Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction between Human NK Cells and Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Induces NK Cell Triggering: Role of NKp30 and NKG2D Receptors1

In this study we have analyzed the interaction between in vitro cultured bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and NK cells. Ex vivo-isolated NK cells neoexpressed the activation Ag CD69 and released IFN-γ and TNF-α upon binding with BMSC. Production of these proinflammatory cytokines was dependent on ligation of ICAM1 expressed on BMSC and its receptor LFA1 on NK cells. Furthermore, the NKp30, among natural cytotoxicity receptors, appeared to be primarily involved in triggering NK cells upon interaction with BMSC. Unexpectedly, autologous IL-2-activated NK cells killed BMSC. Again, LFA1/ICAM1 interaction plays a key role in NK/BMSC interaction; this interaction is followed by a strong intracellular calcium increase in NK cells. More importantly, NKG2D/MHC-I-related stress-inducible molecule A and/or NKG2D/UL-16 binding protein 3 engagement is responsible for the delivery of a lethal hit. It appears that HLA-I molecules do not protect BMSC from NK cell-mediated injury. Thus, NK cells, activated upon binding with BMSC, may regulate BMSC survival.
FinFET-based pseudo-spin-transistor: Design and performance

FinFET-based pseudo-spin-transistors referred to as pseudo-spin-FinFETs (PS-FinFETs) were computationally investigated, in which a high-performance FinFET and a spin-transfer-torque magnetic tunnel junction (STT-MTJ) were used to implement a PS-FinFET. The performance of PS-FinFETs was analyzed by HSPICE simulations using a predictive technology model of a FinFET and our developed STT-MTJ macromodel. The design method of PS-FinFETs was developed based on the systematic simulations. The application of PS-FinFETs to a nonvolatile SRAM cell was also explored. PS-FinFETs can introduce nonvolatile power-gating architecture into FinFET-based logic systems, leading to energy-efficient high-performance logic systems.
Utility of Commercial Systems for Identification ofBurkholderia cepacia Complex from Cystic Fibrosis Sputum Culture

ABSTRACT Performances of several commercial test systems were reviewed to determine their relative levels of accuracy in identifyingBurkholderia cepacia complex isolates recovered from cystic fibrosis sputum culture. Positive predictive values ranged from 71 to 98%; negative predictive values ranged from 50 to 82%. All systems misidentified B. cepacia complex. The species most frequently misidentified as B. cepacia wasBurkholderia gladioli. These data support the results of previous studies that recommend confirmatory testing, including the use of DNA-based methods, for sputum culture isolates presumptively identified as B. cepacia.
The Role of Anti-Helicobacter Pylori Therapy in Remission Induction of Primary Gastric Lymphoma by Analysis of Microsatellite Instability

Background: The molecular mechanism associated with remission of primary gastric lymphoma post helicobacter pylori eradication is still unclear. Aim of the study: to evaluate Microsatellite (MSI) instability at markers adjacent to Chromosomal loci involved in primary gastric lymphoma in relation to helicobacter eradication therapy. Methods: 107 primary gastric lymphoma patients included 30 low grade Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue Gastric lymphoma (MALT), 36 Diffuse large gastric lymphoma with MALT component (MALTDLBCL) and 41 DLBCL gastric lymphoma (DLBCL) were treated with anti Helicobacter pylori therapy as fi rst line treatment and to asses for Microsatellite instability (MSI) Results: the incidence of complete remission post helicobacter pylori eradication was higher in Low grade MALT in comparison to MALTDLBCL and denovo DLBCL. The incidence of MSI is decrease post helicobacter pylori eradication in all subtypes Conclusion: Remission of gastric lymphoma post Helicobacter eradication may associate with correction of MSI level.
Clinical evaluation of the vector algorithm for neonatal hearing screening using automated auditory brainstem response

A novel auditory brainstem response (ABR) detection and scoring algorithm, entitled the Vector algorithm is described. An independent clinical evaluation of the algorithm using 464 tests (120 non-stimulated and 344 stimulated tests) on 60 infants, with a mean age of approximately 6.5 weeks, estimated test sensitivity greater than 0.99 and test specificity at 0.87 for one test. Specificity was estimated to be greater than 0.95 for a two stage screen. Test times were of the order of 1.5 minutes per ear for detection of an ABR and 4.5 minutes per ear in the absence of a clear response. The Vector algorithm is commercially availablefor both automated screening and threshold estimation in hearing screening devices.
Learning Image and Video Representations Based on Sparsity Priors

Sparse representations of data have been observed to contain rich distributed information of the data with respect to specific learning tasks, such as image classification, regression, etc. By taking advantage of such a benefit, the focus of this dissertation is on developing a two-layer representation learning framework that allows disentangling the underlying explanatory factors hidden in sparse representations of image and video data. Such a learning framework has been successfully applied on modeling dynamic textures and finding low dimensional image representations.
A retrospective study of 2585 patients patch tested with the European standard series in Hong Kong (1995–99)

Background Data on patch test findings in Hong Kong are scarce, with the last survey performed more than 10 years ago. A retrospective analysis of results from all patch tests performed on patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis from January 1995 to December 1999 in the Social Hygiene Service, which provides a public dermatology service in Hong Kong, was undertaken. We aimed to explore the demographic data associated with positive reactions and the profile of contact sensitizing allergens in Hong Kong.
FIW – Working Paper Financial Liberalization and Institutional Development

This paper empirically analyzes the effects of de jure financial openness on institutional quality as captured by indicators on investment risk, corruption level, impartiality of judiciary system as well as the effectiveness of bureaucratic authorities. Using a panel data set of more than 110 countries and a time span from 1984 to 2005, we show that a higher degree of financial openness improves institutional quality in particular by reducing investment risks. We also study the effect of a single liberalization reform on the development of institutional quality. Again, we find evidence for the beneficial impact of financial liberalization with the exception of the level of corruption. We additionally show that if financial liberalization is supported by simultaneous political liberalization, the benign consequences of financial opening for the institutional performance are even larger, while financial deregulation in former socialist countries tends to worsen institutional quality. JEL classification: F02, D72, P48
Title Nicaraven Attenuates Radiation-Induced Injury in HematopoieticStem / Progenitor Cells in Mice

Nicaraven, a chemically synthesized hydroxyl radical-specific scavenger, has been demonstrated to protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury in various organs. We investigated whether nicaraven can attenuate radiation-induced injury in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, which is the conmen complication of radiotherapy and one of the major causes of death in sub-acute phase after accidental exposure to high dose radiation. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 1 Gy c-ray radiation daily for 5 days in succession (a total of 5 Gy), and given nicaraven or a placebo after each exposure. The mice were sacrificed 2 days after the last radiation treatment, and the protective effects and relevant mechanisms of nicaraven in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with radiation-induced damage were investigated by ex vivo examination. We found that post-radiation administration of nicaraven significantly increased the number, improved the colony-forming capacity, and decreased the DNA damage of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. The urinary levels of 8-oxo-29-deoxyguanosine, a marker of DNA oxidation, were significantly lower in mice that were given nicaraven compared with those that received a placebo treatment, although the levels of intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in the bone marrow cells did not differ significantly between the two groups. Interestingly, compared with the placebo treatment, the administration of nicaraven significantly decreased the levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a in the plasma of mice. Our data suggest that nicaraven effectively diminished the effects of radiation-induced injury in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, which is likely associated with the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of this compound. Citation: Kawakatsu M, Urata Y, Imai R, Goto S, Ono Y, et al. (2013) Nicaraven Attenuates Radiation-Induced Injury in Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells in Mice. PLoS ONE 8(3): e60023. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0060023 Editor: Aditya Bhushan Pant, Indian Institute of Toxicology Reserach, India Received October 5, 2012; Accepted February 20, 2013; Published March 29, 2013 Copyright: 2013 Kawakatsu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for the Global Centers of Excellence Program from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture and Technology, Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: litaoshe@nagasaki-u.ac. jp
Dose-dependent vascular response following delivery of sirolimus via fast releasing, biodegradable polymer stent matrix: an experimental study in the porcine coronary model of restenosis.

BACKGROUND Fast releasing, rapamycin-eluting stents, although safe, showed inferior results with regard to inhibition of restenosis. AIM Therefore, we report vascular effects of a novel, biodegradable polymer stent matrix with elevated sirolimus dose and fast release kinetics (ed-frSES, Alex, Balton) in the porcine coronary in-stent restenosis model. METHODS A total of 19 stents were implanted with 120% overstretch in the coronary arteries of seven domestic pigs: seven ed-frSES with 1.3 μg/mm2 of sirolimus, eight frSES with 1 μg/mm2 of sirolimus, and eight bare metal stents (BMS). For the following 28 days, coronary angiography was performed, animals were sacrificed, and the stented segments harvested for histopathological evaluation. RESULTS In angiography at 28 days the late lumen loss was lowest in the elevated dose sirolimus eluting stent (SES) (ed-frSES: 0.20 ± 0.2 vs. frSES: 0.80 ± 0.5 vs. BMS: 0.96 ± 0.5 mm, p < 0.01). This was confirmed in the morphometric evaluation in histopathology as represented by a significant and dose-dependent decrease in the percentage area of stenosis (ed-frSES: 22.4 ± 12.7% vs. frSES: 35 ± 10.7% vs. BMS: 47.5 ± 12.5%, p < 0.01). There was no peri-strut inflammation in any of the groups. However, the endothelialisation score was numerically not meaningfully decreased in ed-frSES (ed-frSES: 2.93 vs. frSES: 3. vs. BMS: 3, p = 0.05). Signs of fibrin were also noted in ed-frSES (ed-frSES: 0.4 vs. frSES: 0 vs. BMS: 0, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sirolimus dose-dependent vascular response was reported. The elevated dose, fast releasing SES shows satisfactory vascular healing, similar to regular dose, fast release SES, with improved efficacy in restenosis inhibition.
The Thyroid Epidemiology, Audit, and Research Study (TEARS): the natural history of endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism.

OBJECTIVE For patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH), the objective of the study was to define the rates of progression to frank hyperthyroidism and normal thyroid function. DESIGN Record-linkage technology was used retrospectively to identify patients with SH in the general population of Tayside, Scotland, from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2009. PATIENTS All Tayside residents with at least two measurements of TSH below the reference range for at least 4 months from baseline and normal free T(4)/total T(4) and total T(3) concentrations at baseline were included as potential cases. Using a unique patient identifier, data linkage enabled a cohort of SH cases to be identified from prescription, admission, and radioactive iodine treatment records. Cases younger than 18 yr of age were also excluded from the study. OUTCOME MEASURES The status of patients was investigated at 2, 5, and 7 yr after diagnosis. RESULTS We identified 2024 cases with SH, a prevalence of 0.63% and an incidence of 29 per 100,000 in 2008. Most SH cases without thyroid treatment remained as SH at 2 (81.8%), 5 (67.5%), and 7 yr (63.0%) after diagnosis. Few patients (0.5-0.7%) developed hyperthyroidism at 2, 5, and 7 yr. The percentage of SH cases reverting to normal increased with time: 17.2% (2 yr), 31.5% (5 yr), and 35.6% (7 yr), and this was more common in SH patients with baseline TSH between 0.1 and 0.4 mU/liter. CONCLUSION Very few SH patients develop frank hyperthyroidism, whereas a much larger proportion revert to normal, and many remain with SH.
The economic impact of rapid Candida species identification by T2Candida among high-risk patients.

INTRODUCTION This study estimates the cost-effectiveness and hospital budget impact of rapid candidemia identification using T2Candida, a novel diagnostic panel with same-day species-specific results. MATERIALS & METHODS A 1-year decision-tree model estimates hospital costs (2013 US$) and effects (candidemia-related deaths) for faster diagnostics versus blood culture (BC), accounting for disease prevalence, distribution of Candida species, test characteristics (sensitivity/specificity/time to result), antifungal medication and differential length-of-stay and mortality by appropriate treatment timing. RESULTS The model estimates a hospital with 5100 annual high-risk patients could possibly save $5,858,448 with T2Candida versus BC, a 47.6% decrease in candidemia diagnosis and treatment budget ($1149/patient tested), while averting 60.6% of candidemia-related mortality. CONCLUSION Hospitals may observe lower candidemia-related inpatient costs and mortality with rapid Candida diagnosis.
Sentinel Lymph Node Frozen-Section Utilization Declines After Publication of American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 Trial Results With No Change in Subsequent Surgery for Axillary Lymph Node Dissection.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate use of sentinel lymph node (SLN) frozen section (FS) before and after publication of the Z0011 trial. METHODS We identified 116 pre-Z0011 and 134 post-Z0011 patients from 18 months before and after Z0011-initiated changes. Clinicopathologic features were assessed by chart review. RESULTS Post-Z0011 SLN FS use markedly declined when performed with breast-conserving therapy (BCT) (P < .0001), with SLN FS in 53 (73.6%) of 72 and 19 (25.0%) of 76 in pre- and post-Z0011 groups, respectively. There was post-Z0011 decline in axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (P = .014) but no difference in later procedures for ALND. SLN positivity was associated with larger (≥1.6 cm) tumor size (P = .002). Nodal upstage was more frequent with invasive lobular (3/32; 9.4%) vs other invasive (2/188; 1.1%) subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support reduced need for SLN FS for BCT patients post-Z0011. However, those with specific clinicopathologic features may derive greater benefit from SLN FS.
Bleeding patterns in women using intramuscular progesterone for luteal support in in-vitro fertilisation cycles

This paper aims to evaluate the effects of i.m. progesterone on bleeding patterns after in-vitro fertilisation embryo transfer (IVF-ET). It is a retrospective cohort study conducted in the reproductive endocrinology and IVF department of a teaching hospital. One hundred consecutive women were studied who had undergone IVF-ET using 'long protocol' stimulation with leuprolide acetate-recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) and who did not become pregnant. Intramuscular (i.m.) progesterone (50 mg once daily) was started the day before oocyte retrieval and continued for a minimum of 12-14 days following embryo transfer. The main outcome measures were time interval between oocyte retrieval and onset of bleeding, luteal phase serum progesterone and oestradiol (E2) levels, and midluteal endometrial thickness. Of the 100 patients whose charts were reviewed, 67 bled (group A) before progesterone treatment was discontinued (17 days after oocyte retrieval) and 33 (group B) bled after progesterone treatment was discontinued (> 17 days). Mean onset of bleeding was 16.2 ± 2.6 days after oocyte retrieval. Serum progesterone concentrations were similar in the two groups on the day of hCG administration, whereas progesterone concentrations (in-group B) were higher on days 7 and 15 after oocyte retrieval. No statistically significant differences were found between two groups with respect to mean midluteal endometrial thickness and mean serum E2 concentrations on days 0, 7 and 15. The results suggest that i.m progesterone administration for luteal support in assisted reproduction cycles elongates luteal phase in some patients due to supraphysiological serum progesterone levels. However, most patients start to bleed in the absence of pregnancy despite continued progesterone treatment.
Neurocognitive and motor deficits in HIV-infected Ugandan children with high CD4 cell counts.

BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes neurocognitive or motor function deficits in children with advanced disease, but it is unclear whether children with CD4 cell measures above the World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation suffer significant impairment. METHODS The neurocognitive and motor functions of HIV-infected ART-naive Ugandan children aged 6-12 years with CD4 cell counts of >350 cells/μL and CD4 cell percentage of >15% were compared with those of HIV-uninfected children, using the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, second edition (KABC-2), and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2). RESULTS Ninety-three HIV-infected children (median CD4 cell count, 655 cells/μL; plasma HIV RNA level, 4.7 log(10) copies/mL) were compared to 106 HIV-uninfected children. HIV-infected children performed worse on TOVA visual reaction times (multivariate analysis of covariance; P = .006); KABC-2 sequential processing (P = .005), simultaneous processing (P = .039), planning/reasoning (P = .023), and global performance (P = .024); and BOT-2 total motor proficiency (P = .003). High plasma HIV RNA level was associated with worse performance in 10 cognitive measures and 3 motor measures. In analysis of only WHO clinical stage 1 or 2 HIV-infected children (n = 68), significant differences between the HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected groups (P < .05) remained for KABC-2 sequential processing, KABC-2 planning/reasoning, and BOT-2 motor proficiency. CONCLUSIONS Significant motor and cognitive deficits were found in HIV-infected ART-naive Ugandan children with CD4 cell counts of ∼350 cells/μL and percentages of >15%. Study of whether early initiation of ART could prevent or reverse such deficits is needed.
Effects of the mycotoxin fumonisin B1 on cell death in human kidney cells and human lung fibroblasts in primary culture

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides. The toxic effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1) at the cellular level consist of a mixture of both necrosis and apoptosis. We studied the effect of FB1 in human lung fibroblasts (NHLF) and human kidney epithelial cells (RPTEC) in primary culture. Apoptotic and necrotic cell death, collagen and fibronectin secretion were determined mainly after 14 days' exposure. The protein content of NHLF and RPTEC cells was slightly increased after 14 days' exposure to low FB1 concentrations (0.1 or 1 µm). Caspase‐3 activity tended to increase in NHLF and to decrease in RPTEC cells with higher FB1 concentrations after 14 days' exposure. LDH release was slightly decreased in both cell types after 14 days. Collagen I and III secretion was enhanced in NHLF cells. Collagen III was decreased in RPTEC. Collagen IV was not changed in both cell types. Fibronectin secretion was uninfluenced in RPTEC and interim increased in NHLF. Furthermore LC‐MS/MS studies did not give any hints for a metabolism of FB1. Therefore, the main risk of prolonged FB1 exposure seems to be altered collagen secretion pattern. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative Study of Pulmonary Function Tests in Women in Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle with and Without Contraceptive Pills

Background And Objectives: The relationship between the synthetic hormones and premenstrual asthma has long been debated with conflicting reports regarding the effects of estrogen and progesterone. Oral contraceptives appear to have beneficial effect on lung mechanics and the proposed mechanisms vary from ventilation stimulant effect of progesterone to the collagen increasing effect of estrogen. The objective of this study was to evaluate a cross section of combined oral contraceptive pill users with healthy controls in different phases of menstrual cycle with computerized spirometry and to compare the differences. Methods: 50 users of combined oral contraceptive pill and 50 healthy controls were subjected to spirometric assessment in different phases of menstrual cycle. Student t test (2-tailed) was used to find the significance difference of PFT parameters between healthy controls and oral contraceptive user groups. Analysis of variance was used to find the significance of PFT for different phases of menstrual cycle in both the cases and controls. Results: PEF was increased throughout the menstrual cycle in combined oral contraceptive pill users suggestive of bronchodilatory effect of progesterone. Within the group, both cases and controls showed increased FVC and FEV1 suggestive of stimulation of ventilation by progesterone. Conclusion: Subjects using combined oral contraceptive pills had improved lung function than controls when evaluated with computerized spirometer.
An Introduction to Support Vector Machines and Other Kernel-Based Learning Methods

This book is an introduction to support vector machines and related kernel methods in supervised learning, whose task is to estimate an input-output functional relationship from a training set of examples. A learning problem is referred to as classification if its output take discrete values in a set of possible categories and regression if it has continuous real-valued output.