Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses to Synthetic Peptides of the Leishmania donovani Kinetoplastid Membrane Protein‐11

Native kinetoplastid membrane protein‐11 (KMP‐11), purified from crude extracts of Leishmania donovani parasites, activates T cells from individuals who have recovered from visceral leishmaniasis. In this work we used three 38‐mer peptides spanning the amino acid sequence of the L. donovani KMP‐11 as solid‐phase ligands in enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and as stimulating antigens in lymphoproliferative assays in order to evaluate humoral and cellular immune responses to well‐defined sequences of the protein. Antibody reactivity against the three peptides was measured in plasma from 63 Sudanese visceral leishmaniasis patients (VL) and the percentage of patients with anti‐KMP‐11 antibodies in ELISA were 37% (KMP‐11‐1), 30% (KMP‐11‐2) and 58% (KMP‐11‐3). The fraction of VL patients with measurable antibody reactivity in one or more of the three ELISAs was 79%. Cross‐reactivity to the KMP‐11 peptides was detected in plasma from Sudanese patients suffering from Leishmania major infections and in plasma from Sudanese and Danish patients infected with Plasmodium falciparum. In lymphoproliferative assays, 10 of 17 PBMC isolates from donors previously infected with L. donovani showed a response to one or more of the three KMP‐11 peptides.
CSR+-tree: Cache-conscious Indexing for High-dimensional Similarity Search

In this paper, we propose a novel index structure, the CSR+-tree, to support efficient high-dimensional similarity search in main memory. We introduce quantized bounding spheres (QBSs) that approximate bounding spheres (BSs) or data points. We analyze the respective pros and cons of both QBSs and the previously proposed quantized bounding rectangles (QBRs), and take the best of both worlds by carefully incorporating both of them into the CSR+-tree. We further propose a novel distance computation scheme that eliminates the need for decompressing QBSs or QBRs, which results in significant cost savings. We present an extensive experimental evaluation and analysis of the CSR+-tree, and compare its performance against that of other representative indexes in the literature. Our results show that the CSR+-tree consistently outperforms other index structures.
The TERT-CLPTM1L locus for lung cancer predisposes to bronchial obstruction and emphysema

Clinical studies suggest that bronchial obstruction and emphysema increase susceptibility to lung cancer. We assessed the possibility of a common genetic origin and investigated whether the lung cancer susceptibility locus on chromosome 5p15.33 increases the risk for bronchial obstruction and emphysema. Three variants in the 5p15.33 locus encompassing the TERT and CLPTM1L genes were genotyped in 777 heavy smokers and 212 lung cancer patients. Participants underwent pulmonary function tests and computed tomography of the chest, and completed questionnaires assessing smoking behaviour. The rs31489 C-allele correlated with reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p=0.006). Homozygous carriers of the rs31489 C-allele exhibited increased susceptibility to bronchial obstruction (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.24–2.69; p=0.002). A similar association was observed for diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (p=0.004). Consistent with this, CC-carriers had an increased risk of emphysema (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.41–2.94; p=1.73×10−4) and displayed greater alveolar destruction. Finally, CC-carriers also had an increased risk for lung cancer (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.21–2.99; p=0.005), and were more susceptible to developing both lung cancer and bronchial obstruction than lung cancer alone (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.04–4.26; p=0.038). The rs31489 variant on 5p15.33 is associated with bronchial obstruction, presence and severity of emphysema, and lung cancer.
Well-Being and Diabetes Management in Early Pregnant Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

This paper explores well-being and diabetes management in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in early pregnancy and investigates associations among perceived well-being, diabetes management, and maternal characteristics. Questionnaires were answered by 168 Swedish women. Correlation analyses were conducted with Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs). The women reported relatively high scores of self-efficacy in diabetes management (SWE-DES-10: 3.91 (0.51)) and self-perceived health (excellent (6.5%), very good (42.3%), good (38.7%), fair (11.3%) and poor (1.2%)). Moderate scores were reported for general well-being (WBQ-12: 22.6 (5.7)) and sense of coherence (SOC-13: 68.9 (9.7), moderate/low scores for hypoglycemia fear (SWE-HFS 26.6 (11.8)) and low scores of diabetes-distress (SWE-PAID-20 27.1 (15.9)). A higher capability of self-efficacy in diabetes management showed positive correlations with self-perceived health (rs = −0.41, p < 0.0001) and well-being (rs = 0.34, p < 0.0001) as well as negative correlations with diabetes distress (rs = −0.51, p < 0.0001) and hypoglycemia worries (rs = −0.27, p = 0.0009). Women with HbA1c levels of ≤48 mmL/mol scored higher in the subscales “goal achievement” in SWE-DES (p = 0.0028) and “comprehensibility” in SOC (p = 0.016). Well-being and diabetes management could be supported by strengthening the women’s capability to achieve glycemic goals and their comprehensibility in relation to the treatment. Further studies are needed to test this.
Strategies to Improve the Integration of Community Health Workers Into Health Care Teams: “A Little Fish in a Big Pond”

Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act acknowledges the value of community health workers (CHWs) as frontline public health workers. Consequently, growing attention has been placed on promoting CHWs as legitimate partners to provide support to health care teams and patients in the prevention, management, and control of chronic disease, particularly among diverse populations and high-need individuals. Methods Using a mixed-methods research approach, we investigated the integration of CHWs into health care teams from the CHW perspective. We conducted a survey of 265 CHWs and interviews with 23 CHWs to better understand and describe their experience and their perceived opportunities and challenges regarding their integration within the context of health care reform. Results Feelings of organizational support were positively correlated with the number of CHWs in the organization. CHWs reported the following facilitators to integration: having team meetings (73.7%), training inside (70.4%) and outside of the organization (81.6%), access to electronic health records, and ability for CHWs to stay connected to the community. Conclusion The perspectives of CHWs on their positive and negative experiences offer useful and innovative insight into ways of maximizing their impact on the health care team, patients, and their role as key emissaries between clinical services and community resources.
Smoothened Antagonists Reverse Taxane Resistance in Ovarian Cancer

The hedgehog pathway has been implicated in the formation and maintenance of a variety of malignancies, including ovarian cancer; however, it is unknown whether hedgehog signaling is involved in ovarian cancer chemoresistance. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of antagonizing the hedgehog receptor, Smoothened (Smo), on chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer. Expression of hedgehog pathway members was assessed in three pairs of parental and chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780ip2/A2780cp20, SKOV3ip1/SKOV3TRip2, HeyA8/HeyA8MDR) using quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell lines were exposed to increasing concentrations of two different Smo antagonists (cyclopamine, LDE225) alone and in combination with carboplatin or paclitaxel. Selective knockdown of Smo, Gli1, or Gli2 was achieved using siRNA constructs. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. A2780cp20 and SKOV3TRip2 orthotopic xenografts were treated with vehicle, LDE225, paclitaxel, or combination therapy. Chemoresistant cell lines showed higher expression (>2-fold, P < 0.05) of hedgehog signaling components compared with their respective parental lines. Smo antagonists sensitized chemotherapy-resistant cell lines to paclitaxel, but not to carboplatin. LDE225 treatment also increased sensitivity of ALDH-positive cells to paclitaxel. A2780cp20 and SKOV3TRip2 xenografts treated with combined LDE225 and paclitaxel had significantly less tumor burden than those treated with vehicle or either agent alone. Increased taxane sensitivity seems to be mediated by a decrease in P-glycoprotein (MDR1) expression. Selective knockdown of Smo, Gli1, or Gli2 all increased taxane sensitivity. Smo antagonists reverse taxane resistance in chemoresistant ovarian cancer models, suggesting combined anti-hedgehog and chemotherapies could provide a useful therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(7); 1587–97. ©2012 AACR.
Factors that mediate treatment outcome of sexually abused preschool children: six- and 12-month follow-up.

OBJECTIVE The role of familial, demographic, developmental, and treatment-mediating factors on treatment outcome of sexually abused preschool children was evaluated 6 and 12 months after treatment. METHOD Forty-three sexually abused preschool children and their parents who were evaluated shortly after disclosure of sexual abuse and then were provided with one of two treatment interventions were reevaluated at the completion of treatment and 6 and 12 months after treatment. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist, the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory, and the Weekly Behavior Report to measure a variety of emotional and behavioral symptoms in children. Parents also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-III, the Parent Emotional Reaction Questionnaire, the Parental Support Questionnaire, and the Maternal Social Support Index. Children completed the Battelle Developmental Inventory and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test at pretreatment to assess developmental levels. RESULTS Correlational and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to analyze the role of the hypothesized mediating variables in predicting scores on outcome measures across the two treatment groups. While the Parent Emotional Reaction Questionnaire was the strongest familial predictor of treatment outcome at posttreatment, parental support became a stronger predictor of outcome at the 6- and 12-month follow-up points. Treatment group was the strongest overall predictor of outcome at posttreatment and at 12-month follow-up. Demographic and developmental factors did not strongly predict outcome. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate the strong impact of parental support on treatment outcome in sexually abused preschool children over the course of a 12-month follow-up and emphasize the importance of including parental interventions in treating sexually abused preschool children. They also support the superior effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy over supportive counseling for this population.
Importance of cytokines, oxidative stress and expression of BCL-2 in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Objective. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a form of chronic hepatitis. The pathogenesis of NASH has been dealt with in only a few studies and so it has not been clearly identified yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-6, IL-8, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in the pathogenesis of NASH. Material and methods. The study included 92 patients, 57 of whom were diagnosed with biopsy-proven NASH, 13 with biopsy-proven hepatosteatosis and 22 with ultrasonography-diagnosed hepatosteatosis. Serum levels of TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured using the ELISA method. The plasma levels of NO were studied using the Griess method. Expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were examined in paraffin blocks of liver biopsy materials by means of immunohistochemical-staining. MDA levels were measured using the thiobarbituric acid method. Results. No significant difference was found in the levels of TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-6 or NO between the three groups (p>0.05). No difference was found in expression of Bcl-2 and expression of Bax between the biopsy-proven NASH and biopsy-proven hepatosteatosis groups (p>0.05). In the NASH group, the levels of IL-8 and MDA were found to be higher than those in the hepatosteatosis groups (p<0.05). Conclusions. The elevated levels of MDA may indicate the relationship between oxidative stress and NASH. Furthermore, IL-8 was found to be higher in the NASH group than in the hepatosteatosis group, demonstrating the importance of inflammation in the pathogenesis of NASH.
Thalamic connections with limbic cortex. I. Thalamocortical projections

The thalamocortical projections to limbic cortex in the cat have been studied with retrograde and anterograde axonal transport techniques. Five limbic cortical areas were identified on the basis of cytoarchitecture. The five areas are the anterior limbic area, the cingular area, the dorsal and ventral retrosplenial areas, and the presubiculum. Each of these cortical areas received small injections of horseradish peroxidase, and the afferent thalamic nuclei were identified by retrograde labelling of cells. The cortical projection of each of the anterior thalamic nuclei and the lateral dorsal nucleus was determined autoradiographically.
Social anchor effects in decision-making under ambiguity

I experimentally examine whether feedback about others' choices provides an anchor for decision-making under ambiguity. In a between-subjects design I vary whether subjects learn choices made individually by a "peer" in a first part when facing the same task a second time, and whether prospects are defined over gains or losses. My key findings are that the relative ambiguity attitude (compared to the peer's) significantly matters for shifts in individual attitudes, and that dynamics considerably differ between gain and loss domains. For gains, learning to be comparably ambiguity averse increases the likelihood for such shifts, relative to the individual condition; for losses, this likelihood decreases only if peers learn to exhibit exactly the same attitude. Further, I observe imitative shifts towards the peer's attitude in the gain domain, but only towards neutrality in the loss domain. Shifts towards neutrality for losses also appear significant without social anchor suggesting that ambiguity seeking might not be particularly robust. Moreover, cognitive ability positively correlates to shifts towards neutrality in the gain domain, but has no impact in the loss domain.
Acute Corneal Epithelial Change after Instillation of Benzalkonium Chloride Evaluated Using a Newly Developed in vivo Corneal Transepithelial Electric Resistance Measurement Method

Objective: Acute corneal permeability change after instillation of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) was evaluated using a newly developed in vivo corneal transepithelial electric resistance (TER) measurement method. Method: Corneal TER was measured by Ag/AgCl electrodes placed in the anterior aqueous chamber and on the cornea of live rabbit eyes. TER was measured and TER change after instillation of 0.05% BAC solution was monitored. After TER measurement, cornea was excised and fixed for transmission and scanning electron microscopy. For the control study, physiologic saline was used instead of BAC. Results: The TER of normal rabbit cornea was 602.3 ± 195.0 Ωcm2. TER decreased instantly after instillation of 0.05% BAC. In 5 s, TER decreased to 58.3 ± 5.2%. In 60 s, TER decreased to 18.5 ± 3.2%. At all time points, TER after instillation of 0.05% BAC was significantly lower than that of the control (p < 0.0001). Dissociation of tight junctions and the destruction of superficial cell membranes were observed under electron microscopy. Conclusion: Corneal epithelial change with increased permeability is rapid and intense after the instillation of highly concentrated BAC solution, accompanied by disorder of tight junctions and cell membranes of superficial cells. The newly developed in vivo corneal TER measurement method is suitable for assessing acute corneal change after drug instillation.
Controlling Electromagnetic Fields Using Periodic Structures: Gratings, Metamaterials, and Photonic Crystals

Controlling Electromagnetic Fields Using Periodic Structures: Gratings, Metamaterials, and Photonic Crystals Mohammad Memarian Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2015 This thesis presents novel devices and techniques that enable new methods for enhancement, concentration, refraction, shaping, collimation, and directive beaming of electromagnetic fields. These unprecedented methods to control electromagnetic fields are achieved by exploring and harnessing the unique wave-interactions in periodic gratings, metamaterials, and photonic crystals, with emphasis on Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) metamaterials and zero-index media. The presented solutions impact a wide variety of applications ranging from microwave to optical frequencies. A discovery of dramatic radiation enhancement of an invisible array of sources next to a sub-wavelength periodic metal strip grating is reported, both theoretically and experimentally. The phenomenon is first systematically theorized by introducing the ‘spectral impulse response’ approach for the aperiodic excitation problem, followed by the ‘spectral array factor’ approach for designing the near-field of array of sources. Such radiation enhancement has applications in sensing, detection, and accurate measurement of distance. The shaping and collimation of radiation of a simple dipole source near or buried inside a general anisotropic ENZ half-space is then systematically studied using the Lorentz reciprocity method. Various elliptic and hyperbolic anisotropic ENZ media are considered, showing how the air-side radiation can be enhanced and shaped using certain ENZs. A novel device and technique is proposed for collecting, refracting and concentrating incident waves into an area of high power concentration, at extremely short distances. This flat low-profile light-concentrator comprises a hetero-junction of anisotropic ENZ metamaterials (hyperbolic or elliptic), and is realized with plasmonic layered media at optical frequencies. By
Realizing Negative Differential Resistance/Switching Phenomena in Zigzag GaN Nanoribbons by Edge Fluorination: A DFT Investigation

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a commonly used material for the high power electronic devices. Its 2D analog (layered GaN) can be a promising material in low power applications due to its flexible bandgap. This study investigates the structural stability, electronic and transport properties of zigzag edged GaN nanoribbons (ZGaNNRs), considering various edge passivations to gauge its potential for beyond silicon electronic devices. Present density functional theory based calculations reveal that metallic/semiconducting nature can be obtained in ZGaNNRs via controlled edge fluorination. Interestingly, F passivated ZGaNNRs are found to be most stable, making them preferable for practical applications. The proposed two terminal device exhibits a negative differential resistance behavior/switching characteristic with sufficiently large peak to valley current ratio/threshold voltage on the order of 102–1014/2.8–3.6 V which is a function of selective edge passivation. Present results can find practical applications in oscillators, memory circuits, and fast switching devices.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis: Response to More et al. (2017)

Dear Editor, I read with great interest the article by More et al. describing the profile of drug‐resistant tuberculosis (DR‐TB) patients referred to the State TB Training and Demonstration Center, Maharashtra (STDC). [1] The study reported that most DR‐TB were male and below 35 years of age which highlights the enormous threat posed by the increasing burden of DR‐TB on India’s vast demographic dividend. I have the following queries and request for clarifications on a few key observations from the study.
Sources of primary and secondary microseisms

Low-frequency (0.01 to 0.2 Hz) seismic noise, arising from pelagic storms, is commonly observed as microseisms in seismic records from land and ocean bottom detectors. One principal research objective, in the study of microseisms, has been to locate their sources. This article reports on an analysis of primary and secondary microseisms (i.e., near and double the frequency of ocean swell) recorded simultaneously on three land-based long-period arrays (Alaskan Long Period Array, Montana Large Aperture Seismic Array, and Norwegian Seismic Array) during the early 1970s. Reliable microseism source locations are determined by wide-angle triangulation, using the azimuths of approach obtained from frequency-wave number analysis of the records of microseisms propagating across these arrays. Two near-shore sources of both primary and secondary microseisms appear to be persistent in the sense that they are associated with essentially constant near-shore locations. Secondary microseisms are observed to emanate from wide-ranging pelagic locations in addition to the same near-shore locations determined for the primary microseisms.
Deep Vein Thrombosis Treated With Streptokinase or Heparin

Randomly assigned streptokinase or heparin therapy was studied in 50 patients with deep vein thrombosis of less than 2 weeks' duration. Veno graphy was performed prior to therapy, after 3 days, and after 10 days. Two radiologists who were unaware of the patient's therapy compiled a single average lytic score for each patient at each time interval. Lysis of venous thrombi was significantly greater with streptokinase than with heparin after 3 days, but not after 10 days of treatment. Lytic scores achieved with streptokinase were significantly better than those achieved with heparin therapy (P < .01) in male patients who were symptomatic for 3 days or less. In females, regardless of the duration of symptoms, throm bolytic results obtained with streptokinase were not significantly different than results obtained with heparin.
Information-centric networking based homenet

Information-centric networking (ICN) aims to achieve efficient, secure, and reliable dissemination of information in contrast to host-centric IP architecture. This paper presents a case for ICN based home network (homenet). Current IETF proposal for homenets is based on IPv6 which inherits fundamental problems of IP such as security, mobility, and multicasting, which are integral features of an ICN design. We highlight how these ICN virtues help in the context of homenet considering the need for a homogenous platform to handle the diversity of devices, services, and user needs. We also provide a comparison of IETF's homenet proposal and an ICN based approach in terms of service, control, and data plane features and complexity. We exemplify our discussion through a proof of concept design of an ICN based homenet and highlight its usefulness through a comparative analysis of realizing fundamental homenet features in an ICN versus IP based framework.