Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Características reprodutivas de mulheres de 15 a 49 anos: estudos comparativos e planejamento de ações

INTRODUCAO: A disponibilidade de dados sobre o perfil socioeconomico, demografico e reprodutivo das mulheres tanto em nivel nacional, regional e municipal permite comparacoes entre regioes alem de oferecer subsidios para o planejamento de acoes do Programa de Assistencia Integral a Saude da Mulher. METODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal de base-populacional com uma amostra de 3.002 mulheres de 15 a 49 anos residindo na zona urbana da cidade de Pelotas, RS. As informacoes socioeconomicas, demograficas e reprodutivas foram obtidas atraves de um questionario estruturado. A analise foi realizada atraves da comparacao estatistica de medias e proporcoes. Na analise da esterilizacao os dados foram controlados para a idade. RESULTADOS: Cerca de 56% das mulheres eram casadas/em uniao e 35% solteiras. Um terco das mulheres eram donas-de-casa e 50% tinham trabalho remunerado. Cerca da metade das adolescentes tinham vida sexual ativa, e dessas, 33% ja tinham estado gravidas. Observou-se elevado percentual de gravidez indesejada principalmente entre as jovens. O numero medio de filhos entre as mulheres de 45 a 49 anos - final da vida reprodutiva - foi de 2,4. Os metodos contraceptivos mais prevalentes foram a pilula e a esterilizacao. Entre as mulheres casadas/em uniao, 15% estavam esterilizadas. Cerca de 25% das mulheres acima de 35 anos haviam feito ligadura tubaria. Entre as mulheres esterilizadas, 29,6% tinham tido perda fetal e 18,3% haviam tido pelo menos um filho prematuro. Entre o total de maridos/companheiros, 20% nao aceitavam o uso de pelo menos um metodo contraceptivo. CONCLUSOES: Os resultados confirmam a necessidade de uma maior atencao e desenvolvimento de programas especiais para adolescentes, de melhorias no acesso aos servicos, de expansao do uso das opcoes anticoncepcionais disponiveis e de acoes programaticas e pesquisas sobre o tema "homem/saude reprodutiva".
Inducible microRNA-155 Feedback Promotes Type I IFN Signaling in Antiviral Innate Immunity by Targeting Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1

Effective recognition of viral infection and subsequent triggering of antiviral innate immune responses are essential for the host antiviral defense, which is tightly regulated by multiple regulators, including microRNAs. Our previous study showed that a panel of microRNAs, including miR-155, was markedly upregulated in macrophages upon vesicular stomatitis virus infection; however, the biological function of miR-155 during viral infection remains unknown. In this paper, we show that RNA virus infection induces miR-155 expression in macrophages via TLR/MyD88-independent but retinoic acid-inducible gene I/JNK/NF-κB–dependent pathway. And the inducible miR-155 feedback promotes type I IFN signaling, thus suppressing viral replication. Furthermore, suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), a canonical negative regulator of type I IFN signaling, is targeted by miR-155 in macrophages, and SOCS1 knockdown mediates the enhancing effect of miR-155 on type I IFN-mediated antiviral response. Therefore, we demonstrate that inducible miR-155 feedback positively regulates host antiviral innate immune response by promoting type I IFN signaling via targeting SOCS1.
Junctional Adhesion Molecule-C Is a Soluble Mediator of Angiogenesis

Junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C) is an adhesion molecule expressed by endothelial cells (ECs) that plays a role in tight junction formation, leukocyte adhesion, and transendothelial migration. In the current study, we investigated whether JAM-C is found in soluble form and whether soluble JAM-C (sJAM-C) mediates angiogenesis. We found that JAM-C is present in soluble form in normal serum and elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) serum. The concentration of sJAM-C is also elevated locally in RA synovial fluid compared with RA serum or osteoarthritis synovial fluid. sJAM-C was also present in the culture supernatant of human microvascular ECs (HMVECs) and immortalized human dermal microvascular ECs, and its concentration was increased following cytokine stimulation. In addition, sJAM-C cleavage from the cell surface was mediated in part by a disintegrin and metalloproteinases 10 and 17. In functional assays, sJAM-C was both chemotactic and chemokinetic for HMVECs and induced HMVEC tube formation on Matrigel in vitro. Neutralizing anti–JAM-C Abs inhibited RA synovial fluid–induced HMVEC chemotaxis and sJAM-C–induced HMVEC tube formation on Matrigel. sJAM-C also induced angiogenesis in vivo in the Matrigel plug and sponge granuloma models. Moreover, sJAM-C–mediated HMVEC chemotaxis was dependent on Src, p38, and PI3K. Our results show that JAM-C exists in soluble form and suggest that modulation of sJAM-C may provide a novel route for controlling pathological angiogenesis.
Clinical expression of lymphocytic duodenosis in “mild enteropathy” celiac disease and in functional gastrointestinal syndromes

Abstract Objective. Abnormally high number of duodenal intraepithelial lymphocytes is frequently found in many conditions including mild enteropathy celiac disease (CD) and functional gastrointestinal syndromes, but is unclear whether lymphocytosis affects the clinical phenotype particularly in functional syndromes. Materials and methods. We compared clinical characteristics of celiac patients with lymphocytic duodenosis and normal villous structure with those of patients with functional gastrointestinal syndromes with and without lymphocytic duodenosis. We retrospectively identified 3 cohorts among patients referred for suspected CD: (1) “CoelD”, 135 patients (age 36 ± 14 years) with mild enteropathy CD; (2) “LymD”, 245 patients (38 ± 12 years) with functional gastrointestinal syndromes and lymphocytic duodenosis; and (3) “NorD”, 147 patients (37 ± 15 years) with functional syndromes and normal duodenal histology. Results. Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms was similar in the three cohorts, but prevalence of extra-intestinal manifestations (42% vs. 27% vs. 18%, p < 0.003) and of associated diseases (35% vs. 15% vs. 14%, p < 0.0001) was higher in “CoelD” than in “LymD” and “NorD”, respectively. Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was similar in the three cohorts. The proportion of patients with final diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea (38% vs. 37%), dyspepsia (31% vs. 27%), functional pain (14% vs. 19%), and functional diarrhoea (14% vs. 11%) was virtually the same in the cohorts with (LymD) and without (NorD) lymphocytic duodenosis. Conclusions. Lymphocytic duodenosis has different clinical presentation in patients with mild enteropathy CD than those with functional gastrointestinal syndromes, and is not specific for any particular functional syndrome.
Chromogranin A as a biomarker of disease activity and biologic therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective observational study

Abstract Objective. To access the correlation of Chromogranin A (CgA) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity and responsiveness to medical therapy. Material and methods. A prospective observational study was conducted in 56 patients with moderate ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) (UC, n = 29, CD, n = 27), 17 patients with irritable bowel syndrome and predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) and 40 healthy volunteers. IBD patients were treated by biologics (infliximab or adalimumab) or conventional agents (aminosalicylates, thiopurines or methotrexate and steroids) and were classified according to their treatment in two groups. Serum CgA was measured at baseline and 4-week posttreatment period. Results. Serum CgA was significantly higher in IBD patients than in those with IBS-D or healthy volunteers (p < 0.01). Furthermore, serum CgA was markedly increased in CD patients than in UC patients (p < 0.01). CgA value was significantly reduced in ‘biologic’ group (24 IBD patients, UC, n = 15, CD, n = 9) at 4-week posttreatment period (p < 0.01), while 18/24 (72%) patients were already in remission during that time. In contrast, CgA value was significantly increased in the ‘conventional’ treatment group (32 IBD patients, UC, n = 14, CD, n = 18) between the two visits (p < 0.01), although 22/32 (69%) patients were in remission during the 4-week posttreatment period. Conclusion. CgA appears to be a reliable marker of disease activity in IBD patients and especially in those who received biologic therapy. IBS-D patients presented normal CgA values.
Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 2 Regulates IL-15–Primed Human NK Cell Function via Control of Phosphorylated Pyk2

NK cells are capable of killing virus-infected or tumor cells and producing IFN-γ. Resting NK cells, however, have only minimal cytolytic activity and secrete a low level of IFN-γ. The cytokine IL-15 can promote the expression of effector functions by resting NK cells. In this study, we demonstrate that suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2) has a novel role in IL-15–primed human NK cell function. SOCS2 expression was upregulated in NK cells following stimulation with IL-15. During IL-15–mediated NK cell priming, SOCS2 interacted with phosphorylated proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) at tyrosine 402 (p-Pyk2Tyr402) and induced the proteasome-mediated degradation of p-Pyk2Tyr402 via ubiquitination. Knockdown of SOCS2 resulted in the accumulation of p-Pyk2Tyr402 and blocked NK cell effector functions. In addition, NK cell cytolytic activity and IFN-γ production were inhibited by overexpression of the wild-type of Pyk2 but not by the overexpression of tyrosine 402 mutant of Pyk2. These results suggest that SOCS2 regulates human NK cell effector functions via control of phosphorylated Pyk2 depending on IL-15 existence.
Accuracy of TNM staging in colorectal cancer: a review of current culprits, the modern role of morphology and stepping-stones for improvements in the molecular era

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Survival is largely stage-dependant, guided by the tumor–node–metastases (TNM) system for TNM assessment. Histopathological evaluation, including assessment of lymph node status, is important for correct TNM staging. However, recent updates in the TNM system have resulted in controversy. A continued debate on definitions resulting in potential up- and downstaging of patients, which may obscure survival data, has led the investigators to investigate other or alternative staging tools. Consequently, additional prognostic factors have been searched for using the regular light microscopy. Among the factors evaluated by histopathology include the evaluation of tumor budding and stromal environment, angiogenesis, as well as involvement of the immune system (including the ‘Immunoscore’). We review the current role of histopathology, controversies in TNM-staging and suggested alternatives to better predict outcome for CRC patients in the era of genomic medicine.
Difficulties in determining the dose-response nature of competitive soccer matches

Difficulties in Determining the Dose-Response Nature of Competitive Soccer Matches The monitoring of training loads within soccer is now common practice. Training sessions are monitored to evaluate the physical stimulus imposed upon players to ascertain whether the goals of training sessions have been met. An understanding of the demands of training is also required to facilitate the effective planning and timing of subsequent training sessions. Technological advances in the measurement of physical activity - such as GPS and heart rate monitors - enable sport scientists to accurately gauge the actual work performed by their players (i.e., distances covered) and the physiological response to this work (i.e., heart rates).
Divergent Motifs but Overlapping Binding Repertoires of Six HLA-DQ Molecules Frequently Expressed in the Worldwide Human Population

Knowledge of the binding repertoires and specificities of HLA-DQ molecules is somewhat limited and contradictory, partly because of the scarcity of reports addressing some of the most common molecules and possibly because of the diversity of the techniques used. In this paper, we report the development of high-throughput binding assays for the six most common DQ molecules in the general worldwide population. Using comprehensive panels of single substitution analogs of specific ligands, we derived detailed binding motifs for DQA1*0501/DQB1*0301, DQA1*0401/DQB1*0402, and DQA1*0101/DQB1*0501 and more detailed motifs for DQA1*0501/DQB1*0201, DQA1*0301/DQB1*0302, and DQA1*0102/DQB1*0602, previously characterized on the basis of sets of eluted ligands and/or limited sets of substituted peptides. In contrast to what has previously been observed for DR and DP molecules, DQ motifs were generally less clearly defined in terms of chemical specificity and, strikingly, had little overlap with each other. However, testing a panel of peptides spanning a set of Phleum pratense Ags, and panels of known DQ epitopes, revealed a surprisingly significant and substantial overlap in the repertoire of peptides bound by these DQ molecules. Although the mechanism underlying these apparently contradictory findings is not clear, it likely reflects the peculiar mode of interaction between DQ (and not DR or DP) molecules and their peptide ligands. Because the DQ molecules studied are found in >85% of the general human population, these findings have important implications for epitope identification studies and monitoring of DQ-restricted immune responses.
Gp130-Dependent Astrocytic Survival Is Critical for the Control of Autoimmune Central Nervous System Inflammation

Astrocytes are activated in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and have been suggested to either aggravate or ameliorate EAE. However, the mechanisms leading to an adverse or protective effect of astrocytes on the course of EAE are incompletely understood. To gain insight into the astrocyte-specific function of gp130 in EAE, we immunized mice lacking cell surface expression of gp130, the signal-transducing receptor for cytokines of the IL-6 family, with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35–55 peptide. These glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP)-Cre gp130fl/fl mice developed clinically a significantly more severe EAE than control mice and succumbed to chronic EAE. Loss of astrocytic gp130 expression resulted in apoptosis of astrocytes in inflammatory lesions of GFAP-Cre gp130fl/fl mice, whereas gp130fl/fl control mice developed astrogliosis. Astrocyte loss of GFAP-Cre gp130fl/fl mice was paralleled by significantly larger areas of demyelination and significantly increased numbers of CD4 T cells in the CNS. Additionally, loss of astrocytes in GFAP-Cre gp130fl/fl mice resulted in a reduction of CNS regulatory Foxp3+ CD4 T cells and an increase of IL-17–, IFN-γ–, and TNF-producing CD4 as well as IFN-γ– and TNF-producing CD8 T cells, illustrating that astrocytes regulate the phenotypic composition of T cells. An analysis of mice deficient in either astrocytic gp130– Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2/Ras/ERK or gp130–STAT1/3 signaling revealed that prevention of astrocyte apoptosis, restriction of demyelination, and T cell infiltration were dependent on the astrocytic gp130–Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2/Ras/ERK, but not on the gp130–STAT1/3 pathway, further demonstrating that gp130-dependent astrocyte activation is crucial to ameliorate EAE.
Energy consumption monitoring for sensor nodes in SNAP

As energy is one of most important aspects for evaluating algorithms' performance, it's crucial to provide a tool to measure the energy consumed. There still was not satisfying solution to monitor energy consumption of every sensor node in large-scale wireless sensor network. In this paper, we propose a new real-time energy monitoring schema as a function component of WSN testbed sensor network assistant platform, SNAP. Our monitoring schema has the following advantages: real-time accurate energy measurement, the ability to cope with large-scale WSN, side effect free to the monitored nodes, highly adaptive to different kinds of sensor nodes and supporting further energy efficiency analysis on nodes. Noted that all of these advantages are based on SNAP, we introduce the architecture and implementation of our proposed schema together with the counterpart of SNAP. Then we use experimental results to evaluate and demonstrate the performance of this energy consumption monitoring schema.
Fifteen years’ experience of intestinal and multivisceral transplantation in the Nordic countries

Abstract Objective. Intestinal and multivisceral transplantation have gained acceptance as treatment modalities for patients with: intestinal failure and life-threatening complications of parenteral nutrition (PN), rare cases of vascular abdominal catastrophes and selected cases of low-grade neoplastic tumors such as neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors and desmoids involving the mesenteric root. The aim was to describe the survival and nutritional outcome in the transplanted Nordic patients and the complications attributed to this procedure. Method. The authors included all Nordic patients transplanted between January 1998 and December 2013. Information on patients transplanted outside the Nordic region was collected through questionnaires. Results. A total of 34 patients received different types of intestinal allografts. Currently, there are two Nordic transplant centers (n = 29) performing these procedures (Gothenburg, Sweden n = 24, Helsinki, Finland n = 5). The remaining five patients were transplanted in the USA (n = 3) and the UK (n = 2). Most patients were transplanted for life-threatening failure of PN (70%) caused primarily by intestinal motility diseases (59%). Allograft rejection was the most common complication and occurred in 79% of the patients followed by post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (21%) and graft-versus-host disease (18%). The 1- and 5-year survival was 79% and 65% respectively for the whole cohort and nutritional autonomy was achieved in 73% of the adults and 57% of the children at 1 year after transplantation. Conclusion. This collective Nordic experience confirms that intestinal transplantation is a complex procedure with many complications, yet with the possibility to provide long-term survival in selected conditions previously considered untreatable.
Análise da utilização do Questionário de Tolerância de Fagerström (QTF) como instrumento de medida da dependência nicotínica

Introduction: The University Hospital is reference in the city of Rio Grande, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southeast part of Brazil, for chronic lung disease patients, with a major smoking cessation program. Aim: The purpose of this work was to analyze the utilization of Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire to assess the nicotine dependence of smoking patients with reference to individualization of treatment. Material and Method: The authors used the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) in daily smoking adult patients from the Medical Clinic and Chest Medicine Units of the University Hospital and Rio Grande Santa Casa Hospital, during the period of one year. Three hundred and one valid questionnaires were filled out, 40.5% by females and 59.5% by males. Mean age was 48.6 years. The score of the questionnaires classified patients by dependence into five degrees: very low, low, medium, high, and very high. Results: 54.9% belong to the group of high nicotine dependence (score ³ 6), with a significant correlation of elevated nicotine dependence and cigarettes per day or time to the first cigarette of the day (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The use of the FTQ demonstrated ease of administration and more than 50% of the patients with a degree of chemical dependence that anticipate discomfort at cessation of smoking and need of treatment to control the withdrawal symptoms.
Definition of Key Variables for the Induction of Optimal NY-ESO-1–Specific T Cells in HLA Transgene Mice

An attractive treatment of cancer consists in inducing tumor-eradicating CD8+ CTL specific for tumor-associated Ags, such as NY-ESO-1 (ESO), a strongly immunogenic cancer germ line gene-encoded tumor-associated Ag, widely expressed on diverse tumors. To establish optimal priming of ESO-specific CTL and to define critical vaccine variables and mechanisms, we used HLA-A2/DR1 H-2−/− transgenic mice and sequential immunization with immunodominant DR1- and A2-restricted ESO peptides. Immunization of mice first with the DR1-restricted ESO123–137 peptide and subsequently with mature dendritic cells (DCs) presenting this and the A2-restriced ESO157–165 epitope generated abundant, circulating, high-avidity primary and memory CD8+ T cells that efficiently killed A2/ESO157–165+ tumor cells. This prime boost regimen was superior to other vaccine regimes and required strong Th1 cell responses, copresentation of MHC class I and MHC class II peptides by the same DC, and resulted in upregulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1, and thus egress of freshly primed CD8+ T cells from the draining lymph nodes into circulation. This well-defined system allowed detailed mechanistic analysis, which revealed that 1) the Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 played key roles in CTL priming, namely by upregulating on naive CD8+ T cells the chemokine receptor CCR5; 2) the inflammatory chemokines CCL4 (MIP-1β) and CCL3 (MIP-1α) chemoattracted primed CD4+ T cells to mature DCs and activated, naive CD8+ T cells to DC–CD4 conjugates, respectively; and 3) blockade of these chemokines or their common receptor CCR5 ablated priming of CD8+ T cells and upregulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1. These findings provide new opportunities for improving T cell cancer vaccines.
Accidents Will Happen? Unintentional Injury, Maternal Employment, and Child Care Policy

In western countries, accidents are the leading cause of death and injury among children, far surpassing diseases as a health threat. We examine the effect of maternal employment and child care policy on rates of accidental injury using both micro data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and Vital Statistics records. We find that the effects of maternal employment on unintentional injuries to children vary by demographic group, with the effects being positive for blacks and negative for whites in models that control for child-specific fixed effects. Estimates from both individual-level NLSY and Vital Statistics data suggest that the effects of maternal employment may be mediated by child care regulations. Most notably, requiring training beyond high school for caregivers reduces the incidence of both fatal and non-fatal accidents. Other types of regulation have mixed effects on unintentional injuries, suggesting that child care regulations create winners and losers. In particular, while some children may benefit from safer environments, others that appear to be squeezed out of the more expensive regulated sector and are placed at higher risks of injury.
Animal study of pudendal nerve cuff electrode implants for collision block of motor activity

Through previous acute animal studies we have developed an asymmetric two electrode cuff (ATEC) implant for collision block of orthodromic pudendal nerve motor activity. In this paper we describe preliminary results concerning the effectiveness and safety of unilateral pudendal nerve ATECs implanted for 1 month in three adult male dogs. An apparent temporary pressure block of large fiber conduction in the implanted nerve trunks produced distinctive differences between the 2‐week and 4‐week tests in all three animals. In the first two implants significant nerve trunk tissue damage due presumably to surgical trauma and/or cuff encapsulation decreased the effectiveness of ATEC function; however, with the third implant virtually no damage was detected and ATEC effectiveness was high.