Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pattern of neurobehavioral deficits associated with interferon alfa therapy for leukemia

Article abstract—We evaluated the neuropsychological and personality profiles of 25 patients with chronic myeloge-nous leukemia treated with interferon alfa (IFN-α). This group of persons performed well below expectation on tests of cognitive speed, verbal memory, and executive functions. Personality changes included depression, increased somatic concern, and stress reactions. A control group of leukemia patients not treated with IFN-α had significantly better cognitive speed and mood. The pattern of cognitive and personality changes in patients receiving IFN-α is highly suggestive of frontal-subcortical brain dysfunction.
Prevalence of palatine tonsilloliths: a retrospective study on 150 consecutive CT examinations.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the prevalence of palatine tonsilloliths. METHODS 150 consecutive CT examinations (75 males and 75 females) were read. RESULTS Tonsilloliths were found in 37 patients (24.6%; confidence interval 17.7-31.6%), of which 18 (48%) had a bilateral location. No influence of sex or age was observed (p = 0.37 and p = 0.57, respectively). 26 patients (70%) had more than 1 concretion. The largest tonsillolith was 7 mm. None of the tonsilloliths found were involved in the reason for prescribing the CT. The radiographic density of the tonsilloliths was between 216 and 2959 HU. CONCLUSIONS Palatine tonsilloliths could affect approximately one-quarter of the population. This prevalence is likely to be underestimated in daily clinical practice because small concretions do not result in any functional impairment and are not visible on orthopantomographs.
Unique Features and Distribution of the Chicken CD83+ Cell1

The central importance of dendritic cells (DC) in both innate and acquired immunity is well recognized in the mammalian immune system. By contrast DC have yet to be characterized in avian species despite the fact that avian species such as the chicken have a well-developed immune system. CD83 has proven to be an excellent marker for DC in human and murine immune systems. In this study we identify chicken CD83 (chCD83) as the avian equivalent of the human and murine DC marker CD83. We demonstrate for the first time that unlike human and murine CD83, chCD83 is uniquely expressed in the B cell areas of secondary lymphoid organs and in organs with no human or murine equivalent such as the bursa and Harderian gland. Furthermore through multicolor immunofluorescence, we identify chCD83+ populations that have unique attributes akin to both DC and follicular DC. These attributes include colocalization with B cell microrenvironments, MHC class II expression, dendritic morphology, and distribution throughout peripheral and lymphoid tissues.
Human Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1, and p21waf1/cip1

We addressed the analysis of the physical and functional association of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein involved in many DNA transactions, with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), an enzyme that plays a crucial role in DNA repair and interacts with many DNA replication/repair factors. We demonstrated that PARP-1 and PCNA co-immunoprecipitated both from the soluble and the DNA-bound fraction isolated from S-phase-synchronized HeLa cells. Immunoprecipitation experiments with purified proteins further confirmed a physical association between PARP-1 and PCNA. To investigate the effect of this association on PARP-1 activity, an assay based on the incorporation of radioactive NAD was performed. Conversely, the effect of PARP-1 on PCNA-dependent DNA synthesis was assessed by a DNA polymerase δ assay. A marked inhibition of both reactions was found. Unexpectedly, PARP-1 activity also decreased in the presence of p21waf1/cip1. By pull-down experiments, we provided the first evidence for an association between PARP-1 and p21, which involves the C-terminal part of p21 protein. This association was further demonstrated to occur also in vivo in MNNG (N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine)-treated human fibroblasts. These observations suggest that PARP-1 and p21 could cooperate in regulating the functions of PCNA during DNA replication/repair.
The influence of menstrual cycle and impulsivity on risk-taking behavior

The present study aims at exploring how both menstrual cycle phase and impulsivity affect risk behavior. Sixty-eight normally cycling women, who were previously assigned to “fertile” and “non-fertile” condition depending on their menstrual cycle phase at time of participation, were asked to complete the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory (DII) and to play a computerized version of the IOWA Gambling Task (IGT). Results indicate a significant interaction between the menstrual cycle phase and the dysfunctional impulsivity level on the total amount of IGT gains, with low dysfunctional impulsivity women during their “fertile” phase winning the largest amount of money. Implications of the results are discussed within the evolutionary theoretical perspective.
Delayed Reward Discounting and Alcohol Misuse: The Roles of Response Consistency and Reward Magnitude

Delayed reward discounting (DRD) is a common index of impulsivity that refers to an individual's devaluation of rewards based on delay of receipt and has been linked to alcohol misuse and other maladaptive behaviors. The current study investigated response consistency and reward magnitude effects in two measures of DRD in a sample of 111 undergraduates who consumed an average of 10.7 drinks/week. These variables were also examined in relation to alcohol use and misuse. Results indicated highly consistent performance on both measures of DRD, although significant differences were evident based on task parameters. There was also clear evidence of a magnitude effect on DRD. Finally, a number of significant associations between DRD and both alcohol use and misuse were found. These findings suggest that individuals possess a relatively consistent cognitive template for DRD choice preferences, but that the template systematically varies by both reward magnitude and delay length.
Response characteristics of pulmocutaneous arterial baroreceptors in the toad, Bufo marinus.

1. Response characteristics of baroreceptors with receptive fields in the pulmocutaneous artery (p.c.a.) were determined in pithed toads by applying pressure steps, ramps, sine waves, and volume infusions into the vascularly isolated and perfused p.c. a. 2. The baroreceptors exhibited phasic and tonic discharge thresholds (30.3 +/‐ 2.3 and 36.2 +/‐ 2.8 mmHg respectively) which were above mean arterial pressure values reported for conscious undisturbed toads. They are comparable, in this respect, to non‐myelinated mammalian arterial baroreceptors. 3. The maximum‐phasic and minimum‐adapted discharge frequencies of the p.c. a. baroreceptors were low (30 and 2‐3 spikes s‐1, respectively), but resembled those reported for mammalian non‐myelinated baroreceptors when an adjustment was made for the difference in the temperature of mammalian and amphibian preparations. 4. The sensitivity of the baroreceptor discharge frequency to pressure (delta F/delta P) was estimated from pressure‐step and pressure‐ramp stimuli. Both estimates were greater than those reported for mammalian systemic arterial baroreceptors after the values were normalized to the maximum discharge frequency of the receptors. delta F/delta P and saturation discharge frequency values estimated from ramp stimuli increased with the dP/dt of pressure ramps. 5. The diameter of the p.c. a. was measured by sonomicrometry in toads anaesthetized with urethane. The diameter pulsation was 7.7 +/‐ 0.3% of the mean diameter (3.5 +/‐ 0.1 mm) at a mean pulse pressure of 22 +/‐ 1 mmHg, and Peterson's pressure‐strain modulus was calculated to be 4.0 X 10(5) +/‐ 0.3 X 10(5) dyn cm‐2, which suggests that the p.c. a. is highly compliant, and in this respect is comparable to the pulmonary artery, but not to systemic arteries, in mammals. Baroreceptor discharge began near the point of peak dynamic compliance (dV/dP) and continued as dV/dP decreased. Increasing the rate of infusion reduced the peak dV/dP, but increased the baroreceptor discharge frequency. 6. The response to sinusoidal oscillating pressure stimuli was distorted by rectification. Increasing the frequency of sinusoidal stimulation over the range 0.05‐1.0 cycles s‐1 reduced the number of spikes per cycle, but increased the mean discharge frequency.
Geographic variation in resistance to nectar robbing and consequences for pollination.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Floral evolution is frequently ascribed to selection by pollinators, but may also be shaped by antagonists. However, remarkably few studies have examined geographic mosaics in resistance to floral antagonists or the consequences for other floral interactions. METHODS Gelsemium sempervirens experiences frequent nectar robbing in northern Georgia, but rarely in southern Georgia. We conducted common-garden experiments in both locations using genotypes from each region and measured robbing, pollinator attraction, floral attractive and defensive traits, and plant reproduction. KEY RESULTS Nectar robbing was more than four times higher in the north vs. south, and pollinator visits did not differ between gardens. Across both gardens, northern genotypes were half as likely to be nectar-robbed but received half as many pollinator visits as southern genotypes, suggesting evolution of resistance to robbing at a cost of reduced pollinator attraction. Plant-level traits, such as height and number of flowers, were more closely associated with resistance to robbing than floral size, shape, or chemistry. Northern genotypes had lower female and estimated male reproduction compared to southern genotypes at both locations, which could be due to costs of resistance to nectar robbing, or costs of adaptations to other biotic or abiotic differences between regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that geographic variation can play a strong role structuring interactions with floral antagonists and mutualists and provides evidence consistent with the hypothesis that local resistance to nectar robbing imposes costs in terms of decreased pollinator attraction and reproduction.
Hydroxyproline excretion in the urine and calcium metabolism during long-term treatment of thyrotoxicosis with propylthiouracil.

Thirty hyperthyroid patients have been studied before and during long-term treatment with propylthiouracil for the purpose of evaluating changes in the excretion of urinary hydroxyproline and relating these to some parameters of calcium metabolism and thyroid function. Urinary hydroxyproline and urinary calcium were found to be significantly raised before treatment. A very rapid fall in urinary calcium was noted within the first two weeks of treatment. BMR and PBI showed a parallel fall to euthyroid values following six weeks of treatment, while there was a slow fall in the mean value of urinary hydroxyproline. After three months the mean value was still elevated and normal values of urinary hydroxy-proline were not obtained until six months after the beginning of treatment. A possible causal relation between collagen metabolism and calcium metabolism during antithyroid treatment is discussed. Our results may indicate that many hyperthyroid patients do not reach a metabolic steady state until about three months after the beginning of antithyroid treatment.
SEARCHING FOR NEW YELLOW SYMBIOTIC STARS: POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF StHα63

Yellow symbiotic stars are useful targets for probing whether mass transfer has happened in their binary systems. However, the number of known yellow symbiotic stars is very scarce. We report spectroscopic observations of five candidate yellow symbiotic stars that were selected by their positions in the 2MASS (J − H) versus (H − Ks) diagram and which were included in some emission-line catalogs. Among the five candidates, only StHα63 is identified as a new yellow symbiotic star because of its spectrum and its position in the [TiO]1–[TiO]2 diagram, which indicates a K4–K6 spectral type. In addition, the derived electron density (∼108.4 cm−3) and several emission-line intensity ratios provide further support for that classification. The other four candidates are rejected as symbiotic stars because three of them actually do not show emission lines and the fourth one only Balmer emission lines. We also found that the WISE W3–W4 index clearly separates normal K-giants from yellow symbiotic stars and therefore can be used as an additional tool for selecting candidate yellow symbiotic stars.
TOTAL LYMPHOCYTE COUNT AS A SUBSTITUTE TO CD4 COUNT IN MANAGEMENT OF HIV INFECTED INDIVIDUALS IN RESOURCE LIMITED SOCIETY.

BACKGROUND Pakistan is a resource limited society and gold standard parameters to monitor HIV disease activity are very costly. The objective of the study was to evaluate total lymphocyte count (TLC) as a surrogate to CD4 count to monitor disease activity in HIV/AIDS in resource limited society. METHODS This cross sectional study was carried out at HIV/AIDS treatment centre, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. A total of seven hundred and seventy four (774) HIV positive patients were enrolled in this study, and their CD4 count and total lymphocyte count were checked to find any correlation between the two by using Spearman ranked correlation coefficient. Results: The mean CD4 count was (434.30 +/- 269.23), with minimum CD4 count of (9.00), and maximum of (1974.00). The mean total lymphocyte count (TLC) was (6764.0052 +/- 2364.02) with minimum TLC (1200.00) and maximum TLC was (20200.00). Using the Pearson's correlation (r) there was a significant and positive correlation between TLC and CD4 count. (r2=0.127 and p=0.000) at 0.01 level. CONCLUSION Our study showed a significant positive correlation between CD4 count and total lymphocyte count (TLC), so TLC can be used as a marker of disease activity in HIV infected patients.
Adult living donor liver transplantation using a right hepatic lobe.

BACKGROUND Living donor liver transplantation has gained wide acceptance as an alternative for children with end-stage liver disease. The standard left lateral segment used in this operation does not provide adequate parenchymal mass to broaden its application to larger children or adults. METHODS We report two cases of adult to adult living donor liver transplantation using a right hepatic lobe in patients with chronic liver disease. RESULTS Both recipients experienced excellent initial graft function and have normal liver function 4 and 9 months postoperatively. Both donors are alive and well and returned to normal life 4 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS Our initial experience suggests that this technique is a safe and reliable option for adults with chronic end-stage liver disease. A conservative application of this procedure in the adult population could significantly reduce the mortality on the adult waiting list.
Scabies Outbreak Investigation among âYekolo Temarisâ inGondar Town, North Western Ethiopia, November 2015

Introduction: Scabies is an ecto-parasitic, highly contagious skin disease caused by infestation of the skin by the human itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. Dermatologists estimate that more than 300 million cases of scabies occur worldwide every year. In Ethiopia, according to national survey conducted in 2008, there are 6.2% of schoolchildren and 5.6% of orphan school children affected with scabies. On November 10, 2015 scabies outbreak were reported to Gondar town health office from St. Lideta Lemaryam church. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate scabies outbreak, identify factors associated with scabies transmission and to take public health action among affected group of people. Materials and method: Unmatched case control study with case control ratio of 1:2 was conducted from November 13 to 20, 2015 in St. Lideta church in Gondar town. Data was collected by face to face interview of cases and controls through structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done using Epi- Info and SPSS 20. Odds ratio with its confidence interval was used as measure of association and to assure statistically significance. Results: 96 respondents were included; 32 cases and 64 controls. The analysis of the study shown that people who share close from ill person were 2.76 (95% CI=1.04-7.41) times more likely to develop scabies; and individuals who had close contact with ill person were 5.37 (95% CI=1.84-17.6) times more likely to develop disease scabies, also individuals who had travelling history to scabies epidemic area were 4.7 (95% CI=1.64-14) times more likely develop the disease. Besides, individuals who wash their body in more than a week interval were 3.22 (95% CI=1.22-8.5) times more likely develop scabies. Conclusion: In this study, scabies was a public health problem among “Yekolo Temari” in St. Lideta Lemaryam church of Gondar town. Sharing cloths, student to student contact, travelling history to scabies epidemic area and poor personal hygiene was risk factors identified during investigation of the outbreak.
Clonal analysis of multipotent stromal cells derived from CD271+ bone marrow mononuclear cells: functional heterogeneity and different mechanisms of allosuppression

Previous reports demonstrated a relationship between proliferation potential and trilineage differentiation in mesenchymal stromal cell-derived clones generated using plastic adherence (PA-MSCs). However, there are no reports presenting a clonal analysis of the proliferative potential, differentiation potential and allosuppressive effects of human mesenchymal stromal cell subsets. In this study, we performed a clonal analysis of mesenchymal stromal cells generated from human CD271+ bone marrow mononuclear cells (CD271-MSCs). After transfection with the gene encoding green fluorescent protein, the cells were single-cell sorted and cultured for 2–4 weeks. A population doubling analysis demonstrated that 25% of CD271-MSC clones are fast-proliferating clones compared to only 10% of PA-MSC clones. Evaluation of the allosuppressive potential demonstrated that 81.8% of CD271-MSC clones were highly allosuppressive compared to only 58% of PA-MSC clones. However, no consistent correlation was observed between allosuppression and proliferative potential. Prostaglandin E2 levels were positively correlated with the allosuppressive activity of individual clones, suggesting that this molecule may be a useful predictive biomarker for the allosuppressive potential of mesenchymal stromal cells. In contrast, inhibitory studies of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase indicated that none of the clones used this enzyme to mediate their allosuppressive effect. Differentiation studies revealed the presence of tripotent, bipotent and unipotent CD271-MSC and PA-MSC clones which suppressed the allogeneic reaction to differing extents in vitro. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate differences between CD271-MSCs and PA-MSCs and indicate that neither proliferation potential nor differentiation potential represents a consistent predictive parameter for the immunomodulatory effects of either type of mesenchymal stromal cells.
Effects of Reverberation and Compression on Consonant Identification in Individuals with Hearing Impairment

Objectives: Hearing aids are frequently used in reverberant environments; however, relatively little is known about how reverberation affects the processing of signals by modern hearing-aid algorithms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acoustic and behavioral effects of reverberation and wide-dynamic range compression (WDRC) in hearing aids on consonant identification for individuals with hearing impairment. Design: Twenty-three listeners with mild to moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss were tested monaurally under varying degrees of reverberation and WDRC conditions. Listeners identified consonants embedded within vowel–consonant–vowel nonsense syllables. Stimuli were processed to simulate a range of realistic reverberation times and WDRC release times using virtual acoustic simulations. In addition, the effects of these processing conditions were acoustically analyzed using a model of envelope distortion to examine the effects on the temporal envelope. Results: Aided consonant identification significantly decreased as reverberation time increased. Consonant identification was also significantly affected by WDRC release time. This relationship was such that individuals tended to perform significantly better with longer release times. There was no significant interaction between reverberation and WDRC. The application of the acoustic model to the processed signal showed a close relationship between trends in the behavioral performance and distortion to the temporal envelope resulting from reverberation and WDRC. The results of the acoustic model demonstrated the same trends found in the behavioral data for both reverberation and WDRC. Conclusions: Reverberation and WDRC release time both affect aided consonant identification for individuals with hearing impairment, and these condition effects are associated with alterations to the temporal envelope. There was no significant interaction between reverberation and WDRC release time.
Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary heart disease

Editor—In their case study of substance misuse by remand prisoners Mason et al found that “present prison procedures fail to identify the extent to which substances are used and misused in people newly remanded to prison. ”1 In a recent (unpublished) study of the health needs presented by prisoners remanded into La Moye prison, Jersey, I examined the …
Identification of genotypes of Giardia duodenalis human isolates in Isfahan, Iran, using polymerase chain reaction – Restriction Fragment Length polymorphism

Background : Giardia duodenalis is one of the most prevalent intestinal parasites of human. It also infects a wide range of mammals.Two genotype of G.duodenalis (A and B) were commonly reported among humans with different frequency of distribution in different geographical locations. This work was conducted to discriminate genotypes of Giardia duodenalis human isolates in Isfahan city using PCR- RFLP. This is the first molecular study on human isolates of G.duodenalis in the area. Methods: Samples were collected from different health centers of Isfahan city during June 2011 and February 2012. From 175 Giardia positive stool samples 67 specimens were selected randomly. Cysts of Giardia positive samples were concentrated by flotation sucrose. Extraction of genomic DNA from trophozoite and cysts was performed using QIAamp Stool Mini kit with a modified protocol. PCR- RFLP method was used to amplify a fragment of 458bp at the glutamate dehydrogenase locus, and restriction enzymes BspLI and RsaI differentiated human genotypes A and B and their subgroups. Results: PCR - RFLP assay of 67 isolates showed 40(59.7%) isolates as Genotype A group II, 23(34.32%) samples as Genotype B Group III and two (2.98%) sample as Genotype B group IV. Mixed genotype of (AII and B) was detected only in two isolates (2.98%). Conclusions: PCR - RFLP assay targeting gdh locus is a sensitive tool and discriminates genotypes, sub genotypes and mixed type of G.duodenalis. Results of our study suggest both anthroponotic and zoonotic origins for the infections respectively.