Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Tailored Group Smoking Cessation Intervention for HIV-Infected Smokers

Background:More than half of the persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) in the US smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in this group. Little is known about the efficacy of tobacco treatment strategies in PLWH. Design:Randomized controlled trial comparing Positively Smoke Free (PSF), an intensive group-therapy intervention targeting HIV-infected smokers, to standard care. Methods:A cohort of 145 PLWH smokers, recruited from an HIV-care center in the Bronx, New York, were randomized 1:1 into the PSF program or standard care. All were offered a 3-month supply of nicotine replacement therapy. PSF is an 8-session program tailored to address the needs and concerns of HIV-infected smokers. The sessions were cofacilitated by a graduate student and an HIV-infected peer. The primary outcome was biochemically confirmed, 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 3 months. Results:In the intention-to-treat analysis, PSF condition subjects had nearly double the quit rate of controls (19.2% vs. 9.7%, P = 0.11). In the complete case, as-treated analysis, assignment to PSF was associated with increased odds of quitting (odds ratioadj 3.55, 95% confidence interval 1.04 to 12.0). Latino ethnicity and lower loneliness score were predictive of abstinence. The subjects in the PSF condition exhibited significant decreases in daily cigarette consumption and significant increases in self-efficacy and in motivation to quit. Attendance of ≥7 sessions was associated with higher quit rates. Conclusions:These findings suggest a positive effect of PSF on cessation rates in PLWH smokers. Loneliness and self-efficacy are influential factors in the smoking behaviors of PLWH.
The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is one of the archetypical multiple congenital malformation syndromes. The recent discovery of the biochemical cause of SLOS and the subsequent redefinition of SLOS as an inborn error of cholesterol metabolism have led to important new treatment possibilities for affected patients. Moreover, the recent recognition of the important role of cholesterol in vertebrate embryogenesis, especially with regard to the hedgehog embryonic signalling pathway and its effects on the expression of homeobox genes, has provided an explanation for the abnormal morphogenesis in the syndrome. The well known role of cholesterol in the formation of steroid hormones has also provided a possible explanation for the abnormal behavioural characteristics of SLOS.
ECOLOGY OF SEPIA OFFICINALIS

This article comprises an up-dated review of the processes influenc- ing the distribution and abundance of the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis ,t he interactions between the species and the main variables of the environment in which it lives and its trophic, demographic and behavioural ecology. The geographical distribution of the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis L. , 1758 covers the Mediterranean Sea and the waters of the Eastern Atlantic from southern Norway and northern England to the northwestern coast of Africa. The species also lives in Madeira and in the Canary Is- lands (Khromov et al. 1998). The geographical dis- tribution of S. officinalis and Sepia hierredda Rang, 1837 in the eastern Central Atlantic shows that these species are sympatric. The southern boundary of S. officinalis coincides approximately with the border between Mauritania and Senegal (16oN) and the northern limit of S. hierredda is at Cape Blanc (21oN) (Guerra et al. 2001).
A Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Model Assessment of Methyl t‐Butyl Ether in Groundwater for a Bathing and Showering Determination

Methyl t‐butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive that has appeared in private wells as a result of leaking underground storage tanks. Neurological symptoms (headache, dizziness) have been reported from household use of MTBE‐affected water, consistent with animal studies showing acute CNS depression from MTBE exposure. The current research evaluates acute CNS effects during bathing/showering by application of physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) techniques to compare internal doses in animal toxicity studies to human exposure scenarios. An additional reference point was the delivered dose associated with the acute Minimum Risk Level (MRL) for MTBE established by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. A PBPK model for MTBE and its principal metabolite, t‐butyl alcohol (TBA) was developed and validated against published data in rats and humans. PBPK analysis of animal studies showed that acute CNS toxicity after MTBE exposure can be attributed principally to the parent compound since the metabolite (TBA) internal dose was below that needed for CNS effects. The PBPK model was combined with an exposure model for bathing and showering which integrates inhalation and dermal exposures. This modeling indicated that bathing or showering in water containing MTBE at 1 mg/L would produce brain concentrations ˜1000‐fold below the animal effects level and twofold below brain concentrations associated with the acute MRL. These findings indicate that MTBE water concentrations of 1 mg/L or below are unlikely to trigger acute CNS effects during bathing and showering. However, MTBE's strong odor may be a secondary but deciding factor regarding the suitability of such water for domestic uses.
Experimental Studies On Strength, Durability And Behaviour Of Beam Using S.C.C. With E-Glass Fiber Strands

In the recent decade mankind is moving towards rapid industrialization and urbanization, which needs advanced structures to cope up with their demand. Civil Engineers and researchers are thriving to advance day by day in inventing new materials which are durable, strong enough to resist the applied loads and also serve the exact need of that structure. Many structures are being designed with congested reinforcement making the placement of concrete a menace; there arises the need of self compacting concrete. It is found that selfcompacting concrete needs to be strengthened in various ways, one way of doing that is addition of fibers. Bountiful research works were done in the past have revealed the usefulness of fibres to improve the structural properties of concrete like ductility, post crack resistance, energy absorption capacity etc. Fiber reinforced concreting combines the benefits of self compacting concrete in fresh state and shows an improved performance in the hardened state due to the addition of fibers. In this investigation Binani Chopped Strands (6 mm), water dispersion glass fibers strands were added to self compacting concrete and Glass Fiber Reinforced Self Compacting Concrete was developed. An attempt has been made to study mechanical properties, durability and structural behavior of beam with E-glass fiber chopped strands self compacting concrete with partial replacement of cement by flyash . Nan-Su method of mix design was arrived and the proportion was fine tuned by using Okamura’s guidelines. Three self compacting concrete mixes (0%, 0.03%, and 0.06%) with partial replacement of cement by mineral admixture like fly ash were taken for investigation with and without incorporating glass fibers Strands.
PDMP induces rapid changes in vacuole morphology in Arabidopsis root cells

PDMP (d-l-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoyl amino-3-morpholino-1-propanol) is a well-known inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), a key enzyme in sphingolipid biosynthesis. Through the resultant increase in ceramides which interact with mTOR and Beclin1 (Atg6), this drug is also known to induce macroautophagy in mammalian cells. This study investigated the response of Arabidopsis root cells to PDMP, and what are probably numerous tightly packed small vacuoles in the control cells appear to fuse to form a single globular-shaped vacuole. However, during this fusion process, cytoplasm channels between the individual vacuoles become trapped in deep invaginations of the tonoplast. In both optical sections in the confocal laser scanning microscope and in ultrathin sections in the electron microscope, these invaginations have the appearance of cytoplasmic inclusions in the vacuole lumen. These changes in vacuole morphology are rapid (occurring within minutes after application of PDMP) and are independent of ongoing protein synthesis. The tonoplast invaginations remain visible for hours, but after 24h almost all disappear. Experiments designed to examine whether ceramide levels might be the cause of the PDMP effect have not proved conclusive. On the other hand, this study has been able to rule out the release of Ca2+ ions from intracellular stores as a contributing factor.
A survey on multidimensional access methods

The extraordinary format of spatial data and the fact that there is no straightforward mapping of spatial objects from the multidimensional space to the 1-dimensional space, stimulated various researchers during the past two decades to develop multidimensional access methods that facilitate efficient indexing of spatial objects in large databases. This survey paper tries a classification of existing multidimensional access methods, according to the types of data they are most suitable for (points or objects with spatial extent), their structure (hierarchical or flat), and their performance over spatial queries. Most of this work is based on an excellent survey paper[Gaed97]
Cumulative Rightward Processes

Extraposition and right node raising (RNR) can interact in two ways: from a descriptive point of view, the result of each can be used as input for the other. Embedding of the former process or configuration inside the latter explains apparent violations of the right periphery condition associated with RNR. The reverse leads to right-peripheral material that is distributively linked to conjoined or insubordinated parts within the relevant clause. We argue for a multidominance approach to RNR and a specifying coordination approach to extraposition, and we show that these theories can be combined in the way empirically required. We also indicate what this amounts to in a bottom-up derivation. Data are drawn from Dutch primarily, with some confirmation from English and German.
Effects of the cold pressor test on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in humans.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the cold pressor test on sympathetic outflow with direct measurements of nerve traffic in conscious humans and to test the strength of correlation between sympathetic nerve discharge and the changes in arterial pressure, heart rate, and plasma norepinephrine. In 25 healthy subjects, arterial pressure, heart rate, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity were measured with microelectrodes inserted percutaneously into a peroneal muscle nerve fascicle in the leg during immersion of the hand in ice water for 2 minutes. Arterial pressure rose steadily during the first and second minutes of the cold pressor test. Muscle sympathetic activity (burst frequency X amplitude) did not increase in the first 30 seconds of the test but increased from 230 +/- 27 to 386 +/- 52 units (mean +/- SE, p less than 0.05) by the end of the first minute of the test and to 574 +/- 73 (p less than 0.01) during the second minute. In contrast, heart rate increased maximally during the first 30 seconds of the cold pressor test and returned to control during the second minute. The increases in heart rate were abolished by beta-adrenergic blockade. The increases in muscle sympathetic activity during the cold pressor test were correlated with the increases in both mean arterial pressure (r = 0.86, p less than 0.01) and peripheral venous norepinephrine (r = 0.72, p less than 0.05); however, large changes in nerve traffic were associated with small changes in plasma norepinephrine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparative phylogeography of two sibling species of forest‐dwelling rodent (Praomys rostratus and P. tullbergi) in West Africa: different reactions to past forest fragmentation

Two sibling species of the rodent genus Praomys occur in West African forests: P. tullbergi and P. rostratus. By sampling across their geographical ranges (459 individuals from 77 localities), we test the hypothesis that climatic oscillations during the Quaternary made an impact on the observed pattern of cytochrome b sequence variation. We show that, although these two species have parapatric geographical distributions, their phylogeographical histories are dissimilar, which could be related to their distinct ecological requirements. Since the arid phases of the Pleistocene were characterized by isolated forest patches, and intervening wetter periods by forest expansion, these changes in forest cover may be the common mechanism responsible for the observed phylogeographical patterns in both of these species. For example, in both species, most clades had either allopatric or parapatric geographical distributions; however, genetic diversity was much lower in P. tullbergi than in P. rostratus. The genetic pattern of P. tullbergi fits the refuge hypothesis, indicating that a very small number of populations survived in distinct forest blocks during the arid phases, then expanded again with forest recovery. In contrast, a number of populations of P. rostratus appear to have survived during the dry periods in more fragmented forest habitats, with varying levels of gene flow between these patches depending on climatic conditions and forest extent. In addition, historical variations of the West African hydrographic network could also have contributed to the pattern of genetic differentiation observed in both species.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Cysteine and Site Specific Conjugated Herceptin Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are monoclonal antibodies designed to deliver a cytotoxic drug selectively to antigen expressing cells. Several components of an ADC including the selection of the antibody, the linker, the cytotoxic drug payload and the site of attachment used to attach the drug to the antibody are critical to the activity and development of the ADC. The cytotoxic drugs or payloads used to make ADCs are typically conjugated to the antibody through cysteine or lysine residues. This results in ADCs that have a heterogeneous number of drugs per antibody. The number of drugs per antibody commonly referred to as the drug to antibody ratio (DAR), can vary between 0 and 8 drugs for a IgG1 antibody. Antibodies with 0 drugs are ineffective and compete with the ADC for binding to the antigen expressing cells. Antibodies with 8 drugs per antibody have reduced in vivo stability, which may contribute to non target related toxicities. In these studies we incorporated a non-natural amino acid, para acetyl phenylalanine, at two unique sites within an antibody against Her2/neu. We covalently attached a cytotoxic drug to these sites to form an ADC which contains two drugs per antibody. We report the results from the first direct preclinical comparison of a site specific non-natural amino acid anti-Her2 ADC and a cysteine conjugated anti-Her2 ADC. We report that the site specific non-natural amino acid anti-Her2 ADCs have superior in vitro serum stability and preclinical toxicology profile in rats as compared to the cysteine conjugated anti-Her2 ADCs. We also demonstrate that the site specific non-natural amino acid anti-Her2 ADCs maintain their in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy against Her2 expressing human tumor cell lines. Our data suggests that site specific non-natural amino acid ADCs may have a superior therapeutic window than cysteine conjugated ADCs.
The fail-safe mechanism of post-transcriptional silencing of unspliced HAC1 mRNA

HAC1 encodes a transcription factor that is the central effector of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in budding yeast. When the UPR is inactive, HAC1 mRNA is stored as an unspliced isoform in the cytoplasm and no Hac1 protein is detectable. Intron removal is both necessary and sufficient to relieve the post-transcriptional silencing of HAC1 mRNA, yet the precise mechanism by which the intron prevents Hac1 protein accumulation has remained elusive. Here, we show that a combination of inhibited translation initiation and accelerated protein degradation—both dependent on the intron—prevents the accumulation of Hac1 protein when the UPR is inactive. Functionally, both components of this fail-safe silencing mechanism are required to prevent ectopic production of Hac1 protein and concomitant activation of the UPR. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of HAC1 regulation and reveal a novel strategy for complete post-transcriptional silencing of a cytoplasmic mRNA.
Differential αv integrin–mediated Ras-ERK signaling during two pathways of angiogenesis

Antagonists of αvβ3 and αvβ5 disrupt angiogenesis in response to bFGF and VEGF, respectively. Here, we show that these αv integrins differentially contribute to sustained Ras-extracellular signal–related kinase (Ras-ERK) signaling in blood vessels, a requirement for endothelial cell survival and angiogenesis. Inhibition of FAK or αvβ5 disrupted VEGF-mediated Ras and c-Raf activity on the chick chorioallantoic membrane, whereas blockade of FAK or integrin αvβ3 had no effect on bFGF-mediated Ras activity, but did suppress c-Raf activation. Furthermore, retroviral delivery of active Ras or c-Raf promoted ERK activity and angiogenesis, which anti-αvβ5 blocked upstream of Ras, whereas anti-αvβ3 blocked downstream of Ras, but upstream of c-Raf. The activation of c-Raf by bFGF/αvβ3 not only depended on FAK, but also required p21-activated kinase-dependent phosphorylation of serine 338 on c-Raf, whereas VEGF-mediated c-Raf phosphorylation/activation depended on Src, but not Pak. Thus, integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5 differentially regulate the Ras-ERK pathway, accounting for distinct vascular responses during two pathways of angiogenesis.
Impact of Investor sentiment on Mean-Variance Tradeoff in Pakistan

Impact of investor sentiments on mean variance trade off with respect to Pakistani market has been investigated in this paper. Composite index for Investor Sentiments for Karachi stock exchange is developed. The six measures incorporated in the composite investor sentiment index are closed end fund discount, KSE turnover, the number of IPOs, average first day returns of IPOs, equity share in new issues and dividend premium. We find that the stock markets returns is not significantly related to low sentiments period variance rather it is negatively related to high sentiments period variance.
Re-Assembly and Analysis of an Ancient Variola Virus Genome

We report a major improvement to the assembly of published short read sequencing data from an ancient variola virus (VARV) genome by the removal of contig-capping sequencing tags and manual searches for gap-spanning reads. The new assembly, together with camelpox and taterapox genomes, permitted new dates to be calculated for the last common ancestor of all VARV genomes. The analysis of recently sequenced VARV-like cowpox virus genomes showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and amino acid changes in the vaccinia virus (VACV)-Cop-O1L ortholog, predicted to be associated with VARV host specificity and virulence, were introduced into the lineage before the divergence of these viruses. A comparison of the ancient and modern VARV genome sequences also revealed a measurable drift towards adenine + thymine (A + T) richness.
Light Waving: Estimating Light Positions From Photographs Alone

Figure 1: Images are acquired with an uncalibrated camera while a handheld light is waved around the object. We use Isomap to reduce the dimensionality of input images to 3-D. The resulting co-ordinates are mapped onto the upper half of a sphere. Light positions and image samples can then be used for image-based relighting, in this case using a synthetic light-probe simulating opposing red and blue lights.
Prognostic indicators of changes in bone density measures in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa-II.

INTRODUCTION Adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) have low bone mineral density (BMD). Baseline predictors of temporal BMD changes (DeltaBMD) in AN, including 1) gastrointestinal peptides regulating food intake and appetite that have been related to bone metabolism and 2) bone turnover markers, have not been well characterized. We hypothesized that baseline levels of nutritionally regulated hormones and of bone turnover markers would predict DeltaBMD overall. METHODS In a prospective observational study, lumbar and whole-body BMD was measured at 0, 6, and 12 months in 34 AN girls aged 12-18 yr and 33 controls. Baseline body mass index, lean mass, nutritionally regulated hormones [IGF-I, cortisol, ghrelin, leptin, and peptide YY (PYY)], bone formation, and resorption markers were examined to determine nutritional and hormonal predictors of bone density changes. RESULTS In a regression model, baseline ghrelin and PYY predicted changes in spine bone measures; and baseline ghrelin, cortisol, and PYY predicted changes in whole-body bone measures independent of baseline nutritional status. CONCLUSIONS Neuroendocrine gastrointestinal-derived peptides regulating food intake are independent predictors of changes in bone mass in AN.
Overwhelming tPA release, not PAI-1 degradation, is responsible for hyperfibrinolysis in severely injured trauma patients

BACKGROUND Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is associated with a fourfold increased risk of mortality. Hyperfibrinolysis is a component of TIC, but its mechanism is poorly understood. Plasminogen activation inhibitor (PAI-1) degradation by activated protein C has been proposed as a mechanism for deregulation of the plasmin system in hemorrhagic shock, but in other settings of ischemia, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been shown to be elevated. We hypothesized that the hyperfibrinolysis in TIC is not the result of PAI-1 degradation but is driven by an increase in tPA, with resultant loss of PAI-1 activity through complexation with tPA. METHODS Eighty-six consecutive trauma activation patients had blood collected at the earliest time after injury and were screened for hyperfibrinolysis using thrombelastography (TEG). Twenty-five hyperfibrinolytic patients were compared with 14 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for active tPA, active PAI-1, and PAI-1/tPA complex. Blood was also subjected to TEG with exogenous tPA challenge as a functional assay for PAI-1 reserve. RESULTS Total levels of PAI-1 (the sum of the active PAI-1 species and its covalent complex with tPA) are not significantly different between hyperfibrinolytic trauma patients and healthy controls: median, 104 pM (interquartile range [IQR], 48–201 pM) versus 115 pM (IQR, 54–202 pM). The ratio of active to complexed PAI-1, however, was two orders of magnitude lower in hyperfibrinolytic patients than in controls. Conversely, total tPA levels (active + complex) were significantly higher in hyperfibrinolytic patients than in controls: 139 pM (IQR, 68–237 pM) versus 32 pM (IQR, 16–37 pM). Hyperfibrinolytic trauma patients displayed increased sensitivity to exogenous challenge with tPA (median LY30 of 66.8% compared with 9.6% for controls). CONCLUSION Depletion of PAI-1 in TIC is driven by an increase in tPA, not PAI-1 degradation. The tPA-challenged TEG, based on this principle, is a functional test for PAI-1 reserves. Exploration of the mechanism of up-regulation of tPA is critical to an understanding of hyperfibrinolysis in trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level II.