Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cell‐mediated immunity to varicella zoster virus in children being treated for cancer

Stimulation of lymphocytes by varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) antigen was measured in vitro for 37 healthy adults and children and for 35 children who developed herpes zoster or varicella while receiving anticancer therapy. For 35 of the control group the history of varicella infection correlated with the in vitro response of lymphocytes to VZV antigen. A specific lymphocyte response was observed following 32 of the 37 episodes of VZV infection in the 35 children with malignancy. Re‐evaluation 7–12 months following the acute infection revealed that the in vitro response to VZV antigen was lost in six of 19 patients who remained in remission and in all patients who relapsed and received reinduction therapy. Although there was some suggestion that development of a cell mediated response early in the infection decreased the incidence of skin dissemination of the virus in herpes zoster, no consistent correlation could be made between lymphocyte responsiveness in vitro and dissemination of disease or the duration of the appearance of new lesions.
Opioid-based micro and nanoparticulate formulations: alternative approach on pain management

Abstract Context Opioids have been used as the reference treatment on chronic pain. However, they are related to serious adverse effects which affect the patient compliance to treatment, as well as, his quality of life. Particulate formulations have been investigated as an alternative to improve opioid efficacy and safety. Objective Summarise the available studies concerning micro and nanoencapsulated opioid formulations discussing their biopharmaceutical characteristics, such as composition, size, in vitro release, pharmacokinetic and antinociceptive profile. Methods Papers available in 1995–2015 at Medline, Science Direct and Web of Science databases were collected and assessed. Searches were performed using varied combinations of the keywords of this work. Results Opioid-loaded particles showed prolonged drug release with maintenance of serum therapeutic concentrations and extended analgesia when compared with the free drugs. The side effects incidences were reduced or maintained the same. Conclusion Particulate formulations can significantly increase both potency and safety profiles of opioids.
Do We Know Who Values Us?

People often need to know what others think of them - whom do we approach to collaborate, to invite out, or to seek assistance? Research on meta-perceptions shows strong evidence for generalized meta-accuracy - knowing whether the rest of the world tends to see us, e.g., as extroverted or intelligent - but less for dyadic meta-accuracy - knowing how different people view us differently. In meta-judgments of individual traits and abilities, people generally assume they make the same impression on all interaction partners, rather than differentiating their unique impressions on each person. However, for more relational constructs such as friendship, liking, humor, considerateness, and interestingness, perceivers can typically differentiate others' unique evaluations. Previous theories argued that dyadic meta-accuracy resulted by 'accident' merely from the appropriate use of heuristics. In particular, people believe their evaluations will be reciprocated by others and, when this assumption is valid, they can introspect about their opinions of others to infer others' likely opinions of them. Our study is the first to show, provocatively, that presuming reciprocity does not entirely account for dyadic accuracy. This leaves open another theoretical mechanism for achieving accuracy - namely, that individuals are also able to read cues in their social landscape in order to judge the unique impressions that they make on others. We believe that prior work may have sounded the 'death knell' too early on dyadic meta-accuracy, and therefore on attempts to explain the relationship-relevant cues that people use to attain it. This finding has important implications by suggesting people have more insight into their own relationships than previously believed. Because dyadic meta-accuracy can help us know which relationships to pursue and which to avoid, these results have important implications for the formation of social networks.
Association of CTLA4 single nucleotide polymorphisms with viral but not autoimmune liver disease

Background CTLA4 is an inhibitory receptor expressed on a subset of T lymphocytes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CTLA4 gene have been implicated in autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. In reverse form, CTLA4 variations are associated with chronic infections such as chronic hepatitis B. Methods CTLA4 variations −318C>T and +49A>G were analyzed in 2366 patients with chronic liver disease of various etiologies, including 323 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, 1181 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, 180 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, and 127 patients with autoimmune hepatitis, as well as 202 healthy control individuals. Genotyping was performed by melting curve analysis. Results The −318C>T variation was underrepresented in patients with chronic HBV infection compared with healthy controls (14.6 vs. 25.7%, P=0.002) and with patients with chronic liver disease of other origin (14.6 vs. 20.7%, P=0.011). Patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis also showed a lower frequency of the −318T allele than healthy controls (12.0 vs. 25.7%, P=0.014). No association of the +49G>A variation was found with any diagnosis, including autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Conclusion We describe the association of the CTLA4 −318C>T variation with chronic HBV infection and cryptogenic cirrhosis but find no association of the +49G>A variation with autoimmune liver disease.
Cotton radiation use efficiency response to plant growth regulators

SUMMARY Plant growth regulators are widely used in cotton production to improve crop management. Previous research has demonstrated changes in crop growth, dry matter (DM) partitioning and lint yield of cotton after the application of plant growth regulators. However, no reports are available demonstrating the effect of plant growth regulators on light interception and radiation use efficiency (RUE). Field studies were conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA in 2006 and 2007. RUE was estimated for the period between the pinhead square stage (PHS) of growth and 3 weeks after first flower (FF+3) from plots receiving three applications of the nitrophenolate and mepiquat chloride with Bacillus cereus plant growth regulators (Chaperone™) at 7·19 g a.i./ha and Pix Plus® at 41·94 g a.i./ha compared with an untreated control. No differences between the Chaperone treatment and the untreated control were found in the present study. However, Pix Plus significantly reduced plant height (both 2006 and 2007) and leaf area (2007 only), and altered the canopy structure of the crop as recorded by increased values of canopy extinction coefficient. Although DM accumulation was found not to be affected by plant growth regulator treatments, RUE was significantly increased after Pix Plus application, by 33·2%. RUE was increased because less light was intercepted by the Pix Plus treatment for the same biomass production, and this is probably a result of changes in photosynthetic capacity of the leaves and changes in light distribution throughout the canopy.
[A predictive model on health promotion behavior in women who immigrate for marriage].

PURPOSE This study was done to develop a model which explains factors influencing health promotion behavior in women who immigrate to Korea for marriage, and to verify the appropriateness of the model. METHODS The participants were 300 women who immigrate to Korea for marriage and settled in located in Jeonbuk Province, Korea. The data were collected with self-report questionnaires from October 10, 2007 through November 10, 2007. A total of 271 data sets were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 and Amos 7.0 version. RESULTS Immigrant women's social support, self-efficacy, perceived health status, acculturation, and perceived barrier had an impact on their health promotion behavior. Social support was the most influential factor. All of these variables together explained 49% of the variance in health promotion behavior in immigrant women married to Korean men. CONCLUSION In order to increase the health promotion behavior in immigrant women, intervention strategies to increase social support and self-efficacy for immigrant women should be developed.
Mathematical Analysis of Growth and Interaction Dynamics of Streptomycetes and a Bacteriophage in Soil

ABSTRACT We observed the infection cycle of the temperate actinophage KC301 in relation to the growth of its host Streptomyces lividansTK24 in sterile soil microcosms. Despite a large increase in phage population following germination of host spores, there was no observable impact on host population numbers as measured by direct plate counts. The only change in the host population following infection was the establishment of a small subpopulation of KC301 lysogens. The interaction of S. lividans and KC301 in soil was analyzed with a population-dynamic mathematical model to determine the underlying mechanisms of this low susceptibility to phage attack relative to aquatic environments. This analysis suggests that the soil environment is a highly significant component of the phage-host interaction, an idea consistent with earlier observations on the importance of the environment in determining host growth and phage-host dynamics. Our results demonstrate that the accepted phage-host interaction and host life cycle, as determined from agar plate studies and liquid culture, is sufficient for quantitative agreement with observations in soil, using soil-determined rates. There are four significant effects of the soil environment: (i) newly germinated spores are more susceptible to phage lysis than are hyphae of developed mycelia, (ii) substrate mycelia in mature colonies adsorb about 98% of the total phage protecting susceptible young hyphae from infection, (iii) the burst size of KC301 is large in soil (>150, 90% confidence) relative to that observed in liquid culture (120, standard error of the mean [SEM], 6), and (iv) there is no measurable impact on the host in terms of reduced growth by the phage. We hypothesize that spatial heterogeneity is the principal cause of these effects and is the primary determinant in bacterial escape of phage lysis in soil.
The Use of Interleukin‐2 in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Advances in antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have led to reductions in HIV‐related morbidity and mortality. Although antiretroviral therapy has shown success in suppressing viral loads, it does not adequately restore the immune system in all individuals infected with HIV. In light of this incomplete success, interleukin (IL)‐2 is being evaluated as adjunctive therapy to antiretroviral therapy. The agent has demonstrated mixed yet promising results in restoring immune function in patients who are HIV positive.
Event-Associated Oxygen Consumption Rate Increases ca. Five-Fold When Interictal Activity Transforms into Seizure-Like Events In Vitro

Neuronal injury due to seizures may result from a mismatch of energy demand and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. However, ATP demand and oxygen consumption rates have not been accurately determined, yet, for different patterns of epileptic activity, such as interictal and ictal events. We studied interictal-like and seizure-like epileptiform activity induced by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline alone, and with co-application of the M-current blocker XE-991, in rat hippocampal slices. Metabolic changes were investigated based on recording partial oxygen pressure, extracellular potassium concentration, and intracellular flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD) redox potential. Recorded data were used to calculate oxygen consumption and relative ATP consumption rates, cellular ATP depletion, and changes in FAD/FADH2 ratio by applying a reactive-diffusion and a two compartment metabolic model. Oxygen-consumption rates were ca. five times higher during seizure activity than interictal activity. Additionally, ATP consumption was higher during seizure activity (~94% above control) than interictal activity (~15% above control). Modeling of FAD transients based on partial pressure of oxygen recordings confirmed increased energy demand during both seizure and interictal activity and predicted actual FAD autofluorescence recordings, thereby validating the model. Quantifying metabolic alterations during epileptiform activity has translational relevance as it may help to understand the contribution of energy supply and demand mismatches to seizure-induced injury.
Characterization of the catecholate indicator strain S. typhimurium TA2700 as an ent fhuC double mutant.

The Salmonella typhimurium strain TA2700 is a good indicator strain for enterobactin and other catecholate siderophores. It is unable to use hydroxamate siderophores and α-keto-/α-hydroxyacids and is resistant to albomycin, a sideromycin. By using a MudPQ mapping set the hydroxamate uptake mutation in TA2700 was located in the 2–5 Cs region. Using transduction with known markers, the mutation was mapped more precisely near 4 Cs. By complementation with different fhu genes from Escherichia coli, a complementation of the hydroxamate iron utilization phenotype was observed in fhuC-complemented TA2700 only. All fhuC-complemented strains were also sensitive to albomycin. A fhuC+ transductant of S. typhimurium TA2700 was cross-fed by α-ketoisocaproic acid. By cotransduction with known and unknown markers near 13 Cs an ent mutation of S. typhimurium TA2700 was mapped.
Effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness

There is a well-established link between marital status and mental health, but previous research has produced mixed results about the reasons for this relationship. Some studies propose that marriage provides protection from stressors and increases personal coping abilities (the causation perspective), whereas other studies argue that marriage markets “weed out” individuals predisposed to illness (the selection perspective). This article addresses the causation-versus-selection debate by examining the effect of marital status on duration of treatment for mental illness. The empirical analysis uses longitudinal data and GEE models to estimate group-level differences in duration of treatment. The results suggest that marriage does not appear to confer a health advantage in terms of duration of treatment. However, the study demonstrates that the never-married experience longer treatment time than the married, divorced, and widowed.
Generalized susceptibility and magnetic ordering in rare-earth nickel boride carbides.

The generalized susceptibility for rare-earth nickel boride carbides has been calculated using the normal-state electronic structure. Peaks in the susceptibility occur near wave vectors corresponding to those observed for the incommensurate spin density waves in ${\mathrm{HoNi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{B}}_{2}$C between approximately 4.7 and 6.0 K [A. I. Goldman et al., Phys. Rev. B 50, 9668 (1994)].
Economic Impact

Energy, along with labor, land, and capital, is a basic ingredient in America’s economic growth formula. Yet energy has traditionally been left out of macroeconomic analysis (Aghion and Howitt 2009). Early economic models, such as the Solow growth model and the underlying Cobb-Douglas production function, focused on capital and labor as the two factors of production. In those models, more people and more labor mean more growth. But the increase in economic output from each additional worker or dollar of capital investment diminishes over time, unless technological change allows the economy to use labor and capital more efficiently. This technological change, called multifactor productivity or total factor productivity in economics, is crucial for long-term economic growth. Over time, economists incorporated energy and other natural resources as additional factors of production in growth models, demonstrating the importance of the energy sector in economic performance (Stern 2011). Increased supply of affordable energy and improved energy efficiency can boost potential economic growth. And energy often can substitute for other factors of production, making an economy more resilient to changes in factor costs. Growth in energy supply has played an important role in the United States’ past economic success. The development of coal reserves in the 19th century led to a tenfold increase in total US energy production between 1850 and 1920, making the Industrial Revolution possible (Schurr and Netschert 1960; EIA 2012b, 2013d). Following World War II, energy supply doubled in just 25 years, helping to facilitate postwar economic expansion. Between 1970 and the current oil and gas boom, domestic fossil fuel production was relatively flat, with nuclear and imported energy making up for the shortfall in domestic fossil fuel supply.
MR imaging of ventriculus terminalis of the conus medullaris: A report of two operated patients and review of the literature

We report on 2 patients in whom a cystic dilation of the conus medullaris was incidentally found at MR imaging carried out in the work-up for sciatica. The cysts were well circumscribed and had signal intensity identical to the CSF on both T1- and T2-weighted images. There was no evidence of contrast enhancement. None of the patients had specific symptoms related to the spinal cord. At surgery, no evidence of malignancy was seen in any of the patients. A benign cystic dilation, also called dilated ventriculus terminalis, occasionally can be seen in the conus medullaris as an incidental finding at thoracolumbar MR imaging. Unless the expansion per se indicates cyst drainage, these patients may be monitored by clinical and MR follow-up, avoiding surgery in a substantial number of cases.
Prognostic significance of contractile reserve assessed by dobutamine-induced changes of Tei index in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIMS To determine prognostic significance of global left ventricular (LV) contractile reserve, defined by dobutamine-induced changes of Tei index (Delta Tei), in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-eight patients with idiopathic DCM underwent high-dose (up to 40 microg/kg/min) dobutamine stress echocardiography. Prognostic value of different indices of LV contractile reserve, including Delta Tei, as well as changes of ejection fraction (Delta EF) and wall motion score index (Delta WMSi), was analysed. Patients were followed up for 5 years for cardiac mortality. Patients with preserved contractile reserve, defined by Delta Tei > -0.35, had significantly lower cardiac mortality when compared with those without it (38 vs. 77%, P = 0.02). Also, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with contractile reserve had better 5-year survival when compared with those without contractile reserve (log-rank = 6.01, P = 0.014). However, of all examined indices of contractile reserve, Cox's regression analysis identified Delta WMSi as the only independent predictor of 5-year mortality. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that the presence of contractile reserve assessed by Delta Tei may identify patients with favourable long-term prognosis. Prognostic value of Delta Tei appears to be similar to Delta EF, but less powerful than Delta WMSi.
Measurement of the differences in electrophoretic mobilities of individual molecules of E. coli β‐galactosidase provides insight into structural differences which underlie enzyme microheterogeneity

The electrophoretic mobility and catalytic activity of individual molecules of Escherichia coli β‐galactosidase were measured using CE‐LIF detection. Both the mobility and activity were reproducible for each molecule but differed between individual molecules. Assays were performed using uncoated capillaries and capillaries coated with different polymers, using enzymes from different sources and by three different experimental protocols. In all cases the observed ranges in electrophoretic mobilities were similar. The observed range in the electrophoretic mobility may be explained by structural microheterogeneity resulting in a gain or loss of up to 1.6 suppressed charge units. There was no observed relationship between the observed activities and electrophoretic mobilities. If the finding that individual β‐galactosidase molecules have heterogeneous electrophoretic mobility can be extended to other proteins, this may limit the resolution possible for capillary zone electrophoresis protein separations.
The molecular mechanism of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates as antiosteoporosis drugs

Osteoporosis and low bone mass are currently estimated to be a major public health risk affecting >50% of the female population over the age of 50. Because of their bone-selective pharmacokinetics, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs), currently used as clinical inhibitors of bone-resorption diseases, target osteoclast farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) and inhibit protein prenylation. FPPS, a key branchpoint of the mevalonate pathway, catalyzes the successive condensation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate with dimethylallyl pyrophosphate and geranyl pyrophosphate. To understand the molecular events involved in inhibition of FPPS by N-BPs, we used protein crystallography, enzyme kinetics, and isothermal titration calorimetry. We report here high-resolution x-ray structures of the human enzyme in complexes with risedronate and zoledronate, two of the leading N-BPs in clinical use. These agents bind to the dimethylallyl/geranyl pyrophosphate ligand pocket and induce a conformational change. The interactions of the N-BP cyclic nitrogen with Thr-201 and Lys-200 suggest that these inhibitors achieve potency by positioning their nitrogen in the proposed carbocation-binding site. Kinetic analyses reveal that inhibition is competitive with geranyl pyrophosphate and is of a slow, tight binding character, indicating that isomerization of an initial enzyme–inhibitor complex occurs with inhibitor binding. Isothermal titration calorimetry indicates that binding of N-BPs to the apoenzyme is entropy-driven, presumably through desolvation entropy effects. These experiments reveal the molecular binding characteristics of an important pharmacological target and provide a route for further optimization of these important drugs.
Autoregressive Spectrum Hole Prediction Model for Cognitive Radio Systems

In this paper, an autoregressive channel prediction model is presented for cognitive radio(CR) systems to estimate spectrum holes. This model adopts a second-order autoregressive process and a Kalman filter. A Bayes risk criterion for spectrum hole detection is presented by considering interference temperature and channel idle probability. Theoretical analysis and simulations show that CR systems based on this scheme can greatly reduce the number of collisions between licensed users and rental users.