Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The potential of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children

In contrast to earlier pneumococcal vaccines, conjugate vaccines hold promise for reducing pneumococcal morbidity and mortality in infants and young children. The first commercially available conjugate vaccine formulation, which targets seven serotypes, was licensed in the US and other countries in 2000; this vaccine is now part of routine infant immunization in the US. Demand has been high and greater than vaccine supply. Clinical trials indicate that conjugate vaccines are highly efficacious against invasive pneumococcal disease and modestly efficacious against otitis media and pneumonia. In carriage studies conjugate vaccines reduced vaccine-type carriage but led to an increase in carriage of other serotypes. Remaining questions include whether less frequent transmission of vaccine serotypes will mean less disease in unvaccinated children and adults or if nonvaccine serotypes will begin to cause more disease. Monitoring disease burden after widespread use in the US is critical for understanding the effects of the vaccine. In addition making pneumococcal vaccines available for children in developing countries should be a high priority.
Dual regulatory effects of nitric oxide on plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 expression in endothelial cells.

In this report we compared the mechanism by which nitric oxide (NO), generated exogenously and endogenously, affects the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) expression in endothelial cells. For this purpose, we stimulated the endothelial cell line EA.hy 926 with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) in the presence of the exogenously NO-releasing donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, or regulators of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester hydrochloride and substrate L-Arg. Expression of PAI-1 in EA.hy 926 cells was determined by measuring the level of mRNA, using relative quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR, and protein, using ELISA. In addition, we estimated the level of activation of two mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK1/2), in the cells before and after treatment with TNFalpha, in the presence or absence of NO donors and inhibitors. In contrast to exogenously released NO that significantly reduced mostly basal PAI-1 expression, endogenously generated NO by NOS potentiated TNFalpha-induced upregulation of PAI-1 expression. Exogenously and endogenously generated NO causes different effects on activation of the MAPKs ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. Specifically, the SNP-released NO activates only ERK1/2, while endogenously generated NO in a pathway induced by TNFalpha activates both MAPKs. Thus our data indicate that due to different cellular locations and mechanisms of generation, NO may participate in various signalling pathways leading to opposite effects on PAI-1 expression in endothelial cells.
Sertraline relieves hot flashes secondary to medical castration as treatment of advanced prostate cancer

ANDREW J. ROTH* and HOWARD I. SCHER a Department of Psychiatry, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA b Department of Psychiatry, Cornell Uni6ersity Medical College, New York, USA c Genitourinary Oncology Ser6ice, Di6ision of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA d Department of Medicine, Cornell Uni6ersity Medical College, New York, USA
Biomarkers of oxidative-stress and inflammation in exhaled breath condensate from hospital cleaners

Abstract Objective: We studied the impact of chlorinated agents exposure on exhaled breath condensate (EBC) biomarkers in cleaners. Methods: Malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), nitrites (), nitrates (), pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ammonium () were tested in EBC of 40 cleaners and 40 non-exposed controls. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and soluble type II receptor of IL-1 (sIL-1RII) were analyzed also in plasma. Results: Levels of MDA-EBC, 4-HNE-EBC and -EBC were higher, while pH-EBC values were lower, in cleaners. MDA-EBC was associated with 4-HNE-EBC, -EBC and pH. 4-HNE-EBC correlated with PTX3. Conclusion: Professional exposure to chlorinated agents increases EBC biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation.
The organization of projections of the retinorecipient and nonretinorecipient nuclei of the pretectal complex and layers of the superior colliculus to the lateral pulvinar and medial pulvinar in the macaque monkey

The organization of five projections from the retinorecipient and non‐retinorecipient layers of the superior colliculus (SC) and nuclei of the pre‐tectum to the lateral pulvinar, medial pulvinar, and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLG) of the thalamus in the macaque monkey were established by using both anterograde autoradiographic and retrograde horseradish perox‐idase tracing techniques. Some projections from these midbrain regions to the inferior pulvinar are also described as are projections to the thalamus from the tectorccipient parabigeminal nucleus. First, the retinorecipient and nonretinorecipient pretectal nuclei and SC layers were determined by Nissl stains, myelin stains, and the distribution of label resulting from intraocular injections of tritiated amino acids. The possible projections of these pre‐tectal nuclei, layers of the SC (as well as the parabigeminal nucleus), to the pulvinar and DLG were then determined by both horseradish peroxidase and autoradiographic tracing methods. The retinal projections to the SC extend throughout layers II‐l, II‐2, II‐3, and dorsal III with obvious patches in layers II‐l and II‐2 as described before by others. There were a number of pretectal nuclei which also had connections with the retina. In the nomenclature adopted, these include the sublentiform nucleus, the nucleus of the optic tract (not to be confused with the thalamic limitansnucleus), the posterior (orprincipal) pretectalnucleus, and the laminatedolivary nucleus (with a head and tail). The nucleus of the posterior commissure and the nucleus of the pretectal area do not receive retinal projections.
Disparities in Adherence to Screening Guidelines for Diabetic Retinopathy in the United States: A Comprehensive Review and Guide for Future Directions

ABSTRACT Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of new-onset blindness in American adults aged 20–74 years old. The number of diabetics living with diagnosed DR increased by 89%, from 4.06 million to 7.69 million, between 2000 and 2010. Projected numbers from the Vision Health Initiative by the CDC predict that the rate of DR will triple by 2050, from 5.5 million people living with DR to 16 million. Screening guidelines aim to detect cases early because the treatments for DR can reduce severe vision loss by up to 94%. However, adherence to these guidelines is quite low. It is estimated that more than half of patients with diabetes may fail to receive necessary screening. Risk factors for non-screening discussed in this study include low health literacy, lack of access to care, pregnancy, physician adherence to guidelines, unique factors present in different minority populations, gender and age disparities, and living in rural regions. This paper also aims to address potential interventions that may improve adherence rates.
A STUDY OF VACUUM FREEZE-DRYING OF FROZEN WET PAPERS

Vacuum freeze-drying of frozen wet papers was investigated experimentally. A freeze-drying facility was built to study the process by monitoring the various physical parameters (pressure, sample temperature, heater temperature, water content of the sample and cold panel temperature). A simple phenomenological model was developed to explain experimental results. The values of the physical parameters were optimized to make the process cost effective.
HDL cholesterol, very low levels of LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular events.

BACKGROUND High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are a strong inverse predictor of cardiovascular events. However, it is not clear whether this association is maintained at very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. METHODS A post hoc analysis of the recently completed Treating to New Targets (TNT) study assessed the predictive value of HDL cholesterol levels in 9770 patients. The primary outcome measure was the time to a first major cardiovascular event, defined as death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal non-procedure-related myocardial infarction, resuscitation after cardiac arrest, or fatal or nonfatal stroke. The predictive relationship between HDL cholesterol levels at the third month of treatment with statins and the time to the first major cardiovascular event was assessed in univariate and multivariate analyses and was also assessed for specific LDL cholesterol strata, including subjects with LDL cholesterol levels below 70 mg per deciliter (1.8 mmol per liter). RESULTS The HDL cholesterol level in patients receiving statins was predictive of major cardiovascular events across the TNT study cohort, both when HDL cholesterol was considered as a continuous variable and when subjects were stratified according to quintiles of HDL cholesterol level. When the analysis was stratified according to LDL cholesterol level in patients receiving statins, the relationship between HDL cholesterol level and major cardiovascular events was of borderline significance (P=0.05). Even among study subjects with LDL cholesterol levels below 70 mg per deciliter, those in the highest quintile of HDL cholesterol level were at less risk for major cardiovascular events than those in the lowest quintile (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS In this post hoc analysis, HDL cholesterol levels were predictive of major cardiovascular events in patients treated with statins. This relationship was also observed among patients with LDL cholesterol levels below 70 mg per deciliter. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00327691 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
Experiences of participation in everyday occupations among persons aging with a tetraplegia

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to gain understanding of participation in everyday occupations through life stories of persons aging with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: A narrative method was used for data collection and a paradigmatic analysis was used to analyze data. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes that illustrate how the participants acted to participate in everyday occupations, how that changed over time, and some concerns about their future. The first theme illustrates how participants following SCI acted to become agents of their lives and participate in everyday occupations. The second theme illustrates how participants had to prioritize participation in meaningful occupations due to personal and environmental factors. The third theme shows how they had to try new strategies to continue participation in occupations, due to secondary health complications related to aging. Conclusions: This study captures how persons aging with tetraplegia acted to participate in everyday occupations from soon after the injury until several decades later. In addition, their ability to act and participate changed over time. Our findings provide knowledge that can guide clinicians in their work within this complex area of rehabilitation. Besides, it can also guide the work with policy recommendations for healthcare and social service systems. Implications for Rehabilitation Aging with a SCI is a complex daily struggle in order to be able to continue acting and participating in everyday occupations, and thereby this gives implications for a lifelong support. This study provides knowledge that can guide clinicians in their work within this complex area of rehabilitation. Knowledge from this study can guide the work with policy recommendations for healthcare and social service systems.
Lattice Boltzmann Modeling for Melting/Solidification Processes

The phenomena of melting and solidification are associated with many practical applications, such as metal processing, castings, environmental engineering, thermal energy storage system in space station and many more. In these processes, matter is subject to a change of phase and consequently, a boundary separating two different phases evolves and moves within the matter. Mathematical modeling of such 'moving boundary problems' are always a challenging task because of the dynamic evolution of the phase separating boundary, complex boundary conditions as well as varying thermophysical properties. Many macroscopic mathematical modeling strategies for the solidification/melting problems can be found in the contemporary literatures. An excellent review in this regard can be found in Hu & Argyropoulos (1996). Early efforts in melting/solidification modeling initiated with a moving/deforming grid approach (Rubinsky & Cravahlo, 1981; Voller & Cross, 1981; Voller & Cross, 1983; Weaver & Viskanta, 1986; Askar, 1987), in which independent conservation equations for each phase need to be initially formulated, and are to be subsequently coupled with appropriate boundary conditions at the inter-phase interfaces. However, such multiple region solutions require the existence of discrete interfaces between the respective phases. In fact, a major difficulty with regard to their implementation is associated with tracking of the phase interfaces (which are generally unknown functions of space and time). The need for moving numerical grids and/or coordinate mapping procedures complicates the application of this technique further, and generally, simplifying assumptions regarding the geometric regularity of the interfaces are made. Additionally, a serious limitation exists for modeling phase change behavior of multicomponent systems, since, unlike pure substances; such systems do not exhibit a sharp interface between solid and liquid phases, in a macroscopic sense. The phase-change behavior of such systems depends on many factors including the phase-change environment, composition, and thermodynamic descriptions of specific phase transformations. Moreover, solidification occurs over extended temperature ranges and solid formation often occurs as a permeable crystalline-like matrix which coexists with the liquid phase. In such cases, it would be virtually impossible to track a morphologically complex zone in a macroscopic framework, using any moving grid technique. In contrast, in fixed-grid mathematical models of phase change (Comini et al., 1974; Morgan et al., 1978; Roose & Storrer, 1984; Dalhuijsen & Segal, 1986; Pham, 1986; Dhatt et al., 1989; Comini et al., 1990; Voller et al., 1990), transport equations for individual phases are volume-averaged to
Some experiments relating to Bartlett's theory of remembering.

Bartlett's theory that remembering is a ‘reconstructive’ process is based largely upon the ways in which subjects change and distort prose passages when reproducing them from memory. If such changes and distortions are to serve as the foundation for a theory of remembering it is clearly desirable to be quite certain that the persons who make them really are trying to remember, and are not deliberately inventing material to fill in gaps in their memories. Three experiments were carried out in an attempt to shed light on this question. In the first experiment it was ascertained that strict instructions to avoid errors markedly lessened the number of errors which subjects make in reproducing prose passages. In the second it was found that subjects are fairly adept at picking out their own errors. In the third it was shown that conscientious subjects make notably fewer errors than less conscientious ones. It is concluded that for various reasons subjects in Bartlett-type experiments often do more or less consciously invent material to bridge gaps in their memories, and that Bartlett's claims that the occurrence and nature of such changes and distortions shed light on the mechanisms of remembering must be regarded with caution.
A segregated model for plasmid content and product synthesis in unstable binary fission recombinant organisms

Plasmid propagation in populations of unstable, binary fission recombinant organisms has been studied using a segregated, population balance mathematical model. Segregated models have the advantage of direct incorporation of basic information on mechanisms and kinetics of plasmid replication and segregation at the single‐cell level. The distribution of cellular plasmid content and specific rates of plasmid gene expression have been obtained for several single‐cell models of plasmid replication, partition, and gene expression. Plasmid replication kinetics during cell growth significantly influence the plasmid content distribution. In the case of transient growth of plasmid‐containing and plasmid‐free cells in partially selective medium, the degree of selection required for stable maintenance of plasmid‐containing cells has been determined. Guidelines are presented for applicability of simpler, nonsegregated models and for evaluation of the parameters in these models based on single‐cell mechanisms and associated parameters.
Test-retest reliability of the soleus H-reflex in three different positions.

PURPOSE H-reflex has been clinically useful in the diagnosis of radiculopathies, developmental disorders, and measurement of motoneuron excitability. However, variability of the H-reflex precluded its routine application. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the test-retest and within-subject reliability of the soleus H-reflex tested in three different positions. SUBJECTS Seven men and eight women healthy volunteered (20-50 y) with no history of significant low back pain or radiculopathy consented to the study. METHODS The soleus H-reflexes for both lower extremities were elicited and recorded using Cadwell 5200-A EMG unit and surface recording. The tibial nerve was electrically stimulated at the popliteal fossa using 0-5 ms., 0.2 pps pulses at intensity equivalent to H-max. Each subject was tested randomly in three different positions: pronelying, free standing, and standing while lifting 20% of his/her body weight. Signal were amplified (1-5 K) using surface electrodes applied on the soleus muscle at midline and 3 cm below the gastrocnemius musculotendinous junction. The peak-to-peak amplitude and onset latencies of four separate traces were averaged for each trial. Subjects were re-tested within 10 days by the same tester following the same protocol. RESULTS Test-retest reliability of the H-reflex amplitude ranged from r = . 29 in prone position to r = . 56 in the loading position. Within day reliability of the H-amplitude was high between the three different positions and ranged from r = . 56 to r = . 97. The test-retest reliability of the H-latency were extremely high and robust, with the coefficients ranged from r = . 92 to r = . 94. Also the within day reliability of the H-latency ranged from r = . 96 to r = . 99. CONCLUSIONS Results indicated that, when the H-amplitude is the measure of choice, testing the H-reflex in standing and loading positions is more reliable than testing in pronelying. Also testing the subject during various procedures in the same session is more reliable than testing subject in different days/sessions. The H-latency is highly reliable in all three testing positions.
California Psychological Inventory: Profile of a Sample of First-Year Law Students

94 first-year male law students completed Gough's California Psychological Inventory. Although the 18 scales did not correlate significantly with first-year law grade point average, the group profile of the law students was striking. Class I measures described them as a group which is aggressive, persuasive, socially ascendant, self-seeking, and outspoken. Class II measures described them as awkward, moody, dogmatic, impulsive, defensive, insecure, and nervous. There is a great variance between their public and private personalities.
Localized Muscle Fatigue and Dynamic Balance

This investigation was designed for the purpose of ascertaining if one muscle group (dorsi flexors, abdominals, plantar flexors, or knee and hip flexors and extensors) could be identified which most significantly affects dynamic balance. The dependent variable was the dynabalometer. Subjects were 100 male volunteers, between the ages of 19 and 25 yr. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control or 1 of 4 treatment groups. Testing was counterbalanced over time and day. Controls had a practice period and 3 performance trials; other Ss had a practice period, localized fatigue of a muscle group followed by 3 performance trials. Analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between treatment groups (F = 312.09, p < .01). Multiple comparisons of treatment means showed that only one muscle group, the knee and hip flexors and extensors, differed significantly from all other groups (q = 4.75, p < .01). Results indicate strongly that the knee and hip flexors and extensors can be considered a most important muscle group for performance by ordinary male college students on the dynabalometer.
Serum free thyroxine concentration is associated with metabolic syndrome in euthyroid subjects.

CONTEXT The association between thyroid hormones within the euthyroid range and metabolic syndrome is not clear. AIM This study evaluated the relationship between thyroid hormones and metabolic syndrome and its components in euthyroid subjects. DESIGN AND SETTING This is a cross-sectional population based study conducted within the framework of the cohort of the Tehran Thyroid Study. PARTICIPANTS Out of 5786 subjects aged ≥ 20 years, 3755 euthyroid subjects without a history of thyroid disorders, diabetes, or use of steroids or lipid-lowering agents were investigated. OUTCOME MEASURES Body weight, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Serum concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, free T4 (FT4), and thyrotropin (TSH) were assayed. Metabolic syndrome was determined by definition of the Joint Interim Statement adjusted for the Iranian population. RESULTS After adjustment for age, sex, and smoking, serum FT4 was significantly associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), WC, systolic BP, and diastolic BP; the associations that remained significant after further adjustment for body mass index (BMI) and the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) except for HDL-C. Serum TSH was associated only with TGs after adjustments for age, sex, smoking, and BMI, an association that disappeared after further adjustment for HOMA-IR. Serum FT4 was negatively associated (β=-0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI: -0.03, -0.01]) and TSH was positively associated (β = 0.03 [CI: 0.01, 0.04) with insulin resistance. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased from 30.1% in the lowest FT4 tertile to 22.4% in the highest FT4 tertile (p<0.001). The prevalence of other metabolic syndrome components decreased significantly from higher to lower FT4 tertiles. Higher FT4 values were associated with lower odds of metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.96 [95% CI: 0.92, 0.99]; p=0.01). CONCLUSION In euthyroid subjects, FT4, rather than TSH, is associated with risk of metabolic syndrome and its components.