Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acquisition of HLA‐DR and Costimulatory Molecules by T Cells from Allogeneic Antigen Presenting Cells

There is accumulating evidence that cell surface molecules may be transferred between cells during an encounter. The aim of these experiments was to determine whether transfer of allogeneic material to T cells could influence human alloresponses. CD4+ cells were cocultured with M1 cell (human fibroblast) transfectants expressing HLA‐DR1, CD80 and CD86 alone or in combination. Up to 95% of the allogeneic T cells became positive for HLA‐DR and the appropriate costimulatory molecules after only 4 h of coculture. The phenomenon required cell contact and cell membrane fluidity because transfer was abolished by transwell separation of the M1 cells and the T cells or by pre‐treatment of the APC with paraformaldehyde. Flow cytometric sorting of T cells after coculture and subsequent mixed lymphocyte assays demonstrated that the T cells that had acquired both HLA‐DR and costimulatory molecules could act as potent antigen presenting cells. Finally, matured human dendritic cells were also shown to transfer these molecules to CD4+ cells, which could then act as antigen presenting cells for unprimed T cells and for a cell line specific for an HLA‐peptide complex acquired from the DCs. Taken together, these data suggest a novel pathway for the amplification of human alloresponses.
The Dynamics of Market Efficiency

We study the dynamics of high-frequency market efficiency measures. We provide evidence that these measures comove across stocks and with each other, suggesting the existence of a systematic market efficiency component. In vector autoregressions, we show that shocks to funding liquidity (the TED spread), hedge fund assets under management, and a proxy for algorithmic trading are significantly associated with systematic market efficiency. Thus, stock market efficiency is prone to systematic fluctuations, and, consistent with recent theories, events and policies that impact funding liquidity can affect the aggregate degree of price efficiency.Received April 30, 2016; editorial decision June 27, 2016 by Editor Stefan Nagel
Design and realization of hybrid drive with supercapacitor and power flow control

Hybrid electric vehicles are one of the most effective solutions to improve our environment, one of few such products that are available at the mass-market and also accepted by the customers. With the improved energy storage systems and control algorithms, hybrid vehicles can further gain on the applicability and consequently on the popularity. In this paper, a design and control of the elements of the hybrid vehicle propulsion system, with an emphasis on supercapacitor as the peak energy storage unit, is presented. The propulsion system is dimensioned for light delivery vehicle. In order to simplify design and testing, a laboratory test rig was built rather than using the complete vehicle. Trough simulations and experiments a significant improvement of the properties of energy storage system is confirmed after adding the supercapacitor to the battery. The experiments also confirm the advantages of energy flow management based on the stabilization of the common DC bus voltage.
Development of a novel score for the prediction of hospital mortality in patients with severe sepsis: the use of electronic healthcare records with LASSO regression

Background and objective There are several disease severity scores being used for the prediction of mortality in critically ill patients. However, none of them was developed and validated specifically for patients with severe sepsis. The present study aimed to develop a novel prediction score for severe sepsis. Results A total of 3206 patients with severe sepsis were enrolled, including 1054 non-survivors and 2152 survivors. The LASSO score showed the best discrimination (area under curve: 0.772; 95% confidence interval: 0.735-0.810) in the validation cohort as compared with other scores such as simplified acute physiology score II, acute physiological score III, Logistic organ dysfunction system, sequential organ failure assessment score, and Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score. The calibration slope was 0.889 and Brier value was 0.173. Materials and Methods The study employed a single center database called Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III) MIMIC-III for analysis. Severe sepsis was defined as infection and acute organ dysfunction. Clinical and laboratory variables used in clinical routines were included for screening. Subjects without missing values were included, and the whole dataset was split into training and validation cohorts. The score was coined LASSO score because variable selection was performed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) technique. Finally, the LASSO score was evaluated for its discrimination and calibration in the validation cohort. Conclusions The study developed the LASSO score for mortality prediction in patients with severe sepsis. Although the score had good discrimination and calibration in a randomly selected subsample, external validations are still required.
Natural Cryptosporidium hominis infections in Scottish cattle

G21 3UW M. Mallon, BSc, A. Macleod, BSc, PhD, A. Tait, BSc, PhD, FRSE, Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology J. M. Wastling, BSc, PhD, Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ W. J. Reilly, BSc, BVMS, DVSM, L. M. Browning, BSc, PhD, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, Glasgow G3 7LN D. Gray, BVM&S, MSc, MRCVS, SAC Veterinary Services, Mill of Craibstone, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire
The Nose after Laryngectomy

Previous studies of nasal function after laryngectomy have suggested that patients must accept complete and irreversible anosmia as an inevitable consequence of the operation, and that this is due to interruption of a poorly defined neuronal interaction between larynx and nose. In this study nasal function was investigated in 23 laryngectomees and 10 patients about to undergo laryngectomy. Scanning electron microscopy showed a more densely ciliated nasal epithelium in the laryngectomees compared with the preoperative controls, and nasal mucociliary transport, measured by saccharine clearance, was significantly faster (P < 0.01) in laryngectomees. Olfactory acuity, as determined by the threshold for detection of insufflated pyridine vapour, was normal in laryngectomees. Some laryngectomees did have a relatively normal sense of smell; these were shown to be those who had discovered a technique of sniffing using buccopharyngeal rather than respiratory musculature. These findings have obvious implications for the rehabilitation of laryngectomees, many of whom may otherwise have to contend with distressing anosmia as well as the other physical and psychological consequences of the operation.
Laboratory Observations on the Feeding Behavior and Feeding Rate of the Nemertean Procephalothrix simulus

The feeding behavior of the nemertean Procephalothrix simulus and the effects of extrinsic factors on the feeding rates of this nemertean were experimentally studied. Procephalothrix simulus showed a typical macrophagous feeding strategy and consumed various food items. When capturing freshwater Tubifex sp. , the nemerteans successfully ingested prey in all attacks, and they did not evert the proboscis in 25% of capture events. When capturing marine Saccocirrus gabrillae, the nemerteans failed to consume prey in more than half of the attacks, and they always everted the proboscis. There was a positive relationship between nemertean body weight and the rate of successful attacks, and a negative relationship between nemertean body weight and the duration of feeding events. The feeding rate of P. simulus increased when the temperature was raised from 5 °C to 30 °C but was significantly inhibited at 32 °C. Food intake was significantly reduced in media diluted to a practical salinity of 20 and 10 and in medium with the salinity elevated to 45. Dark conditions induced higher food intake, but prey density had no significant effect on feeding rate. These results suggest that P. simulus is a predator successfully adapted to the variable environmental conditions of the intertidal habitat.
KEEPS: The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study

Observational studies have indicated that hormone therapy given at or after menopause is linked to substantial reduction in cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. Recent findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial, however, indicate that combined estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy, as well as estrogen-alone hormone therapy (given to women without a uterus), is ineffective in preventing the new onset of cardiac events in previously healthy late menopausal women. Further, the secondary prevention trial, the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), also failed to demonstrate any benefit of initiation of hormone therapy in women with established coronary heart disease. In light of these results, a hypothesis has arisen that early initiation of hormone therapy, in women who are at the inception of their menopause, will delay the onset of subclinical cardiovascular disease in women. The rationale that earlier intervention than that performed in the WHI and HERS trials will provide cardiovascular benefit to women is the driving force behind the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study, or KEEPS. KEEPS is a multicenter, 5-year clinical trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of 0.45 mg of conjugated equine estrogens, 50 μg weekly transdermal estradiol (both in combination with cyclic oral, micronized progesterone, 200 mg for 12 days each month), and placebo in preventing progression of carotid intimal medial thickness and the accrual of coronary calcium in women aged 42–58 years who are within 36 months of their final menstrual period. A total of 720 women are planned to be enrolled in 2005, with an anticipated close-out of the trial in 2010. This overview summarizes the recruitment and methodology of the KEEPS trial.
Recovery of Locomotion following Transplantation of Monoaminergic Neurons in the Spinal Cord of Paraplegic Rats a

Abstract: Severe traumatic lesions of the spinal cord yield a permanent deficit of motricity in adult mammals and specifically a loss of locomotor activity of hindlimbs when the lesion is located at the lower thoracic level. To restore this function, we have developed a paradigm of transplantation in rats based on a transection model of the spinal cord and the subsequent injection at the sublesional level of a suspension of embryonic brainstem monoaminergic neurons which play a key role in the modulation of locomotion. A genuine locomotion was characterized in transplanted animals by electromyographic and electroneurographic recordings. This correlated with a specific reinnervation pattern of targets, where typical synapses were found, and with the normalization of biochemical parameters.
Utility of objective measures of activity and attention in the assessment of therapeutic response to stimulants in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent disorder that can respond dramatically to medication, if dose is appropriately titrated. Studies suggest that computer measures of attention cannot be used for titration as they show improvement on doses too low to produce clinical benefits. We assessed whether measures of motor activity and attention using the McLean Motion Attention Test (M-MAT) could identify doses associated with optimal clinical response. METHODS Eleven boys (9.6 +/- 1.8 years), receiving treatment with methylphenidate, and meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADHD, participated in this triple-blind (parent, child, rater), within-subject, efficacy study. Subjects received 1 week each of placebo, low (0.4 mg/kg), medium (0.8 mg/kg), and high (1.5 mg/kg) daily doses of methylphenidate. Parents rated response using an index of clinical global improvement. RESULTS In 9/11 subjects, the dose that produced the best improvement on M-MAT measures was also the dose that produced the best clinical outcome (p < 10(5)). Parents rated response to this dose significantly better than response to previously prescribed treatment. Objective measures of primarily activity and secondarily attention responded to treatment in a manner concordant with clinical ratings, suggesting that these measures have ecological validity, and the potential to facilitate medication management and titration.
Status epilepticus as a system disturbance: Is status epilepticus due to synchronization or desynchronization?

The traditional view of seizure activity is one in which there is extreme hypersynchronization. Although what is meant by hypersynchronization is rarely explicitly and fully defined, it can be understood to imply large numbers of neurons firing together essentially simultaneously. In this discussion we explore the possibility that seizures—both self‐terminating and sustained in status—are not purely synchronous in time or in space. We investigate the alternative possibility that much seizure activity represents spatiotemporal desynchronization. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility that, in contrast to canonical views of epileptic activity, a high degree of synchronization is a prerequisite for termination of the seizure rather than a marker of early and ongoing seizure activity. These ideas will be discussed with reference to results from our collaborative group based on microelectrode recordings in patients with epilepsy as well as to the many studies done by others in both patients and animal models. Finally, we will explore implications for these hypotheses in the treatment of patients with epilepsy and in status epilepticus.
Small fibre neuropathy: role in the diagnosis of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy

Small fibres constitute 70–90% of peripheral nerve fibres and regulate several key functions such as tissue blood flow, temperature and pain perception as well as sweating, all of which are highly relevant to the clinical presentation and adverse outcomes associated with foot ulcerations in patients with diabetes. Recent studies demonstrated significant abnormalities in the small fibres in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes, despite normal electrophysiology, suggesting that the earliest nerve fibre damage is to the small fibres. Unfortunately, guidelines and consensus statements focus on large fibres and continue to advocate electrophysiology as a diagnostic modality and as a primary end point for the assessment of therapeutic benefit. (In part, this reflects the difficulties in quantifying small fibre dysfunction and damage.) We have therefore critically assessed currently available techniques that measure small fibre dysfunction in diabetic neuropathy, using quantitative sensory and sudomotor testing. We have assessed the role of identifying structural damage by quantifying intraepidermal nerve fibre density in skin biopsies and corneal nerve morphology using corneal confocal microscopy. Finally, we propose a definition for diabetic neuropathy that incorporates small fibre damage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changing Roles for Temporal Representation of Odorant During the Oscillatory Response of the Olfactory Bulb

It has been hypothesized that the brain uses combinatorial as well as temporal coding strategies to represent stimulus properties. The mechanisms and properties of the temporal coding remain undetermined, although it has been postulated that oscillations can mediate formation of this type of code. Here we use a generic model of the vertebrate olfactory bulb to explore the possible role of oscillatory behavior in temporal coding. We show that three mechanismssynaptic inhibition, slow self-inhibition and input propertiesmediate formation of a temporal sequence of simultaneous activations of glomerular modules associated with specific odorants within the oscillatory response. The sequence formed depends on the relative properties of odorant features and thus may mediate discrimination of odorants activating overlapping sets of glomeruli. We suggest that period-doubling transitions may be driven through excitatory feedback from a portion of the olfactory network acting as a coincidence modulator. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the period-doubling transition transforms the temporal code from a roster of odorant components to a signal of odorant identity and facilitates discrimination of individual odorants within mixtures.
AgNORs Scoring in Benign Intermediate and Malignant Soft Tissue Tumor

One of the most recent methods to determine the proliferative activity is silver stained nucleolar organizer region(AgNORs). The purpose of present study is by using mean AgNOR count per nucleus was found to be higher in benign soft tissue tumour as compared to apparently normal soft tissue and found to be statistically significant. An increase AgNOR score in benign, intermediate, malignant soft tissue tumour as compared to apparently normal soft tissue tumour. After histological confirmation, one more section was prepared which was subjected to AgNOR staining. Study was done in taking 32 benign, 05 intermediate and 23 malignant soft tissue. Benign soft tissue neoplasm which comprised 32 cases showed a range of mean AgNORs count 2.2-3.20 and intermediate group showed 3.10-4.61 and malignant group 4.90-6.70, so on comparing benign, intermediate and malignant group p value is found to be <0.0001. Hence results are statistically significant.
Immunological Properties of Inulin-Type Fructans

Beneficial effects of inulin-type fructans are discussed in view of studies that applied the oligosaccharides in colon cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, vaccination efficacy, and prevention of infection and allergy. In the present paper, we discuss their immunomodulating effects. It is suggested that immunomodulation is elicited through indirect and direct mechanisms. Indirect mechanisms encompass stimulation of growth and activity of lactic acid bacteria, but can also be caused by fermentation products of these bacteria, i.e., short chain fatty acids. Evidence for direct effects on the immune system generally remains to be confirmed. It is suggested that inulin-type fructans can be detected by gut dendritic cells (DCs), through receptor ligation of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) such as Toll-like receptors, nucleotide oligomerization domain containing proteins (NODs), C-type lectin receptors, and galectins, eventually inducing pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. DCs may also exert antigen presenting capacity toward effector cells, such as B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells locally, or in the spleen. Inulin-type fructans may also ligate PRRs expressed on gut epithelium, which could influence its barrier function. Inulin-type fructans are potent immunomodulating food components that hold many promises for prevention of disease. However, more studies into the mechanisms, dose-effect relations, and structure-function studies are required.
Inter-regional gray matter correlation changes in normal aging

The human brain undergoes many age-related changes, such as the atrophy of brain volume, the thinner of cortical thickness, the loose of white matter and so on. Here we aimed to explore whether the covariance existed among the regional gray matter volume with aging. 169 brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) of healthy people (54 males and 115 females, 18 to 92 years) were selected from OASIS database. Firstly, we computed each regional gray matter volume using atlas-based registration method, and then we investigated the correlations with age between any two regions. We found that all 90 gray matter regions in whole brain decreased with age. In 4005 (90*89/2) pairs connections, 54 pairs were significantly (p&#60;0.005) related with age. And in which, 24 pairs belonged to the regular connections between the left and right hemispheres. In other 30 pairs, 9 long-range connections between fronto-occipital, fronto-parietal and temporal-parietal regions were found to be impaired with age. We concluded that brain shrinkage was widespread and showed different rates in different regions. The volume of the frontal gyrus showed the fastest reduction. The covariations between inter-regional gray matter volumes may be related to various reduction rates of different regions.
Functional and Immunological Assays of F VIII in 133 Haemophiliacs - Characterization of a Subgroup of Patients with Mild Haemophilia A and Discrepancy in 1- and 2-Stage Assays

Summary A systematic study of the levels of FVIII antigen and activity was done in 133 haemophiliacs. No measurable antigen was demonstrated in the 60 severe haemophiliacs, with the exception of 3 patients with levels ranging between 1.5 and 4.5 U/dl, which corresponded to a dramatic FVIII deficiency. The situation was more complex with the 73 moderate and mild haemophiliacs: 39 of them (53.4%) had a partial, concordant deficiency of both the antigen and the procoagulant activity (1- and 2-stage methods), likely corresponding to a decrease in the synthesis of normal FVIII. The conclusion for the other 34 patients, was a qualitative abnormality of FVIII, the levels of antigen in comparison with the procoagulant activity (1-stage method) appearing to be either very reduced (n = 6) or even nil (n = 8), or on the contrary very much higher (n = 20) or normal. For 11 patients in this last category, we found a clear discrepancy between the procoagulant activity levels obtained with the 2 different techniques, the 1-stage levels being higher than the 2-stage levels. This discrepancy which was stable with restudy on multiple occasions and found in different members of the same families was remedied when vWF was absent in one-stage assay. This suggests that we have identified a variant of haemophilia A with an inherited abnormality of FVIII characterized by an in vitro vWF-dependent expression of procoagulant activity.
Proximal femoral reconstruction after aseptic loosening following proximal femoral replacement for Ewing sarcoma: a case report with one-year follow-up

We report the case of a 30-year-old patient initially treated for a proximal femoral Ewing's sarcoma when 12 years old. Index treatment comprised tumour resection and total hip arthroplasty. Two years later revision for aseptic loosening was performed. Subsequently, six further surgical revisons were performed for varying causes. At the age of 23 years the proximal femur was resected and a proximal femoral endoprosthesis implanted. Eighteen years after initial diagnosis the patient presented with recurrent aseptc loosening. Both the proximal femur and acetabulum were reconstructed. For acetabular reconstruction a structural allograft and a tantalum cup were utilised. Reconstruction of the femur utilsed extensive wire mesh and circlage wiring with impaction bone allograft into which a femoral stem was implanted. At one-year follow-up the patient was pain free, had no evidence of infection with satisfactory radiographs and no evidence of implant loosening. This is the first case reporting an extended proximal femoral reconstruction with a wire mesh in combination with impaction bone grafting in an aseptic loosened proximal femoral replacement following Ewing's Sarcoma.