Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NOD2 enhances the innate response of alveolar macrophages to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in humans

A role for the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) receptor in pulmonary innate immune responses has recently been explored. In the present study, we investigated the role that NOD2 plays in human alveolar macrophage innate responses and determined its involvement in the response to infection with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Our results showed that NOD2 was expressed in human alveolar macrophages, and significant amounts of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α were produced upon ligand recognition with muramyldipeptide (MDP). NOD2 ligation induced the transcription and protein expression of the antimicrobial peptide LL37 and the autophagy enzyme IRGM in alveolar macrophages, demonstrating a novel function for this receptor in these cells. MDP treatment of alveolar macrophages improved the intracellular growth control of virulent M. tuberculosis; this was associated with a significant release of TNF‐α and IL‐6 and overexpression of bactericidal LL37. In addition, the autophagy proteins IRGM, LC3 and ATG16L1 were recruited to the bacteria‐containing autophagosome after treatment with MDP. In conclusion, our results suggest that NOD2 can modulate the innate immune response of alveolar macrophages and play a role in the initial control of respiratory M. tuberculosis infections.
Response to Atropine in Down's Syndrome

A previous report indicated abnormally rapid heart rates in patients with Down's syndrome given atropine, and the possibility of a potentially dangerous idiosyncrasy to atropine in these patients has been raised. The heart rate response to atropine in doses of 30 to 60 μg/kg was studied in 14 children and 11 adults with Down's syndrome, using for control subjects 7 children and 9 adults with mental retardation not due to Down's syndrome. The heart rate response to atropine was similar in the patients with and without Down's syndrome. Peak heart rates occurred at 25 μg/kg of atropine after an initial slowing with 5 to 7 μg/kg. The heart rates of the subjects with Down's syndrome tended to be lower than those of the controls after propranolol was given in addition to the atropine, but the significance of this was not known. Ophthalmic atropine produced a more rapid mydriasis in the Down's syndrome patients, but the degree and duration of the pupillary dilatation was the same as in the control subjects.
Intestinal Dehydroascorbic Acid (DHA) Transport Mediated by the Facilitative Sugar Transporters, GLUT2 and GLUT8*

Background: The molecular identity of the intestinal vitamin C transporters is incomplete. Results: Facilitative sugar transporters, GLUT2 and GLUT8, transport dehydroascorbic acid, the oxidized form of vitamin C. Conclusion: Intestinal vitamin C absorption can occur via facilitative sugar transporters. Significance: Vitamin C bioavailability may be inhibited by dietary factors, such as glucose and phytochemicals. Intestinal vitamin C (Asc) absorption was believed to be mediated by the Na+-dependent ascorbic acid transporter SVCT1. However, Asc transport across the intestines of SVCT1 knock-out mice is normal indicating that alternative ascorbic acid transport mechanisms exist. To investigate these mechanisms, rodents were gavaged with Asc or its oxidized form dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), and plasma Asc concentrations were measured. Asc concentrations doubled following DHA but not Asc gavage. We hypothesized that the transporters responsible were facilitated glucose transporters (GLUTs). Using Xenopus oocyte expression, we investigated whether facilitative glucose transporters GLUT2 and GLUT5–12 transported DHA. Only GLUT2 and GLUT8, known to be expressed in intestines, transported DHA with apparent transport affinities (Km) of 2.33 and 3.23 mm and maximal transport rates (Vmax) of 25.9 and 10.1 pmol/min/oocyte, respectively. Maximal rates for DHA transport mediated by GLUT2 and GLUT8 in oocytes were lower than maximal rates for 2-deoxy-d-glucose (Vmax of 224 and 32 pmol/min/oocyte for GLUT2 and GLUT8, respectively) and fructose (Vmax of 406 and 116 pmol/min/oocyte for GLUT2 and GLUT8, respectively). These findings may be explained by differences in the exofacial binding of substrates, as shown by inhibition studies with ethylidine glucose. DHA transport activity in GLUT2- and GLUT8-expressing oocytes was inhibited by glucose, fructose, and by the flavonoids phloretin and quercetin. These studies indicate intestinal DHA transport may be mediated by the facilitative sugar transporters GLUT2 and GLUT8. Furthermore, dietary sugars and flavonoids in fruits and vegetables may modulate Asc bioavailability via inhibition of small intestinal GLUT2 and GLUT8.
Mesenchymal cells for skeletal tissue engineering

Background: Skeletal defects represent a significant socioeconomic burden to the US healthcare system. Current options for reconstructing osseous deficits have shortcomings. Objective: To review the use of mesenchymal stem cells for skeletal tissue engineering. Methods: We focused on the application of mesenchymal cells in skeletal regeneration, optimization of this technique, tropic effects of multipotent mesenchymal cells, and future directions. Results/conclusion: A number of cell-based modalities have been investigated. We have been interested in the role of adipose-derived stromal cells in bone regeneration and understanding the mechanisms behind osteogenic differentiation of progenitor cells and acceleration of this process. Future clinical applications of multipotent mesenchymal cells will depend on better understanding of the molecular signaling involved in osteogenic differentiation and maintaining pluripotency.
Therapeutic Apheresis of Immune Diseases in Nephrology Department

Objective. The clinical efficacy of therapeutic apheresis is still controversial. We undertook a retrospective review of apheresis treatment to ascertain its safety and efficacy. Methods. We reviewed 31 patients (13 male, 18 female). Plasmapheresis was performed on 7 patients with hematologic disorders, 5 patients with neurologic disorders, 6 patients with systemic diseases, and 3 patients with Lyell syndrome. Immunoadsorption onto protein A sepharose was evaluated as rescue therapy in 7 patients. Low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis was performed on 3 patients. Results. There were five mortalities due to serious complications of their primary disease. Most complications were mild such as hypotension and hypocalcemia. Two patients who received LDL apheresis had severe anaphylactic reactions. Apheresis was effective in the remaining 24 patients. Conclusions. The therapeutic apheresis consists of a continuously improving therapeutic method for diseases with high mortality and morbidity, especially in cases with poor outcome by using current medications.
Public Stigma Toward People With Drug Addiction: A Factorial Survey.

OBJECTIVE Stigmatizing attitudes toward people with a drug addiction have detrimental effects on the lives of these people. However, the factors that influence stigma toward people with a drug addiction have not yet been thoroughly investigated, compared with the stigma of other mental illnesses. Based on attribution theory, our experiment examined to what extent individual and contextual characteristics of people with a drug addiction influence stigmatizing attitudes toward people with a drug addiction. Moreover, we explored whether respondent characteristics indicative of familiarity with addiction decrease stigma toward people with a drug addiction. METHOD We conducted a full factorial survey of 2,857 respondents from a German online access panel who were from all walks of life. We experimentally varied vignettes (29-design) that featured a fictional person with an addiction. Stigmatizing beliefs, such as blame or fear, were assessed using the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-9). RESULTS Different attributes of people with a drug addiction and of the characteristics of their addiction modulated stigma in ways that are mostly consistent with attribution theory and related research. For example, female gender and younger age of people with a drug addiction diminished several stigmatizing attitudes; greater duration of addiction and social influence to use drugs increased them. Furthermore, characteristics of respondents modulated stigma: women, younger respondents, and those with higher education expressed less-stigmatizing responses than others. CONCLUSIONS The stigmatization of people with a drug addiction is influenced by several factors, including characteristics of the stigmatized person, the addiction, and the person holding stigmatizing attitudes. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these effects is needed to develop evidence-based antistigma measures.
High resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies of human cerebrospinal fluid.

One- and two-dimensional (correlated shift spectroscopy) high resolution proton n.m. r. spectra of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are reported. The merits of water suppression by freeze drying or irradiation, and spectral simplification by spin-echo methods, are discussed. Well-resolved resonances for a range of low molecular weight metabolites such as lactate, 3-D-hydroxybutyrate, alanine, acetate, citrate, glucose, valine and formate were observed. Resonances for glutamine were observed only from freeze dried samples. Concentrations determined by n.m. r. were in reasonable agreement with those from conventional methods. The n.m. r. spectra of CSF were related to the clinical conditions of the subjects. No resonances for citrate were present in spectra of CSF from subjects (three infants) with bacterial meningitis; high lactate and lowered glucose levels were observed. Strong resonances for glucose and glycine were observed for mildly diabetic subjects. Both the aromatic and the aliphatic regions of the CSF spectra from subjects suffering from liver failure contained distinctive features characteristic for hepatic coma: Intense resonances for lactate, alanine, valine, methionine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and histidine. In some cases guanine was also present, which does not appear to have been reported previously. The two-dimensional spectrum suggested the presence of abnormally high levels of a number of endogenous metabolites. Such assignments were not possible using one-dimensional spectra alone because of signal overlap.
Use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 for mandible reconstruction.

BACKGROUND Microvascular osseous free tissue transfer is the standard of care for reconstructing significant mandibulectomy defects; however, this procedure can carry a significant rate of morbidity. OBJECTIVES To describe the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) as an option for segmental or near-complete rim mandibulectomy defects in a select group of patients, precluding the need for free tissue transfer. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of 6 patients who had undergone repair of a mandible defect using rhBMP-2 with beta-tricalcium phosphate matrix or a cadaveric bone graft at a single tertiary care institution. The defects resulted from resection of benign neoplasms or from previous trauma. Reconstruction success was defined as no hardware problems, healing without infection, no need for further surgical procedures, and imaging evidence of healing and union without resorption. The median follow-up period was 37.5 months (range, 12-51 months). RESULTS Five of 6 patients underwent successful restoration of the mandibulectomy defect. One patient with a compromised immune system developed a significant postoperative wound infection requiring further reconstructive surgery. CONCLUSION The use of an rhBMP-2-based reconstructive approach is a feasible option for segmental or near-complete rim mandibulectomy defects in a select group of patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.
Urinary cadmium and beta 2-microglobulin: correlation with nutrition and smoking history.

Urinary cadmium and beta 2-microglobulin concentrations from approximately 1000 samples from the general adult U.S. population, collected as part of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey II (NHANES II), were related to nutritional and smoking history of the individuals. Urinary cadmium concentration was negatively correlated with dietary iron (significance level of 0.0065), negatively correlated with dietary calcium (significance level of less than 0.0001), and significantly (level of less than 0.001) higher in past or present smokers than in those who had never smoked. The results suggest increased cadmium absorption in the presence of low dietary intake of iron, low dietary intake of calcium, and cigarette smoking in the general population of the United States.
Performance of high-speed transport protocols coexisting on a long distance 10-Gbps testbed network

Our group has been conducting a series of experiments on various recently available high-speed transport protocols over long-distance, 10-gigabit-class, international testbed networks. The study reported here focuses on the scenario of multiple coexisting flows along an end-to-end 10-Gbps path, where TCP-based transport protocols are used. The results show that two coexisting high-speed flows cannot share network resources efficiently. For example, for some protocols, competition between two flows prevents the sum of their throughputs from fully utilizing available bandwidth, especially when flows have the same RTT, and causes considerable imbalance in the time-averaged throughput between two flows, especially when there are different RTTs.
A neuromorphic network for generic multivariate data classification

Significance One primary goal of computational neuroscience is to uncover fundamental principles of computations that are performed by the brain. In our work, we took direct inspiration from biology for a technical application of brain-like processing. We make use of neuromorphic hardware—electronic versions of neurons and synapses on a microchip—to implement a neural network inspired by the sensory processing architecture of the nervous system of insects. We demonstrate that this neuromorphic network achieves classification of generic multidimensional data—a widespread problem with many technical applications. Our work provides a proof of concept for using analog electronic microcircuits mimicking neurons to perform real-world computing tasks, and it describes the benefits and challenges of the neuromorphic approach. Computational neuroscience has uncovered a number of computational principles used by nervous systems. At the same time, neuromorphic hardware has matured to a state where fast silicon implementations of complex neural networks have become feasible. En route to future technical applications of neuromorphic computing the current challenge lies in the identification and implementation of functional brain algorithms. Taking inspiration from the olfactory system of insects, we constructed a spiking neural network for the classification of multivariate data, a common problem in signal and data analysis. In this model, real-valued multivariate data are converted into spike trains using “virtual receptors” (VRs). Their output is processed by lateral inhibition and drives a winner-take-all circuit that supports supervised learning. VRs are conveniently implemented in software, whereas the lateral inhibition and classification stages run on accelerated neuromorphic hardware. When trained and tested on real-world datasets, we find that the classification performance is on par with a naïve Bayes classifier. An analysis of the network dynamics shows that stable decisions in output neuron populations are reached within less than 100 ms of biological time, matching the time-to-decision reported for the insect nervous system. Through leveraging a population code, the network tolerates the variability of neuronal transfer functions and trial-to-trial variation that is inevitably present on the hardware system. Our work provides a proof of principle for the successful implementation of a functional spiking neural network on a configurable neuromorphic hardware system that can readily be applied to real-world computing problems.
The application of organisational conflict management: a mixed method exploration of conflict training and perceptions of NHS managers

This thesis took a multilevel approach in investigating the subject of workplace conflict within an NHS organisation. The various levels investigated within the hierarchy were nursing ward managers, senior nurses and the executives. Overlaid on the conceptual multilevel model devised initially by De Dreu and Gelfand (2007) were placed the sources and consequences of conflict which were identified within this study. A mixed method explorative design was taken to frame the evaluation, which utilised two methods; a survey of thirty-six ward managers who participated in a single training day on conflict management and eight semi-structured interviews. The training was designed and delivered in-house within a large NHS organisation in Wales. The staff population of this NHS organisation is around 14,500 and a sample of thirty-six ward managers participated in the single training day and received a pre-questionnaire on the day. They also completed a Thomas and Kilmann (1974) conflict management style questionnaire. Four weeks after the training day, the same group were asked to complete a post-questionnaire, which was returned by thirty of the participants. Pre and post analyses were undertaken of the likert scale indicators reporting participant confidence in managing conflict. The Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed some significant differences in confidence levels within the group. Four members of the group were then interviewed using a semi-structured approach; subsequently, two senior nurses who line-manage the ward managers within this organisation and two executives were also interviewed. Results were themed and comparisons were drawn out and theorised. This study adds to the existing literature as it identifies that ward managers need to have support in the workplace and ‘sign-posting’ to resources that can help them manage workplace conflict. ‘Time’ was also a consideration noted within this study as managers talked about the need to identify a ‘good time’ to have potential conflict and not being rushed in having to resolve it. The outcome of the research generated a systematic approach to understanding workplace conflict: this was called the Conflict Application Tool (CAT) and has been implemented in the organisation where the research took place
Differential Female Age at First Marriage in Six Latin American Cities

This study was a secondary analysis of comparative fertility survey data obtained in 1964 from probability samples of women in Caracas, Mexico City, Bogota, San Jose, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires. There was a general pattern of better-educated women stating later ideal ages of first marriage and a less distinct one of women born in the capital city to state later ideals. There was a general corresponding pattern of later real marriage for better-educated women, but no such corresponding tendency for capital-city-born women to marry later. Consensual (versus legal) first marriages were found to be associated with low education and rural birth, and found generally to take place earlier than legal first marriages.
Rivastigmine as an Effective Add-On to Standard Treatment of Veterans With Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series

Background After 23 years of the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the country is left with many patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who need close psychiatric services and are in need for recurrent hospitalization. So far, there are no reports of the rivastigmine use in PTSD patients. We report dramatic reduction of symptoms in 3 veterans with chronic PTSD, after rivastigmine augmentation. Case Presentation This report describes the efficacy of rivastigmine as an add-on to standard treatment of 3 Iranian male veterans with chronic PTSD (aged 52, 46, and 45 years) with severe active symptoms in all 3 dimensions of the disorder. Although they had gone through many approved drug treatments (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, &bgr;-blockers, and so on), from the beginning of the disorder, their recovery remained poor (PTSD Checklist–Military Version [PCL-M] scores were 67, 71, and 73 before rivastigmine add-on). Rivastigmine was added to the ongoing therapeutic regimens of the patients for 6 months. Evaluating their condition with PCL-M after 1 and 6 months of treatment showed a significant improvement in patients with PTSD (PCL-M scores were 37, 40, and 47 and dropped to 30, 27, and 31, respectively). Hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD in patients are noted to be the most improved. The rivastigmine add-on experience did not report any adverse effects. Conclusions The present study showed that rivastigmine is an effective and safe add-on to treatment of patients with chronic PTSD. This effect could be due to improved cognitive status or cholinergic-adrenergic balance adjustment in patients.
Atrophy of the putamen in dementia with Lewy bodies but not Alzheimer’s disease

Objective: To compare the volume of the putamen on MRI in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and age-matched normal control subjects, along with the relationship between putamen volume and severity of both extrapyramidal signs and cognitive impairment. Methods: MRI-based volumetric measurements at 1.5 T of total intracranial volume, total brain volume, and putamen volume were acquired in elderly patients with AD (n = 27; 77.6 years) and DLB (n = 14; 76.2 years) and normal control subjects (n = 37; 75.4 years). Patients and control subjects also underwent a standardized neuropsychiatric examination including the motor subsection of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III) and the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: Patients with DLB had smaller raw putamen volumes than control subjects (right 12.5% reduction, p = 0.007; left 13.7% reduction, p = 0.003). When putamen volume was normalized to total intracranial volume, patients with DLB had significantly smaller volume ratios than both controls and patients with AD. Patients with AD did not differ from control subjects on any measure of putamen volume. Putamen volume did not correlate with age or with scores on UPDRS III, CAMCOG, or MMSE in any of the groups. Conclusions: Atrophy of the putamen is a feature of DLB. This may be important in understanding the etiology of parkinsonian features seen in DLB, though in this study, no direct correlation was found between degree of volume loss and severity of parkinsonism.