Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Looking beyond PPHN: The Unmet Challenge of Chronic Progressive Pulmonary Hypertension in the Newborn

Infants with forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) that persist or develop beyond the first week of life are an understudied group of patients with up to 40%–60% mortality. The clinical management of the progressive PH that develops in these infants is challenging because of the nonspecific signs and symptoms of clinical presentation, the limited diagnostic sensitivity of standard echocardiographic techniques, and the lack of proven therapies. The signaling mechanisms that underlie the structural and functional abnormalities in the pulmonary circulation of these infants are not yet clear. The ability to improve outcomes for these patients awaits technological advances to improve diagnostic capabilities and therapeutic discoveries made in basic science laboratories that can be tested in randomized clinical trials.
An Assessment of Public Perception of Police Response to Crime and Criminality in Anambra State of Nigeria

Security of life and property in Nigeria is seriously deteriorating. The members of the public live in fear and have become increasingly uncertain about their safety and security. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in armed robbery, kidnapping, armed militancy, among others, with the police always ‘talking tough’ but doing little or nothing. This paper focused on the perception of the public on police response to crime cases in Anambra state of Nigeria. Cross sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select four communities in the state. Purposive sampling technique was also used to select 624 respondents aged 18 years and above while structured questionnaire became the instrument for data collection. Descriptive statistics was employed for data analysis. Findings from the study show that educational attainment of respondents affected their rating of police effort in crime control (p=0.018); place of residence (urban/rural) affected people’s perception on the promptness of the police to emergency cases (p=0.000). Further, sex of respondents was found not to be statistically significant with their perception on police-public partnership in crime control in Anambra state. The study therefore recommends formulation and implementation of policies to restructure and reposition the police force to respond adequately to crime. Keywords: Perception, Public, Crime, Crime control/prevention, Police DOI : 10.7176/DCS/9-3-10 Publication date :March 31 st 2019
The Barrett‐associated variants at GDF7 and TBX5 also increase esophageal adenocarcinoma risk

Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) represent two stages within the esophagitis‐metaplasia‐dysplasia‐adenocarcinoma sequence. Previously genetic risk factors have been identified that confer risk to BE and EAC development. However, to which extent the genetic variants confer risk to different stages of the BE/EAC sequence remains mainly unknown. In this study we analyzed three most recently identified BE variants at the genes GDF7 (rs3072), TBX5 (rs2701108), and ALDH1A2 (rs3784262) separately in BE and EAC samples in order to determine their risk effects during BE/EAC sequence. Our data show that rs3072 at GDF7 and rs2701108 at TBX5 are also associated with EAC and conclude that both loci confer disease risk also at later stages of the BE/EAC sequence. In contrast, rs3784262 at ALDH1A2 was highly significantly associated with BE, but showed no association with EAC. Our data do not provide evidence that the ALDH1A2 locus confers equal risk in early and late stages of BE/EAC sequence.
Acute vancomycin-dependent immune thrombocytopenia as an anamnestic response

Drug-related thrombocytopenia is a well-described but relatively rare complication of antibiotic therapy. In this entity, platelet destruction is immune-mediated, often resulting in a precipitous drop in platelet count over a short period of time. Most of these cases of thrombocytopenia are drug-dependent, as discontinuation of the offending agent frequently results in a timely return to baseline, pre-exposure platelet levels. We report the case of a 61-year-old male patient receiving vancomycin and ceftazidime for lower extremity wet gangrene who experienced a marked, acute reduction in platelet count 12 to 15 hours after starting antibiotic therapy. There was no readily apparent clinical or laboratory explanation for his thrombocytopenia. Pre- and post- antibiotic serum samples were preserved and sent for drug-dependent platelet antibody analysis. The pre-exposure specimen revealed the presence of IgG vancomycin-dependent platelet antibodies, while the post-exposure specimen demonstrated both IgG and IgM vancomycin-dependent platelet antibodies. Ceftazidime-dependent platelet antibodies were not identified in either sample. These findings indicate prior sensitization to vancomycin, with subsequent acute production of IgM anti-platelet antibodies after re-exposure to the antibiotic. The patient's antibiotics were held after the acute-onset of thrombocytopenia with subsequent restoration of normal platelet counts within 4 days of drug withdrawal, and the patient at no time experienced significant adverse bleeding events. Antibiotic therapy with vancomycin is a rare and perhaps overlooked cause for new-onset thrombocytopenia in hospitalized patients. This case illustrates that the development of severe thrombocytopenia within hours of vancomycin administration does not rule out drug-related immune clearance, as the rapid platelet destruction may indicate an anamnestic antibody response to the drug after previous exposure. In such a scenario, immediate discontinuation of vancomycin is recommended to improve platelet counts. From a laboratory perspective, retrieval of serum both pre- and post-administration of vancomycin is most helpful in determining a patient's drug-immunization status and can help guide safe drug use during future infections.
Cell specific effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on 5-aminolevulinic acid based photosensitization

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the dietary components n -6 and n -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may potentiate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in human cancer cell lines by enhancing the lipid peroxidation. The effects of the porphyrin precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and light (320 < λ < 440 nm, 33 W m^−2), with or without docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or arachidonic acid (AA), were tested in the colon carcinoma cell lines SW480 and WiDr, the glioblastoma cell line A-172 and the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A-427. The production of endogenous protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) varied substantially between the cell lines and was ~4-fold higher in WiDr as compared with SW480. Cell killing by 5-ALA-PDT also varied between the cell lines, but without clear correlation with PpIX levels. Treatment with DHA or AA (10 or 70 µM, 48 or 72 h) in combination with 5-ALA-PDT (1 or 2 mM) enhanced the cytotoxic effect in A-172 and A-427 cells, but not in SW480 and WiDr cells. While 5-ALA-PDT alone increased the lipid peroxidation in A-172 and WiDr cells only, 5-ALA-PDT plus PUFAs increased the lipid peroxidation substantially in all four cell lines. Interestingly, a-tocopherol (50 µ M, 48 h) strongly reduced lipid peroxidation after all treatments in all cell lines, while cytotoxicity was only reduced substantially in A-427 cells. This demonstrates that induction of lipid peroxidation is not a general mechanism responsible for the cytotoxicity of 5-ALA-PDT, although it may be important in cell lines with an inherent sensitivity to lipid peroxidation products. Thus, the mechanisms of cell growth inhibition/cell killing by PDT are complex and cell specific.
Tenascin-C expression in the cyst wall and fluid of human brain tumors correlates with angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVE Tenascin-C (TN) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with a characteristic six-armed structure. The aim of this study was to determine whether the concentration of TN in the cyst fluid of brain tumors can be used as a marker for angiogenesis and glioma grade. METHODS We investigated the expression of TN in the cyst wall and cyst fluid of human brain tumors by immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting. The tumors included 12 astrocytomas (5 glioblastoma multiforme tumors, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 1 low-grade astrocytoma, 4 juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, and 1 mixed glioma), 2 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, 3 craniopharyngiomas, 2 ependymomas, 2 metastatic carcinomas, 3 arachnoid cysts, 1 glial ependymal cyst, and 1 inflammatory cyst. RESULTS We detected no expression of TN in the cyst fluids of the ependymomas, craniopharyngiomas, and nonpilocytic low-grade astrocytoma. By contrast, TN was detected in the cyst fluids of all the other tumors. Results of quantitative immunoblotting using a PhosphorImager unit (Molecular Dynamics, Sunnyvale, CA) revealed that, on average, a 5-fold higher signal was observed in the glioblastoma multiforme tumors as compared with the anaplastic astrocytoma, and a 10-fold higher signal as compared with the mixed glioma, juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors. Results of TN immunohistochemistry in the astrocytomas correlated with glioma grade, with stronger staining of the hyperplastic vessels and tumor cells being observed in higher grade gliomas. No TN immunoreactivity was detected in the walls of the ependymomas, arachnoid cysts, and glial ependymal cyst that lack hyperplastic vessels, and minimal TN immunoreactivity was observed in the perivascular gliotic rim of the craniopharyngiomas. No TN was detected in the cyst fluid of these cystic processes. CONCLUSION The presence of TN in and around the hyperplastic vessels and tumor cells present in the cyst walls of astrocytomas and its deposition in the intratumoral cyst fluid in which angiogenic factors have been detected further suggests a role for TN as an angiogenic modulator. These preliminary results suggest that immunodetection of TN in the tumor cyst fluid may indicate tumor type and grade.
The role of the primary motor cortex in mental rotation: a TMS study

Mental rotation (MR) is sustained by a network of brain regions, including parietal, pre-motor and primary motor (M1) cortices. However it is still not clear whether M1 is recruited only when individuals mentally rotate hands or whether it is also enhanced by MR of non-body parts. Here we report two experiments in which the involvement of M1 in MR of hands and letters was tested using TMS. In Experiments 1a and 1b participants were asked to judge whether two line drawings, depicting either hands or letters, were the same or mirror images of each other (N = 112). Subjects were presented with pairs of stimuli with the same orientation (baseline condition) in half of the trials, while in the other half the stimulus in the right visual field was rotated (rotation condition). They performed the same-different task in three experimental situations: TMS of the primary motor hand area delivered at 400 ms after stimulus onset, sham TMS, and no-TMS. We stimulated the left M1 in Experiment 1a, and the right in Experiment 1b. Results showed that in Experiment 1a participants were slower after TMS when they performed MR of hands but not of letters. In Experiment 1b we failed to find an effect of TMS on MR of hands and letters. While in Experiment 1 the stimulus to be rotated was always presented in the right visual field, in Experiment 2 it was presented either in the left or in the right visual field. Results showed that only when TMS was delivered to the left M1, participants' ability to mentally rotate right and left hands slowed down. Taken together, these findings suggest that the left but not the right M1 plays a critical role in MR of hands.
Sight Word and Phonics Training in Children With Dyslexia

The aims of this study were to (a) compare sight word training and phonics training in children with dyslexia, and (b) determine if different orders of sight word and phonics training have different effects on the reading skills of children with dyslexia. One group of children (n = 36) did 8 weeks of phonics training (reading via grapheme–phoneme correspondence rules) and then 8 weeks of sight word training (reading irregular words as a whole), one group did the reverse (n = 36), and one group did phonics and sight word training simultaneously for two 8-week periods (n = 32). We measured the effects of phonics and sight word training on sight word reading (trained irregular word reading accuracy, untrained irregular word reading accuracy), phonics reading (nonword reading accuracy, nonword reading fluency), and general reading (word reading fluency, reading comprehension). Sight word training led to significant gains in sight word reading measures that were larger than gains made from phonics training, phonics training led to statistically significant gains in a phonics reading measure that were larger than gains made from sight word training, and both types of training led to significant gains in general reading that were similar in size. Training phonics before sight words had a slight advantage over the reverse order. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings for improving the treatment and assessment of children with dyslexia.
Health Risk Profile for Older Adults with Blindness: An Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health Framework

Purpose: To develop a health risk profile for adults age 65 years or older with blindness, using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as our conceptual framework. Methods: We combined and analyzed data from the 2000–2006 National Health Interview Survey after backcoding questions to the ICF. We compared older adults with blindness (n = 477) and older adults with vision loss but not blindness (n = 6,721) with older adults who reported no vision loss (n = 33,497) for the following outcome measures: demographics, functional limitations (self-care, social participation, and mobility limitations), level of psychological distress, physical health status, selected chronic conditions and health risk behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and physical inactivity). Results: Older adults with blindness were more likely to be poorer, older, and less educated than older adults without vision loss. They were also more likely to have fair to poor health; to have difficulty walking; to experience diabetes, heart problems, and breathing problems; and to be physically inactive, compared with older adults reporting vision loss but not blindness and older adults without vision loss. Conclusion: Older adults with blindness face significant health disparities that can diminish their quality of life without timely, disability-sensitive interventions to address serious psychological distress and physical inactivity.
Adult mesenchymal stem cells for tissue engineering versus regenerative medicine

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from bone marrow or marrow aspirates and because they are culture‐dish adherent, they can be expanded in culture while maintaining their multipotency. The MSCs have been used in preclinical models for tissue engineering of bone, cartilage, muscle, marrow stroma, tendon, fat, and other connective tissues. These tissue‐engineered materials show considerable promise for use in rebuilding damaged or diseased mesenchymal tissues. Unanticipated is the realization that the MSCs secrete a large spectrum of bioactive molecules. These molecules are immunosuppressive, especially for T‐cells and, thus, allogeneic MSCs can be considered for therapeutic use. In this context, the secreted bioactive molecules provide a regenerative microenvironment for a variety of injured adult tissues to limit the area of damage and to mount a self‐regulated regenerative response. This regenerative microenvironment is referred to as trophic activity and, therefore, MSCs appear to be valuable mediators for tissue repair and regeneration. The natural titers of MSCs that are drawn to sites of tissue injury can be augmented by allogeneic MSCs delivered via the bloodstream. Indeed, human clinical trials are now under way to use allogeneic MSCs for treatment of myocardial infarcts, graft‐versus‐host disease, Crohn's Disease, cartilage and meniscus repair, stroke, and spinal cord injury. This review summarizes the biological basis for the in vivo functioning of MSCs through development and aging. J. Cell. Physiol. 213: 341–347, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exercise limitation in patients with Fontan circulation: a review

The aim of the current literature study was to perform a literature review of the factors contributing to exercise limitation and physiological response to exercise in patients with Fontan circulation. In patients with Fontan circulation, peak oxygen uptake ranged from about 14.4 to 32.3 ml/min/kg, and showed a slowed acceleration in the kinetics of oxygen uptake at the onset of exercise. Peak heart rate during exercise was decreased to an average of 153 ± 10 bpm and arterial oxygen saturation was also decreased at peak exercise, with an average of 89.5 ± 1.94%. Cardiac output was subnormal, owing to reduced stroke volume, heart rate response and affected pulmonary venous return. Ventilatory anaerobic threshold was below normal values. Moreover, the ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide was found to be higher. Patients with Fontan circulation possess a unique physiological response to exercise. Although there is a wide range in exercise capacity among patients, all patients have reduced tolerance to exercise. Cardiac, pulmonary, and muscular factors might play a role in reduced exercise capacity and this distinct response to exercise.
Transforming Gender Citizenship. The Irresistible Rise of Gender Quotas in Europe

Gender quotas are a controversial policy measure. However, over the past twenty years they have been widely adopted around the world and especially in Europe. They are now used in politics, corporate boards, state and local public administration and even in civil society organizations. This book explores this unprecedented phenomenon, providing a unique comparative perspective on gender quotas' adoption across thirteen European countries. It also studies resistance to gender quotas by political parties and supreme courts. Providing up-to-date comprehensive data on gender quotas regulations, Transforming Gender Citizenship proposes a typology of countries, from those which have embraced gender quotas as a new way to promote gender equality in all spheres of social life, to those who have consistently refused gender quotas as a tool for gender equality. Reflecting on divergences and commonalities across Europe, the authors analyze how gender quotas may transform dominant conception of citizenship and gender equality. Presents a comparative perspective on gender quotas' adoption across thirteen European countries Addresses political and legal struggles around the adoption of gender quotas in political parties, electoral politics, corporate boards and public administration Documents transnational diffusion of gender quotas as well as the supranational influence of European institutions in this process
Skeletal muscle in the diabetic mouse: Histochemical and morphometric analysis

Despite the extensive literature concerning the neuropathy associated with diabetes, only limited information describes changes in the associated muscle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the histochemical and morphometric characteristics of diabetic muscle in the C57BL/KsJ db‐m strain of mouse. The histochemical analysis of myofiber type for the diabetic mouse revealed that the extensor digitorum longus muscle consisted of 53.1% type 2a, 46.0% type 2b, and 0.9% type 1 myofibers, a significant shift from the percentages found in the nondiabetic litter mates (44.4% type 2a, 55.6% type 2b, no type 1). Computer‐assisted morphometric analysis of myofiber size by fiber type indicated a significant difference in myofiber size for the type 2b fibers in muscles from diabetic mice. Similarly, there was a shift in the fiber size distribution to include a greater number of small type 2b myofibers when compared to controls. Skeletal muscle from diabetic mice exhibited a significant change in the percentage of fiber types, with an increase in the number of type 2a fibers, a fiber type grouping that implies possible denervation and reinnervation, and a decrease in myofiber size. These findings may explain why some diabetic patients complain of muscle weakness.
A New Thermoactive Pullulanase from Desulfurococcus mucosus: Cloning, Sequencing, Purification, and Characterization of the Recombinant Enzyme after Expression in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT The gene encoding a thermoactive pullulanase from the hyperthermophilic anaerobic archaeon Desulfurococcus mucosus (apuA) was cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. apuA from D. mucosusshowed 45.4% pairwise amino acid identity with the pullulanase fromThermococcus aggregans and contained the four regions conserved among all amylolytic enzymes. apuA encodes a protein of 686 amino acids with a 28-residue signal peptide and has a predicted mass of 74 kDa after signal cleavage. The apuAgene was then expressed in Bacillus subtilis and secreted into the culture fluid. This is one of the first reports on the successful expression and purification of an archaeal amylopullulanase in a Bacillus strain. The purified recombinant enzyme (rapuDm) is composed of two subunits, each having an estimated molecular mass of 66 kDa. Optimal activity was measured at 85°C within a broad pH range from 3.5 to 8.5, with an optimum at pH 5.0. Divalent cations have no influence on the stability or activity of the enzyme. RapuDm was stable at 80°C for 4 h and exhibited a half-life of 50 min at 85°C. By high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis it was observed that rapuDm hydrolyzed α-1,6 glycosidic linkages of pullulan, producing maltotriose, and also α-1,4 glycosidic linkages in starch, amylose, amylopectin, and cyclodextrins, with maltotriose and maltose as the main products. Since the thermoactive pullulanases known so far from Archaeaare not active on cyclodextrins and are in fact inhibited by these cyclic oligosaccharides, the enzyme from D. mucosus should be considered an archaeal pullulanase type II with a wider substrate specificity.
Foot and Ankle Injuries in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Background: We studied foot and ankle (F/A) injuries that occurred in motor vehicle accidents treated in a Level 1 trauma center. Methods: The records of F/A injuries of 2248 consecutive orthopedic patients were reviewed to find foot and ankle injuries. Results: Pilon fractures were common. Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) occupants with F/A injuries had a higher injury Severity Score than those without (17.9 vs. 11.6, p <. 001). MVA F/A injury risk was higher without restraint [relative risk ratio (rrr) 1.68, p <. 0032] than with restraint except for air bagged drivers who were similar to unrestrained drivers (rrr 1.18, p > .05, NS). Conclusion: Patients with F/A injuries may have serious associated injuries. Air bags may not protect feet.
Is the Supply Curve for Commodity Futures Contracts Upward Sloping?

Annual rebalancing of the S&amp;P GSCI index provides a novel and strong identification to estimate the shape of supply curves for commodity futures contracts. Using the 24 commodities included in the S&amp;P GSCI for 2004–2017, we show that cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) reach a peak of 59 basis points in the middle of the week following the rebalancing period, but the impact is temporary as it declines to near zero within the next week. The findings provide clear evidence that the supply curve for commodity futures contracts is upward sloping in the short-run but almost flat in the longer-run.