Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytokine gene therapy for malignant glioma

Despite advances in surgical and adjuvant therapy, the prognosis for malignant gliomas remains dismal. Malignant gliomas, like other malignancies, are able to overcome host immune defences through a variety of mechanisms that have become increasingly well-characterised over the past decade. However, this ‘immunologically privileged’ status of the brain is not absolute. Systemic immunisation with brain-specific antigens can induce immune responses that are manifested in the CNS, such as experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. The efficacy of peripheral immunisation against brain tumours has also been demonstrated in preclinical models. Based on these observations, clinical trials of peripheral immunisations with brain tumour-derived antigens have been initiated. A limitation of this approach is that the immunological environment within brain tumours is suboptimal for functions of antitumour immune effector cells. As a means to overcome this issue, delivery of cytokine genes to the tumour site may reverse the inhibitory immunological environment of the brain tumours and enhance the efficacy of peripheral vaccine-induced immune effector cells. The brain tumour environment may also be rendered more immunologically favourable by the delivery of additional antigen-presenting cells that can provide infiltrating effector cells with secondary activation signals. Indeed, the authors’ recent data indicate that the injection of intracranial tumours with dendritic cells secreting interferon-α enhances the efficacy of peripheral vaccinations with tumour-specific antigens by cross-priming tumour antigen-specific T cells in the cervical lymph nodes. This review highlights the recent literature on cytokine gene therapy for brain tumours, and proposes the effective use of cytokine gene delivery both at the site of vaccines (i.e., the site of antigen presentation) and within the target brain tumours (i.e., the site where the effector cells exert their antitumour immunity). Successful immunogene therapy for brain tumours requires detailed understanding of cytokine functions and the use of them at the appropriate stages/sites of the immunological milieu.
Betahistine for Menière's disease or syndrome.

BACKGROUND Menière's disease is characterised by attacks of hearing loss, tinnitus and disabling vertigo. Betahistine is used by many people to reduce the frequency and severity of these attacks but there is conflicting evidence relating to its effects. OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to assess the effects of betahistine in people with Menière's disease. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library issue 4,1999), MEDLINE (January 1966 to December 1999), EMBASE (January 1985 to December 1999) and Index Medicus (1962 to 1966). We checked reference lists of articles and contacted pharmaceutical companies for further studies. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled studies of betahistine versus placebo in Menière's disease. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for further information. MAIN RESULTS Six trials involving 162 patients were included. No trial met the highest quality standard set by the review because of inadequate diagnostic criteria or methods, and none assessed the effect of betahistine on vertigo adequately. Most trials suggested a reduction of vertigo with betahistine and some suggested a reduction in tinnitus but all these effects may have been caused by bias in the methods. One trial with good methods showed no effect of betahistine on tinnitus compared with placebo in 35 patients. None of the trials showed any effect of betahistine on hearing loss. No adverse effects were found with betahistine. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS There is insufficient evidence to say whether betahistine has any effect on Menière's disease.
Effect of pneumococcal vaccination: a comparison of vaccination rates in patients with bacteremic and nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Despite the widespread acceptance of the 23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine (PPV), its protective effect continues to be disputed. We describe a novel approach to examine the protective effect of this vaccine. METHODS We recorded the vaccination status of every patient for whom a culture yielded Streptococcus pneumoniae during a 4.5-year period, comparing rates of prior PPV administration in patients with (1) bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia, (2) all-invasive pneumococcal disease, (3) nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia, (4) acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) due to S. pneumoniae, and (5) pneumococcal colonization. The principal comparisons were with patients who had bacteremic pneumonia or any invasive pneumococcal disease and those with nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. We also compared vaccination rates in patients who had nonbacteremic pneumonia with vaccination rates in patients with AECB or pneumococcal colonization. RESULTS The rate of prior PPV vaccination was lower among patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia (39.7%) or any invasive pneumococcal disease (38.0%) than among patients with nonbacteremic pneumonia (57.6%), AECB (60.0%), or pneumococcal colonization (57.8%). PPV conferred a 54% protection rate against bacteremic versus nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. There was no apparent protection against nonbacteremic pneumonia compared, for example, with colonized persons or with those who had AECB. CONCLUSIONS PPV provides moderate protection against invasive pneumococcal disease but does not protect against nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. These findings suggest the importance of a continued search for a better pneumococcal vaccine.
Direct oxymetric peripheral tissue perfusion monitoring during open heart surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass: preliminary experience

Background: Regional hypoperfusion has been associated with the development of postoperative organ dysfunction in cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Direct tissue oxymetry is a potentially new method for monitoring the quality of the peripheral tissue perfusion during CPB. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of CPB in skeletal muscle oxygenation when measured in the deltoid muscle by direct oxymetry during perioperative period. Method: Seven patients underwent on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Direct oxymetry was performed by an optical cathether introduced into the deltoid muscle. Continuous measurement was made during the surgical procedure and the postoperative period. Mean arterial blood pressure, blood flow during CPB, laboratory markers of tissue hypoperfusion, blood gases and body temperature were also recorded. Results: Interstitial muscle tissue oxygen tension (pO2) decreased after the introduction to anaesthesia and, more significantly, during CPB. After the disconnection from CPB at the end of the operation, the pO2 returned to pre-anaesthetic values. During the first hours after admission of the patients to the intensive care unit, the pO2 progressively decreased, reached a minimum value after four hours, and increased slowly thereafter. There was a significant correlation of pO2 with mean arterial blood pressure and blood flow during that time. Conclusion: The result of this first measurement seems to demonstrate that the standard technique of conducting cardiopulmonary bypass produces low muscle oxygen tension and, thus, little perfusion of skeletal muscle. The data also indicate that both high mean arterial blood pressure and high flow are necessary during CPB to ensure skeletal muscle perfusion. The investigation is continuing.
In Vitro Activities of the New Ketolide Antibiotics HMR 3004 and HMR 3647 against Streptococcus pneumoniae in Germany

ABSTRACT The comparative in vitro activity of HMR 3004 and HMR 3647, new ketolide antibiotics, was tested by a standard agar dilution technique against 221 pneumococcal strains, including isolates with intermediate levels of resistance to penicillin and erythromycin-resistant isolates. The ketolides were more active than other macrolides and showed excellent activity against erythromycin-resistant strains. All the strains were inhibited by ≤2 μg of HMR 3004/ml or by ≤0.5 μg of HMR 3647/ml.
Aortic valve repair-lessons to be learned.

We read with a great interest recent manuscript by Schneider and colleagues (1) published at The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery . This manuscript reports on a very large consecutive cohort of patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) regurgitation who underwent aortic valve repair and simultaneous aortic root remodeling at a single institution. The authors should be congratulated for their pioneering work while inventing a very durable and reproducible surgical technique for the treatment of patients with BAV regurgitation and concomitant aortopathy.
Epidemiological investigation into the prevalence of abnormal inter-arm blood pressure differences among different ethnicities in Xinjiang, China

Objectives The prevalence of and risk factors for IAD among different ethnicity groups was unknown. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for IAD among Han, Uygur and Kazakh ethnicities in Xinjiang. China. Methods In total, 14,618 adult participants (7,799 males and 6,819 females) were recruited from the Cardiovascular Risk Survey. A 4-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used. The participants’ personal information and medical history were assessed by questionnaire. IAD was diagnosed by a noninvasive arteriosclerosis analyzer. Results The prevalence of abnormal IAD among the general population was 14.3%, with 12.5% in the Han, 14.9% in the Uygur, and 16.4% in the Kazakh populations. The prevalence of abnormal IAD among the hypertensive population was 19.4%, with 17.0% in the Han, 18.1% in the Uygur, and 22.7% in the Kazakh populations. The prevalence of abnormal IAD increased with age (all P < 0.01) but was not significantly different between the genders (all P> 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age more than 45 years, obesity and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of IAD. There were different risk factors for abnormal IAD in different ethnicities. Middle or old age, obesity, ABI and diabetes mellitus were risk factors for the Han population, smoking was a risk factor in the Uygur population, and obesity and PAD were risk factors in the Kazakh population. Conclusion The prevalence of abnormal IAD in the Kazakh participants was higher than that in the Han and Uygur populations among both the general population and the hypertensive population in Xinjiang, China. The main risk factors of IAD were age, obesity, and triglyceride levels. Different ethnicities had different kinds of risk factors for IAD.
Levels of infection, pathology and nodule size of Onchocerca flexuosa (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) in red deer (Cervus elaphus) from northern Spain

Abstract Between 2005 and 2007, the presence of Onchocerca flexuosa (Wedl, 1856) was discovered and investigated in 110 red deer (Cervus elaphus) shot in the Riaño Regional Hunting Reserve, in the province of León (north-western Spain). Nodules containing O. flexuosa were located in the dorsal region and flanks of the deer. These were collected and measured, and some adult parasites were extracted from the nodules and identified by morphology and by obtaining mitochondrial 12S rDNA sequences, which were identical to those of previously published sequences for O. flexuosa. Some nodules were prepared for histology, embedded in paraffin, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin–eosin. Histologically, the worms were found in several compartments separated by an infiltrated fibrous tissue. These compartments were inhabited by several females and males, surrounded by a fibrous capsule. A total of 85.45% (95% confidence interval (CI): 78.86–92.04%) of red deer were parasitized, with a mean intensity of 9.53 ± 12.27 nodules/host, ranging between 1 and 74 nodules/deer. Significant differences in prevalence and intensity of infection were found between young and adult red deer, and also between seasons. However, no significant differences between males and females were observed. Five hundred and ninety-seven nodules were measured (15.81 ± 3.94 mm) and classified by sizes into small ( < 10 mm), medium (10–20 mm) and large (>20 mm). No relation was found between the size of the nodules and the time of infection. The high values found in the studied parameters show that northern Spain is an area of high-intensity infection for deer.
Comments on 'Factors that Impact Implementing a System Development Methodology'

In this correspondence, we point out some of the major shortcomings that we have discovered in the article titled "Factors that Impact Implementing a System Development Methodology" by Roberts et al. (1998). The article was published in the August 1998 issue of IEEE Transactions of Software Engineering. The article contains multiple problems that, if not pointed out, have the potential to lead to a state of confusion among researchers and practitioners alike. In particular, the article has the following problems: (1) The authors claim that the lack of theoretical basis for their factors is due to the fact that SDM implementation has never been studied in the literature. In fact, there is a multitude of studies very similar to that of Roberts at al. (2) The study does not meet commonly accepted standards for factor analysis procedures such as a minimum sample size ratio of 5:1, a ratio mandated even by the authors' own citations. This and other factor analysis problems lead to results that are questionable. In order to make the published article more useful to researchers and practitioners, this paper corrects some of the inaccuracies in the Roberts et al.'s article by: providing a brief literature review of some articles that are similar to the Roberts et al., study; and noting some of the technical inaccuracies in the data analysis procedures used by the authors so that the results can be interpreted in the proper context.
T‐cell receptor proximal signaling via the Src‐family kinases, Lck and Fyn, influences T‐cell activation, differentiation, and tolerance

Summary: T‐cell development in the thymus and activation of mature T cells in secondary lymphoid organs requires the ability of cells to respond appropriately to environmental signals at multiple stages of their development. The process of thymocyte selection insures a functional T‐cell repertoire, while activation of naive peripheral T cells induces proliferation, gain of effector function, and, ultimately, long‐lived T‐cell memory. The T‐cell immune response is initiated upon engagement of the T‐cell receptor (TCR) and coreceptor, CD4 or CD8, by cognate antigen/major histocompatibility complexes presented by antigen‐presenting cells. TCR/coreceptor engagement induces the activation of biochemical signaling pathways that, in combination with signals from costimulator molecules and cytokine receptors, direct the outcome of the response. Activation of the src‐family kinases p56lck (Lck) and p59fyn (Fyn) is central to the initiation of TCR signaling pathways. This review focuses on our current understanding of the mechanisms by which these two proteins orchestrate T‐cell function.
Associations Between Mortality, Asthma, and Health-Related Quality of Life in an Elderly Cohort of Swedes

Background. Asthma is a common chronic health condition among the elderly and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Some studies show that subjective assessments of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are important predictors of mortality and survival. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether low HRQL was a predictor of mortality in elderly subjects and whether such an association differed between subjects with and without asthma. Methods. In 1990, a cohort in middle Sweden was investigated using a respiratory questionnaire. To assess HRQL, the generic instrument Gothenburg Quality of Life (GQL) was used. The participants were also investigated by spirometry and allergy testing. The present study was limited to the subjects in the oldest age group, aged 60–69 years in 1990, and included 222 subjects with clinically verified asthma, 148 subjects with respiratory symptoms but no asthma or other lung diseases, and 102 subjects with no respiratory symptoms. Mortality in the cohort was followed during 1990–2008. Results. Altogether, 166 of the 472 subjects in the original cohort had died during the follow-up period of 1990–2008. Mortality was significantly higher in men, in older subjects, in smokers, and subjects with a low forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). There was, however, no difference in mortality between the asthmatic and the nonasthmatic groups. A higher symptoms score for GQL was significantly related to increased mortality. No association between HRQL and mortality was found when limiting the analysis to the asthmatic group, although the asthmatics had a lower symptom score for GQL compared to the other groups. Conclusion. A higher symptom score in the GQL instrument was significantly related to increased mortality, but this association was not found when analyzing the asthmatic group alone. The negative prognostic implications of a low HRQL in the whole group and the fact that the asthmatic group had a lower HRQL than the other group supports the use of HRQL instruments in clinical health assessments.
Diaphragmatic hernia after right donor and hepatectomy: a rare donor complication of partial hepatectomy for transplantation.

BACKGROUND Because of the critical worldwide shortage of cadaveric organ donors, transplant professionals have increasingly turned to living donors. Partial hepatectomy for adult living donor liver transplantation has been performed since the late 1990s. Most often, the complications of living donor hepatectomy have been related to the biliary tract, specifically biliary leaks. METHODS A 54-year-old man underwent donor right hepatectomy for living donor liver transplantation. Three years after liver donation he presented with upper abdominal pain and fullness. Radiographic workup revealed a diaphragmatic hernia of the right hemithorax. RESULTS After thoracoscopic evaluation of the right hemithorax, diaphragmatic hernia was repaired. Currently the patient remains well several months after the repair with complete resolution of abdominal pain, normal chest X-ray examination demonstrating no recurrence of diaphragmatic hernia, and normal liver functions tests. CONCLUSIONS Multiple complications of living donor liver transplantation have been described the transplant literature. Diaphragmatic hernia is a formerly-undescribed complication of right donor hepatectomy for transplantation.
The importance of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in respiratory disorders

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) encompass a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases that are secreted into the extracellular environment or remain bound to the cell surface. While MMPs were initially identified based on their ability to degrade collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix, recent studies indicate that their non-degradative functions are physiologically paramount. In particular, MMPs are now known to participate in diverse physiological processes that control key aspects of inflammatory and immune responses and neoplasia, in part by selective triggering of cellular signaling pathways via limited proteolytic processing of extracellular and membrane-associated proteins, including cytokines and cell surface receptors. Herein, we focus on the unique roles of MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) in acute lung injury and repair, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer.
Variational Dropout and the Local Reparameterization Trick

We investigate a local reparameterizaton technique for greatly reducing the variance of stochastic gradients for variational Bayesian inference (SGVB) of a posterior over model parameters, while retaining parallelizability. This local reparameterization translates uncertainty about global parameters into local noise that is independent across datapoints in the minibatch. Such parameterizations can be trivially parallelized and have variance that is inversely proportional to the mini-batch size, generally leading to much faster convergence. Additionally, we explore a connection with dropout: Gaussian dropout objectives correspond to SGVB with local reparameterization, a scale-invariant prior and proportionally fixed posterior variance. Our method allows inference of more flexibly parameterized posteriors; specifically, we propose variational dropout, a generalization of Gaussian dropout where the dropout rates are learned, often leading to better models. The method is demonstrated through several experiments.
QoS guaranteed pre-pushing scheme in peer-assisted streaming network

In peer-assisted streaming network, service provider needs to pre-pushing resources to some users for caching. This scheme can increase the resource availability. In traditional strategy, in order to guarantee the user's quality of service (QoS), the pre-pushing action can only start at the time point that the certain user has not used the computer for more than 20 minutes. If the user comes back, the pre-pushing action will be stopped. We claim that this is not an efficient scheme. In this paper, we propose a novel pre-pushing scheme to improve the pre-pushing efficiency, while meeting the user's QoS requirements. The basic idea is using the user's available bandwidth as much as possible in the condition of meeting the user's QoS requirements. Then we design an available bandwidth calculating strategy. The numerical simulation demonstrates that our proposed scheme outperforms the traditional one.
Use of an inverse dynamics method to compare the three-dimensional motion of the pelvic limb among clinically normal dogs and dogs with cranial cruciate ligament-deficient stifle joints following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or lateral fabellar-tibial suture stabilization.

OBJECTIVE To compare the 3-D motion of the pelvic limb among clinically normal dogs and dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL)-deficient stifle joints following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) or lateral fabellar-tibial suture (LFS) stabilization by use of an inverse dynamics method. ANIMALS 6 clinically normal dogs and 19 dogs with CCL-deficient stifle joints that had undergone TPLO (n = 13) or LFS (6) stabilization at a mean of 4 and 8 years, respectively, prior to evaluation. PROCEDURES For all dogs, an inverse dynamics method was used to describe the motion of the pelvic limbs in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes. Motion and energy patterns for the hip, stifle, and tibiotarsal (hock) joints in all 3 planes were compared among the 3 groups. RESULTS Compared with corresponding variables for clinically normal dogs, the hip joint was more extended at the beginning of the stance phase in the sagittal plane for dogs that had a TPLO performed and the maximum power across the stifle joint in the frontal plane was greater for dogs that had an LFS procedure performed. Otherwise, variables in all planes were similar among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Gait characteristics of the pelvic limb did not differ between dogs that underwent TPLO and dogs that underwent an LFS procedure for CCL repair and were similar to those of clinically normal dogs. Both TPLO and LFS successfully provided long-term stabilization of CCL-deficient stifle joints of dogs with minimal alterations in gait.