Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Encapsulation of Cryptococcus neoformans with Glucuronoxylomannan Inhibits the Antigen-Presenting Capacity of Monocytes

ABSTRACT This report examines the effect of the major capsular polysaccharide of Cryptococcus neoformans, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), on the antigen-presenting capability of human monocytes treated with acapsular cells of C. neoformans. We found that pretreatment of acapsular cryptococci with GXM downregulates, in a dose-dependent manner, the antigen-presenting capacity of monocytes, leading to reduced proliferative T-lymphocyte responses. Similar levels of suppression occurred when monocytes were exposed to encapsulated cryptococci or acapsular cryptococci that were pretreated with GXM. The magnitude of the T-cell response correlated with the ability of monocytes to ingest the yeast. Supernatant fluids from cocultures of monocytes and T cells cultured with encapsulated cryptococci contained higher levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) than supernatant fluids of cells with acapsular cryptococci. Addition of anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibodies to the incubation medium of monocytes and T cells cultured with encapsulated cryptococci restored proliferative T-cell responses to levels observed during culture with acapsular cryptococci. Finally, treatment of monocytes with encapsulated cryptococci or GXM-treated acapsular cryptococci suppressed expression of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules in a manner consistent with previous reports of IL-10-mediated suppression of class II MHC molecules and suppression of proliferative T-cell responses. These results suggest a link between GXM encapsulation, increased IL-10 synthesis by monocytes, decreased expression of class II MHC molecules on monocytes, and reduced proliferative T-cell responses.
Inflammation‐Stimulated Mesenchymal Stromal Cell‐Derived Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Inflammation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been proposed to be a key mechanistic link in the therapeutic efficacy of cells in response to cellular injuries through paracrine effects. We hypothesize that inflammatory stimulation of MSCs results in the release of EVs that have greater anti‐inflammatory effects. The present study evaluates the immunomodulatory abilities of EVs derived from inflammation‐stimulated and naive MSCs (MSCEv+ and MSCEv, respectively) isolated using a current Good Manufacturing Practice‐compliant tangential flow filtration system. Detailed characterization of both EVs revealed differences in protein composition, cytokine profiles, and RNA content, despite similarities in size and expression of common surface markers. MSCEv+ further attenuated release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in vitro when compared to MSCEv, with a distinctly different pattern of EV‐uptake by activated primary leukocyte subpopulations. The efficacy of EVs was partially attributed to COX2/PGE2 expression. The present study demonstrates that inflammatory stimulation of MSCs renders release of EVs that have enhanced anti‐inflammatory properties partially due to COX2/PGE2 pathway alteration. Stem Cells 2018;36:79–90
CHEMOKINE RANTES ISINCREASED AT EARLY STAGES OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Heart diseases, and in particular coronary artery disease (CAD), are the leading cause of death in Europe and it represents around 50% of overall mortality . (43% 1963644 male and 55% 2307945 female) (1). While classical risk factors for CAD are relatively well defined (1), they seem to be responsible for only part of the risk while remaining risk, often referred to as residual risk is less understood. Thus, it is of great importance to determine biomarkers of high cardiovascular risk. New risk markers including: inflammatory molecules (ex. CRP , selected interleukins), homocysteine, vWF , fibrynogen IMT (intima media thickness) and calcium score are widely proven to predict adverse cardiovascular events (2, 3). Aortic stiffnes also progresses with bigger extent of atherosclerosis (4). S till many cardiac markers are under investigation with an aim to evaluate patients to dif ferent risk groups and predict more adequate cardio-cerebral events. There is particular focus on understanding the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease. Cytokines are important regulators of leukocyte activation and migration to the sites of inflammation including vessels and the heart. Especially chemokines which regulate immune cell vascular chemotaxis are points of great interest. It has been shown that some of the chemokines such as CCL3/MIP1a, CCL5/RANTES, and CCL18/PARC are expressed in atherosclerotic plaque (5-7), and cells within the plaque express CCL5/RANTES receptors such as: CCR5, CCR1, CCR3, CCR9 and DARC may express in different structures. The expression of DARC receptor is specific for the endothelium (8). Significant correlation between JOURNALOF PHYSIOLOGYAND PHARMACOLOGY 2016, 67, 2, 321-328
γδ-T Cells Are Critical for Survival and Early Proinflammatory Cytokine Gene Expression During Murine Klebsiella Pneumonia1

Although cells of the innate inflammatory response, such as macrophages and neutrophils, have been extensively studied in the arena of Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia, a role for T cells remains unknown. To study the role of specific T cell populations in bacterial pneumonia, mice deleted of their TCR β- and/or δ-chain were intratracheally inoculated with Klebsiella pneumoniae. γδ T cell knockout mice displayed increased mortality at both early and late time points. In contrast, mice specifically lacking only αβ-T cells were no more susceptible than wild-type mice. Pulmonary bacterial clearance in γδ-T cell knockout mice was unimpaired. Interestingly, these mice displayed increased peripheral blood dissemination. Rapid up-regulation of IFN-γ and TNF-α gene expression, critical during bacterial infections, was markedly impaired in lung and liver tissue from γδ-T cell-deficient mice 24 h postinfection. The increased peripheral blood bacterial dissemination correlated with impaired hepatic bacterial clearance following pulmonary infection and increased hepatic injury as measured by plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity. Combined, these data suggest that mice lacking γδ-T cells have an impaired ability to resolve disseminated bacterial infections subsequent to the initial pulmonary infection. These data indicate that γδ-T cells comprise a critical component of the acute inflammatory response toward extracellular Gram-negative bacterial infections and are vital for the early production of the proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α.
Study on Major Causes of Organs Condemnation and Financial Loss in Cattle Slaughtered at Hayik Municipal Abattoir

A crosssectional study was conducted from October, 2016 to April, 2017 to identify and determine the major diseases and pathological conditions of organ condemnation and to estimate the magnitude of the direct financial losses attributed to the condemned organs from cattle slaughtered in the Hayik municipal abattoir. From a total of 384 animals, 61(15.88%) of animals antemortem inspection showed some clinical sign that were assumed as minor and attention was paid at postmortem examination of these animals. During post postmortem examination from 384 slaughtered animal liver 72 (18.75%) followed by lung 25 (6.5%), heart 17(4.4%), kidneys 18(4.68%) and tongue 18(4.68%) were rejected due to various causes. The main causes of organ condemnation were fasciolosis 24(33.33%) followed by calcification, abscess and hydrated cyst 12(16.67%), 12(16.67%) and 9(12.5%) respectively. An attempt also made to estimate the direct financial losses due to condemnation of edible organs during meat inspection. Consequently, annual direct financial loss from organ condemnation was estimated to be 3,736,231.25 Ethiopian Birr. The study identified the parasitic disease as major causes of organ condemnation. Therefore, creation of awareness on animal attendants and/or cattle owners and abattoir workers about the effect of parasites and safe disposal of condemned organs must be made and recommended as the findings showed that the rate of organ condemnation at the abattoir is very high which signifies the need for rapid disease control programs to be implemented.
A simple-novel indirect algorithm for tracking maximum power under rapid or slow irradiation and temperature changes

A novel indirect method for maximum power point tracking is proposed in this study. The proposed method, utilizing the linear relationship between the solar irradiation and the maximum power point current, directly provides the maximum power point current and hence the maximum power points trajectory. Therefore it does not require utilization of any search algorithm. Also it has been investigated that the maximum power point current is almost independent of the solar module temperature. Due to this interesting behavior, the proposed method has also superior response for the solar modules working under large temperature ranges. Therefore it has significant advantage over the conventional indirect methods using short circuit current or open circuit voltage. The proposed method is implemented on a boost type converter in MATLAB simulation environment and showed better results in terms of stability and power harvested from the solar module. The method is suitable for the solar systems such as used with micro-inverters.
Self-Supply as a Complementary Water Services Delivery Model in Ethiopia

Self-supply, where households invest to develop their own easily-accessible water supplies, is identified as an alternative service delivery model that is potentially complementary to more highly subsidised community-level provision. The approach is widespread in Ethiopia with family wells bringing additional benefits that are in line with wider government objectives, such as supporting small-scale irrigation. However, two recent studies show the current performance of traditional or family wells to be far below potential with most sources providing unsafe water in the absence of adequate protection. Wider formal recognition of Self-supply in policy and the development of the government-led Self-supply Acceleration Programme (SSAP) aim to extend access and improve aspects of performance including water quality. However, a key finding of the paper is that successful uptake of this programme requires a transformation in the attitudes of donor agencies and the roles of government regionaland woreda-level staff, amongst others. Necessary shifts in mindsets and revision of planning mechanisms, as well as the day-to-day operational support requirements, represent a challenge for an under-resourced sector. Other household-focused development interventions such as Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and Household Water Treatment and Storage (HWTS) face some similar challenges, so the processes for the development of one approach could help in the scaling up of all.
39 Memory Development in the Forensic Context 1

In February 2010, a male pediatrician was charged with 471 counts of child sexual abuse, including child rape, against 103 children. The charges resulted when, in December 2009, the mother of a 2-year-old called the police. The 2-year-old said that Dr. Bradley hurt her genitals when he had taken her to his toy room. The child had also made this claim a month earlier after an appointment with the same doctor. Her parents doubted the little girl’s allegations, but the 2-year-old kept insisting that the doctor had hurt her. The mother reluctantly called the police. Was the child confusing the medical exam with another time she had been hurt, a sourcemonitoring error (Poole & Lindsay, 2001)? Did the child suffer from a sexual fantasy, as Freud (1896) might claim? Or perhaps the mother had falsely suggested the incidents to the child, as many psychologists might fear (e.g., Ceci & Bruck, 1993; Dale, Loftus, & Rathburn, 1978)? Yet, when the police searched Dr. Bradley’s office and home, they found 13 hours worth of videotapes of the doctor sexually abusing and raping scores of his young patients, often repeatedly, with some of the assaults dating back 11 years. Many of the child victims were preverbal—one was just 3 months old—prompting Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (son of Vice President Joe Biden) to say (with tears in his eyes), “These were crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us—those without voices. ”2
Measurement of Serum Klotho in Systemic Sclerosis

Background The aim of our study was to evaluate the serum concentration of klotho in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients compared to that of healthy controls and to correlate its levels with the degree and the kind of organ involvement. Methods Blood samples obtained from both patients and controls were collected and analysed by an ELISA test for the determination of human soluble klotho. Scleroderma patients were evaluated for disease activity through clinical, laboratory, and instrumental assessment. Results Our cohort consisted of 81 SSc patients (74 females, mean age 63.9 ± 13.1 years) and 136 healthy controls (78 females, mean age 50.5 ± 10.7 years). When matched for age, serum klotho concentration significantly differed between controls and patients (p < 0.001). However, in SSc patients, we did not find any significant association between serum klotho and clinical, laboratory, and instrumental findings. Lower serum levels of klotho were detected in 4 patients who were anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) positive (p = 0.005). Conclusions Our data show a lower concentration of klotho in the serum of SSc patients compared to that of healthy controls, without any significant association with clinical manifestations and laboratory and instrumental findings. The association between serum klotho and ACPA positivity requires further investigation.
Hydraulic Conductivity Prediction for Sandy Soils

The potential for petroleum‐contaminated soils to impact ground water is evaluated using the soil leachability model in South Carolina and Georgia. In this model, the Green and Ampt (1911) equation is used to estimate unsat‐urated flow with saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) values obtained using the Rawls and Brakensiek (1989) equation from inputs of percent sand‐ and clay‐sized particles. However, many soils have > 70% sand‐sized particles, which is the maximum amount for which the Rawls and Brakensiek equation is valid. Therefore, 70 sets of Ks and particle‐size data from the literature for southeastern United States sandy soils were analyzed to develop a new equation for estimating Ks. A multiple linear regression model with an adjusted R2= 0.65 (p < 0.0001) was developed from percent clay‐ and sand‐sized particle data. Eight additional sets of data were used to validate the model. The root mean square deviation and maximum squared difference, (yi‐ŷi2), values for the new model are smaller than those obtained using the Rawls and Brakensiek equation, or Rosetta, a neural network‐based model (Schaap 1999). The new model provides estimates that are within an order of magnitude for all but one of the test data sets. Rosetta predicts Ks within one order of magnitude of measured values for six test data, and predicts Ks within two orders of magnitude for the other two. The Rawls and Brakensiek predictions are within one order of magnitude for four test data, but are two or more orders of magnitude too high for the remaining four points. The new equation is recommended for estimating Ks for sandy southeastern United States soils for which inputs are limited to percent sand and clay.
Managerial Characteristics and Firm Risk

This thesis examines the relation between CEO characteristics and stock volatility for a sample of 227 S&P500 firms during the period of 1996 to 2010. After controlling for firmspecific factors, our results give strong evidence that certain CEO characteristics are significantly related to firm volatility. We find that age, time spent with the company and a CEO’s base salary are negatively associated with volatility. On the other hand, time in role, CEO experience and education are positively associated with volatility. Our results are robust across different volatility measures and model specifications and carry implications for shareholders, corporate control bodies and investors.
The Use of a Classification Approach to Identify Subgroups of Patients With Acute Low Back Pain: Interrater Reliability and Short-Term Treatment Outcomes

Study Design. A prospective, consecutive, cohort study of patients with acute low back pain classified into subgroups based on examination data and treated with a specific treatment approach. Objective. To calculate the interrater reliability of a classification system, and to compare initial patient characteristics and outcomes of physical therapy treatment when a classification approach is used. Summary of Background Data. Classification of patients with low back pain into homogeneous subgroups has been identified as a research priority. Identifying relevant subgroups of patients could improve clinical outcomes and research efficiency. Methods. Consecutive patients referred to physical therapy for treatment of acute low back pain were evaluated and classified into one of four subgroups (immobilization, mobilization, specific exercise, or traction) before treatment. Physical therapy treatment was based on the patient’s classification. The classifications were compared for initial patient characteristics, frequency and duration of physical therapy, and improvement in Oswestry scores. Results. In this study, 120 patients were evaluated and classified. Analysis of interrater reliability showed a kappa value of 0.56. Differences were found among the classifications for age, initial Oswestry score, history of low back pain, symptom distribution, and average change in Oswestry score with treatment. Conclusions. Reaching a consensus regarding relevant patient subgroups requires data on the reliability and validity of existing classification systems. Further work is required to validate improvement in treatment outcomes using a classification approach.
MRS2500 [2-Iodo-N6-methyl-(N)-methanocarba-2′-deoxyadenosine-3′,5′-bisphosphate], a Potent, Selective, and Stable Antagonist of the Platelet P2Y1 Receptor with Strong Antithrombotic Activity in Mice

The platelet P2Y1 ADP receptor is an attractive target for new antiplatelet drugs. However, because of the lack of strong and stable antagonists, only a few studies have suggested that pharmacological inhibition of the P2Y1 receptor could efficiently inhibit experimental thrombosis in vivo. Our aim was to determine whether the newly described potent and selective P2Y1 receptor antagonist MRS2500 [2-iodo-N6-methyl-(N)-methanocarba-2′-deoxyadenosine-3′,5′-bisphosphate] could inhibit platelet function ex vivo and experimental thrombosis in mice in vivo. MRS2500 was injected intravenously into mice, and its effect on ex vivo platelet aggregation and in several models of thrombosis in vivo was determined. MRS2500 displayed high potency and stable and selective P2Y1 receptor inhibition ex vivo. Although MRS2500 injection resulted in only moderate prolongation of the bleeding time, it provided strong protection in systemic thromboembolism induced by infusion of a mixture of collagen and adrenaline. MRS2500 also potently inhibited localized arterial thrombosis in a model of laser-induced vessel wall injury with two degrees of severity. Moreover, combination of MRS2500 with clopidogrel, the irreversible inhibitor of the platelet P2Y12 receptor for ADP, led to increased antithrombotic efficacy compared with each alone. These results add further evidence for a role of the P2Y1 receptor in thrombosis and validate the concept that targeting the P2Y1 receptor could be a relevant alternative or complement to current antiplatelet strategies.
Eoconodon ( “ Triisodontidae , ” Mammalia ) from the Early Paleocene ( Puercan ) of northeastern Montana , USA

The uppermost Hell Creek and Tullock Formations of Garfield and McCone Counties, northeastern Montana, have yielded large samples of earliest Paleocene (Puercan North American Land Mammal ‘Age’) local faunas. These are allocated to either the earliest Puercan (Pu1) interval zone or an undifferentiated Pu2/Pu3 interval zone of middle and/or late Puercan age. Eoconodon (“Triisodontidae”) is absent from Pu1 local faunas of northeastern Montana, but is represented by two species (E. nidhoggi and E. hutchisoni, new species) in Pu2/Pu3 interval zone local faunas. Morphology of their cheek teeth, presence of Hunter-Schreger bands in their enamel, and relatively large mandibular horizontal ramus and symphysis (known only for E. hutchisoni, new species) are similar to those of mesonychians. These derived characters suggest that the species of Eoconodon included early eutherian experiments in evolution of large body size and a predatory mode of life. Species of Eoconodon or a closely related sister group are not known from latest Cretaceous local faunas of the Western Interior. The oldest records of the genus are limited to the Pu1 Mantua Lentil local fauna in the Big Horn Basin and UW locality 91015 in the Ferris Formation, Wyoming. They provide support for the hypothesis that Eoconodon was an immigrant entering the Western Interior during the Pu1 interval zone. Samples of Pu2 and Pu3 local faunas document differentiation of the genus into three species known primarily from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, and two other species currently known in local faunas of Montana and other northern localities. University of California Museum of Paleontology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. bclemens@berkeley.edu
Digital versus Plaster Study Models: How Accurate and Reproducible are They?

Objective To compare measurements of occlusal relationships and arch dimensions taken from digital study models with those taken from plaster models. Design Laboratory study Setting: The Orthodontic Department, Kettering General Hospital, Kettering, UK Methods and materials One hundred and twelve sets of study models with a range of malocclusions and various degrees of crowding were selected. Occlusal features were measured manually with digital callipers on the plaster models. The same measurements were performed on digital images of the study models. Each method was carried out twice in order to check for intra-operator variability. The repeatability and reproducibility of the methods was assessed. Results Statistically significant differences between the two methods were found. In 8 of the 16 occlusal features measured, the plaster measurements were more repeatable. However, those differences were not of sufficient magnitude to have clinical relevance. In addition there were statistically significant systematic differences for 12 of the 16 occlusal features, with the plaster measurements being greater for 11 of these, indicating the digital model scans were not a true 1∶1 representation of the plaster models. Conclusions The repeatability of digital models compared with plaster models is satisfactory for clinical applications, although this study demonstrated some systematic differences. Digital study models can therefore be considered for use as an adjunct to clinical assessment of the occlusion, but as yet may not supersede current methods for scientific purposes.