Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemokine Coreceptor Usage by Diverse Primary Isolates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

ABSTRACT We tested chemokine receptor subset usage by diverse, well-characterized primary viruses isolated from peripheral blood by monitoring viral replication with CCR1, CCR2b, CCR3, CCR5, and CXCR4 U87MG.CD4 transformed cell lines and STRL33/BONZO/TYMSTR and GPR15/BOB HOS.CD4 transformed cell lines. Primary viruses were isolated from 79 men with confirmed human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection from the Chicago component of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study at interval time points. Thirty-five additional well-characterized primary viruses representing HIV-1 group M subtypes A, B, C, D, and E and group O and three primary simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolates were also used for these studies. The restricted use of the CCR5 chemokine receptor for viral entry was associated with infection by a virus having a non-syncytium-inducing phenotype and correlated with a reduced rate of disease progression and a prolonged disease-free interval. Conversely, broadening chemokine receptor usage from CCR5 to both CCR5 and CXCR4 was associated with infection by a virus having a syncytium-inducing phenotype and correlated with a faster rate of CD4 T-cell decline and progression of disease. We also observed a greater tendency for infection with a virus having a syncytium-inducing phenotype in men heterozygous for the defectiveCCR5 Δ32 allele (25%) than in those men homozygous for the wild-type CCR5 allele (6%) (P = 0.03). The propensity for infection with a virus having a syncytium-inducing phenotype provides a partial explanation for the rapid disease progression among some men heterozygous for the defectiveCCR5 Δ32 allele. Furthermore, we did not identify any primary viruses that used CCR3 as an entry cofactor, despite this CC chemokine receptor being expressed on the cell surface at a level commensurate with or higher than that observed for primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Whereas isolates of primary viruses of SIV also used STRL33/BONZO/TYMSTR and GPR15/BOB, no primary isolates of HIV-1 used these particular chemokine receptor-like orphan molecules as entry cofactors, suggesting a limited contribution of these other chemokine receptors to viral evolution. Thus, despite the number of chemokine receptors implicated in viral entry, CCR5 and CXCR4 are likely to be the physiologically relevant chemokine receptors used as entry cofactors in vivo by diverse strains of primary viruses isolated from blood.
Distribution of Aromatase and Sex Steroid Receptors in the Baculum During the Rat Life Cycle: Effects of Estrogen During the Early Development of the Baculum1

The baculum, also called os penis, plays an important role during copulation. However, the hormonal regulation of its development remains to be elucidated. To determine the direct involvement of sex steroids in the development of the baculum of rats, the distributions of androgen receptors (ARs), aromatase, and estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) were observed immunohistochemically. On Postnatal Day 1, the rudiment of the baculum expressed ARs, aromatase, and ESR1. In the proximal segment of the baculum of neonatal rats, ARs were expressed in the parosteal layer but not in the periosteum or osteoblasts. Aromatase was expressed from the parosteal layer to the endosteum, particularly in the inner osteogenic layer. ESR1 was also abundantly expressed in almost all cells from the parosteal layer to the endosteum. ARs, aromatase, and ESR1 were all abundantly expressed during the neonatal period in the hyaline cartilage of the proximal segment and in fibrocartilage of the distal segment of the baculum. Expression in all the tissues was attenuated in an age-dependent manner and became quite weak at puberty. To determine the effect of estrogen on the growth of the baculum, the aromatase inhibitor 1,4,6-androstatrien-3,17-dione (ATD) was subcutaneously injected daily into pregnant rats from Days 19 to 23 of gestation and into pups on postnatal Days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. On Day 10, the length of the baculum in the ATD-treated rats was significantly shorter than that in the controls, although the body weight did not change. These findings suggest that not only androgen but also locally aromatized estrogen is involved in the early growth and development of the baculum.
ZygOS: Achieving Low Tail Latency for Microsecond-scale Networked Tasks

This paper focuses on the efficient scheduling on multicore systems of very fine-grain networked tasks, which are the typical building block of online data-intensive applications. The explicit goal is to deliver high throughput (millions of remote procedure calls per second) for tail latency service-level objectives that are a small multiple of the task size. We present ZYGOS, a system optimized for μs-scale, in-memory computing on multicore servers. It implements a work-conserving scheduler within a specialized operating system designed for high request rates and a large number of network connections. ZYGOS uses a combination of shared-memory data structures, multi-queue NICs, and inter-processor interrupts to rebalance work across cores. For an aggressive service-level objective expressed at the 99th percentile, ZYGOS achieves 75% of the maximum possible load determined by a theoretical, zero-overhead model (centralized queueing with FCFS) for 10μs tasks, and 88% for 25μs tasks. We evaluate ZYGOS with a networked version of Silo, a state-of-the-art in-memory transactional database, running TPC-C. For a service-level objective of 1000μs latency at the 99th percentile, ZYGOS can deliver a 1.63x speedup over Linux (because of its dataplane architecture) and a 1.26x speedup over IX, a state-of-the-art dataplane (because of its work-conserving scheduler).
Intracanal irrigants for pulpectomy in primary teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the findings on the clinical efficacy of intracanal irrigants employed during pulpectomy of primary teeth. METHODS A systematic search was performed in electronic databases and peer-reviewed paediatric dentistry journals to find relevant studies. Titles, abstracts, and full-text papers were located, screened, and assessed independently by two reviewers, and a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS The search identified a total of 775 records; 46 were selected and reviewed in full text. After screening, seven studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Three studies compared the 2% chlorhexidine and saline solutions, but no analysis could be performed because of the heterogeneity between these; two of the studies reported non-comparative methodologies and results when compared, and were not analysed. Finally, two studies compared a mixture of tetracycline isomer, an acid, and a detergent (MTDA) or oxidative potential water (OPW) to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), without showing significant heterogeneity; therefore, their combined outcomes were included. Both fixed and random mixed models resulted in a non-significant weighted mean difference between treatments, according to a forest plot. CONCLUSIONS More studies are required with adequate quality, as well as a full-result report, including summary measurements of both response variables and effect size, to determine the most effective irrigant agents for use in pulpectomies.
Comparison of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors methylarginine and aminoguanidine as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in rat adjuvant arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors NG-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMA) and aminoguanidine (AG) as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in rat adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA). METHODS Arthritis was induced in male Lewis rats by the injection of adjuvant into the base of the tail. L-NMA or AG was administered twice daily by gastric intubation starting at the time of adjuvant injection, just before the onset of clinical symptoms, or after the onset of clinical symptoms. Paw swelling, plasma fibrinogen levels and urinary NO2-/NO3- excretion were measured to assess the effect of the inhibitors on the arthritis response and whole body NO biosynthesis. Selected joints were also evaluated histopathologically. The abilities of L-NMA, AG and another NOS inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), to inhibit NO production by chondrocytes and synoviocytes were also compared. RESULTS Treatment with L-NMA (400 mg/kg/day) or AG (500 mg/kg/day) reduced the urinary excretion of NO2-/NO3- to the control level. L-NMA suppressed the development of AIA when administered prophylactically; however, its antiarthritic properties declined with increasing delay of application. It was only weakly effective against established AIA. AG had neither a prophylactic nor a therapeutic antiarthritic effect. AG and L-NAME were much weaker inhibitors of NO production by chondrocytes and synoviocytes than L-NMA. CONCLUSION Although L-NMA completely suppresses the development of AIA when administered prophylactically, it is much less effective when administered therapeutically. Furthermore, not all inhibitors of NOS show equal prophylactic activity against AIA. In addition, NOS inhibitors may be only weakly therapeutic, or even detrimental, in established disease. These findings should be considered when evaluating NOS inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of established human arthritis.
Cell-specific inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase activation by leflunomide.

The influence of a novel immunomodulating drug, leflunomide, on iNOS-dependent nitric oxide (NO) production in rodent macrophages and fibroblasts was investigated. Leflunomide's active metabolite A77 1726 caused a dose-dependent decrease of NO production in IFN-gamma-treated L929 fibroblasts. The observed effect was cell-specific, as well as stimulus-specific, since A77 1726 did not affect NO production in IFN-gamma-stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages or db-cAMP-treated L929 cells. A77 1726 reduced expression of IFN-gamma-induced iNOS and IRF-1 mRNA in L929 cells, while iNOS enzymatic activity remained unchanged. Specific inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase (MEK), PD98059, but not unselective protein kinase inhibitor genistein, completely mimicked cell-type-specific and stimulus-specific NO-inhibitory action of leflunomide. Therefore, the recently described inhibition of MEK/MAP pathway by leflunomide could present a possible mechanism for its suppression of iNOS activation in L929 fibroblasts. Finally, a similar inhibitory effect of A77 1726 on both NO production and iNOS mRNA expression was observed also in IFN-gamma + LPS-activated murine and rat primary fibroblasts.
Substitution of a nursing-led inpatient unit for acute services: randomized controlled trial of outcomes and cost of nursing-led intermediate care.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the outcome and cost of transfer to a nursing-led inpatient unit for 'intermediate care'. The unit was designed to replace a period of care in acute hospital wards and promote recovery before discharge to the community. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial comparing outcomes of care on a nursing-led inpatient unit with the system of consultant-managed care on a range of acute hospital wards. SETTING hospital wards in an acute inner-London National Health Service trust. SUBJECTS 175 patients assessed to be medically stable but requiring further inpatient care, referred to the unit from acute wards. INTERVENTION 89 patients were randomly allocated to care on the unit (nursing-led care with no routine medical intervention) and 86 to usual hospital care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Length of hospital stay, discharge destination, functional dependence (Barthel index) and direct healthcare costs. RESULTS Care in the unit had no significant impact on discharge destination or dependence. Length of inpatient stay was significantly increased for the treatment group (P=0.036; 95% confidence interval 1.1-20.7 days). The daily cost of care was lower on the unit, but the mean total cost was pound sterlings 1044 higher-although the difference from the control was not significant (P=0.150; 95% confidence interval - pound sterlings 382 to pound sterlings 2471). CONCLUSIONS The nursing-led inpatient unit led to longer hospital stays. Since length of stay is the main driver of costs, this model of care-at least as implemented here-may be more costly. However, since the unit may substitute for both secondary and primary care, longer-term follow-up is needed to determine whether patients are better prepared for discharge under this model of care, resulting in reduced primary-care costs.
In vitro study of fracture resistance of bovine roots using different intraradicular post systems.

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated, in vitro, the fracture resistance of bovine roots restored with five different intraradicular post systems. METHOD AND MATERIALS Seventy-five bovine roots of similar dimensions were assigned to five groups (n = 15), according to the intraradicular post system used: cast post and core; titanium post; carbon-fiber post; glass-fiber post; and zirconium-oxide post. Following post cementation, the roots were embedded in polystyrene resin composite and submitted to fracture-resistance testing, with a compressive load at an angle of 135 degrees in relation to the long axis of the root at a speed of 0.5 mm/min. All data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance and Sidak test. RESULTS The titanium posts presented higher mean values of fracture resistance when compared to glass-fiber posts and zirconium-oxide posts and similar values compared to carbon-fiber posts. Also, roots treated with cast posts and cores presented similar results when compared to roots treated with prefabricated posts. CONCLUSION All prefabricated intraradicular post systems evaluated presented similar resistance to fracture when compared to cast posts and cores, and among the prefabricated ones, titanium and carbon-fiber posts could be best indicated.
Forecasting the Term Structure of South African Government Bond Yields

ABSTRACT This article uses the parsimonious dynamic Nelson–Siegel model to fit the yields of South African government bonds. We find that the dynamic Nelson–Siegel model has good fitting abilities for all maturities. We further forecast the term structure by seven different dynamic Nelson–Siegel models with time series models. We find that the DNS–VAR–GARCH model is useful for forecasting the short-term rates, the DNS–VAR best predicts the medium-term rates, and the DNS–RW best predicts the long-term rates. In addition, the dynamic Nelson–Siegel models provide better forecasts of yield data than a random walk model, especially for the 12-month forecasting horizons.
Essays On Information Economics

This dissertation comprises three essays on information economics. I study the role of information in various decision making environments. In the first chapter, I propose an alternative way to study the value of information in a game. A decision problem is similar to another if the optimal decision rule for the latter, when applied to the former, is better than making a decision without any information in the former. In a game, if the induced decision problem by a change in the strategies of other players is similar to the problem originally faced by the player, the player benefits more from her own information after the change. Using the concept of similarity, I study the value of information in various games, even when a closed form solution is unavailable. The second chapter studies a persuasion game between a decision maker (DM) and an expert. Prior to the communication stage, the expert exerts costly effort to obtain decisive information about the state of nature. The expert may feign ignorance but cannot misreport. We show that monitoring of information acquisition hampers the expert's incentives to acquire information. Contrary to everyday experiences, monitoring is always suboptimal if the expert's bias is large, yet sometimes optimal if the expert's bias is small. The third chapter studies a model in which partisan voting is rationalized by Knightian decision theory under uncertainty (Bewley, 2002). When uncertainty is large, some voters become hard-core supporters of their current party due to status quo bias. I characterize equilibria of the model that are robust to electorate size. With costly information acquisition, partisan behaviors arise naturally from status quo biases in large elections. In the selected informative voting equilibrium, swing voters rationally mix between two alternatives: either they acquire information and vote informatively or they do not acquire information and vote to cancel the partisans' votes.
Long-Term Safety of a Novel Antianginal Agent in Patients With Severe Chronic Stable Angina

Methods Patients with severe functional impairment from angina (mean Duke Treadmill Score [DTS] of 14.4) who completed 1 of 2 randomized treadmill trials entered the ROLE program. Ranolazine was titrated to optimal dosages between 500 and 1,000 mg twice daily. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and adverse event reporting were performed periodically. We conducted analyses to evaluate possible predictors of ranolazine intolerance, such as advanced age, diabetes, poor exercise tolerance, or history of myocardial infarctions or congestive heart failure (CHF). The ROLE program’s mortality was compared against the DTS predictive model and other contemporary cohorts of high-risk CHD patients.
Prolonged and Recurring Diarrhea in the Northeast of Brazil: Examination of Cases From a Community‐Based Study

From prospective daily surveillance of diarrhea in a poor rural area of northeastern Brazil, this study of prolonged diarrheal episodes identified the 3% of diarrheal episodes that lasted 15 days or longer. These episodes also defined a subpopulation of children who spent over 16% of their days with diarrhea. Such children warrant further attention in an attempt to define potentially treatable causes as well as to assure appropriate nutritional support. There was no single season for these prolonged illnesses, but they appeared to involve both the wet, slightly warmer season of peak enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhea as well as the dry, slightly cooler season of peak rotaviral infections. Limited etiologic data support this idea that multiple pathogens are found, often in combination with each other, that may work together to contribute to the important problem of chronic diarrhea. Future studies should focus attention on further defining risk factors, mechanisms, and appropriate therapy for the subset of children who experience prolonged diarrhea in this type of setting.
Phase II study of oral VP‐16‐213 in small cell lung cancer

The soft, gelatin capsule of VP‐16‐213 (etoposide) was given orally and evaluated in a Phase II study of 56 patients with histologically confirmed small cell lung cancer. The drug was given in a dose of 200 mg/body/day orally for 5 consecutive days, and the courses were repeated every 3 to 4 weeks depending upon the individual patient recovery from myelosuppression. An overall objective response was obtained in 17 patients (30%), five previously treated (23%) and 12 untreated (35%). The median days for response after the start of treatment was 14 d (range, 5 to 64), and the median duration of response was 62 days (range, 28 to 278). The dose‐limiting factor was leukopenia, while thrombocytopenia was also experienced. Gastrointestinal reactions to toxicity and alopecia were also observed, but they were not overwhelming. The study demonstrated that the VP‐16‐213 soft gelatin capsule given orally is effective against small cell lung cancer without clinical cross‐resistance to other cytotoxic agents. Its usefulness in combination chemotherapy is thus suggested.
Transcriptome-Wide Analyses of 5′-Ends in RNase J Mutants of a Gram-Positive Pathogen Reveal a Role in RNA Maturation, Regulation and Degradation

RNA decay and maturation have in recent years been recognised as major regulatory mechanisms in bacteria. In contrast to Escherichia coli, the Firmicute (Gram-positive) bacteria often do not encode the well-studied endonuclease RNase E, but instead rely on the endonucleases RNase Y, RNase J1 and RNase J2, of which the latter two have additionally been shown to have 5′ to 3′ exonucleolytic activity. We have previously demonstrated that these RNases could be deleted individually in the pathogenic Firmicute Staphylococcus aureus; however, we here present that, outside a narrow permissive window of growth conditions, deleting one or both of the RNase J genes presents serious difficulties for the cell. Moreover, an active site mutant of RNase J1 behaved like a deletion, whereas no phenotypes were detected for the RNase J2 active site mutant. Furthermore, in order to study the in vivo enzymatic activity of RNase J1 and J2, a method was developed to map the exact 5′-ends of mature and processed RNA, on a global scale. An enrichment of 5′ RNA ends could be seen in the RNase J mutants, suggesting that their exonucleolytic activity is crucial for normal degradation of bulk RNA. Using the data to examine specific RNAs, we demonstrated that RNase J activity is needed for correct 5′ maturation of both the 16S rRNA and the RNase P ribozyme, and can also inactivate the latter, possibly as quality control. Additional examples show that RNase J perform initial cleavages, apparently competing with ribosomes for access to mRNAs. The novel 5′ mapping assay offers an exceptionally detailed view of RNase activity, and reveals that the roles of RNase J proteins are diverse, ranging from maturation and post-transcriptional regulation to degradation.
Current economic obstacles to biochar use in agriculture and climate change mitigation

ABSTRACT Biochar may become a key instrument at the nexus of managed carbon flows, including value added potential in soil amelioration, climate protection, energy supply and organic waste management. This article reflects the potential use of biochar in agriculture from the perspective of the farming economy. Biochar soil amendment in crop production is regarded as a win–win situation, both for assumed increases in cropping yields and carbon sequestration in soil organic matter. However, an extensive review on biochar effect on crop yield has not yet been able to provide compelling arguments to foster more widespread biochar use in cropping systems. Furthermore, the half-lives of biochars are frequently shorter than commonly suggested, and other financial incentives, such as including biochar in carbon credit systems, are not in place to compensate for the extra cost of applying biochar. As a result, we conclude with a somewhat skeptical view for a widespread use of biochar in agriculture in the near future.