Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eosinophilic bronchitis in the workplace

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to report that eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma may occur as an occupational airway disease. This condition is characterized by cough that is responsive to corticosteroids and eosinophilia detectable in the sputum, without variable airflow obstruction or airway hyperresponsiveness. Recent findingsEosinophilic bronchitis can be regarded as an occupational respiratory disorder when it develops as a consequence of work exposures. Recently, exposure to certain occupational allergens or sensitizers, such as natural rubber latex, mushroom spores, acrylates and an epoxy resin hardener, have been reported to cause eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma. Several hypotheses have been put forward trying to explain why patients with eosinophilic bronchitis do not have airway hyperresponsiveness. It is unknown whether eosinophilic bronchitis may progress to typical occupational asthma, or if eosinophilic airway inflammation may persist when asthma symptoms and airway hyperresponsiveness have waned after the cessation of exposure to the occupational agent. SummaryEosinophilic bronchitis, like asthma, may arise from occupational exposures. The examination of induced sputum should be added to the objective monitoring of lung function during periods at work and away from work, as well as before and after specific inhalation challenges with occupational agents.
Decrease in the frequency of meningeal involvement in AIDS-related systemic lymphoma in patients receiving HAART

We evaluated the frequency of primary central nervous system lymphoma and leptomeningeal involvement in systemic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in HIV-infected patients. Those receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) showed a decrease in leptomeningeal involvement in systemic NHL (0/30 vs. 12/87; p=0.023). Therefore HAART could prevent CNS involvement in systemic NHL.
Nonprogressive transgene-related callosal and hippocampal changes in PDAPP mice

We have previously shown that homozygous PDAPP mice, a transgenic model of Alzheimer's-like amyloidosis, have abnormal corpus callosi and anterior hippocampi. Now, we investigated the extent to which these morphological abnormalities are correlated with mutant gene dose in a larger, independent, and substantially younger cohort. Homozygous and heterozygous PDAPP mice had significantly smaller callosal commissure length and anterior hippocampal area than controls. Reductions correlated with mutant APP gene dose, with homozygotes showing the greatest reduction, and were present at 2 months of age. These findings and previous work with APP knockouts suggest that PDAPP mice have impaired white matter development due to interference with native murine APP.
Equilibrium and nonequilibrium contributions to x-ray scattering from supercooled water.

Percolation theory for supercooled water predicts an enhanced intensity in the low-q range of the spectrum. In small-angle x-ray measurements on water in the |q| range 0.41. 8 nm -1 and the temperature range 273-253 K, no enhanced intensity could be measured. The spectra just follow the normal equilibrium thermodynamic behavior. A nonequilibrium enhanced intensity is observed in the spectra of supercooled water in vertically mounted capillaries in the |q| range below 0.3 nm -1 . This intensity is due to convection in the capillaries
Expansion Methods for Solving Linear Integral Equations with Multiple Time Lags Using B-Spline and Orthogonal Functions

The main portion of the paper is devoted for constr ucting approximated solutions of linear integral equations with multipl e time lags (IEMTL) using two different types of basis functions B-spline functio ns and Orthogonal functions containing (Laguerre and Hermite) with the aid of e xpansion methods (collocation method, Partition method and Galerkin’s method). Algorithms with the aid of Matlab language are derived for treating these equa tions using expansion methods. Comparison between the exact and approximated results of these methods with the aid of basis functions are given via two test examp les and accurate results are achieved.
Charged dust phenomena in the near-Earth space environment

Dusty (or complex) plasmas in the Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere ultimately result in exotic phenomena that are currently forefront research issues in the space science community. This paper presents some of the basic criteria and fundamental physical processes associated with the creation, evolution and dynamics of dusty plasmas in the near-Earth space environment. Recent remote sensing techniques to probe naturally created dusty plasma regions are also discussed. These include ground-based experiments employing high-power radio wave interaction. Some characteristics of the dusty plasmas that are actively produced by space-borne aerosol release experiments are discussed. Basic models that may be used to investigate the characteristics of such dusty plasma regions are presented.
Mouse lumbar and cervical spinal cord blood flow measurements by arterial spin labeling: Sensitivity optimization and first application

In spinal cord injuries (SCI), tissue edema and consequent ischemia play an important role in neuronal damage. The assessment of quantitative spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) would be very valuable to help in understanding SCI pathophysiology. SCBF has previously been measured in animals with invasive techniques such as hydrogen clearance or labeled microspheres. A recent preliminary study also demonstrated the feasibility of assessing cervical SCBF by MRI with arterial spin labeling (ASL). However, due to bulk motion and field inhomogeneities, the feasibility of perfusion MRI at lower levels of the SC (thoracic, lumbar) remained an open question. In the present study, absolute SCBF measurements were carried out at both the cervical C3 and lumbar L1 levels of mouse SC using an adapted presaturated flow‐sensitive alternating inversion recovery (presat‐FAIR) ASL technique at 11.75T. Quantitative SCBF maps (resolution of 133 × 133 μm2) showed significantly lower gray matter (GM) perfusion values at the L1 level as compared to the C3 level (6% and 11% for the ventral and dorsal horns and 8% for total GM). The presat‐FAIR technique was then successfully applied to a mouse model of hemisection performed at the L1 level, illustrating the potential of ASL to help in SC pathology characterization. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Coronal magnetic field measurement using loop oscillations observed by Hinode/EIS

We report the first spectroscopic detection of a kink MHD oscillation of a solar coronal structure by the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on the Japanese Hinode satellite. The detected oscillation has an amplitude of 1 kms−1 in the Doppler shift of the FeXII 195 A spectral line (1.3 MK), and a period of 296 s. The unique combination of EIS’s spectroscopic and imaging abilities enables us to measure simultaneously the mass density and length of the oscillating loop. This enables us to measure directly the magnitude of the local magnetic field, the fundamental coronal plasma parameter, as 39 ± 8 G, with unprecedented accuracy. This proof of concept makes EIS an exclusive instrument for the full scale implementation of the MHD coronal seismological technique.
RELEASE OF [3H]GAMMA‐AMINOBUTYRIC ACID FROM GLIAL CELLS IN RAT DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA.

Abstract— Desheathed rat dorsal root ganglia were incubated in a medium containing amino‐oxyacetic acid and [3H]GABA. Under these conditions, [3H]GABA is taken up exclusively by the satellite glial cells in the ganglia. Efflux of [3H]GABA from the tissue was measured after passing the ganglia through a series of wash solutions. The spontaneous efflux of radioactivity, mostly [3H]GABA, was more rapid in the absence of amino‐oxyacetic acid in the incubation and wash media.
Epidemiology of Infantile Hydrocephalus in Sweden

ABSTRACT. The aetiology of infantile hydrocephalus (IH) was studied in a population‐based series of 61 children with IH born 1967–82 at less than 37 weeks of gestation. A prenatal origin was present in 17 children (28%), a pre‐ and perinatal in 17 (28 %), a perinatal in 26 (43 %) and a postnatal in one (1%). The predominant single cause was postaemorrhagic IH, which was diagnosed in 19 (31%). In addition, an undiagnosed cerebral haemorrhage was considered to be the cause in another 25%. The outcome differed between pathogenetic groups. Children with a clear onset of IH (pre‐, peri‐ or postnatal) were found to be at high risk for early death or multiple impairments. Sixteen of 39 (41%) within these groups had died before 2 years of age and 18 of the 23 (78%) survivors showed major neurological dysfunction. This contrasted to no mortality and 41% major dysfunction in children with a less clear onset of IH. A new subgroup consisting of infants born before 28 weeks of gestation emerged in the early 1980s. All infants with IH in this group developed a severe multihandicap condition.
Multiple levels of analysis in psychotherapy research

Abstract Psychotherapy research can be thought to involve multiple levels of analysis: client, therapist, and group. The authors argue that such research would benefit from the application of multilevel modeling. They illustrate the use of such a procedure for research studies of individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, and rolling group psychotherapy and provide SPSS syntax for all three cases. Psychotherapy is an inherently social process. Individual therapy involves a very complicated interaction between a client and therapist. Group therapy involves relationships between a therapist and each of the clients as well as relationships between clients. It is critical that the analysis of psychotherapy data explicitly recognize these interpersonal aspects of psychotherapy.
Requirements for an Event-Based Simulation Package for Grid Systems

In this paper we present a study on the requirements for the design and implementation of simulation packages for Grid systems. Grids are emerging as new distributed computing systems whose main objective is to manage and allocate geographically distributed computing resources to applications and users in an efficient and transparent manner. Grid systems are at present very difficult and complex to use for experimental studies of large-scale distributed applications. Although the field of simulation of distributed computing systems is mature, recent developments in large-scale distributed systems are raising needs not present in the simulation of the traditional distributed systems. Motivated by this, we present in this work a set of basic requirements that any simulation package for Grid computing should offer. This set of functionalities is obtained after a careful review of most important existing Grid simulation packages and includes new requirements not considered in such simulation packages. Based on the identified set of requirements, a Grid simulator is developed and exemplified for the Grid scheduling problem.
Heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination Enhances TsPmy’s Protective Immunity against Trichinella spiralis Infection in a Murine Model

TsPmy is a paramyosin expressed by parasitic Trichinella spiralis and confers a protective immunity when its recombinant protein or DNA was used as an immunogen. To improve its immunogenicity and vaccine efficacy, we conducted a heterologous prime-boost strategy by orally delivering one dose of TsPmy DNA carried by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium (SL7207), followed by two doses of recombinant TsPmy intramuscularly. This strategy effectively induced intestinal mucosal sIgA response and an enhanced and balanced Th1/Th2 immune responses that improve protection against T. spiralis larval challenge, with 55.4% muscle larvae reduction and 41.8% adult worm reduction compared to PBS control. The muscle larvae reduction induced by heterologous prime-boost regimen was significant higher than that induced by the homologous DNA or protein prime-boost regimens, which could act as a practical prophylactic approach to prevent T. spiralis infection.
Costimulatory Pathways in Kidney Transplantation: Pathogenetic Role, Clinical Significance and New Therapeutic Opportunities

Costimulatory pathways play a key role in immunity, providing the second signal required for a full activation of adaptive immune response. Different costimulatory families (CD28, TNF-related, adhesion and TIM molecules), characterized by structural and functional analogies, have been described. Costimulatory molecules modulate T cell activation, B cell function, Ig production, cytokine release and many other processes, including atherosclerosis. Patients suffering from renal diseases present significant alterations of the costimulatory pathways, which might make them particularly liable to infections. These alterations are further pronounced in patients undergoing kidney transplantation. In these patients, different costimulatory patterns have been related to distinct clinical features. The importance that costimulation has gained during the last years has led to development of several pharmacological approaches to modulate this critical step in the immune activation. Different drugs, mainly monoclonal antibodies targeting various costimulatory molecules (i.e. anti-CD80, CTLA-4 fusion proteins, anti-CD154, anti-CD40, etc.) were designed and tested in both experimental and clinical studies. The results of these studies highlighted some criticisms, but also some promising findings and now costimulatory blockade is considered a suitable strategy, with belatacept (a CTLA-4 fusion protein) being approved as the first costimulatory blocker for use in renal transplantation. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on costimulatory pathways in the setting of kidney transplantation. We describe the principal costimulatory molecule families, their role and clinical significance in patients undergoing renal transplantation and the new therapeutic approaches that have been developed to modulate the costimulatory pathways.
Studies on the different conditions for rabies virus neutralization by monoclonal antibodies #1-46-12 and #7-1-9.

Virus-neutralizing activity of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), #7-1-9 and #1-46-12, against rabies virus glycoprotein (G) was compared. Although these mAbs affected the virion's ability to bind to host cells similarly, a big difference was found in the titres of virus neutralization (1:7132 and 1:32 for mAbs #1-46-12 and #7-1-9, respectively, at a concentration of 10 micro g protein/ml). Although no big difference in virion-binding affinity between the two mAbs was found, the number of antibodies required for virus neutralization was very low, </=20 molecules for mAb #1-46-12 and >/=250 molecules for mAb #7-1-9. In the latter case, the mAbs cover a major part of the virion surface and cause steric hindrance of viral receptor-binding activity. The infectivity of an epitope-preserved escape mutant virus (R-61) was not affected by the binding of high numbers of mAb #1-46-12 to the virion, which implies that mAb binding does not mask the receptor-binding site of the viral spikes. Based on these results, it is hypothesized that mAb #1-46-12 affected virus infectivity by a mechanism different from covering the virion spikes. Possible virus-neutralizing mechanisms by low numbers of mAb #1-46-12 in comparison to that of mAb #7-1-9 are discussed.
Influences of Bedding Material in Vermicomposting Process

Rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization has led to generation of large quantities of wastes. Major portion of organic waste is dumped in landfill sites, creates the organic load on the ground water, and more emissions of landfill gases. The best possible alternative to reduce these potential pollutants is through vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is essentially composting with worms. This experiment was done to determine which bedding materials (either newspaper or sawdust) is more suitable for vermicomposting by using biological parameter which measured the growth rate (pH), number of worm, number of cocoons and worm biomass. The worms were breed in vermicomposter and the period of vermicomposting using Perionyx excavatus worm is six weeks. All of the four biological parameters showed that there are significant different between this two type of bedding using ANOVA test. The Duncan test demonstrated that newspaper bedding is more influential in worm biomass production and growth rate while sawdust bedding is better for cocoons production and number of worm. For pH analysis it reveals that the optimum pH for worm growth rate is near to neutral condition. As conclusion, different types of bedding material will influence the worm growth.
Number Variation of High Stability Regions Is Correlated with Gene Functions

Various regulatory elements in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) carrying the secondary structure play important roles in a wide range of expression processes. Numerous recent works have focused on the discovery of these functional elements that contain the conserved mRNA structures. However, to date, regions with high structural stability have been largely overlooked. In this study, we defined high stability regions (HSRs) in the coding sequences (CDSs) in bacteria based on the normalized folding free energy. We found that CDSs had high number of HSRs, and these HSRs showed high structural context robustness compared with random sequences, indicating a direct selective constraint imposed on HSRs. A reduced ribosome speed was detected near the start position of HSR, implying a possibility that HSR acted as obstacle to drive translational pausing that coordinated protein synthesis. Interestingly, we found that genes with high HSR density were enriched in the processes of translation, protein folding, and cell division. In addition, essential genes exhibited higher HSR density than nonessential genes. Overall, our study presented the previously unappreciated correlation between the number variation of HSRs and cellular processes.
Repeatability of sexual history in longitudinal studies on HPV infection and cervical neoplasia: determinants of reporting error at follow-up interviews.

BACKGROUND Misclassification of sexual history due to faulty recall or reporting bias may be the reason for variability in the association between sexual history and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection seen in studies conducted in different geographical areas. This study aimed to assess the repeatability of questionnaire information on sexual-history variables and their correlates, using information from repeat interviews by six international prospective cohort studies. METHODS The pooled dataset included over 14 775 women interviewed on two separate occasions, of whom 5690 returned for a third interview. At each return visit women were re-asked questions on age at first intercourse and number of sexual partners. The six cohorts originated from studies in Denmark, Costa Rica. San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal and São Paulo. RESULTS Exact agreement between age at first intercourse recalled on separate occasions ranged from 60-85%, whereas exact recall rates for number of sexual partners were substantially lower and more study-dependent, varying between 20% and 77%. The intraclass correlation coefficients gauging the degree of repeatability in responses ranged from 0.68 to 0.97 for age at first intercourse and 0.08 to 0.94 for number of sexual partners. Age, ethnicity, education and cohort membership were the strongest predictors of reporting error for both sexual history markers, although study design characteristics also seemed to play a role. HPV infection status seemed to influence recall of number of partners, but not age at first intercourse. CONCLUSIONS Information on sexual behaviours is not reliably collected in epidemiological studies of sexually transmitted diseases, which may influence the magnitude of relative risk estimates.
The Effect of Acute and Chronic Asthma Severity on Pediatric Emergency Department Utilization

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to teach emergency department (ED) physicians how to use standardized criteria for diagnosing and classifying asthma severity and to describe the patterns of pediatric ED utilization of these criteria for classification of both acute and chronic severity. METHOD. A health care provider education module was developed and implemented in 4 participating EDs in southeast Texas to educate ED physicians and health care providers on the diagnosis and acute and chronic severity classification of pediatric asthma patients. We undertook both retrospective (medical chart extraction) and prospective surveillance over a 2-year period of all children presenting to 1 of 4 EDs with acute asthma. Demographic characteristics, classification of severity, health care resource utilization, and primary physician contact information were collected. RESULTS. The health care provider educational intervention was provided for 84 different physicians. A subset of 16 physicians was randomly tested preintervention and postintervention. Mean mock-scenario scores at 2 weeks showed an improvement of 55.6%, which was sustained at retesting at 6 months. Over the 2-year period, 6222 individual pediatric ED encounters were entered into the surveillance database. The median age of presentation was 5 years. More than 32% of the patients in the study were uninsured. The majority of the patients in each category had asthma of mild severity: mild intermittent chronic (58.7%) and mild acute (53.9%). CONCLUSIONS. Physicians who completed a health care provider education module learned to effectively diagnose asthma and recognize standardized acute and chronic severity classifications. The majority of children with asthma who presented to the Texas Emergency Department Asthma Surveillance project's participating EDs were classified as having mild acute severity and mild intermittent chronic disease. Almost one third of these patients did not have health insurance.
Correction of Hallux Valgus: Metatarsal Osteotomy Versus Excision Arthroplasty

The long-term retrospective results (followup range, 10-22 years) of an uncontrolled series of basal metatarsal closing wedge osteotomies and Keller's excision arthroplasties performed in patients 14 to 40 years of age are analyzed. In the osteotomy group, 34 patients (50 feet) were available for clinical review and 26 patients (37 feet) were available for radiologic review. In the Keller group, 24 patients (37 feet) were reviewed clinically and 23 patients (34 feet) were reviewed radiologically. Patients were assessed using the Hallux Metatarsophalangeal Interphalangeal Scale of the American Foot and Ankle Society, an additional clinical score, weightbearing radiographs, the patient's record, and clinical investigation. Statistical analysis revealed significantly better results of the clinical and radiologic outcomes after osteotomy. In the osteotomy group, the first metatarsal was elevated dorsally in 14 feet (38%). The incidence of varus deformities was higher with basal osteotomy (18% versus 5.4%). Metatarsalgia occurred similarly in both groups (28% versus 27%). It is known that these techniques should be applied to different patient populations. However, they formerly were used for the same indication. This long-term analysis shows that the Keller arthroplasty should be abandoned for the treatment of hallux valgus in young and active patients. The basal metatarsal closing wedge osteotomy is conceptually the correct treatment for hallux valgus deformity for the younger patient; nevertheless, it is technically demanding and is associated with a higher risk of failure. The long-term results of both procedures are unacceptable for the patient and the surgeon. The short and middle-term results of the newer basal type osteotomies, such as the proximal crescentic osteotomy, the proximal chevron osteotomy, or the proximal oblique osteotomy combined with distal soft tissue releases, suggest a more satisfying long-term outcome.