Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced HIV‐stimulated T‐helper cell reactivity in cord blood with short‐course antiretroviral treatment for prevention of maternal–infant transmission

T‐helper cell responses to HIV have been associated with protection against maternal‐infant HIV transmission in the absence of antiretroviral treatment, but the effects of antiretroviral treatment, now widely used for prevention, on development of these cell‐mediated responses is unknown. We tested whether development of T‐helper cell responses to HIV and other antigens would be affected by exposure to short‐course regimens of zidovudine‐lamivudine (ZDV‐3TC) given to prevent maternal‐infant HIV transmission. Cord blood samples were collected from 41 infants of HIV‐infected mothers enrolled in a clinical trial in which they were treated with regimens of ZDV‐3TC and from 29 infants whose HIV‐infected mothers were not treated with any antiretroviral drugs. T‐helper cell reactivity to HIV envelope peptides and other antigens was measured in vitro using a sensitive culture supernatant titration assay based on IL‐2‐dependent proliferation. Infants in the clinical trial were followed to 18 months to determine their HIV infection status, and venous blood samples were re‐tested at 4·5 and 9 months for T‐cell reactivity to HIV. HIV‐stimulated T‐helper cell reactivity in cord blood was detected 10‐fold less frequently among those exposed to antiretroviral prophylaxis (2·4%) than among those unexposed (24·1%) (P = 0·007). Reductions in HIV‐stimulated responses in cord blood occurred despite detectable HIV RNA (mean 3·38 standard deviation 0·76 log10 copies per ml) at delivery among treated women and occurred independent of treatment duration. Our results suggest that short‐course antiretroviral treatment given to prevent maternal‐infant HIV transmission may attenuate HIV‐stimulated T‐cell memory responses in the neonate.
FOR THE WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2008 Agricultural Advisory Services

FOR THE WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2008 Agricultural Advisory Services Jock R. Anderson The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the World Development Report 2008 Team, the World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. 41354 P ub lic D is cl os ur e A ut ho riz ed
Mechanisms contributing to synaptic Ca2+ signals and their heterogeneity in hair cells

Sound coding at hair cell ribbon synapses is tightly regulated by Ca2+. Here, we used patch-clamp, fast confocal Ca2+ imaging and modeling to characterize synaptic Ca2+ signaling in cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) of hearing mice. Submicrometer fluorescence hotspots built up and collapsed at the base of IHCs within a few milliseconds of stimulus onset and cessation. They most likely represented Ca2+ microdomains arising from synaptic Ca2+ influx through CaV1.3 channels. Synaptic Ca2+ microdomains varied substantially in amplitude and voltage dependence even within single IHCs. Testing putative mechanisms for the heterogeneity of Ca2+ signaling, we found the amplitude variability unchanged when blocking mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake or Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, buffering cytosolic Ca2+ by millimolar concentrations of EGTA, or elevating the Ca2+ channel open probability by the dihydropyridine agonist BayK8644. However, we observed substantial variability also for the fluorescence of immunolabeled CaV1.3 Ca2+ channel clusters. Moreover, the Ca2+ microdomain amplitude correlated positively with the size of the corresponding synaptic ribbon. Ribbon size, previously suggested to scale with the number of synaptic Ca2+ channels, was approximated by using fluorescent peptide labeling. We propose that IHCs adjust the number and the gating of CaV1.3 channels at their active zones to diversify their transmitter release rates.
Generics Oversimplified 1

Bare plural generics are sentences such as “tigers are striped”, “ducks lay eggs”, and “mosquitoes carry malaria”. It is quite challenging to provide an adequate truth-conditional analysis of these sentences, as is easily illustrated by these few simple examples. Why does “ducks lay eggs” strike us as uncontroversially true, while “ducks are female” does not? There are, of course, more female ducks than egg-laying ducks, since some female ducks are infertile, immature, and so on. Why is “mosquitoes carry malaria” true when just one percent of mosquitoes have the property—while “books are paperbacks” is false, despite over eighty percent of books being paperbacks? This paper is not concerned so much with these questions, but rather with the question of how we should understand the logical form of bare plural generics.2 In particular, this paper evaluates a bold hypothesis that has recently been defended by David Liebesman in an article entitled “Simple Generics” (2011). Liebesman lays out a proposal concerning the logical form of generics that would, if correct, overturn more than thirty years of research on generics in linguistics and philosophy. Liebesman’s account is rapidly becoming influential (see, e.g., Assarsson 2012; McConnell-Ginet 2012, among others for favorable discussion of it), and recently earned the honor of being included in the Philosopher’s Annual. It is therefore important to evaluate its success in attempting to displace the linguistic orthodoxy.
Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A meta-analysis of 36 studies.

CONTEXT Morbidity and mortality rates in patients with eating disorders are thought to be high, but exact rates remain to be clarified. OBJECTIVE To systematically compile and analyze the mortality rates in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). DATA SOURCES A systematic literature search, appraisal, and meta-analysis were conducted of the MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases and 4 full-text collections (ie, ScienceDirect, Ingenta Select, Ovid, and Wiley-Blackwell Interscience). STUDY SELECTION English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between January 1, 1966, and September 30, 2010, that reported mortality rates in patients with eating disorders. DATA EXTRACTION Primary data were extracted as raw numbers or confidence intervals and corrected for years of observation and sample size (ie, person-years of observation). Weighted proportion meta-analysis was used to adjust for study size using the DerSimonian-Laird model to allow for heterogeneity inclusion in the analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS From 143 potentially relevant articles, we found 36 quantitative studies with sufficient data for extraction. The studies reported outcomes of AN during 166 642 person-years, BN during 32 798 person-years, and EDNOS during 22 644 person-years. The weighted mortality rates (ie, deaths per 1000 person-years) were 5.1 for AN, 1.7 for BN, and 3.3 for EDNOS. The standardized mortality ratios were 5.86 for AN, 1.93 for BN, and 1.92 for EDNOS. One in 5 individuals with AN who died had committed suicide. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with eating disorders have significantly elevated mortality rates, with the highest rates occurring in those with AN. The mortality rates for BN and EDNOS are similar. The study found age at assessment to be a significant predictor of mortality for patients with AN. Further research is needed to identify predictors of mortality in patients with BN and EDNOS.
Implications of the Us Farm Bill of 2002 for Agricultural Trade and Trade Negotiations

The US Farm Bill of 2002 is the latest in a 7-decade history of farm subsidy laws that transfer funds to farmers and regulate and subsidize production of selected commodities. Fruit, tree nut, ornamental and vegetable crops, hay and meats remain outside scope of main subsidy programs. The new law continues many innovations of the 1996 Act, such as removal of authority for annual land idling and crop price floors accompanied by government stockholding. Government payments remain the primary focus of commodity programs. The total amount of these payments are likely to remain similar to the amount paid in the period 1999–2001, but with some changes in the form of the programs. For example, allowing owners to update acreage and yield payment bases creates additional incentives for farmers to link current planting decisions to anticipated farm subsidies. Similarly, the new program that ties “counter-cyclical” payments to the price of a specific crop also has production stimulus. A new program, estimated to add about 5–10 per cent to marginal milk revenue for smaller farms, makes ‘deficiency’ payments to dairy farms when milk prices are low. Despite the new programs with added links to stimulating production, new USA programs stimulate production only marginally more than the subsidies of the 1999–2001 period, which were replaced. Furthermore, the USA has flexibility to avoid explicitly violating its WTO commitments. Nonetheless, this US Farm Bill of 2002 has curtailed the previous trends toward lower farm subsidies and smaller production stimuli, and the negative publicity surrounding it has made negotiating reductions of farm trade distortions more difficult.
Case study: Assessing and evaluating the readiness of the ICT infrastructure to provide e-government services at a local government level in South Africa

This case study seeks to understand the challenges experienced by municipalities in providing e-government services. It essentially entails a literature study and a narrative inquiry, to provide insight into and knowledge of e-government services delivery at a local government level. The study focuses on existing research evidence and on the latest developments within e-government studies, to reveal the challenges experienced in local government service delivery. The case study assessed and evaluated the readiness of ICT infrastructure to provide e-government services through local government in South Africa, and focused on all the municipalities in Gauteng Province. The case study has revealed that municipalities lack the drive to provide e-government services; there is no policy that drives e-government services. The results also show that there is no comprehensive strategic plan to provide e-government services in the municipalities. The view of most municipalities is that e-government services are a luxury. Most of the municipalities still use traditional, manual methods to provide services to the communities. The research echoes the conclusions of Moon that the lack of technical personnel and inadequate financial capacity are seen to be major barriers to the development of e-government in many municipalities [1].
Modulation of Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression by Nuclear Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor Type-1*

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive molecule involved in inflammation, immunity, wound healing, and neoplasia. Its pleiotropic actions arise presumably by interaction with their cell surface G protein-coupled receptors. Herein, the presence of the specific nuclear lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 (LPA1R) was revealed in unstimulated porcine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (pCMVECs), LPA1R stably transfected HTC4 rat hepatoma cells, and rat liver tissue using complementary approaches, including radioligand binding experiments, electron- and cryomicroscopy, cell fractionation, and immunoblotting with three distinct antibodies. Coimmunoprecipitation studies in enriched plasmalemmal fractions of unstimulated pCMVEC showed that LPA1Rs are dually sequestrated in caveolin-1 and clathrin subcompartments, whereas in nuclear fractions LPA1R appeared primarily in caveolae. Immunofluorescent assays using a cell-free isolated nuclear system confirmed LPA1R and caveolin-1 co-localization. In pCMVEC, LPA-stimulated increases in cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric-oxide synthase RNA and protein expression were insensitive to caveolea-disrupting agents but sensitive to LPA-generating phospholipase A2 enzyme and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Moreover, LPA-induced increases in Ca2+ transients and/or iNOS expression in highly purified rat liver nuclei were prevented by pertussis toxin, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt inhibitor wortmannin and Ca2+ chelator and channel blockers EGTA and SK&F96365, respectively. This study describes for the first time the nucleus as a potential organelle for LPA intracrine signaling in the regulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression.
Examining the effects of hyperglycemia on pancreatic endocrine function in humans: evidence for in vivo glucotoxicity.

CONTEXT Investigating the impact of hyperglycemia on pancreatic endocrine function promotes our understanding of the pathophysiology of hyperglycemia-related disease. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that experimental hyperglycemia impairs insulin and glucagon secretion. DESIGN A randomized, crossover in healthy controls, compared with type 2 diabetic patients. SETTING The study was conducted at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS Normal glucose-tolerant subjects (n = 10) and patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 10), individually matched by age, sex, and body mass index. INTERVENTIONS Normal glucose-tolerant subjects underwent 24 h of experimental hyperglycemia (+5.4 mm above basal). Subjects with type 2 diabetes did not undergo an intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Insulin secretion, glucagon secretion, insulin sensitivity, disposition index, and endogenous glucose production (via [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose infusion) were measured during hyperglycemic clamps combined with infusion of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1(7-36) (0.5 pmol/kg · min) and injection of arginine (5 g). RESULTS Insulin secretion was correlated with glucagon suppression in subjects with normal glucose tolerance only. Individuals with type 2 diabetes had lower insulin sensitivity (-33 ± 11%) and insulin secretory responses to glucose, GLP-1, and arginine (-40 ± 11, -58 ± 7, and -36 ± 13%, respectively) and higher plasma glucagon and endogenous glucose production compared with normal glucose-tolerant subjects (all P < 0.05). After 24 h of experimental hyperglycemia, insulin sensitivity (-29 ± 10%), disposition index (-24 ± 16%), and GLP-1- (-19 ± 7%) and arginine-stimulated (-15 ± 10%) insulin secretion were decreased in normal glucose-tolerant subjects (all P < 0.05). However, plasma glucagon responses were not affected. Furthermore, experimental hyperglycemia abolished the correlation between insulin secretion and glucagon suppression. CONCLUSIONS Experimental hyperglycemia impaired pancreatic β-cell function but did not acutely impair α-cell glucagon secretion in normal glucose-tolerant subjects.
articleAccuracy of advanced versus strictly conventional 12-lead ECG for detection and screening of coronary artery disease , left ventricular hypertrophy and left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Background: Resting conventional 12-lead ECG has low sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and low positive predictive value (PPV) for prediction of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). We hypothesized that a ~5-min resting 12-lead advanced ECG test ("A-ECG") that combined results from both the advanced and conventional ECG could more accurately screen for these conditions than strictly
Role of Vitamin D in Blood Pressure Homeostasis

Hypovitaminosis D is suspected to be linked to several types of cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. This review explores the relationship of vitamin D to blood pressure and hypertension, a major cardiovascular disease risk factor. The literature up to June 2009 was searched without language or time restrictions from MEDLINE and PubMed, and it was supplemented with references from included studies. Ten observational studies and nine randomized control trials concerned with the association between vitamin D and blood pressure were identified and analyzed. Of these, eight observational studies and three randomized control trials supported an inverse association between vitamin D and blood pressure. Current observational studies strongly support an inverse association between vitamin D and blood pressure, but this association has yet to be convincingly supported with randomized control trials. More research is needed to determine the amount of vitamin D supplementation or ultraviolet B irradiation needed to maintain optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and to lower high blood pressure and to determine who can benefit from vitamin D supplementation or ultraviolet B irradiation.
Evaluation of Gait Characteristics and Ground Reaction Forces in Cognitively Declined Older Adults With an Emphasis on Slip-Induced Falls

ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between gait adaptation and slip/fall risk of older adults with cognitive impairments. The study investigated the gait characteristics of six healthy older adults and five older adults with dementia. Participants walked on an instrumented walkway at their preferred walking speeds. After ensuring that the preferred walking speeds were consistent, participants' natural posture and ground reaction forces were measured. The results suggested that participants with dementia walked more cautiously yet demanded more friction at the shoe/floor interface at the time of heel contact, increasing the risk of slip initiation. To reduce the risk of slip-induced falls among older adults with dementia, specific gait training to reduce friction demand requirements by increasing the transfer speed of the whole body mass is suggested.
GC-MS Based Metabolite Profiling of Rice Koji Fermentation by Various Fungi

In this study, Aspergillus kawachii, Aspergillus oryzae, and Rhizopus sp. , were utilized for rice Koji fermentation, and the metabolites were analyzed in a time-dependent manner by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. On Principal Component Analysis, the metabolite patterns were clearly distinguished based on the fungi species. This approach revealed that the quantities of glucose, galactose, and glycerol gradually increased as a function of fermentation time in all trials rice Koji fermentation. The time-dependent changes of these metabolites showed significant increases in glucose in the A. oryzae-treated rice, and in glycerol and galactose in the A. kawachii-treated rice. In addition, glycolysis-related enzyme activities were correlated with the changes in these metabolites. The results indicate that time-dependent metabolite production has the potential to be a valuable tool in selecting inoculant fungi and the optimal fermentation time for rice koji.
Involvement of the Superior Temporal Cortex and the Occipital Cortex in Spatial Hearing: Evidence from Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

The processing of auditory spatial information in cortical areas of the human brain outside of the primary auditory cortex remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the role of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the occipital cortex (OC) in spatial hearing using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The right STG is known to be of crucial importance for visual spatial awareness, and has been suggested to be involved in auditory spatial perception. We found that rTMS of the right STG induced a systematic error in the perception of interaural time differences (a primary cue for sound localization in the azimuthal plane). This is in accordance with the recent view, based on both neurophysio-logical data obtained in monkeys and human neuroimaging studies, that information on sound location is processed within a dorsolateral where stream including the caudal STG. A similar, but opposite, auditory shift was obtained after rTMS of secondary visual areas of the right OC. Processing of auditory information in the OC has previously been shown to exist only in blind persons. Thus, the latter finding provides the first evidence of an involvement of the visual cortex in spatial hearing in sighted human subjects, and suggests a close interconnection of the neural representation of auditory and visual space. Because rTMS induced systematic shifts in auditory lateralization, but not a general deterioration, we propose that rTMS of STG or OC specifically affected neuronal circuits transforming auditory spatial coordinates in order to maintain alignment with vision.
The gingival biotype: measurement of soft and hard tissue dimensions - a radiographic morphometric study.

BACKGROUND Gingival biotypes have been reported to influence the outcome of restorative therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of different morphometric parameters with the thickness of the buccal gingiva and alveolar bone at different apico-coronal levels. METHODS In 60 periodontally healthy subjects, the central maxillary incisor was examined. Clinical parameters included the crown width/crown length ratio (CW/CL), gingival width (GW), gingival scallop (SC) and transparency of the periodontal probe through the gingival sulcus (TRAN). Gingival and alveolar bone dimensions were assessed on parallel profile radiographs. RESULTS Crown width/crown length ratio was positively correlated with the thickness of the gingiva at the cementoenamel junction (G3) (r = 0.47) and to the thickness of the alveolar crest (A1) (r = 0.46); whereas SC had a weak negative and GW had a moderate positive correlation with all radiographic measurements. TRAN had a stronger negative relation to the thickness at the free gingiva (r = -0.42) than to other tissue thicknesses. All gingival thickness values were correlated with A1 value. Multivariate models identified CW/CL and GW as significant predictors for G3 value, whereas CW/CL was a significant predictor for A1 value. CONCLUSION Crown width/crown length ratio and GW could represent surrogate parameters to anticipate the gingival thickness at the cementoenamel junction, whereas CW/CL might also be an indicator for alveolar bone crest thickness. Periodontal probing has a limited prognostic value for these tissue dimensions.
Genetic structure of Algerian populations

Blood samples were collected in Algeria from 4,444 army recruits and tested for 10 genetic polymorphic systems. These samples were collected from territorial Wilayas (administrative units of Algeria) from which the young soldiers had originated. Based on similar geography and economic and political history, these Wilayas were clustered into 10 regions. These regions, not part of the governmental administrative units, were characterized by allelic frequencies, and analyzed using R‐matrix principal components, Wright's FST, spatial autocorrelation, and Mantel tests. Hierarchical relationships between the culturally defined regions were examined using two different analytical methods of phylogenetic tree constructions: neighbor‐joining, and unweighted pair group average arithmetic (UPGMA). These results indicated the predominance of genetic homogeneity due to the gene flow between regions, but with some migration emanating from sub‐Saharan Africa and Mediterranean Europe. Wright's FST value of 0.0063, based on 16 alleles, suggested a relatively small genetic microdifferentiation of the regions. In Algeria, gene flow apparently swamped most of the effects of stochastic processes and disrupted the relationship between geography and genetics, as characterized by the isolation‐by‐distance model. Some genetic differences and similarities were observed between regions or clusters of regions. The resulting genetic structure of the Algerian populations is best explained by a combination of gene flow, ecology, and history. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 18:492–501, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.