Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypocomplementemia in systemic lupus erythematosus and primary antiphospholipid syndrome: prevalence and clinical significance in 667 patients

The objective of the study was to analyse the prevalence and clinical significance of hypocomplementemia in a large series of patients diagnosed either with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and its association with the main clinical, hematological and immunological features of these diseases. Between 1992 and 2003, complement determinations (C3 and C4 levels, CH50 activity) were performed in 597 consecutive patients diagnosed with SLE (530 women and 67 men, mean age 32.6 years) and 70 with primary APS (57 women and 13 men, mean age 38.7) visited in our department. Complement determinations are routinely made at the first visit of patients and yearly during the follow-up. SLE and primary APS were diagnosed according to current classification criteria. Hypocomplementemia was detected in 371 (62%) of SLE patients. Compared with patients with normal complement values, those with hypocomplementemia showed a higher prevalence of female gender (P < 0.001), fever (P = 0.021), nephropathy (P < 0.001), cutaneous vasculitis (P = 0.023), positive anti-dsDNA antibodies (P = 0.012) and cryoglobulinemia (P < 0.001). In addition, patients with hypocomplementemia showed a higher prevalence of APS-related features such as hemolytic anemia (P = 0.001) and antiphospholipid antibodies (P < 0.001). Hypocomplementemia was prospectively related to accumulated hospitalization in SLE patients but not with the accumulated number of lupus flares or with the survival after follow-up of five years. In contrast, 33 (47%) patients with primary APS presented low complement values, which were associated with a higher prevalence of livedo reticularis (P = 0.022), thrombocytopenia (P = 0.004), lupus anticoagulant (P = 0.013), positive IgM-aCL (P = 0.039), positive ANA (P = 0.002) and anti-dsDNA (P = 0.046). The diagnostic value of hypocomplementemia in patients with SLE is based on the association with disease activity, immune-complex mediated manifestations (glomerulonephritis, cryoglobulinemia) and APS-related features (livedo reticularis, hemolytic anemia and aPL). Hypocomplementemia was found in nearly half of patients with primary APS, and was associated with some APS features (livedo reticularis, thrombocytopenia, aPL) but also with SLE-related immunological markers (ANA and anti-dsDNA), identifying a subset of patients with primary APS with a higher risk of evolving to SLE. These results clearly support the routine determination of complement factors in the clinical follow-up of patients with SLE and primary APS.
User Grouping and Power Allocation for NOMA Visible Light Communication Multi-Cell Networks

To design an efficient multiple access scheme for visible light communication (VLC) multi-cell networks, this letter leverages the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), which has received significant attention in the 5th generation wireless communication. A user grouping based on user locations is proposed to reduce interference for VLC multi-cell networks. With the residual interference from the successive interference cancellation in NOMA taken into account, we optimize the power allocation within each cell to improve the achievable user rate under user quality of service constraint. The performance of the proposed approaches is evaluated by the numerical results.
UK Real-Time Macro Data Characteristics

We characterise the relationships between preliminary and subsequent measurements for 16 commonly-used UK macroeconomic indicators drawn from two existing real-time data sets and a new nominal variable database. Most preliminary measurements are biased predictors of subsequent measurements, with some revision series affected by multiple structural breaks. To illustrate how these findings facilitate real-time forecasting, we use a vector autoregresion to generate real-time one-step-ahead probability event forecasts for 1990Q1 to 1999Q2. Ignoring the predictability in initial measurements understates considerably the probability of above trend output growth
Suppression of Rev3, the catalytic subunit of Polζ, sensitizes drug-resistant lung tumors to chemotherapy

Platinum-based chemotherapeutic drugs are front-line therapies for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. However, intrinsic drug resistance limits the clinical efficacy of these agents. Recent evidence suggests that loss of the translesion polymerase, Polζ, can sensitize tumor cell lines to cisplatin, although the relevance of these findings to the treatment of chemoresistant tumors in vivo has remained unclear. Here, we describe a tumor transplantation approach that enables the rapid introduction of defined genetic lesions into a preclinical model of lung adenocarcinoma. Using this approach, we examined the effect of impaired translesion DNA synthesis on cisplatin response in aggressive late-stage lung cancers. In the presence of reduced levels of Rev3, an essential component of Polζ, tumors exhibited pronounced sensitivity to cisplatin, leading to a significant extension in overall survival of treated recipient mice. Additionally, treated Rev3-deficient cells exhibited reduced cisplatin-induced mutation, a process that has been implicated in the induction of secondary malignancies following chemotherapy. Taken together, our data illustrate the potential of Rev3 inhibition as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of chemoresistant malignancies, and highlight the utility of rapid transplantation methodologies for evaluating mechanisms of chemotherapeutic resistance in preclinical settings.
A set of universal primers for amplification of polymorphic non‐coding regions of mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA in plants

The genetic information present in the plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) is of great interest in phylogeny and in population genetics, largely because of the non-mendelian mode of inheritance of these genomes. The circular cpDNA molecule has been shown to be highly conserved in structure Palmer & Stein 1986). This has led to the design of pairs of 'universal' primers which can amplify noncoding regions separating two coding sequences in most land plants (Taberlet et al. 1991). Such non-coding sequences can then be explored (through sequencing or simply by using a variety of restriction enzymes) in order to detect informative polymorphism at a variety of taxonomic levels. The efficiency of this approach has already been demonstrated in phylogenetic and population genetic studies (e.g. Arnold et nl. 1991). However, only a limited number of such universal chloroplast primers have been described so far, whereas no mitochondrial primers seem to have been described. Though the substitution rate of plant mitochondrial DNA genes is even smaller than that of chloroplast genes (Wolfe et nl. 1987), making it easy to identify conserved coding sequences to anchor primers, the amazing lability of the organisation and size of this genome Palmer 1992) is a serious limitation when non-coding sequences need to be amplified. Here we descr i i mitochondrial universal primers, together with additional chloroplast universal primers, which we expect to be useful in a variety of studies of the genetic variability of both organelle genomes of land plants.
Aspiration Level, Probability of Success and Failure, and Expected Utility

Aspiration levels are a relevant aspect of decision making. We develop a model that includes the overall probabilities of success and failure relative to the aspiration level into an expected utility representation. This turns out to be equivalent to expected utility with a discontinuous utility function. We give a behavioral foundation to the proposed model and provide conditions to determine the relative weights of the overall probabilities of success and failure. An aspiration level reinforces loss aversion, can account for simultaneous risk-averse and risk-seeking behavior, and can explain choices violating the mean-variance approach.
Decellularization and sterilization of porcine urinary bladder matrix for tissue engineering in the lower urinary tract.

BACKGROUND Several synthetic and natural matrices have been described for tissue engineering of bladder but there is little information on the effects of processing on their subsequent mechanical performance or interaction with human cells. AIM Our aim was to assess the effects of delamination, decellularization and sterilization on the mechanical properties of porcine urinary bladder matrix (UBM) and to then assess the ability of the UBM to act as a scaffold for reconstruction with human bladder cells. METHODS A total of 20 porcine bladders were assessed before and after mechanical delamination and four porcine bladders were followed at every stage through a comparison of several decellularization and terminal sterilization methodologies examining histological and mechanical characteristics. The sterile UBM was seeded with normal human urothelial and bladder stromal cells either as a simultaneous coculture, or with stromal cells followed by urothelial cells. RESULTS Mechanical delamination, physical rinsing of the resulting bladder stroma in hypotonic buffer, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate solution and 0.1% peracetic acid resulted in an UBM with acceptable mechanical properties capable of supporting urothelial and bladder stromal cells. Terminal sterilization with ethylene oxide resulted in considerable stiffening of the matrix simultaneous coculture and layered seeding of scaffolds with stromal cells followed by epithelial cells gave similar results with good initial urothelial attachment (followed by loss of cells later) and slow stromal cell penetration. CONCLUSION We describe a decellularized sterilized porcine UBM with acceptable mechanical properties that shows promise as a scaffold for producing an in vitro tissue-engineered bladder patch material for lower urinary tract reconstruction. Future work now needs to focus on the conditions for achieving secure epithelial attachment.
Divided attention and memory: evidence of substantial interference effects at retrieval and encoding.

In 5 divided attention (DA) experiments, students (24 in each experiment) performed visual distracting tasks (e.g., recognition of words, word and digit monitoring) while either simultaneously encoding an auditory word list or engaging in oral free recall of the target word list. DA during retrieval, using either of the word-based distracting tasks, produced relatively larger interference effects than the digit-monitoring task. DA during encoding produced uniformly large interference effects, regardless of the type of distracting task. Results suggest that when attention is divided at retrieval, interference is created only when the memory and concurrent task compete for access to word-specific representational systems; no such specificity is necessary to create interference at encoding. During encoding, memory and concurrent tasks compete primarily for general resources, whereas during retrieval, they compete primarily for representational systems.
BBK07, a Dominant In Vivo Antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi, Is a Potential Marker for Serodiagnosis of Lyme Disease

ABSTRACT One of the recently identified Borrelia burgdorferi immunogens, BBK07, is characterized for its expression in the spirochete infection cycle and evaluated for its potential use as a serodiagnostic marker for Lyme disease. We show that the BBK07 gene is expressed at extremely low levels in vitro and in ticks but is dramatically induced by spirochetes once introduced into the host and is highly expressed throughout mammalian infection. In contrast, the expression of BBK12, a paralog of BBK07 with 87% amino acid identity, although expressed in vitro, remained undetectable in vivo throughout murine infection and in ticks. BBK07 is localized in the outer membrane, and the amino-terminal domain of the antigen is exposed on the microbial surface. A truncated BBK07 protein representing the amino-terminal domain is able to effectively detect antibodies to B. burgdorferi, both in experimentally infected mice and in humans. Further characterization of the immunodominant antigens of B. burgdorferi, such as BBK07, could contribute to the development of novel serodiagnostic markers for detection of Lyme disease.
The Role of Personality and Other Factors in a Mother’s Decision to Initiate Breastfeeding

The objective of the study was to measure the impact of personality and other factors on the decision to initiate breastfeeding. Mothers were enrolled (24-96 hours postpartum) and were classified as fully breastfeeding, formula-feeding, or combination-feeding. A semi-structured interview about maternal sociodemographics and attitudes and a standardized personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) were conducted. Eighty-seven mothers completed the study: 50 breastfeeders, 6 combination feeders, and 31 formula feeders. Because of small numbers, combination-feeder mothers (n = 6) were excluded from analyses. Maternal age, marriage, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and formula-feeding groups differed on 3 personality domains: extraversion (53.3 breastfeeding vs 46.9 formula-feeding, P = .002), openness (51.6 vs 46.2, P = .008), and agreeableness (48.5 vs 41.5, P = .01). In a multiple variable logistic regression model, extraversion (P = .03) and openness (P = .003) remained significant. Sociodemographics, experiential factors, and specific personality characteristics of mother were independently associated with maternal feeding decision.
Effects of soybean oil and fish oil emulsions on glucose and lipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats receiving total parenteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate the effects of fat emulsions with different fatty acid composition on plasma glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic rats receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). METHODS Diabetes was induced in rats with streptozotocin (STZ), and the rats were fed rat chow ad libitum for 6 weeks to achieve a chronic diabetic state. Control and diabetic rats were each divided into two TPN groups. The basal solutions of the two TPN groups were isonitrogenous and identical in nutrients composition except for the fat emulsion, which was made of soybean oil (SO) or fish oil (FO). The TPN control rats (C-SO and C-FO) and diabetic rats (DM-SO and DM-FO) received solutions with 37.5% of the non-protein energy provided as fat at an energy level of 30 kcal/100 g body wt/d. RESULTS The results demonstrated that hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia were induced by STZ in diabetic rats. There was no change in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations before and after TPN infusion in the TPN control groups, whereas plasma glucose as well as triglyceride (TG) and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels decreased significantly after TPN administration in the diabetic groups. No difference in the concentrations of plasma glucose, TGs, NEFAs, and insulin were observed between the two diabetic groups. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that compared with soybean oil, TPN with fish oil emulsion did not lead to lower plasma concentrations of TGs and NEFAs in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Also, no difference in plasma glucose and insulin levels between the two groups was observed.
Optimising treatment of Bell's Palsy in primary care: the need for early appropriate referral.

Bell’s palsy remains the most common cause of lower motor neurone facial nerve paralysis. While 71% experience complete spontaneous resolution, including 61% who demonstrate a complete palsy and 94% who demonstrate a partial palsy, the remaining 29% exhibit lifelong residual hemifacial weakness.1,2 In 55% of these cases, the deficit is moderate to severe. In addition to stigmatising facial asymmetry, other distressing and socially embarrassing sequelae include: facial spasms and mass-movement contractions (synkinesis); loss of oral competence; facial pain and paraesthesia; nocturnal corneal exposure; dry mouth and eyes caused by loss of parasympathetic innervation to the submandibular/sublingual salivary glands and lacrimal glands respectively; and intolerance to loud noise caused by involvement of the nerve branch to stapedius, resulting in loss of acoustic dampening. Unsurprisingly, anxiety and depression are common.3 Therapeutic targets for acute Bell’s palsy seek to reach these 29%, accepting that prognostic indicators of an incomplete or minimal recovery may be of some value but require further validation.4 As GPs are likely to see, on average, one acute case every 2 years, it is highly improbable that they will have sufficient expertise to know what to do in the event that acute medical management fails. Worse still, referral to a facial reanimation service is critically time dependent, with the reconstructive options dwindling as the months progress.5 This article explores this referral pathway, making a case for early referral in every patient failing to demonstrate evidence of resolution by around 6 weeks. Bell’s palsy is thought to occur as a …
Natural History , Treatment , and Prevention of Hepatitis C Moderator :

Approximately 4 million persons in the United States and probably more than 100 million persons worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus. The virus has the unique ability to cause persistent infection in susceptible hosts after parenteral or percutaneous transmission, and its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The immunologic correlates of protection and viral clearance and the pathogenesis of liver injury are yet to be defined, but recent studies suggest the importance of cell-mediated immune responses. Although 70% to 80% of infected persons become chronic carriers, most have relatively mild disease with slow progression. However, chronic and progressive hepatitis C carries significant morbidity and mortality and is a major cause of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer. Development of an effective hepatitis C virus vaccine is not imminent, but recent advances in technology and basic knowledge of molecular virology and immunology have engendered novel approaches to the fundamental problems encountered in vaccine development. Current therapy for hepatitis C, although effective in some patients, is problematic and still evolving. Advances in modern biology and immunology promise new therapies for this important disease.
Monocyte Adhesion and Plaque Recruitment During Atherosclerosis Development Is Regulated by the Adapter Protein Chat-H/SHEP1

Objective—The chronic inflammation associated with atherosclerosis is caused by lipid deposition followed by leukocyte recruitment to the arterial wall. We previously showed that the hematopoietic cell–specific adaptor protein Cas- and Hef1-associated signal transducer hematopoietic isoform (Chat-H)/SHEP1 regulated lymphocyte adhesion and migration. In this study, we analyzed the role of Chat-H in atherosclerosis development. Approach and Results—Using Chat-H–deficient bone marrow transplantation in low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient mice, we found that Chat-H regulated atherosclerotic plaque formation. Chat-H deficiency in hematopoietic cells associated with lower plaque complexity and fewer leukocytes in the lesions, whereas myeloid-specific deletion of Chat-H was sufficient for conferring atheroprotection. Chat-H deficiency resulted in reduced recruitment of classical Ly6chigh and nonclassical Ly6clow monocytes to the plaques, which was accompanied by increased numbers of both monocyte subsets in the blood. This associated with defective adhesion of Chat-H–deficient Ly6chigh and Ly6clow monocytes to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in vitro and impaired infiltration of fluorescent bead–loaded monocytes to atherosclerotic plaques. In contrast, Chat-H was dispensable for CX3CL1 and CCR1/CCR5-dependent migration of monocytes. Conclusions—Our findings highlight Chat-H as a key protein that regulates atherosclerosis development by controlling monocyte adhesion and recruitment to the plaques and identify a novel target that may be exploited for treating atherosclerosis.
Building Sustainable Organizations: The Human Factor

Although most of the research and public pressure concerning sustainability has been focused on the effects of business and organizational activity on the physical environment, companies and their management practices profoundly affect the human and social environment as well. This article briefly reviews the literature on the direct and indirect effects of organizations and their decisions about people on human health and mortality. It then considers some possible explanations for why social sustainability has received relatively short shrift in management writing, and outlines a research agenda for investigating the links between social sustainability and organizational effectiveness as well as the role of ideology in understanding the relative neglect of the human factor in sustainability research.
Risk Factors for Lower-Extremity Injuries Among Contemporary Dance Students.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether student characteristics, lower-extremity kinematics, and strength are risk factors for sustaining lower-extremity injuries in preprofessional contemporary dancers. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Codarts University of the Arts. PATIENTS Forty-five first-year students of Bachelor Dance and Bachelor Dance Teacher. ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS At the beginning of the academic year, the injury history (only lower-extremity) and student characteristics (age, sex, educational program) were assessed using a questionnaire. Besides, lower-extremity kinematics [single-leg squat (SLS)], strength (countermovement jump) and height and weight (body mass index) were measured during a physical performance test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Substantial lower-extremity injuries during the academic year were defined as any problems leading to moderate or severe reductions in training volume or in performance, or complete inability to participate in dance at least once during follow-up as measured with the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) Questionnaire on Health Problems. Injuries were recorded on a monthly basis using a questionnaire. Analyses on leg-level were performed using generalized estimating equations to test the associations between substantial lower-extremity injuries and potential risk factors. RESULTS The 1-year incidence of lower-extremity injuries was 82.2%. Of these, 51.4% was a substantial lower-extremity injury. Multivariate analyses identified that ankle dorsiflexion during the SLS (OR 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.52) was a risk factor for a substantial lower-extremity injury. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that contemporary dance students are at high risk for lower-extremity injuries. Therefore, the identified risk factor (ankle dorsiflexion) should be considered for prevention purposes.