Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lack of Association Between Hepatitis C Viral RNA in Serum and Liver and Histologic Gradings: A Study on Irish Anti-D-Treated Patients

In this study the authors applied a reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in 15 frozen liver biopsy samples from anti-D-treated patients. They also correlated the presence or absence of HCV RNA in the serum and liver of each patient with their histologic gradings. RNA was extracted from 36 frozen liver biopsy samples. These included 15 liver biopsy samples from patients infected with HCV through contamination of anti-D blood products. Three of these 15 anti-D-treated patients were receiving alpha–interferon treatment at the time of liver biopsy. Nine frozen liver biopsy samples from patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse were included as positive controls. HCV-negative frozen liver biopsy samples from 12 noninfected patients were used as negative controls. RNA was also extracted from six frozen skin biopsy specimens to check for cross-contamination of samples. Eleven of 15 anti-D-treated patients were HCV RNA positive by RT-PCR, with 100% correlation between HCV RNA in the serum and liver. The nine frozen liver biopsy samples from the intravenous drug abuse patients (positive controls) were also RT-PCR positive for HCV RNA. The 12 noninfected samples and the negative control biopsy samples were negative for HCV. Twenty-seven percent of the recombinant immunoblot assay-positive patients were serum and liver HCV RNA negative. HCV-positive patients receiving alpha-interferon therapy at the time of biopsy had cleared the virus from the serum and the liver. There was no correlation between the presence or absence of serum and liver HCV RNA with the histologic grading. This lack of correlation shows clearly the importance of histopathologic evaluation of liver biopsy samples in monitoring HCV-associated liver disease progression. In addition, this finding indicates that one cannot rely only on the presence or absence of HCV RNA in either serum or liver tissue as a parameter in monitoring HCV-associated liver disease progression in this unique cohort of anti-D-treated patients.
Prospective study of acute gastrointestinal bleeding attributable to anti-inflammatory drug ingestion in the Yorkshire region of the United Kingdom

Objective: To assess the general use of all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and their relation to upper gastrointestinal bleeding in view of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines published in July 2001 in the UK. Methods: Cross sectional study on all patients who were referred for endoscopy for suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding in six hospitals in Yorkshire region of the UK. Results: One hundred and sixty three patients presented for endoscopy for suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 43 patients were taking at least one ulcerogenic drug, and 120 were not. The mean age difference between these two groups was eight years (p<0.01). The absolute difference between the proportion of patients with peptic ulcer disease/erosion (PUD) in NSAID with/without aspirin group and no ulcerogenic drug group was 31% (p = 0.02). The difference between the proportion of PUD in cyclo-oxygenase 2 with/without aspirin group and no ulcerogenic drug group was 30% (p = 0.1). The overall 30 days mortality rate was 14.1%. Conclusions: Elderly patients are being inappropriately prescribed conventional NSAIDs. NSAIDs with or without aspirin use are still associated with a significant risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the era of cyclo-oxygenase 2 selective agents. Substitution with cyclo-oxygenase 2 selective NSAIDs is not without risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Modulation of H reflex of pretibial and soleus muscles during mastication in humans

A previous study in our laboratory demonstrated that the soleus H reflex was facilitated during mastication in humans. In the present study, we investigated whether there was any modulation of the magnitude of the pretibial H reflex during mastication in five healthy adult volunteers. The pretibial H reflex was significantly facilitated during mastication, and there was no significant difference in the facilitation between jaw‐closing and jaw‐opening phases; that is, the gain of the H reflex was modulated tonically but not in a phase‐dependent manner during mastication. Furthermore, in the same subjects, we confirmed that the soleus H reflex was facilitated during mastication. Based on our findings, we conclude that the H reflexes in both the pretibial and soleus muscles undergo a nonreciprocal facilitation during mastication. It is suggested that mastication contributes to stabilization of postural stance in humans. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 1142–1148, 2001
Alteration in the intrafollicular thiol-redox system in infertile women with endometriosis.

The aim of this study was to compare intrafollicular biomarkers of thiol-redox system and chronic inflammation in infertile patients with and without endometriosis, and examine correlations between biomarkers and IVF outcomes. The study included 65 patients receiving IVF: 31 patients with endometriosis vs 34 patients without endometriosis. Follicular fluid (FF) was obtained from a single-dominant follicle during oocyte retrieval and stored at -70 °C. Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), thioredoxin (TRX), TRX-binding protein 2 (TBP2), and peroxiredoxin-4 levels were measured in the FF samples by ELISAs as biomarkers of oxidative stress. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1 beta (IL1β), IL6, IL8, and tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were also measured by ELISAs. GSH levels were significantly lower in the endometriosis group compared with the controls. TBP2 levels were significantly higher in the endometriosis group. IL6, IL8, and TNFα levels were significantly higher in the endometriosis group. The levels of all of the inflammatory cytokines positively correlated with the levels of TRX. GSH levels positively correlated with the number of high-quality embryos. GPX3 and TRX levels negatively correlated with the percentage of mature oocytes. TNFα levels negatively correlated with the cumulative embryo score per embryo. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of high-quality embryos was an independent factor predicting clinical pregnancy. In conclusion, there may be an imbalance in the thiol-redox system and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in the intrafollicular microenvironment of infertile patients with endometriosis, which may affect the qualities of the oocyte and embryo.
Backhaul-aware scheduling for WiMAX femtocell with limited backhaul capacity

A femtocell is designed to use a shared broadband IP link. A bottleneck may be occurred due to the limitation of provisioned bandwidth and the existence of background traffic especially in access network. The bottleneck will certainly affect the service performance of the femtocell access point (FAP), which would influence end user experience. In order to maintain QoS requirement against backhaul quality fluctuation, a FAP should be equipped with a QoS management capability which is aware of backhaul condition. By applying backhaul aware admission control and scheduling, FAP can determine whether or not the backhaul bandwidth capacity is able to support a new service session. FAP will know the backhaul bandwidth by implementing bandwidth estimation. When the congestion occurred, FAP will maintain the existing flows and accept sessions with higher priority services (i.e realtime) over lower priority traffic (ie. non-realtime), based on load demand of each service flows.
Resting CD4+ T Cells from Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)-Infected Individuals Carry Integrated HIV-1 Genomes within Actively Transcribed Host Genes

ABSTRACT Resting CD4+ T-cell populations from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals include cells with integrated HIV-1 DNA. In individuals showing suppression of viremia during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), resting CD4+ T-cell populations do not produce virus without cellular activation. To determine whether the nonproductive nature of the infection in resting CD4+ T cells is due to retroviral integration into chromosomal regions that are repressive for transcription, we used inverse PCR to characterize the HIV-1 integration sites in vivo in resting CD4+ T cells from patients on HAART. Of 74 integration sites from 16 patients, 93% resided within transcription units, usually within introns. Integration was random with respect to transcriptional orientation relative to the host gene and with respect to position within the host gene. Of integration sites within well-characterized genes, 91% (51 of 56) were in genes that were actively expressed in resting CD4+ T cells, as directly demonstrated by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). These results predict that HIV-1 sequences may be included in the primary transcripts of host genes as part of rapidly degraded introns. RT-PCR experiments confirmed the presence of HIV-1 sequences within transcripts initiating upstream of the HIV-1 transcription start site. Taken together, these results demonstrate that HIV-1 genomes reside within actively transcribed host genes in resting CD4+ T cells in vivo.
A randomized controlled trial of chelated zinc for prevention of the common cold in Thai school children

Abstract Background: The common cold is responsible for the largest proportion of school and work absenteeism and is a huge economic burden. None of the currently available interventions is clearly effective for prevention or treatment. Objective: To assess the efficacy of 15-mg chelated zinc (zinc bis-glycinate) given once a day for 3 months during the winter season to healthy school children aged 8–13 years to prevent symptoms of the common cold. Methods: In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, zinc bis-glycinate 15 mg or matching placebo once a day for 3 months was administered to healthy school children aged 8–13 years. Primary outcomes were any symptom of cold (fever, cough, rhinorrhoea) during the study period, and secondary outcomes were vomiting, diarrhoea, use of antibiotics, school absence for any reason, school absence because of a cold and duration of all symptoms. Results: Of 50 children in each group, 42 (84%) in the zinc group and 41 (82%) in the placebo group (P = 1·00) developed at least one symptom of a cold. There was no difference in the incidence of fever, cough, rhinorrhoea, school absence and school absence related to the common cold compared with children in the placebo group. However, duration of cough [median (IQR) 1·0 (0·0–6·0) vs 6·0 (0·0–13·3) days], rhinorrhoea [median (IQR) 2·0 (0·0–7·0) vs 5·5 (1·0–15·3) days] and the frequency of having two or more symptoms of the common cold [median (IQR) 0·0 (0·0–1·0) vs 1·0 (0·0–5·3) days] were reduced significantly in the intervention group (P<0·01). Conclusions: Zinc bis-glycinate given in a dose of 15 mg once a day for 3 months failed to reduce the incidence of the common cold in 8 to 13-year-old school children, but decreased the number of days on which children suffered from cough, rhinorrhoea and the likelihood of having two or more symptoms of the common cold.
Nitric oxide regulates clonal expansion and activation-induced cell death triggered by staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Increased interest has recently been focused on nitric oxide (NO) due to its several biological roles. Apart from being a potential antimicrobial defense and a mediator of autoimmune diseases, NO also appears to be a strong mediator of T-cell responses. In this report, we have characterized the effect of NO on T-cell function. For this purpose, we analyzed in vivo T-cell responses to the bacterial superantigen produced by Staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), in mice treated with an NO donor (isosorbide dinitrate [ISO]). We show that ISO partially prevents SEB-triggered activation-induced cell death of spleen and lymph node CD4Vbeta8+ T cells but not of CD8Vbeta8+ T cells. SEB-promoted thymic deletion is not abolished by ISO; however, a rapid recovery of thymocyte numbers due to increased double-positive (DP) CD4+ CD8+ thymocyte proliferation was clearly observed in ISO-treated, SEB-injected mice but not in controls (untreated SEB-injected mice). It was also found that ISO inhibits the early SEB-induced cell proliferation (i.e., that found 12 h after SEB injection), accelerating the clonal anergy usually observed 3 days after SEB injection. Inhibition of T-cell proliferation by the NO donor does not appear to be due to inhibition of cytokine production. These results show that NO interferes with apoptosis and facilitates thymic proliferation of DP thymocytes, although it inhibits peripheral T-cell proliferation.
The Gene Polymorphism of IL-17 G-152A is Associated with Increased Colonization of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Young Finnish Children

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen, and up to 50% of children acquire S. pneumoniae in their nasopharynx during the first 12 months of life. The cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A) plays an important role in host defense against extracellular bacterial pathogens. We investigated the effect of IL-17 G-152A polymorphism on pneumococcal colonization in children. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were collected from healthy Finnish children at 2.6 (N = 405), 13 (N = 198) and 24 (N = 176) months of age. Of them, 160 had both nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples at each time point. The semiquantitative culture method was used for bacterial culture, Sequenom iPlex Gold System for IL-17A genotyping and Luminex 200 for serum IL-17A determination. Results: The frequency of IL-17 G-152A genotypes G/G, G/A and A/A was 36%, 45% and 19% in 405 studied subjects, respectively. The colonization rates of S. pneumoniae increased from 10% at 2.6 months to 33% at 24 months of age. Significantly higher pneumococcal colonization was found in subjects with A/A genotype at 13 and 24 months of age compared with those of G/G (RR, 2.30; P = 0.02; RR, 1.91, P = 0.03). This genotype was associated with lower levels of serum IL-17A, and only 6% of subjects with A/A had detectable serum IL-17A compared with 75% and 33% of subjects with G/G and G/A (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01), respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that IL-17 G-152A is associated with increased colonization rate of S. pneumoniae in young children, suggesting that IL-17A plays an important role in protection against pneumococcal colonization.
The Iowa 500: suicide in mania , depression, and schizophrenia.

Long-term (30-to 40-year) follow-up data for 76 manic patients, 182 depressives. 170 schizophrenics, and 109 controls showed that 10 per cent of the schizophrenics, 8.5 percent of the manics, and 10.6 percent of the depressives who were decreased had died by suicide. None of the controls had committed suicide. The authors suggest that suicide is a significant outcome factor in all three of these illnesses and is likely to occur at an earlier age in schizophrenia than in the other illnesses.
The Federation of State Medical Boards of The United States, Inc. Model guidelines for the use of controlled substances for the treatment of pain.

The Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery recognizes that principles of quality medical practice dictate that the people of the State of Nebraska have access to appropriate and effective pain relief. The appropriate application of up-to-date knowledge and treatment modalities can improve the quality of life for those patients who suffer from pain, as well as reduce the morbidity and costs associated with untreated or inappropriately treated pain. For the purposes of this policy, the inappropriate treatment of pain includes non-treatment, undertreatment, over-treatment, or the continued use of ineffective treatments.
Evaluating Clinical Use of a Ceramide-dominant, Physiologic Lipid-based Topical Emulsion for Atopic Dermatitis.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a ceramide-dominant, physiologic lipid-based topical emulsion, inclusive of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids in a 3:1:1 ratio, in the clinical practice setting in subjects with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. The included subjects presented with a wide range of demographic characteristics thus building upon the results reported with this agent from an earlier clinical trial in atopic dermatitis subjects. In addition, the utility of this important treatment approach of starting with a product directed at epidermal barrier repair was explored. METHODS In a 50-center, open-label, interventional study, the ceramide-dominant, physiologic lipid barrier repair emulsion was evaluated for three weeks in 207 patients either as monotherapy or in combination with another atopic dermatitis treatment. Outcome measures included investigator global assessment, investigator and subject satisfaction, subject-perceived improvement in atopic dermatitis, pruritus severity, and two quality-of-life questions. RESULTS Overall, approximately half of the subjects achieved success with investigator global assessment (clear or almost clear investigator global assessment scores) after three weeks of treatment with the ceramide-dominant, physiologic lipid barrier repair emulsion as monotherapy or in combination with another treatment. A large proportion of subjects (75% of subjects) and investigators (for 77% of subjects) reported satisfaction after three weeks of treatment. Pruritus and quality of life improved during the study. CONCLUSION The ceramide-dominant, physiologic lipid-based product was shown to be an effective agent, with or without additional topical therapy, to provide good clinical efficacy and high levels of investigator and patient satisfaction for many patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. The results of this study are consistent with results noted in a previous study of atopic dermatitis patients using this same barrier repair agent. The treatment approach of using a skin barrier repair cream as an integral and standard component of initial atopic dermatitis therapy, either as monotherapy or as a part of combination topical therapy, is supported by the outcomes observed in this study. This specific ceramide-dominant, physiologic lipid-based product may be used when initiating topical therapy for atopic dermatitis based on results from this and other studies.
Natural killer cell function and modulation by alpha IFN and IL2 in AIDS patients and prodromal subjects.

We have examined the primary immune response, the numbers of the total T (T-11+) cells, T-helper (T4+) cells, T-suppressor (T8+) cells, NK cells (Leu7+) and the level of serum IgG in 83 healthy male heterosexuals and compared the data to those obtained from 12 clinically diagnosed AIDS patients and 92 asymptomatic male homosexuals. The absolute number of total T (T11) and T helper (T4) cell populations were significantly reduced among most of the asymptomatic homosexual males and even more decreased in the AIDS patients. In contrast, the absolute numbers of T suppressor cells (T8) remained virtually unaltered in the 3 study populations. The absolute numbers of circulating killer cells were similar in the controls and the homosexual subjects but significantly reduced in the AIDS patients. Furthermore, all 12 AIDS patients exhibited a significantly depressed NK cell activity which in most cases correlated with the reduced absolute number of NK (Leu7+) cells as well as T helper cells (T4) and T4/T8 ratios. The NK-cell activity in clinically diagnosed AIDS patients could not be normalized by addition of alpha IFN or IL2. Three distinctive subgroups with normal (N-NK), significantly heightened (H-NK) and markedly lowered (L-NK) NK activity could be readily identified among the apparently well homosexual male population. The subgroups responded to alpha IFN and IL2 in an apparently independent fashion. The N-NK and L-NK groups displayed a marginal to no response to in vitro treatment with alpha IFN and IL2. However, the NK cell activity in the H-NK group was moderately to strongly inhibited by inclusion of the 2 immunomodifiers. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Optimal Competitive Balance in a Season Ticket League

Theory predicts that a planner maximizing the sum of fan and owner surpluses from a league dominated by season ticket sales may prefer more, less, or the same level of competitive balance produced by a league of profit-maximizing owners. The optimal level of balance depends on the relationship between marginal impacts of talent rearrangements in larger-revenue and smaller-revenue markets. Ultimately, then, judging whether an increase in balance enhances welfare rests on careful and thorough empirical investigation. Our reading of the literature and the policy debate shows that this careful work remains to be done.
NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF TURBULENT INTERNAL FLOW WITH COMBINED CONVECTIVE AND RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER IN A PARTICIPANT MEDIUM

The present work reports the influence of combined convective and thermal radiation heat transfer over the temperature field of turbulent internal flows in a participant medium. In order to achieve this purpose, two numerical simulations are performed for a turbulent lid-driven cavity flow: 1) with combined convective and thermal radiation heat transfer and 2) without thermal radiation (purely forced convective flow). For both simulations the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy are discretized with the finite volume method (FVM). Moreover, turbulence was tackled with dynamical Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model into the large eddy simulation (LES) framework. For the case with thermal radiation heat transfer, the radiative transfer equation (RTE) is solved with the discrete ordinates method (DOM). The participant medium is treated as a gray gas with an optical thickness of τ0 = 10.0. For both simulated cases, the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers are Re H = 10000 and Pr = 0.71, respectively. The results revealed that three-dimensional patterns of the flow, as well as, the multiplicity of scales are strongly affected when thermal radiation is taken into account, showing the importance of thermal radiation for the phenomenology of turbulent flows with heat transfer. For the studied case, the time-averaged temperature profiles and statistics of turbulence into the cavity domain are smoothed when thermal radiation is considered. Differences of nearly 30% and 63% were noticed for time-averaged and statistics of thermal field, respectively.