong correlation between random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio and 24 hr urinary calcium excretion (r=0.584, P<0.001). The most appropriate cutoff value of random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio for the estimation of hypercalciuria was 0.075 mg/mg (sensitivity, 77.8%; specificity, 64.3%; area under the curve, 0.778). Body mass index and 24 hr urinary calcium excretion significantly affected random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio with a low coefficient of determination (r2=0.380, P<0.001). Conclusions Random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio is not suitable for screening hypercalciuria in children with hematuria. Twenty-four hour urinary analysis should be performed to diagnose hypercalciuria in children with hematuria.
The alpha v beta 1 integrin functions as a fibronectin receptor but does not support fibronectin matrix assembly and cell migration on fibronectin

The fibronectin receptor, alpha 5 beta 1, has been shown to be required for fibronectin matrix assembly and plays an important role in cell migration on fibronectin. However, it is not clear whether other fibronectin binding integrins can take the place of alpha 5 beta 1 during matrix assembly and cell migration. To test this, we expressed the human alpha v subunit in the CHO cell line CHO-B2 that lacks the alpha 5 subunit. We found that the human alpha v combined with CHO cell beta 1 to form the integrin alpha v beta 1. Cells that expressed alpha v beta 1 attached to and spread well on fibronectin-coated dishes, but did so less well on vitronectin-coated dishes. This, along with other data, indicated that alpha v beta 1 functions as a fibronectin receptor in CHO-B2 cells. The alpha v beta 1-expressing cells failed to produce a fibronectin matrix or to migrate on fibronectin, although the same cells transfected with alpha 5 do produce a matrix and migrate on fibronectin. The affinity of the alpha v beta 1-expressing cells for fibronectin was fourfold lower than that of the alpha 5 beta 1- expressing cells. In addition, alpha v beta 1 was distributed diffusely throughout the cell surface, whereas alpha 5 beta 1 was localized to focal adhesions when cells were seeded onto fibronectin-coated surfaces. Thus, of the two fibronectin receptors, alpha v beta 1 and alpha 5 beta 1, only alpha 5 beta 1 supports fibronectin matrix assembly and promotes cell migration on fibronectin in the CHO-B2 cells. Possible reasons for this difference in the activities of alpha v beta 1 and alpha 5 beta 1 include the lower affinity of alpha v beta 1 for fibronectin and the failure of this integrin to localize in adhesion plaques on a fibronectin substrate. These results show that two integrins with similar ligand specificities and cell attachment functions may be quite different in their ability to support fibronectin matrix assembly and cell motility on fibronectin.
The Power Performance of Fixed-T Panel Unit Root Tests allowing for Structural Breaks

The asymptotic local power of least squares based fixed-T panel unit root tests allowing for a structural break in their individual effects and/or incidental trends of the AR(1) panel data model is studied. These tests correct the least squares estimator of the autoregressive coefficient of this panel data model for its inconsistency due to the individual effects and/or incidental trends of the panel. The limiting distributions of the tests are analytically derived under a sequence of local alternatives, assuming that the cross-sectional dimension of the tests (N) grows large. It is shown that the considered fixed-T tests have local power which tends to unity fast only if the panel data model includes individual effects. For panel data models with incidental trends, the power of the tests becomes trivial. However, this problem does not always appear if the tests allow for serial correlation of the error term.
Visual Analysis of Student Evaluation Data: A Qualitative Analysis of Teacher Decision Making

Visual analysis of graphically displayed data typically is used by teachers of persons with severe disabilities to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions. Although the use of this process is widely advocated as a desirable educational practice, recent research indicates that levels of interrater agreement are unacceptably low. To examine the variables that influence the decisions made during visual appraisal in classroom settings, qualitative interviews were conducted with special education teachers. The implications of these results for teachers who collect and analyze student performance data in a classroom setting are discussed.
Characterization of Adeno-Associated Virus Genomes Isolated from Human Tissues

ABSTRACT Infection with wild-type adeno-associated virus (AAV) is common in humans, but very little is known about the in vivo biology of AAV. On a molecular level, it has been shown in cultured cells that AAV integrates in a site-specific manner on human chromosome 19, but this has never been demonstrated directly in infected human tissues. To that end, we tested 175 tissue samples for the presence of AAV DNA, and when present, examined the specific form of the viral DNA. AAV was detected in 7 of 101 tonsil-adenoid samples and in 2 of 74 other tissue samples (spleen and lung). In these nine samples, we were unable to detect AAV integration in the AAVS1 locus using a sensitive PCR assay designed to amplify specific viral-cellular DNA junctions. Additionally, we used a second complementary assay, linear amplification-mediated-PCR (LAM-PCR) to widen our search for integration events. Analysis of individual LAM-PCR products revealed that the AAV genomes were arranged predominantly in a head-to-tail array, with deletions and extensive rearrangements in the inverted terminal repeat sequences. A single AAV-cellular junction was identified from a tonsil sample and it mapped to a highly repetitive satellite DNA element on chromosome 1. Given these data, we entertained the possibility that instead of integrated forms, AAV genomes were present as extrachromosomal forms. We used a novel amplification assay (linear rolling-circle amplification) to show that the majority of wild-type AAV DNA existed as circular double-stranded episomes in our tissues. Thus, following naturally acquired infection, AAV DNA can persist mainly as circular episomes in human tissues. These findings are consistent with the circular episomal forms of recombinant AAV vectors that have been isolated and characterized from in vivo transduced tissues.
What Visual Information Is Processed in the Human Dorsal Stream?

The idea of a division between a dorsal and a ventral visual stream is one of the most basic principles of visual processing in the brain ([Milner and Goodale, 1995][1]). The ventral stream originates in primary visual cortex and extends along the ventral surface into the temporal cortex; the dorsal
The initial return performance of UK property company IPOs

Presents empirical evidence for a sample of 48 UK property company initial public offerings over the period 1986 to 1995. Several conclusions can be drawn. First, property companies in general show a significantly positive average first day return. Second, property investment companies’ average first day return is not significantly different from zero. Third, property trading companies’ average first day return is significantly positive. Fourth, the higher average first day return of property trading companies over property investment companies is significant.
Causes of non-adherence to therapeutic guidelines in severe community-acquired pneumonia

Objective To assess the adherence to Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines and the causes of lack of adherence during empirical antibiotic prescription in severe pneumonia in Latin America. Methods A clinical questionnaire was submitted to 36 physicians from Latin America; they were asked to indicate the empirical treatment in two fictitious cases of severe respiratory infection: community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia. Results In the case of communityacquired pneumonia, 11 prescriptions of 36 (30.6%) were compliant with international guidelines. The causes for non-compliant treatment were monotherapy (16.0%), the unnecessary prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics (40.0%) and the use of non-recommended antibiotics (44.0%). In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of adherence to the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines was 2.8% (1 patient of 36). The reasons for lack of compliance were monotherapy (14.3%) and a lack of dual antibiotic coverage against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (85.7%). If monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered adequate, the antibiotic treatment would be adequate in 100% of the total prescriptions. Conclusion The compliance rate with the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines in the community-acquired pneumonia scenario was 30.6%; the most frequent cause of lack of compliance was the indication of monotherapy. In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the compliance rate with the guidelines was 2.8%, and the most important cause of non-adherence was lack of combined antipseudomonal therapy. If the use of monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered the correct option, the treatment would be adequate in 100% of the prescriptions.
Optimizing school-based intestinal helminth control interventions in the Philippines

Intestinal helminth infections caused by soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes bring about the greatest burden of disease in poverty-stricken areas in the developing world. The most vulnerable group and the most significant contributors to disease transmission are the school-age children. While awaiting major improvements on sanitation, the recommended strategy for helminth control is school-based, teacherassisted, mass drug administration (MDA). However, millions of individuals worldwide remain afflicted with these diseases, and the Philippines is no different from many of the developing countries. The overall objective of this paper is to review current Philippine control programs and initiatives and offer evidencebased recommendations for improvement. Discrepancies between parasitologic parameters and drug coverage rates pose significant challenges in the control and prevention of helminth infections in the country. School-based MDA may be scaled up after successful local initiatives, where teachers have direct participation in drug administration. There is also a need to involve the social science sector to help address the behavioral aspects of helminth control. Moreover, monitoring and evaluation of interventions through identification of success parameters will contribute to the optimization of school-based helminth control, and to strategies towards effective control of intestinal helminth infections as a public health problem in the country. Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario, Jr. earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) in 1985 and his Master of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. in 1991 through a fellowship from the World Health Organization (WHO). He is a Professor of Parasitology and Public Health, and University Scientist II in the College of Public Health, UPM and also currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Research and Executive Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the same university. He is the principal investigator of research projects on various aspects of tropical and parasitic diseases including their epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention. He is also the convenor of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group in the UPM-NIH that advocates the use of research results as bases for policy and planning of the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and various local government units of the Republic of the Philippines. In the international arena, he has shared his expertise on parasitic diseases on many occasions to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education – Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (SEAMEOTROPMED) and other non-government organizations. He currently serves as a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) of the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).
Requirement for age-specific peak cortisol responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in children.

OBJECTIVE Based on adult data, a peak cortisol response ≥500 nmol/l to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia constitutes a normal. Age-specific reference ranges for basal morning cortisol have been developed for clinical use in the paediatric population. Such reference ranges are not clearly established for peak cortisol responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia despite limited data suggesting an effect of age on peak cortisol. The aims of this study were to assess factors affecting the cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in children and to determine whether the peak cortisol response was related to age. DESIGN The present study was a retrospective cohort study. METHODS Retrospective analysis of children and adolescents aged ≤18 years undergoing the insulin tolerance test with adequate hypoglycaemia was undertaken. Patients with hypopituitarism or severe hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis impairment (peak cortisol value <400 nmol/l) or using systemic glucocorticoids were excluded. RESULTS Two hundred and twenty-three tests were analysed. Peak cortisol responses ≥500 nmol/l occurred in 183 (82%) tests. Age was negatively associated with peak cortisol responses (r=-0.15, P=0.03). A peak cortisol response <500 nmol/l was significantly less common in patients aged <12 years (9/97 (9%) vs 31/126 (25%); P=0.004). In children aged <12 years, the median (5th-95th centiles) peak cortisol values were 610 (480-806) nmol/l compared with 574 (442-789) nmol/l in children aged ≥12 years (P<0.004). Similarly, median cortisol increment was significantly higher in younger patients (301 nmol/l compared with 226 nmol/l (P=0.0004)). CONCLUSIONS Use of a single peak cortisol threshold in children of all ages is not appropriate and will result in overdiagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in adolescents.
Effect of Losartan on Prevention and Progression of Early Diabetic Nephropathy in American Indians With Type 2 Diabetes

Angiotensin receptor blockers are renoprotective in hypertensive azotemic patients with type 2 diabetes, but their efficacy in early diabetic kidney disease is uncertain. We performed a 6-year randomized clinical trial in 169 American Indians with type 2 diabetes and normoalbuminuria (albumin/creatinine ratio [ACR] <30 mg/g; n = 91) or microalbuminuria (ACR 30–299 mg/g; n = 78) at baseline. The primary outcome was decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to ≤60 mL/min or to half the baseline value in subjects who entered with GFR <120 mL/min. Another outcome was differences in glomerular structure at end of treatment. Subjects received 100 mg losartan or placebo daily. GFR was measured annually; 111 subjects underwent kidney biopsies. Only nine subjects reached the GFR outcome, and the unadjusted hazard ratio (losartan vs. placebo) was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.12–1.99). Differences in mesangial fractional volume were not estimated in the combined albuminuria groups because of an interaction with treatment assignment. In separate analyses, mesangial fractional volume was lower in subjects treated with losartan in the microalbuminuria group (18.8 vs. 25.6%; P = 0.02), but not in the normoalbuminuria group (19.6 vs. 17.8%; P = 0.86). Treatment with losartan may preserve some features of kidney structure in American Indians with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria.
Low frequency nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor-resistant variants contribute to failure of efavirenz-containing regimens in treatment- experienced patients.

BACKGROUND The contribution of low frequency drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants to failure of antiretroviral therapy is not well defined in treatment-experienced patients. We sought to detect minor nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-resistant variants at the initiation of multidrug efavirenz-containing therapy in both NNRTI-naive and NNRTI-experienced patients and to determine their association with virologic response. METHODS Plasma samples at entry and at time of virologic failure from patients enrolled in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group study 398 were analyzed by standard genotype, single-genome sequencing and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (K103N and Y181C) to detect and quantify minor NNRTI-resistant variants. RESULTS Minor populations of NNRTI-resistant variants that were missed by standard genotype were detected more often at study entry in NNRTI-experienced patients than NNRTI-naive patients by both single-genome sequencing (8 of 12 vs 3 of 15; P = .022) and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (11% Y181C, 5 of 22 vs 3 of 72, respectively; P = .016). K103N variants at frequencies 11% were associated with inferior HIV-1 RNA response to efavirenz-containing therapy between entry and week 24 (change in HIV-1 RNA level, +0.5 vs -1.1 log(10) copies/mL; P < . 001). CONCLUSIONS Minor NNRTI-resistant variants were more prevalent in NNRTI-experienced patients and were associated with reduced virologic response to efavirenz-containing multidrug regimens.
Israeli Journalism during the State's Formative Era

This article explores the process by which Israeli journalists in the 1950s and the 1960s forged a communal identity by thinking and writing about issues such as the importance of the journalistic profession, sources of their professional authority, reporting conventions, and their assessments of good and bad journalism and the appropriate ways to distinguish between them. It also explores how fundamental tensions between ideological and professional affiliations were concretized via various journalistic “areas of contention. ” Thus, it indicates how debates over specific issues, such as preferred journalistic writing styles or the optimal relations between the Israeli media and military censors, could be better understood within the larger context of this process of journalistic self-definition.
In vivo Observation of Tree Drought Response with Low-Field NMR and Neutron Imaging

Using a simple low-field NMR system, we monitored water content in a living tree in a greenhouse over 2 months. By continuously running the system, we observed changes in tree water content on a scale of half an hour. The data showed a diurnal change in water content consistent both with previous NMR and biological observations. Neutron imaging experiments show that our NMR signal is primarily due to water being rapidly transported through the plant, and not to other sources of hydrogen, such as water in cytoplasm, or water in cell walls. After accounting for the role of temperature in the observed NMR signal, we demonstrate a change in the diurnal signal behavior due to simulated drought conditions for the tree. These results illustrate the utility of our system to perform noninvasive measurements of tree water content outside of a temperature controlled environment.