Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of serologic responses between Kaposi's sarcoma‐positive and ‐negative men who were seropositive for both human herpesvirus 8 and human immunodeficiency virus

Although the introduction of HAART decreased substantially the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), KS remains the most common cancer among individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To define markers for progression to KS from the asymptomatic infection of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV‐8), serologic responses against HHV‐8 were compared between KS‐negative and ‐positive men who were seropositive for both HIV and HHV‐8. There was no difference in prevalence of detectable neutralizing antibodies between the two groups. The prevalence of anti‐ORF73 antibodies among the dual seropositive patients increased in proportion to their risk of KS. In specimens obtained from 11 HIV+ patients at different intervals over a period of 4–12 years, increase of anti‐ORF73 antibody titers was observed in the patients who developed KS but not in the patients who did not develop KS. These results suggest that there is a difference in serologic response against ORF73 between the HIV patients with and without KS. J. Med. Virol. 74:202–206, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterisation of rainfall at a semi-arid ecotope in the Limpopo Province (South Africa) and its implications for sustainable crop production

Detailed knowledge of rainfall regime is an important prerequisite for agricultural planning. Despite the importance of rain-fed agriculture to food security in the semi-arid regions of South Africa, studies to understand the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall are not widely documented. Twenty-three years (1983 to 2005) of rainfall data were analysed in order to study the basic statistical rainfall characteristics at the University of Venda ecotope. Annual and monthly rainfall was fitted to theoretical probability distributions. The Anderson-Darling goodness-of-fit test was used to evaluate best fit models. Probability of receiving annual and monthly rainfall was predicted using the appropriate probability distribution functions. The chance of experiencing dry spells of different durations was determined. Cumulative frequency analysis of daily rainfall amounts and depths was characterized. It was found that the distribution of daily rainfall was highly skewed with high frequency of occurrence of low-rainfall events. The distribution of daily rainfall depths was also highly skewed, a comparatively small proportion of rainy days supplying a high proportion of the rainfall.
Clinical Impact of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Fine Needle Aspiration of Left Adrenal Masses in Established or Suspected Lung Cancer

Introduction: Correct lung cancer staging is pivotal for optimal allocation to surgical and nonsurgical treatment. A left adrenal gland (LAG) mass is found in 5 to 16%, and malignancy preclude surgery. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is superior to other imaging procedures in visualizing LAG, but the impact of EUS-fine needle aspiration (FNA) on tumor, node, metastasis (TNM)-staging, treatment, and survival is unknown. Methods: The impact of EUS-FNA of the LAG on TNM staging, treatment, and survival was evaluated retrospectively in all patients (n = 40) referred to EUS during 2000–2006 for known or suspected lung cancer and where EUS disclosed an enlarged LAG. Conventional workup had preceded EUS. Results: EUS-FNA of an enlarged LAG altered the TNM staging in 70% (downstaged: 26 of 28 patients) and treatment in 48% (gained surgery 25%, avoided surgery 5%, surgically verified benign disease 5%, no cancer and no further workup 5%, and no cancer, control computed tomography, and then no further workup 8%). A malignant LAG lesion was found in 28% and was significantly associated with shorter survival. Conclusion: EUS-FNA of an enlarged LAG in patients with known or suspected lung cancer had a significant impact on TNM staging, treatment, and survival. The impact of routine visualization of the LAG in lung cancer workup needs to be prospectively validated.
Two in situ labeling techniques reveal different patterns of DNA fragmentation during spontaneous apoptosis in vivo and induced apoptosis in vitro.

BACKGROUND Two new enzymatic reactions were described recently to detect apoptotic cell death in situ viz in situ end labeling (ISEL) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) of fragmented DNA. A comparative study was conducted to detect in vivo and in vitro apoptotic death using these two techniques. Experimental design; Spontaneous apoptous cell death was detected in plastic embedded tumor biopsies from patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), and breast cancer using these two in situ methods. Uninvolved normal tissues adjacent to breast tumors and a lymph node metastasis of breast tumor were also studied. Furthermore, apoptotic death induced by different doses of etoposide (VP16) was also studied in HL60 cells by in situ methods and by agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS Interestingly, whereas NH1 and HNSCC biopsies showed comparable levels of detectability with the two techniques, the breast tissues be it neoplastic, normal or metastatic, revealed apoptosis detectable only by TUNEL and not by ISEL. Similarly in HL60 cells, the percentage of apoptotic cells or apoptotic index (AI) determined by TUNEL was significantly higher than that determined by ISEL. A double labelling of these HL60 cells for ISEL and TUNEL also revealed a higher proportion of cells labeled positively for TUNEL as compared to those labeled for ISEL. Agarose gel electrophoresis revealed characteristic DNA laddering only at 35 microM dose of VP 16. No smearing of DNA was found in any group ruling out the necrotic death. In vivo, in one HNSCC specimen apoptosis and necrosis could be differentiated by the difference in staining intensity. Both methods stained necrotic chromatin fragments very lightly. The DNA fragments generated during apoptosis could be of unique lengths (ie 180-200 bp or multiples) but have differently staggered ends. These fragments may be 3' recessed, 5' recessed or blunt ended. While TUNEL can label all three types, ISEL labels only those with 3' recessed ends. CONCLUSIONS Thus our data show that the DNA fragments formed during spontaneous apoptosis in breast tissues and preferentially during VP16 induced apoptosis in HL60 cells are either 5' recessed or blunt ended, being distinctly different from 3' recessed fragments seen in NHL and HNSCC or with a lesser frequency in VP 16 treated HL60 cells. Specific fragmentation patterns could be a result of activation of different endonucleases which as indicated by our data could be tissue specific and may be differentially activated by different chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, screening for the presence of specific endonucleases in different tissues and for agents specifically activating them would have major clinical implications.
Parallel effects of light signals on the circadian rhythms of running activity and ovulation in rats.

Continuous monitoring of wheel-running activity and determination of the time of ovulation in rats by serial laparotomies revealed that ovulation followed the onset of running at prooestrus by approximately 9 h (range 7--1 h). This temporal relationship held in rats in which the period of the circadian rhythm had been modified (entrained) by daily exposure to 14 h photoperiods, and in rats in dim continuous light whose rhythms were non-entrained (free-running). Knowledge of this temporal relationship between the two rhythms made it possible to give bright light signals at known points in the circadian cycle of the rat and to observe the effects on the timing of running and ovulation in subsequent cycles. Giving daily light signals near the onset of running (i.e. at subjective dusk) delayed, whereas giving signals near the end of running (i.e. at subjective dawn) advanced, the time of running and ovulation in subsequent cycles. These results indicate that in rats exposed to the usual laboratory photoperiod the delaying effect of dusk light and the advancing effect of dawn light balance one another; thus the preovulatory surge of LH occurs at a relatively consistent time at prooestrus.
Note-Taking in Virtual Reality Using Visual Hyperlinks and Annotations

Immersive virtual reality shows great promise for teaching and learning, but the question of how best to apply the powerful practice of note-taking has been explored very little. In non-VR settings, research has shown significant differences in learning outcomes depending on the usage of different styles of note-taking. Active “long-hand” notes sometimes work better than “verbatim” or typed notes, suggesting that in VR, recording and playback alone as a form of note-taking is unlikely to be optimal. We imagine a new form of active note-taking in VR that uses long-hand but also leverages recordings and original source learning materials. The approach is to use a virtual scrapbook that contains visual snapshots that function as hyperlinks along with hand-written notes. We hypothesize that this will be superior to either form of traditional note-taking for learning complex and abstract concepts. We discuss our work-in-progress towards building a note-taking system that will help test this hypothesis.
The Smoking Cessation and Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment (SCRIPT) Adoption Scale: Evaluating the Diffusion of a Tobacco Treatment Innovation to a Statewide Prenatal Care Program and Providers

When a new patient education program is being considered for adoption by a public health agency, it is essential to determine provider perceptions of its acceptability for routine use. In 2007, the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health Perinatal Program, Right From The Start (RFTS), decided to adopt the Smoking Cessation and Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment (SCRIPT) Program. RFTS is a statewide perinatal home visitation initiative delivered by designated care coordinators (DCCs). The authors developed the SCRIPT Adoption Scale (SAS) in the absence of a valid instrument to assess the perceived attributes of a tobacco treatment innovation among the RFTS DCC population. They evaluated the validity of the five constructs of the Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations model in an organization (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and trialability) to predict SCRIPT use. After reviewing the literature and developing draft SAS forms, 2 expert panel reviews established the face and content validity of a 43-item SAS. It was administered to 90% (85/90) of the RFTS DCC population. Psychometric analyses confirmed the validity and reliability of a 28-item scale. All 28 items had factor loadings greater than 0.40 (range = 0.43–0.81). All SAS subscales were strongly correlated, r = 0.51 to 0.97, supporting the convergent validity of a 5-factor SAS. There was a significant association between the DCC SAS score and DCC SCRIPT Program Implementation Index supporting the SAS convergent (construct) validity (r = 0.38). The SAS internal consistencyr = 0.93 and stabilityr = 0.76. Although 2 specific subscales need to be improved, the SAS can be adapted by prenatal care programs to measure the attributes of adoption of new, evidence-based patient education and counseling methods.
Motivated Selective Attention During Political Ad Processing

This study examines the dynamic, real-time interplay between the emotional content of political television ads and individuals’ political attitudes during ad processing based upon the Dynamic Motivational Activation (DMA) theoretical framework. Time-series cross-sectional models were developed to test the effects of three motivational inputs of emotional ads (arousing content, positivity, and negativity) and viewers’ evaluation of the featured candidates on four psychophysiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance level, corrugator electromyography, and zygomatic electromyography). As predicted by the DMA, physiological responses during ad viewing were affected by their own first- and second-order dynamic system feedback effects. These results not only support the predicted dynamic nature of the physiological system but also help disentangle message effects from the moderating and accumulating effects of the physiological system itself. Also as predicted, message motivational inputs interacted with viewers’ political attitudes to determine psychophysiological responses to the ads. Supporters of opposing political candidates showed cardiac-somatic response patterns indicative of disparate attention to the advertised information. Attentional selectivity can be a critical component in determining how information processing influences campaign message reception and effects.
Screening and rehabilitation of olfaction after total laryngectomy in Swedish patients: results from an intervention study using the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver.

OBJECTIVES To examine the olfactory function in patients with laryngectomy and to assess the results of the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver (NAIM) odor-rehabilitation technique. DESIGN A prospective intervention study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Twenty-four patients, 21 men and 3 women, mean age 68 years, who underwent laryngectomy at least 5 months prior to intervention. INTERVENTION Speech therapists trained patients in the NAIM technique: simultaneous lowering of the jaw, floor of the mouth, tongue, base of the tongue, and soft palate while the lips are closed. Three interventions were given within 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Olfactory testing with semistructured interview, the Questionnaire on Olfaction, Taste, and Appetite (QOTA), and the Scandinavian Odor-Identification Test (SOIT). Quality of life was measured with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires. The patients were categorized as smellers or nonsmellers based on the SOIT results. RESULTS Before the treatment, 10 patients (42%) were smellers (ie, 6 had normosmia and 4 hyposmia), while 14 patients (58%) were nonsmellers (ie, all had anosmia). Thus, 18 patients had impaired olfaction. Using the NAIM technique, 13 (72%) of 18 patients with impaired olfaction showed improvement. Of the 14 nonsmellers, 7 converted to smellers after only 1 intervention session, giving us a success rate of 50% in anosmic patients after 1 session. CONCLUSIONS Olfactory impairment is common in patients who underwent laryngectomy. The NAIM method is easy to learn and rapidly improves smell and taste. A single intervention session is sometimes sufficient, but many patients benefit from repeated training. The SOIT test is an effective and simple test for the assessment of olfaction acuity after laryngectomy.
Variability of the relative afferent pupillary defect.

PURPOSE Afferent asymmetry of visual function is detectable in both normal and pathologic conditions. With a computerized test, we assessed the variability in measuring afferent asymmetry of the pupillary light reflex, that is, the relative afferent pupillary defect. METHODS In ten normal subjects, pupillary responses to an alternating light stimulus were recorded with computerized infrared pupillography. The relative afferent pupillary defect for each test was determined by using a new computer analysis. The 95% confidence interval of each determination of relative afferent pupillary defect was used to represent the short-term fluctuation in its measurement. To optimize the test for clinical use, we studied the influence of stimulus intensity, duration, and number on the variability of the relative afferent pupillary defect. RESULTS When the relative afferent pupillary defect was based on only a few light alternations (stimulus pairs), there was excessive variability in its measurement (95% confidence interval > 0.5 log units). With approximately 200 stimulus pairs, the 95% confidence interval was reduced to less than 0.1 log unit (relative afferent pupillary defect +/- 0.05 log unit). Also, there was less variability when the dark interval between alternating light stimulation was less than one second. CONCLUSIONS Computerized infrared pupillography can standardize the alternating light test and minimize the error in quantifying a relative afferent pupillary defect. A reproducible relative afferent pupillary defect measurement is desirable for defining afferent injury and following the course of disease.
Are zebrafish larvae suitable for assessing the hepatotoxicity potential of drug candidates?

Drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) is poorly predicted by single‐cell‐based assays, probably because of the lack of physiological interactions with other cells within the liver. An intact whole liver system such as one present in zebrafish larvae could provide added value in a screening strategy for DILI; however, the possible occurrence of other organ toxicities and the immature larval stage of the zebrafish might complicate accurate and fast analysis. We investigated whether expression analysis of liver‐specific fatty acid binding protein 10a (lfabp10a) was an appropriate endpoint for assessing hepatotoxic effects in zebrafish larvae. It was found that expression analysis of lfabp10a was a valid marker, as after treatment with hepatotoxicants, dose–response curves could be obtained and statistically significant abnormal lfabp10 expression levels correlated with hepatocellular histopathological changes in the liver. However, toxicity in other vital organs such as the heart could impact liver outgrowth and thus had to be assessed concurrently. Whether zebrafish larvae were suitable for assessing human relevant drug‐induced hepatotoxicity was assessed with hepatotoxicants and non‐hepatotoxicants that have been marketed for human use and classified according to their mechanism of toxicity. The zebrafish larva showed promising predictivity towards a number of mechanisms and was capable of distinguishing between hepatotoxic and non‐hepatotoxic chemical analogues, thus implying its applicability as a potential screening model for DILI. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunoblot analysis of a 10 kDa antigen in cyst fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes

The diagnostic value of a 10 kDa subunit of 150 kDa protein in cyst fluid (CF) of Taenia solium metacestodes was evaluated. Immunoblot analysis revealed that most sera from patients with neurocysticercosis recognized the 10 kDa subunit strongly (209/217 cases, 84.6%), while a few sera from individuals with other parasitic diseases including alveolar echinococcosis (AE, 2/20, 10%) and cystic echinococcosis (CE, 2/25, 8%) showed faint reactions. Sera of cases with other parasitic diseases, especially AE and CE, exhibited cross reactions against other bands in CF. Both differential immunoblot and immunoprecipitation analyses showed that the 10 kDa subunit was the most specific to cysticercosis and highly antigenic, whereas other components at 20–40, 64, 95 and 106 kDa in CF were cross‐reactive. IgG subclass ELISA and immunoblot demonstrated that both IgG4 and IgG1 reactions were predominant in neurocysticercosis and recognized the 10 kDa.
Flavonoids and Terpenoids from Phlomis cashmeriana and their Chemotaxonomic significance

The study of the chemical constituents of the whole plant of Phlomis cashmeriana (Lamiaceae) has resulted in the isolation and characterization of twelve compounds. These twelve compounds were identified as apigenin 7,4'-dimethyl ether ( 1), luteolin-7-methyl ether ( 2), bitalgenin ( 3), kaempferol 3-O-3'''-acetyl-�-L- arabinopyranosyl-(1'''-6''')-�-D-glucopyranoside ( 4), glutinol ( 5), oleanolic acid ( 6), �-amyrin ( 7), ursolic acid (8), 3-O-p-coumaroylshikimic acid ( 9), 3 �-hydroxycycloart-24-one ( 10 ), and a mixture of �-sitosterol ( 11 ), and stigmasterol ( 12 ). The above compounds were individually identified by spectroscopic analyses and comparisons with reported data. The chemotaxonomic studies of isolated compounds have been discussed. This study constitutes the first phytochemical work on P. cashmeriana
Product Market Competition and Internal Governance: Evidence from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

We use the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) as a quasi-natural experiment to examine the link between product market competition and internal governance mechanisms. Consistent with notion that competition plays an important role in aligning incentives within the firm, SOX led to a larger improvement in the operation of firms in concentrated industries than in non-concentrated industries. Further, within concentrated industries, the effect is especially pronounced among firms with weaker governance mechanisms prior to SOX. We corroborate these findings using two additional regulatory changes in the U.S. and abroad. Overall, our results indicate that corporate governance is more important when firms face less product market competition.
Trade-offs Between a Vertical Shared Display and Two Desktops in a Collaborative Path-Finding Task

Large vertical displays are considered well adapted for collaboration, due to their display surface and the space in front of them that can accommodate multiple people. However, there are few studies that empirically support this assertion, and they do not quantitatively assess the differences of collaboration in front of a shared display compared to a non-shared setup, such as multiple desktops with a common view. In this paper, we compare a large shared vertical display with two desktops, when pairs of users learn to perform a path-planning task. Our results did not indicate a significant difference in learning between the two setups, but found that participants adopted different task strategies. Moreover, while pairs were overall faster with the two desktops, quality was more consistent in the vertical shared display where pairs spent more time communicating, even though there is a-priori more implicit collaboration in this setup.
Self-Efficacy And Academics Performance In English

This study reviews the relevant related literature of self-efficacy, a central point of social cognitive theory, in the area of language learning. Role of self-efficacy in Academic performance of learners also considered. In the global village, English language has become the cardinal means of International affairs and communication. So researchers tried to find out the relationship between self-efficacy and Academic performance in English of Secondary school students. The researcher tested the research hypotheses using a sample group of 520 secondary school going students. Scale of self-efficacy and academic performance test in language are used as instruments. The result revealed that significant difference exist in the Academic performance in English and self-efficacy of rural and urban students. In the case of gender and type of management there were no significant difference exists.
Benefit Finding in Fathers of Childhood Cancer Survivors

There is a growing literature examining positive outcomes following traumatic experiences. Although the diagnosis of a child with cancer poses extraordinary challenges for the family, awareness is growing that such a life-changing event can be a catalyst for positive growth. The current mixed methods study investigated benefit finding in fathers (N = 25) of childhood cancer survivors. Benefit finding included positive changes resulting from adversity. Participants completed a benefit finding measure and an interview describing their experience and benefits from the challenges faced during their child’s cancer journey. Findings indicated that fathers endorsed high levels of benefit finding (mean = 4.1 out of 5) specifically in personal growth, spiritual change, and relationships with others. Our study extends the literature by examining how their child’s cancer journey contributed to specific domains of paternal benefit finding. These results support the use of a positive psychology framework for understanding effects of a child’s cancer diagnosis on caregivers.