Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Astrocytes and neurons regulate the expression of the neural recognition molecule janusin by cultured oligodendrocytes

Janusin (formerly designated J1–160/180) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein highly homologous to tenascin, consisting of two major molecular forms of 160 and 180 kD expressed by oligodendrocytes and in myelin. Janusin expression is upregulated during myelination and in the adult it remains expressed at lower levels. It is also present at the node of Ranvier, where myelin, axon, and astrocytic process are in close contact. To gain an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms which may under‐lie expression of janusin, the differentiation stage‐dependent expression of janusin was studied in cultures enriched in mouse oligodendrocytes and their precursor cells. Expression of janusin by these cells was highest on both A2B5+ and O4+/O1− oligodendroglial precursor cells and a subset of myelin associated glycoprotein‐positive (MAG+) oligodendrocytes. Hardly any of the more differentiated O1+ or O10+ oligodendrocytes expressed janusin. Expression of janusin was influenced by co‐culture with astrocytes or neurons. Astrocytes or astrocytic‐conditioned culture supernatants elevated the expression of janusin by the more differentiated oligodendrocytes (O1+ or MAG+ cells), while its expression by oligodendroglial precursor cells was relatively unchanged. Platelet‐derived growth factor, but not basic fibroblast growth factor, also elevated the expression of janusin by O1+ or O10+ oligodendrocytes. In contrast, co‐culture with neurons originating from dorsal root ganglia or spinal cord decreased the expression of cell‐bound janusin by oligodendrocytes and their precursor cells. These observations indicate that expression of janusin on these cells in culture is susceptible to opposing regulatory influences from astrocytes and neurons. Such influences may modulate the temporal and spatial distribution of janusin in the developing and adult central nervous system. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection of periarticular urate deposits with dual energy CT in patients with acute gouty arthritis

The gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of gouty arthritis is the detection of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in synovial fluid or periarticular tophi. The European League Against Rheumatism recommendations from 2006 state that ‘for typical presentations of gout a clinical diagnosis alone is reasonably accurate but not definitive without crystal confirmation’. 1 In addition, various imaging methods can help to non-invasively support the diagnosis of gout. Joint ultrasonography can detect MSU deposits at cartilaginous surfaces (‘double contour sign’) as well as periarticular tophus formation.2 3 Dual energy CT (DECT) is an imaging method that uses x-ray beams of two different energies to differentiate MSU deposits from connective tissues and from calcium containing structures by their absorption properties.4 Choi et al have demonstrated that in tophaceous gout, DECT …
Characterization of E-selectin expression, leucocyte traffic and clinical sequelae in urate crystal-induced inflammation: an insight into gout.

The self-limiting response to urate crystals allows the exploration of events involved in both the onset and resolution of gout. Using i.v. injected radiolabelled anti-E-selectin monoclonal antibody 1.2b6 together with differentially radiolabelled neutrophils, mononuclear cells and albumin, we have characterized the expression of E-selectin in relation to leucocyte traffic, microvascular permeability and clinical sequelae following intracutaneous injection of monosodium urate crystals. We found that the inflammatory response in this model involved several distinct phases. First, E-selectin expression increased over 2-6 h in the context of increases in neutrophil and mononuclear cell accumulation, and albumin leakage. Secondly, leucocyte accumulation rapidly declined despite persisting E-selectin expression. Thirdly, E-selectin expression peaked at approximately 8 h and then fell despite an increase in clinically detectable erythema and induration. Lastly, these clinical manifestations of inflammation resolved despite the continued presence of urate crystals in the tissues. The further dissection of mechanisms regulating these phases will lead to a better understanding of events in both the pathogenesis and resolution of gout. Of broader significance, this inflammatory model may yield information about the protective events that underly resolution of inflammation, and provide insights into factors which determine chronicity.
Does Diversity Pay?: Race, Gender, and the Business Case for Diversity

The value-in-diversity perspective argues that a diverse workforce, relative to a homogeneous one, is generally beneficial for business, including but not limited to corporate profits and earnings. This is in contrast to other accounts that view diversity as either nonconsequential to business success or actually detrimental by creating conflict, undermining cohesion, and thus decreasing productivity. Using data from the 1996 to 1997 National Organizations Survey, a national sample of for-profit business organizations, this article tests eight hypotheses derived from the value-in-diversity thesis. The results support seven of these hypotheses: racial diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, greater market share, and greater relative profits. Gender diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, and greater relative profits. I discuss the implications of these findings relative to alternative views of diversity in the workplace.
Effect of unilateral ovariectomy and injection of bovine follicular fluid on gonadotropin secretion and compensatory ovarian hypertrophy in prepuberal heifers.

A study was conducted to determine whether compensatory ovarian hypertrophy occurred in prepuberal heifers, and if so, could compensatory ovarian hypertrophy be prevented by injecting charcoal-extracted bovine follicular fluid (CFF). An additional objective was to determine the effect of CFF injections on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations following unilateral ovariectomy (ULO). Thirty-one prepuberal Angus, Hereford, and Angus X Hereford heifers were assigned by weight and breed to the following groups: Control-saline injections (C), unilateral ovariectomy-saline injections (ULO) and unilateral ovariectomy-CFF injections (ULO-CFF). In group C, a sham operation was performed on d 0 and both ovaries were removed on d 7. In groups ULO and ULO-CFF, either the right or left ovary was removed on d 0 and the remaining ovary was removed on d 7. From d 0 to 7, each heifer received an injection (iv, 7 ml/injection) of saline or CFF every 12 h. Jugular blood samples were collected immediately before each saline injection from d 0 to 7 and analyzed for FSH and LH. Unilateral ovariectomy increased ovarian (P less than .08) and follicular fluid (P less than .05) weights compared with groups C and ULO-CFF; however, lyophilized ovarian weight was similar (P greater than .05) for all groups. Injections of CFF blocked the increase in ovarian and follicular fluid weight following ULO. The total number of visible follicles per ovary was similar for all groups; however in the ULO group there was an increase (P less than .01) in those 5 to 6 mm and greater than or equal to 9 mm. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clinical efficacy of the dual-pulsed Q-switched neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser: Comparison with conservative mode

Abstract The quality (Q)-switched neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser is one of the first non-ablative lasers to be used for facial resurfacing and photorejuvenation. Recently, the method of low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers known as ‘laser toning’ has been used for non-ablative skin rejuvenation and for the treatment of melasma in Asian countries. We report our experience of using a novel Q-switched Nd:YAG laser that was operated as a dual pulse at half fluence and 140-μs intervals compared with conservative mode laser.
Critical Review: Melodic Intonation Therapy: The Influence of Pitch and Rhythm on Therapy Outcomes

Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) involves involves patients with nonfluent aphasia intoning (singing) melodic phrases while tapping syllables. Thus, MIT incorporates the musical components of both pitch and rhythm. This critical review explores the relative contribution of the rhythmic and pitch components of MIT to determine if both components are required for success. To explore this question, articles were found that compare therapy involving (1) pitch and rhythm components, (2) just rhythmic components, and (3) neither of these musical components. Results suggest that there is no benefit of pitch (singing) when training a set of phrases. However, pitch may be important for long-term retention of those phrases as well as generalization to non-trained phrases and connected speech.
Bio-security in small scale poultry farms against avian influenza: knowledge, attitude and practices

Avian influenza (AI) is considered as one of the greatest global threat for the poultry industry that the animal health sector has ever had to face. It is primarily an infectious disease of birds caused by influenza virus Type A strain. The major concern now is that a highly pathogenic strain (H5N1) has also been shown to transmit to humans and has the potential to be fatal. Since March 2007, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been occurring in commercial and backyard poultry in Bangladesh. Good bio-security practices can help reducing the risk of spreading and controlling the disease. This investigation describes the bio-security practices of small scale poultry holders (500-2000 birds/ farm) of Gazipur district, their knowledge and attitude in prevention and control of avian influenza. This was assessed using prescribed questionnaire. This study has been conducted on 100 poultry raising farmers through household-based individual interviews. Though respondents had different opinions on the magnitude of AI in their respective area, almost everyone realized AI is a big problem for Bangladesh. Generally, the respondents were not aware of the common infection sources such as, sick poultry, their pens, cages, backyard poultry, wild animals, migratory birds etc. Most of the interviewed small scale farmers in this area were not aware about the strict bio-security process like segregation of diseased birds, cleaning and disinfection of premises to prevent AI. Although there was a basic knowledge about the dangers and economic consequences of AI, there needs to be an updating of information on sources of infection, symptoms and prevention techniques, as well as an understanding of the cross species dangers of the infection. The study has, to a large extent, successfully drawn up a picture of how Bangladeshi small holder farmers have perceived and responded to AI and what they have understood and what practices they are taking against AI in their respective areas. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2015, 1(3): 670-676
Recovery From Lipodystrophy in HIV–infected Children After Substitution of Stavudine With Zidovudine in a Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor–based Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: Substitution of stavudine with zidovudine may lead to recovery from lipodystrophy (LD) in HIV-infected children. Methods: We prospectively followed HIV-infected children enrolled in an earlier LD study conducted between 2002 and 2004 at Chiang Mai University Hospital in northern Thailand. In 2006, stavudine was substituted with zidovudine. All children were evaluated by a clinical LD checklist modified from that of the European Pediatric LD study group together with waist/hip measurement at baseline and 24, 48, 72, and 96 weeks after substitution. The waist-to-hip ratios were converted to age- and sex-adjusted z scores based on normal ranges in healthy Thai children. Results: Forty-five lipodystrophic children with 36 episodes of lipohypertrophy and 22 episodes of lipoatrophy were enrolled. By weeks 48 and 96 after substitution, 40% and 47% of lipohypertrophy resolved, whereas 59% and 73% of lipoatrophy resolved, respectively. The rate of resolution of lipoatrophy was higher than that of lipohypertrophy at 48 weeks after substitution and thereafter. Ninety-six weeks after changing to zidovudine therapy, 8 children still had LD (1 with both lipoatrophy and lipohypertrophy, 7 with lipohypertrophy). No clinically significant hematologic adverse event was observed. Conclusions: Substitution of stavudine with zidovudine resulted in decreased severity or resolution of LD among HIV-infected children and adolescents.
Cumulant-based stochastic nonlinear programming for variance constrained voltage stability analysis of power systems

This paper proposes a Cumulant Method-based solution to solve a maximum loading problem incorporating a constraint on the maximum variance of the loading parameter. The proposed method takes advantage of some properties regarding saddle node bifurcations to create a linear mapping relationship between random bus loading variables and all other system variables. The proposed methodology is tested using a sample system based on the IEEE 30-bus system using random active and reactive bus loading. Monte Carlo simulations consisting of 10 000 samples are used as a reference solution for evaluation of the accuracy of the proposed method.
Central hypothyroidism

Central hypothyroidism is defined as hypothyroidism due to insufficient stimulation by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) of an otherwise normal thyroid gland. It has an estimated prevalence of approximately 1 in 80,000 to 1 in 120,000. It can be secondary hypothyroidism (pituitary) or tertiary hypothyroidism (hypothalamus) in origin. In children, it is usually caused by craniopharyngiomas or previous cranial irradiation for brain tumors or hematological malignancies. In adults, it is usually due to pituitary macroadenomas, pituitary surgeries or post-irradiation. Fatigue and peripheral edema are the most specific clinical features. Diagnosis is established by the presence of normal to low-normal TSH on the background of low-normal thyroid hormones, confirmed by the thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test. Therapy includes use of levothyroxine titrated to improvement in symptomology and keeping free T4 in the upper limit of normal reference range.
A hangover and a one-night stand: Alcohol and risky sexual behaviour among female students at an Australian university

Excessive alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking is increasingly common among female university students. This trend is concerning given that excessive alcohol consumption and binge drinking have several adverse effects, including increased levels of risky sexual behaviour. The findings presented here are the first step in establishing an evidence base regarding the relationship between university students' alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviour in an Australian context. The results of this study provide a platform for further research as well as for the development of specific interventions in the area of female university students' sexual health.
Measuring Outcomes: Applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to Middle-Sized and Smaller Public Libraries

The recent demand for more accountability from public libraries has made it essential that true cost-benefit analysis be applied to their operations. With funding from the Public Library Association, the authors developed a cost-benefit analysis methodology and applied it to five large public library systems. The present article describes their ongoing research to modify their methodologies to make them viable for application to public libraries of much smaller size. Outcomes Measurement in Public Libraries Like it or not, American public libraries have entered the age of accountability. This shift is transforming library statistics and measurements—what statistics are gathered, how they are gathered, and how they are interpreted and applied. To put the matter simply, library assessment, like public school assessment and higher education accreditation, is shifting from measuring outputs to measuring outcomes. The shift marks a transformation in viewpoint. Input-output measurement methodology—the established system of library accounting—follows an industrial production model. The library represents a black box. On one side of the black box, boards and administrators drop in “inputs,” including financial resources to purchase staff, materials, and support services. From the other side of the box emerge “outputs,” which find their principal expression in raw or adjusted counts of circulation and visitation. A whole reportorial culture emerged to address library inputs and outputs. A few professors gained considerable reputation by defining appropriate inputs and outputs
Small Circuits for Large Tasks: High-Speed Decision-Making in Archerfish

The enormous progress made in functional magnetic resonance imaging technology allows us to watch our brains engage in complex cognitive and social tasks. However, our understanding of what actually is computed in the underlying cellular networks is hindered by the vast numbers of neurons involved. Here, we describe a vertebrate system, shaped for top speed, in which a complex and plastic decision is performed by surprisingly small circuitry that can be studied at cellular resolution.
Navigating Without a Roadmap

Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are willing to make large sacrifices to attend to the everyday demands of their loved one’s health. Many still lack the necessary skills, information, and resources from medical professionals needed to fully execute this role. The aim of this study is to explore the challenges that first-time Alzheimer’s caregivers encountered with members of their health care team around a loved one’s diagnosis. Four focus groups (N = 13) were conducted in a primary care clinic and academic setting, using a semi-structured interview format facilitated by a mental health professional. The authors used thematic analysis to generate three overarching themes regarding lack of information given about the diagnosis, complications with medication management, and level of confidence in their medical team. Medical professionals should consider educating Alzheimer’s disease caregivers during the initial stage of this role, providing greater continuity of care with the family throughout treatment.
Plasma levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide in chronic tension-type headache

Background: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is involved in the pathophysiology of migraine and cluster headache. Whether CGRP has any role in chronic tension-type headache is unknown. Objectives: To compare interictal plasma levels of CGRP between patients with chronic tension-type headache and healthy control subjects, to investigate plasma CGRP in relation to headache state, and to compare plasma CGRP between the peripheral and the cranial circulation. Methods: Blood from the antecubital vein was drawn from 30 patients with chronic tension-type headache and 34 healthy control subjects. In addition, blood samples from the consecutive first 15 patients and from the consecutive first 20 healthy control subjects were also collected from the external jugular vein. Results: CGRP levels measured in the peripheral circulation in patients on days without headache, 63 ± 5 pmol/L, tended to be higher than CGRP levels in control subjects, 53 ± 3 pmol/L (p = 0.06). In patients, no differences were found between CGRP levels assessed ictally and interictally in either the cranial (p = 0.91) or the peripheral (p = 0.62) circulation. Plasma CGRP level was higher in the external jugular vein than in the antecubital vein on days without headache (p = 0.03) but not on days with headache (p = 0.82). In control subjects, CGRP levels in the cranial circulation did not differ from CGRP levels in the peripheral circulation (p = 0.92). Exploratory analyses showed that 8 patients whose usual headache quality was throbbing had a higher interictal plasma CGRP level than control subjects (p = 0.002), whereas plasma CGRP level was normal in 22 patients with pressing headaches (p = 0.36). Conclusions: Plasma levels of CGRP are normal in patients with chronic tension-type headache and are unrelated to headache state. Interictal plasma CGRP was increased in patients with a pulsating pain quality. Because the authors have previously shown a similar increase of interictal CGRP levels in migraine, this study suggests that headaches with symptoms that fulfill International Headache Society criteria for tension-type headache may be pathophysiologically related to migraine, if the headache has a pulsating quality.
Isolation and characterization of dermatan sulphate proteoglycans from bovine sclera.

1. Proteoglycans were extracted from sclera with 4 M-guanidine hydrochloride in the presence of proteinase inhibitors and purified by ion-exchange chromatography and density-gradient centrifugation. 2. The entire proteoglycan pool was characterized by compositional analyses and by specific chemical (periodate oxidation) and enzymic (chondroitinases) degradations. The glycan moieties of the molecules were exclusively galactosaminoglycans (dermatan sulphate-chondroitin sulphate co-polymers). In addition, the preparations contained small amounts of oligosaccharides. 3. The scleral proteodermatan sulphates were fractionated into one larger (I) and one smaller (II) component by gel chromatography. Proteoglycan I was eluted in a more excluded position on gel chromatography in 0.5 M-sodium acetate than in 4.0 M-guanidine hydrochloride. Reduced and alkylated proteoglycan I was eluted in the same position (in 0.5 M-sodium acetate) as was the starting material (in 4.0 M-guanidine hydrochloride). The elution position of proteoglycan II was the same in both solvents. Proteoglycans I and II had s0 20,w values of 2.8 x 10(-13) and 2.2 x 10(-13) s respectively in 6.0 M-guanidine hydrochloride. 4. The two proteoglycans differed with respect to the nature of the protein core and the co-polymeric structure of their side chains. Also proteoglycan I contained more side chains than did proteoglycan II. The dermatan sulphate side chains of proteoglycan I were D-glucuronic acid-rich (80%), whereas those of proteoglycan II contained equal amounts of D-glucuronic acid and L-iduronic acid. Furthermore, the co-polymeric features of the side chains of proteoglycans I and II were different. The protein core of proteoglycan I was of larger size than that of proteoglycan II. The latter had an apparent molecular weight of 46 000 (estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis), whereas the former was greater than 100 000. In addition, the amino-acid composition of the two core preparations was different. 5. As proteoglycan I altered its elution position on gel chromatography in 4 M-guanidine hydrochloride compared with 0.5 M-sodium acetate it is proposed that a change in conformation or a disaggregation took place. If the latter hypothesis is favoured, aggregation may be due to self-association or mediated by an extrinsic molecule, e.g. hyaluronic acid.