Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C virus genetic variability in 52 human immunodeficiency virus‐coinfected patients

The aim of this study was to examine whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) pretreatment quasispecies complexity was linked to virological response or other clinical and biological parameters, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐coinfected patients undergoing anti‐HCV treatment. In addition, HCV quasispecies composition is described longitudinally in these patients before, during, and after treatment. The 52 HIV‐coinfected patients were included in a randomized therapeutic trial. At inclusion, they had CD4+ counts of >250/μl, HIV plasma load of <10,000 copies/ml, and chronic HCV infection with genotype 1 (n = 27), 2 (n = 2) or 3 (n = 23). These values were compared at baseline with 32 HCV‐only‐infected, interferon‐naive patients who were infected with genotype 1, 2, or 3 (n = 16, 1, or 15, respectively). HCV complexity was studied by single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in E2 hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), and diversity was evaluated at inclusion in 20 coinfected patients by sequencing four major SSCP bands. The baseline number of SSCP bands was identical in HIV‐infected and control patients. In HIV‐infected patients, HCV complexity was not predictive of sustained virological response to anti‐HCV treatment and was unrelated to epidemiological factors, immunological parameters linked to HIV infection (CD4+ counts, T CD4+ proliferative responses to HIV‐1 p24), protease inhibitor treatment, HCV plasma load, or genotype. HCV diversity was lower in genotype 2‐ and 3‐infected patients. Six months after completion of the anti‐HCV treatment, in comparison with baseline, SSCP profiles were modified in 13 of the 21 nonresponding coinfected patients with analyzable samples. In conclusion, in HIV‐infected patients, HCV variability had no significant influence on virological response to anti‐HCV treatment. J. Med. Virol. 71:41–48, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Virulence Factors in Helicobacter pylori Clinical Isolates

The pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori-associated diseases depends on host genetic characteristics and bacterial genotypic and phenotypic traits 1. Antibiotic resistance is a very important phenotypic trait influencing the natural history of gastric disease 2,3, but heterogeneity in metronidazole susceptibility has been shown to arise from infections in a single patient due to multiple H. pylori strains 3. In patients harboring both metronidazole-sensitive and resistant strains, metronidazole based-therapy selects a resistant population 4. Among bacterial genotypic features, the presence and expression of a cytotoxin-associated gene pathogenicity island (cag PAI) is associated with a more severe gastric pathology and predisposes to cancer progression 1. A few recent studies have tried to address the relationship between pathogenicity factors and antimicrobial susceptibi l i ty or antibiotic treatment eff icacy in H. pylori infection, but the results are in disagreement 5-7. In these studies, H. pylori was analyzed as a single population of infecting bacteria, although mixed infections are common in humans 8,9. We recently demonstrated that analyzing the whole host population is often not informative of the bacterial genotypic characteristics 9. The aims of this study were to verify whether bacterial colony subtypes from single patients show similar heterogeneity in their antimicrobial susceptibility phenotype and whether the results of antibiotic susceptibility tests routinely performed on bacterial suspensions are influenced by the presence of mixed populations. Finally, this study had the purpose to evaluate the possible relationship between heteroJournal of Chemotherapy Vol. 16 n. 4 (504-506) 2004
Clinical Improvement after Escalation for Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) permits rapid antigen escalation with an improved safety profile over that of subcutaneous immunotherapy. Outcomes for SLIT in terms of the timing of clinical improvement were investigated in a retrospective review of patients undergoing SLIT who completed quality of life (QOL) and medication-use questionnaires at baseline and immediately after antigen escalation was performed. A subset of patients (n = 24) also completed maintenance-phase questionnaires. Paired post-escalation data (mean 5.5 weeks; N = 38) demonstrated improvement (p < 0.05) in overall QOL scores and in 6 of 14 symptom domains. Maintenance phase data (n = 24) revealed significant improvements in total QOL scores and in 5 symptom domains. A significant reduction in nasal steroid use was also demonstrated during the maintenance phase of treatment (p < 0.05). Significant improvement is seen immediately post-escalation in SLIT patients. This improved QOL appears to be maintained, and perhaps even increases, during the maintenance phase, with decreased nasal steroid use.
Naturally occurring monoepoxides of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are bioactive antihyperalgesic lipids[S]

Beneficial physiological effects of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are widely accepted but the mechanism(s) by which these fatty acids act remains unclear. Herein, we report the presence, distribution, and regulation of the levels of n-3 epoxy-fatty acids by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) and a direct antinociceptive role of n-3 epoxy-fatty acids, specifically those originating from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The monoepoxides of the C18:1 to C22:6 fatty acids in both the n-6 and n-3 series were prepared and the individual regioisomers purified. The kinetic constants of the hydrolysis of the pure regioisomers by sEH were measured. Surprisingly, the best substrates are the mid-chain DHA epoxides. We also demonstrate that the DHA epoxides are present in considerable amounts in the rat central nervous system. Furthermore, using an animal model of pain associated with inflammation, we show that DHA epoxides, but neither the parent fatty acid nor the corresponding diols, selectively modulate nociceptive pathophysiology. Our findings support an important function of epoxy-fatty acids in the n-3 series in modulating nociceptive signaling. Consequently, the DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid epoxides may be responsible for some of the beneficial effects associated with dietary n-3 fatty acid intake.
Selective Moderation, Selective Responding, and Balkanization of the Blogosphere: A Field Experiment

The idealistic view that the web can function as a public sphere for crosscutting discussions has been met with much skepticism. In the current study, a field experiment was conducted to assess the openness of abortion-related weblogs to input made by new users of the weblogs. Consistent with the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE), existing weblog users selectively responded to new user comments by refuting incongruent comments more frequently than responding to either congruent or neutral comments. Furthermore, they exhibited contrast bias by refuting rather than supporting neutral or even congruent comments made by new users. On the other hand, weblog administrators employed moderation systems on a very limited basis and did not selectively moderate comments, incongruent or otherwise, made by new users. Theoretical and social implications of these findings are discussed.
Standardization and Validation of an Immunoperoxidase Assay for the Detection of African Horse Sickness Virus in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

An immunoperoxidase assay for the detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in formalin-fixed tissues is a valuable tool in the study of the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as a useful addition to existing diagnostic tests when only preserved tissues are available. An assay that uses Hamblin antiserum in a basic avidin-biotin complex detection system was standardized and validated in accordance with the guidelines of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians Subcommittee on Standardization of Immunohistochemistry. Using 128 positive cases of African horse sickness confirmed by viral isolation and serotyping and 119 negative cases from countries where the disease has never occurred, diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity were 100% in the prime target tissues of heart and lung. There was no variation in the ability of the assay to detect all 9 serotypes of AHSV, and there was no cross-reactivity with other orbiviruses in formalin-fixed tissues. The only cross-reactivity observed was in the lungs of 2 negative cases infected with Rhodococcus equi. The assay gave good results on tissues that had been fixed in formalin for up to 365 days. Nonspecific staining was minimal provided that the standard procedures for processing and staining tissues were followed. Good immunohistochemical results were also obtained on samples fixed as long as 24 hr after death. The assay, therefore, provides a robust diagnostic tool for detection of AHSV in formalin-fixed tissues, provided the analysis is done by an experienced pathologist.
Identity and conformism among Italian adolescents who binge eat and drink

This cross-sectional study examined binge eating and binge drinking behaviours analysing their association with the process of identity formation in adolescence and individual tendency towards conformism. The sample consisted of 1500 Italian students (660 boys and 840 girls) attending high school. The average age of the students was 17.31 years (SD = 1.34; range: 17–19). They completed self-report measures assessing binge behaviours, ego identity status and social conformism. Diffused adolescents were more likely to be engaged in binge eating and binge behaviours than others validating that the achievement of a consolidated ego identity is important for enhancing well-being and preventing problematic outcomes in adolescents. Moreover, adolescents engaging in binge behaviours reported the highest levels of tendency to compare their performances or ideas and opinions with others and to conform with them. The present study suggested that binge behaviours were strongly associated with an adolescent's identity process and have important implications for future empirical investigation and for clinical intervention.
GABAergic Neurons in Barrel Cortex Show Strong, Whisker-Dependent Metabolic Activation during Normal Behavior

Electrophysiological data from the rodent whisker/barrel cortex indicate that GABAergic, presumed inhibitory, neurons respond more vigorously to stimulation than glutamatergic, presumed excitatory, cells. However, these data represent very small neuronal samples in restrained, anesthetized, or narcotized animals or in cortical slices. Histochemical data from primate visual cortex, stained for the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome oxidase (CO) and for GABA, show that GABAergic neurons are more highly reactive for CO than glutamatergic cells, indicating that inhibitory neurons are chronically more active than excitatory neurons but leaving doubt about the short-term stimulus dependence of this activation. Taken together, these results suggest that highly active inhibitory neurons powerfully influence relatively inactive excitatory cells but do not demonstrate directly the relative activities of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the cortexduring normal behavior. We used a novel double-labeling technique to approach the issue of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activation during behavior. Our technique combines high-resolution 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), immunohistochemical staining for neurotransmitter-specific antibodies, and automated image analysis to collect the data. We find that putative inhibitory neurons in barrel cortex of behaving animals are, on average, much more heavily 2DG-labeled than presumed excitatory cells, a pattern not seen in animals anesthetized at the time of 2DG injection. This metabolic activation is dependent specifically on sensory inputs from the whiskers, because acute trimming of most whiskers greatly reduces 2DG labeling in both cell classes in columns corresponding to trimmed whiskers. Our results provide confirmation of the active GABAergic cell hypothesis suggested by CO and single-unit data. We conclude that strong activation of inhibitory cortical neurons must confer selective advantages that compensate for its inherent energy inefficiency.
Single-Channel Properties in Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane of Recombinant Type 3 Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) is an intracellular Ca2+-release channel localized in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with a central role in complex Ca2+ signaling in most cell types. A family of InsP3Rs encoded by several genes has been identified with different primary sequences, subcellular locations, variable ratios of expression, and heteromultimer formation. This diversity suggests that cells require distinct InsP3Rs, but the functional correlates of this diversity are largely unknown. Lacking are single-channel recordings of the recombinant type 3 receptor (InsP3R-3), a widely expressed isoform also implicated in plasma membrane Ca2+ influx and apoptosis. Here, we describe functional expression and single-channel recording of recombinant rat InsP3R-3 in its native membrane environment. The approach we describe suggests a novel strategy for expression and recording of recombinant ER-localized ion channels in the ER membrane. Ion permeation and channel gating properties of the rat InsP3R-3 are strikingly similar to those of Xenopus type 1 InsP3R in the same membrane. Using two different two-electrode voltage clamp protocols to examine calcium store-operated calcium influx, no difference in the magnitude of calcium influx was observed in oocytes injected with rat InsP3R-3 cRNA compared with control oocytes. Our results suggest that if cellular expression of multiple InsP3R isoforms is a mechanism to modify the temporal and spatial features of [Ca2+]i signals, then it must be achieved by isoform-specific regulation or localization of various types of InsP3Rs that have relatively similar Ca2+ permeation properties.
CK2 Phosphorylates the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme and Regulates Its Retention in the Endothelial Cell Plasma Membrane

Abstract— Soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is derived from the membrane-bound form by proteolytic cleavage of its C-terminal domain. Because intracellular events might be involved in the regulation of the cleavage process, we determined whether the cytoplasmic tail of ACE is phosphorylated and whether this process regulates secretion. Immunoprecipitation of ACE (180 kDa) from 32P-labeled endothelial cells revealed that ACE is phosphorylated. Phosphorylation was not observed in endothelial cells overexpressing a mutant form of ACE (ACE&Dgr;S, all five cytoplasmic serine residues replaced by alanine). CK2 coprecipitated with ACE from endothelial cells, and CK2 phosphorylated both ACE and a peptide corresponding to the cytoplasmic tail. Mutation of serine1270 within the CK2 consensus sequence almost abolished ACE phosphorylation. In ACE-overexpressing endothelial cells, ACE was mostly localized to the plasma membrane. However, no ACE was detected in the plasma membrane of ACE&Dgr;S-overexpressing cells, although a precursor ACE (170 kDa) was prominent in the endoplasmic reticulum and the cell supernatant contained substantial amounts of the soluble protein (175 kDa). A correlation between ACE-phosphorylation and secretion was confirmed in endothelial cells treated with the CK2-inhibitor, 5,6-dichloro-1-&bgr;-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, which time-dependently decreased the phosphorylation of ACE and increased its shedding. These results indicate that the CK2-mediated phosphorylation of ACE regulates its retention in the plasma membrane and may determine plasma ACE levels.
Narcissism, self-concept clarity and aggressive cognitive bias amongst mentally disordered offenders

There is an increased risk of aggression amongst a small proportion of the mentally disordered population. This is not fully explained by illness factors, and both personality and cognitive bias might contribute to aggressive thinking in this sub-population. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the personality constructs of narcissism and self-concept clarity and aggressively biased cognitive processes and structures (hostile attributions and aggressive social scripts) in a sample of male mentally disordered offenders. Sixty-two participants completed self-report measures of Narcissism and Self-Concept Clarity. Hostile attributions were measured using a scenario paradigm (Social Information Processing-Attribution Emotion Questionnaire) and accessibility of aggressive social scripts through a computerised Stories Task. Poor self-concept clarity was found to be the strongest predictor of hostile attributions and associated with more accessible aggressive social scripts. These findings suggest that it is fragility of self-belief rather than content of those beliefs that is important in predicting aggressive cognitive bias in mentally disordered offenders.
Online Learning ARMA Controllers With Guaranteed Closed-Loop Stability

This paper presents a novel online block adaptive learning algorithm for autoregressive moving average (ARMA) controller design based on the real data measured from the plant. The method employs ARMA input-output models both for the plant and the resulting closed-loop system. In a sliding window, the plant model parameters are identified first offline using a supervised learning algorithm minimizing an e-insensitive and regularized identification error, which is the window average of the distances between the measured plant output and the model output for the input provided by the controller. The optimal controller parameters are then determined again offline for another sliding window as the solution to a constrained optimization problem, where the cost is the e-insensitive and regularized output tracking error and the constraints that are linear inequalities of the controller parameters are imposed for ensuring the closed-loop system to be Schur stable. Not only the identification phase but also the controller design phase uses the input-output samples measured from the plant during online learning. In the developed online controller design method, the controller parameters can always be kept in a parameter region providing Schur stability for the closed-loop system. The e-insensitiveness provides robustness against disturbances, so does the regularization better generalization performance in the identification and the control. The method is tested on benchmark plants, including the inverted pendulum and dc motor models. The method is also tested on an emulated and also a real dc motor by online block adaptive learning ARMA controllers, in particular, Proportional-Integral-Derivative controllers.
Gender Issues in Consumer Materialism: The Case of Mexico

Materialism has been identified as highly relevant for consumer behavior and therefore has been investigated extensively. This article extends previous research by investigating materialism in Mexico, a country relatively high in masculinity and substantially different from the United States and other Western markets. Specifically, the article takes interest in gender differences for materialistic values and thus contributes to research in role differences in masculine countries. Results show young, male, educated individuals to be significantly higher in materialism than their female counterparts. Further, the study reveals that although the overall concept of materialism may be applied to the Mexican context, perception patterns among Mexican participants of different aspects of materialism are very different from U.S. individuals.
Volunteers in partnership: An Alzheimer's rehabilitation program delivered by students

This article describes a “partnered volunteering,” student-delivered language, and memory stimulation program for Alzheimer patients that is easy to replicate and administer low in cost, and beneficial to the patients, students, family members, and participating community agencies involved. The program took place during two consecutive semesters at the University of Arizona. Positive pre- to post-test patient language changes and improvements on memory test performance are reported. Twelve early stage Alzheimer patients-six each semester-were matched with 12 undergraduate speech and hearing and psychology students. The pairs were each assigned to 10 one-hour weekly sessions of volunteer service or other community activity meaningful to the patient. During each session, students engaged partners in 30 to 40 minutes of structured conversation-stimulating activities. During the second semester, four patients also worked with biographical memory tapes and quizzes produced and administered by their student partners.1-2 Parallel discourse samples were taken of subjects before and after participation. Small to massive gains in number of substantive on-topic statements produced were achieved by seven out of 11 subjects who completed the program: 9 percent, 14 percent, 48 percent, 58 percent, 93 percent, 161 percent, and 238 percent over baseline, respectively. Eight subjects improved on picture description and eight on proverb interpretation tasks. Three of the four patients who worked with biographical memory tapes substantially improved performance from pre- to post-training. All participants-patients, students, and caregivers-benefited effectively and socially.
Rethinking ‘at-risk’ in drama education: beyond prescribed roles

Concern over students deemed ‘at-risk’ constructs youth as deficient and deviant without considering the experiences of youth themselves. My interest in ‘at-risk’ grows out of my previous work with youth, in various drama education contexts and the fact that youth have told me they found the label offensive. My research re-thinks ‘at-risk’ to include youths’ perceptions. My doctoral study involved doing a popular theatre project with a group of high school drama students in a rural Alberta community as a participatory, performative research method. Our process explored issues students identified as relevant to their lives, giving them an opportunity to represent and re-examine their experiences, including experiences that might deem them ‘at-risk’, and giving me insight into their perceptions. We entitled our project ‘Life in the Sticks’, based on students’ initial claim that the issues they faced were determined by their rural environment. Towards the end of our process students denied being victims of their environment, rejecting the notion ‘at-risk’, claiming instead that their risky behaviour was a matter of choice, giving them back a sense of agency and control over their lives. I wrote a series of scripted descriptions of our process and engaged in a discourse analysis of some of these scripts to help me rethink ‘at-risk’. The moments under analysis explored students’ perceptions of the motivation for their risky activities, their peer relations, their perspectives on rule-breaking, their relationship to the authority of the school and their sense of justice. Research that includes youths’ perceptions of their behaviour deemed ‘at-risk’ presents a counter-narrative that interrupts the taken-for-granted understandings of the label, allowing the possibility for things to be otherwise.