Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Germany's Experience in Supporting and Implementing Human Rights-Based Approaches to Health, plus Challenges and Successes in Demonstrating Impact on Health Outcomes.

The right to health is a human right. Every person has the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. However, for many people, enjoyment of this right is far from reality—for example, many do not have access to effective and affordable medicine and treatments or to safe drinking water, adequate food, and basic sanitation. Some progress has been made, such as in women’s and children’s health: since 1990, maternal deaths have been cut by almost half.1 There have been substantial increases in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, in oral rehydration therapy, and in exclusive breastfeeding. Important gains have been achieved with regard to antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and postnatal care.2 The international community is ready to further step up its efforts. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a case in point: on January 26–27, 2015, the “Reach Every Child” Pledging Conference hosted by the German government was held in Berlin to replenish Gavi’s resource needs for 2016–2020. Germany alone pledged €600 million. Altogether, 31 public and private sector donors pledged over US$7.5 billion for Gavi. With this funding, Gavi will be able to immunize an additional 300 million children in developing countries by 2020, protecting them against some of the world’s deadliest diseases and saving up to six million lives. Access to adequate health care for the poor, and protection from the financial, health, and social risks associated with disease are a core element of human development and poverty reduction. The right to health is enshrined in various human rights conventions and is internationally recognized. Every country that has ratified the relevant covenants must respect, protect, and guarantee the right to health.3 The basic causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries arise from the failure to meet commitments relating to the human right to health.4 However, supporting the efforts of poor countries to fulfill their state duty to realize the human right to health remains an ongoing challenge and a priority for the international community. Human rights are a guiding principle for German development cooperation.5 They play a significant role in all priority areas—such as equal rights for women, land and water rights for indigenous peoples, affordable health services, and access to education for the poor.6
Influence of iron-limited continuous culture on physiology and virulence of Legionella pneumophila

A virulent strain of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, subgroup Pontiac, was grown in continuous culture at a constant growth rate under iron-replete and iron-limited conditions. Iron limitation was achieved by the removal of ferrous sulfate and hemin from the chemically defined medium. Residual contaminating iron, 0.45 microM, was sufficient to support iron-limited growth. Typical iron-replete cultures metabolized 3.3 microM iron. Serine provided the principal source of carbon and energy for both cultures, although iron-replete cultures also depleted a number of other amino acids. There was a 40% decrease in culture biomass under iron-restricted conditions. Iron limitation did not significantly affect carbohydrate metabolism, with the molar growth yield for carbon (Ycarbon) comparable for both cultures. However, under iron-limited conditions a sixfold increase in Yiron correlated with a significant decrease in the iron content of the biomass, as the culture utilized the available iron more efficiently. Highly pleomorphic iron-replete cultures became uniform cultures of short fine rods when adapted to iron-deficient conditions. In addition to the morphological and physiological changes, iron limitation had a critical effect on culture virulence. The virulence of this strain was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced when the culture was subjected to iron-limited conditions. This phenomenon was reversible, with a significant increase in culture virulence upon reversion to iron-replete conditions. When compared in an in vitro macrophage assay, the number of culturable avirulent iron-limited cells located intracellularly after infection was significantly lower than for the virulent replete and control cultures. These results further support the role of environmental parameters in regulating the virulence of L. pneumophila.
The effect of pyridine on the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of ethyl carbamate (urethane) by rat and mouse.

Ethyl carbamate (EC, urethane) is a known carcinogen in laboratory animals. A genotoxic mechanism has been proposed which involves the bioactivation of EC to a reactive epoxide by the ethanol-inducible CYP2E1. The purpose of this study was to determine if pyridine (200 mg/kg i.p.), an inducer of CYP2E1, would increase the in vitro metabolism of EC and the in vivo binding of EC to cellular macromolecules. Treatment of rats or mice with pyridine increased hepatic microsomal metabolism of [14C-carbonyl]EC to CO2, but had little effect on pulmonary microsomal metabolism. The increase in hepatic metabolism was inhibited by the CYP2E1 inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate, but not by the esterase inhibitor paraoxon, clearly indicating a role for this isozyme in hepatic metabolism of EC. In vivo, pyridine (200 mg/kg i.p.) administered 18 h prior to dosing with EC decreased the binding of [14C-ethyl]EC to cellular macromolecules. These data indicate that pyridine administration to rats and mice induces CYP2E1 metabolism of EC in vitro, but inhibits EC metabolism in vivo, perhaps by acting as an alternate substrate for CYP2E1.
Correlations Between Folate, B12, Homocysteine Levels, and Radiological Markers of Neuropathology in Elderly Post-Stroke Patients

Objective: To investigate serum levels of folate, B12, and total homocysteine (tHcy) in elderly post-stroke patients, and the possible correlations with radiological markers of neuropathology. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Neurology, Cardinal Tien Hospital. Subjects: Eighty-nine elderly post-stroke patients were enrolled for dietary assessment and blood tests. Neuroradiological assessment was done in 62 of these patients. Main Outcome Measures: Dietary folate and vitamin B12 intakes were evaluated by a 24-h recall system using a semi-quantitative questionnaire. Circulating levels of folate, B12, and tHcy were measured. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) was used for evaluation of brain lesions including infarction and atrophy. Results: Mean folate and B12 intakes of these post-stroke patients were 69% and 261% of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA), respectively. Inadequate folate levels, defined as serum folate < 6 ng/mL, was noted in 68% of these patients. Hyperhomocysteinemia levels (tHcy ≥15 μmol/L) were observed in 48%. According to tertiles of serum tHcy and folate levels, the rate of brain atrophy, but not brain infarctions, are significantly associated with elevated tHcy (P = 0.0126) and decreased folate levels (P = 0.0273). After adjustments for age, sex, disease status, brain infarctions and carotid stenosis, the odds ratio of brain atrophy was 9.8 (95% CI: 1.7–56.4, P = 0.0101) in the hyperhomocysteinemia group and 9.6 (95% CI: 1.1–81.3, P = 0.0377) in the low folate group (serum folate < 3.0 ng/mL) compared with the group with normal tHcy and folate levels. No significant association was noted between vitamin B12 levels and brain lesions. Conclusions: Our data shows that folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are prevalent in elderly post-stroke patients. These two conditions are strongly and independently associated with the development of brain atrophy.
Pharmacological analysis of the rat cone electroretinogram

The electroretinogram (ERG) of the cone system provides a useful noninvasive measure of the activity of the cone pathway. Despite a wide application of the cone ERG in the study of rodent models of human hereditary retinal disease, the cellular origins of the rat cone ERG have not been well defined. Here, we address this issue using a pharmacological approach that has been used previously to derive ERG response components. Agents that impair synaptic transmission at well-defined retinal loci were dissolved in saline and injected into the vitreous of adult Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with ketamine/xylazine, and cone ERGs were recorded approximately 2 h later. Analysis of the resulting waveforms indicated that the rat cone ERG includes a relatively small-amplitude component of negative polarity that is derived from the activity of cone photoreceptors, and perhaps retinal glial (Müller) cells. The cone depolarizing bipolar cell pathway contributes a positive potential of large amplitude to the rat cone ERG. In comparison, the contribution of hyperpolarizing bipolar cells is of negative polarity and of much smaller amplitude. The inner retina contributes a negative wave upon which higher frequency oscillations are superimposed. These results provide a foundation for interpreting changes in the waveform of the rat cone ERG that may be observed following genetic alteration or other experimental treatment.
Short-Term Outcomes of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure With New Occlutech® Duct Occluder: A Multicenter Study.

AIM Over the past 2 decades, transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with coils and the duct occluders evolved to be the procedure of choice. A new device, the Occlutech PDA® occluder (ODO) device has been designed. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the characteristics and short-term results of patients who underwent transcatheter closure of PDA using the ODO. METHODS We reviewed the clinical records of 60 patients from different centers in Turkey between December 2013 and January 2016. The medical records were reviewed for demographic characteristics and echocardiographic findings. Device size was selected on the narrowest diameter of PDA. RESULTS The median patient age was 2.5 years (6 months-35 years), and median PDA diameter was 2.5 mm (1.2-11 mm). Fifty-eight of 60 patients (96.6%) had successful ODO implantation. The occlusion rates were 37/58 (63.7%) at the end of the procedure, 51/58 (87.9%) at 24-48 hours post-procedure, and 57/58 (98.2%) on echocardiography at a median follow-up of 7.6 months. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that transcatheter closure of PDA using the ODO is effective. Larger studies and longer follow-up are required to assess whether its shape and longer length make it superior to other duct occluders in large, tubular, or window-type ducts. (J Interven Cardiol 2016;29:325-331).
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND SEGREGATION IN SKILL ACCUMULATION

This paper studies human capital investment in a spatial setting with interpersonal complementarities. A mixture of local and global social interactions affect the cost of acquiring education, and the return to human capital is determined endogenously in the market. We study how spatially segregated investment equilibria are affected by an increase in the relative importance of global vis-á-vis local interactions. Per capita income level, equality, and welfare are shown to improve if the skilled constitute a majority to begin with, and if not, these implications are reversed. We also examine the effects of wider local neighborhoods, and lower mobility costs, and study a related two-group model based on social distance. (JEL: D31, O15, D85)
Dynamic Modeling of Three-Phase Asymmetric Power Transformers With Magnetic Hysteresis: No-Load and Inrush Conditions

A new dynamic model of a three-phase three-leg transformer for steady-state and transient operating conditions is proposed in this paper. With very few exceptions, the existing models oversimplify the magnetic interactions in multileg core topologies and employ single-value nonlinear functions for modeling core nonlinearities. Unfortunately, this does not provide sufficient accuracy for a wide range of dynamic disturbances such as dc bias, ferroresonance, and inrush. For this purpose, a new time-domain model based on magnetic-circuit theory is developed to include dynamic-hysteresis behavior (major and minor loops) in asymmetric three-leg core topologies. Furthermore, a new analysis is performed to study the impacts of hysteresis on no-load and transient inrush current behavior in three-phase transformers. Simulation results have been successfully compared with measurements to verify the accuracy of the proposed model.
Introducing an Embodied Virtual Presenter Agent in a Virtual Meeting Room

In this paper we survey our research on modeling presentations in virtual environments. This research is performed in several of our research projects, in particular the European FP6 AMI (Augmented Multi-party Interaction) project. This project is about capturing and modeling of meetings. One of our aims in the project is to have real-time transformation of events during a meeting – hence, including presentations – to similar events in a virtual meeting room. Another aim is to model presenters and presentation making in order to make it possible to have remote presenters, anytime presenters, and modified presentations in the virtual meeting environment. During meetings presentations are often done using a data projector and PowerPoint sheets. These are the presentations that are mainly discussed in this paper. Timing and synchronizing of the multi-modal outputs displayed by the embodied virtual presenter is discussed.
Correlates of epidermal nerve fiber densities in HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy

Objective: To demonstrate the relationship between epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD) in the leg and the phenotype of HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy (HIV-DSP) in a multicenter prospective study (ACTG A5117). Methods: A total of 101 HIV-infected adults, with CD4 cell count <300 cells/mm3 and who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 15 consecutive weeks, underwent standardized clinical and electrophysiologic assessment. All 101 subjects were biopsied at the distal leg (DL) and 99 at the proximal thigh (PT) at baseline. ENFD was assessed by skin biopsy using PGP9.5 immunostaining. Associations of ENFD with demographics, ART treatment, Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude and conduction velocity, quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures, and neuropathic pain were explored. Results: ENFD at the DL site correlated with neuropathy severity as gauged by TNS (p < 0.01), the level of neuropathic pain quantified by the Gracely Pain Scale (GPS) (p = 0.01) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (p = 0.01), sural SNAP amplitude (p < 0.01), and toe cooling (p < 0.01) and vibration (p = 0.02) detection thresholds. ENFD did not correlate with neurotoxic ART exposure, CD4 cell count, or plasma HIV-1 viral load. Conclusions: In subjects with advanced HIV-1 infection, epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD) assessment correlates with the clinical and electrophysiologic severity of distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP). ENFD did not correlate with previously established risk factors for HIV-DSP, including CD4 cell count, plasma HIV-1 viral load, and neurotoxic antiretroviral therapy exposure.
Effects of irbesartan on inflammatory cytokine concentrations in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

OBJECTIVE Some angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), including irbesartan, increase the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-g activity in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions between obesity and the effects of irbesartan on inflammatory cytokines in chronic glomerulonephritis patients without diabetes. METHODS The anti-inflammatory effects of irbesartan were evaluated in 29 hypertensive chronic glomerulonephritis patients without diabetes in a prospective, single-arm study. RESULTS Following treatment with irbesartan for 26 weeks, blood pressure and proteinuria significantly decreased, as previously reported (blood pressure decreased from 142±1/87±1 to 131±1/81±1 mmHg and the urine protein/creatinine ratio decreased from 1030±143 to 779±121 mg/g Cr). BMI did not significantly change after the study. Among the inflammatory parameters, the concentrations of adiponectin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) significantly improved after treatment; however, the changes in the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and leptin did not reach statistical significance. Moreover, the changes in these five parameters following treatment were moderately correlated with the BMI values obtained at the initiation of the study, and the improvements were particularly prominent in those with a BMI greater than 25. Improvements in proteinuria were significantly correlated with increases in the adiponectin concentration, but not with BMI. There was also a moderate correlation between the changes in the adiponectin and insulin concentrations. CONCLUSION Irbesartan improves metabolic parameters in nondiabetic hypertensive chronic glomerulonephritis patients, especially those with a high BMI. Improving the adiponectin concentration may be important for reducing proteinuria.
Psychometric Evaluation of a Coping Strategies Inventory Short-Form (CSI-SF) in the Jackson Heart Study Cohort

This study sought to establish the psychometric properties of a Coping Strategies Inventory Short Form (CSI-SF) by examining coping skills in the Jackson Heart Study cohort. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and Cronbach Alpha to examine reliability and validity in the CSI-SF that solicited responses from 5302 African American men and women between the ages of 35 and 84. One item was dropped from the 16-item CSI-SF, making it a 15-item survey. No significant effects were found for age and gender, strengthening the generalizability of the CSI-SF. The internal consistency reliability analysis revealed reliability between alpha = 0.58–0.72 for all of the scales, and all of the fit indices used to examine the CSI-SF provided support for its use as an adequate measure of coping. This study provides empirical support for utilizing this instrument in future efforts to understand the role of coping in moderating health outcomes.
Isolation and Characterization of Spheroid Cells from Human Malignant Melanoma Cell Line WM-266-4

Background/Aims: Spheroid cells which can grow as nonattached spheroids in vitro culture condition are considered as tumor-initiating cells that have properties similar to those of stem cells. However, the existence of spheroid cells in WM-266-4, a human malignant metastatic melanoma cell line, has not yet been reported. Methods: Accordingly, we investigated whether WM-266-4 can form spheroids, and characterized these spheroids using qRT-PCR, histology, immunohistochemistry and xenograft. Results: WM-266-4 contains a small subpopulation of cells that grow as spheroids and express genes strongly related to tumor malignancy and stem-like factors. Second, histological analysis of the spheres revealed that they consist of 300–400 round cells per sphere with a high karyoplasmic ratio. They have a basophilic cytoplasm and are highly pleomorphic in size, and sometimes multinucleated and giant. Third, although there were differences between the spheroid and bulk cells, they both have high tumorigenic potential, as both cell types formed a tumor mass upon injection of only 100 cells in nude mice. Conclusion: We characterized the spheroid cells in an established melanoma cell line. We suggest that enriched spheroid cells might contain more dedifferentiated progenitor cells, but we could not conclude spheroid cells are cancer stem cells.
Academic performance and substance use: findings from a state survey of public high school students.

BACKGROUND Previous investigations have shown that low academic achievers are more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use marijuana and other illicit drugs. This study investigated the relationship between academic performance and substance use among public high school students in Mississippi. METHODS The sampling frame for the 2003 Mississippi Youth Risk Behavior Survey was obtained from the Mississippi Department of Education. A 2-stage cluster sample design produced a representative sample of Mississippi students in grades 9-12 who attended public schools. During the spring 2003, 34 of the 45 sampled schools (75.6%) participated. RESULTS A total of 1488 from the 1672 sampled students (89.0%) completed an 87-item questionnaire (overall response rate 67.3%). Low academic performance (students with mostly Cs or below) during the 12 months preceding the survey was more prevalent among males, non-Hispanic blacks, frequent smokers, binge drinkers, and marijuana users. Logistic regression identified gender, race, frequent smoking, and marijuana use as statistically significant factors associated with increased odds for low academic performance. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.2 for binge drinkers versus other students to 2.6 for non-Hispanic black students versus non-Hispanic white students. CONCLUSIONS The present findings highlight the extensive use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana among Mississippi public high school students. Because poor academic achievers are more prevalent among students who participate in these substance-use behaviors, multifaceted approaches that encourage high levels of academic performance, while dissuading student involvement in risky/problem behaviors, may both improve low levels of academic achievement and reduce behaviors that contribute to poor health in adulthood.
Image super-resolution using the specialized interior-point method

Using sparse representation for image super-resolution (SR) has been a hot topic in image processing recently. Many of them use the standard interior-point method to solve the l1-minimization problems which is essential in sparse representation. In this paper, we present a specialized interior-point method to do the image SR by using Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) to compute the search step, and get the state-of-the-art results both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results showed that our method can achieve higher PSNR than conventional ones.
Age Influences Likelihood of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, but not Outcome

Background Pancreatic cancer (PanCA) is predominantly diagnosed in elderly patients; nevertheless, a significant number of young patients are affected. We hypothesized more aggressive treatment of young PanCA patients would result in better overall survival (OS). Methods A retrospective review of our institutional cancer database identified subjects for inclusion. Age 50 years was selected to stratify patients into age groups. Results Of 309 PanCA patients, 54 (17%) were ≤ 50 years old. Exocrine cancer was the most common histology (90%). Patients ≤ 50 years old were more likely to have endocrine cancer (22% vs. 7%, P = 0.001). There was no difference in stage or curative intent surgery between age groups. Despite patients ≤ 50 years old receiving more chemotherapy (61% vs. 41%, P = 0.007) and radiotherapy (28% vs. 15%, P = 0.03), there was no difference in OS (24.1 months vs. 14.1 months, P = 0.08). When only exocrine cancers were considered, there was no difference between young and old patients regarding stage, grade, location or surgery. Exocrine cancer patients ≤ 50 years old received more chemotherapy (67% vs. 42%, P = 0.003) and radiation therapy (36% vs. 17%, P = 0.004), but there was no difference in OS. Conclusions A substantial number of PanCA patients are ≤ 50 years old. Patients ≤ 50 years old received more treatment but did not have improved OS. Significant improvements in PanCA survival await development of new treatment strategies.