Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytokines in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic obstruction of expiratory flow affecting peripheral airways, associated with chronic bronchitis (mucus hypersecretion with goblet cell and submucosal gland hyperplasia) and emphysema (destruction of airway parenchyma), together with fibrosis and tissue damage, and inflammation of the small airways. Cytokines are extracellular signalling proteins. Increased levels of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and IL‐8 have been measured in sputum, with further increases during exacerbations, and the bronchiolar epithelium over-expresses monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)‐1 and IL‐8. IL‐8 can account for some chemotactic activity of sputum, and sputum IL‐8 levels correlate with airway bacterial load and blood myeloperoxidase levels. The expression of chemokines such as regulated on activation, normal T‐cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) may underlie the airway eosinophilia observed in some COPD patients. Cytokines may be involved in tissue remodelling. TNF‐α and IL‐1β stimulate macrophages to produced matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9), and bronchial epithelial cells to produce extracellular matrix glycoproteins such as tenascin. Increased expression of transforming growth factor‐β (TGFβ) and of epidermal growth factor (EGF) occurs in the epithelium and submucosal cells of patients with chronic bronchitis. TGFβ and EGF activate proliferation of fibroblasts, while activation of the EGF receptor leads to mucin gene expression. The cytokine profile seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is different from that observed in asthma. The role of these cytokines needs to be defined and there is a potential for anticytokine therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Pre-school child oral health in rural Western Australia.

BACKGROUND In light of the various challenges faced by public dental health services, especially when large geographical areas and isolated communities are concerned, targeting of high risk groups within these populations needs to be investigated. This study aimed to assess caries experience, dental health behaviour and dental service utilization among a sample of pre-school children in a rural community in Western Australia. METHODS The study was a cross-sectional oral health survey of pre-school children between the ages of 2 and 5 in Carnarvon, Western Australia. RESULTS In total, 70 pre-school children (representing approximately 15 per cent of the total 2-5 year old population of Carnarvon) were examined. Less than half of the children were caries free. Both caries prevalence and severity (mean dmft) were significantly higher among Aboriginal children than non-Aboriginal children. Caries prevalence and severity were also significantly higher among children who often consumed carbonated drinks. CONCLUSIONS This survey indicates that some pre-school children in rural areas, and especially Aboriginal pre-school children, are at high risk of developing dental caries. Effective oral health programmes commencing well before the usual first contact with dental services at age 5 are needed for young children at high risk of dental caries.
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with nasal positive airway pressure improves golf performance.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with impairment of cognitive function, and improvement is often noted with treatment. Golf is a sport that requires a range of cognitive skills. We evaluated the impact of nasal positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on the handicap index (HI) of golfers with OSAS. METHODS Golfers underwent a nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG) to determine whether they had significant OSAS (respiratory disturbance index > 15). Twelve subjects with a positive NPSG were treated with PAP. HI, an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and sleep questionnaire (SQ) were submitted upon study entry. After 20 rounds of golf on PAP treatment, the HI was recalculated, and the questionnaires were repeated. A matched control group composed of non-OSAS subjects was studied to assess the impact of the study construct on HI, ESS, and SQ. Statistical comparisons between pre- and post-PAP treatment were calculated. RESULTS The control subjects demonstrated no significant change in HI, ESS, or SQ during this study, while the OSAS group demonstrated a significant drop in average HI (11.3%, p = 0.01), ESS, (p = 0.01), and SQ (p = 0.003). Among the more skilled golfers (defined as HI ≤ 12), the average HI dropped by an even greater degree (31.5%). Average utilization of PAP was 91.4% based on data card reporting. CONCLUSIONS Treatment of OSAS with PAP enhanced performance in golfers with this condition. Treatment adherence was unusually high in this study. Non-medical performance improvement may be a strong motivator for selected subjects with OSAS to seek treatment and maximize adherence.
The Nigerian Aging Males' Symptoms scale. Experience in elderly males

Background. The Aging Males' Symptoms scale (AMS) is an internationally used scale to analyse health related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that the Nigerian AMS scale measures HRQoL with similar accuracy as in other language versions. We also intended to show the severity of complaints of aging in males in advanced old age. More generally, we aim to demonstrate that the Nigerian AMS scale is an applicable, validated, sensitive instrument to measure HRQoL in Nigeria. Material. We performed a representative survey in Nigeria to get data of the AMS scale in a group of males in old age. The survey was a household-based population sample conducted in March 2006. The Nigerian data were compared with existing data from other European countries. Only community-based data were used for this comparison. Results and discussion. The internal structure of the AMS (factorial analysis) was sufficiently similar with the comparison group of other countries in Europe to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.8–0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.4–0.8). This suggests that the domains are not fully independent. The reliability (consistency) was found to be good and almost identical with European countries. Mean scores of the Nigerian AMS did systematically differ from data of other European studies. There were much higher because of older age. The same applies for the population reference values obtained in Nigeria. It is the first time that population norm values are available for very old age. Conclusion. The Nigerian AMS scale is a standardized HRQoL scale that showed good psychometric characteristics (reliability, validity) similar to other international versions. We suggest that the results obtained with the Nigerian AMS scale should be used preliminarily as reference for ‘norm values’ for highest age, i.e. in absence of other data. Confirmation in future studies is needed.
Modeling nuclear molecule release during in vitro cell death

The extracellular release of nuclear molecules occurs prominently during cell death and can determine the immune properties of dead and dying cells. Depending on inciting events and environmental conditions, cells can die by apoptosis or necrosis, although these processes differ in their immunological consequences. Whereas apoptosis is immunologically silent, necrosis leads to inflammation, possibly reflecting the array of “danger” molecules released. To investigate these processes, the extracellular release of HMGB1 during necrosis was characterized in vitro using Jurkat T cell leukemia cells treated to induce necrosis by freeze-thaw, heat, hydrogen peroxide or ethanol. HMGB1 is a non-histone nuclear protein that represents a prototype alarmin; the pro-inflammatory activity of HMGB1, however, depends on past-translational modifications and association with other molecules including cytokines. As results of these studies showed, the extent and kinetics of HMGB1 release from necrotic cells varies markedly depending on its induction. Among treatments tested, freeze-thaw produced the highest levels of extracellular HMGB1; levels with ethanol treatment were very low and in the range of untreated controls. Similar results were obtained with DNA, with freeze-thaw leading to significant amounts of extracellular DNA although this DNA was subject to rapid nuclease digestion. Together, these findings suggest that the rapid release of nuclear molecules is not an invariable feature of necrosis and that the characterization of the immune properties of dead and dying cells should use systems in which the content and stability of extracellular components are well defined.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Propofol Infusions during General Anesthesia

The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of propofol were studied in 50 surgical patients. Propofol was administered as a bolus dose, 2 mg/kg iv, followed by a variable-rate infusion, 0–20 mg/min, and intermittent supplemental boluses, 10–20 mg iv, as part of a general anesthetic technique that included nitrous oxide, meperidine, and muscle relaxants. For a majority of the patients (n = 30), the pharmacokinetics of propofol were best described by a two-compartment model. The propofol mean total body clearance rate was 2.09 ± 0.65 1/min (mean · SD), the volume of distribution at steady state was 159 ± 57 I, and the elimination half-life was 116 ± 34 min. Elderly patients (patients older than 60 yr vs. those younger than 60 yr) had significantly decreased clearance rates (1.58 ± 0.42 vs. 2.19 ± 0.64 1/min), whereas women (vs. men) had greater clearance rates (33 ± 8 vs. 26 ± 7 1 · kg−1 · min−1) and volumes of distribution (2.50 ± 0.81 vs. 2.05 ± 0.65 1/kg). Patients undergoing major (intraabdominal) surgery had longer elimination half-life values (136 ± 40 vs. 108 ± 29 min). Patients required an average blood propofol concentration of 4.05 ± 1.01 μg/ml for major surgery and 2.97 ± 1.07 μg/ml for nonmajor surgery. Blood propofol concentrations at which 50% of patients (EC50) were awake and oriented after surgery were 1.07 and 0.95 μg/ml, respectively. Psychomotor performance returned to baseline at blood propofol concentrations of 0.38–0.43 μg/ml (EC50). This clinical study demonstrates the feasibility of performing pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses when complex infusion and bolus regimens are used for administering iv anesthetics.
Changes in 3 D joint dynamics during the first 5 months after the onset of independent walking : A longitudinal follow-up study

A longitudinal follow-up study of 10 normally developing children was performed in order to identify changes in mechanical control of gait during the first months after initiation of independent walking. Changes in spatio-temporal parameters and kinematics were recorded (336 trials spread over 83 recording sessions) and linked to kinetic features of gait. At the onset of independent walking, all children in our study group showed the same walking strategy: a dominance of the extending moments around the lower extremity joints was observed and could be linked to the flexed position of the hip and knee during stance. In a subset of our study population, the dominance of the extending moments disappeared with increasing walking experience, though reversal to immature patterns was frequently observed. A linear mixed model showed that with increasing walking experience, there was an increase in dimensionless walking speed, dimensionless cadence and dimensionless stride length (without correction for the increase in speed). Maximal hip extension in stance, knee flexion and ankle plantar flexion at foot contact also increased (even when the increase in speed is taken into account). Dimensionless step width, duty factor, double support time, maximal hip flexion in swing and hip abduction significantly decreased (with correction for speed). Important changes were also observed in ground reaction force patterns, evolving towards a double ‘‘hump’’. No significant changes could be observed in other kinetic parameters, probably due to the high degree of variability. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Three essays on the American public's war support calculus: Evidence from experiments

This dissertation consists of three essays on the American public’s war calculus that hang together in two main ways. First, these essays all attempt to quantitatively measure how certain things about a mission abroad—including the positions of domestic and international elites on it, its American and enemy casualties, its chance of success and main objective, its dollar cost and duration, its location on the planet—causally impact the public’s support at home. The first essay simultaneously measures the causal impacts of sixty features of a war, obtaining a rough outline of the public’s calculus on war as a mathematical function. The second essay measures the causal impacts of accumulating American and insurgent body counts over time during a war, estimating their dynamic rate of change. And the third essay measures the causal impacts of domestic political elites during parallel real and hypothetical wars, discovering a new mechanism by which the public responds to their position-taking at home. But these measurements wouldn’t be possible without the second way these three essays hang together: all of them employ the experimental method. These essays
The organization of interests and democracy in the European Union

Introduction In recent years, a new discourse has been introduced to the academic and political debate on European interest intermediation attracting much attention in the media and scholarly debate. The focus is not any longer on the influence of interests groups on public policy making but on the democratic potential of closer publicprivate cooperation. Though the trendy catchwords are civil society and participatory democracy, the debate did not originate in a bottom-up process but was initiated by those in power and has the clear characteristics of an ‘engineered’ discourse: As a response to the slim victories in some referenda which were held in the aftermath of the Maastricht-Treaty negotiations and the decreasing popular support of the European integration project indicated by the Eurobarometer surveys since the early 1990s, the Heads of State and Governments called for “a Union closer to the citizens”. The Commission on its part provided an important impetus by framing the debate with the publication of the White Paper on “European Governance” (Commission 2001a). It is propagating a wider involvement of civil society for the sake of efficient and democratic governance. The Commission already adhered to that principle when preparing and launching the White Paper: In the preparatory phase it engaged in extensive consultations with representatives of organised interests and the academic community, it organised and stimulated a broad public debate after publication and since then provides incentives for more thorough investigations on the
Correlation between central venous oxygen saturation and oxygen delivery changes following fluid therapy

Background: The rationale for using central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) in various clinical scenarios is that it reflects the balance between oxygen delivery (DO2) and demands. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between ScvO2 and DO2 changes (ΔDo2, ΔScvO2) in patients receiving fluid therapy following coronary surgery. We also correlated the changes of mean arterial pressure (ΔMAP) and central venous pressure (ΔCVP), with ΔDO2.
DNA Barcoding Survey of Anurans across the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and the Impact of the Andes on Cryptic Diversity

Colombia hosts the second highest amphibian species diversity on Earth, yet its fauna remains poorly studied, especially using molecular genetic techniques. We present the results of the first wide-scale DNA barcoding survey of anurans of Colombia, focusing on a transect across the Eastern Cordillera. We surveyed 10 sites between the Magdalena Valley to the west and the eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera, sequencing portions of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) genes for 235 individuals from 52 nominal species. We applied two barcode algorithms, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and Refined Single Linkage Analysis, to estimate the number of clusters or “unconfirmed candidate species” supported by DNA barcode data. Our survey included ~7% of the anuran species known from Colombia. While barcoding algorithms differed slightly in the number of clusters identified, between three and ten nominal species may be obscuring candidate species (in some cases, more than one cryptic species per nominal species). Our data suggest that the high elevations of the Eastern Cordillera and the low elevations of the Chicamocha canyon acted as geographic barriers in at least seven nominal species, promoting strong genetic divergences between populations associated with the Eastern Cordillera.
ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMENGARUHI FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY RATIO PADA BANK UMUM SYARIAH DI INDONESIA PERIODE 2010 - 2014

This study aimed to analyze the influence of Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF), Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Assets (ROA), Financing Deposit Ratio (FDR), Operating Expenses Operating Income (BOPO) on Financial Sustainability Ratio (FSR) of Islamic Banking in Indonesia. The objects were Sharia Commercial Banks in Indonesia registered in Bank Indonesia / OJK period 2010 Q2 – 2014 Q4. In analyzing data, it used panel data regression analysis with the estimation model Fixed Effect, classic assumption test, and hypothesis testing used Eviews 8.0 program. Results of t test showed that the positive effect of CAR was not significant, NPF has significant negative effect, ROE has not significant negative effect, ROA has significant positive effect, FDR has not significant positive effect, and BOPO has significant negative effect. While the results of F test indicate that all independent variables significantly influence the dependent variable with adjusted R2 of 0.9646.
Improving outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse: A single center experience

The outcome of patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory, with few available effective therapies. Increased understanding of the biology of the disease has led to the identification of novel therapeutic agents, several of which have been evaluated in recently conducted clinical trials. We sought to determine whether the introduction of these agents as well as modern supportive care measures has already translated to better outcomes. We examined the outcomes of 1,056 patients with AML in first relapse treated between January 1993 and December 2013 at our institution. As previously reported, the independent prognostic factors for survival after first relapse included age at relapse, cytogenetics, and duration of first complete remission. Upon multivariable analysis, treatment era was an independent predictor of survival, with significant improvement in overall survival between 2008 and 2013 as compared to prior time periods. Modern supportive care measures as well as participation in clinical trials of novel agents are already improving the outcomes in first relapse. Am. J. Hematol. 90:27–30, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Childhood behaviour, psychotic symptoms and psychosis onset in young people at high risk of schizophrenia: early findings from the Edinburgh High Risk Study

Background. Several studies suggest that many patients with schizophrenia have pre-morbid neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This study examines how behavioural abnormalities are associated with mild psychotic symptoms and later schizophrenic illness. Methods. Maternal ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) of the early behaviour of 155 subjects were obtained at entry to the Edinburgh study of people at high risk of schizophrenia. These maternal ratings were compared in those with and without psychotic symptoms and used to predict the later onset of psychosis. Results. The CBCL syndrome scores for the children prior to age 13 did not distinguish any of the study groups at entry to the study. In the ratings made for the subjects when aged from 13 to 16, delinquent behaviour and ‘other problems’ were weakly associated with these symptoms. However, with the exception of somatic symptoms and thought problems, the age 13–16 scales were significant predictors of later schizophrenic illness. This was true also for some of the ratings prior to age 13. Conclusions. Various behaviours, in particular, withdrawn and delinquent–aggressive behaviour in adolescents at risk of schizophrenia may predict later onset of the illness. These behaviours, however, are far less predictive of isolated psychotic symptoms prior to psychosis onset.
Impact of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation on the prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway has emerged as one of the most frequently deregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Numerous alterations of various upstream and downstream components have been described; however, their prognostic significance and impact on HNSCC patient survival remains to be established. This was addressed using an unbiased cohort of 93 consecutive and homogeneous surgically treated HNSCC patients and results confirmed in 432 HNSCC patients. Our findings reveal the high prevalence of S6 phosphorylation, a surrogate marker of mTORC1 activation, in HNSCC specimens (>70%) and, more importantly, demonstrate its relevance on clinical outcome. Phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 on either Ser235/236 or Ser240/244 was consistently and significantly correlated with favorable prognosis, although with differences depending on the tumor site. Thus, p-S6 expression was significantly correlated with better disease-specific survival specifically in the subgroup of laryngeal carcinoma patients (P< 0.001). In addition, multivariate regression models revealed p-S6 to be an inverse and independent predictor of lymph-node metastasis (P= 0.004) and distant metastasis (P= 0.006). Taken together, this study unveils an unprecedented correlation of mTOR activation with improved clinical outcome in patients with laryngeal carcinomas and uncovers the potential of p-S6 expression as a good prognostic biomarker and an inverse predictor of lymph node and distant metastases. These results should be of broad interest as immunohistochemical detection of p-S6 may help to stratify patients and guide treatment decisions.