Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Withdrawal of Sex Steroids Reverses Age- and Chemotherapy-Related Defects in Bone Marrow Lymphopoiesis1

A significant decline in immune function is characteristic of aging. Along with the involution of the thymus and associated impaired architecture, which contributes to profound loss of naive T cell production, there are also significant declines in B cell development and the progenitors that support lymphopoiesis. These collectively lead to a reduced peripheral immune repertoire, increase in opportunistic infections, and limited recovery following cytoablation through chemo- or radiotherapy. We have previously shown that sex steroid ablation (SSA) causes a major reversal of age-related thymic atrophy and improves recovery from hematopoietic stem cell transplant. This study focused on the impact of SSA on the B cell compartment and their progenitors in middle-aged and cyclophosphamide-treated mice. In both models, SSA enhanced the number of lymphoid progenitors and developing B cells in the bone marrow (BM) as well as reversing age-related defects in the cycling kinetics of these cells. Enhanced BM lymphopoiesis was reflected in the periphery by an increase in recent BM emigrants as well as immature and mature plasma cells, leading to an enhanced humoral response to challenge by hepatitis B vaccine. In conclusion, SSA improves lymphoid progenitor and B cell recovery from age- and chemotherapy-induced immunodepletion, complimenting the effects on T cells. Since SSA has been achieved clinically for over 25 years, this provides a novel, rational basis for approaching the need for immune recovery in many clinical conditions.
Assessment of Genetic Ancestry and Population Substructure in Costa Rica by Analysis of Individuals with a Familial History of Mental Disorder

The population of Costa Rica has been considered valuable for locating susceptibility genes of complex disorders because of historical events and a gradual admixture process. We present an assessment of 426 unrelated individuals with a familial history of mental disorder and with ancestors born in the Central Valley, genotyped at 730 microsatellites to evaluate genetic diversity, ancestry, and substructure at the general and regional population levels using quantitative methods. Low population substructure was found. Estimated mean ancestry proportions were 54%, 32%, and 13% for European, Amerindian, and African components, respectively, with some regional variation. The FST values obtained confirm the largest genetic similarity to Europeans. Subdivision of the Amerindians into individual populations revealed strong similarity to Chibchan groups. Analysis of the African ancestry showed high similarity to West and Central African populations. Gene ancestries from other African areas were also detected, probably resulting from ancestral admixture within Africa prior to colonial times. Our analyses show, in an ethnohistorical‐genetic context, that gene flow and admixture are important components of Costa Rican population history. The results confirm the need to consider the particular regional genetic structure, the effects of genetic drift and the ancestry when designing and interpreting investigations of genetic traits in this population.
Catálogo del macrofitobentos del Mediterráneo de Marruecos

Catalogo del macrofitobentos del Mediterraneo de Marruecos. Se ha realizado un estudio del macrofitobentos en el litoral mediterraneo de Marruecos. Como resultado del mismo se han catalogado 335 taxa, de los que 140 son novedades corologicas para la zona. De ellos, 203 corresponden a las Rhodophyceae, 62 a las Phaeophyceae, 66 a las Chlorophyceae y 4 a las Liliopsida. El RIF de 3,27 da un valor muy similar al 3,29 del litoral mediterraneo espanol.
Effect of Quality of Life Impact and Clinical Severity on Adherence to Topical Acne Treatment

Background: Topical medications are the most commonly prescribed treatments for acne patients. However, adherence to these treatments and possible associations with clinical severity and quality of life (QoL) impact are unclear. Purpose: We evaluated the association between sociodemographic factors, clinical severity, and QoL impact and adherence to topical acne treatments. Methods: This was an observational study of acne patients referred for usual care to community-based dermatologists. Adherence was assessed with questionnaires after 2 months of acne therapy. The associations of adherence with factors of interest were evaluated by chi-square analysis and Spearman rank correlation. Results: In 152 acne patients treated with topical medications, low adherence was observed in 26%, medium in 49%, and high in 24%. Age, gender, duration of acne, education level, third-party drug plan coverage, smoking history, recreational drug use, ingestion of alcohol, and number of prescribed topical agents were not significantly associated with adherence. Adherence was significantly positively correlated with QoL impact (r = .24, p = .003), with the role-emotional and self-perception domains having the highest correlations. In contrast, adherence was weakly negatively correlated with facial acne severity (r = .16, p = .047). Limitations: This study focused on facial acne, and adherence was based on patient reporting. Conclusions: Adherence to topical acne therapy increases with impact on QoL but decreases with increasing acne severity.
In situ hybridization and immunolabelling study of the early replication of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmacJ5) in vivo.

The distribution of virus-infected cells in cynomolgus macaques was determined at 4, 7, 14 and 28 days following intravenous challenge with 1000 TCID(50) of the wild-type simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmacJ5 (stock J5C). At each time-point, pairs of macaques were killed humanely and the presence of SIV was determined and quantified in blood, spleen, peripheral and mesenteric lymph nodes, thymus, lung and ileum by virus co-cultivation with C8166 cells, by quantitative DNA PCR or by in situ hybridization (ISH). At day 4 post-infection (p.i.), detection of the virus was sporadic. By day 7 p.i. , however, significant SIV loads were detected in the blood and lymphoid tissues by DNA PCR and virus co-cultivation. Large numbers of cells expressing SIV RNA were detected in mesenteric lymph nodes by ISH and significantly fewer (P<0.05) in the spleen. Significant numbers of ISH-positive cells were also observed in sections of ileum. By day 14 p.i. , the distribution of SIV was more even in all lymphoid tissues analysed. By day 28, most of the tissues were negative by ISH, but all remained positive by virus isolation and DNA PCR. Immunolabelling of sections of mesenteric lymph node with monoclonal antibodies specific for SIV envelope and Nef largely confirmed the observations from ISH. These results indicate that, even following intravenous challenge, a major site of the initial replication of SIV is gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Vaccines that induce protection at this site may therefore be superior, even against parenteral challenge.
A General Theory to Determine the Exact Radiated Power, Directivity, and Radiation Resistance of a Line-Source Radiator

Instead of integrating the power pattern function directly and discounting the effect of the element factor to find the total radiated power of a line source, we show herein that an exact analytical expression for the radiated power can be obtained by singular knowledge of the source's current distribution. The expression is found by using the Fourier principles associated with convolution integrals, autocorrelation integrals, Parseval's Identity, and the Helmholtz operator in one dimension. Knowledge of the exact radiated power is used to find the expressions for directivity and radiation resistance. Furthermore, we show that the efficiency of the line source is explicitly a function of the relative proportion of two autocorrelation integrals. This newly developed theory is validated by considering large and small argument approximations in which closed-form results are readily known. Additional validation is obtained by comparing the exact result with the data obtained from numerical integration of the power pattern function. Examples associated with the half-wave dipole, cosine distribution, cosine-squared distribution, generalized dipole, triangular distribution, and the uniform distribution are provided. Other than the half-wave and generalized dipole solutions, we believe that the expressions obtained in this investigation have never been reported in the open literature. This is particularly true for the uniform line source in which the classical asymptotic result for the directivity (i.e., λ) is shown to be deficient.
The Versatility of the Nasolabial Flap Enhanced by the Delay Procedure

BACKGROUND The nasolabial flap is a versatile and effective option for the closure of nasal defects of the cheek and nasal sidewall following Mohs surgery. However, both extirpation of a tumor in the region of the base of the flap or previous use of the flap often destroy the proximal axial blood supply to the flap, excluding its immediate utilization. We describe a different use of the nasolabial flap and a technique for preserving its capacity in the case of reutilization OBJECTIVE To describe the versatility of the nasolabial flap and a delay procedure that enables its exploitation despite prior disruption of the proximal blood supply. METHODS Three different uses of the same nasolabial flap are demonstrated in one patient. The surgical techniques are discussed in detail. RESULTS The reconstructive results were excellent. There were no postoperative complications. CONCLUSION The nasolabial flap is a versatile and effective option for the closure of nasal defects of the cheek and nasal sidewall. When the nasolabial flap has been used before, or its blood supply compromised, the delay procedure can reestablish its applicability.
Care recipients’ psychological well-being: The role of sense of control and caregiver type

The current study tested mediation and moderation hypotheses to examine the link between caregiver type, sense of control, and depressive symptoms in older adult care recipients. All recipients (127 older adults, aged 60–98) reported at least one instrumental activity of daily living impairment and 75% reported at least one activity of daily living limitation. Results indicated that care recipients’ depressive symptoms varied by caregiver type and level of sense of control. Recipients with low sense of control and family caregivers reported higher depressive symptoms than those with a low sense of control and non-family caregivers. The findings suggest that although some care recipients have caregivers they may yet experience poor psychological well-being. Implications for practitioners are that in addition to their medical and physical health needs, the psychological well-being of care recipients is also important to consider.
Reassessment of the predictive role of perivesical fat invasion in invasive bladder cancer prognosis in 151 Chinese patients

Background Perivesical fat invasion is considered as an important prognostic factor for bladder cancer. However, the predictive role of perivesical fat invasion in invasive bladder cancer prognosis has never been reported in Chinese patients. The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of perivesical fat invasion for prognoses of T2 and T3 bladder cancer in Chinese patients. Methods One hundred and fifty‐one patients who underwent radical cystectomy for pT2‐3N0M0 invasive bladder cancer from 2001 to 2007 were studied. Cancer‐specific survival rate (CSS) and recurrence‐free survival rate (RFS) were compared between the pT2 and pT3 patient groups. Other clinicopathological parameters were also retrospectively analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses to identify the independent predictor for the prognoses of this cohort. Results Average patient age at surgery was 58 years. Ninety (60.3%) patients had grade I and II disease. During follow‐up (median 66 months), 27 patients (17.9%) had tumor recurrence and 18 (11.9%) died of bladder cancer. In the univariate analysis, the CSS and RFS curves between T2 and T3 patients showed no significant difference (P=0.756 and 0.354, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression showed that histological classification and grade were independent predictors for CSS, while grade was the sole independent predictor for RFS. Conclusions For this group of Chinese patients, perivesical fat invasion did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in prognosis between T2 and T3 patients. Nontransitional cell carcinoma (non‐TCC) and high‐grade patients had short CSS, and patients with high‐grade tumor had higher recurrent risk.
Ready, aye ready? Support mechanisms for healthcare workers in emergency planning: a critical gap analysis of three hospital emergency plans.

BACKGROUND In response to the 2003 global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the threat of pandemic influenza, Canadian hospitals have been actively developing and revising their emergency plans. Healthcare workers are a particularly vulnerable group at risk of occupational exposure during infectious disease outbreaks, as seen during SARS and as documented/reported in the recent National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses (Statistics Canada, 2006). Approximately one third of Canadian nurses identified job strain and poor health, related to their work environment. Three years after SARS, this article presents a critical analysis of the gaps of three hospital pandemic influenza plans in the context of established organizational supports for healthcare workers. METHODS Hospital pandemic influenza plans were obtained from institutional representatives in three Ontario cities. Qualitative gap analysis of these plans was conducted using a checklist of 11 support categories, developed from a review of existing literature and findings from a previous study of focus groups with emergency and critical care nurses. RESULTS Support mechanisms were identified in the plans; however, gaps were evident in preparation for personal protective equipment, education and informational support, and support during quarantine. Hospital emergency planning could be more robust by including additional organizational supports such as emotional/psychological support services, delineating management responsibilities, human resources, vaccine/anti-viral planning, recognition/compensation, media strategies, and professional development. CONCLUSIONS Since the 2003 SARS outbreak, hospitals have invested in pandemic planning, as evidenced by the comprehensive plans examined here. Organizational support mechanisms for healthcare workers were included in these hospital plans; however, the gaps identified here may have serious implications for employee health and safety, and overall response during a large scale infectious disease outbreak. The authors provide a number of recommendations for consideration in infectious disease pandemic plan development to better support the healthcare workers in their roles as first responders.
Delayed disruption of barrier function in cultured human corneal epithelial cells induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha in a manner dependent on NF-kappaB.

PURPOSE The corneal epithelium provides a barrier that is both important for corneal homeostasis and dependent on tight junctions (TJs) between adjacent epithelial cells. The authors examined the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a proinflammatory cytokine, on barrier function and the expression of TJ proteins in simian virus 40-transformed human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. METHODS The barrier function of cultured HCE cells was evaluated by measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). The subcellular distribution of the TJ proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin and that of the p65 subunit of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) were determined by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of ZO-1 and occludin and the phosphorylation and degradation of the NF-kappaB inhibitory protein IkappaB-alpha were examined by immunoblot analysis. RESULTS TNF-alpha induced a decrease in the TER of HCE cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. It also induced the disappearance of ZO-1 from the interfaces of neighboring HCE cells without affecting the localization of occludin. The abundance of neither ZO-1 nor occludin was affected by TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha induced the phosphorylation and downregulation of IkappaB-alpha and the translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB to the nucleus. The NF-kappaB inhibitor curcumin blocked the effects of TNF-alpha on TER and the subcellular localization of ZO-1 at late phase. CONCLUSIONS TNF-alpha disrupted the barrier function of HCE cells, apparently by affecting the localization of ZO-1 at TJs in a manner dependent on NF-kappaB at late phase. This action of TNF-alpha may contribute to the loss of corneal epithelial barrier function associated with ocular inflammation.
Postpartum exercise regardless of intensity improves chronic disease risk factors.

PURPOSE Women who are unable to return to a healthy weight by 6 months postpartum increase their risk factors for the development of chronic disease (CD; including metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular disease). In a prospective randomized intervention study, we examined the effect of exercise intensity on risk factors for CD in the postpartum. We hypothesized that women receiving an intervention targeting healthy weight loss would have improved CD risk factors compared with women not receiving the intervention. Further, we hypothesized that nutrition control and moderate-intensity exercise would have the greatest improvement in CD risk factors versus low-intensity exercise. METHODS Women were randomly assigned to a nutrition plus low-intensity (30% HR reserve; n = 20) or moderate-intensity (70% HR reserve; n = 20) exercise intervention group. The program consisted of supervised walking for 45 min, three to four times per week for 16 wk. All women were screened for CD at the beginning (7-8 wk postpartum) and at the end (23-25 wk postpartum) of the study. A historical control group of 20 sedentary postpartum women was matched by body mass index, age, and parity. RESULTS The low- and moderate-intensity groups lost more body mass (-4.2 ± 4.0 and -5.0 ± 2.9 kg, respectively) compared with the control group (-0.1 ± 3.3 kg, P < 0.01). Plasma low-density lipoprotein was reduced for the low- and moderate-intensity groups (-0.29 ± 0.21 and -0.28 ± 0.17 mmol · L) compared with the control group (0.03 ± 0.18 mmol · L, P = 0.015). In addition, glucose concentrations were reduced and adiponectin concentrations increased (P = 0.037), regardless of exercise intensity, although the sedentary controls remained unchanged or at increased risk for CD. CONCLUSIONS Women receiving a postpartum intervention targeting healthy weight loss, regardless of exercise intensity, improved CD risk factors compared with women not receiving the intervention.
Issues in weaning from mechanical ventilation: literature review.

AIM The aim of this paper is to raise questions on the effect of skill mix and organizational structure on weaning from mechanical ventilation. BACKGROUND Mechanical ventilation is an essential life-saving technology. There are, however, numerous associated complications that influence the morbidity and mortality of patients receiving intensive care. Therefore, it was essential to use the safest and most effective form of ventilation for the shortest possible duration. Because of the potential complications and costs of mechanical ventilation, research to date have focused on accurate weaning readiness assessment, methods and organizational aspects that influence the weaning process. METHOD In early 2005, the literature was reviewed from 1986 to 2004 by accessing the following databases: Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, CINAHL, and Blackwell Science. The keywords mechanical ventilation, weaning, protocols, critical care, nursing role, decision-making and weaning readiness were used separately and combinations. DISCUSSION Controversy exists in weaning practices about appropriate and efficacious weaning readiness assessment indicators, the best method of weaning and the use of weaning protocols. Arguably, the implementation of weaning protocols may have little effect in an environment that favours collaboration between nursing and medical staff, autonomous nursing decision-making in relation to weaning practices, and high numbers of nurses qualified at postgraduate level. CONCLUSION Further research is required that better quantifies critical care nurses' role in weaning practices and the contextual issues that influence both the nursing role and the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation.
Yeasts as important agents of onychomycosis: in vitro activity of propolis against yeasts isolated from patients with nail infection.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study were to determine the frequency of the yeast species obtained from patients with clinical features of onychomycosis and the in vitro antifungal susceptibility of the yeast species to propolis. METHODS A prospective study was carried out at the Mycology Research Center in Iran from 2010 to 2011. Clinical diagnosis was performed by direct microscopic examination and culture. Different yeast species were identified by morphological and biochemical tests. An antifungal susceptibility test to fluconazole (FLU) and propolis by the broth microdilution method was performed on each isolate. RESULTS One hundred and twenty-eight fungal isolates were obtained. The most prevalent fungi were yeasts (81, 63.2%), dermatophytes (36, 28.1%), and nondermatophyte fungi (11, 8.6%). Fingernails were more affected than toenails (65.4% vs. 19.8%, respectively). The most frequently found species was Candida albicans (38.5%), followed by Candida spp. (23.1%), C. tropicalis (10.8%), C. kefyr (6.2%), C. krusei (3.1%), Malassezia globosa (4.6%), M. slooffiae (4.6%), and M. pachydermatis (1.5%). Of all yeast isolates (65), seven showed resistance to FLU. The average MIC of propolis for FLU-susceptible isolates was 5.8 μg/mL, whereas this value was 12.25 μg/mL for FLU-resistant isolates. CONCLUSION Our results proved that the propolis inhibits the growth of pathogenic yeasts and confirmed the efficiency of propolis as an anti-Candida and anti-Malassezia agent.