Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation and Operational Research: Risk Factors of Loss to Follow-up Among HIV-Positive Pediatric Patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Objective:To identify risk factors for loss to follow-up (LTFU) in an HIV-infected pediatric population in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 2004 and 2011. Design:Longitudinal analysis of 6236 HIV-infected children. Methods:We conducted a prospective cohort study of 6236 pediatric patients enrolled in care and treatment in Dar es Salaam from October 2004 to September 2011. LTFU was defined as missing a clinic visit for >90 days for patients on ART and for >180 days for patients in care and monitoring. The relationship of baseline and time-varying characteristics to the risk of LTFU was examined using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results:A total of 2130 children (34%) were LTFU over a median follow-up of 16.7 months (interquartile range, 3.4–36.9). Factors independently associated with a higher risk of LTFU were age ⩽2 years (relative risk [RR] = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.40 to 1.80), diarrhea at enrollment (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.41), a low mid-upper arm circumference for age (RR = 1.20, CI: 1.05 to 1.37), eating protein-rich foods ⩽3 times a week (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.90), taking cotrimoxazole (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.81), initiating onto antiretrovirals (RR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.61), receiving treatment at a hospital instead of a local facility (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.41), and starting treatment in 2006 or later (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.16). Conclusions:Health workers should be aware of pediatric patients who are at a greatest risk of LTFU, such as younger and undernourished patients, so that they can proactively counsel families about the importance of visit adherence. Findings support decentralization of HIV care to local facilities as opposed to hospitals.
Preclinical Development The Checkpoint Kinase Inhibitor AZD 7762 Potentiates Chemotherapy-Induced Apoptosis of p 53-Mutated Multiple Myeloma Cells

DNA cross-linking agents are frequently used in the treatment of multiple myeloma–generating lesions, which activate checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), a critical transducer of the DNAdamage response. Chk1 activation promotes cell survival by regulating cell-cycle arrest andDNA repair following genotoxic stress. The ability of AZD7762, an ATP-competitive Chk1/2 inhibitor to increase the efficacy of the DNA-damaging agents bendamustine, melphalan, and doxorubicin was examined using four human myeloma cell lines, KMS-12BM,KMS-12-PE, RPMI-8226, andU266B1. The in vitro activity ofAZD7762 asmonotherapy and combinedwith alkylating agents and the "novel" drug bortezomib was evaluated by studying its effects on cytotoxicity, signaling, and apoptotic pathways. The Chk1/2 inhibitor AZD7762 potentiated the antiproliferative effects of bendamustine, melphalan, and doxorubicin but not bortezomib in multiple myeloma cell lines that were p53deficient. Increased gH2AXstaining in cells treatedwith bendamustine ormelphalanplusAZD7762 indicates a greater degree of DNA damage with combined therapy. Abrogation of the G2–M checkpoint by AZD7762 resulted in mitotic catastrophe with ensuing apoptosis evidenced by PARP and caspase-3 cleavage. In summary, the cytotoxic effects of bendamustine, melphalan and doxorubicin on p53-deficient multiple myeloma cell lines were enhanced by the coadministration of AZD7762. These data provide a rationale for testing these combinations in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.Mol Cancer Ther; 11(8); 1781–8. 2012 AACR.
FACTORS DETERMINING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE CIGAR COMPANIES

This study aimed to analyze the influence of age, gender, education, length of service and number of dependents on employee performance. This is survey-based research, using cross-sectional study. The samples consist of employees in the cigar companies in Jember Regency. Determination of the research sample using stratified random sampling by selecting ten respondents from each cigar company. From a total of 14 companies, the total samples consist of 140 respondents. The results show that age, gender, education, years of service, and the number of family dependents had a significant positive effect on employee performance. Further research may examine employee performance in companies engaged in other fields.
Substance P accelerates intestinal tissue regeneration after γ‐irradiation–induced damage

Radiation therapy causes varying degrees of damage to biological systems. Many groups are investigating the mechanism underlying radiation‐induced cellular damage but there are limited therapeutic solutions for affected patients. Recent studies show that substance P (SP) participates in cell proliferation. In the present study, we characterized the mechanism underlying SP‐induced cellular signaling in radiation‐induced damage of the intestine. Exposure of Caco‐2 cells to SP increases cell proliferation and Erk phosphorylation in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. The proliferation of cells exposed to γ‐irradiation is also stimulated by exposure to SP, a phenomenon that may result from inhibition of apoptosis because SP activates Akt and inhibits the cleavage of caspase‐3. The effect of SP on cell proliferation and protection was confirmed by investigations in mice. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining shows that cell proliferation in radiation‐damaged mouse intestine increases significantly upon exposure to SP. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP‐fluorescein nick end labeling assay reveals fewer cells stained in SP‐treated mice compared with untreated controls. These findings show the potential for SP‐induced acceleration of intestinal wound healing and reveal that the mechanism underlying this process involves activation of Erk and Akt and inhibition of caspase‐3 cleavage.
The effect of interactions on the cellular uptake of nanoparticles

We present a simple two-state model to understand the size-dependent endocytosis of nanoparticles. Using this model, we elucidate the relevant energy terms required to understand the size-dependent uptake mechanism and verify it by correctly predicting the behavior at large and small particle sizes. In the absence of interactions between the nanoparticles, we observe an asymmetric distribution of sizes with maximum uptake at intermediate sizes and a minimum size cut-off below which there can be no endocytosis. Including the effect of interactions in our model has remarkable effects on the uptake characteristics. Attractive interactions shift the minimum size cut-off and increase the optimal uptake while repulsive interactions make the distribution more symmetric lowering the optimal uptake.
Treatment of Anxiety in the Cognitively Impaired Elderly: Can Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Help?

Anxiety is commonly reported in patients with dementia, resulting in a further decline in functioning. An overview of the clinical application of cognitive-behavioral techniques in treating anxiety in elderly patients with brain damage is presented. Two cases are described with a focus on clinical anxiety management techniques that have been modified to suit cognitively impaired elderly patients. These modifications include simplifying material, using more structured techniques, and recognizing the critical role of the patient's caregiver in therapy. It is concluded that cognitive-behavior therapy can help in reducing anxiety in the demented population; the potential benefits of this therapy are an increase in patients' self-esteem and independence and the prevention of hospitalization.
Response to letters regarding article, "A randomized trial of social media from Circulation".

We thank our readers for taking the time to thoughtfully comment on our recently published article, “A Randomized Trial of Social Media From Circulation . ”1 Dr Thoma et al are concerned that we have overstated our conclusion that “social media strategies do not increase dissemination of scholarly publications. ” In fact, we make no such claim in our published article, and our conclusions are limited to “a social media strategy for a cardiovascular journal does not increase the number of times an article is viewed.1” In addition, we write at length in our published article about the lack of generalizability of our findings beyond the specific social media campaign used in our trial. Second, Dr Thoma et al are concerned about unaddressed confounders in our study. We note that the randomized design used in our trial will minimize this specific concern. Third, Dr Thoma et al are concerned about the use of page views as a …
Activities of constitutive promoters in Escherichia coli.

The in vivo activities of seven constitutive promoters in Escherichia coli have been determined as functions of growth rate in wild-type relA+ spoT+ strains with normal levels of guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and in ppGpp-deficient DeltarelADeltaspoT derivatives. The promoters include (i) the spc ribosomal protein operon promotor Pspc; (ii) the beta-lactamase gene promotor Pblaof plasmid pBR322; (iii) the PLpromoter of phage lambda; (iv) and (v) the replication control promoters PRNAIand PRNAIIof plasmid pBR322; and (vi) and (vii) the P1 and P2 promoters of the rrnB ribosomal RNA operon. Each strain carried an operon fusion consisting of one of the respective promoter regions linked to lacZ and recombined into the chromosome at the mal locus of a lac deletion strain. The amount of 5'-terminal lacZ mRNA and of beta-galactosidase activity expressed from these promoters were determined by standard hybridization or enzyme activity assays, respectively. In addition, DNA, RNA and protein measurements were used to obtain information about gene dosage, rRNA synthesis and translation rates. By combining lacZ mRNA hybridization data with gene dosage and rRNA synthesis data, the absolute activity of the different promoters, in transcripts/minute per promoter, was determined. In ppGpp-proficient (relA+ spoT+) strains, the respective activities of rrnB P1 and P2 increased 40 and fivefold with increasing growth rate between 0.7 and 3.0 doublings/hour. The activities of Pspc, PL, Pbla, and PRNAIincreased two- to threefold and reached a maximum at growth rates above 2.0 doublings/hour. In contrast, PRNAIIactivity decreased threefold over this range of growth rates. In ppGpp-deficient (DeltarelA DeltaspoT) bacterial strains, the activities of rrnB P1 and P2 promoters both increased about twofold between 1.6 and 3.0 doublings/hour, whereas the activities of Pspc, PL, Pbla, and PRNAI, and PRNAIIwere about constant. To explain these observations, we suggest that the cellular concentration of free RNA polymerase increases with increasing growth rate; for saturation the P1 and P2 rRNA promoters require a high RNA polymerase concentration that is approached only at the highest growth rates, whereas the other promoters are saturated at lower polymerase concentrations achieved at intermediate growth rates. In addition, the data indicate that the respective rrnB P1 and PRNAIIpromoters were under negative and positive control by ppGpp. This caused a reduced activity of rrnB P1 and an increased activity of PRNAIIduring slow growth in wild-type (relA+ spoT+) relative to ppGpp-deficient (DeltarelA DeltaspoT) bacterial strains.
Forecasting net charge-off rates of banks: What model works best?

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the losses of two very big banks, Citigroup (Citi) and Wells Fargo & Company (Wells Fargo), and two very small banks, First Busey Corporation (Busey) and Capital City Bank Group (Capital), over the period 1991–2016. The federal government actually bailed out the two big banks, as measured by total assets, whereas neither of the two small banks required a bail out. Clearly, if one is able to use a variety of predictor variables to forecast accurately the losses of banks of various sizes, in different geographical locations, and operating a variety of business models, this may help identify potential causes of future banking problems and thereby lessen, if not eliminate, the need for future bailouts. This is important for both the banks and the bank regulatory authorities. In particular, those banks expected to suffer significant losses on loans may be in a position to increase their provisioning and thus loan loss allowances. If such banks are unable to take this type of action or other corrective action to address expected losses, regulatory action may become necessary in response to this situation. The motivation for our paper is this very issue: can one obtain accurate forecasts of losses, or the net charge-off rates, of banks? We provide an answer to this question by examining the four banks mentioned using several hundred predictor variables and several different forecast techniques.
Non-homogeneous separation of triglycerides, γ-glutamyltransferase, C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase after centrifugation of lithium-heparin tubes

Abstract Background: Clinical chemistry testing is influenced by a variety of preanalytical variables, including sample preparation. The presence of a diluted plasma layer at the top of primary tubes containing plasma citrate has recently been reported. However, no indication is available so far on the potential non-homogeneous distribution of clinical chemistry analytes during centrifugation of primary tubes containing lithium-heparin as an additive. Methods: A total of 40 lithium-heparin plasma samples were collected from volunteers and immediately centrifuged. An aliquot was obtained from the upper 0.4 mL of plasma (upper aliquot), 1.0 mL of plasma was discarded, and a second aliquot (lower aliquot) was obtained from the remaining plasma. The concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, amylase pancreatic, aspartate aminotransferase, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, chloride, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, creatine kinase, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), glucose, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, iron, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), magnesium, phosphate, potassium, total protein, sodium, triglycerides and uric acid were assayed on a Roche/Hitachi Modular System P according to the manufacturer's specifications and using proprietary reagents. Sodium, chloride and potassium were measured on a Roche/Hitachi Modular System using indirect ion-selective electrode methods. Results: We observed a statistically significant difference between the upper and lower aliquots for CRP (3.88±0.67 vs. 3.94±0.68 mg/L; p=0.025), GGT (32.1±8.0 vs. 31.8±8.0 U/L; p=0.013), LDH (395±19 vs. 386±20 U/L; p=0.010) and triglycerides (1.29±0.09 vs. 1.27±0.09 mmol/L; p=0.001); results for the other analytes were not significantly different. In no case did the mean percentage bias recorded between aliquots exceed the current analytical quality specifications for desirable bias. Conclusions: The results of our investigation show that plasma layer stratification might occur in primary lithium-heparin tubes for a limited number of routine clinical chemistry tests, introducing a statistically significant bias in the measurement of GGT, LDH, triglycerides and CRP in the upper vs. the bottom section. When delayed testing is necessary for these parameters, we suggest that plasma should be separated after centrifugation and appropriately mixed before delayed/repeated analysis or aliquoting. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1180–2.
Evaluation of epithelial proliferation in paediatric and adult cholesteatomas using the Ki-67 proliferation marker

Abstract Introduction: The aggressiveness of cholesteatoma in children compared with adults is well known. However, the factors influencing the poorer prognosis of paediatric cholesteatoma are not well understood. This study compared the proliferative potential of paediatric cholesteatoma with that of adult cholesteatoma, using Ki-67 as a proliferation marker. Methods: A prospective study of 67 patients with aural cholesteatoma was performed. Thirty-eight adult and 29 paediatric cases were evaluated using clinical parameters including bone erosion, complications and extent of disease. A surgical specimen underwent histological evaluation and measurement of the proliferation index using Ki-67 labelling. Normal epithelium from a control group was also examined. Results: Cholesteatoma epithelium has a greater rate of proliferation than normal skin. There were however no statistical differences between the paediatric and adult cholesteatoma groups in terms of clinical behaviour or proliferation potential. Paediatric cholesteatoma was similar to adult cholesteatoma in terms of complications, bone erosion and disease spread. Conclusion: Cholesteatoma is a disorder of epithelial proliferation. Although postulated to be more aggressive in children than adults, this study found no clinicopathological differences between paediatric and adult cases.
Foraging Strategies of Chinstrap Penguins at Signy Island, Antarctica : Importance of Benthic Feeding on Antarctic Krill(Open Symposium for Public on New Marine Biology Using Micro-Biologging Methods,PROCEEDING OF THE 74^ ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN)

Chinstrap penguins Pygoscelis antarctica are one of the major consumers of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba in the Southern Ocean. To examine their foraging strategy, we studied foraging trip patterns and diving behaviour of chinstrap penguins breeding at Signy Island, Antarctica, using time-depth recorders. Foraging trips of penguins could be divided into 2 groups, short diurnal (7.8 h) and longer overnight (19.9 h) trips, with diurnal trips (74%) being dominant in number (263 out of 355 trips). The diving depths of our study birds were much deeper (to 179 m) than previous studies on this species, with modal maximum dive depth at around 90 to 100 m. Diving patterns and profiles included typical pelagic dives, but also included series of consecutive square-wave shaped dives reaching similar maximum depth, the typical characteristics of benthic dives. These benthic-type dives were more abundant in diurnal foraging trips than overnight trips. Analysis of stomach contents showed that penguins on both types of trip fed almost exclusively on Antarctic krill. There was a positive relationship between indices of the proportion of benthic feeding and of foraging efficiency (stomach content mass divided by foraging trip duration). These results highlight the potential importance of benthic feeding on Antarctic krill, the first such recorded instance for chinstrap penguins. This previously undescribed foraging strategy by one of the major avian consumers of Antarctic krill provides a new insight into the predator-prey interactions of the Antarctic coastal marine ecosystem.
Decentralized Anonymous Payments

Decentralized payment systems such as Bitcoin record monetary transactions between pseudonyms in an append-only ledger known as a blockchain. Because the ledger is public, permanent, and readable by anyone, a user’s privacy depends solely on the difficulty of linking pseudonymous transactions either to each other or to real identities. Both academic work and commercial services have shown that such linking is, in fact, very easy. Anyone at any point in the future can download a user’s transaction history and analyze it. In this work, we propose and implement privacy preserving coins, payments, and payment channels that can be built atop a ledger. In particular we propose: Zerocoin A blockchain based protocol for breaking the link between a transaction that receives non-anonymous funds and the subsequent transaction that spends it. Zerocash The successor to Zerocoin, a blockchain based payment system supporting anonymous payments of arbitrary hidden value to other parties. While payments are recorded publicly in the blockchain, they reveal almost nothing else: the
Quetiapine in the Successful Treatment of Schizophrenia with Comorbid Alcohol and Drug Dependence: A Case Report

Background: Excluding nicotine and caffeine dependence, almost 50% of individuals with schizophrenia also meet the criteria for substance abuse or dependence. Comorbid drug abuse presents complications to the effective treatment of these patients because they have increased psychotic symptoms and poorer treatment compliance. Case Report: This report describes the case of a young man with schizophrenia and comorbid alcohol and cocaine abuse who was successfully treated with quetiapine. The patient was previously treated with olanzapine and developed priapism, which required emergency medical treatment. Conclusions: The possible utility of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and comorbid substance abuse needs to be confirmed in clinical trials.
BMP7‐induced dendritic growth in sympathetic neurons requires p75NTR signaling

Dendritic morphology is a critical determinant of neuronal connectivity, and in postganglionic sympathetic neurons, tonic activity correlates directly with the size of the dendritic arbor. Thus, identifying signaling mechanisms that regulate dendritic arborization of sympathetic neurons is important to understanding how functional neural circuitry is established and maintained in the sympathetic nervous system. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) promote dendritic growth in sympathetic neurons; however, downstream signaling events that link BMP receptor activation to dendritic growth are poorly characterized. We previously reported that BMP7 upregulates p75NTR mRNA in cultured sympathetic neurons. This receptor is implicated in controlling dendritic growth in central neurons but whether p75NTR regulates dendritic growth in peripheral neurons is not known. Here, we demonstrate that BMP7 increases p75NTR protein in cultured sympathetic neurons, and this effect is blocked by pharmacologic inhibition of signaling via BMP type I receptor. BMP7 does not trigger dendritic growth in sympathetic neurons dissociated from superior cervical ganglia (SCG) of p75NTR nullizygous mice, and overexpression of p75NTR in p75NTR−/− neurons is sufficient to cause dendritic growth even in the absence of BMP7. Morphometric analyses of SCG from wild‐type versus p75NTR nullizygous mice at 3, 6, and 12 to 16 weeks of age indicated that genetic deletion of p75NTR does not prevent dendritic growth but does stunt dendritic maturation in sympathetic neurons. These data support the hypotheses that p75NTR is involved in downstream signaling events that mediate BMP7‐induced dendritic growth in sympathetic neurons, and suggest that p75NTR signaling positively modulates dendritic complexity in sympathetic neurons in vivo. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 1003–1013, 2016