Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD36 in Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease: Correlation with Angiogenesis and Inflammation

CD36 in Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease: Correlation with Angiogenesis and Inflammation Enas A. El-Hussieny1, Amira M. Gamal Eldeen2,3*, Roba M. Talaat4, Ahmed F. Tamara5, Mohamed S. Salama6 and Nadia M. El-Beih1 1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 2Department of Cancer Biology Laboratory, Center of Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Center (NRC), Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt 3Department of Biochemistry, National Research Center, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt 4Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), University of Sadat City, Egypt 5Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 6Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt SOJ Immunology Open Access Research Article
Physical activity and renal cell cancer risk in a cohort of male smokers

Few studies have examined exercise in relation to risk of renal cell cancer. We examined the association between leisure‐time and occupational physical activity and renal cell cancer in a cohort of 29,133 male smokers 50–69 years of age in the Alpha‐Tocopherol, Beta‐Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study. Physical activity was assessed at baseline using a self‐administered questionnaire that inquired about usual level of physical activity during leisure‐time and at work during the past year. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to adjust simultaneously for known or suspected risk factors for renal cell cancer. During 12 years (354,407 person‐years) of follow‐up, 210 incident cases of renal cell cancer were identified. In age‐adjusted analysis, the RRs of renal cell cancer in increasing categories of leisure‐time physical activity (light, moderate and heavy) were 1.0, 0.89 (95% CI = 0.67–1.17) and 0.38 (95% CI = 0.15–0.94), respectively (p‐value for trend = 0.06). After adjustment for body mass index, energy intake, smoking, hypertension, education and fruit and vegetable intake, the multivariate RRs of renal cell cancer in increasing categories of leisure‐time physical activity (light, moderate and heavy), were 1.0, 0.89 (95% CI = 0.66–1.19), and 0.46 (95% CI = 0.18–1.13) (p‐value for trend = 0.12). Occupational physical activity was unrelated to renal cell cancer risk. These data suggest that recreational physical activity may play a role in the prevention of renal cell cancer in men. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Option-Implied Correlations, Factor Models, and Market Risk

Implied correlation and variance risk premium stand out in predicting market returns. However, while the predictive ability of implied correlation lasts for up to a year, the variance risk premium predicts market returns only for one quarter ahead. Contrary to the accepted view, implied correlation predicts the market return not through a diversification risk (average correlation) channel, but by predicting a concentration of market exposure, which defines the level of non-diversifiable market risk, or systematic diversification. Economy-wide implied correlation built exclusively from option prices of nine sector ETFs and the S&P500 efficiently predicts future market returns and systematic diversification risk in the form of market betas dispersion. Newly developed implied correlations for economic sectors provide industry-related information and are used to extract option-implied risk factors from sector-based covariances.
Segment 4 and the left lateral segment regeneration pattern after resection of the middle hepatic vein in a living donor right hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND Inclusion of the middle hepatic vein (MHV) with a right hepatectomy (RH) in live donor liver transplantation improves venous drainage of the anterior sector of the graft. Its long-term effects on donor left liver (LL) regeneration are not well described. METHODS Donors who underwent RH with MHV (MHV+, n = 12) were compared with donors who underwent RH with preservation of the MHV (MHV-, n = 24). Peri-operative complications and volume of the entire liver and individual segments were evaluated at 1 year post-donation. RESULTS There was a trend towards a higher complication rate in the MHV+ group (41% versus 25%), without reaching statistical significance (P = 0.3). Males, high body mass index (BMI) and a smaller residual liver volume (RLV) were predictors for greater LL regeneration. MHV+ donors had impaired regeneration of segment 4 (S4) at 1 year, and compensatory greater left lateral segment regeneration. The absence of venous drainage of S4 (V4) to left hepatic vein (LHV) was a predictor of impaired S4 regeneration. CONCLUSIONS Regeneration of S4 is impaired in MHV+ donors. Caution should be taken when considering MHV removal on donors with dominant S4, especially on those with potential increased demand for liver regeneration, such as males, higher BMI and a smaller RLV.
Accents, focus distribution, and the perceived distribution of given and new information: An experiment.

This article reports on an experiment examining some perceptual consequences of correspondences between accent patterns, the distribution of plus and minus focus, and the distribution of new and given information in Dutch spoken sentences. "Accent patterns" refer here to the distribution of intonational accents over spoken sentences. Each accent marks a sentence constituent as plus focus, i.e., as highlighted by the speaker. Constituents not so marked are called minus focus. The main questions examined here are to what extent are plus focus constituents generally perceived as conveying new information, and minus focus constituents as conveying earlier introduced or given information. The linguistic material for the experiment was formed by brief radio news items, each two sentences long. Leading sentences determined the distribution of new and given information in target sentences. The accent patterns and, hence, the possible focus distributions in the target utterances were varied systematically by manipulating their synthetic pitch contours according to the rules for Dutch intonation. Subjects were asked to rate on a scale from 1-10 the acceptability of each possible combination of a leading with a target utterance. Results showed that the most preferred or acceptable distributions of new and given information closely match the distributions of plus and minus focus. It was also found that new information can hardly ever acceptably be associated with minus focus, but given information can rather often, although not always, acceptably be associated with plus focus. This appears to be limited to certain conditions, defined by a combination of syntactic and focus structure of the sentence. In these conditions, plus focus cannot be perceived only as signaling new information, but also as highlighting thematic relations with the context. These results are related to work on text-to-speech systems.
Comparative Study of Human Dental Follicle Cell Sheets and Periodontal Ligament Cell Sheets for Periodontal Tissue Regeneration

Periodontal ligament cell (PDLC) sheets have been shown to contribute to periodontal tissue regeneration. Dental follicle cells (DFCs), acknowledged as the precursor cells of PDLCs, have demonstrated stemness, embryonic features, heterogeneity, and pluripotency. Therefore, we hypothesized that DFC sheets might be more effective and suitable for periodontal tissue regeneration than PDLC sheets. In this study, we compared the biological characteristics of DFC sheets and PDLC sheets in vitro. To investigate the potential for periodontal tissue regeneration in vivo, complexes composed of two types of cell sheets combined with dentin matrix were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice for 6 weeks. Our results showed that, when forming cell sheets, DFCs secreted richer extracellular matrix than PDLCs. And compared to DFCs, DFC sheets expressed high levels of calcification-related genes, including alkaline phosphatase (alp), bone sialoprotein (bsp), osteopontin (opn), runt-related transcription factor (runx2), as well as the periodontal ligament-specific genes collagen III (col III) and periostin, while the gene expression of bsp, osteocalcin (ocn), and opn were greatly increased in PDLC sheets, when compared to PDLCs. col I expression did not change significantly. However, cementum protein 23 (cp-23) expression increased several fold in PDLC sheets compared to PDLCs but decreased in DFC sheets compared to DFCs. DFC and PDLC sheets were both positive for Collagen I (Col I), cementum attachment protein (CAP), ALP, BSP, OCN, and OPN protein expression, and Col I, ALP, BSP, and OPN expression were increased after cell sheets were formed. Furthermore, the levels of laminin and fibronectin were higher in DFCs and DFC sheets than that of PDLCs and PDLC sheets, respectively. In vivo, DFC and PDLC sheets could both regenerate periodontal tissue-like structures, but DFC sheets demonstrated stronger periodontal regeneration potential than PDLC sheets. Therefore, DFC sheets derived from discarded dental follicle tissue after tooth extraction may be more advantageous for clinical periodontal tissue regeneration in the future.
An Assessment of Health Status of Street Children in Tangail, Bangladesh

The study was conducted in a regional city Tangail, which is located in the central part of Bangladesh and well connected with the capital city Dhaka. There were 10% gamines and 90% street boys selected for the study from the twelve different upazilas in Tangail applying the simple random sampling method. Results divulged to contribute 66.67% underweight and 33.33% normal weight street children. According to the study, 34.97% children were different works doers and also about 65% were absolute work abstainers. The mainstream (85.5%) children were the three times and another 14.5% were two times daily meal eaters. Most children (85.3%) washed their hand before taking meal, 57.5% taken bath daily and 59.8% of them were diseases sufferers in the last 3 months prior to conducting study.
Effects of Amoxicillin, Gentamicin, and Moxifloxacin on the Hemolytic Activity of Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro and In Vivo

ABSTRACT In Staphylococcus aureus infection hemolysis caused by the extracellular protein α-toxin encoded by hla is thought to contribute significantly to its multifactorial virulence. In vitro, subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactam antibiotics and fluoroquinolones increase the levels of hla and α-toxin expression, whereas aminoglycosides decrease the levels ofhla and α-toxin expression. In the present study we investigated the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin, gentamicin, and moxifloxacin on hla and α-toxin expression and total hemolysis of S. aureusstrain 8325-4, a high-level α-toxin producer, and its α-toxin-negative mutant, DU 1090, in vitro and in a rat model of chronic S. aureus infection. The levels of expression ofhla and α-toxin and total hemolysis did not differ significantly when amoxicillin, gentamicin, or moxifloxacin was added to cultures of S. aureus strain 8325-4. In vivo, strain 8325-4 induced a significantly increased level of hemolysis in infected pouches compared to that in uninfected control pouches, but the hemolysis was reduced to control levels by treatment with doses of amoxicillin, gentamicin, or moxifloxacin that reduced bacterial numbers by 2 orders of magnitude. Additionally, the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of the three antibiotics on total hemolysis of four methicillin-resistant S. aureus and three methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) clinical isolates were assessed in vitro. A significant increase in total hemolysis was observed for only one MSSA strain when it was treated with amoxicillin but not when it was treated with moxifloxacin or gentamicin. When purified α-toxin was incubated with purified human neutrophil elastase, α-toxin was cleaved nearly completely. The results suggest that the penicillin-induced increases in S. aureusα-toxin expression are strain dependent, that reduction of bacterial numbers in vivo counteracts this phenomenon effectively, and finally, that in localized S. aureus infections α-toxin activity is controlled by neutrophil elastase.
Geometric Constraint-Based Range-Free Localization Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

Localization is one of the most challenging issues in wireless sensor networks. It is broadly classified into range-based and range-free. The range-based schemes are generally expensive, and require additional range determining hardware. Besides, the range free schemes are simple, inexpensive, and energy efficient, where the localization is performed using proximity information. In this paper, we have proposed an analytical geometry-based range-free localization scheme, where a mobile beacon is used as a reference node. The proposed scheme uses three non-collinear beacon points to derive the analytical geometry of an arc. For localization, the arc parameters are used to generate the chords on the virtual circle of the sensor node. Later, the perpendicular bisector of the chord and approximated radius are used to localize the sensor node. The accuracy of localization depends on the size of the constraint area, which is used for the approximation of the arc parameters. To provide better localization accuracy, we have used an adaptive mechanism that defines the approximation accuracy of the arc parameters at different sizes of the constraint area. The simulation and experimental validation show that the proposed scheme provides better localization accuracy than the existing range free localization schemes.
Gender differences in memory for object and word locations

It has been hypothesized that gender differences in visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) are larger in tasks requiring active elaboration of the material. In the present study we explored this issue by using an object relocation task, with both verbal and visual stimuli. The involvement of active processes was manipulated through the type of transformation required on the stimulus and through the introduction of different kinds of interference. In the three experiments reported, participants were shown either words or cartoon object icons in different locations and had to relocate them in either the same format or in the opposite one (object icons could be transformed into words and vice versa). Males outperformed females in the most demanding conditions, in which object icons and words were presented together in the encoding phase, and both had to be transformed in the recall phase; or when more demanding interferences were used. Our data suggest that the retention strategy was similar for the two groups and that the gender effect is related to a selective female difficulty associated with the increase in active VSWM processing. These findings further support the hypothesized distinction between the passive and active components of VSWM and illustrate the role that this distinction might play in accounting for individual differences.
Childhood obesity in a population at high risk for type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of obesity and investigate its association with fasting glucose and insulin among children and adolescents in a population at high risk for type 2 diabetes. DESIGN A cross-sectional screening survey involving anthropometry and fasting serum levels of glucose and insulin. SETTING A remote aboriginal (Ojibwa-Cree) community in northern Manitoba, Canada. PARTICIPANTS All children aged 4 to 19 years in the community were invited to participate, with a response rate of 82% (n = 719). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Obesity is defined as body mass index exceeding the 85th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics reference data. The diagnosis of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose is based on the new criteria of the American Diabetes Association. RESULTS There is a high prevalence of obesity, with 64% (female) and 60% (male) exceeding the 85th percentile and 40% (female) and 34% (male) exceeding the 95th percentile. Body mass index is a significant predictor of both glucose and insulin in both sexes, independent of age. Obese children are at increased risk of being classified as having diabetes or impaired fasting glucose (odds ratio 5.1, 95% CI 1.51, 17.0). CONCLUSIONS The early onset of type 2 diabetes in childhood is increasingly observed in many populations. Childhood obesity is a strong risk factor. Early detection and intervention directed at obesity are potential strategies to avert the long-term consequences of type 2 diabetes.
Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (Gammagard) in Bone Marrow Transplant Patients

The pharmacokinetics of an intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), Gammagard (Baxter Healthcare Corp., Glendale, CA), were measured in 31 cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody negative bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients as part of a multicenter efficacy trial of 2 weekly dose regimens. Since all patients lacked antibody to CMV and received only screened CMV negative blood products, the half‐life of the exogenous CMV antibody could be measured with an ELISA assay. The CMV antibody titer was related to the immunoglobulin concentration using a standard curve. Compared with the 22‐day half‐life in normal subjects, the half‐life in BMT patients was approximately 6 days for either the 250 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg dose regimen. The half‐life did not change over the subsequent 3 weekly doses. Peak concentrations were 3.5 ± 1.4 and 2.6 ± 0.7 mg/mL of IVIG in week 1 as well as 5.5 ± 2.6 and 3.4 ± 1.2 mg/mL in week 3 after the 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Total body clearance of IVIG was 0.61 and 0.46 mL/kg/hr for the 500 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg, respectively.
Complications of endoscopic sinus surgery: Analysis of 2108 patients—incidence and prevention

The incidence of complications of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in a combined experience with 2108 total patients is compared to complications in 11 other series of patients (2583 total) who underwent ESS and 6 series of patients (2110 total) who underwent traditional endonasal sinus surgery. The incidence of major perioperative complications was 0.85%, with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak being the most common. The most common minor complications of ESS were those related to orbital penetration and middle turbinate adhesions; minor complications occurred in 6.9% of the 2108 patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the overall incidences of major complications between this series and the other two groups. Recommendations are made for the prevention of complications during ESS.
Upper limb virtual rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury: Initial evaluation of the elements system

Primary objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a tabletop virtual-reality (VR) based upper-limb rehabilitation system (called Elements) for promoting movement skill in patients with TBI. Research design: An ABA case study design with multiple baselines was employed. Baseline performance in this design is contrasted against the results during the treatment phase. Research methods: Three patients with TBI participated in 12 1-hour sessions of VR-based training. The VR system consisted of a 42-inch tabletop LCD, camera tracking system and tangible user interface. The system requires participants to move an object to cued locations while receiving augmented movement feedback to reinforce speed, trajectory and placement. Upper limb performance was assessed using these three system-measured variables and standardized tests. Trends in the time-sequence plots for each patient were assessed by sight inspection of smoothed data and then by statistical analyses. Results: Participants demonstrated improvements on movement accuracy, efficiency and bimanual dexterity and mixed improvement on speed and other measures of movement skill. Conclusion: Taken together, the findings demonstrate that the Elements system shows promise in facilitating motor learning in these TBI patients. Larger scale trials are now deemed a viable step in further validating the system.
Glutamate receptors at rod bipolar ribbon synapses in the rabbit retina

In the mammalian retina, maximum sensitivity is achieved in the rod pathway, which serves dark‐adapted vision. Rod bipolar cells carry the highly convergent rod input and make ribbon synapses with two postsynaptic elements in the inner retina. One postsynaptic neuron is the AII amacrine cell, which feeds the rod signal into the cone pathways. The other postsynaptic element is either an S1 or S2 amacrine cell. These two wide‐field GABA amacrine cells both make reciprocal synapses with rod bipolar terminals but their individual roles are unknown. AII and S1/S2 dendrites come in close together and form a dyad opposing the presynaptic ribbon, which is the site of glutamate release. Therefore, two postsynaptic neurons sense the very same neurotransmitter yet serve different functions in the rod pathway. This functional diversity could be derived partly from the expression of different glutamate receptors on each postsynaptic element. In this study, we labeled all pre‐ and postsynaptic combinations and a signal‐averaging method was developed to locate glutamate receptor subunits. In summary, GluR2/3 and GluR4 are expressed by AII amacrine cells but not by S1/S2 amacrine cells. In contrast, the orphan subunit δ1/2 is exclusively located on S1 varicosities but not on AII or S2 amacrine cells. These results confirm the prediction of divergence mediated by different glutamate receptors at the rod bipolar dyad. Each different amacrine cell type appears to express specific glutamate receptors. Finally, the differential expression of glutamate receptors by S1 and S2 may partly explain the need for two wide‐field GABA amacrine cells with the same feedback connections to rod bipolar terminals. J. Comp. Neurol. 448:230–248, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decreased Exopolysaccharide Synthesis by Anaerobic and Symbiotic Cells of Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Experiments were conducted to determine whether symbiotic bacteroids of Bradyrhizobium japonicum produce exopolysaccharide within soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv ;Lee 74') nodules. B. japonicum strains RT2, a derivative of USDA 110 with resistance to streptomycin and rifampicin, and RT176-1, a mutant deficient in exopolysaccharide synthesis, were used. Although aerobically cultured RT2 produced 1550 micrograms of exopolysaccharide per 10(10) cells, root nodules formed by RT2 contained only 55.7 micrograms of polysaccharide per 10(10) bacteroids, indicating that little exopolysaccharide synthesis occurred within the nodules. The polysaccharide level of RT2 nodules was about equal to that of nodules containing the exopolysaccharide mutant RT176-1 (61.0 micrograms per 10(10) bacteroids). Gas chromatographic analysis showed that the sugar composition of polysaccharide from nodules of RT2 or RT176-1 was almost the same as that of polysaccharide from unnodulated root tissue, but differed strikingly from that of rhizobial exopolysaccharide from aerobic cultures. Thus, the host plant and not the bacteroids was probably the source of most or all of the polysaccharide in the nodule extracts. Also, bacteroids from nodules failed to bind soybean lectin, confirming the absence of an exopolysaccharide capsule.To test the hypothesis that this reduced synthesis of exopolysaccharide by bacteroids is related to the low free O(2) concentration within nodules, strain RT2 was grown on l-arabinose/succinate/glutamate/nitrate medium both aerobically and anaerobically. Anaerobiosis caused a 92% reduction in total exopolysaccharide synthesis, with amounts averaging only 123 micrograms per 10(10) cells. Anaerobically cultured cells also failed to bind soybean lectin. These results suggest that the low free O(2) content of the nodules may be responsible for the reduced exopolysaccharide synthesis by the bacteroids.