Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IFN-alpha receptor mRNA expression in a United States sample with predominantly genotype 1a/I chronic hepatitis C liver biopsies correlates with response to IFN therapy.

Our aim was to assess whether, in the United States, with the predominant hepatitis C viral (HCV) genotypes 1a/I and 1b/II, hepatic interferon-alpha receptor (IFNAR) mRNA expression correlated with response to IFN therapy, levels of HCV RNA, or histologic activity index (HAI). Nine of 24 patients (38%) had an initial response to IFN treatment, 5 of whom (21%) had a sustained response. The corrected hepatic IFNAR mRNA expression (measured by RT-PCR) for the sustained responder group (mean +/- SE, 0.16 +/- 0.06, n = 5) was significantly higher than for the nonresponding group (0.059 +/- 0.01, n = 15) (p < 0.02). Patients who relapsed had an intermediate value (0.092 +/- 0.029, n = 4). Higher IFNAR expression was inversely correlated with a lower serum HCV RNA titer (p < 0.01), and responders to IFN treatment tended to have a lower titer of HCV RNA (p = 0.056). We found no significant correlation between the amounts of IFNAR with (1) the total HAI (low HAI < or = 7, IFNAR 0.076 +/- 0.013, n = 10; high HAI > or = 8, IFNAR 0.092 +/- 0.027, n = 14, ns) or (2) individual inflammation, necrosis, or fibrosis components of the HAI. As with Japanese HCV patients with genotypes 1b/II-2b/IV, higher hepatic IFNAR mRNA expression in the United States with predominant genotypes 1a/I and 1b/II appears to correlate with response to IFN therapy and a low HCV RNA titer but not with the total HAI or its components.
Alcohol-Related Diseases of the Esophagus and Stomach

The present review summarizes the clinically relevant effects of acute and chronic alcohol consumption on motility, mucosal inflammation and cancer of the esophagus and the stomach. Alcohol consumption results in a significant increase in the morbidity of these two organs, the most important probably being the significant increase in the development of esophageal cancer. This review refers to epidemiologic and systematic experimental data to elucidate the clinical impact of alcohol consumption as well as the underlying alcohol-induced pathophysiologic mechanisms for these esophageal and gastric diseases. Much research is still needed to clarify the effects of alcohol itself and the byproducts that result during the production of the different types of alcoholic beverages on dismotility and mucosal injury to the esophagus and stomach.
Impact of State Anxiety on the Jumping to Conclusions Delusion Bias

Objective: This is the first study to investigate the relationship between the level of state anxiety and the jumping to conclusions (JTC) reasoning bias in patients with first-episode psychosis using an experimental manipulation procedure. Method: Thirty patients with psychotic delusions and 30 non-clinical controls, from Hong Kong, were randomized into an anxiety induction or an anxiety reduction imagery condition. Questionnaires were used to measure trait emotions, psychotic symptoms and delusional thinking at baseline. After the anxiety manipulation, participants completed two versions of an assessment of the JTC reasoning bias, the beads task. Results: Both the patients and the non-clinical controls were responsive to the anxiety reduction imagery, but only the non-clinical controls responded to the anxiety induction imagery. The JTC reasoning bias was, as hypothesized, more common in patients than in controls, but was not significantly different between the anxiety manipulation conditions. Both patients and controls had higher rates of JTC than in previous studies. Conclusions: Patients with psychotic delusions have a marked JTC cognitive bias. This is the first JTC study in a Chinese sample, and the results suggest that the bias applies cross-culturally. The results indicate that state anxiety does not influence JTC. Limitations of the study include an inadequate anxiety state manipulation effect in psychotic patients using brief imagery, and unusually high rates of JTC in both patients and controls.
Comparative effectiveness of a bioengineered living cellular construct vs. a dehydrated human amniotic membrane allograft for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers in a real world setting

We evaluated the comparative effectiveness of a bioengineered living cellular construct (BLCC) and a dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft (dHACM) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Using a wound care–specific electronic medical record database, we assessed real‐world outcomes in 218 patients with 226 DFUs receiving treatment in 2014 at 99 wound care centers. The analysis included DFUs ≥1 and <25 cm2 with duration <=1 year and area reduction ≤20% in 14 days prior to treatment (N=163, BLCC; N=63, dHACM). The average baseline areas and durations were 6.0 cm2 and 4.4 months for BLCC and 5.2 cm2 and 4.6 months for dHACM, respectively. Patients treated with dHACM had more applications compared to those treated with BLCC (median 3.0 vs. 2.0) (p=0.003). A Cox model adjusted for key covariates including area and duration found the median time to closure for BLCC was 13.3 weeks compared to 26 weeks for dHACM, and the proportion of wounds healed were significantly higher for BLCC by 12 weeks (48% vs. 28%) and 24 weeks (72% vs. 47%) (p=0.01). Treatment with a bioengineered living cellular technology increased the probability of healing by 97% compared with a dehydrated amniotic membrane (hazard ratio = 1.97 [95% confidence interval 1.17, 3.33], p=0.01).
Immunogenicity and Safety of a Candidate Subunit Adjuvanted Herpes Zoster Vaccine in Adults with Solid Tumors Vaccinated Before or During Immunosuppressive Chemotherapy Treatment: A Phase II/III, Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract Background No herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine for immunosuppressed individuals is currently available. GSK’s candidate HZ vaccine containing recombinant varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) subunit and AS01B Adjuvant System (HZ/su) showed >90% efficacy for HZ prevention in immunocompetent adults aged ≥50 years. The HZ incidence in individuals with solid tumors (ST) receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy (chemo) is estimated as 3–4 times higher than in the overall US population (3.2/1000 person-years). We present HZ/su immunogenicity and safety in ST adults aged ≥18 years. Methods In this phase II/III, observer-blind, multicenter study (NCT01798056), ST adults received 2 doses of HZ/su or placebo intramuscularly 1–2 months apart and were randomized 4:4:1:1 to receive a first dose 8–30 days (D) pre-chemo (HZ/su – HZ/su-PreC group, placebo – Pl-PreC) or on chemo start (±1 D) (HZ/su-OnC, Pl-OnC). Vaccine response rates (VRRs) and geometric means (GMs)/means were evaluated for gE humoral immune and gE-specific CD4+ cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses 1 month (M2) and 12 months (M13) post-dose 2. Solicited adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 7 D and unsolicited and medically-attended AEs (MAEs) for 30 D post each dose. Potential immune-mediated diseases (pIMDs) and serious AEs (SAEs) were recorded until study end. Results 185 subjects (65 HZ/su-PreC, 78 Pl-PreC, 22 HZ/su-OnC, 20 Pl-OnC) were included in the according-to-protocol (ATP) cohort for humoral immunogenicity and 58 (27 HZ/su-PreC, 31 Pl-PreC) in the ATP sub-cohort for CMI. The most common ST were breast tumors (54% HZ/su, 49% placebo), followed by colorectal, lung, then other. Humoral and CMI VRRs were higher in HZ/su than Pl groups at M2 and M13. GM concentration (GMC) was highest at M2 in HZ/su-PreC. M13 GMCs were similar in the HZ/su-PreC and HZ/su-OnC groups (Table 1). The frequency of local solicited AEs was higher in HZ/su than Pl groups (Table 2); that of general solicited, unsolicited AEs, MAEs and SAEs was similar among groups (Table 3). 1 pIMD (Pl-OnC) and 23 fatal SAEs were reported. No SAE was considered vaccine-related by investigators. Conclusion HZ/su was highly immunogenic in ST adults receiving chemo. No safety concerns were raised. Funding GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA Disclosures P. Vink, GSK group of companies: Employee, Salary and stock options and stock granted
Altered p53 expression and epidermal cell proliferation is seen in vulval lichen sclerosus

Aberrant p53 immunoreactivity has been found in skin premalignancies and dysplasias such as Bowen's disease and actinic keratoses. Vulval lichen sclerosus (LS) has been reported to be pre‐malignant, with an association of vulval carcinoma in 3% to 6% of patients. In contrast, non‐genital LS appears to have no malignant potential. In this immunocytochemical study, we investigated p53 expression in 10 cases of histologically proven vulval LS and 9 cases of non‐genital LS using the murine monoclonal antibody Do‐1 raised against recombinant human p53 which reacts with both wild‐type and mutant p53. None of the vulval specimens had epithelial dysplasia or malignancy. Normal vulval (7 cases) and non‐genital skin (5 cases) were used as tissue controls, respectively. The cell proliferation index was also studied using the MIB 1 monoclonal antibody which detects the cell‐cycle associated Ki‐67 antigen. The technique of microwave irradiation for antigen unmasking was employed on Formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded tissues. There was a significant increase in p53 immunoreactivity in vulval LS (32.13 ± 15.11 epidermal cells per 100 basal cells) compared to normal vulval skin (7.52 ± 5.04 epidermal cells per 100 basal cells) (p < 0.001), whereas the MIB 1 labelling index was lower in vulval LS (39.45 ± 15.88 epidermal cells per 100 basal cells) than in normal controls (86.26 ± 32.31 epidermal cells per 100 basal cells) (0.001 < p < 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in p53 immunoreactivity or MIB 1 labelling index between non‐genital LS and normal controls. Vulval LS, when compared to non‐genital LS (8.76 ± 6.61 epidermal cells per 100 basal cells), also demonstrated a significant increase in P53 immunoreactivity (p < 0.001). The reduced proliferative index in vulval LS may be directly related to its increase in p53 expression and is in keeping with the role ol p53 in the negative regulation of cell proliferation. We propose that the difference in p53 expression may represent a difference in biological behavior between vulval LS and non‐genital LS. What role it plays in the evolution of vulval carcinoma in a setting of long standing LS is uncertain.
Anger and Hostility in Depression

The present study examined the relationship between depression and various dimensions of anger using multiple measures of anger and hostility and comparing depressed subjects with both a normal sample and a clinical sample with predominant anger difficulties. Three groups of subjects were obtained: a normal sample of 120 parents of elementary school children, 36 psychiatric inpatients meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depressive episode, and 54 hospitalized veterans meeting Diagnostic Interview Schedule criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The three groups differed significantly on all measures of anger experience, hostility, anger suppression, and anger expression. The depressed group reported greater levels of hostility and anger experience than the normal group but less than the PTSD group. On measures of anger suppression and expression, the depressed group exhibited more suppression than either the normal or the PTSD group and generally reported levels of anger expression comparable with the normal group's. The PTSD group reported the highest levels of anger expression. Within the depressed group, severity of depression was positively associated with levels of hostility and anger experience but was not related to measures of anger expression and was only partially related to anger suppression. These results are discussed as they relate to the “anger turned in” hypothesis of psychodynamic theories of depression, and directions for future research are noted.
Nonspecific facilitation of responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation

We examined the effect of facial muscle contraction and eye movements on motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the abductor pollicis brevis muscle (APB) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The hypothesis was that activity of large cortical regions (face) influences the excitability of spinal motoneurons via cortical or subcortical pathways. MEPs were recorded in 12 healthy subjects during the following conditions: (1) rest; (2) facial muscle contraction; (3) eye movements; (4) 10% precontraction of the target muscle; and (5) simultaneous target muscle precontraction and facial muscle contraction. In 9 subjects, spinal motoneuron excitability was assessed by measurements of F waves during the same facilitation maneuvers. Activation of eye and facial muscles clearly facilitated MEPs from the APB. The facilitation of MEP size during nonspecific maneuvers was almost similar to that obtained by target muscle precontraction, whereas shortening of latencies was significantly smaller. The occurrence and amplitude of F waves increased in parallel with MEP size during specific and nonspecific facilitation, pointing to spinal motoneuronal threshold changes as a potential facilitatory mechanism by facial and eye muscle activation. The different MEP latencies during specific and nonspecific facilitation were not explained by different spinal motoneuron excitability, but raise the possibility that supraspinal mechanisms contributed to nonspecific facilitation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 857–863, 1999
Analysis, Design, and Implementation of an APWM ZVZCS Full-Bridge DC–DC Converter for Battery Charging in Electric Vehicles

An efficient power converter system plays a significant role in the design of battery charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs). In this paper, a new zero-voltage and zero-current switching (ZVZCS) full-bridge dc–dc converter is proposed to reduce the power conversion losses. The proposed converter incorporates a new asymmetrical pulse width modulation (APWM) gating technique for the dc–dc conversion stage in the battery charging system. The proposed dc–dc converter topology achieves zero-voltage switching (ZVS) for all the active switches and near zero-current switching (ZCS) for low-side active switches throughout the charging range of the battery. The proposed APWM technique can reduce the switching and conduction losses compared to the conventional phase-shift modulation (PSM) gating technique. The auxiliary inductance required to ensure ZVS with APWM can also be reduced compared to PSM. Analysis, design, and implementation of the proposed APWM ZVZCS full-bridge dc-dc converter are discussed in this paper. A 100-kHz 1.2-kW laboratory prototype is developed and the experimental results are presented. The results validate the analysis and performance of the proposed converter.
Predictors of Self-Reported Prospective and Retrospective Memory in a Population-Based Sample of Older Adults

ABSTRACT In this article, the authors examined predictors of self-reported everyday memory failures using the Prospective and Retrospective Questionnaire (PRMQ; Smith, Della Sala, Logie, & Maylor, 2000) in a population-based sample of older adults (age range = 60–90 years; N = 250). The results showed that a higher frequency of reported failures was associated with lower scores on the personality dimension of self-directedness as assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI; Cloninger, Dragan, Svrakic, & Przybeck, 1993) and more depressive symptoms on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977). However, PRMQ scores showed no relationships with objective memory ability, as reflected by a series of retrospective memory measures and a measure of prospective memory. Neither were the PRMQ scales associated with general cognitive functioning as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1977). Taken together, the results indicate that within the older population, self-reported memory as assessed by the PRMQ may reflect mood-state and personality factors rather than individual differences in memory and cognitive ability.
Association of ambulatory arterial stiffness index with sEPCR in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients

Abstract Aim: Increased arterial stiffness is strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases, while thrombotic events are more common than hemorrhagic events in hypertensive patients. Markers of a hypercoagulable state may also predict future cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. Here, we speculated that increased arterial stiffness might lead to the development of a hypercoagulable state that can play a role in the thrombotic complications of hypertension. Soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) is one such marker of hypercoagulation. The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) could be accepted as a non-invasive measure of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to investigate association of AASI with levels of sEPCR in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. Materials and methods: The study included 263 newly diagnosed essential hypertensive patients and 55 healthy normotensive controls. All subjects underwent 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM); the AASI was derived from ABPM tracings. Plasma sEPCR was measured by ELISA. Results: Hypertensive patients (n = 263) had higher AASI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and sEPCR versus the normotensive healthy group (n = 55). Univariate analysis showed that AASI was positively associated with age (r = 0.212, p < 0.001) body mass index (r = 0.412, p < 0.001), pulse pressure (r = 0.350, p < 0.001), plasma sEPCR (r = 0.894, p < 0.001), 24-h heart rate (r = 0.176, p = 0.001) and inversely related to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (r = −0.293, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed that sEPCR and HDL are independently correlated to AASI. Conclusion: We suggest that increased AASI is associated with elevated sEPCR. It might be responsible for subsequent thrombotic events in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.
Mapping displacement around Tokyo International Airport after the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 derived from TerraSAR-X imageries

Ground displacement around Tokyo International Airport after the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 was estimated by the applying the sub-pixel matching methodology. We utilized the method to 21 TerraSAR-X data sets with 1.25 m pixel spacing first, and revealed that the accuracy was about 0.2 m in x direction, and better than 0.1 m in y direction by comparing with the referenced GNSS observation data. The accuracy depends on the ratio of detected values which is related to the correlation coefficients. From the map of the displacement between pre- and post- earthquake, the displacement in landfill area was noticed significant larger than the referenced area.
Age‐related trends in vertebral dimensions

Several studies have demonstrated age‐related changes in vertebral dimensions. Vertebral size has been reported to increase among elderly adults, with periosteal apposition resulting in increased cross‐sectional area (CSA) of the vertebral corpus combined with reduction in bone mineral density. These changes in CSA are observed to be sex‐specific, as the pronounced increase of vertebral CSA is found only in elderly males. However, the reduction in bone mineral density in old age is apparent within both sexes. It is thus hypothesized that higher fracture risk in elderly women is a result of their incapacity to increase vertebral size and thus adapt to bone mineral reduction. In this study, our aim was to explore whether the onset of these changes could be ascribed to specific age intervals and whether the proposed differences between the sexes are as great as previously suggested. To conduct this study we utilized two large early 20th century skeletal collections known as Terry and Bass (n = 181). We also utilized data from two lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging samples as a modern‐day reference (n = 497). Age, sex and ethnicity of all individuals were known. Vertebral CSA was determined by measuring three width and length dimensions from the corpus of the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4). Our results indicate only a moderate association between age and vertebral CSA. This association was observed to be relatively similar in both sexes, and we thus conclude that there is no clear sex‐specific compensatory mechanism for age‐related bone loss in vertebral size.
Effects of Fibrillar Aβ1–40 on the Viability of primary Cultures of Cholinergic Neurons and the Expression of Insulin Signaling–Related Proteins

To investigate the effects of fibrillar Aβ1–40 on the morphology and viability of cholinergic neurons and the involvement of the insulin‐signaling pathway, we established primary cultures of rat basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and observed their responses to treatment with fibrillar Aβ1–40 at different concentrations for different durations. Cell morphology was examined under microscope after immunofluorescence staining for neurofilament protein, cell vitality accessed by the Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, and expressions of a panel of insulin signaling–related proteins was detected by Western blot analysis. We show here that, at low concentrations of 0.1–1.0 μmol/L, fibrillar Aβ1–40 had little effects on the cells; however, at higher concentrations of 2–10 μmol/L, it caused pathological changes, decreased the cell viability, and reduced the expression of insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate‐I, Protein Kinase B, and B cell lymphoma/leukemia‐2 in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. These results demonstrate that fibrillar Aβ1–40 not only decreases the viability of cholinergic neuron but also down regulates the expression of important proteins in the insulin signal transduction pathway. We speculate that fibrillar Aβ1–40 may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's through disrupting the insulin signaling pathway, therefore decreasing neuronal activity and eventually leading to the apoptosis and cell loss. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Caffeine Impact on Metabolic Syndrome Components Is Modulated by a CYP1A2 Variant

Cultural, dietary, and lifestyle factors are the main modulators of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease risk. Coffee is one of the most popular worldwide beverages, and recent epidemiological studies have showed that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of T2DM. This study investigates the impact of coffee intake on T2DM risk and assesses the effect of CYP variants with caffeine exposures on T2DM. Data from 7,607 study subjects were analyzed by logistic regression models, among whom 3,290 GWAS data were available for CYP variants association studies using Plink analysis. These data suggest a protective relationship for women, but not for men; however, the results were not statistically significant in this dataset and there is a significant interaction in favor of women regarding heavy coffee consumption. The interaction between male gender and heavy coffee consumption becomes significant, thereby tending to cancel the protective effect of coffee for males. CYP rs2470890 allele ‘C' increases the odds of T2DM by a factor of around 1.2 but decreases the odds of caffeine boosting T2DM of 1.7 by a factor of 0.77. rs2470890 showed an association with T2DM only when the interaction with coffee was considered, thereby setting an example of genetic activation by dietary changes associating with metabolic syndrome.