Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment and Continued Validation of the Malaria SYBR Green I-Based Fluorescence Assay for Use in Malaria Drug Screening

ABSTRACT Several new fluorescence malaria in vitro drug susceptibility microtiter plate assays that detect the presence of malarial DNA in infected erythrocytes have recently been reported, in contrast to traditional isotopic screens that involve radioactive substrate incorporation to measure in vitro malaria growth inhibition. We have assessed and further characterized the malaria SYBR Green I-based fluorescence (MSF) assay for its ability to monitor drug resistance. In order to use the MSF assay as a drug screen, all assay conditions must be thoroughly examined. In this study we expanded upon the capabilities of this assay by including antibiotics and antifolates in the drug panel and testing folic acid-free growth conditions. To do this, we evaluated a more expansive panel of antimalarials in combination with various drug assay culture conditions commonly used in drug sensitivity screening for their activity against Plasmodium falciparum strains D6 and W2. The detection and quantitation limits of the MSF assay were 0.04 to 0.08% and ∼0.5% parasitemia, respectively. The MSF assay quality was significantly robust, displaying a Z′ range of 0.73 to 0.95. The 50% inhibitory concentrations for each drug and culture condition combination were determined by using the MSF assay. Compared to the standard [3H]hypoxanthine assay, the MSF assay displayed the expected parasite drug resistance patterns with a high degree of global and phenotypic correlation (r2 ≥ 0.9238), regardless of which culture condition combination was used. In conclusion, the MSF assay allows for reliable one-plate high-throughput, automated malaria in vitro susceptibility testing without the expense, time consumption, and hazard of other screening assays.
An evaluation of the effect of Ohio's graduated driver licensing law on motor vehicle crashes and crash outcomes involving drivers 16 to 20 years of age

ABSTRACT Objective: Nationally, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among youth ages 16 to 20 years. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws have been implemented to reduce motor vehicle crashes among teen drivers. Studies have shown decreases in teen crash rates and crash-related fatality rates following enactment of GDL laws. However, GDL laws typically apply to teens only until their 18th birthday; therefore, the effect, if any, that GDL laws have on youth drivers ages 18 to 20 years and whether these programs should be extended to include these older youth warrant further study. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Ohio's 2007 revised GDL law on motor vehicle crashes and crash-related injuries for crashes involving teen drivers ages 16 to 20 years, with a focus on the effects on crashes involving drivers ages 18 to 20 years. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 20 years in Ohio in the pre-GDL (2004–2006) and post-GDL (2008–2010) periods was performed. Descriptive statistics and population-based crash rates for drivers and occupants ages 16 to 20 years were calculated, as well as rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing crashes in the pre-GDL and post-GDL periods. Results: Compared with the pre-GDL period, the post-GDL period was associated with lower crash rates for drivers age 16 years (relative risk [RR] = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90–0.98), age 17 years (RR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88–0.93), age 18 years (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92–0.97), and ages 16–17 years combined (RR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90–0.95). Crash rate was higher for the post-GDL period for drivers age 19 years (RR = 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07), age 20 years (RR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05–1.13), and ages 18–20 years combined (RR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00–1.03). Conclusions: Unlike previous studies, this investigation used linked data to evaluate the outcomes of all occupants in crashes involving drivers ages 16–20 years. The post-GDL period was associated with lower crash, injury crash, and fatal crash involvement among drivers and occupants ages 16–17 years but higher overall crash involvement for drivers and occupants ages 19 years, 20 years, and 18–20 years combined. These findings support extending GDL restrictions to novice drivers ages 18 through 20 years to reduce crashes in that group.
Human immunodeficiency virus infection in microglia: Correlation between cells infected in the brain and cells cultured from infectious brain tissue

In acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the lesions of the central nervous system in association with the human immunodeficiency virus are thought to be related to an infection of microglia, although no studies are available in which cultured and physiological characteristics of microglia cells infected in vivo have been examined. In this report, we used brain tissue from a child dying of human immunodeficiency virus infection and show that microglia cells were the main cell population being infected. Moreover, isolated macrophage‐like cells from fresh brain material revealed a close resemblance to peripheral blood macrophages in their content of surface and intracellular antigens. No virus particles or viral antigens were produced by these cells during the first week of cultivation. Productive infection was readily apparent, however, by day 30. This finding illustrates the slow nature of the virus life cycle in these cells and the minimal cytopathology that accompanied the infection.
New Hydrophobic IOL Materials and Understanding the Science of Glistenings

Abstract An introduction to the history of intraocular lenses (IOLs) is given, leading up to modern hydrophobic examples. The roles of hydrophobicity, hygroscopy, materials chemistry, and edge design are discussed in the context of IOLs. The four major types of IOL materials are compared in terms of their chemistry and biocompatibility. An example of a modern “hydrophobic” acrylic polymer with higher water content is discussed in detail.
Rho / ROCK and PKC pathways are involved in nfluenza-induced cytoskeletal rearrangement and hyperpermeability n PMVEC via phosphorylating ERM

Severe influenza infections are featured by acute lung injury, a syndrome of pulmonary microvascular leak. A growing number of evidences have shown that the pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC) are critical target of influenza virus, promoting microvascular leak. It is reported that there are multiple mechanisms by which influenza virus could elicit increased pulmonary endothelial permeability, in both direct and indirect manners. Ezrin/radixin/moesin family proteins, the linkers between plasma membrane and actin cytoskeleton, have been reported to be involved in cell adhesion, motility and may modulate endothelial permeability. Studies have also shown that ERM is phosphorylated in response to various stimuli via p38MAPK, Rho/ROCK or PKC pathways. However, it is unclear that whether influenza infection could induce ERM phosphorylation and its relocalization. In the present study, we have found that there are cytoskeletal reorganization and permeability increases in the course of influenza virus infection, accompanied by upregulated levels of p-ERM. p-ERM’s aggregation along the periphery of PMVEC upon influenza virus infection was detected via confocal microscopy. Furthermore, we sought to determine the role of p38MAPK, Rho/ROCK and PKC pathways in ERM phosphorylation as well as their involvement in influenza virus-induced endothelial malfunction. The activation of p38MAPK, Rho/ROCK and PKC pathways upon influenza virus stimulation were observed, as evidenced by the evaluation of phosphorylated p38 (p-p38), phosphorylated MKK (p-MKK) in p38MAPK pathway, ROCK1 in Rho/ROCK pathway and phosphorylated PKC (p-PKC) in PKC pathway. We also showed that virus-induced ERM phosphorylation was reduced by using p38MAPK inhibitor, SB203580 (20 M), Rho/ROCK inhibitor, Y27632 (20 M), PKC inhibitor, LY317615 (10 M). Additionally, influenza virus-induced F-actin reorganization and hyperpermeability were attenuated by pretreatment with SB203580, Y27632 and LY317615. Taken together, we provide the first evidence that p38MAPK, Rho/ROCK and PKC are involved in influenzainduced cytoskeletal changes and permeability increases in PMVEC via phosphorylating ERM. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Long-lasting Response with Metronomic Capecitabine in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Effective and safe systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with severe underlying cirrhosis is not yet available. Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has proved to be effective in the treatment of patients affected by HCC with Child-Pugh class A liver function. For patients with cirrhosis-associated HCC having Child-Pugh class B and C liver function, no systemic treatments of documented efficacy and safety exist. We report a case of metastatic HCC associated with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis that was treated with low, “metronomic” doses of capecitabine (1000 mg/day continuously). This treatment was effective and well tolerated and the response was maintained for 18 months. Metronomic capecitabine may represent a possible alternative in the treatment of those patients with advanced cirrhosis-associated HCC who cannot be treated with sorafenib. Free full text available at www.tumorionline. it
Vigintiphobia Revisited

In this review the historical tenets and evidence-based clinical research in support of a bilirubin exchange threshold of >20 mg/dL for the healthy term neonate are revisited. In addition, a hypothesis is ventured that recent cases of kernicterus are related in part to changes in population factors coupled with genetic predispositions that have unmasked an unappreciated potential for marked neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Spinal and epidural blockade and perioperative low molecular weight heparin: smooth sailing on the Titanic.

T he R.M.S. Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912. The ship was considered invincible, yet 5 days into her maiden voyage, on a moonlit night with calm seas, the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. Although the collision may have been unavoidable, the consequences need not have been catastrophic. Many critical incidents occurred before the ship’s sinking and the tragic loss of life, including overconfidence and lack of vigilance by the captain and crew, the presence of too few life boats, and delay in passenger evacuation. Correction of any of these critical incidents may have improved (or possibly prevented) the disastrous outcome of this historic event. Enoxaparin, the first low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, was distributed for general use in May 1993. The approved dose scheduling of enoxaparin was 30 mg every 12 h, with the first dose administered as soon as possible after surgery. Within 1 yr, two cases of spinal hematoma had been voluntarily reported. The warnings section of the drug label was revised in March 1995 to caution practitioners of the risk of spinal hematoma in patients with indwelling catheters or concomitant treatment with antiplatelet medications. In addition, the prescribing information was changed to recommend that the first dose be given 12-24 h after surgery (rather than immediately postoperatively). By October 1995, 11 cases of spinal hematoma had been reported. A second revision of the drug label with expanded warning and adverse reaction sections was requested in January 1996, and a “Dear Doctor” letter was issued by the manufacturer. However, despite efforts at relabeling and education, cases of spinal hematoma continued to
Effect of HIV-1 antiretroviral prophylaxis on hepatic and hematological parameters of African infants

ObjectiveTo measure hepatic and hematological parameters among neonates randomized to receive ultra-short antiretroviral regimens. DesignAs part of an on-going clinical trial in Malawi, infants born to women who received (early presenters) or did not receive (late presenters) standard intrapartum nevirapine (NVP) dosing were randomized to receive orally either single dose NVP alone or NVP plus zidovudine (twice daily for 1 week). An additional group of untreated infants (born to HIV-uninfected women) was enrolled as a control. MethodsLaboratory measurements were performed at birth and repeated at 6 weeks of age. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured on approximately 200 infants consecutively enrolled and randomized at the start of the trial. Complete blood count (CBC) was performed on approximately 800 infants at birth and 600 infants at 6 weeks of age. ALT and CBC were also determined on approximately 200 control infants. ResultsAt birth there were no differences in ALT values between the groups of children. At 6 weeks of age, ALT levels were significantly higher among the treated groups compared with control group (geometric mean of 11.5 U/l for controls and 16.2–19.1 U/l for treated groups;P < 0.0001). Hematological parameters did not differ between groups at birth. At 6 weeks of age, levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, granulocytes, and platelets were significantly (P < 0.0001) lower among antiviral drug-treated groups compared with controls. These changes were consistent with grade 1 (mild) toxicity, and were more noticeable among HIV-infected infants. ConclusionsHepatic and hematologic abnormalities associated with short-term neonatal antiretrovirals among African children are minimal.
Adaptive Learning Control for Induction Motor Servo Drives

The output feedback tracking control problem for induction motor servo drives with mechanical uncertainties is addressed. Under the assumption that the reference profile for the rotor angle is periodic with known period, an adaptive learning control is designed, which "learns" the non-structured unknown periodic disturbance signal due to mechanical uncertainties by identifying the Fourier coefficients of any truncated approximation, while guaranteing L2 and Linfin transient performances. It is shown that, for any motor initial condition belonging to an arbitrary given compact set: i) the guaranteed output tracking precision improves by increasing the number of terms in the truncated Fourier series; ii) when the unknown periodic disturbance can be represented by a finite Fourier series, it is exponentially reconstructed by the learning algorithm and exponential output tracking is achieved. Simulation results for a digital implementation of the proposed controller are provided.
Discovering behavioral patterns in collective authorship of place-based information

While current GIS research has focused on technological issues of visualization and data organization, the emergence of new forms of collective authorship suggest we need new information frameworks and behaviors. How do individuals contribute place-based information to a digital commons? What are the authorship dynamics of such collective effort? For my research, I will use spatial data mining methods to characterize authorship behavior on a corpus of 1 million geotagged articles across 20 languages from Wikipedia.
Leukocyte Activation: Relation to Cardiovascular Mortality after Cerebrovascular Ischemia

Activated leukocytes are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerotic vascular disease and its consequences. In a 4-year observational follow-up study, we investigated whether markers for systemic leukocyte activation (leukocyte-derived inflammatory mediators) were related to cardiovascular mortality after cerebrovascular ischemia. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, we measured the plasma levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor protein-1 (sTNFR-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and neutrophil protease-4 (NP4) in 144 patients (90 stroke, 54 transient ischemic attack) 1–3 days after cerebral ischemia. During the 4 years of follow-up, 42 (29%) of the 144 patients died; 38 of cardiovascular causes and 4 of other causes. Patients with evidence of higher leukocyte activation (n = 47) had a higher 4-year cardiovascular mortality rate than those without evidence of leukocyte activation (n = 97; p < 0.005). Logistic regression analysis with age, sex and other significant predictors as covariates showed higher plasma levels of sTNFR1 and NGAL both to be significant independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality, the respective odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals, and p values being 2.0, 1.2–3.4, p < 0.01, and 3.6, 1.2–10.5, p = 0.02, respectively. We concluded that in patients with acute cerebral ischemia, plasma markers of leukocyte activation were significant predictors of long-term cardiovascular mortality. This may indicate an important role of activated leukocytes in the progression of these diseases.
Tannins: classification and definition.

The name ‘tannin’ is derived from the French ‘tanin’ (tanning substance) and is used for a range of natural polyphenols. Since ancient times it is known that certain organic substances have tanning properties and are able to tan animal skins to form leather. Prehistoric tribes already knew about the tanning of protective animal hides with brain material and the fat of the killed animals. However, precisely what happens to the skin during the tanning process was only elucidated during the twentieth century with the help of modern analytical techniques. Real tanning is understood as the crosslinking of the skin’s collagen chains, while false tanning entails the filling of hollow spaces between the skin’s collagen chains. The traditional tanning of animal skins by means of plant tannins has been replaced gradually by mineral tanning, as represented by alum tanning (or glace tanning, a variant of alum tanning) and more recently, since the end of the nineteenth century, by chromium tanning. In nature the tannins are found worldwide in many different families of the higher plants such as in chestnut and oak wood, Divi-Divi, Sumach, Myrobalaen, Trillo, Valonea or plant galls; depending on their origin, their chemistry varies widely, having a molar mass of up to 20000 D. High tannin concentrations are found in nearly every part
Abnormalities of the cerebellum in oro‐facio‐digital syndrome II (Mohr syndrome)

Two patients with oro‐facio‐digital syndrome type II (OFD‐II, Mohr syndrome) with associated cerebellar atrophy are described. Three other cases of the Mohr syndrome with cerebellar abnormalities are cited from the literature. Cerebellar involvement seems to be a clinical feature of this syndrome. Unfortunately, there is a lack of CNS reports for many of the previously described patients. In all cases with this entity, careful neurological and radiological examinations of the cerebellum are recommended.
Recovery-aware proactive TSV repair for electromigration in 3D ICs

Electromigration (EM) becomes a major reliability concern in three-dimensional integrated-circuits (3D ICs). To mitigate this problem, a typical solution is to use TSV redundancy in a reactive manner, maintaining the operability of a 3D chip in the presence of EM failures by detecting and replacing faulty TSVs with spares. In this work, we explore an alternative, more preferred approach to enhance the EM-related lifetime reliability of TSV grid, in which redundancy is used proactively to allow non-faulty TSVs to be temporarily deactivated. In this way, EM wear-out can be reversed by exploiting its recovery property. Applied to 3D benchmark designs, the recovery-aware proactive repair approach increases EM-related lifetime reliability (measured in mean-time-to-failure) of the entire TSV grid by up to 12X relative to the conventional reactive method, with less area overhead.
Resolution and Energy Dissipation Characteristics of Implicit LES and Explicit Filtering Models for Compressible Turbulence

Solving two-dimensional compressible turbulence problems up to a resolution of 16, 3842, this paper investigates the characteristics of two promising computational approaches: (i) an implicit or numerical large eddy simulation (ILES) framework using an upwind-biased fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction algorithm equipped with several Riemann solvers, and (ii) a central sixth-order reconstruction framework combined with various linear and nonlinear explicit low-pass spatial filtering processes. Our primary aim is to quantify the dissipative behavior, resolution characteristics, shock capturing ability and computational expenditure for each approach utilizing a systematic analysis with respect to its modeling parameters or parameterizations. The relative advantages and disadvantages of both approaches are addressed for solving a stratified Kelvin-Helmholtz instability shear layer problem as well as a canonical Riemann problem with the interaction of four shocks. The comparisons are both qualitative and quantitative, using visualizations of the spatial structure of the flow and energy spectra, respectively. We observe that the central scheme, with relaxation filtering, offers a competitive approach to ILES and is much more computationally efficient than WENO-based schemes.
The clinical transition between pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris correlates well with the changes in autoantibody profile assessed by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay

Background There are a number of reports of pemphigus with clinical shifting between pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV). On the other hand, a novel enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against recombinant baculoproteins of desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) (PF antigen) and Dsg3 (PV antigen) has been established and found to be extremely sensitive and specific.
Weaker Seniors Exhibit Motor Cortex Hypoexcitability and Impairments in Voluntary Activation.

BACKGROUND Weakness predisposes seniors to a fourfold increase in functional limitations. The potential for age-related degradation in nervous system function to contribute to weakness and physical disability has garnered much interest of late. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that weaker seniors have impairments in voluntary (neural) activation and increased indices of GABAergic inhibition of the motor cortex, assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation. METHODS Young adults (N = 46; 21.2±0.5 years) and seniors (N = 42; 70.7±0.9 years) had their wrist flexion strength quantified along with voluntary activation capacity (by comparing voluntary and electrically evoked forces). Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure motor-evoked potential amplitude and silent period duration during isometric contractions at 15% and 30% of maximum strength. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure intracortical facilitation and short-interval and long-interval intracortical inhibition. The primary analysis compared seniors to young adults. The secondary analysis compared stronger seniors (top two tertiles) to weaker seniors (bottom tertile) based on strength relative to body weight. RESULTS The most novel findings were that weaker seniors exhibited: (i) a 20% deficit in voluntary activation; (ii) ~20% smaller motor-evoked potentials during the 30% contraction task; and (iii) nearly twofold higher levels of long-interval intracortical inhibition under resting conditions. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that weaker seniors exhibit significant impairments in voluntary activation, and that this impairment may be mechanistically associated with increased GABAergic inhibition of the motor cortex.