Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nocardial Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients

Upon review of the English literature and the patients at our hospital, we identified 94 renal transplant recipients with nocardiosis. These patients were further evaluated and compared to nonrenal transplant patients with nocardiosis. We found that these patients were similar in presentation, course, and therapeutic outcome to non-transplant patients. Survival was related to underlying disease, site of infection, rapidity with which the diagnosis was made and, especially, the inclusion of a sulfa compound in the antimicrobial regimen. Transplant centers with high rates of Nocardia infection should consider trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis for at least the first year after transplantation.
Premarital Agreements and Gender Justice

IV. THE RECENT TREND OF THE LAW CONCERNING PREMARITAL AGREEMENTS IS TO PROMOTE THEIR ENFORCEMENT, TO THE DETRIMENT OF WOMEN A. Introduction B. A summary of the current law relating to premarital agreements in states that have not enacted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act C. The early common law relating to premarital agreements developed principles with the potential for protecting women from unfair agreements D. In the 1970s, courts began to question whether the law should protect women from unfair premarital agreements E. Lawmakers are abandoning the principles that protect women from oppressive premarital agreements based on their mistaken belief that women have achieved equality F. The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act goes further than Simeone v. Simeone toward making premarital agreements readily enforceable G. The meaning of equality and the discriminatory effect of premarital agreements
Migration history, health behaviors, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight Mexican-American women.

PURPOSE This research examined whether the migration history of overweight Mexican-American women had an independent effect on cardiovascular risk factors, or whether it was mediated by health behavior changes. DATA AND METHODS Cross-sectional data from 390 overweight, non-diabetic Mexican-American women (aged 18 to 65 years), all recruited from Starr County, Texas, were used for this analysis. Migration history was inferred from birthplaces of subjects and relatives, and length of residence in the United States. Health behaviors included tobacco and alcohol use, sleeping, exercise, and dietary practices. The cardiovascular disease risk factor variables (CDRFVs) studied were plasma glucose, abdominal obesity, blood pressures, and blood lipids. A migration history score (MHS) was developed from factor analysis, almost equally contributed to by the 9 migration history variables. Healthy habits were defined by 6 variables, and 3 factors (blood pressures, lipids/glucose, and body fat/glucose) were used for the CDRFVs. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION MHS was correlated positively with socioeconomic status, and negatively with family stress. Older women had healthier drinking and sleeping habits. Women with a higher migration history score exhibited poorer exercise habits, and increased blood pressures. After adjusting for the effect of healthy exercise habits on blood pressures, the impact of migration history on blood pressures became non-significant (P>.05), leading to the conclusion that healthy exercise behaviors mediated the negative relationship of MHS with blood pressures. Age was independently positively correlated with all CDRFVs. Age also weakly moderated the negative relationship of MHS and healthy exercise habits.
Immune regulation in chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract The immunological result of infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) depends on the delicate balance between a vigorous immune response that may clear the infection, but with a risk of unspecific inflammation and, or a less inflammatory response that leads to chronic infection. In general, exhaustion and impairment of cytotoxic function of HCV-specific T cells and NK cells are found in patients with chronic HCV infection. In contrast, an increase in immune regulatory functions is found primarily in form of increased IL-10 production possibly due to increased level and function of anti-inflammatory Tregs. Thus, the major immune players during chronic HCV infection are characterized by a decrease of cytotoxic function and increase of inhibitory functions. This may be an approach to diminish intrahepatic and systemic inflammation. Finally, there has been increasing awareness of regulatory functions of epigenetic changes in chronic HCV infection. A vast amount of studies have revealed the complexity of immune regulation in chronic HCV infection, but the interplay between immune regulation in virus and host remains incompletely understood. This review provides an overview of regulatory functions of HCV-specific T cells, NK cells, Tregs, IL-10, and TGF-β, as well as epigenetic changes in the setting of chronic HCV infection.
Variability of Sugars in Staple-Type Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Cultivars: The Effects of Harvest Time and Storage

Total soluble sugar content and composition was studied by high performance liquid chromatography in four high dry-matter sweet potato cultivars at 3, 4, and 5 months maturity. Total soluble sugar consisted of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, ranging from 4.10–10.82 g/100 g (dry-weight basis). At harvest, there were significant differences in total soluble sugar due to maturity (p < 0.001) and cultivar (p < 0.05). The highest total soluble sugar contents were in 5-month samples at harvest (7.36–10.34 g/100 g) and 4-month samples after short-term storage under tropical ambient conditions (8.66–10.82 g/100 g). Estimated amylase enzyme activity varied significantly with harvest age (p < 0.05). Although reducing sugar contents were low, fructose levels in 5-month samples increased considerably after storage.
Genomic Characterization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus in European Bats and Classification of Coronaviruses Based on Partial RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Gene Sequences

ABSTRACT Bats may host emerging viruses, including coronaviruses (CoV). We conducted an evaluation of CoV in rhinolophid and vespertilionid bat species common in Europe. Rhinolophids carried severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-related CoV at high frequencies and concentrations (26% of animals are positive; up to 2.4 × 108 copies per gram of feces), as well as two Alphacoronavirus clades, one novel and one related to the HKU2 clade. All three clades present in Miniopterus bats in China (HKU7, HKU8, and 1A related) were also present in European Miniopterus bats. An additional novel Alphacoronavirus clade (bat CoV [BtCoV]/BNM98-30) was detected in Nyctalus leisleri. A CoV grouping criterion was developed by comparing amino acid identities across an 816-bp fragment of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) of all accepted mammalian CoV species (RdRp-based grouping units [RGU]). Criteria for defining separate RGU in mammalian CoV were a >4.8% amino acid distance for alphacoronaviruses and a >6.3% distance for betacoronaviruses. All the above-mentioned novel clades represented independent RGU. Strict associations between CoV RGU and host bat genera were confirmed for six independent RGU represented simultaneously in China and Europe. A SARS-related virus (BtCoV/BM48-31/Bulgaria/2008) from a Rhinolophus blasii (Rhi bla) bat was fully sequenced. It is predicted that proteins 3b and 6 were highly divergent from those proteins in all known SARS-related CoV. Open reading frame 8 (ORF8) was surprisingly absent. Surface expression of spike and staining with sera of SARS survivors suggested low antigenic overlap with SARS CoV. However, the receptor binding domain of SARS CoV showed higher similarity with that of BtCoV/BM48-31/Bulgaria/2008 than with that of any Chinese bat-borne CoV. Critical spike domains 472 and 487 were identical and similar, respectively. This study underlines the importance of assessments of the zoonotic potential of widely distributed bat-borne CoV.
ROOM FOR IDEAS: TRACING NON-DOMESTIC ROUNDHOUSES

Iron Age studies in Britain operate in a world populated by roundhouses. Post-ring evidence is generally interpreted in domestic contexts. However, research on later prehistoric roundhouses in north-east Scotland has identified a small yet significant number of round structures in unusual locations, with unusual architectural details and a distinct lack of domestic material. Some of these relate to Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age stone circles, for which Richard Bradley’s work in the wider region has highlighted progressive biographies of construction and reuse. This paper, rooted in architectural design theory, selects a particular case study – the multiple timber post-rings at Candle Stane (in Aberdeenshire) – to highlight the complexities in interpreting these fascinating and enigmatic buildings. The architectural approach develops alternative reconstructions that lead to new perspectives on later prehistoric architecture as event-based and concerned with process. These processes only gradually lead to an architectural end-product, which displays distinctly non-domestic connotations. The research not only highlights the usefulness of data derived from rescue work for academic study, but the advocated approach of reconstructing in alternatives also lends itself to developing innovative approaches in Higher Education to teach visual competence.
Long- and short-term induction of defences in seedlings of Shorea leprosula (Dipterocarpaceae): support for the carbon:nutrient balance hypothesis

The induction of carbon-based secondary metabolites in leaves following damage has been proposed to be a result of a shift in the carbon:nutrient balance, when growth is limited by nutrients in relation to carbon. Here we test this hypothesis using seedlings of a tropical tree, Shorea leprosula (Dipterocarpaceae). In the short term, we analysed the phenolic content of leaves 7 d after damage on seedlings grown under differing light and nutrient treatments. In the long term, we examined the effect of nutrients, over 12 mo, on leaf phenolic concentration and seedling growth. In both the long and short term, levels of phenolics increased in damaged leaves under low nutrient treatments. No changes in leaf phenolics were detected under high nutrient regimes, or in the short term under low light. In addition, it was found that defoliation of seedlings in high-nutrient environments led to greater rates of leaf production than in undamaged seedlings, suggesting compensation.
The proteasome inhibitor CEP‐18770 enhances the anti‐myeloma activity of bortezomib and melphalan

The anti‐multiple myeloma (MM) efficacy of bortezomib has led to the development of other proteasome inhibitors (PI), including CEP‐18770 which has shown anti‐MM effects in preclinical studies. However, the efficacy of orally (PO) or intravenously (IV) administered CEP‐18770 in multiple MM models and in combination with conventional anti‐MM therapies has not been evaluated. Herein, we show that CEP‐18770 combined with melphalan or bortezomib induces synergistic inhibition of MM cell viability in vitro. In MM xenograft models, the addition of CEP‐18770 IV to melphalan completely prevented the growth of both melphalan‐sensitive and melphalan‐resistant tumours. The combination of CEP‐18770 IV and bortezomib induced complete regression of bortezomib‐sensitive tumours and markedly delayed progression of bortezomib‐resistant tumours compared to treatment with either agent alone. Single agent CEP‐18770 PO also showed marked anti‐MM effects in these xenograft models. These studies provide strong preclinical rationale for further development of this novel PI in the treatment of MM as a monotherapy as well as combined with either melphalan or bortezomib.
Biology of IL‐21 and the IL‐21 receptor

Summary: Interleukin‐21 (IL‐21) is the newest member of the common γ‐chain family of cytokines, which includes IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐7, IL‐9, IL‐13, and IL‐15. Its private receptor, IL‐21R, has been shown to activate the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathway upon ligand binding. Initial studies have demonstrated that IL‐21 has pleiotropic effects on the proliferation, differentiation, and effector functions of B, T, natural killer, and dendritic cells. More recently, the potential therapeutic capacity of IL‐21 in the treatment of cancers has been widely investigated. The biological role of IL‐21 in the immune system is complex, as IL‐21 has been shown to have the ability to both promote and inhibit immune responses. Overall, the current data point to IL‐21 being a novel immunomodulatory cytokine, whose regulation of any given immune response is highly dependent on the surrounding environmental context.
Assessment of the rotator cable in various rotator cuff conditions using indirect MR arthrography

Background The rotator cable is an important structure providing stress shield to the rotator cuff, similar to the mechanism of suspension bridge. Purpose To evaluate the visibility and appearance of the rotator cable in various conditions of the rotator cuff, using indirect magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography. Material and Methods Indirect MR arthrography images from 27 patients (age range, 20–63 years) with normal rotator cuffs, and 47 (age range, 20–73 years) with tendinosis, 32 (age range, 49–71 years) with partial-thickness tears, and 55 (age range, 44–75 years) with full-thickness tears in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons (SST-ISTs) were included in this study. In these various rotator cuff conditions, the visibility and appearance (thickness and width) of the rotator cable and the relationships between the rotator cable appearance, rotator cuff tear size, rotator cuff thickness, and patient’s age were assessed. Results On the sagittal MR images, all rotator cables were visible in the normal rotator cuffs and tendinosis/partial-thickness tears of SST-ISTs. In the order of normal cuff, tendinosis, partial-thickness tear, and full-thickness tear of SST-ISTs, the rotator cable tended to become thicker (1.07, 1.27, 1.32, and 1.59 mm, respectively) and narrower (12.1, 10.68, 10.90, and 8.55 mm, respectively). The thickness of the rotator cable was significantly positively correlated with the rotator cuff thickness in the normal rotator cuffs (coefficient, 0.49; P = 0.010) and tendinosis of SST-ISTs (coefficient, 0.53; P < 0.001), but was not correlated with patients’ age. Conclusion On sagittal plane of indirect MR arthrography, most rotator cables were visible. The appearance of the rotator cable changed according to the rotator cuff condition.
Probing Membrane Bilayer Interactions of 1,4‐Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers

The results of this study demonstrate that the equilibrium nonspecific binding of DHP Ca2+ channel blockers to the membrane bilayer is highly dependent on cholesterol content. The molecular explanation for this observation appears to be related to the fact that cholesterol and DHPs occupy a similar molecular location in the membrane hydrocarbon core (Fig. 4). The membrane location of amlodipine may also be critical for subsequent receptor recognition and binding to voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in peripheral and CNS tissue. Finally, changes in the cholesterol content of neural plasma membranes isolated from diseased cortical regions of subjects with AD were reported and may be indicative of a general defect in lipid metabolism. Further studies are underway to characterize in greater detail possible changes in cholesterol content with aging and AD. The implication of these changes for structure/function relationships in the membrane is also being explored.
Affect- and Self-Based Models of Relationships between Daily Events and Daily Well-Being

The present study examined affect- and self-based explanatory models of relationships between daily events and daily well-being. Twice a week for up to 10 weeks, participants described the events that occurred each day and provided measures of their daily affect, self-esteem, and depressogenic thinking. Participants also provided trait-level measures of affect, depression, and self-esteem. Measures of daily well-being representing each model covaried jointly and independently with daily negative and positive events. Positive events buffered the effects of negative events on daily self-esteem and daily depressogenic thinking, whereas there was no buffering effect for daily affect. More depressed people were more reactive to positive events, and those higher in trait PA were less reactive to negative events. Buffering effects for self-esteem were more pronounced for those with lower trait self-esteem, and buffering effects for daily depressogenic adjustment were more pronounced for those with higher trait negative affect. The results suggest that affect- and self-based models provide complementary perspectives on relationships between psychological well-being and daily events.
A role for NGF and its receptors TrKA and p75NTR in the progression of COPD

Abstract Nerve growth factor and its receptors, TrkA and p75NTR, are involved in inflammation and airways diseases, but their role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is still unclear and not well investigated. our data indicate the stage dependent variation of nerve growth factor and its receptors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease progression. In fact, for the first time, this study evaluates the presence of nerve growth factor and its receptors in serum and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with different stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to healthy subjects, non-smoker and current smoker. Serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10 and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were also analyzed. Compared to healthy subjects, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients presented a staging-dependent increase in serum nerve growth factor, negatively correlated to forced expiratory volume in 1 s and positively to monocyte chemoattractant Protein-1. The percentage of p75NTR+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells increased in early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (I–II), while TrKA+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells increased in late stages (III–IV). Our data demonstrate the involvement and modulation of nerve growth factor and its receptors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in its staging.
Textural properties of synthetic clay-ferrihydrite associations

Abstract Kaolinite-ferrihydrite and montmorillonite-ferrihydrite associations were prepared following a procedure based on the Russell method for the synthesis of ferrihydrite and the texture of the clay-ferrihydrite complexes was studied using different techniques. The textural properties of kaolinite were little affected by the Fe association, showing only a slight increase in the specific surface area measured by nitrogen adsorption and a decrease in the largest pores (>10 μm), as measured by mercury porosimetry. In contrast, the nitrogen specific surface area of the montmorillonite complexes was much higher than that of the clay without Fe and the pore structure depended on the amounts of Fe in the complexes. Application of the fractal approach to nitrogen adsorption data indicated that the surface roughness (microporosity) was greater for the complexes prepared from diluted Fe(III) solutions, in agreement with the information obtained from classical interpretation of the adsorption isotherms (shape of the isotherms and t-plots).
Open-ended attributions in team competition.

A total of 352 open-ended attributions were obtained in two field studies with volleyball teams and in two lab experiments, all involving team competition. All attributions were classified along the three causal dimensions of locus of causality, stability, and controllability. Attributions were also classified as referring to the self, to teammates, to the team as a whole, or to other factors and sorted into specific categories. A loglinear analysis revealed that attributions were predominantly internal, unstable, and controllable. A significant win/loss effect reflected the tendency for members of winning teams to use controllable, and particularly unstable, controllable, attributions more than members of losing teams. Overwhelmingly, attributions referred to the team as a whole rather than to individuals or other factors, and teamwork was an especially popular causal explanation. The findings suggest that research on attributions in team competition should focus on causal dimensions rather than the four traditional attributions of effort, ability, luck, and task difficulty, and that further attention should be given to team-referent causal explanations.
REFWA plus: enhancement of REFWA to combat link errors in LEO satellite networks

As a distinguished characteristic of satellite environments, high bit error rates (BER) impair the performance of the transmission control protocol (TCP) over satellite networks. In this paper, an error recovery mechanism is proposed to further improve the performance of the recursive, explicit, and fair window adjustment (REFWA) scheme [T. Taleb et al., Feb 2004] [T. Taleb et al., June 2004] in satellite IP networks. The proposed mechanism is called REFWA plus. The fundamental challenge in loss recovery over satellite networks consists in distinguishing between congestion induced packet drops from those due to link errors. In the proposed mechanism, this distinction is based on comparison of the new and old values of the explicit congestion feedback signaled by the REFWA scheme to TCP senders. Effectively, a packet drop due to network congestion is likely to be preceded by a decrease in the computed feedback, whereas packet drops that are followed by an increased feedback are likely to be due to link errors. A set of simulations is conducted to evaluate the performance of the REFWA plus scheme. Simulation results demonstrate that compared to TCP Newreno, TCP Westwood, and REFWA, the proposed scheme improves the system fairness and makes better utilization of the bottleneck link even in environments with high bit error rates.
Spinal epidural abscesses: conservative treatment for selected subgroups of patients

The aim of this study was to emphasize the importance of non-surgical treatment for subgroups of patients with spinal epidural abscesses (SEA). From 1988 to 2000, thirty cases of epidural spinal abscesses were retrospectively included in the study. The records and radiological studies were evaluated. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent microorganism causing SEA in 18 patients. In 20 patients SEA was secondary to interventional procedures. Predisposing factors were present in 15 cases. Fifty per cent was located in the lumbar region. A total of 22 patients received MRI, which always gave the diagnosis of SEA. Surgical treatment was performed in 20 patients. Conservative treatment with antibiotics was used in 10 patients. Eight patients did not have neurological deficits. One patient was critically ill and another patient was paralysed with an epidural lesion extending over six spinal segments. In all cases, a microorganism was known at the time of diagnosis of ESA. The eight patients without deficits recovered completely following treatment with antibiotics. C-reactive protein was the most reliable inflammatory marker to monitor the effect of the treatment. MRI enables diagnosis of ESA before deficits occur. These can safely be treated with antibiotics if the causative microorganism is known, and the neurological status and laboratory values are monitored. Decompressive surgery is restricted to cases with progressive deficits, when the deficits have lasted for less than 36 h and when the microorganism is not known.