Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Analysis of Pulmonary Nocardiosis in Patients With Autoimmune Disease

AbstractNocardiosis is an opportunistic infection that most commonly involves the lung; however, only a few case reports of autoimmune disease complicated by pulmonary nocardiosis exist in the literature.We conducted a retrospective analysis of 24 cases of both autoimmune disease and pulmonary nocardiosis at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1990 and 2012.Fifty-two cases were hospitalized with nocardiosis, 24 of whom had at least 1 autoimmune disease before the diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis. The cohort patients consisted of 5 men and 19 women, with a mean age of 44.2 years. All were negative for human immunodeficiency virus. All but 1 patient had received immunosuppressants, including corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, or hydroxychloroquine. Fever (87.5%), cough (83.3%), and sputum (79.2%) were the most common clinical manifestations. Ten cases were accompanied by subcutaneous nodules and/or cutaneous abscesses, and 4 had brain abscess. Half of them were lymphocytopenic. Thirteen of the 16 cases who underwent lymphocyte subtype analysis had decreased CD4+ T-cell counts. Nineteen cases had decreased serum albumin levels. Nocardia was isolated from sputum (13/24), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (4/6), lung tissue (5/6), pleural effusions (3/5), skin or cutaneous pus (7/10), and brain tissue (1/1). The most common imaging findings were air-space opacities (83.3%), followed by nodules (62.5%), cavitations (45.8%), and masses (37.5%). Five were administered co-trimoxazole only, and the others were treated with 2 or more antibiotics. All 5 cases with skin abscesses and 2 of the 4 cases with brain abscesses were treated by surgical incision and drainage. None underwent thoracic surgery. Corticosteroid dosages were decreased in all cases, and cytotoxic agents were discontinued in some cases. Twenty-two cases recovered, and 2 died.Pulmonary nocardiosis associated with an underlying autoimmune disease showed a female predominance and presentation at younger age. Immunosuppressant therapy, lymphocytopenia, particularly low CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts, and low serum albumin levels may be disease susceptibility factors. Air-space opacities and nodules were the most common chest imaging features, and disseminated nocardiosis with lung and skin involvement was more common among them. Early diagnosis and anti-nocardial antibiotics with modulation of the basic immunosuppressive therapy were important for them.
International spondyloarthritis interobserver reliability exercise--the INSPIRE study: II. Assessment of peripheral joints, enthesitis, and dactylitis.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the assessments of peripheral joints and enthesitis were reproducible for both AS and PsA with axial disease, and whether dactylitis assessment is reproducible in patients with PsA. METHODS A group of 20 rheumatologists from 11 countries with expertise in spondyloarthritis (SpA) met for a combined physical examination exercise to assess 10 patients with PsA with axial involvement (9 men, 1 woman, mean age 52 yrs, disease duration 17 yrs) and 9 patients with AS (7 men, 2 women, mean age 38 yrs, disease duration 16 yrs). A modified Latin-square design that enabled assessment of patient, assessor, and order effect was used. Measures included were number of tender and swollen joints, presence of enthesitis using 6 different indices, and dactylitis score. Data were analyzed using intraclass correlation (ICC) adjusted for order of measurements. RESULTS The majority of the variance was contributed by the patients. There was no order effect. The assessment of tender joints (ICC 0.69) was more reliable than the assessment of swollen joints (ICC 0.54). Moreover, there was better agreement in patients with PsA (ICC 0.78) than in patients with AS (ICC 0.62). There was excellent agreement on the number of active enthesitis sites (ICC 0.86). All the enthesitis indices provided substantial to excellent agreement among observers. Agreement for the dactylitis score was substantial (ICC 0.70). CONCLUSION The assessment of peripheral joints is more reliable in patients with PsA. Enthesitis instruments can be used reliably in patients with AS and patients with PsA with spinal involvement. The Leeds dactylitis instrument functions well in PsA.
Exploring the effect of gender diversity in MFIs during turbulent periods

Abstract Gender diversity is generally recognized as relevant in microfinance, and the relationship between gender diversity and firms’ performance has received attention in academic literature. The above-mentioned relationship has not been addressed until now in the microfinance industry specifically. This study seeks to explain the role played by gender diversity in the workforce of microfinance institutions (MFIs) during turbulent periods in the firms’ performance. The study analyses data from 555 ratings of 185 MFIs from MicroFinanza Rating, a leading microfinance rating agency. The analysis shows that the number of women on the staff of MFIs is significantly and positively associated with both the Return on Equity and Operational Self-Sufficiency of MFIs, indicating a positive impact of gender diversity on firms’ performance.
Microsatellites: genomic distribution, putative functions and mutational mechanisms: a review

Microsatellites, or tandem simple sequence repeats (SSR), are abundant across genomes and show high levels of polymorphism. SSR genetic and evolutionary mechanisms remain controversial. Here we attempt to summarize the available data related to SSR distribution in coding and noncoding regions of genomes and SSR functional importance. Numerous lines of evidence demonstrate that SSR genomic distribution is nonrandom. Random expansions or contractions appear to be selected against for at least part of SSR loci, presumably because of their effect on chromatin organization, regulation of gene activity, recombination, DNA replication, cell cycle, mismatch repair system, etc. This review also discusses the role of two putative mutational mechanisms, replication slippage and recombination, and their interaction in SSR variation.
‘Trust me, I’m a doctor’: a qualitative study of the role of paternalism and older people in decision-making when they have lost their capacity

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore whether older people want their doctors to make treatment decisions on their behalf when they no longer have capacity to do so, and their reasons for these preferences. Method: A convenience sample of older people from two retirement villages were interviewed and asked to respond to a hypothetical vignette. Their responses were analysed using qualitative thematic methodology. Results: Thirty-seven people (56.8% female; mean age = 83.9 years; mean Mini Mental State Examination = 26.5) participated; 73.0% indicated that they would want their doctor to make treatment decisions on their behalf. Three key themes emerged: 1) trust in the doctor–patient relationship; 2) doctor-derived factors: knowledge and expertise, professionalism, role and responsibility; 3) patient-derived factors: vulnerability, dependence and reliance, compromised autonomy. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the paternalistic model within medical care can be an expectation of some older patients and if taking a paternalistic approach we should not underestimate the trust and power that is imparted to us.
Goods-Market Frictions and International Trade

We present a tractable framework that embeds goods-market frictions in a general equilibrium dynamic model with heterogeneous exporters and identical importers. These frictions arise because it takes time and expense for exporters and importers to meet. We show that search frictions lead to an endogenous fraction of unmatched exporters, alter the gains from trade, endogenize entry costs, and imply that the competitive equilibrium does not generally result in the socially optimal number of searching firms. Finally, ignoring search frictions results in biased estimates of the effect of tariffs on trade flows.
ANTHERIDIAL CHROMATIN CONDENSATION FACTOR FROM MALE SEX ORGANS OF CHARA TOMENTOSA

Incubation of roots (Melandrium noctiflorum) in crude extracts obtained from maturing male sex organs of Chara tomentosa results in supercondensation of mitotic chromosomes. The observed changes, including a number of ‘secondary effects’, confirm precisely with all those kinds of alterations which are typical of M‐phase cells in antheridial filaments during their progression from the proliferative period of development towards terminal differentiation into sperm cells. Biological assays performed with proteinaceous extracts of maturing antheridia indicate that the activity is confined merely to a fraction containing low molecular (4.5kDa) peptides, termed as ACCF (antheridial chromatin condensation factor). Microchemical tests showed the acidic character of ACCF and its apparent ability to form cross‐links with histones and DNA‐histone complexes, mediated presumably by disulfide bridges. The characteristic punctate distribution of vesicles within the cytoplasm suggests the internalization of rhodamine‐isothiocyanate labelled ACCF (ACCF‐TRITC) by endocytosis, implying possible sequestering and nuclear translocation upon release from the endosomal/lysosomal compartment of the cell.
C/EBP, c-Myb, and PU.1 cooperate to regulate the neutrophil elastase promoter

The murine neutrophil elastase (NE) gene is expressed specifically in immature myeloid cells. A 91-bp NE promoter region contains three cis elements which are conserved evolutionarily and are essential for activation of the promoter in differentiating 32D cl3 myeloid cells. These elements bound c-Myb (at -49), C/EBPalpha (at -57), and PU.1 (at -82). In NIH 3T3 cells, the NE promoter was activated by c-Myb, C/EBPalpha, and PU.1, via their respective binding sites. Cooperative activation was seen by any combination of c-Myb, C/EBPalpha, and PU.1, including all three together, again via their DNA-binding sites. In CV-1 cells, but not in NIH 3T3 cells, cooperation between Myb and C/EBPalpha depended on the integrity of the PU.1-binding site. In addition to C/EBPalpha, C/EBPdelta strongly activated the NE promoter, alone or with c-Myb, but C/EBPbeta was less active. Either of C/EBPalpha's two transactivation domains cooperatively activated the promoter with c-Myb, in both NIH 3T3 and 32D c13 cells. Synergistic binding to DNA in a gel shift assay between C/EBPalpha, c-Myb, and PU.1 could not be demonstrated. Also, separation of the C/EBP- and c-Myb-binding sites by 5 or 10 bp did not prevent cooperativity. These results suggest that a coactivator protein mediates cooperative activation of the NE promoter by a C/EBP and c-Myb. These factors, together with PU.1, direct restricted expression of the NE promoter to immature myeloid cells.
High Value-Added Business Angels at post-investment stages: Key predictors

This article examines the differences and features displayed by business angels (BAs), depending on the extent of their involvement with, and support for, the start-ups they finance measured by expertise, experience and contacts. With a sample of 293 Spanish BAs, using data obtained from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey, our results indicate that investors who develop more rigorous screening processes in the pre-investment process and hold regular meetings with founder teams are more likely to become High Value-Added Business Angels (HVBAs). Accordingly, the ability of BAs to transfer so-called ‘smart capital’ is conditioned by the levels of screening and assessment applied at the pre-investment stage in terms of both the quality of projects and founder teams and the extent to which the expectations and profiles of the two parties match.
Costs and health consequences of chlamydia management strategies among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa

Objectives: Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide and a major cause of morbidity—particularly among women and neonates. We compared costs and health consequences of using point-of-care (POC) tests with current syndromic management among antenatal care attendees in sub-Saharan Africa. We also compared erythromycin with azithromycin treatment and universal with age-based chlamydia management. Methods: A decision analytical model was developed to compare diagnostic and treatment strategies, using Botswana as a case. Model input was based upon (1) a study of pregnant women in Botswana, (2) literature reviews and (3) expert opinion. We expressed the study outcome in terms of costs (US$), cases cured, magnitude of overtreatment and successful partner treatment. Results: Azithromycin was less costly and more effective than erythromycin. Compared with syndromic management, testing all attendees on their first visit with a 75% sensitive POC test increased the number of cases cured from 1500 to 3500 in a population of 100 000 women, at a cost of US$38 per additional case cured. This cost was lower in high-prevalence populations or if testing was restricted to teenagers. The specific POC tests provided the advantage of substantial reductions in overtreatment with antibiotics and improved partner management. Conclusions: Using POC tests to diagnose chlamydia during antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa entails greater health benefits than syndromic management does—and at acceptable costs—especially when restricted to younger women. Changes in diagnostic strategy and treatment regimens may improve people’s health and even reduce healthcare budgets.
Evaluating Recidivism and Job Quality Outcomes for Participants in the Hoosier Initiative for Reentry Employment (HIRE) Program

ABSTRACT The Hoosier Initiative for Reentry Employment (HIRE) program provides employment assistance to Indiana residents with felony offenses. We examine whether HIRE participants (n = 328), who obtained jobs after release from prison in 2014, had lower recidivism rates than the comparison group of all offenders released from Indiana prisons in 2014 (n = 17,901). Our results show that HIRE participants, despite having more serious criminal histories, have lower hazards of reincarceration (both new offenses and technical violations) than the comparison group. Contrary to hypotheses, HIRE offenders who had better paying and more prestigious jobs did not have significantly lower hazards of reincarceration. Finally, several factors predict quality of job placement (wage, prestige of field) including: age, veteran status, gender, race/ethnicity, and previous sex offense.
The economic effects of irrigation and dunging in the sugar-beet production

The research of production and economic effects of irrigation to the sugarbeet and sugar growth per hectare was carried out on the carbonate humus of favourable water-physical and chemical characteristics on the location of Rimski Sancevi during the period from 2004 to 2006. The experiment was set according to the method of the Split-plot system being done in four repetitions with the usage of raindrop irrigation. During the experiment there were kept humidity soil treatments from 60 to 65% and the field water capacity (FWC) of 75-80% with a controlling variant being included. The realized profit per hectare during irrigation is 1607 $/ha and it is approximately greater of 17,6% in comparison with the production in the controlling variant. Economy shows that to a unit of invented capital there is realized 1,49 unit of profit during irrigation or more than 4,2% comparing the production without irrigation. Profitability measured from the point of relationship between profit and incomes is 32,8% during irrigation and it is greater of 6,8% than the production in the controlling variant. The productivity indicator tells us that for one produced tone of sugar-beet during irrigation is approximately spent 1,28 hours of total working time or it is produced 0,783 t/working hour of sugar-beet.
Critical involvement of interferon γ in the pathogenesis of T‐cell activation‐associated hepatitis and regulatory mechanisms of interleukin‐6 for the manifestations of hepatitis

A single intravenous injection of concanavalin A (Con A) induces T‐cell activation and an acute hepatitis in mice. This study investigated the role of interferon γ (IFN‐γ) in the pathogenesis of this hepatitis model. Striking increases in the plasma levels of various cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), and IFN‐γ, were detected before the increase in plasma aminotransferase levels induced by Con A injection. TNF levels peaked within 2 hours, whereas IFN‐γ levels peaked at 6 hours after Con A injection. In contrast to a sharp peak of TNF levels, high IFN‐γ levels were detected for a more prolonged period. Passive immunization with anti‐IFN‐γ monoclonal antibody (MAb) conferred a dose‐dependent protection against liver injury in this model. This protection was observed when anti‐IFN‐γ MAb was administered at least 30 minutes before Con A injection but not when given 1 hour after Con A injection. The protection from Con A‐induced hepatitis was also induced by administration of rIL‐6 before Con A injection. rIL‐6 treatment induced significant albeit incomplete inhibition of IFN‐γ and TNF production, whereas this regimen did not affect IL‐2 production. Despite striking protective effects of rIL‐6 or anti‐IFN‐γ MAb, comparable levels of cellular (both T cell and polymorphonuclear cell) infiltration were detected in liver sections from animals untreated, or treated with either rIL‐6 or anti‐IFN‐γ MAb. Moreover, electron microscopic examination showed that infiltrating T cells exhibited a blastoid appearance in all groups. These results indicate that IFN‐γ plays a critical role in the development of Con A‐induced acute hepatitis and suggest that IL‐6 administration can regulate the manifestation of hepatitis through mechanisms including the reduced production of inflammatory cytokines such as IFN‐γ.
Population Pharmacokinetics, Tolerability, and Safety of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine and Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine-Piperaquine in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Papua New Guinean Women

ABSTRACT The tolerability, safety, and disposition of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and piperaquine (PQ) were assessed in 32 pregnant (second/third trimester) and 33 nonpregnant Papua New Guinean women randomized to adult treatment courses of DHA-PQ (three daily doses) or sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP)-PQ (three daily PQ doses, single dose of SP). All dose adminstrations were observed, and subjects fasted for 2 h postdose. Plasma PQ was assayed by using high-performance liquid chromatography, and DHA was assessed by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Compartmental pharmacokinetic models were developed using a population-based approach. Both regimens were well tolerated. There was an expected increase in the rate-corrected electrocardiographic QT interval which was independent of pregnancy and treatment. Two pregnant and two nonpregnant women had Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia which cleared within 48 h, and no other subject became slide positive for malaria during 42 days of follow-up. Of 30 pregnant women followed to delivery, 27 (90%) delivered healthy babies and 3 (10%) had stillbirths; these obstetric outcomes are consistent with those in the general population. The area under the plasma PQ concentration-time curve (AUC0–∞) was lower in the pregnant patients (median [interquartile range], 23,721 μg · h/liter [21,481 to 27,951 μg · h/liter] versus 35,644 μg · h/liter [29,546 to 39,541 μg · h/liter]; P < 0.001) in association with a greater clearance relative to bioavailability (73.5 liters/h [69.4 to 78.4] versus 53.8 liters/h [49.7 to 58.2]; P < 0.001), but pregnancy did not influence the pharmacokinetics of DHA. The apparent pharmacokinetic differences between the present study and results from other studies of women with uncomplicated malaria that showed no effect of pregnancy on the AUC0–∞ of PQ and greater bioavailability may reflect differences in postdose fat intake, proportions of women with malaria, and/or racial differences in drug disposition.
Expression of signal transduction proteins during the differentiation of primary human erythroblasts

The high number (>108–10) of primary human pro‐erythroblasts (CD36high/CD235alow) obtainable in HEMA culture (Migliaccio et al., 2002 ) is exploited here to analyse the expression of proteins implicated in erythropoietin (EPO)‐signalling (STATs, PI‐3K, and PLCs) during the process of erythroid maturation. Human pro‐erythroblasts progressed in 4 days of culture with EPO into basophilic‐ (CD36high/CD235amedium, 24 h), polychromatic‐(CD36high/CD235ahigh, 48 h), and, finally, orthochromatic‐(CD36low/CD235ahigh, 72–96 h) erythroblasts. During this maturation, STAT‐1 was expressed up to the orthochromatic stage, expression of STAT‐5, as well as of its target proteins BclxL and IRF1, remained constant up to 48 h (polychromatic‐erythroblasts) but decreased by 96 h (orthochromatic‐erythroblasts), while that of STAT‐3 decreased constantly from 24 h on and became undetectable by 96 h. Expression of PI‐3K rapidly decreased with differentiation since only 50% of original protein levels were detected by 48 h. On the other hand, among the members of PLC families investigated, PLC β4 was not expressed, PLC β2, δ1, and γ2 were expressed at constant levels throughout the maturation process, while expression of PLC β3 and of PLC γ1 decreased, as PI‐3K, by 24 h and that of PLC β1 was induced by 6 h and became undetectable by 24 h. In conclusion, these data depict the dynamic signalling scenario associated with the maturation of erythroid cells and provide the first indication that members of PLC families (PLC β1, β3, and γ1) might be involved in the control of erythroid differentiation in humans. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Striated muscle microvascular response to silver implants: A comparative in vivo study with titanium and stainless steel.

Local microvascular perfusion is the primary line of defense of tissue against microorganisms and plays a considerable role in reparative processes. The impairment of the microcirculation by a biomaterial may therefore have profound consequences. Silver is known to have excellent antimicrobial activity and, although regional and systemic toxic effects have been described, silver is regularly discussed as an implant material in bone surgery. Because little is known about the influence of silver implants on the adjacent host tissue microvasculature, we studied in vivo nutritive perfusion and leukocytic response, and compared these results with those of the conventionally used materials titanium and stainless steel. Using the hamster dorsal skinfold chamber preparation and intravital microscopy, the implantation of a commercially pure silver sample led to a distinct and persistent activation of leukocytes combined with a marked disruption of the microvascular endothelial integrity, massive leukocyte extravasation, and considerable venular dilation. Whereas animals with stainless-steel implants showed a moderate increase in these parameters with a tendency to recuperate, titanium implants caused only a transient increase of leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction within the first 120 min and no significant change in macromolecular leakage, leukocyte extravasation and venular diameter. After 3 days, five of six preparations with silver samples showed severe inflammation and massive edema. Thus, the use of silver as an implant material should be critically judged despite its bactericidal properties. The implant material titanium seems to be well tolerated by the local vascular system and currently represents the golden standard.