Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissociation of CD154 and Cytokine Expression Patterns in CD38+ CD4+ Memory T Cells in Chronic HIV-1 Infection

Expression of the activation antigen CD38 on T cells is a strong predictor of the risk of HIV disease progression, but it is not known whether CD38 is a marker or mediator of dysfunction. We examined the relationship between CD38 expression and responses to T-cell receptor stimulation in central memory and effector memory CD4+ T cells in HIV-infected persons and in healthy controls. Basal CD38 expression was preserved by blocking golgi transport with brefeldin A. Intracellular expression of interleukin 2, interferon γ, and CD154 was measured after stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B with or without anti-CD28 costimulation. Interferon-γ responses were comparable or increased in stimulated CD38+ memory cells, and the interleukin 2 responses of costimulated CD38+ central memory cells were decreased in HIV infection. In CD38+ cells and especially in CD38+ cells of HIV-infected persons, stimulated memory cells more often failed to express CD154 (CD40 ligand) when induced to express cytokine. A dissociated cytokine and CD154 expression by memory CD4 T cells may impair interactions between T cells and antigen-presenting cells, contribute to impaired immunity and help explain the relationship between CD38 expression and disease progression in chronic HIV infection.
The abrupt discontinuation of fluvoxamine in patients with panic disorder.

BACKGROUND We evaluated patients abruptly withdrawn from fluvoxamine, a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor, for evidence of a discontinuation syndrome. METHOD In an open-label study, 14 subjects were abruptly withdrawn from fluvoxamine after treatment lasting 8 months (7 months for 1 patient). Psychological, somatic, and perceptual symptoms were assessed at Day 5, Day 10, and Day 14 postdiscontinuation. Anxiety and depression were assessed using clinician and self-rated scales. RESULTS Twelve (86%) of 14 subjects developed new symptoms. The most frequent symptoms reported were dizziness/incoordination, headaches, nausea, and irritability. Symptoms peaked on Day 5 postdiscontinuation. Only 1 subject had a recurrence of panic, but another developed anxiety and depression; both were remedicated. CONCLUSION Abrupt fluvoxamine discontinuation is associated with a characteristic syndrome in many patients.
Pathology and Tissue Sampling Protocols for Rodent Carcinogenicity Studies: Time for Revision

Address correspondence to: Dr B. Leblanc, Clinical Pharmacology, Pfizer Inc, PO Box 8030, Groton, Connecticut 06340-8030, USA; email: bernard_leblanc@groton.pfizer. com. Long-term carcinogenicity studies in rodents, despite all their flaws and limitations, remain an important tool for the assessment of the carcinogenic potential of chemicals (4, 24, 25, 37). These studies generally involve the exposure of groups of 50 male and 50 female animals,
Updating the Glass Cliff: Female Characteristics Perceived Essential for Leading Thriving Companies

The Glass Cliff Phenomenon, in which women appear more likely to be promoted to leadership in times of crisis (Ryan & Haslam, 2005), may be a function of stereotypic views. In this study, we systematically replicated Kottke, and associates (2013), which had been a replication of the Bruckmüller and Branscombe (2010) study, to determine whether gender stereotypes relate to people’s perceptions of leadership traits under the paradigms “think manager – think male” and “think crisis – think female. ” After reading a scenario of either a company in crisis or one that was thriving, working students were asked to rate a list of 58 traits on bi-polar scales assessing the need of each characteristic to a leader during times of success and crisis. Although some traits were in fact rated as being needed for a leader of a thriving company, there was very little overlap with the expected gendertyped leadership traits and the paradigm was not supported.
On the number of siblings and p-th cousins in a large population sample

The number of individuals in a random sample with close relatives in the sample is a quantity of interest when designing Genome Wide Association Studies and other cohort based genetic, and non-genetic, studies. In this paper, we develop expressions for the distribution and expectation of the number of p-th cousins in a sample from a population of size N under two diploid Wright–Fisher models. We also develop simple asymptotic expressions for large values of N. For example, the expected proportion of individuals with at least one p-th cousin in a sample of K individuals, for a diploid dioecious Wright–Fisher model, is approximately 1-e-(22p-1)K/N\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$1-e^{-(2^{2p-1})K/N}$$\end{document}. Our results show that a substantial fraction of individuals in the sample will have at least a second cousin if the sampling fraction (K / N) is on the order of 10-2\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$10^{-2}$$\end{document}. This confirms that, for large cohort samples, relatedness among individuals cannot easily be ignored.
Basalt Melting by Localized-Microwave Thermal-Runaway Instability

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical study of the thermal-runaway instability induced by localized microwaves in basalt stones. This effect leads to the inner melting of the basalt core, and further to its eruption similarly to a volcanic burst. The experiments are conducted in a single-mode cavity at 2.45 GHz, 0.9 kW. The microwave-induced miniature volcano exhibits hotspots, bursts and eruption of lava, and solidification of lava flows to volcanic glass (obsidian), similarly to real volcanic phenomena. The numerical simulation, taking into account the temperature dependence of the basalt properties, is compared to the experimental measurements. The results may lead to the development of new means for mining and construction in basalt, as well as for demonstrating volcanic phenomena in laboratories, schools and museums.
A comparative study on invasion, survival, modulation of oxidative burst, and nitric oxide responses of macrophages (HD11), and systemic infection in chickens by prevalent poultry Salmonella serovars.

Poultry is a major reservoir for foodborne Salmonella serovars. Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Heidelberg, Salmonella Kentucky, and Salmonella Senftenberg are the most prevalent serovars in U.S. poultry. Information concerning the interactions between different Salmonella species and host cells in poultry is lacking. In the present study, the above mentioned Salmonella serovars were examined for invasion, intracellular survival, and their ability to modulate oxidative burst and nitric oxide (NO) responses in chicken macrophage HD11 cells. All Salmonella serovars demonstrated similar capacity to invade HD11 cells. At 24 h post-infection, a 36-43% reduction of intracellular bacteria, in log(10)(CFU), was observed for Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Heidelberg, Salmonella Kentucky, and Salmonella Senftenberg, whereas a significantly lower reduction (16%) was observed for Salmonella Enteritidis, indicating its higher resistance to the killing by HD11 cells. Production of NO was completely diminished in HD11 cells infected with Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis, but remained intact when infected with Salmonella Heidelberg, Salmonella Kentucky, and Salmonella Senftenberg. Phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated oxidative burst in HD11 cells was greatly impaired after infection by each of the five serovars. When newly hatched chickens were challenged orally, a high rate (86-98%) of systemic infection (Salmonella positive in liver/spleen) was observed in birds challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Heidelberg, and Salmonella Kentucky, while only 14% of the birds were Salmonella Senftenberg positive. However, there was no direct correlation between systemic infection and in vitro differential intracellular survival and modulation of NO response among the tested serovars.
Is the osseointegration of immediately and delayed loaded implants the same?--comparison of the implant stability during a 3-month healing period in a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of the present study were (1) to compare the stability of delayed loaded (DL) and immediately loaded (IL) ITI SLA implants during the first 3 months of the healing period using resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and (2) to determine the factors that affect implant stability during the healing period. MATERIALS AND METHODS To compare implant stability, RFA was performed on two groups of patients (12 patients received 25 IL implants and 47 patients received 79 DL implants) with a total 104 ITI SLA implants. Implant stability was measured directly by RFA at implant placement and consecutively once a week for 12 weeks. Statistical analyses were carried out to study implant stability differences between IL and DL groups. RESULTS One of the 25 implants in the IL group failed, and no implant was lost in the DL group. Implant stability between the IL and DL groups showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The mean implant stability quotient of all measured implants from implant insertion to 12 weeks was 72.88 +/- 5.39 for the DL and 75.86 +/- 3.60 for the IL types. The lowest stability was at 4 weeks for DL implants (mean: 71.58 +/- 5.11) and 2 weeks for IL implants (mean: 71.33 +/- 2.97). In both groups, bone types I and II showed higher implant stability than bone type III (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicate that differences in osseointegration between IL and DL implants may be predicted according to differential implant stability.
Production of a herbal wine from Aloe vera gel and evaluation of its effect against common food borne pathogens and probiotics

In view of the increasing demand of value added herbal products, an attempt was made to produce a functional fermented Aloe vera based herbal wine. The wine was evaluated for effect on probiotics and food borne pathogens. Aloe vera gel, supplemented with sugar proved to be a good medium for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for making the Aloe vera wine. The wine was found to be similar to any other wine in terms of its composition, and sensory quantities. The wine exhibited bactericidal activity against common food borne pathogens ( Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli). However, its bactericidal effect was much faster in case of Salmonella as compared to other pathogens. Interestingly, the wine was not inhibitory to the selected probiotic strains and no significant difference in the viable count of lactobacilli was found in the fecal matter, hence, indicating their persistence in the gut of wine fed animal.
Role of tissue kallikrein in the cardioprotective effects of ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning in myocardial ischemia

Tissue kallikrein (TK), a major kinin‐forming enzyme, is synthesized in the heart and arteries. We tested the hypothesis that TK plays a protective role in myocardial ischemia by performing ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury, with and without ischemic preconditioning (IPC) or ACE inhibitor (ramiprilat) pretreatment, in vivo in littermate wild‐type (WT) or TK‐deficient (TK−/−) mice. IR induced similar infarcts in WT and TK−/−. IPC reduced infarct size by 65% in WT, and by 40% in TK−/− (P<0.05, TK−/− vs WT). Ramiprilat also reduced infarct size by 29% in WT, but in TK−/− its effect was completely suppressed. Pretreatment of WT with a B2, but not a B1, kinin receptor antagonist reproduced the effects of TK deficiency. However, B2 receptor‐deficient mice (B2−/−) unexpectedly responded to IPC or ramiprilat like WT mice. But pretreatment of the B2−/− mice with a B1 antagonist suppressed the cardioprotective effects of IPC and ramiprilat. In B2−/−, B1 receptor gene expression was constitutively high. In WT and TK−/− mice, both B2 and B1 mRNA levels increased several fold during IR, and even more during IPC+IR. Thus TK and the B2 receptor play a critical role in the cardioprotection afforded by two experimental maneuvers of potential clinical relevance, IPC and ACE inhibition, during ischemia.
HLA Class‐I Diversity in Cameroon: Evidence for a North‐South Structure of Genetic Variation and Relationships with African Populations

HLA class I diversity (loci A, B and C) was analysed in four populations, two from North Cameroon (Podokwo and Uldeme) and two from South Cameroon (Ewondo and Bamileke). Northern and southern Cameroon populations show a substantial genetic diversity in terms of haplotype sharing and genetic distances, even despite the low percentage of variance due to differences among populations evidenced by analysis of molecular variance. The signals of differentiation among populations are consistent with their linguistic affiliation, and support previous evidence, based on autosomal microsatellites and protein loci, which has shown that the complex pattern of genetic variation of Cameroon can in part be described by contrasting the northern and southern part of the country. Looking at our results in the more general framework of HLA diversity in sub‐Saharan Africa, it turns out that the Podokwo and Uldeme show some genetic links to populations of the southern western branch of the Sahel corridor, while their high frequency of A*02 and C*04 alleles is congruent with previously hypothesised introgression of non‐sub‐Saharan alleles. On the other hand, signals of shared ancestry between the Bamileke and Ewondo and the Bantu speakers from central and southern Africa were detected.
[Molecular characterization of resistance mechanisms to chloramphenicol in Shigella flexneri strains isolated from Chilean children with acute diarrhea].

BACKGROUND Chloramphenicol is one of the therapeutic options for shigellosis, but resistance to this antimicrobial is increasing. AIM To characterize molecular mechanisms conferring resistance to chloramphenicol (Cm) in Shigella flexneri strains isolated from Chilean children with acute diarrhea. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty one Shigella filexneri strains, including 22 with the Cm phenotype were analyzed. Strains were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by plate dilution and for the presence of an internal fragment of the cat gene encoding for chloramphenicol o-acetyl-transferase, by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. RESULTS All Cm strains had a minimal inhibitory concentration over 64 micrograms/ml and amplified the internal fragment of the cat gene. Southern blot analyses indicated that this gene was located in the bacterial chromosome. CONCLUSIONS Resistance to chloramphenicol in this group of Shigella flexneri strains was mediated by a chromosomally located cat gene.
State estimation of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles for wide area survey of seafloor

In this paper, we propose a state estimation method for navigation by multiple AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) for wide area seafloor observation. The key idea is that moving AUVs estimate their states (horizontal position and heading angle) based on AUVs remaining stationary on the seafloor (landmark AUVs). By alternating the landmark role, each AUV navigates over wide area with small position drift. In our previous work, we demonstrated the case of two vehicles. We now expand this method to more than two vehicles. In the extended method, two AUVs alternate between the moving role and the landmark role, and the other AUVs constantly move and estimate only their own states based on the landmark AUV. To analyse the performance of the proposed method, navigation simulation was done. It was observed that the total time to cover the designated area became shorter as the number of the vehicles increased because every vehicle except a landmark vehicle can navigate simultaneously. Positioning errors were also estimated to be smaller than dead reckoning. Errors in position estimation were found to be about 1.1 m in horizontal position and about 0.6 degree in heading angle after navigating for over 120m × 500m by 4 vehicles. It was demonstrated that AUVs could cover the wide area faster and also achieve stable positioning by using the proposed method. Future works includes formulation of the error propagation in the multiple AUVs navigation.
Bicuculline infusion advances the timing of Fos expression in LHRH neurons in the preoptic area of proestrous rats

THE effect of bicuculline (BIC) on Fos expression in luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons was examined by immunocytochemistry. Proestrous rats were infused with saline (SAL 1400, n = 4) or BIC (BIC 1400, n = 5) for 3 h (10.00–13.00 h) and were killed at 1400 h. Three control rats (SAL 1700), which received saline infusion, were killed at 1700 h. In both the BIC 1400 group and the SAL 1700 group, many LHRH neurons in the preoptic area expressed Fos, but those in the SAL 1400 group did not. The distribution and proportion of LHRH neurons expressing Fos in the BIC 1400 group were identical to those in the SAL 1700 group. We conclude that GABAergic neurons play a critical role in inducing LH surge by controlling LHRH neuronal activity.
Impact of intracoronary cell therapy on left ventricular function in the setting of acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled clinical trials

Context Numerous randomized controlled studies assessing intracoronary bone marrow cell therapy (BMC) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been performed. Objective To systematically review the effect of autologous BMC therapy on left ventricular function by performing an up to date meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including long-term follow-up. Data sources Trials were indentified through a literature search from 1980 to June 2012 of the Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane database, and the Current Controlled Trials Register. Study selection Randomized clinical trials comparing intracoronary BMC infusion to control as treatment for AMI. Data extraction The primary endpoint was the change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline to follow-up. Secondary endpoints were changes in left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), infarct size and clinical outcomes. Results Improvement of LVEF in patients receiving intracoronary BMC was significantly better within 6 months (23 studies, 2.23% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00 to 3.47); p<0.001). At 12 months of follow-up, this effect sustained with 3.91% more LVEF improvement (11 studies, (95% CI 2.56 to 5.27), p<0.001). At long-term follow-up, we found a trend for better LVEF improvement in favor of cell therapy (7 studies, 1.90% (95% CI −0.43 to 4.23); p=0.11). There was no clear effect in infarct size or LVEDV. However, we found a significant reduction in LVESV at 6 months (−4.81 ml (95% CI −7.86 to −1.76); p<0.001 and at 12 months (−9.41 ml (95% CI −13.64 to −5.17); p<0.001). Moreover, there was a statistically significant decrease in recurrent AMI (Relative Risk (RR) 0.44 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.79); p=0.007), and readmission for heart failure, unstable angina or chest pain (RR 0.59 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.98); p=0.04) in favour of cell therapy. Conclusion Intracoronary BMC treatment leads to a moderate improvement of LVEF and reduction of LVESV at 6 months that sustained at 12 months follow-up, without a clear significant effect on LVEDV, or infarct size. Furthermore, we found that intracoronary cell therapy is significantly associated with a reduction in recurrent AMI and readmission for heart failure, unstable angina or chest pain.
Testing overconfidence bias in Pakistani stock market

Abstract Excessive trading phenomenon is contrary to the concept of traditional finance that is based on the rational expectation theorem and efficient market hypothesis. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the existence of overconfidence behavior in the stock market. The market-wide panel VAR model is used to investigate the lead–lag relationship between stock returns and turnover. Our results suggest that investors are overconfident in Pakistani stock market because turnover depends directly upon stock returns. The findings have important implications for investors and brokers for developing appropriate trading strategy.
Long‐term outcome following imatinib therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia, with assessment of dosage and blood levels: the JALSG CML202 study

A prospective multicenter Phase II study was performed to examine the efficacy and safety of imatinib therapy in newly diagnosed Japanese patients with chronic‐phase CML. Patients were scheduled to receive imatinib 400 mg daily. Plasma imatinib concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In 481 evaluable patients, estimated 7‐year overall survival (OS) and event‐free survival (EFS) at a median follow‐up of 65 months were 93% and 87%, respectively. Because imatinib dosage was reduced in many patients due mainly to adverse events, subgroup analysis was performed according to the mean daily dose during the first 24 months of treatment: ≥360 mg (400‐mg group; n = 294), 270–359 mg (300‐mg group; n = 90) and <270 mg (200‐mg group; n = 67). There were no significant differences in OS and EFS between the 300‐ and 400‐mg groups; however, cumulative rates of complete cytogenetic and major molecular responses differed significantly between the two groups. There were no significant differences in mean imatinib trough levels between these two groups for the patients in whom trough levels had been measured. Survival and efficacy in the 200‐mg group were markedly inferior to the former two groups. These results suggest that, although a daily dose of 400 mg imatinib is associated with better outcomes, 300 mg imatinib may be adequate for a considerable number of Japanese patients who are intolerant to 400 mg imatinib. Blood level monitoring would be useful to determine the optimal dose of imatinib. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1071–1078)
RT-HIL testing of an excitation control system for oscillation damping using external stabilizing signals

A feature of an Excitation Control System (ECS) for synchronous generators is to enable power system stabilization by providing an additional input to the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) for external stabilization signals. This paper explores this feature by externally generating stabilization signals which are fed as an analog input to a commercial ECS. This allows bypassing the built-in PSS function in the ECS and gives more freedom to the end-user to utilize custom stabilizer models. ABB's Unitrol 1020 Excitation Control System is coupled with Opal-RT's eMEGAsim Real-Time simulator to perform Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation of the ECS. The output of several stabilizer models is fed to the ABB's Unitrol 1020 ECS as external power system stabilization signals to analyze their performance for small signal stability enhancement.