Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of αβ T Cell Depletion in Prevention of Graft versus Host Disease

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) represents a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo HCT). Graft cellular manipulation has been used to mitigate the risk of GVHD. The αβ T cells are considered the primary culprit for causing GVHD therefore depletion of this T cell subset emerged as a promising cellular manipulation strategy to overcome the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) barrier of haploidentical (haplo) HCT. This approach is also being investigated in HLA-matched HCT. In several studies, αβ T cell depletion HCT has been performed without pharmacologic GVHD prophylaxis, thus unleashing favorable effect of donor’s natural killer cells (NK) and γδ T cells. This article will discuss the evolution of this method in clinical practice and the clinical outcome as described in different clinical trials.
Osteonecrosis associated with HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE To report cases of osteonecrosis in patients who were HIV positive but had no apparent risk factors for osteonecrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS A computer search of records from two university-affiliated teaching hospitals yielded eight cases of osteonecrosis in HIV-positive patients and patients with AIDS. The patients' charts and radiographic records were reviewed to determine possible risk factors for osteonecrosis. RESULTS In four of the eight patients no definite risk factors for osteonecrosis could be found. CONCLUSION Osteonecrosis may be a musculoskeletal complication of HIV infection.
Use of corticosteroid sparing systemic immunosuppression for treatment of corticosteroid dependent optic neuritis not associated with demyelinating disease

Aim: To describe the authors’ experience and that in the published literature regarding the use of corticosteroid sparing systemic immunosuppression for patients with corticosteroid dependent optic neuritis not associated with demyelinating disease. Methods: The records of 10 patients from the authors’ clinical database, and 38 patients from the published literature with corticosteroid dependent optic neuritis, were retrospectively reviewed to determine patient demographics, diagnosis, clinical course, and outcomes. These patients had recrudescence of symptoms, such as decreased vision and pain, with attempted taper of corticosteroid. Many of these patients also suffered side effects from systemic corticosteroid use such as weight gain and uncontrolled hyperglycaemia. Antimetabolites (for example, methotrexate and azathioprine), cyclosporine and/or alkylating agents (for example, cyclophosphamide and chlorambucil) were given to enable taper of corticosteroid while effectively controlling optic neuritis. Results: The study included 43 women and 5 men: 17 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 12 patients with sarcoidosis, 3 with other systemic autoimmune diseases, and 16 with no clinically identifiable systemic association. 79% of all patients benefited from the use of systemic immunosuppression in that they had successful corticosteroid taper, control of inflammation, improvement in symptoms, and/or tolerance of adverse effects. Mild toxicity was common and 19% of patients, most often those taking cyclophosphamide, discontinued medication because of adverse effects. 24 of 28 (86%) patients on alkylators benefited clinically, while 20 of 29 (69%) patients on antimetabolites had clinical benefit. Conclusion: Systemic immunosuppression may be a safer and more effective treatment alternative to chronic oral corticosteroid use in cases of corticosteroid dependent optic neuritis not associated with demyelinating disease.
Reconstitution of functional mRNA-protein complexes in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system

A variety of evidence suggests that the cytoplasmic mRNA-associated proteins of eucaryotic cells are derived from the cytoplasm and function there, most likely in protein synthesis or some related process. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that protein-free mRNA added to a cell-free translation system should become associated with a set of proteins similar to those associated with mRNA in native polyribosomes. To test this hypothesis, we added deproteinized rabbit reticulocyte mRNA to a homologous cell-free translation system made dependent on exogenous mRNA by treatment with micrococcal nuclease. The resulting reconstituted complexes were irradiated with UV light to cross-link the proteins to mRNA, and the proteins were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The proteins associated with polyribosomal mRNA in the reconstituted complexes were indistinguishable from those associated with polyribosomal mRNA in intact reticulocytes. Furthermore, reticulocyte mRNA-associated proteins were very similar to those of cultured mammalian cells. The composition of the complexes varied with the translational state of the mRNA; that is, certain proteins present in polyribosomal mRNA-protein complexes were absent or reduced in amount in 40S to 80S complexes and in complexes formed in the absence of translation. However, other proteins, including a 78-kilodalton protein associated with polyadenylate, were present irrespective of translational state, or else they were preferentially associated with untranslated mRNA. These findings are in agreement with previous data suggesting that proteins associated with cytoplasmic mRNA are derived from the cytoplasm and that they function in translation or some other cytoplasmic process, rather than transcription, RNA processing, or transport from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.
A prospective randomised controlled trial of the LMA Supreme vs cuffed tracheal tube as the airway device during percutaneous tracheostomy

We studied the performance of the LMA Supreme against a cuffed tracheal tube, our standard method of airway control during percutaneous tracheostomy, in 50 consecutive patients from three general critical care units. The primary outcome measure was adequacy of ventilation calculated as the difference in arterial carbon dioxide tension before and after tracheostomy. On an intention‐to‐treat analysis, there was no difference in the increase in arterial carbon dioxide tension between groups, with a median (IQR [range]) for the LMA Supreme of 0.9 (0.3–1.6 [0–2.8]) kPa, and for the tracheal tube of 0.8 (0.4–1.2 [0–2.5]) kPa, p = 0.82. Eight patients out of 25 (32%) crossed over from the LMA Supreme group to the tracheal tube group before commencement of tracheostomy due to airway or ventilation problems, compared with none out of 25 in the tracheal tube group, p = 0.01, and tracheostomy was postponed in two patients in the LMA Supreme group due to poor oxygenation. There were more clinically important complications in the LMA Supreme group compared with the tracheal tube group.
Teamwork and Internal Labour Markets: A Study of a Canadian Aluminium Smelter

This article seeks to explain the difficulties of introducing and benefiting from teamwork in North American unionized settings. Detailed observation and interviews in an aluminium smelter reveal that the potential of more flexible and collective work arrangements was limited by institutional constraints. Some recurring tensions relate to the interplay between the system of rules already in place, which govern the internal labour market, and the new pattern of work which management seeks to implement.
A deficiency of the link protein Bral2 affects the size of the extracellular space in the thalamus of aged mice

Bral2 is a link protein stabilizing the binding between lecticans and hyaluronan in perineuronal nets and axonal coats (ACs) in specific brain regions. Using the real‐time iontophoretic method and diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance, we determined the extracellular space (ECS) volume fraction (α), tortuosity (λ), and apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADCW) in the thalamic ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) and sensorimotor cortex of young adult (3–6 months) and aged (14–20 months) Bral2‐deficient (Bral2−/−) mice and age‐matched wild‐type (wt) controls. The results were correlated with an analysis of extracellular matrix composition. In the cortex, no changes between wt and Bral2−/− were detected, either in the young or aged mice. In the VPM of aged but not in young Bral2−/− mice, we observed a significant decrease in α and ADCW in comparison with age‐matched controls. Bral2 deficiency led to a reduction of both aggrecan‐ and brevican‐associated perineuronal nets and a complete disruption of brevican‐based ACs in young as well as aged VPM. Our data suggest that aging is a critical point that reveals the effect of Bral2 deficiency on VPM diffusion. This effect is probably mediated through the enhanced age‐related damage of neurons lacking protective ACs, or the exhausting of compensatory mechanisms maintaining unchanged diffusion parameters in young Bral2−/− animals. A decreased ECS volume in aged Bral2−/− mice may influence the diffusion of neuroactive substances, and thus extrasynaptic and also indirectly synaptic transmission in this important nucleus of the somatosensory pathway.
Usefulness of enzyme-linked immunospot assay (Elispot) compared to tuberculin skin testing for latent tuberculosis screening in rheumatic patients scheduled for anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment.

OBJECTIVE Treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in patients with rheumatic diseases has been associated with increased rates of tuberculosis due to reactivation of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) infection (LTBI). Diagnosis of LTBI is based mainly on the tuberculin skin test (TST), which has certain limitations. METHODS We compared the TST with an enzyme-linked immunospot interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) release assay (Elispot; T SPOT TB) for the diagnosis of LTBI in 70 patients with various rheumatic diseases starting treatment with anti-TNF agents. All patients underwent a standard initial evaluation for LTBI including clinical examination, chest radiograph, and standard TST. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated ex vivo with MTb-specific antigens (ESAT-6 and CFP10), and IFN-gamma-producing cells were counted (Elispot assay). RESULTS Twenty-seven patients (38.6%) were TST+ and 16 were Elispot+ (22.8%). The overall level of agreement between the 2 tests was 72.8%, being much higher in patients who were TST- (39/43, 90.6%) than in those who were TST+ (12/27, 44.4%). Discordant results were observed in 19 patients (27.1%). Among TST- patients (n = 43), 4 were Elispot+ (9.3%); we also identified 15 Elispot- patients among 27 TST+ patients (55.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that a history of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination was associated with TST+/Elispot- discordant results (p = 0.01), whereas steroid use was linked to TST-/Elispot+ discordant results (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Elispot assay is a useful test for diagnosis of LTBI in rheumatic patients scheduled for anti-TNF therapy and identification of patients with false-positive TST results due to previous BCG vaccination.
Global Shift: Transforming the World Economy

A New Geo-Economy PART ONE: PATTERNS OF GLOBAL SHIFT Introduction A Brief Historical Perspective The Global Economic Map Trends in Production, Trade and Investment PART TWO: PROCESSES OF GLOBAL SHIFT Introduction Traditional Explanations and the Need for a New Approach 'The State Is Dead . Long Live the State' National Variations in Policy Stance Technology The 'Great Growling Engine of Change' Transnational Corporations The Primary 'Movers and Shapers' of the Global Economy 'Webs of Enterprise' Transnational Corporations within Networks of Relationships Dynamics of Conflict and Collaboration 'Both Transnational Corporations and/f003 /f001States Matter' PART THREE: GLOBAL SHIFT: THE PICTURE IN DIFFERENT SECTORS Introduction The Choice of Case-Study Sectors 'Fabric-ating Fashion' The Textiles and Clothing Industries 'Wheels of Change' The Automobile Industry 'Chips and Screens' The Electronics Industries 'Making the World Go Round' The Internationalization of Services PART FOUR: STRESSES AND STRAINS OF ADJUSTMENT TO GLOBAL SHIFT Introduction A Summary Perspective Making a Living in the Global Economy Issues of Global Governance
Improving food security in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa: Too little, too slow

Food insecurity is still remarkably high in the poorest areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Many rural households struggle to have sufficient access to the food they need or prefer. This article explores the extent of food access insecurity and assesses the perceived impact on food security of an Empowerment for Food Security Programme that was launched in the Province in 2007. One of the programme aims was to improve agricultural practices in community gardens, home gardens and broiler production. Data were collected among 390 beneficiary households involved in these agricultural projects in 2010. Findings confirmed that experience-based food insecurity levels were still high, despite the agricultural support programme and the government income transfers. Nevertheless, respondents attribute an improved dietary diversity and better access to resources to the programme.
Block-Diagonalization applied in multi-user Massive MIMO

One of the main areas of research for the next generation of mobile communications (5G) is the concept of Massive MIMO, which implies using base stations that employ a considerably larger number of antennas than the classic MIMO systems (tens or even hundreds of antennas). The challenges become increasingly difficult when it comes to dealing with multiple mobile stations (MU-MIMO system) sharing the same time-frequency resource. This paper treats the downlink direction case. In a hypothetical system implementation in which the base station (BS) applies a classical “point-to-point” MIMO precoding method the mobile stations have to make use of a collaborative detection method, where each mobile station is required to share its received signals as well as channel information to all others. In order to avoid the need of a collaborative detection scheme, the BS needs to apply a precoding scheme that is capable of eliminating inter-user interference: each user should receive only its own signals and not the ones intended for the other users. This paper investigates the scalability of the Block Diagonalization MU-MIMO digital precoding scheme in a multi-user Massive MIMO system.
Distribution of smokers by stage in three representative samples.

OBJECTIVES A key variable for the design of individual and public health interventions for smoking cessation is Stage of Change, a variable which employs past behavior and behavioral intention to characterize an individual's readiness to change. Reactively recruited samples distort estimates of the stage distribution in the population because such samples attract a disproportionate number of late-stage participants. Three representative samples are described which provide accurate estimates of the stage distribution in the population. These samples are of adequate size to permit within-sample comparisons with respect to sex, age, Hispanic or non-Hispanic origin, race, and education level. The implications of using stage distribution as a tool for planning intervention is discussed. METHOD The first sample of 4,144 smokers was from the state of Rhode Island and involved a random-digit-dial survey. The second sample of 9,534 smokers was from the state of California and involved a stratified random-digit-dial survey. The third sample of 4,785 smokers was from a total of 114 worksites located in four different geographic locations. RESULTS The stage distributions were approximately identical across the three samples, with approximately 40% of the sample in Precontemplation, 40% in Contemplation, and 20% in Preparation. The stage distribution was generally stable across age groups with the exception of the 65 years and older group. Education level did affect the stage distribution with the proportion of the sample in Precontemplation decreasing as education level increased. In all three samples, minor differences in stage distribution were related to Hispanic origin and race, but the pattern was not consistent across the samples. CONCLUSIONS The pattern of stage distribution has important implications for the design of interventions. Existing interventions are most appropriate for the Preparation stage, but the majority of the three samples were in the first two stages, resulting in a likely mismatch between the smoker and the intervention. The stability of distribution across age suggests that interventions that are appropriately matched to stage can be applied across all age groups. The differences found with respect to education, Hispanic origin, and race can serve as a guide to the tailoring of intervention materials.
The ethics of reusing archived tissue for research

Pathologists have been establishing archives of human organs and tissue for research use for many years now. Controversy has arisen recently over these collections, particularly with regard to the right of patients or relatives to consent to removal and retention of tissue, genetic research using stored tissue samples, and commercial exploitation of tissue collections and genetic material. This paper discusses the ethics of reusing existing archives of tissue. New archives are established under much more stringent conditions than in the past. What rules should apply to existing archives? Guidelines to regulate such use are useful, but face serious difficulties in balancing the variety of public and private interests relating to tissue banking. Consent cannot be obtained retrospectively, but public trust can be established by open acknowledgement of the evolution of ethical standards and strict adherence to current best practice. Guidelines and standards vary from country to country, but ethical principles should not. The implications of this view for pathologists worldwide are discussed.
Katanin: A Sword Cutting Microtubules for Cellular, Developmental, and Physiological Purposes

KATANIN is a well-studied microtubule severing protein affecting microtubule organization and dynamic properties in higher plants. By regulating mitotic and cytokinetic and cortical microtubule arrays it is involved in the progression of cell division and cell division plane orientation. KATANIN is also involved in cell elongation and morphogenesis during plant growth. In this way KATANIN plays critical roles in diverse plant developmental processes including the development of pollen, embryo, seed, meristem, root, hypocotyl, cotyledon, leaf, shoot, and silique. KATANIN-dependent microtubule regulation seems to be under the control of plant hormones. This minireview provides an overview on available KATANIN mutants and discusses advances in our understanding of KATANIN biological roles in plants.
The innovation work environment of high–tech SMEs in the USA and Canada

This study examined the climate for innovation and creativity, and related outcome measures, in 31 Canadian and 11 US small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as assessed by 120 R&D engineers in those firms. Prior studies on the innovativeness of countries have been critical of Canadian firms compared to those in other industrialized countries. Our study tested whether differences existed between perceived climates, creativity and productivity of US and Canadian SMEs. The results indicated that the innovative climates and the perceptions of creativity and productivity of US and Canadian firms are very similar. Furthermore, the most important factors relating to creativity (Challenging Work and Organizational Encouragement) were the same for both the USA and Canada. Our conclusion is that support for innovation in Canadian SMEs is comparable with that of US SMEs. Differences in innovation measured at the national level can probably be attributed to other factors, such as industry structure and the degree of innovation in large firms.
Are Convertible Bonds Underpriced

We investigate the pricing of convertible bonds on the French convertible bond market using daily market prices for a period of 18 months. Instead of a firm-value model as used in previous studies, we use a stock-based binomial-tree model with exogenous credit risk that accounts for all important convertible bond specifications and is therefore well suited for pricing convertible bonds. The empirical analysis shows that the theoretical values for the analyzed convertible bonds are on average more than three percent higher than the observed market prices. This result applies to both the standard convertibles and the exchangeable bonds in our sample. The difference between market and model prices is greater for out-of-the-money convertibles than for ator in-the-money convertibles. A partition of the sample according to maturity indicates that there is a positive relationship between underpricing and maturity with decreasing mispricing for bonds with shorter time to maturity.
The Dakota Effect

If challenged to do so, relatively few Americans could probably find North and South Dakota on a map, let alone correctly name, spell, and pronounce the capitals of the two states. Nor would they be able to recall anything interesting about the Dakotas, whose main tourist attractions, besides Mount Rushmore, are a drug store, a civic arena festooned in corn, and a peace garden. Although one of the Dakotas bills itself as “The Land of Infinite Variety,” its sociocultural diversity consists primarily of different synods of Lutherans who engage in endless disputation with one another because they are so similar. Dakotans prefer their food bland—they consider ketchup daringly spicy—and their politicians low-key. When they encounter something new, they call it “different,” which they rarely mean as a compliment, and they wait for it to go away—which, because there is so little to hold it in the Dakotas, it probably will do. They keep their opinions to themselves (a typical Dakotan being the fellow from Sioux Falls who loved his wife so much that he almost told her), and they do not like it when people make a fuss about themselves or anything else. Thus, when South Dakotans perceived the previously popular Senator George McGovern as having gotten too big for his britches by seeking the presidency in 1972, they saw to it that he would fail to carry his home state, and three decades later they voted long-time Senator Tom Daschle out of office as soon as he repeated McGovern's mistake of seeing a president whenever he gazed into a mirror.
Toward performance-based compensation: a study of the gaps between organizational practices and employee preferences with regard to compensation criteria in the state-owned sector in China

This study seeks to explore the gaps between employees' preferences of compensation criteria and compensation criteria adopted in the state-owned sector in China. A survey among 772 employees from a large state-owned enterprise shows that employee preferences were at variance with organizational practices in that employees emphasized performance-oriented (i.e. task- relevant and collaboration-relevant) criteria more, and personal background criteria less, than did organizational practices. These gaps were moderated by employees' education level and tenure. Employees with higher education and shorter tenure showed larger gaps between preferred criteria and those used in the organization. Interviews of employees further substantiated the quantitative findings and provided some reasons for the existence of the gaps. Theoretical and practical of the results are discussed.