Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Subdominant CD8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte (CTL) Epitope from the Plasmodium yoeliiCircumsporozoite Protein Induces CTLs That Eliminate Infected Hepatocytes from Culture

ABSTRACT Previous studies indicated that the Plasmodium yoeliicircumsporozoite protein (PyCSP) 57–70 region elicits T cells capable of eliminating infected hepatocytes in vitro. Herein, we report that the PyCSP58–67 sequence contains an H-2d binding motif, which binds purified Kd molecules in vitro with low affinity (3,267 nM) and encodes an H-2d-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope. Immunization of BALB/c mice with three doses of a multiple antigen peptide (MAP) construct containing four branches of amino acids 57 to 70 linked to a lysine-glycine core [MAP4(PyCSP57–70)] and Lipofectin as the adjuvant induced both T-cell proliferation and a peptide-specific CTL response that was PyCSP59–67 specific, H-2d restricted, and CD8+T cell dependent. Immunization with either DNA encoding the PyCSP or irradiated sporozoites demonstrated that this CTL epitope is subdominant since it is not recognized in the context of whole CSP immunization. The biological relevance of this CTL response was underlined by the demonstration that it could mediate genetically restricted, CD8+- and nitric-oxide-dependent elimination of infected hepatocytes in vitro, as well as partial protection of BALB/c mice against sporozoite challenge. These findings indicate that subdominant epitopes with low major histocompatibility complex affinity can be used to engineer epitope-based vaccines and have implications for the selection of epitopes for subunit-based vaccines.
[Strabismus and congenital cataracts].

PURPOSE To study the prevalence, characteristics, indications for and results of strabismus treatment secondary to congenital cataracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective study of 21 cases from 29 with congenital cataracts with strabismus (unilateral in 11 and bilateral in 10 cases). In 20 patients surgery on the cataracts was performed, with an intraocular lens inserted in 15 patients. Botulinum toxin and/or strabismus surgery were deemed to be indicated when the deviation was stable after rehabilitation therapy. A good motor end result was considered when the final deviation was < or =5 degrees, and a good sensorial result was when there was no suppression in the Worth test even without stereopsis in the TNO test. RESULTS The strabismus prevalence was 72.4%. Strabismus was present before cataract surgery was performed in 12 cases, 8 with esotropia (ET) and 4 with exotropia (XT). Strabismus which appeared after cataract surgery was classified as 13 ET, 5 XT, 1 ET with vertical anisotropia in <<V>>, and 2 XT with dissociated vertical deviation (DVD). The strabismus angle was variable in 6 patients and was not treated. The other 6 cases required strabismus treatment. Botulinum toxin was injected as the only treatment in 1 patient, strabismus surgery was performed in 4, and strabismus surgery and botulinum toxin were used in another case. The average age at the time of treatment was 5.2 years. The motor result was good in 5 cases (83.3%) and the sensorial result good in two (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS Strabismus secondary to congenital cataracts occurred in a significant number of patients and increased after cataract extraction. Esotropia occurred twice as often as exotropia. Strabismus surgery was not required in most of the cases. The motor results were better than sensorial results.
Power line tower models above 1000 kHz in the standard broadcast band

It is shown that the resonant behavior of power lines at higher frequencies is quite dependent on the geometry of the crossarms that the tower uses to carry the phase wires. Tower models (including crossarm detail) which can reproduce the Thornhill measurements at 1605 kHz and the scale-model measurements from 1000 to 1900 kHz are developed. One such tower model is simple enough to allow the analysis of long runs of power line. Such models are useful in estimating scattering from power lines across the entire AM broadcast band. <<ETX>>
Incidence of otitis externa in dogs and cats in Japan

The incidence of otitis externa in dogs and cats admitted to the animal hospital of the University of Osaka Prefecture was investigated and the bacteria isolated were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Of the various breeds examined, the incidence of otitis externa was highest in miniature poodles and cocker spaniels and Himalayan and Persian cats. The organisms most commonly associated with otitis externa were coagulase-negative staphylococci, followed by coagulase-positive staphylococci, streptococci and Escherichia coli. Most staphylococci were susceptible to the antibiotics tested, but 15 per cent of staphylococci were resistant to more than three antibiotics. Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes species were resistant to almost all antibiotics except gentamicin and colistin.
[Prevalence and clinical characteristics of thyroid disease induced by chronic hepatitis B treated with polyethylene glycol (peg) interferon-alpha].

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence and clinical characteristics of thyroid disease induced by chronic hepatitis B treated with polyethylene glycol (peg) interferon-alpha. METHODS Totally 210 patients with chronic hepatitis B were monitored for thyroid function and thyroid antibodies before application of polyethylene glycol (peg) interferon-alpha therapy and every 3 months during and after the treatment. RESULTS After treatment with polyethylene glycol (peg) interferon-alpha, 6.7% (14/210) of patients had thyroid disease, in which 5.2% (11/210) had hyperthyroidism and 1.4% (3/210) had hypothyroidism. The proportion of the hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in women were 11.8% (6/51) and 3.9% (2/51), higher than 3.1% (5/159) and 0.6% (1/159) in male (P < 0.05). In women subjects, higher proportion of those who developed thyroid disease were positive for antibody against thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb) before treatment and positive for antibody against thyroid globulin (TgAb) during the treatment as compared with those who did not develop thyroid disease (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with polyethylene glycol (peg) interferon-alpha therapy are prone to develop thyroid disease. Women positive for TPOAb and TgAb may be at increased risk for developing thyroid disease.
Decoding Face Exemplars from fMRI Responses: What Works, What Doesn't?

Understanding how the human brain encodes individual faces is a central challenge for face recognition research. Such within-category selectivity has mainly been reported in spike rate analyses of single-unit data from macaque inferotemporal cortex (IT) ([Hasselmo et al., 1989][1]; [Tsao et al.,
The medical cost of undiagnosed sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is an under-diagnosed, but common disorder with serious adverse consequences. Cost data from the year prior to the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing in a consecutive series of 238 cases were used to estimate the potential medical cost of undiagnosed sleep apnea and to determine the relationship between the severity of sleep-disordered breathing and the magnitude of medical costs. Among cases, mean annual medical cost prior to diagnosis was $2720 versus $1384 for age and gender matched controls (p<0.01). Regression analysis showed that the reciprocal of the apnea hypopnea index among cases was significantly related to log-transformed annual medical costs after adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index (p<0.05). We conclude that patients with undiagnosed sleep apnea had considerably higher medical costs than age and sex matched individuals and that the severity of sleep-disordered breathing was associated with the magnitude of medical costs. Using available data on the prevalence of undiagnosed moderate to severe sleep apnea in middle-aged adults, we estimate that untreated sleep apnea may cause $3.4 billion in additional medical costs in the U.S. Whether medical cost savings occur with treatment of sleep apnea remains to be determined.
Parenteral iron increases serum erythropoietin concentration during the ‘early anaemia’ of 10–20‐day‐old mice

Parenteral iron abolishes the ‘early anaemia’ in all mammals tested and increases packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration (Hb) significantly above adult levels. In the present study we examined the effect of parenteral iron upon serum immunoreactive erythropoietin (siEpo) concentration in young mice (age 6–24 d) and in adult iron‐deficient mice.
Initiation of DNA replication at CpG islands in mammalian chromosomes

CpG islands are G+C‐rich regions ∼1 kb long that are free of methylation and contain the promoters of many mammalian genes. Analysis of in vivo replication intermediates at three hamster genes and one human gene showed that the CpG island regions, but not their flanks, were present in very short nascent strands, suggesting that they are replication origins (ORIs). CpG island‐like fragments were enriched in a population of short nascent strands from human erythroleukaemic cells, suggesting that islands constitute a significant fraction of endogenous ORIs. Correspondingly, bulk CpG islands were found to replicate coordinately early in S phase. Our results imply that CpG islands are initiation sites for both transcription and DNA replication, and may represent genomic footprints of replication initiation.
Trends in the Level of Evidence in Clinical Hand Surgery Research

Background: The application of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to the practice of hand surgery has been limited. Production of high-quality research is an integral component of EBM. With considerable improvements in the quality evidence in both orthopedic and plastic and reconstructive surgery, it is imperative that hand surgery research emulates this trend. Methods: A systematic review was performed on all hand surgery articles published in 6 journals over a 20-year period. The journals included Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery, Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Journal of Hand Surgery–European Volume, Journal of Hand Surgery–American Volume, Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, and the Bone & Joint Journal. The level of evidence of each article was determined using the Oxford level of evidence. The quality of methodology of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using Jadad scale. Statistical analysis involved chi-squares and Student t test (P < .05). Results: A total of 972 original hand surgery research articles were reviewed. There was a significant increase in the average level of evidence of articles published between1993 and 2013. High-quality evidence only accounted for 11.2% of evidence published, with a significant increase over the study period (P = 0.001). Quantitative evaluation of the 26 published RCTs, using Jadad scale, revealed a progressive improvement in study design from 0.3 in 1993 to 3.33 in 2013. Conclusions: Hand surgery research has mirrored trends seen in other surgical specialties, with a significant increase in quality of evidence over time. Yet, high-quality evidence still remains infrequent.
Adaptive nonlinear filters for joint fault estimation and accommodation of a wind farm benchmark

In order to improve the availability of offshore wind farms, thus avoiding unplanned operation and maintenance costs, which can be high for offshore installations, the accommodation of faults in their earlier occurrence is fundamental. Therefore, this paper addresses the design of an active fault tolerant control scheme that is applied to a small wind park benchmark of nine wind turbines, based on their nonlinear models, as well as the wind and interactions between the wind turbines in the wind farm. The controller accommodation scheme exploits the on-line estimate of the fault signals generated by nonlinear filters using the nonlinear geometric approach to obtain estimates decoupled from both model uncertainty and the interactions among the turbines. This paper proposes also a data-driven approach to provide these disturbance terms in analytical forms, which are subsequently used for designing the nonlinear filters for fault estimation. The wind farm benchmark is considered to validate the performances of the suggested scheme in the presence of different fault conditions, modelling and measurement errors.
The effects of infant births on male–female relationships in Cebus capucinus

Most primates are characterized by cohesive male–female bonds that are maintained year round. While recent studies have addressed the selective pressures influencing the evolution of male–female relationships in primates, we know relatively little about the proximate mechanisms affecting them. It has been demonstrated that newborn white‐faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) attract the attention of other group members and this may be an important mechanism influencing male–female relationships. We studied two groups of C. capucinus in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, between February and July 2007. A total of 348 hr of focal data were collected on all adult males (n=6) residing in each of the study groups. During our study, 13 of the 14 group females were either pregnant or lactating, and 9 infants were born. We calculated an average daily affiliation rate between all group males combined and each adult female four weeks before and four weeks after the birth of her infant. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed no significant changes in affiliation following infant births (F=2.262, df=1, P<0.176). Results remained nonsignificant for rank (F=1.550, df=1, P<0.260) and group membership (F=0.729, df=1, P<0.429). Infant sex was the only variable with a significant effect on affiliation rates between males and females (F=10.020, df=1, P<0.019). Adult males increased their affiliation with all adult females that gave birth to male infants (n=4), while their rates decreased with all but one of the adult females with female infants (n=4). While preliminary, these results indicate that the adult males may cultivate relationships with other males at a young age. Am. J. Primatol. 71:380–383, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
STACKELBERG B EATS C OURNOT: O N C OLLUSION AND E FFICIENCY I N E XPERIMENTAL M ARKETS

We report on an experiment designed to compare Stackelberg and Cournot duopoly markets with quantity competition. We implement both a random matching and a fixed-pairs version for each market. Stackelberg markets yield, regardless of the matching scheme, higher outputs than Cournot markets and, thus, higher efficiency. For Cournot markets we replicate a pattern known from previous experiments. There is stable equilibrium play under random matching and partial collusion under fixed pairs. We also find for Stackelberg markets that competition becomes less intense when firms remain in pairs but we find considerable deviations from the subgame perfect equilibrium prediction which can be attributed to an aversion to disadvantageous inequality.
The prognostic importance of trauma scoring systems for blunt thoracic trauma.

BACKGROUND Early identification and aggressive management of blunt thoracic trauma are essential to reduce the significant rates of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the independent predictive value of 5 different trauma scoring systems (Revised Trauma Score [RTS], Trauma and Injury Severity Score [TRISS], Injury Severity Score [ISS], Lung Injury Scale [LIS], and Chest Wall Injury Scale [CWIS]) with respect to prognostic factors such as tube thoracostomy duration, the need for mechanical support and thoracotomy, the length of hospital and ICU stay, morbid conditions, and deaths of patients with blunt thoracic trauma. METHODS The records of 152 patients with blunt thoracic trauma were reviewed and data consisting of the patients' age and gender, blood pressure and respiratory rate on admission, the extent of chest wall and intrathoracic injury, types of associated injuries, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, the need for mechanical support and thoracotomy, tube thoracostomy duration, length of hospital and ICU stay, morbid conditions, and deaths were collected. The relations between the trauma scoring systems and prognostic factors were evaluated by multivariate analysis. RESULTS The analysis showed that only TRISS was an independent predictor of mortality and only LIS was an independent predictor of morbidity, the need for thoracotomy, and tube thoracostomy duration. TRISS and LIS were independent predictors of the length of ICU stay. ISS, CWIS, and LIS were independent predictors of the need for mechanical support. RTS, TRISS, ISS and LIS were independent predictors of the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS The LIS grade appeared to correlate with the severity of blunt thoracic injury and was found to be the most useful scoring system in predicting the outcomes of these patients.
In vitro activity of piperacillin, a new semisynthetic penicillin with an unusually broad spectrum of activity

The in vitro activity of piperacillin (T-1220), a new semisynthetic derivative of aminobenzylpenicillin, was investigated. The majority of streptococci and pneumococci were inhibited by 0.12 micrograms/ml; the staphylococci and enterococci were inhibited by 2 micrograms/ml. Piperacillin was slightly more active against Neisseria and Haemophilus influenzae than was ampicillin. Piperacillin was active against all members of the Enterobacteriaceae including the Klebsiella, 58% of which were inhibited by 8 micrograms/ml. The activity of piperacillin was at least equivalent, but generally superior, to that of ampicillin or carbenicillin on species susceptible to these drugs. Most striking was its activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 50% were inhibited by 2 micrograms/ml, and 83% were inhibited by 4 micrograms/ml. The minimum bactericidal concentrations were very close to the minimum inhibitory concentrations, and in most species only a slight inoculum effect was observed on the minimum bacterial values except for certain P. aeruginosa strains. A complete parallel resistance exists between piperacillin and ampicillin or carbenicillin. However, the clinical importance of this is largely mitigated by the intrinsically higher activity of piperacillin.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Overweight and Obese US Children

OBJECTIVE: Adequate vitamin D is essential for skeletal health in developing children. Although excess body weight is associated with risk of vitamin D deficiency, the national prevalence of and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in overweight and obese children are unknown. METHODS: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25-hydroxyvitamin-D <20 ng/mL) was determined in a sample of 6- to 18-year-old children who were enrolled in a cross-sectional study (the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) in which body weight and height were measured directly. Children were classified as healthy-weight, overweight, obese, or severely obese by using recommended age- and gender-specificBMI-percentile cut points. Associations between BMI-percentile classification and vitamin D deficiency were examined after adjustment for relevant confounders. Sample weights were used to generate nationally representative estimates. RESULTS: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy-weight, overweight, obese, and severely obese children was 21% (20%–22%), 29% (27%–31%), 34% (32%–36%), and 49% (45%–53%), respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in severely obese white, Latino, and African-American children was 27% (3%–51%), 52% (36%–68%), and 87% (81%–93%), respectively. Compared with healthy-weight children, overweight, obese, and severely obese children had significantly greater adjusted odds of vitamin D deficiency. Modifiable factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in overweight/obese children were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in overweight and obese children. The particularly high prevalence in severely obese and minority children suggests that targeted screening and treatment guidance is needed.
Association between polymorphisms of the cytokine and cytokine receptor genes and immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in a Chinese Han population

The immune response to hepatitis B vaccination varies among individuals. It has been reported that polymorphisms in cytokine and cytokine receptor genes are associated with these individual differences. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms of the Th1/Th2 cytokine and cytokine receptor genes and the response to hepatitis B vaccination in a Chinese Han population. A total of 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms distributed in 6 genes (TNFRSF1A, IL12A, IL12B, IFNG, IL4, and IL10) were genotyped in 214 high‐responders [hepatitis B surface antibody (anti‐HBs) ≥1,000 mIU/ml] and 107 low‐responders (anti‐HBs: 10–99 mIU/ml). The minor CTCTAA allele of rs17860508 in the IL12B gene was associated with a low response to hepatitis B vaccination (P = 0.039, odds ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval = 1.00–1.99). In addition, a significant gene–gene interaction was found: the frequency of the combined genotypes IL12A rs2243115 TT and IL12B rs17860508 CTCTAA/CTCTAA was significantly higher in the low‐response group than in the high‐response group (P = 0.008, odds ratio = 2.19, 95% confidence interval = 1.23–3.93). These findings suggest that polymorphisms in the IL12A and IL12B genes might play an important role jointly in determining the response to hepatitis B vaccination. J. Med. Virol. 84:26–33, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Human epithelial cells increase their rigidity with ageing in vitro: direct measurements

The decrease in elasticity of epithelial tissues with ageing contributes to many human diseases. This change was previously attributed to increased crosslinking of extracellular matrix proteins. Here we show that individual human epithelial cells also become significantly more rigid during ageing in vitro. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we found that the Young's modulus of viable cells was consistently increased two- to four-fold in older versus younger cells. Direct visualization of the cytoskeleton using a novel method involving the AFM suggested that increased rigidity of ageing cells was due to a higher density of cytoskeletal fibres. Our results identify a unique mechanism that might contribute to the age-related loss of elasticity in epithelial tissues.
Plant and mammalian sorting signals for protein retention in the endoplasmic reticulum contain a conserved epitope.

We studied protein sorting signals which are responsible for the retention of reticuloplasmins in the lumen of the plant endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A non‐specific passenger protein, previously shown to be secreted by default, was used as a carrier for such signals. Tagging with C‐terminal tetrapeptide sequences of mammalian (KDEL) and yeast (HDEL) reticuloplasmins led to effective accumulation of the protein chimeras in the lumen of the plant ER. Some single amino acid substitutions within the tetrapeptide tag (‐SDEL, ‐KDDL, ‐KDEI and ‐KDEV) can cause a complete loss of its function as a retention signal, demonstrating the high specificity of the retention machinery. However, other modifications confer efficient (‐RDEL) or partial (‐KEEL) retention. It is also shown that the efficiency of protein retention is not significantly impaired by an increased ligand concentration in plants. The efficiently retained chimeras (‐KDEL, ‐HDEL and ‐RDEL) were shown to be recognized by a monoclonal antibody directed against the C‐terminus of the mammalian reticuloplasmin protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The recognized epitope is also present in several putative reticuloplasmins in microsomal fractions of plant and mammalian cells, suggesting that the antibodies recognize an important structural determinant of the retention signal. In addition, data are discussed which support the view that upstream sequences beyond the C‐terminal tetrapeptide can influence or may be part of the structure of reticuloplasmin retention signals.