Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Inositol 5′-Phosphatase SHIP-2 Negatively Regulates IgE-Induced Mast Cell Degranulation and Cytokine Production1

Aggregation of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) on mast cells initiates signaling pathways leading to degranulation and cytokine release. It has been reported that SHIP-1 negatively regulates FcεRI-triggered pathways but it is unknown whether its homologous protein SHIP-2 has the same function. We have used a lentiviral-based RNA interference technique to obtain SHIP-2 knockdown bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) and have found that elimination of SHIP-2 results in both increased mast cell degranulation and cytokine (IL-4 and IL-13) gene expression upon FcεRI stimulation. Elimination of SHIP-2 from BMMCs has no effect on FcεRI-triggered calcium flux, tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPKs or in actin depolymerization following activation. Rather, we observe that absence of SHIP-2 results in increased activation of the small GTPase Rac-1 and in enhanced microtubule polymerization upon FcεRI engagement. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL 2H3) cells show that SHIP-2 interacts with the FcεRI β-chain, Gab2 and Lyn and that unlike SHIP-1, it does not associate with SHC in mast cells. Our results report a negative regulatory role of SHIP-2 on mast cell activation that is calcium independent and distinct from the regulation by SHIP-1.
Optimization of a luneberg lens antenna using the differential evolution algorithm

The design optimization of a spherical Luneberg lens (SLL) using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm is investigated in this paper. In particular, special attention is given to the optimal gain of the lens antenna. A five-layered SLL is analyzed using the spherical vector wave function expansions (SWE) and optimized by the DE algorithm. The radiation characteristics calculated by SWE are in agreement with the simulation results by commercial software. The optimal structural parameters of the Luneberg lens antenna are also presented.
The AGPA Institute as a Boost to Therapist Resilience in a Post-9/11 World

I am honored to stand before you today as the plenary speaker for the AGPA Institute of 2011. I think of the Institute as the heart of AGPA. Being asked to help you prepare for the experience feels special and touches me. I am entrusted with an important task. Thinking about what I want to say has led me down the path of remembering my history with the Institute. My first contact with AGPA was as a leader for an Institute process group in 1986. Other than one Tavistock conference, I had never had any group experiences outside of Topeka, Kansas, where I worked at the Menninger Clinic. At the time, I was in my mid-twenties when many of us on staff were sent to Tavistock conferences as a strategy to resolve an institutional crisis evolving out of a change in clinic leadership (Horwitz, 2006; Menninger, 1972, 2006). What I learned initially was that I could survive terror in the large group and only later, after calming, was I able to reflect with amazement at other aspects of the process and the curiosities it left in its wake. Eventually, I came to the realization that I had learned a central guiding principle of group life: in the group, EVERyONE COUNTS—no exceptions! So, with that background, I came to AGPA filled with eagerness, anticipation,
Medication Errors in Pediatric Inpatients: Prevalence and Results of a Prevention Program

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and characteristics of medication errors in pediatric and neonatal inpatients and to measure the impact of interventions to reduce medication errors. METHODS. A preintervention and postintervention cross-sectional study was conducted of a sample of prescriptions that were ordered by physicians and medications that were administered by nurses to patients at the NICU, PICU, and general pediatric settings at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Department of Pediatrics in 2002 and 2004. Number and type of errors, time shift on which they occurred, and whether they had any kind of adverse event on the patient were recorded. Medication errors were stratified according to physicians' and nurses' status. Several interventions, including incorporating a positive safety culture without a punitive management of errors and specific prescribing and drug-administration recommendations were implemented between the 2 phases of the study. RESULTS. A total of 590 prescriptions and 1174 drug administrations for 95 patients in the first phase of the study and 1144 prescriptions with 1588 drug administrations for 92 patients in the second phase were evaluated. The prevalence of medication error rate in the second phase was 7.3% (199 of 2732) and 11.4% (201 of 1764) in the first phase. The risk difference was −4.1%. CONCLUSIONS. The development of a program mainly centered on the promotion of a cultural change in the approach to medical errors can effectively diminish medication errors in neonates and children.
Train the trainer? A randomized controlled trial of a multi-tiered oral health education programme in community-based residential services for adults with intellectual disability.

OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of a multi-tiered oral health education programme on care staff caring for people with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS Postal questionnaires were sent to all care staff of a community-based residential care service for adults, randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. A specifically developed training programme was delivered to residential staff nominees, who then trained all staff within the intervention group. The control group received no training. Post-test questionnaires were sent to both groups. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare oral health-related knowledge (K) and behaviour, attitude and self-efficacy (BAS) scores. RESULTS Of the initial 219 respondents, 154 (response rate between 40% and 35.8%, with attrition rate of 29.7% from baseline to repeat) returned completed questionnaires at post-test (M=8.5 months, range=6.5-11 months). Control and intervention groups were comparable for general training, employment and demographic variables. In the intervention group, mean Knowledge Index score rose from K=7.2 to K=7.9 (P<0.001) and mean BAS scale score rose from BAS=4.7 to BAS=5.4 (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant increase in mean scores from test (K=7.0, BAS=4.7) to post-test (K=7.2, BAS=4.9) for the control group. CONCLUSIONS Mean scores regarding knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and reported behaviour increased significantly at 8.5 months in staff where training was provided. The results indicate that a multi-tiered training programme improved knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and reported behaviour amongst staff caring for people with ID.
Insulin signaling.

The following article is another in a series of papers presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Association of Physicians. The WAP meets in Carmel, usually in the first week of February, along with sister organization the Western Society for Clinical Investigation and the Western Federation for Clinical Research. These meetings are designed to offer members and guest physicians broad updates in multiple specialties of medicine and basic science. This eclectic approach provides broad cross-fertilization of ideas, often leading to scientific collaboration. Readers of The Western Journal of Medicine are encouraged to register and attend the meetings. The scheduled program for future meetings will be published in the December issue of the journal.
A classification and constraint-based framework for configuration

One of the main difficulties with configuration problem solving lies in the representation of the domain knowledge because many different aspects, such as taxonomy, topology, constraints, resource balancing, component generation, etc., have to be captured in a single model. This model must be expressive, declarative, and structured enough to be easy to maintain and to be easily used by many different kind of reasoning algorithms. This paper presents a new framework where a configuration problem is considered both as a classification problem and as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). Our approach deeply blends concepts from the CSP and object-oriented paradigms to adopt the strengths of both. We expose how we have integrated taxonomic reasoning in the constraint programming schema. We also introduce new constrained variables with nonfinite domains to deal with the fact that the set of components is previously unknown and is constructed during the search for solution. Our work strongly focuses on the representation and the structuring of the domain knowledge, because the most common drawback of previous works is the difficulty to maintain the knowledge base that is due to a lack of structure and expressiveness of the knowledge representation model. The main contribution of our work is to provide an object-oriented model completely integrated in the CSP schema, with inheritance and classification mechanisms, and with specific arc consistency algorithms.
Caspase‐11: The driving factor for noncanonical inflammasomes

Inflammasomes are large multiprotein platforms that mediate the processing of caspase‐1, which in turn promotes the maturation and release of IL‐1β and IL‐18 in response to microbial and danger signals. While the canonical pathway of inflammasome activation has been known for some time, a novel mechanism of noncanonical inflammasome activation mediated by caspase‐11 was more recently identified. This pathway engages caspase‐11 to trigger both caspase‐1‐dependent and ‐independent production of the inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐18, and IL‐1α, as well as to promote pyroptosis, a form of genetically programmed cell death that is associated with the release of such cytokines. In this review, we gather together studies on both the mechanisms and implications of caspase‐11‐mediated noncanonical inflammasome activation, and discuss the emerging importance of this pathway in regulating host defense against intracellular bacterial pathogens.
Cytokine‐induced generation of multinucleated giant cells in vitro requires interferon‐γ and expression of LFA‐1

Multinucleated giant cells (MGC), which are a common feature of various pathologic states, were generated in vitro by cytokine‐stimulation of human peripheral blood monocytes. As expected, conditioned medium, i.e. the supernatant of concanavalin A‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, readily caused generation of MGC. Addition of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) completely abrogated this effect. IFN‐γ alone, however, had a much smaller effect than the conditioned medium. All other cytokines tested [including interleukin (IL) 2, IL 4 and tumor necrosis factor‐α, which are known to activate monocytes] did not induce MGC nor did they enhance the effect of IFN‐δ.
Wnt4 inhibits beta-catenin/TCF signalling by redirecting beta-catenin to the cell membrane.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION During embryonic development, beta-catenin is central both to the transcriptional activation of Wnt [wingless-type MMTV (murine-mammary-tumour virus) integration site family] target genes and as a mediator of cell-cell adhesion. Signals that regulate its levels and subcellular localization are critical. One mechanism of Wnt signalling results in stabilization of beta-catenin protein, which leads to its translocation into the nucleus, where it interacts with TCF (T-cell factor, HMG box) and activates transcription of target genes. Less well understood are mechanisms of Wnt signalling that do not involve beta-catenin stabilization and result in inhibition of beta-catenin-mediated transcription. RESULTS Here, we show that a member of the Wnt protein family, Wnt4 (Wnt, member 4), regulates the subcellular localization of beta-catenin, redirecting it to the cell membrane. Unique among Wnts, this action does not affect the stability of beta-catenin but does prohibit its involvement in TCF gene transactivation. CONCLUSIONS This novel mechanism suggests that Wnt4 acts as a switch between the two modes of beta-catenin function, transcriptional activation and cell-cell adhesion.
Anomalies of the vermiform appendix and prevalence of acute appendicitis in Khartoum.

OBJECTIVE To investigate certain anatomical features of the vermiform appendix and the prevalence of acute appendicitis among Sudanese citizens in Khartoum province. DESIGN A prospective descriptive study of consecutive patients operated by a particular doctor. SETTING Omdurman and Khartoum Teaching Hospitals from November 1995 to February 1996. INTERVENTION Appendicectomy and recording particular characteristics of the appendix. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES (i) appendix position, (ii) variations of mesopharynx and (iii) length of appendix. RESULTS Acute appendicitis was found to be more common in males than in females and among adults than children. The average length was 8.9 cm in males and 9.4 cms in females. The appendix was commonly found to be retrocaecal (58.3%) on pelvic (21.7%) or paracaecal (11.7%). Anomalies of the appendix were more common in children than adults and occurred in 47% of cases. CONCLUSION Average length of the vermiform appendix was longer in females than in males. Ectopic positions such as left-sided appendix were not detected in this study.
Estimativa da evapotranspiração mensal no Estado do Paraná

Um conjunto de medicoes de temperaturas medias diarias de 22 estacoes agrometeorologicas do Instituto Agronomico do Parana - IAPAR em operacao, foram compiladas originando matrizes de series temporais mensais de temperatura que permitiram calcular a evapotranspiracao pelo Metodo de Camargo, a partir do qual foram obtidos valores da evapotranspiracao mes a mes para cada uma das estacoes distintas. Aplicando-se os modelos das funcoes de distribuicao gama, log-normal e generalizada de valores extremos, foram utilizados os resultados da evapotranspiracao mensal para calcular o valor provavel, com 75% de probabilidade de ocorrencia. Para verificacao de ajuste das curvas de variacao das funcoes distribuicao dos modelos gama e log-normal foi utilizado o metodo de Kolmogorov-Smirnov, para o modelo generalizado de valores extremos a verificacao do ajuste utilizou-se do metodo de Wang. Como resultado, foi observada a variacao mensal dos valores de evapotranspiracao no Estado, ao longo dos meses. Verificou-se a tendencia de regioes mais ao norte apresentarem os maiores valores estimados de lâmina de evapotranspiracao e nas estacoes situadas em areas de maiores altitudes relativas apresentarem menores valores de lâminas. Quanto aos modelos gama, log-normal e generalizada de valores extremos, utilizados para estimativa da evapotranspiracao potencial, ajustaram se satisfatoriamente. Com os valores de cada mes, considerando a probabilidade de 75% de ocorrencia, em cada uma das estacoes, foi montado o mapa das isolinhas que representa a variabilidade da evapotranspiracao potencial, segundo o modelo gama, sobre a base cartografica do estado do Parana.
Factors determining the appropriateness of ceftriaxone usage at the emergency room of a university hospital in Thailand.

BACKGROUND Ceftriaxone is one of the most common empirical antibiotics prescribed at emergency rooms in Thailand. Inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics have been frequently reported. The authors aimed to study factors that determine the appropriateness ofceftriaxone usage at an emergency room ofa university hospital in Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with age of> 15 years old who received ceftriaxone as empirical treatment at the emergency room between April 1 and May 31, 2010. Appropriateness ofceftriaxone usage was considered according to local recommendations and current published guidelines. RESULTS During the 2-months period, 278 patients for whom ceftriaxone was prescribed were included in the analysis. Of these, 109 (39.2%) were men and a median (interquartile range; IQR) age of 62.2 (45.2-75.7) years. Ceftriaxone usage was considered appropriate in 162 (58.3%) cases. By multiple logistic regression, female gender [odds ratio (OR) 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-3. 70], fever (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.3-6.11), had signs and symptoms of infections (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.37-6.28), and suspicion of sepsis (OR 7.90, 95% CI 3.67-17.07), were associated with appropriateness of ceftriaxone usage, while diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract infection was associated with inappropriate ceftriaxone usage (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.77). CONCLUSION Proportion of appropriate use of ceftriaxone is fair. As assessed by established criteria, clinical suspicion of infection was associated with appropriateness of ceftriaxone usage for empirical treatment in an emergency room setting. Interventions to improve appropriateness of ceftriaxone prescription should focus on these factors.
Select HIV Protease Inhibitors Alter Bone and Fat Metabolismex Vivo *

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) therapies have been associated with alterations in fat metabolism and bone mineral density. This study examined the effects of HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) on bone resorption, bone formation, and adipocyte differentiation using ex vivo cultured osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and adipocytes, respectively. Osteoclast activity, measured using a rat neonatal calvaria assay, increased in the presence of nelfinavir (NFV; 47.2%, p = 0.001), indinavir (34.6%, p = 0.001), saquinavir (24.3%,p = 0.001), or ritonavir (18%, p < 0.01). In contrast, lopinavir (LPV) and amprenavir did not increase osteoclast activity. In human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), the PIs LPV and NFV decreased osteoblast alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity and gene expression significantly (p < 0.05). LPV and NFV diminished calcium deposition and osteoprotegrin expression (p < 0.05), whereas the other PIs investigated did not. Adipogenesis of hMSCs was strongly inhibited by saquinavir and NFV (>50%, p < 0.001) and moderately inhibited by ritonavir and LPV (>40%, p < 0.01). Expression of diacylglycerol transferase, a marker of adipocyte differentiation, decreased in hMSCs treated with NFV. Amprenavir and indinavir did not affect adipogenesis or lipolysis. These results suggest that bone and fat formation in hMSCs of bone marrow may be coordinately down-regulated by some but not all PIs.
A randomized clinical trial comparing 50mCi and 100mCi of iodine-131 for ablation of differentiated thyroid cancers.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of low (50 mCi) and high dose (100 mCi) Iodine-131 in ablation of differentiated thyroid cancer remnants. METHODS Baseline serum thyroglobulin (sTg), thyroglobulin antibody (Tg Ab) and diagnostic whole body iodine scan with 2 mCi of I-131 were performed in each individual. After 6 months serum Tg, Tg Ab (of-thyroxin) and WB iodine scan with 10 mCi of I-131 were done to assess the efficacy of the low and high dose of I-131. Iodine ablative therapy (IAT) was considered successful (complete ablation) if the I-131 whole body scan was negative and sTg level was undetectable. In case of positive scan and/or sTg level detectable the patient was considered as unsuccessfully/partially ablated. RESULTS In group A, (high dose) successful IAT was seen in 12/20 (60%) patients. Of these 5/7 (71%) had follicular Carcinoma on histopathology and 7/13 (54%) had papillary Ca. In group B, (low dose) successful IAT was seen in 8/20 (40%) patients, out of which 3/10 (30%) had follicular Carcinoma on histopathology and had successful IAT. 5/10 (50%) patients with papillary Carcinoma had successful IAT. As far as histopathology is concerned, in group A, response to high dose I-131 was better in follicular type than papillary type. Whereas in group B, response to low dose I-131 was better in patients with papillary type than follicular. CONCLUSION 100 mCi of radioactive Iodine-131 (I-131) is a more effective therapeutic dose than 50 mCi (I-131) in the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer remnants. Furthermore, follicular Carcinoma respond better to 100 mCi I-131 than 50 mCi while papillary Carcinoma showed an almost equal response to both.
Condom availability in New York City public high schools: relationships to condom use and sexual behavior.

OBJECTIVES This study examines the impact of the condom availability program in New York City public high schools by comparing rates of sexual activity and condom use for New York students and similar students in Chicago. METHODS A total of 7119 students from 12 randomly selected New York schools and 5738 students from 10 Chicago schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS New York students, compared with Chicago students, reported equal rates of sexual activity but higher rates of condom use at last intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36). For higher-risk students (those with three or more sexual partners in the past 6 months), condom use was greater in New York (OR = 1.85) than in Chicago. CONCLUSIONS Condom availability has a modest but significant effect on condom use and does not increase rates of sexual activity. These findings suggest that school-based condom availability can lower the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases for urban teenagers in the United States.
Fixed Dilated Pupil (Urrets-Zavalia Syndrome) After Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty

Purpose: To report 4 cases that developed fixed dilated pupil after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) for treating keratoconus and granular corneal dystrophy. Methods: Four patients underwent DALK (either Melles's manual dissection or Anwar's big-bubble technique) with diagnosis of keratoconus (2 cases) and granular corneal dystrophy (2 cases). In Melles's technique, the anterior chamber was fully filled with air at the beginning of procedure. When corneal dissection was complete, air was replaced with balanced salt solution. In Anwar's technique, a large bubble was formed between Descemet's membrane and the deepest stroma. Viscoelastic was not used within the anterior chamber in either technique. For microperforation, air was left in the anterior chamber for a couple of days. Two patients developed severe fibrinous anterior uveitis that was controlled with intense topical and systemic steroid. Other two patients developed high intraocular pressure that was controlled with antiglaucoma medications. Results: After 1-2 weeks, all 4 DALK patients developed fixed dilated pupil and posterior synechiae; 2 patients developed a faint anterior subcapsular opacity. Of 286 patients who underwent DALK, 6 patients had microperforation (2%) and 4 patients developed fixed dilated pupil (1.4%). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) decreased in all patients; most of them complained about visual symptoms like glare and halo at night. Conclusions: Fixed dilated pupil (Urrets-Zavalia syndrome) is an uncommon but rather serious complication of corneal transplantation. Iris ischemia is the most common proposing mechanism. Decreased BCVA and visual symptoms at night (glare and halo) are late sequelae. A fixed dilated pupil with iris atrophy (Urrets-Zavalia syndrome) is an uncommon postoperative complication that was originally described after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus.1,2 In these cases, the iris is fixed and dilated and adheres to anterior lens capsule. Prepupillary iris atrophy is usually seen and may be accompanied by a severe fibrinous reaction and anterior subcapsular lens opacity.