Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of nitric oxide synthase activity in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected monocytes: implications for HIV- associated neurological disease

Mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells) play major roles in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persistence and disease pathogenesis. Macrophage antigen presentation and effector cell functions are impaired by HIV-1 infection. Abnormalities of macrophage effector cell function in bone marrow, lung, and brain likely result as a direct consequence of cellular activation and HIV replication. To further elucidate the extent of macrophage dysfunction in HIV-1 disease, a critical activation-specific regulatory molecule, nitric oxide (NO.), which may contribute to diverse pathology, was studied. Little, if any, NO. is produced by uninfected human monocytes. In contrast, infection with HIV-1 increases NO. production to modest, but significant levels (2-5 microM). Monocyte activation (with lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor alpha, or through interactions with astroglial cells) further enhances NO. production in HIV-infected cells, whereas its levels are diminished by interleukin 4. These results suggest a possible role for NO. in HIV-associated pathology where virus-infected macrophages are found. In support of this hypothesis, RNA encoding the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was detected in postmortem brain tissue from one pediatric AIDS patient with advanced HIV encephalitis. Corresponding iNOS mRNA was not detected in brain tissue from five AIDS patients who died with less significant brain disease. These results demonstrate that HIV-1 can influence the expression of NOS in both cultured human monocytes and brain tissue. This newly described feature of HIV-macrophage interactions suggests previously unappreciated mechanisms of tissue pathology that result from productive viral replication.
18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MIBI, and MRI in the Prediction of Outcome of Patients With Multiple Myeloma: A Comparative Study

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the relative contribution of 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MIBI, and MRI in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Patients and Methods Thirty-three newly diagnosed MM patients had been evaluated in a previous study by 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MIBI, and spine and pelvis MRI reporting focal lesions and diffuse bone marrow involvement. Twenty-seven patients were then subjected to a mean follow-up period of 58 months, whereas 6 patients were lost. Results 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MIBI, and MRI were positive in 26, 24, and 22 patients, respectively, showing diffuse bone marrow involvement in 12, 21, and 17 patients and a total of 185, 56, and 39 focal lesions, respectively. At follow-up, 18 patients showed complete or partial remission, whereas 9 patients developed progressive disease, 7 of which died of myeloma. Univariate and subsequent multivariate analysis showed that 18F-FDG PET/CT focal uptake and 99mTc-MIBI focal and diffuse uptake predicted PFS (P = 0.0006), whereas 18F-FDG PET/CT focal uptake and 99mTc-MIBI focal uptake predicted OS (P = 0.0010). Although MRI diffuse pattern predicted PFS at univariate analysis (P = 0.0376), it was not retained in the model at multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the number of focal lesions best discriminating for PFS and OS prediction was 4 and 11 for 18F-FDG PET/CT and 2 in both cases for 99mTc-MIBI, respectively. By Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing, PFS and OS at follow-up were significantly better in patients showing a number of focal lesions at 18F-FDG PET/CT or 99mTc-MIBI lower than the respective cutoff (P = 0.03, P = 0.004, and P < 0.0001, respectively). Finally, PFS was significantly better in patients showing absent/faint diffuse 99mTc-MIBI uptake than in those having moderate/intense diffuse uptake (P = 0.0012). Conclusions 18F-FDG PET/CT and 99mTc-MIBI may be useful in predicting PFS and OS in myeloma patients.
Multirate Output Feedback based Digital Redesign of Sliding Mode Control Algorithms

Though continuous-time sliding mode control has a variety of desirable properties, its discrete-time counterpart does not guarantee the same performance. This is due to the fact that most of the discrete-time sliding mode control algorithms are based on reaching laws that are only approximations of continuous-time reaching laws and thus may not give a performance close to continuous-time sliding mode control. This paper presents a method of multirate output feedback based discrete-time control design which guarantees the closest possible performance for a pre-designed continuous-time sliding mode control algorithm
High Prevalence of Significant Heart Valve Lesions in Patients with the 'Primary' Antiphospholipid Syndrome

A prospective echocardiographic study was carried out on 55 patients with the recently described 'primary' antiphospholipid syndrome derived from three university medical centres. The prevalence of valvular lesions in patients with this syndrome was 38% compared with 4% in a control group of 55 healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). Mean age of patients with valve was 42 ± 12 years and of those without, 30 ± 10 years (P < 0.05). One patient had a morphologic echocardiographic pattern suggestive of non-infective verrucous mitral endocarditis. Twenty patients had a two-dimensional or Doppler echocardiographic pattern of significant valvular dysfunction —either regurgitation or stenosis—without evidence of vegetations. Mitral and aortic regurgitation were the most common lesions in these patients. During follow-up of patients with valvular disease, haemodynamically significant clinical valve disease developed in four and surgery was required in one. Eleven patients had cerebrovascular occlusions. Thus, valvular heart disease, particularly affecting the mitral and aortic valves, is common in patients with the 'primary' antiphospholipid syndrome, especially in. those over 40 years old.
VIRUS-INDUCED DIABETES MELLITUS

Infection of DBA/2N male mice with encephalomyocarditis virus resulted in a diabeteslike syndrome characterized by hyperglycemia, glycosuria, hypoinsulinemia, polydipsia, and polyphagia. Blood glucose levels were elevated within 4 days after infection and reached a maximum mean level of 320 mg/100 ml within 12 days. Approximately 60–80% of the animals developed a transient hyperglycemia while 10–15% of the animals remained hyperglycemic for well over 6 mo. The remaining animals failed to become hyperglycemic but many had abnormal glucose tolerance curves. Hyperglycemia was most pronounced when animals were allowed free access to food, and the incidence of byperglycemia was related both to the strain and sex of the animals, with few females developing hyperglycemia. The amount of immunoreactive insulin in the plasma of infected hyperglycemic mice was significantly lower than in appropriate controls, and injection of exogenous insulin resulted in a rapid drop in the blood glucose levels. Despite the fact that certain animals were hyperglycemic for many months, virus could not be recovered from the pancreas after the first 10 days of the infection.
Epidermal Nevi and the Epidermal Nevus Syndromes: A Review of 233 Cases

Abstract: It is likely that most if not an epidermal nevi can be explained on the basis of genetic mosaiciam, with each at the many types ot nevi representing the cutaneous manifestation of a different mosaic phenotype. Hence there are potentially many different epidermal nevus syndromes.
Reaching beyond compliance: Obstacles to integrating sustainability into decision -making processes in an institution of higher education

There are emerging opportunities for institutions of higher education to respond to current environmental and public health crises. By setting institutional examples and modeling for others how to prioritize sustainability as a grounding framework for decision-making, institutions of higher education have an opportunity to facilitate society's transition to a more sustainable future. Sustainability principles stem from an international consensus that the pursuit of economic viability as an end in itself, conditioned by a neo-classical model of economics, does not maintain or enhance ecological health and human well-being. There are a number of universities worldwide who are making an effort to evaluate current policies and embrace sustainability however, there are no universities that could be characterized as 'sustainable'. This study examines two interrelated points of debate with respect to the obstacles to integrating sustainability into the decision-making process in an institution of higher education. These are: (a) What parameters characterize the current decision-making process? What within the process obstructs the integration of sustainability principles? (b) What influences a decision-makers construction of a rationale for embracing or rejecting sustainability in everyday decisions? As entry points into the university decision-making process, this study focuses on operational policy with a comparative analysis of food services, purchasing and waste management. The data was collected and analyzed with the application of a grounded theory methodology. The study illustrates how the conventional decision-making process integrates three dominant parameters, which shape decision outcomes: fiscal constraint, academic and operational divisions, and institutional values. These three factors are further influenced by the system of communication within the university. The study extends the analysis through a constructivist framework to examine the factors that influence an individual's understanding of the concept of sustainability and how that understanding is reflected in ones rationale as a decision-maker. The results of this study point to areas of future research that include the development of systems of knowledge-distribution for sustainability and the pursuit of institutional capacity to meet the needs of a sustainable society.
Effects of cyclic AMP‐elevating hormones and autacoids on LPS‐activated rat peritoneal, bronchoalveolar and hepatic (Kupffer) macrophages

Peritoneal, bronchoalveolar and hepatic (Kupffer) macrophages activated in vitro by endotoxin, exhibit alterations in nitric oxide production when certain hormones or other biologically active agents (autacoids) are present in the culture medium. They also show changes in acid β‐glucuronidase activities and morphological changes concerning cell size and general appearance. Agents known to elevate the intracellular levels of cyclic AMP, e.g. adrenalin, prostaglandin E2 and dopamine, increase the nitric oxide production in all three types of macrophage. The addition of H‐89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, abolishes the increase in nitric oxide production. Adrenalin also increases the extracellular activity of β‐glucuronidase. The results of this work suggest that cyclic AMP‐elevating hormones and autacoids affect the functions of endotoxin‐activated macrophages, such as the production of nitric oxide and the activity of acid β‐glucuronidase. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of 20 laryngoscope blades using an intubating manikin: visual analogue scores and forces exerted during laryngoscopy *

Fifty anaesthetists were recruited to use 20 different laryngoscope blades (one metal re‐usable blade, five metal single‐use blades and 14 plastic single‐use blades, of which eight were bulb‐type and 12 were fibreoptic‐type) in a manikin to achieve a grade I Cormack and Lehane view. The anaesthetists were asked to provide visual analogue scores (VAS) for: ease of attachment of the blade to the handle; illumination; view of the larynx; and satisfaction for clinical use. The peak force applied and time to achieve the grade I Cormack and Lehane view were also measured. A cluster analysis method was used to group together blades with similar scores or measures.
Combining the fast irregular antenna field transformation algorithm with asymptotic high frequency methods

The fast irregular antenna field transformation algorithm (FIAFTA) is extended by the asymptotic high frequency methods geometrical optics (GO) and the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) to consider the effect of electrically large scattering objects in near-field antenna measurement setups. The extension is realized by decomposing the measurement setup into two domains: The first domain is covered by accurate plane wave expansion based field transformation principles and contains the unknown equivalent sources of the AUT and the observation points. In the second domain, electrically large components are located whose effect on the measurement is considered using ray optical concepts. This hybrid method allows to reduce the number of inverse problem unknowns and the number of near-field samples. It can also be used to compensate the influence of reflections caused by electrically large and well known scattering objects. Numerical examples show the applicability and effectiveness of the approach.
A descriptive study of the factors associated with damage in Malaysian patients with lupus nephritis

Introduction Renal involvement is the most common serious complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Objective The objective of this article is to investigate and determine the associated factors of disease damage among lupus nephritis (LN) patients. Methods Medical records of LN patients who attended regular follow-up for at least one year in the Nephrology/SLE Clinic, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), were reviewed. Their Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index scores were noted. Univariate analysis and multivariable regression analysis were performed to determine the independent factors of disease damage in LN. Results A total of 150 patients were included and their follow-up duration ranged from one to 20 years. Sixty (40%) LN patients had disease damage (SDI ≥1). In the univariate analysis, it was associated with age, longer disease duration, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), higher maximum daily oral prednisolone dose (mg/day), lower mean C3 and C4, higher chronicity index and global sclerosis on renal biopsies (p < 0.05). Patients who received early (≤3 months after the SLE diagnosis) hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), optimum HCQ dose at 6.5 mg/kg/day and achieved early complete remission (CR) were less likely to have disease damage (p < 0.05). After adjustment for age, gender, disease duration and severity, multivariable regression analysis revealed that a higher maximum daily dose of oral prednisolone was independently associated with disease damage while early HCQ and CR were associated with lower disease damage. Conclusion Higher maximum daily prednisolone dose predicted disease damage whereas treatment with early HCQ and early CR had a protective role against disease damage.
Crowding out effect and traders' overreliance on public information in financial markets: a lesson from the lab

In this paper, we study experimentally the information aggregation process in a market as a function of the access to different sources of information, namely an imperfect, public and costless signal into a market where the participants have access to costly and imperfect private information. Our results show that the release of public information provokes a crowding out effect on the traders' information demand while it keeps constant market informativeness, but significantly reduces price informativeness. Traders overrely on public information, which has a significant negative impact on the overall market performance. We detect the emergence of the overrelying phenomenon, despite the absence of an explicit incentive to the subjects to coordinate, demonstrating, therefore, that the adverse effects of releasing public information in a financial market are more relevant than generally assumed, based on the results of previous experiments inspired by simple coordination models. Our results pose new questions when a regulatory institution has to decide the appropriate level of transparency of its communication strategy.
The Language of Food

Since the beginning of recorded history man has communicated via food. We honor friends by inviting them to eat with us. We punish children by withholding a favorite food and reward them with cookies and candies. Food is part of religious observances. To a grieving person a gift of food serves as a message of sympathy. The patient in a hospital or nursing home receives and gives a communication at least three times a day in the context of eating. So often patients view diets in terms of the deprivations they represent rather than what they provide. Usually when a patient is brought into a hospital or nursing home, he does not know the surroundings or routines and feels self-conscious and uncomfortable because of this. Re-
Soybean field losses as influenced by harvest delays

(.) Average soybean field losses were 10% of the potential yield, but ranged from 5.5% in 1983 to 12.7% in 1984. Loss of potential yield increased linearly at a rate of 0.2%d -1 from an average of 6.1% at the initial harvest to 13.9% 42 d later. In 1984 and 1986 net yields were reduced 14 and 18 kg ha -1 d -1 , respectively. Harvest delays of 42 d resulted in plant deterioration and, in turn, lodging increased 20% (.)
Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) monitoring and evaluation methods and tools: a literature review

Abstract Purpose: To identify and analyse tools and methods that have been reported in the literature for the monitoring and evaluation of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes. Method: A literature review and descriptive analysis were carried out to scope CBR monitoring and evaluation methods and tools. A search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar databases, hand searches and reference lists. Reports were retrieved, screened and information was extracted and analysed against research questions. Results: There were 34 reports which met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the 34 reports showed that most reports used demographic and programme data. A range of methods were used: interviews, focus groups and questionnaires being the most common. Apart from this, no common standardised procedures or tools were identified and there was not a standard approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities or other CBR stakeholders. Conclusions: The findings suggest that there would be value in creating resources such as guidelines, common processes and checklists for monitoring and evaluation of CBR, to facilitate efficient and comparable practices and more comparable data. This needs to be done in partnership with people with disabilities, CBR providers, partners and researchers to ensure that all stakeholders’ needs are understood and met. Implications for Rehabilitation While there is broad scope and complexity of CBR programmes, there needs to be consistency and a valid approach in the monitoring and evaluation methods and tools used by CBR programmes. The principles of CBR and CRPD require that monitoring and evaluation involve people with disabilities, CBR managers and staff not only as informants but also in the design and execution of monitoring and evaluation activities. The consistent use of appropriate and valid monitoring and evaluation methods and tools will contribute to developing a stronger evidence base on the efficacy and effectiveness of CBR.
Testing a mechanistic explanation for the latitudinal gradient in mammalian species richness across North America

Hypothesis: Spatial variation in species richness is caused by increased maintenance metabolic costs that increase habitat overlap and decrease species richness. Organisms: Non-volant mammals in North America. Results: The latitudinal gradient in species richness could be completely explained by variation in maintenance metabolic costs. Additional spatial variation in species richness was positively correlated with the number of habitats (vegetation types and range in elevation) in an area. Conclusion: Local processes of habitat selection and habitat availability are important mechanisms determining spatial variation in species richness.
Comparing adult and pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, 1988–2005: an analysis of 21 734 cases

We analyzed data from 18 898 adults (age ≥20 years) and 2836 children/adolescents reported in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database as having Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), diagnosed from 1988 to 2005. The nodular sclerosis subtype was significantly more common in the pediatric age group (76% in children/adolescents vs. 61% in adults, p < 0.001). The mixed cellularity subtype was more prevalent in children <10 years old (22%), but less likely in older children/adolescents (8.5%). Systemic symptoms were reported in 39% of children/adolescents and in 48% of adults (p < 0.001). Children/adolescents had significantly better HL-specific survival than adults (5-year survival rate, 96% ± 0.4% vs.88% ± 0.3%, p < 0.001). Using a Cox proportional-hazards regression model in patients with classical HL, the prognostic factors significantly impacting survival were age, histology, stage, B symptoms, year of diagnosis, and race. The only adverse prognostic factors that were significant when this analysis was restricted to children/adolescents were stage IV disease and the presence of B symptoms. In conclusion, several differences in clinicopathologic features and outcomes were identified between children/adolescents and adults with HL, and this was particularly noted in young children (<10 years).
Radiation and a metalloporphyrin radioprotectant in a mouse prostate tumor model.

BACKGROUND Antioxidants have the potential to protect normal tissues against radiation-induced damage, but must not protect tumor cells during radiotherapy. The major objectives were to determine whether a metalloporphyrin antioxidant affects prostate tumor response to radiation and identify possible mechanisms of interaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS C57BL/6 mice with RM-9 tumor were treated with manganese (III) meso-tetrakis (1,3-diethylimidazolium-2-yl) porphyrin (MnTDE-2-ImP) and 10 gray (Gy) radiation. Tumor volume was quantified and a subset/group was evaluated for hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), bone marrow-derived cell populations and cytokines. RESULTS The addition of MnTDE-2-ImP transiently increased tumor response compared to radiation alone. The group receiving drug plus radiation had reduced intratumoral HIF-1alpha and decreased capacity to secrete TNF-alpha, whereas production of IL-4 was increased. There were no toxicities associated with combination treatment. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that MnTDE-2-ImP did not protect the RM-9 prostate tumor against radiation; instead, radiation effectiveness was modestly increased. Possible mechanisms include reduction of radiation-induced HIF-1alpha and an altered cytokine profile.
Nucleosynthesis in AGB Stars

We give a qualitative review of the nucleosynthesis occurring in AGB stars. We summarise some new calculations of intermediate mass stars which include all thermal pulses until the star is about to leave the AGB, as well as a detailed nucleosynthesis network. We will show that hot bottom burning delays, rather than prevents, the formation of carbon stars; those that form are not optically visible.
The people behind the technology:decision making in technology commercialization

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