Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flavopiridol treatment of patients aged 70 or older with refractory or relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a feasible and active therapeutic approach

Older chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients have poor outcomes with standard treatments and are underrepresented in clinical trials. We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in two age categories (≥70 and <70 years) treated with single-agent flavopiridol, a drug active in genomically high-risk patients, during two trials. No significant difference between older and younger patients was observed in response rates (43 vs. 47%) or progression-free survival (median 8.7 vs. 9.9 months, P>0.80). Although overall survival was worse in older patients (median 2.1 vs. 2.4 years, P=0.02); when adjusted for other factors this difference was no longer significant (P≥0.10). With the exception of infections (older 29% vs. younger 62%) no significant association with toxicity was observed. These data demonstrate that flavopiridol administration to older chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients is feasible, tolerable, and may have similar efficacy to that in younger patients. Development of treatment approaches including flavopiridol should be considered for these older patients.
Object-wise 3D Gaze Mapping in Physical Workspace

Understanding the intention of other people is a fundamental social skill in human communication. Eye behavior is an important, yet implicit communication cue. In this work, we focus on enabling people to see the users' gaze associated with objects in the 3D space, namely, we present users the history of gaze linked to real 3D objects. Our 3D gaze visualization system automatically segments objects in the workspace and projects user's gaze trajectory onto the objects in 3D for visualizing user's intention. By combining automated object segmentation and head tracking via the first-person video from a wearable eye tracker, our system can visualize user's gaze behavior more intuitively and efficiently compared to 2D based methods and 3D methods with manual annotation. We performed an evaluation of the system to measure the accuracy of object-wise gaze mapping. In the evaluation, the system achieved 94% accuracy of gaze mapping onto 40, 30, 20, 10-centimeter cubes. We also conducted a case study of through a case study where the user looks at food products, we showed that our system was able to predict products that the user is interested in.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Women of Reproductive Age Group at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda

Sexually transmitted diseases are a significant public health concern in Uganda, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with STDs among women of reproductive age at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 women of reproductive age attending the hospital’s outpatient department between August 2023 and November 2023. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with STDs. The prevalence of STDs among women of reproductive age attending Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital was found to be 27.2%. Factors significantly associated with STDs included being residence outside the city (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-4.38), age group 20-29 (aOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.05-5.57), having more than 3 sexual partners (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.19-3.80) and not using a condom during sexual intercourse (aOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31-0.98). Additionally, women who reported an increased frequency of sexual activity were more likely to have current STDs (aOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.10-3.21). The prevalence of STDs among women of reproductive age at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital was high, and several factors were identified as significant predictors of STDs. These findings highlight the need for targeted STD prevention and control interventions, including increased STD screening, counselling on condom use, and promoting safe sexual practices among women of reproductive age in the region. Keyword: STDs, Productive age, Women, Condom, Sexual activities, Sexual partners.
A multiobjective evolutionary algorithm for solving vehicle routing problem with time windows

Vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) involves the routing of a set of vehicles with limited capacity from a central depot to a set of geographically dispersed customers with known demands and predefined time windows. This paper proposes a hybrid multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (HMOEA) that incorporates various heuristics for local exploitation in the evolutionary search and the concept of Pareto's optimality for solving multiobjective optimization in VRPTW problems. The proposed HMOEA optimizes all routing constraints and objectives simultaneously, which improves the routing solutions in many aspects, such as lower routing cost, wider scattering area and better convergence trace.
The chlamydial EUO gene encodes a histone H1-specific protease

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen, long recognized as an agent of blinding eye disease and more recently as a common sexually transmitted infection. Recently, two eukaryotic histone H1-like proteins, designated Hc1 and Hc2, have been identified in Chlamydia. Expression of Hc1 in recombinant Escherichia coli produces chromatin condensation similar to nucleoid condensation observed late in the parasite's own life cycle. In contrast, chromatin decondensation, observed during the early life cycle, accompanies down-regulation and nondetection of Hc1 and Hc2 among internalized organisms. We reasoned that the early upstream open reading frame (EUO) gene product might play a role in Hc1 degradation and nucleoid decondensation since it is expressed very early in the chlamydial life cycle. To explore this possibility, we fused the EUO coding region between amino acids 4 and 177 from C. trachomatis serovar Lz with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and examined the effects of fusion protein on Hc1 in vitro. The purified fusion protein was able to digest Hc1 completely within 1 h at 37 degrees C. However, GST alone exhibited no Hc1-specific proteolytic activity. The chlamydial EUO-GST gene product also cleaves very-lysine-rich calf thymus histone H1 and chicken erythrocyte histone H5 but displays no measurable activity towards core histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 or chlamydial RNA polymerase alpha-subunit. This proteolytic activity appears sensitive to the serine protease inhibitor 4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF) and aspartic protease inhibitor pepstatin but resistant to high temperature and other broad-spectrum protease inhibitors. The proteolytic activity specified by the EUO-GST fusion product selectively digested the C-terminal portion of chlamydial Hc1, the domain involved in DNA binding, while leaving the N terminus intact. At a molar equivalent ratio of 1:1 between Hc1 and DNA, the EUO gene product cleaves Hc1 complexed to DNA and this cleavage appears sufficient to initiate dissociation of DNA-Hc1 complexes. However, at a higher molar equivalent ratio of Hc1/DNA (10:1), there is partial protection conferred upon Hc1 to an extent that prevents dissociation of DNA-Hc1 complexes.
Urinary macrophage counts and ratio to T lymphocytes: Possible use in differential diagnosis and management of glomerular disease

The noninvasive method that can differentiate hematuria‐positive patients has not yet been developed. We evaluated the clinical value of the analysis of mononuclear cells in urine in combination with urinary erythrocytes as a noninvasive differential diagnostic tool of glomerular disease. The number of macrophages (CD14+ cells/ml urine) and T‐lymphocytes (CD3+ cells/ml urine) were measured by flow cytometry using samples of freshly voided urine from 203 patients with hematuria. They had various types of proliferative glomerular disease, including rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), or nonproliferative glomerulopathy including idiopathic renal hematuria and hereditary nephropathy. Urinary macrophage counts increased significantly with the severity of glomerulonephritis; their number consistently exceeded that of T‐lymphocyte counts in patients with active proliferative glomerulonephritis. Urinary macrophage counts in patients with proliferative GN were consistently higher than those of hematuria‐matched nonproliferative GN. Moreover, urinary macrophage counts in patients with RPGN were significantly higher than those of MPGN and IgAN. Most of the patients with inactive proliferative glomerulonephritis or with nonproliferative glomerulopathy showed no marked increase in urinary macrophages. Although some patients with nonproliferative glomerulopathy who exhibited gross hematuria showed a slight increase in urinary macrophage counts, such counts were consistently lower than those of T lymphocytes. These observations suggests that urinary macrophage count and its ratio to T‐lymphocyte count may provide useful information for clinicians in managing patients with proliferative glomerular disease as well as deciding whether to conduct renal biopsy in patients with hematuria. © 1996 Wiley Liss, Inc.
Some Welfare Assessment Traits and Quantitative-Qualitative Milk Parameters as Affected by Supplementary Feeding at Milking and Parity in Anatolian Buffalo Cows

Simple Summary A critical issue is the significant decrease in productivity and heightened consumer awareness caused by the inadequate welfare of confined lactating water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Providing supplementary feeding during milking (SFAM) helps alleviate the adverse effects of stall confinement on milk quality by enhancing welfare indicators like udder hygiene, body condition and milking behaviour. Additionally, SFAM has comparable benefits for second and third-calving buffalo cows. Implementing SFAM for barn-confined buffalo cows improves production outcomes, regardless of parity, positively impacting consumer perception. Abstract This study aimed to evaluate whether supplemental feeding at milking (SFAM) positively influences the quantitative−qualitative milk parameters due to improving some welfare assessment traits of multiparous Anatolian buffalo cows confined in semi-open free-stall barns. A total of 76 Anatolian buffalo cows at approximately 90 days in milk were selected to encompass four groups (OSF-2nd, NSF-2nd, OSF-≥3rd and NSF-≥3rd), considering offering (OSF) or not (NSF) supplemental feed at milking and the parity (2nd) and (≥3rd). Data of evaluated variables such as the following ones—(i) subjectively scored welfare assessment traits (temperament, udder hygiene and body condition), (ii) milk yield per milking (MYM), (iii) milk components, and (iv) milk physical traits—were analysed using a linear mixed model and principal component (PC) analysis. The OSF improved the temperament, udder hygiene and body condition scores compared to the NSF. The MYM, the fat content and the fat-to-protein ratio of the OSF were higher than those of the NSF, but milk mineral and electrical conductivity of the OSF were lower than those of the NSF. The parity of cows did not affect the evaluated variables. Four parameters (milk density value and lactose, solids-not-fat and protein contents) could be identified in the PC2 versus PC1 plot. In conclusion, the SFAM enhanced the milk yield and qualitative milk parameters due to improving the welfare status of indoor buffalo cows, regardless of parity.
Economic Interdependence and International Conflict: New Perspectives on an Enduring Debate

The claim that open trade promotes peace has sparked heated debate among scholars and policymakers for centuries. Until recently, however, this claim remained untested and largely unexplored. Economic Interdependence and International Conflict clarifies the state of current knowledge about the effects of foreign commerce on political-military relations and identifies the avenues of new research needed to improve our understanding of this relationship. The contributions to this volume offer crucial insights into the political economy of national security, the causes of war, and the politics of global economic relations.Edward D. Mansfield is Hum Rosen Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Christopher H. Browne Center for International Politics at the University of Pennsylvania.Brian M. Pollins is Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio State University and a Research Fellow at the Mershon Center.
Acacetin Protects Mice from Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection by Inhibiting the Activity of Sortase A

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major cause of infection in hospitals and communities. Widespread dissemination of multi-drug resistant S. aureus is a serious threat to the health of humans and animals. An anti-virulence strategy has been widely considered as an alternative therapeutic approach. Inhibitors of virulence factors are able to treat S. aureus infections without influencing the growth or viability of bacteria and rarely lead to bacterial resistance. Sortase A (SrtA) is a membrane-associated cysteine transpeptidase that catalyzes up to 25 surface proteins that covalently bind to cell wall peptidoglycans. In S. aureus, most of these surface proteins have been identified as important virulence factors that are vital in bacterial pathogenesis. In the present study, we show that acacetin, a natural flavonoid compound, inhibits the activity of SrtA in S. aureus (IC50 = 36.46 ± 4.69 μg/mL, 128 μM) which affects the assembly of protein A (SpA) to cell walls and reduces the binding of S. aureus to fibrinogen (Fg). The mechanism of the interaction between acacetin and SrtA were preliminarily discussed using molecular dynamics simulations. The results suggested that acacetin adopted a compact conformation binding at the pocket of the SrtA via residues Arg-139 and Lys-140. By performing an animal infection model, we demonstrated that acacetin was able to protect mice from renal abscess formation induced by S. aureus and significantly increased survival rates. Taken together, these findings suggest that acacetin may be a promising candidate for the development of anti-S. aureus drugs.
Reproductive history and gastric cancer among post‐menopausal women

A total of 339 post‐menopausal women with gastric cancer (GC) and 515 population controls were interviewed in a multi‐center study in Italy for information on reproductive history, dietary habits and other socio‐demographic variables. After adjusting for these factors, GC risk was significantly higher among women reporting menopause below age 45, while no effect was shown for age at menarche, parity, age at first livebirth, and number of abortions. When age at menopause was considered together with age at menarche for an index of fertility years, GC risk showed a significant inverse relation to duration of fertility. These results suggest a protective role for endocrine or other factors related to late age at menopause or to length of fertility. These findings may be relevant to explain the fact that rates of GC reported among females are lower than among males around the world, and suggest the need for further research into hormonal and other related risk factors.
Methods to assess students’ acquisition, application and integration of basic science knowledge in an innovative competency-based curriculum

Background: The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine was designed to encourage medical students to pursue careers as physician investigators. Our faculty decided that assessment should enhance learning and adopted only formative assessments to document student performance in relation to nine broad-based competencies. No grades are used to judge student performance throughout the 5-year program. Instead, assessments are competency-based, relate directly to performance standards, and are stored in e-Portfolios to track progress and document student achievement. The class size is limited to 32 students a year. Aims: Schools with competency-based curricula must provide students with formative feedback to identify performance gaps and monitor progress. We describe a systematic approach to assess medical knowledge using essay-type questions (CAPPs) and multiple choice questions (SAQs) to provide medical students with weekly, formative feedback about their abilities to acquire, apply and integrate basic and clinical science concepts. Method: Processes for developing performance standards, creating assessment items, training faculty, reporting student performance and monitoring outcomes are described. A case study of a Year 1 course is presented with specific examples of CAPPs and SAQs to illustrate how formative assessment data are interpreted and reported in students’ e-Portfolios. Results: Preliminary evidence suggests that CAPPs and SAQs have a positive impact on students’ education, a justifiable cost in light of obtained benefits and growing acceptance among stakeholders. Two student cohorts performed significantly above the population mean on USMLE Step 1, which suggests that these assessment methods have not disadvantaged students. More evidence is needed to assess the reliability and validity of these tools for formative purposes. Conclusions: Using assessment data for formative purposes may encourage application and integration of knowledge, help students identify performance gaps, foster student development of learning plans and promote student responsibility for learning. Discussion provides applications for institutions with larger classes to consider.
PROPOSED REVISION TO THE RADIATION DOSIMETRY OF 82RB

Three models for the biodistribution and dosimetry of 82Rb-chloride were reviewed and a proposal is made for the best dosimetry for this agent to be adopted. Data from three proposed biokinetic models for 82Rb-chloride were used to calculate dose estimates for the compound, and the results were compared. The blood content-based model was found to produce dose estimates that were considered to be overly conservative, and a blood flow-based model, which showed good agreement with available measured data, was considered to be more reasonable. A new set of dose estimates for 82Rb-chloride, based on the blood flow-based kinetic model are suggested for general use.
Products of the Parkinson's disease-related glyoxalase DJ-1, D-lactate and glycolate, support mitochondrial membrane potential and neuronal survival

Abstract Parkinson's disease is associated with mitochondrial decline in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. One of the genes linked with the onset of Parkinson's disease, DJ-1/PARK7, belongs to a novel glyoxalase family and influences mitochondrial activity. It has been assumed that glyoxalases fulfill this task by detoxifying aggressive aldehyde by-products of metabolism. Here we show that supplying either D-lactate or glycolate, products of DJ-1, rescues the requirement for the enzyme in maintenance of mitochondrial potential. We further show that glycolic acid and D-lactic acid can elevate lowered mitochondrial membrane potential caused by silencing PINK-1, another Parkinson's related gene, as well as by paraquat, an environmental toxin known to be linked with Parkinson's disease. We propose that DJ-1 and consequently its products are components of a novel pathway that stabilizes mitochondria during cellular stress. We go on to show that survival of cultured mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, defective in Parkinson's disease, is enhanced by glycolate and D-lactate. Because glycolic and D-lactic acids occur naturally, they are therefore a potential therapeutic route for treatment or prevention of Parkinson's disease.
Vaccine adjuvants: Current state and future trends

The problem with pure recombinant or synthetic antigens used in modern day vaccines is that they are generally far less immunogenic than older style live or killed whole organism vaccines. This has created a major need for improved and more powerful adjuvants for use in these vaccines. With few exceptions, alum remains the sole adjuvant approved for human use in the majority of countries worldwide. Although alum is able to induce a good antibody (Th2) response, it has little capacity to stimulate cellular (Th1) immune responses which are so important for protection against many pathogens. In addition, alum has the potential to cause severe local and systemic side‐effects including sterile abscesses, eosinophilia and myofascitis, although fortunately most of the more serious side‐effects are relatively rare. There is also community concern regarding the possible role of aluminium in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Consequently, there is a major unmet need for safer and more effective adjuvants suitable for human use. In particular, there is demand for safe and non‐toxic adjuvants able to stimulate cellular (Th1) immunity. Other needs in light of new vaccine technologies are adjuvants suitable for use with mucosally‐delivered vaccines, DNA vaccines, cancer and autoimmunity vaccines. Each of these areas are highly specialized with their own unique needs in respect of suitable adjuvant technology. This paper reviews the state of the art in the adjuvant field, explores future directions of adjuvant development and finally examines some of the impediments and barriers to development and registration of new human adjuvants.
Oral Findings in Male Prisoners: A Systematic Review

Background: Modern penitentiary systems attach great importance, at least in the area of formal and codified arrangements, to providing inmates with access to health care and rehabilitation. The aim of our study was to analyze the Web of Science (WoS) and SCOPUS medical databases in order to search for and evaluate the available literature discussing the oral status and dental treatment needs of adult male prisoners. Methods: The following terms were used: prisoners or inmates; oral health, oral status; periodontal status, periodontal disease; oral hygiene; caries; mucosa; and saliva. The studies were screened based on their title and abstract according to the PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcome) criteria. The research protocol was prepared on the basis of the 2020 PRISMA guidelines and was not registered. The available literature discussing the oral status and dental treatment needs of adult imprisoned patients was analyzed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: articles published in English between 1 January 2012 and 2022; articles discussing the oral cavity status of adult inmates over 18 years old (hard tissues, periodontal status, saliva, mucosa condition, or oral hygiene); articles with a full text available; and articles that were assessed as satisfactory according to the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 934 articles were identified, out of which 9 were included in the systematic review. Two articles discussed the oral condition of prisoners in Europe (Russia and Finland), four examined prisoners in Asia (three in India and one in Saudi Arabia), two examined prisoners in Africa (Nigeria), and one examined prisoners in the Americas (Brazil). Conclusions: The oral status of prisoners has been widely discussed in the available literature. Among inmates, a higher frequency of both caries and periodontal disease along with poorer oral hygiene were observed. It can be concluded that inmates should have access to specialized treatment from periodontists and endodontists.