Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alveolar macrophages from subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are deficient in their ability to phagocytose apoptotic airway epithelial cells

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a highly prevalent, complex disease, usually caused by cigarette smoke. It causes serious morbidity and mortality and costs the global community billions of dollars per year. While chronic inflammation, extracellular matrix destruction and increased airway epithelial cell apoptosis are reported in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the understanding of the basic pathogenesis of the disease is limited and there are no effective treatments. We hypothesized that the accumulation of apoptotic airway epithelial cells chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in could be due to defective phagocytic clearance by alveolar macrophages. There have been no previous studies of the phagocytic capacity of alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using physiologically relevant apoptotic airway epithelial cells as phagocytic targets. We developed a phagocytosis assay whereby cultured 16HBE airway epithelial cells were induced to apoptosis with ultraviolet radiation and stained with mitotracker green. Alveolar macrophages from bronchoalveolar lavage from eight control and six chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects were analysed following 1.5 h incubation with apoptotic airway epithelial cells, then staining with macrophage marker anti CD33. CD33+/mitotracker green + events (i.e., alveolar macrophages which had phagocytosed apoptotic airway epithelial cells) were analysed using flow cytometry. Phagocytosis of polystyrene microbeads was investigated in parallel. A significantly reduced proportion of alveolar macrophages from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects ingested apoptotic airway epithelial cells compared with controls (11.6 ± 4.1% for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease versus 25.6 ± 9.2% for control group). Importantly, the deficiency was not observed using polystyrene beads, suggesting that the failure to resolve epithelial damage in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may result, at least partially, from specific defects in phagocytic ability of alveolar macrophages to ingest apoptotic airway epithelial cells.
A new algorithm for money laundering detection based on structural similarity

Money Laundering (ML) is the process of cleaning “dirty” money, thereby making the source of funds no longer identifiable. Detecting money laundering activities is a challenging task due to huge volumes of financial transactions being made in a global market on a daily basis. This paper proposes a novel approach for detecting money laundering transactions among large volumes of financial data in an efficient and accurate manner. We propose a framework that applies case reduction methods to progressively reduce the input data set to a significantly smaller size. The framework then scans the reduced data to find pairs of transactions with common attributes and behaviours that are potentially involved in ML activities. It then applies a clustering method to detect potential ML groups. We present preliminary experimental results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Does It All Add Up? Benchmarks and the Compensation of Active Portfolio Managers

In this article, the authors examine theoretically the use of benchmark portfolios in the compensation of privately informed portfolio managers. They find that the use of a benchmark, and particularly the types of benchmarks often observed in practice, cannot be easily rationalized. Specifically, commonly used benchmark-adjusted compensation schemes are generally inconsistent with optimal risk-sharing and do not lead to the choice of an optimal portfolio for the investor. Moreover, benchmarks do not help in solving potential contracting problems such as inducing the manager to expend effort or trying to screen out uninformed managers. Copyright 1997 by University of Chicago Press.
Algorithm 658: ODESSA–an ordinary differential equation solver with explicit simultaneous sensitivity analysis

ODESSA is a package of FORTRAN routines for simultaneous solution of ordinary differential equations and the associated first-order parametric sensitivity equations, yielding the ODE solution vector <italic>y</italic>&barbelow;(<italic>t</italic>) and the first-order sensitivity coefficients with respect to equation parameters <italic>p</italic>&barbelow;, &sgr;<italic>y</italic>&barbelow;(<italic>t</italic>)/&sgr;<italic>p</italic>&barbelow;. ODESSA is a modification of the widely disseminated initial-value solver LSODE, and retains many of the same operational features. Standard program usage and optional capabilities, installation, and verification considerations are addressed herein.
Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthase genes in Senegal

Senegal recently (2004) switched to sulfadoxine‐pyrimethamine (SP) with amodiaquine as first line therapy for malaria in response to increasing chloroquine resistance. In anticipation of emerging resistance to SP as a result of this change in drug pressure, we set out to define the baseline prevalence of SP‐associated mutations in the dhfr and dhps genes in Plasmodium falciparum using geographically diverse and longitudinally collected samples. A total of 153 blood samples were analysed from patients (5 years or older) with mild malaria after informed consent was obtained. Longitudinal samples were collected between 2000 and 2003 in Pikine, a suburb of Dakar. Geographically diverse site sampling was carried out in 2003. The mutation prevalence in DHFR codons 51, 59 and 108 is 65%, 61% and 78% in Pikine, 2003. The overall prevalence of the triple mutation that is associated with high‐level pyrimethamine resistance is 61%. The mutation prevalence rate in DHPS codons 436 and 437 is 21% and 40%, respectively. There is significant geographic variation in genotypic resistance, as samples from Pikine in 2003 had higher mutation prevalence in the pfdhfr and pfdhps genes compared to samples from Tambacounda (P < 0.015). In summary, this study demonstrates a high background prevalence of SP resistance mutations already present in P. falciparum in Senegal.
Modulatory effect of methanolic extract of Vernonia amygdalina (MEVA) on tert‐butyl hydroperoxide–induced erythrocyte haemolysis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the aetiology of several pathological and degenerative diseases. The protective effect of natural products possessing antioxidant properties has played a crucial role in ameliorating these deleterious effects. This study investigated the chemoprotective properties of the methanolic extract of Vernonia amygdalina (MEVA) in an experimental model of tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (t‐BHP)–induced human erythrocyte lysis in vitro.
Posttransfusion purpura occurrence and potential risk factors among the inpatient US elderly, as recorded in large Medicare databases during 2011 through 2012

Posttransfusion purpura (PTP) is a serious transfusion complication resulting in sudden thrombocytopenia with bleeding. The study's objective was to assess PTP occurrence and potential risk factors among the inpatient US elderly, ages 65 and older, during 2011 through 2012.
Laparoscopic Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion With rhBMP-2: A Prospective Study of Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes

Study Design. To prospectively evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion with rhBMP-2. Objectives. It was hypothesized that discogenic pain could be treated successfully with an anterior lumbar interbody fusion performed laparoscopically using rhBMP-2 as a replacement for autogenous bone. Summary of Background Data. The traditional surgical treatment of discogenic pain involves painful incisions of muscles, with potential loss of integrity and strength. Harvesting of bone graft is associated with significant complications including persistent pain at the donor site. Methods. Twenty-two consecutive patients were studied prospectively with the surgery performed by one surgeon. Patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically at 6 and 12 months after surgery. An unbiased radiologist read postoperative computed tomography scans for evidence of fusion. Results. There were 8 male (36%) and 14 female (64%) patients. The average age was 38 years (range, 21–56 years). At 6 and 12 months after surgery 95% (21 of 22) were available for follow-up; 100% were satisfied with treatment at 12 months. Concerning their symptoms, 100% reported relief of back pain, 100% had improvement of leg pain, and 100% described significant functional improvement. Improvements were seen at 6 and 12 months on Oswestry (P < 0.001), functional testing (P < 0.001), and pain analog scale (P < 0.001). Radiographic analysis showed that all of the patients had evidence of a solid fusion at 6 months after operation. Conclusion. Discogenic low back pain can be effectively treated surgically with a laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion using rhBMP-2 in place of autogenous bone. The fusion occurs quickly and predictably with no adverse effects identified.
Analyse écologique des déterminants de la participation électorale municipale au Québec

Résumé Au Canada, la participation électorale à l’échelle municipale est plus faible qu'aux autres échelles de gouvernement et les raisons susceptibles d'expliquer ce moindre engagement sont encore mal connues. À partir des taux de participation à la mairie aux élections de 2005 et de 2009 dans l'ensemble des municipalités du Québec (n = 949), la recherche teste 15 hypothèses explicatives de la participation électorale municipale. Les résultats montrent que quatre facteurs expliquent en grande partie la participation électorale municipale et ses variations. Il s'agit de la taille de l’électorat, de la présence d'un électorat âgé, de la marge victorieuse et du nombre de candidats en lice. Ces résultats permettent de mieux cerner le coût du vote à l’échelle municipale, tout en soulignant la nécessité de réaliser davantage d'enquêtes monographiques sur cet objet au Canada, notamment dans les plus grandes municipalités où la participation électorale y est plus faible. Abstract In Canada, voter turnout at the municipal level is lower than in elections at other levels of government. The reasons that might explain this low turnout are still unclear. The research tests 15 hypotheses to explain municipal electoral participation based on the case of the province of Québec (mayoral elections in 2005 and 2009 in all municipalities in the province, n = 949). The results show that four factors explain voter turnout and its variations: the size of the electorate, the presence of elderly voters, the margin of victory, and the number of candidates. These results improve our understanding of the cost of voting at the municipal level and they stress the need for conducting additional monographic investigations on this topic in Canada, especially in larger municipalities where voter turnout is often lower.
Asymptotic Analysis of Plane Wave Scattering by a Fast Moving PEC Wedge

This contribution is concerned with the exact and asymptotic scattering of an oblique incident time-harmonic electromagnetic plane wave from a fast moving perfectly electric conducting wedge. By utilizing the Lorentz transformation and applying Maxwelln’s boundary conditions in the (scatterer) co-moving frame, an exact solution for the total fields is obtained in both the co-moving (scatterer) and the laboratory (incident field) frames. The fields are evaluated asymptotically in the high frequency regime in which the scattered field is presented as a sum of three wave types: the direct (reflected) wave, a shadowing wave, and a diffraction wave. Novel relativistic wave phenomena that are associated with the scatterer dynamics are explored.
Reduced Expression of Metastasis Suppressor RhoGDI2 Is Associated with Decreased Survival for Patients with Bladder Cancer

Purpose: RhoGDI2 was recently shown to be a metastasis suppressor gene in models of bladder cancer. We sought to further understand its importance in human cancer by determining the level of its expression and the distribution of its encoded protein in normal human tissues and cell lines and to evaluate whether its protein expression is a determinant of human bladder cancer progression. Experimental Design: RhoGDI2 mRNA and protein expression was evaluated in cell lines and human tissues using Affymetrix and tissue microarrays, respectively. Tissue microarrays represented most human normal adult tissues and material from 51 patients that had undergone radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. In these 51 patients, the χ2 test was used to test for associations between RhoGDI2 and stage, grade of urothelial carcinoma, histological type, and disease-specific survival status. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the effect of RhoGDI2 expression level on time to development of metastatic disease and disease-specific survival time, adjusting for grade, stage, and histological type. Results: In normal tissues, there was strong RhoGDI2 protein expression in WBCs, endothelial cells, and transitional epithelium. RhoGDI2 mRNA expression was inversely related to the invasive and metastatic phenotype in human bladder cancer cell lines. In patients with bladder cancer, univariate analysis indicated that reduced tumor RhoGDI2 protein expression was associated with a lower actuarial 5-year disease-free and disease-specific survival (P = 0.01). In addition, patients with tumors that had low or absent RhoGDI2 had a shorter time to disease-specific death (P ≤ 0.01). When tumor grade, stage, histological type, and RhoGDI2 staining level were examined using multivariate analysis, RhoGDI2 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for disease-specific death (P = 0.03). Conclusions: These results suggest that RhoGDI2 is an independent predictor of prognosis for patients with bladder cancer and provide clinical evidence in support of its involvement in cancer metastasis.
Learning by Doing and Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy

This thesis studies a number of issues in optimal fiscal and monetary policy using the Ramsey framework. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of learning-by-doing and organizational capital on optimal policy responses. The first essay investigates the optimal capital income taxation in presence of learning-by-doing effects. The main result is that the optimal tax rate on capital income is significantly positive in the long run even though the product market is imperfectly competitive. This finding contrasts with results obtained in the literature that the capital income tax should be zero if the product market is perfectly competitive and negative if the product market is imperfectly competitive. The second essay studies the effects of learning-by-doing, and price rigidities on the dynamic properties of optimal fiscal and monetary policy variables. The m~in result is that, contrary to the findings of other papers in this literature, optimal Ramsey inflation is very stable and persistent over the business cycle. A second important result is that optimal tax policy is counter-cyclical tax rates fall during recession and rise during boom. This finding contrasts with pro-cyclical tax results obtained in standard sticky price Ramsey models. Finally, the third essay studies welfare maximizing fiscal and monetary policy rules in a model with sticky prices, learning-by-doing in the technology, and distortionary taxation. Specifically, it considers monetary feedback rules whereby
The Use of Prothrombin(S525C) Labeled with Fluorescein to Directly Study the Inhibition of Prothrombinase by Antithrombin during Prothrombin Activation*

Serine 525 of human prothrombin was mutated to cysteine and covalently labeled with fluorescein to make II(S525C)-fluorescein. Kinetics of cleavage of this derivative by prothrombinase are identical to those of wild-type prothrombin. Cleavage is coincident with a 50% increase in fluorescence intensity and the product is catalytically inactive. Thus, it allows convenient monitoring of prothrombin activation without generating active thrombin. The kinetics of inhibition of factor Xa (FXa) by antithrombin (AT) and AT-heparin were measured by monitoring activation of II(S525C)-fluorescein and the hydrolysis of the chromogenic substrate S2222 in the presence of AT. With S2222 as the substrate the rate constant for inhibition of FXa, Ca2+, and unilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine (75:25) (PCPS) vesicles by AT was 3.51 × 103 m −1 s−1; when factor Va (FVa) was included the rate constant was 1.55 × 103 m −1 s−1. In the absence of FVa, II(S525C)-fluorescein had no effect on inhibition. When II(S525C)-fluorescein was the substrate, however, FVa at saturating concentrations profoundly protected FXa from inhibition by AT, increasing the half-life from 3 min with FXa, Ca2+, PCPS, and II(S525C)-fluorescein, to greater than 69 min when FVa was included. Thus, both FVa and prothrombin are necessary for this level of protection. In the absence of prothrombin, FVa decreased the second order rate constant for inhibition by the AT-heparin complex from 1.58 × 107 m −1s−1, for FXa, Ca2+, and PCPS, to 7.72 × 106 m −1 s−1. II(S525C)-fluorescein and factor Va together reduced the rate constant to less than 1% of that for FXa, Ca2+, and PCPS. At a heparin concentration of 0.2 unit/ml, this corresponds to a half-life increase from 1 s to 136 s.
Skin pigmentation variation among populations of West Maharashtra, India

Global patterns of skin pigmentation have evolved as an adaptation to local ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Indian populations exposed to intense UVR show great variation in skin pigmentation. The UVR‐based selection model cannot satisfactorily address the high prevalence of light skin among these populations. Thus, the present study examines pigmentation variation among populations of West Maharashtra and the Indian subcontinent within the context of population structure and social hierarchy.
FLT3-Ligand Treatment of Humanized Mice Results in the Generation of Large Numbers of CD141+ and CD1c+ Dendritic Cells In Vivo

We established a humanized mouse model incorporating FLT3-ligand (FLT3-L) administration after hematopoietic cell reconstitution to investigate expansion, phenotype, and function of human dendritic cells (DC). FLT3-L increased numbers of human CD141+ DC, CD1c+ DC, and, to a lesser extent, plasmacytoid DC (pDC) in the blood, spleen, and bone marrow of humanized mice. CD1c+ DC and CD141+ DC subsets were expanded to a similar degree in blood and spleen, with a bias toward expansion of the CD1c+ DC subset in the bone marrow. Importantly, the human DC subsets generated after FLT3-L treatment of humanized mice are phenotypically and functionally similar to their human blood counterparts. CD141+ DC in humanized mice express C-type lectin-like receptor 9A, XCR1, CADM1, and TLR3 but lack TLR4 and TLR9. They are major producers of IFN-λ in response to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid but are similar to CD1c+ DC in their capacity to produce IL-12p70. Although all DC subsets in humanized mice are efficient at presenting peptide to CD8+ T cells, CD141+ DC are superior in their capacity to cross-present protein Ag to CD8+ T cells following activation with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. CD141+ DC can be targeted in vivo following injection of Abs against human DEC-205 or C-type lectin-like receptor 9A. This model provides a feasible and practical approach to dissect the function of human CD141+ and CD1c+ DC and evaluate adjuvants and DC-targeting strategies in vivo.
Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU)-related tissue damage and angiogenesis is reduced in CCL2⁻/⁻CX₃CR1gfp/gfp mice.

PURPOSE To investigate the roles of the CCL2-CCR2 and CX₃CL1-CX₃CR1 pathways in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU)-mediated retinal tissue damage and angiogenesis. METHODS The C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) and CCL2(-/-)CX₃CR1(gfp/gfp) (double knockout [DKO]) mice were immunized with IRBP₁₋₂₀. Retinal inflammation and tissue damage were evaluated clinically and histologically at different days postimmunization (p.i.). Retinal neovascular membranes were evaluated by confocal microscopy of retinal flat mounts, and immune cell infiltration by flow cytometry. RESULTS At day 25 p.i. , DKO mice had lower clinical and histological scores and fewer CD45(high)CD11b(+) infiltrating cells compared with WT mice. The F4/80(+) macrophages constitute 40% and 21% and CD11b(+)Gr-1(+)Ly6G(+) neutrophils constitute 10% and 22% of retinal infiltrating cells in WT and DKO mice, respectively. At the late stages of EAU (day 60-90 p.i.), DKO and WT mice had similar levels of inflammatory score. However, less structural damage and reduced angiogenesis were detected in DKO mice. Neutrophils were rarely detected in the inflamed retina in both WT and DKO mice. Macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accounted for 8% and 3% in DKO EAU retina, and 19% and 10% in WT EAU retina; 71% of infiltrating cells were T/B-lymphocytes in DKO EAU retina and 50% in WT EAU retina. CONCLUSIONS Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis-mediated retinal tissue damage and angiogenesis is reduced in CCL2(-/-)CX₃CR1(gfp/gfp) mice. Retinal inflammation is dominated by neutrophils at the acute stage and lymphocytes at the chronic stage in these mice. Our results suggest that CCR2(+) and CX₃CR1(+) monocytes are both involved in tissue damage and angiogenesis in EAU.
Suspected Cases of Neorickettsia‐Like Organisms in Brazilian Dogs

Abstract: Preliminary findings of gross and histopathological lesions consistent with salmon poisoning disease in 10 dogs from southern Brazil are described. Lesions were restricted to the spleen, lymph nodes, and intestinal lymphoid tissues. Grossly, there was marked hyperplasia of mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Microscopic alterations were characterized by diffuse hyperplasia of intestinal lymphoid tissues and Peyer's patches. Intracytoplasmic organisms consistent with Neorickettsia helminthoeca were demonstrated by Giemsa stain in reticuloendothelial cells of the intestine, spleen, Peyer's patches, and lymph nodes. We have named this organism Neorickettsia helminthoeca‐like because of its marked similarity with the agent described in the United States.
Scaffold Attachment Region-Mediated Enhancement of Retroviral Vector Expression in Primary T Cells

ABSTRACT We have studied retroviral transgene expression in primary human lymphocytes. Our data demonstrate that transgene expression is high in activated primary CD4+ T cells but significantly decreased in mitotically quiescent cells. Incorporation of a DNA fragment from the scaffold attachment region (SAR) of the human beta interferon gene into the vector improved transgene expression, particularly in quiescent cells. The SAR element functioned in an orientation-dependent manner and enhanced expression of Moloney murine leukemia virus- and murine embryonic stem cell-based vectors. Clonal analysis of transduced T cells showed that the SAR sequence did not confer position-independent expression on a transgene but rather prevented the decrease of expression when cells became quiescent. The SAR sequence also enhanced transgene expression in T cells generated from retrovirally transduced CD34-enriched hematopoietic progenitor-stem cells in a SCID-hu thymus-liver mouse model. We have used the SAR-containing retroviral vector to express the RevM10 gene, atrans-dominant mutant of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev gene. Compared to a standard retroviral vector, the SAR-containing vector was up to 2 orders of magnitude more efficient in inhibiting replication of the HIV-1 virus in infected CD4+peripheral blood lymphocyte populations in vitro. This is the first demonstration that SAR elements can be used to improve retroviral vector expression in human primary T cells.