Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decreased Frequencies of Peripheral Blood CD4+CD25+CD127–Foxp3+ in Patients with Graves’ Disease and Graves’ Orbitopathy: Enhancing Effect of Insulin Growth Factor-1 on Treg Cells

Abstract Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) is characterized by orbital T cell infiltration. We evaluated the regulatory T (Treg) cell fractions induced with IGF-1 in Graves’ disease (GD) with and without GO. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 13 patients with GD without eye manifestations; 10 patients with active GO; and 12 patients with nodular goiter (NG). All the patients from GD, GO, and NG were subclinical hyperthyroid. We analyzed the expression of Treg cell markers (CD4, CD25, CD127–, Foxp3) on T cells and their ability to respond to IGF-1 stimulation. In patients with GD without GO, we found lowered percentages of CD4+ Foxp3+ cells, as compared to nodular goiter 1.77 vs. 5.42% (p=0.0276). Similarly, significantly reduced frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127–Foxp3+ and CD4+CD25+CD127– cells were observed in GD patients as compared to nodular goiter patients with hyperthyreosis, (0.7 vs. 1.48%) (p=0.0071) and (14.5 vs. 37.2%) (p=0.0051), respectively. In GO with active GO, only the percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127– cells was found to be decreased versus nodular goiter (9.35 vs. 37.2) (p=0.0275). Stimulation of PBMC derived from GO patients with IGF-1 resulted in significant increase of frequency of both CD4+ Foxp3+ and CD4+CD25+CD127– Foxp3 cells. Decreased frequencies of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+CD127–Foxp3+ in patients with GD and GO could be an useful marker of autoimmune process and perhaps a possible target for future therapies. This is the first study demonstrating Treg-enhancing effects of IGF-1. Thus IGF-1 can be accounted for modulating Treg cell-related action in GO.
The role of technological advances in sodium prescription and adequacy assessment during hemodialysis

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RACIAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS.

An epidemiologic study of systemic lupus erythematosus in a defined area of New York revealed significant racial differences in susceptibility. Morbidity and mortality rates were highest among Negroes residing in the area studied, followed in descending order by the rates for Puerto Ricans and then other whites. Confirmatory data were obtained on a city-wide basis from reported deaths and on a national level from discharged patients of Veterans Administration hospitals. The racial differences observed in New York were independent of poor housing, overcrowding, and migration. They were associated with racial differences in γ-globulin levels of normal individuals.
Modelling Equilibrium Play as Governed By Analogy and Limited Foresight

This paper proposes a bounded rationality approach to model equilibrium play in games. It is based on the observation that decision makers often do not seem to fully distinguish between different but seemingly similar decisions and tend to treat such similar decisions in a standardised/habitual way. To capture this, each player's information partition is derived from a similarity grouping of decisions based on the local structure of the game - equality of available actions and analogy of locally foreseen subtrees - and possibly refined by additional information about crucial aspects of past play. The equilibrium concept considered is a (trembling-hand) perfect Nash equilibrium (Selten, 1975), in which players are required to choose the same (routine) behaviour for similar decisions. Based on the approach, it is shown how the Chain Store Paradox (Selten, 1978) can be resolved, and how mixed equilibria in the Centipede Game (Rosenthal, 1981) can be rationalised.
The fate of mild-to-moderate proximal aortic dilatation after isolated aortic valve replacement for bicuspid aortic valve stenosis: a magnetic resonance imaging follow-up study†.

OBJECTIVES The treatment of mild-to-moderate aortic dilatation at the time of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is still controversial. We aimed to estimate late progression of aortopathy in patients who underwent isolated AVR for BAV stenosis with concomitant proximal aortic dilatation of ≥40 mm. METHODS The review of our institutional BAV database (n = 510) revealed a subgroup of 96 consecutive BAV patients (57 ± 10 years, 78% male) with BAV stenosis and concomitant ascending aortic dilatation of ≥40 mm [i.e. as defined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/computed tomography (CT)], who underwent isolated AVR from 1995 to 2006. Aortic diameters were quantified by preoperative MRI/CT in all patients (i.e. all cases without MRI/CT were excluded). Moreover, we excluded all cases of simultaneous aortic surgery. MRI/CT follow-up (855 patient-years) was obtained in 83 (87%) patients. Study end-points were progression of proximal aortic diameters (mm/patient-year) and prevalence of aortic events (sudden death, aortic dissection and aortic surgery). RESULTS MRI/CT follow-up (mean 10.3 ± 3.8 years post-AVR) revealed no significant progress of maximal cross-sectional aortic diameters (i.e. 46.4 ± 4.4 mm pre-AVR vs 46.9 ± 4.6 mm post-AVR, P = 0.1). Aortic diameters were identical in 54 (65%) patients. The mean progression rate of maximal cross-sectional aortic diameter was 0.09 mm/patient-year for the whole study cohort, whereas diameter increase of ≥5 mm was revealed in 1 (1%) patient. No aortic dissection occurred. Five (5%) patients underwent redo aortic surgery for aneurysm, whereas 3 of them had aortic diameters identical to pre-AVR. CONCLUSIONS Mild-to-moderate ascending aortic dilatation remains stable in most BAV patients who underwent isolated AVR surgery for aortic valve stenosis at least 10-year post-AVR.
Surface analysis of titanium biological modification with glow discharge.

BACKGROUND Glow discharge plasma (GDP) technology has been used to graft various proteins to the titanium surface, including albumin, type I collagen, but without fibronectin. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze the physical properties of fibronectin-grafted titanium surfaces after GDP treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Grade II titanium discs after cleaning and autoclaving were considered as original specimens, thus divided into four groups. The groups were different upon two treatments (GDP only and fibronectin grafting after GDP) and two storage temperature (4°C and 25°C). The implant surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), roughness measurement, and wettability evaluation. The concentration relationship of fibronectin was by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling. RESULTS SEM images showed that regular planar texture revealed on the surface of GDP-treated group, and irregular-folding protein was found on the fibronectin-grafted discs. Fibronectin-grafted groups had higher hydrophilicity and greater surface roughness than GDP-treated specimens. The storage temperature did not make obvious difference on the surface topography, wettability, and roughness. The number of fibronectin dots on the titanium surface labeling by FITC had positive relationship with the concentration of fibronectin solution used. CONCLUSIONS Biologically modified titanium surface is more hydrophilic and rougher than GDP-treated ones. GDP treatment combined with fibronectin grafting increased the surface hydrophilicity and surface roughness of titanium discs, which may attribute to the affinity of cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation.
Linguistically disenfranchised students: Systemic silencing within the academic world and counternarratives of possibilities

Linguistically Disenfranchised Students: Systemic Silencing Within the Academic World and Counternarratives of Possibilities by Mae S. Chaplin San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University: 2013 Bringing issues of social justice and equity into the current discourse regarding public education continues to face many challenges, particularly in Southern California (Callahan, 2005; Olsen, 2010; Valenzuela, Prieto, & Hamilton, 2007). For example, Latino students whose native language is not English are forced to struggle through an education system designed to assimilate them into the English-only meritocracy, often at the expense of their native tongue and heritage (Cross, 2007; Fine, Jaffe-Walter, Pedraza, Futch, & Stoudt, 2008; Valenzuela et al., 2007). Furthermore, the existing focus on standardized testing results, as well as traditional, quantitative research methods to explain such results, leaves little space for counternarratives against the status quo to emerge. Without such counternarratives, systemic change and empowerment for linguistically marginalized students cannot be obtained on the widespread level necessary for social transformation (Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2008; Freire, 2007; Wink, 2005). The scope of this project was to employ nontraditional research methods, including participatory action research and practices grounded in critical pedagogy, for the express purpose of examining how linguistically marginalized students contextualize their identities and educational journeys. By creating spaces for the three focus groups consisting of linguistically disenfranchised students at the middle school, high school, and college levels to dialogue regarding their educational experiences and concepts of individual and group identity, it was possible to gather a rich collection of data. Furthermore, a sense of mutual respect and confianza developed between the researcher and participants and additionally allowed for the emergence of personal stories and insights that simply would not have been possible via a survey or less personal research approach. The findings that emerged during the course of this project indicated a narrow set of educational options currently available to Latino and Latina students whose first language is not English. Specifically, the existing educational pathways available to students from linguistically disenfranchised groups were found to be extremely limiting and thereby pushed students toward assimilation into the status quo of the dominant society. However, the process of critical pedagogy and problem posing used during this project additionally gave rise to counternarratives and spaces for hope.
The self-management of diabetes in older African American women caregivers of persons with dementia

Aaron, Charlene Sue. "The self-management of diabetes in older African American women caregivers of persons with dementia. " PhD ii To my husband, for all you've done iii It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. Leonardo da Vinci iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my professors, family, and especially, my mom. Statement of the Problem Little is known about the impact of dementia caregiving on self-management of chronic conditions even though self-management and caregiving has been studied extensively. Even less is known about the effects of caregiving of persons with dementia on self-management of chronic conditions among African American women. Many older African American women provide care for persons with dementia with little or no support due to their inherent generational practice of taking care of aging family members rather than sending them to a nursing home and their reluctance to share their family member has dementia (Gerdner, Tripp-Reimer, & Simpson, 2007), the dementia caregiving may greatly impede the management of their own chronic illnesses. Diabetes provides a chronic illness model from which to study the health effects of dementia caregiving on self-management in this vulnerable population. According to the ADA (2011), diabetes is a chronic condition that is two to six times more prevalent in African Americans than in Whites. Diabetes is especially problematic for African Americans because they suffer more morbidity and mortality from the condition (Centers for Disease especially detrimental for African American females over age 55 that are at risk for complications from diabetes. One in three women with diabetes will die of heart disease compared to one in nine dying of breast cancer. African Americans are almost 50 percent more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy as non-Hispanic whites. Also, African 2 Americans are 2.6 to 5.6 times more likely to suffer from kidney disease and are 2.7 times more likely to suffer from lower-limb amputations (ADA, 2012). Complications from diabetes can lead to decreased independence and diminished quality of life due to vision impairment, fatigue, infection and kidney failure (Araki & Ito, 2009) which likely leads to decreased functional ability and increased mortality for older African American women with the disease (Shenolikar et al. In addition to experiencing an increased prevalence of, and complications related to, diabetes, African American women age 55 and older are also more …
Water Recreation and Disease: Plausibility of Associated Infections: Acute Effects, Sequelae and Mortality

Worldwide, the popularity of recreational activities which involve contact with water is continuing to grow. Moreover, ease of travel and change in human behaviour has altered the use of water for recreational purposes. Users should be aware that recreational exposures to pathogens may result in disease. Susceptible populations including people with reduced immune function (e.g., resulting from disease (cancer, HIV), genetic susceptibility, age, etc.) or lack of immunity to locally endemic diseases (e.g., tourists) may be at higher risk of contracting illnesses. In most cases the primary disease symptoms associated with recreational water contact are acute, such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Although less frequently reported, more serious and potentially fatal disease is a risk to recreational users of water especially in certain susceptible populations. In addition to diseases which have severe primary outcomes (e.g., primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, typhoid, leptospirosis), a number of infections may lead to sequelae with serious consequences including renal disease (from E. coli O157:H7 for example), cardiac and nutritional disorders. This is the first book to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of potential severe disease outcomes, including acute effects and sequelae, associated with recreational water activities. This book will be useful to all those concerned with recreational water quality, including environmental and public health professionals, local authorities, user groups, and tourists. Water Recreation and Disease sets out to identify the more severe waterborne diseases and their sequelae which may be acquired while undertaking water-based recreation in marine, freshwater, spas/whirlpools and swimming pools. The review systematically brings information together on the ecology and health aspects of a variety of pathogens where cases attributed to recreational use of water have been documented. This is the only available guide to bring together information on the more severe waterborne diseases to assist decision-making in recreational water management. This title belongs to WHO Emerging Issues in Water & Infectious Disease Series. ISBN: 9781780405827 (eBook) ISBN: 9781843390664 (Print)
CMV and transfusions, an old story that's not quite over yet

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), or human herpes virus 5, can cause a serious infection in immunocompromised patients. Primary infection can be vertical or horizontal - the lat- ter includes transfusion-transmitted CMV (TT-CMV). The immune response against CMV involves both innate (eg, natural killer cells) and adaptive (humoral and cell-mediated) immunity. Through elaborate immune evasion mechanisms, CMV manages to stay latent, mainly in myeloid blood cells. T lymphocytes are mainly responsible for maintaining latency and preventing reactivation. In otherwise healthy individuals, the CMV infection is mild or subclinical. In immunocompromised patients (but also others), primary or reactivated CMV infection can cause significant disease. In addition to direct effects, a range of indirect effects - inflammatory, vasculopathic, etc - can be caused. Some of the indirect effects of CMV may be important even in immunocompetent but ill individuals. In immunocompromised patients, prophylaxis - either universal prophylaxis or preemptive treatment using antiviral drugs, such as ganciclovir against CMV - may be appropriate. The treatment of established CMV infection normally employs the same drugs. The role of intravenous immunoglobulin or CMV-specific hyperimmune globulin in prophylaxis and treatment is uncertain. New anti-CMV drugs, T-cell immunotherapy, and a vaccine are all being developed. From a transfusion medicine perspective, it is important to have a certain background knowledge of CMV, including: an understanding of its epidemiology; the immune response to it; and its clinical features. More specific areas of interest are blood donor selection using methodologies such as routine serology and, possibly, nucleic acid testing, to identify those who pose significant risks of TT-CMV. What are the ways of preventing TT-CMV even from potentially infective donors? The answer may, potentially,
Können Anti-VEGF-Injektionen Glaukom oder okuläre Hypertension verursachen?

Zusammenfassung Zur Behandlung neovaskulärer Makulaerkrankungen werden intravitreale antivaskuläre endotheliale Wachstumsfaktor-(Anti-VEGF-)Injektionen bei einer zunehmenden Anzahl an Patienten mit häufiger Frequenz angewandt. Da durch die Einspritzung der Substanzen das Volumen des Glaskörpers kurzzeitig erhöht wird, sind kurzdauernde Intraokulardruckerhöhungen nach Eingabe der Substanz bekannt. Es häufen sich jedoch nun auch Berichte, dass es zu einer langdauernden Intraokulardruckerhöhung nach multiplen Injektionen kommen kann. Dies kann auch bei Patienten der Fall sein, bei denen bisher kein Glaukom bekannt war. Zum Teil sind diese Druckerhöhungen mit lokalen drucksenkenden Medikamenten nicht ausreichend behandelbar und erfordern ein operatives Vorgehen, um einen Glaukomschaden zu vermeiden. Dies scheint häufiger bei ausgeeinzelten Produkten oder nach der Gabe von Bevacizumab der Fall zu sein. Der Mechanismus, der zu Entzündungen und/oder anhaltenden Druckerhöhungen führt, ist unbekannt. Möglicherweise führen Moleküle mit hohem Molekulargewicht, die sich in der Spritze befinden, wie Monomer-Antikörper, aggregierte Proteine oder Silikonöltröpfchen aus der Spritze zu einer Entzündung im Trabekelmaschenwerk oder einer Verlegung desselben und zur anschließenden Erhöhung des Augeninnendrucks. Eine Vermeidung von Silikonöltröpfchen in den Spritzen wäre wünschenswert. Intraokulardruckkontrollen nach IVOM sind auch im Verlauf nötig.
Development, In Vitro Characterization, Antitumor and Aerosol Performance Evaluation of Respirable Prepared by Self-nanoemulsification Method

Abstract Poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability limit the clinical application of Erlotinib as an anticancer. For this purpose, we encapsulated erlotinib in the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and designed a spray-dried dry powder inhalable (DPI) formulation. Erlotinib-loaded SLNs were prepared using self-nanoemulsifying and characterized for physicochemical properties. Pulmonary deposition of spray-dried DPI formulation was performed using Next Generation Impactor. The particle size and zeta potential of Erlotinib-loaded SLNs were 300 to 800 nm and −18 to −32 mV, respectively. High drug entrapment efficiency in the narrow range of 80–85% was achieved. Cytotoxicity results indicated that cell growth inhibition of free drug and drug loaded nanoparticles is dose- and time-dependent. Inhalable dry powders prepared from drug-loaded SLNs were found to have a fine particle fraction in the range of 6.92±0.99 –11.24±2.4%, mean mass aerodynamic diameter in the range of 4.52±0.1 to 6.67±0.5 µm. The findings revealed that the proposed inhalable dry powder formulation loaded with erlotinib SLN has potential in lung cancer therapy through pulmonary route.
Comparação entre valores de força muscular respiratória medidos e previstos por diferentes equações

Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar os valores das pressoes inspiratoria e expiratoria maximas (PImax e PEmax) estimados por meio de diferentes equacoes preditivas com aqueles obtidos diretamente por manovacuometria. Foram avaliados 495 adultos sedentarios saudaveis de ambos os sexos, moradores de Sao Carlos (SP) e regiao. As pressoes respiratorias foram mensuradas com o individuo em posicao ortostatica, utilizando-se um manovacuometro analogico com bocal circular e uso de clipe nasal. Os valores obtidos foram agrupados segunda a idade dos sujeitos, em faixas com intervalo de dez anos. Em cada faixa etaria, os valores foram comparados com os previstos pelas equacoes elaboradas por Harik-Khan et al. (1998), Neder et al. (1999) e Black & Hyatt (1969), usando-se o teste de Friedman Anova e post-hoc de Dunn (p<0,05). Observou-se, de modo geral, que os valores previstos pelas equacoes superestimam aqueles obtidos de forma direta, com excecao das equacoes de Harik-Khan et al. para a PImax no sexo masculino, e a de Neder et al. para a PEmax em ambos os sexos. Conclui-se que as equacoes mais adequadas para a populacao deste estudo sao as de Harik-Khan et al. para PImax e Neder et al. para PEmax.
Prognostic value of the stress response following stroke.

The systemic metabolic response following intracranial vascular damage was measured in 65 consecutively seen patients (56 with cerebral infarction and nine with subarachnoid hemorrhage). Significantly (P less than .01) greater mortality and eventual disability occurred in patients excreting more than 200 microgram of urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine daily early in their acute illness. These patients also had significantly (P less than .001) elevated plasma cortisol levels; this measurement may prove useful in predicting prognosis after stroke. Cardiac abnormalities resulting from the elevated catecholamine levels may contribute to the excess mortality in those patients with an intense stress response.
Ultimate 100‐m world records through extreme‐value theory

We use extreme‐value theory to estimate the ultimate world records for the 100‐m running, for both men and women. For this aim we collected the fastest personal best times set between January 1991 and June 2008. Estimators of the extreme‐value index are based on a certain number of upper order statistics. To optimize this number of order statistics we minimize the asymptotic mean‐squared error of the moment estimator. Using the thus obtained estimate for the extreme‐value index, the right endpoint of the speed distribution is estimated. The corresponding time can be interpreted as the estimated ultimate world record: the best possible time that could be run in the near future. We find 9.51 seconds for the 100‐m men and 10.33 seconds for the women.