Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High‐dose idarubicin and busulphan as conditioning to autologous stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia

Between 30 and 50% of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). One possibility of reducing the relapse rate could be the adoption of conditioning regimens specifically designed for AML. We report treatment results achieved with a new conditioning for ASCT, based on high‐dose idarubicin (IDA) plus oral busulphan. Patients (n = 40) were conditioned with a regimen consisting of 3 d continuous intravenous infusion IDA at 20 mg/m2, followed by 4 d conventional dose oral busulphan. Unpurged peripheral blood stem cells were used in all cases. All patients had non‐M3‐AML and were in first complete remission (CR). The median number of CD34+ cells infused was 6·9 × 106/l (2·6–24). No case of transplant‐related mortality occurred. In all cases, left ventricular ejection fraction remained unmodified after ASCT. Thirty‐three of 40 patients (82%) had grade 3–4 mucositis requiring total parenteral nutrition in all cases. After a median follow up for surviving patients of 32 months from ASCT, 30 patients (75%) are alive and 26 (65%) are in continuous CR. Our data show that a conditioning regimen based on high‐dose IDA plus busulphan results in an encouraging reduction of the relapse rate after ASCT in AML.
Nitric Oxide Levels and Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in Uterine Samples from Mares Susceptible and Resistant to Persistent Breeding‐induced Endometritis

Problem: Breeding‐induced endometritis (BIE) in the mare is resolved by 36 hr after insemination in resistant mares. However, 10–15% susceptible broodmares fail to do so because of impaired uterine contractility between 7 and 19 hr after exposure to seminal or bacterial challenge, which reduces their fertility.
Clinical, molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis study of local foot-and-mouth disease virus in Al-Qadisiyah province of Iraq

Aim: This study was directed during an outbreak of suspected foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in Al-Qadisiyah province, Iraq 2016. The disease has made a huge economic loss in livestock. It was suspected that the vaccination has failed to protect the animals from the infection because of the difference in the strains. Consequently, we designed the study to make the diagnosis and detect the strain of the causative virus. Materials and Methods: The extraction of the DNA was done on 73 samples and Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was used in the detection of FMD virus (FMDV) for primary diagnosis, and serotype-specific diagnosis was done with universal primer sets 1F/1R, A-1C612, and O-ARS4 with the expected band of 329, 865, and 1301 bp, respectively. Results: Universal primer pair 1F/1R detected FMD in 55 of 73 (75.3%); of these, 37 (67.3%) were females and 18 (32.7%) were males, with high significance (p<0.01) between males and females in the PCR positivity ratio. The tested samples with positive universal primer were amplified with specific primers A-IC612 with no reaction for serotype O-ARS4. Conclusion: The products of RT-PCR were sent for RNA sequencing, and the results were 100% positive to serotype A which means that it is the predominant type in Iraq. It may help in the importing or production of the vaccine to make a preventive plan for the disease. The virus of FMD is contagious and dangerous due to its role in the huge economic loses. The detection of this virus is widely explained in lots of articles, but it is more specific and sensitive in RT-PCR and sequencing. Consequently, the authorities responsible for importing and/or production vaccines have to avoid the importing of other serotypes because it will be losing money and more outbreaks will explode.
Double-blind photoarray administration as a safeguard against investigator bias.

This experiment examined whether a photoarray administrator's knowledge of a suspect's identity increased false identification rates. Fifty participant-administrators (PAs) presented 50 participant-witnesses (PWs) two perpetrator-absent photoarrays following a live staged crime involving two perpetrators. For one photoarray per trial, the experimenter revealed the suspect's identity to the PA. Each PA presented the photoarrays sequentially or simultaneously in the presence or absence of an observer. When the observer was present, PA knowledge of the suspect's identity had a biasing effect in sequential photoarrays only. This pattern did not emerge when the observer was absent. The experimental manipulations did not affect PAs' and PWs' ratings of photoarray fairness or PWs' ratings of pressure to make an identification. These data suggest that only administrators who are blind to the suspect's identity should present sequential photoarrays.
Campus Autonomy and Its Relationship to Measures of University Quality.

To what extent should organizational control be centralized and to what extent should local managers have authority to operate their institutions without external regulation? This question has emerged as one of the most important issues of the 1980s and is under active review by corporations, governments, and multi-campus systems. State and federal funds for many universities have been accompanied by regulations aimed at cost containment [8,18,31]. Taxpayer and legislative demands for accountability and control have conspired, according to some observers, to result in an increase in state controls, especially over public institutions of higher education [17]. The growth in regulation and control has come from many sources: legislative, executive, and judicial [20]. Multiple reviews of campus programs and budgets, overlapping agencies for approval of purchases, and redundant studies by executive and legislative committees have, at least in some states, been commonplace. In the view of state officials, a degree of fiscal regulation is necessary for cost containment and reduction of costly academic competition. In the view of most university officials, however, external control reduces campus efficiency and adaptability, as well as educational effectiveness. Despite the fact that controls are generated out of a spirit of frugality, there are costs as well as benefits. Most organizational behaviorists believe that an increase in monitoring activity increases operating
Performance and limitations of administrative data in the identification of AKI.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Billing codes are frequently used to identify AKI events in epidemiologic research. The goals of this study were to validate billing code-identified AKI against the current AKI consensus definition and to ascertain whether sensitivity and specificity vary by patient characteristic or over time. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS The study population included 10,056 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants hospitalized between 1996 and 2008. Billing code-identified AKI was compared with the 2012 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) creatinine-based criteria (AKIcr) and an approximation of the 2012 KDIGO creatinine- and urine output-based criteria (AKIcr_uop) in a subset with available outpatient data. Sensitivity and specificity of billing code-identified AKI were evaluated over time and according to patient age, race, sex, diabetes status, and CKD status in 546 charts selected for review, with estimates adjusted for sampling technique. RESULTS A total of 34,179 hospitalizations were identified; 1353 had a billing code for AKI. The sensitivity of billing code-identified AKI was 17.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 13.2% to 21.2%) compared with AKIcr (n=1970 hospitalizations) and 11.7% (95% CI, 8.8% to 14.5%) compared with AKIcr_uop (n=1839 hospitalizations). Specificity was >98% in both cases. Sensitivity was significantly higher in the more recent time period (2002-2008) and among participants aged 65 years and older. Billing code-identified AKI captured a more severe spectrum of disease than did AKIcr and AKIcr_uop, with a larger proportion of patients with stage 3 AKI (34.9%, 19.7%, and 11.5%, respectively) and higher in-hospital mortality (41.2%, 18.7%, and 12.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The use of billing codes to identify AKI has low sensitivity compared with the current KDIGO consensus definition, especially when the urine output criterion is included, and results in the identification of a more severe phenotype. Epidemiologic studies using billing codes may benefit from a high specificity, but the variation in sensitivity may result in bias, particularly when trends over time are the outcome of interest.
Ownership, resources, and business-group effects on affiliate performance: Evidence from Taiwan

Abstract Business groups not only help affiliates circumvent market imperfections, but they also have great influence on the economic development of emerging markets. This study applies three ways to clarify the influence of business-group effects on affiliate performance. First, this study finds that the business group can explain a respectable portion of the variations in affiliate performance. Second, this study examines the impact of family ownership, resource abundance, and resource dispersion on affiliate performance and finds that group size and financial resources positively affect affiliate performance, while family ownership and group diversification do not have a significant effect on affiliate performance. Finally, the magnitude of business-group effects is subject to the ownership and resources of each business group. Family groups, large groups, and highly diversified groups have smaller business-group effects, while groups with high financial resources have greater business-group effects, indicating that business-group effects are heterogeneous and dependent on different group features. This study provides support to the resource-based and the institution-based views of business groups.
Supporting Learning Opportunities in Natural Settings Through Participation-Based Services

Recommended early intervention practices emphasize family-centered approaches provided within natural settings through interventionist interactions with caregivers. We defined this approach as participation-based and used the Home Visiting Observation Form (HVOF) and the Natural Environments Rating Scale (NERS) to describe 50 home visits and to examine the extent to which participation-based services could be identified and distinguished from traditional services. A minority of the sample visits were described as participation-based although participation-based services were clearly distinguishable from traditionally provided services. Interventionists using participation-based approaches interacted with the caregiver-child dyad and caregivers were actively involved with their children during the session. Results from the study suggest the NERS can be used to describe characteristics of participation-based services and holds promise as a measure that might be used by interventionists, their supervisors, or by researchers to measure intervention fidelity during home visits.
Vestibular Testing Abnormalities in Individuals with Motion Sickness

Hypothesis The goal of this study was to compare the results of vestibular testing in individuals with motion sickness to a group of control subjects. Background Studying motion sickness is difficult, because no animal model has been developed and symptoms rarely occur outside motion environments. Tests that can be performed in normal laboratory settings, which help to identify individuals with motion sickness, may be valuable in characterizing this disorder. Methods Twenty active duty military individuals with well-documented motion sickness were tested. The test battery included sinusoidal rotational chair testing to calculate vestibulo-ocular reflex function, step-velocity testing to calculate vestibular time constants, and posturography testing to assess vestibulo-spinal reflex status. The results of this test battery were compared with a set of age- and sex-matched controls without motion sickness. Results Vestibular test abnormalities were demonstrated in individuals with motion sickness. Vestibulo-spinal reflex function on posturography was normal in the control group but abnormal in 70% of the individuals with motion sickness. In addition, 5% of the control group demonstrated a minimal shortening of the absolute time constant, whereas 60% of the individuals with motion sickness had abnormal absolute time constants. Conclusion A significant percentage of individuals with motion sickness demonstrate abnormalities in their time constant or vestibulo-spinal reflex function. These abnormalities can be detected using standard, land-based vestibular tests. These preliminary results have implications in understanding the etiology of motion sickness and may provide outcome measures to be used in treating motion sickness.
Service-Learning as a Method of Teaching Multiculturalism to White College Students

Multicultural service-learning has come to be seen as a viable means by which to teach about the complexities of our multiethnic, multiracial world. However, when the service component involves having White college students tutor Black and Latino schoolchildren, there are numerous ethical issues that must be seriously considered. It is argued that a number of ideological and institutional barriers prevent multicultural service-learning from being an ethically defensible and transformative pedagogy. What it has become instead is a way of acting out cultural deficit thinking in the name of multicultural education.
Analysis of 65 tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) patients by TSC2 DGGE, TSC1/TSC2 MLPA, and TSC1 long‐range PCR sequencing, and report of 28 novel mutations

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a severe autosomal‐dominant disorder characterized by the development of benign tumors (hamartomas) in many organs. It can lead to intellectual handicap, epilepsy, autism, and renal or heart failure. An inactivating mutation in either of two tumor‐suppressor genes–TSC1 and TSC2–is the cause of this syndrome, with TSC2 mutations accounting for 80–90% of all mutations. Molecular diagnosis of TSC is challenging, since TSC1 and TSC2 consist of 21 and 41 coding exons, respectively, and the mutation spectrum is very heterogeneous. Here we report a new approach for detecting mutations in TSC: a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis for small TSC2 mutations, a multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis for large deletions and duplications in TSC1 or TSC2, and a long‐range PCR/sequencing‐based analysis for small TSC1 mutations. When applied in this order, the three methods provide a new sensitive and time‐ and cost‐efficient strategy for the molecular diagnosis of TSC. We analyzed 65 Danish patients who had been clinically diagnosed with TSC, and identified pathogenic mutations in 51 patients (78%). These included 36 small TSC2 mutations, four large deletions involving TSC2, and 11 small TSC1 mutations. Twenty‐eight of the small mutations are novel. For the missense mutations, we established a functional assay to demonstrate that the mutations impair TSC2 protein function. In conclusion, the strategy presented may greatly help small‐ and medium‐sized laboratories in the pre‐ and postnatal molecular diagnosis of TSC. Hum Mutat 26(4), 374–383, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elevated levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha in pericardial fluid of patients with heart failure: a potential role for in vivo oxidant stress in ventricular dilatation and progression to heart failure.

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that oxidant stress may play a role in the pathophysiology of heart failure. However, no definitive information is available because most previous approaches used to measure oxidant stress are nonspecific, inaccurate, and unreliable. METHODS AND RESULTS To evaluate oxidant stress in the heart, we measured pericardial fluid levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-iso-PGF2alpha), a specific and quantitative marker of oxidant stress in vivo, in a series of 51 consecutive patients with ischemic and/or valvular heart disease referred for cardiac surgery. Pericardial levels of 8-iso-PGF2alpha were correlated with the functional severity of heart failure (NYHA classification) and with echocardiographic indices of ventricular dilatation measured by independent physicians. Pericardial levels of 8-iso-PGF2alpha were significantly increased in patients with symptomatic heart failure compared with asymptomatic patients and gradually increased with the functional severity of heart failure (P=.0003). In addition, pericardial levels of 8-iso-PGF2alpha were significantly correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters (P=.008 and .026, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Pericardial levels of 8-iso-PGF2alpha increase with the functional severity of heart failure and are associated with ventricular dilatation. These data suggest an important role for in vivo oxidant stress on ventricular remodeling and the progression to heart failure.
The p65 Subunit of NF-κB Inhibits COL1A1 Gene Transcription in Human Dermal and Scleroderma Fibroblasts through Its Recruitment on Promoter by Protein Interaction with Transcriptional Activators (c-Krox, Sp1, and Sp3)*

Background: NF-κB regulation of COL1A1 in physiopathological situations is largely unknown. Results: NF-κB down-regulates COL1A1 in normal and scleroderma fibroblasts, through its recruitment on COL1A1 by protein interactions with the Sp1/Sp3/c-Krox trans-activators, which are different in fibrotic fibroblasts. Conclusion: Our findings highlight a new mechanism for COL1A1 regulation. Significance: These data could allow the development of new antifibrotic strategies. Transcriptional mechanisms regulating type I collagen genes expression in physiopathological situations are not completely known. In this study, we have investigated the role of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor on type I collagen expression in adult normal human (ANF) and scleroderma (SF) fibroblasts. We demonstrated that NF-κB, a master transcription factor playing a major role in immune response/apoptosis, down-regulates COL1A1 expression by a transcriptional control involving the −112/−61 bp sequence. This 51-bp region mediates the action of two zinc fingers, Sp1 (specific protein-1) and Sp3, acting as trans-activators of type I collagen expression in ANF and SF. Knockdown of each one of these trans factors by siRNA confirmed the trans-activating effect of Sp1/Sp3 and the p65 subunit of NF-κB trans-inhibiting effect on COL1A1 expression. Despite no existing κB consensus sequence in the COL1A1 promoter, we found that Sp1/Sp3/c-Krox and NF-κB bind and/or are recruited on the proximal promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Attempts to elucidate whether interactions between Sp1/Sp3/c-Krox and p65 are necessary to mediate the NF-κB inhibitory effect on COL1A1 in ANF and SF were carried out; in this regard, immunoprecipitation assays revealed that they interact, and this was validated by re-ChIP. Finally, the knockdown of Sp1/Sp3/c-Krox prevents the p65 inhibitory effect on COL1A1 transcription in ANF, whereas only the siRNAs targeting Sp3 and c-Krox provoked the same effect in SF, suggesting that particular interactions are characteristic of the scleroderma phenotype. In conclusion, our findings highlight a new mechanism for COL1A1 transcriptional regulation by NF-κB, and these data could allow the development of new antifibrotic strategies.
Effects of Caffeine and Gender on Vigilance and Marksmanship

Sentry duty performance requires both rifle marksmanship accuracy and sufficient attention to detect the infrequent appearance of targets. Research has shown that marksmanship accuracy is in part a function of arm-hand steadiness, that arm-hand steadiness may be better in women than men, and that in men 200 mg caffeine heightens alertness and attenuates vigilance decrements. Study objectives were: (a) evaluate gender differences in speed of target detection and rifle firing accuracy during three hours of simulated sentry duty, and (b) determine if 200 mg caffeine enhances sentry duty performance in women as it has been shown to do in men. Twelve men and 12 women were pre-trained on the Weaponeer M16 Rifle Marksmanship Simulator. During 3-hour test sessions, the participant monitored the target scene of the Weaponeer and fired at targets when they appeared. For both men and women, target detection response time deteriorated with time on sentry duty and vigilance decrements were attenuated by 200 mg caffeine. For men, marksmanship accuracy was constant over time; for women, marksmanship accuracy deteriorated after 1.5 hours.
HIV pathogenesis: 25 years of progress and persistent challenges

IntroductionIn 1981, a new disease syndrome appeared in human populations in the United States and elsewhere characterized by a deficiency in the immune system [1]. Patients presented with unusual infections and cancers such as Pneumocystis jiroveci (carinii) pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma. This
Moment-To-Moment Emotions During Reading

Moment-to-moment emotions are affective states that dynamically change during reading and potentially influence comprehension. Researchers have recently identified these emotions and the emotion trajectories in reading, tutoring, and problem solving. The primary learning-centered emotions are boredom, frustration, confusion, flow (engagement), delight, surprise, and anxiety. Emotion transitions occur when the text becomes too difficult or easy for the reader and when conceptual obstacles create cognitive disequilibrium. Teachers and computer environments have the potential to improve reading comprehension by detecting and strategically handling the readers’ boredom, frustration, and confusion. One frontier in reading research is to understand the complex dance between comprehension and emotions.
HIV-1 infection and pregnancy in young women in Brazil: socioeconomic and drug resistance profiles in a cross-sectional study

Objectives To describe socioeconomic and antiretroviral (ARV) drug resistance profiles among young pregnant women infected with HIV-1. Setting A public health antenatal programme responsible for screening ∼90 000 pregnant women per year for nine different infectious diseases in Central Western Brazil. Participants 96 young pregnant women (15–24 years) infected with HIV-1. Primary and secondary outcome measures Standard interviews and blood samples were taken at the time of recruitment, at the first medical appointment after confirmation of diagnosis of HIV-1 infection, and before ARV prophylaxis initiation. Clinical and laboratory data were retrieved from medical files. HIV-1 pol gene sequences (entire protease/PR, partial reverse transcriptase/RT) were obtained from plasma RNA. ARV resistance mutations (CPR/Stanford HIV-1; International AIDS Society-USA databases) were identified. Results The median age was 21 years; most reported <8 years education; 73% were recently diagnosed. Approximately 20% (19/96) presented late for antenatal care (after 26 gestational weeks), while 49% reported ≥2 previous pregnancies. Possible heterosexual transmission by an HIV-1 infected partner (17%) and commercial sex work (2%) were reported. The median of CD4 cell count was 526 cells/mm3; the median viral load was: 10 056 copies/mL in ARV-naïve (48/96) patients and 5881 copies/mL in ARV-exposed (48/96) patients. Two probable seroconversion cases during pregnancy were identified in adolescents. One mother-to-child transmission case (1.0%) was observed. Transmitted drug resistance among ARV-naïve patients was 9.3% (CI 95% 3.3% to 19.6%); secondary drug resistance among ARV-exposed patients was 12.5% (CI 95% 4.7% to 25.6%). Conclusions Despite high access to antenatal care, the low socioeconomic-educational profiles seen in these young HIV-1-infected women highlight the necessity of improved public health educational and preventive strategies regarding HIV infection and early unplanned pregnancy.