Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The toll‐like receptor 4‐antagonist eritoran reduces murine cardiac hypertrophy

Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) recognizes lipopolysaccharides and endogenous ligands released after organ injury. Deficiency of TLR4 attenuates the development of left ventricular hypertrophy after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in mice. We hypothesized that application of the TLR4 antagonist eritoran may also reduce cardiac hypertrophy after TAC surgery.
MULTI-LOOK PROCESSING FOR COHERENT CHANGE DETECTION WITH SYNTHETIC APERTURE SONAR

The detection of changes in sets of serial images acquired at different times is a common approach used in the context of underwater surveillance and monitoring. Coherent change detection with Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) involves using both phase and amplitude of the data to detect very subtle scene changes that may not be detectable from the magnitude of the mean backscattered power. This paper briefly examines some of the parameters used during the co-registration process, which determine the shape of the warping surface used to resample the repeat-pass image onto the original image, using standard statistical metrics that can evaluate the quality of the image registration. Using the results of this analysis, a multi-look processing approach which produces a set of independent looks of the scene is proposed in order to enhance the underlying coherence of the scene and improve the detection performance over that of a single-look image. The technique is tested on a data set collected in the Mediterranean Sea over sand ripples using ATLAS Elektronik's Vision 1200 system, a 150 kHz SAS mounted on the SeaOtter Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. Results show that it is possible to detect sub-resolution coherent changes under these environmental conditions using the proposed approach, and a number of recommendations for processing repeat-pass SAS data are made.
Genetic analysis of a relationship between macrocyclic lactone and benzimidazole anthelmintic selection on Haemonchus contortus

Objectives We have found that in a laboratory strain of the nematode parasite of ruminants, Haemonchus contortus, repeated ivermectin treatment, in vivo in sheep, selected against TTC, coding for Phe, and for TAC, coding for Tyr, at codon 200 in &bgr;-tubulin isotype 1. This 200Tyr single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with benzimidazole anthelmintic resistance. In this study, we investigated the &agr;-tubulin and &bgr;-tubulin sequences of 17 different field and laboratory strains/isolates of H. contortus with known treatment history and status for susceptibility or resistance to macrocyclic lactone (ML) or benzimidazole anthelmintics. Basic methods DNA (genomic or cDNA) from 10 to 32 male parasites was sequenced for &agr;-tubulin or &bgr;-tubulin for each strain/isolate and the frequency of coding SNPs was compared between the different strains/isolates with known treatment history and drug resistance status. Main results We have analyzed &agr;-tubulin and &bgr;-tubulin isotypes 1 and 2 genes from the different H. contortus strains/isolates and found that repeated ivermectin or moxidectin (both ML anthelmintics) use changes the frequency of &bgr;-tubulin isotype 1 alleles and selects for the following SNPs: either from TTC (Phe) to TAC (Tyr) at codon 200 or codon 167, or from GCA (Ala) to GAA (Glu) at codon 198. 200Tyr and 167Tyr were associated with GTT (Val) or CTC/CTT (Leu) at codon 368, whereas 200Phe or 167Phe were associated with either ATT (Ile) or GTT (Val) at codon 368 in &bgr;-tubulin isotype 1. The SNPs 200Tyr, 167Tyr in &bgr;-tubulin isotype 1 have been described to confer benzimidazole resistance in nematodes and recently 198Ala has also been associated with benzimidazole resistance. Conclusions Although MLs exert their antiparasitic effect through binding to ligand-gated chloride channels, benzimidazoles interact with &bgr;-tubulin. These genetic analyses indicate that there is a correlation between exposure and/or resistance to MLs and an increase in the frequency of the &bgr;-tubulin alleles containing codons, which are determinant for benzimidazole resistance. ML use may predispose parasitic nematodes to benzimidazole resistance. This has major implications for parasite control programs dependent on MLs/benzimidazole rotations and on the use of ML/benzimidazole combination therapy, such as for human lymphatic filariasis and nematode control in ruminant livestock.
Comparison of single and multiple dose methotrexate therapy for unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy: a prospective randomized study

Objective. To compare the success rates of single and multiple dose methotrexate protocols for the treatment of unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy. Design. Prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting. Maternity and teaching hospital in Turkey. Population. One hundred twenty women treated with methotrexate therapy for unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy. Methods. Sixty‐two women received a single dose and 58 received a multiple dose methotrexate regimen. Main outcome measures. Success rate of methotrexate therapy (women successfully treated with one injection and women who completed four doses). Results. In the single dose group, treatment was considered successful in 50 women (80.6%), whereas in the multiple dose group, 52 women (89.7%) responded to treatment (p = 0.21; OR 0.90, 95%CI 0.77–1.05). The average number of days required for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels to fall below 5 mU/mL was longer in the single dose (22.3 ± 7.6) compared with the multiple dose group (18.3 ± 10.7) (p = 0.03). In the single dose group fewer or 17 women (24.7%) experienced side‐effects compared to 28 (48.3%) of those who had multiple doses (p = 0.02, OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.35–0.92). Conclusion. A multiple dose methotrexate regimen for the treatment of unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy is not more effective than a single dose one. In addition, multiple doses may cause more side‐effects, but the time for hCG levels to fall below 5 mU/mL is shorter.
Single particle tracking with sterol modulation reveals the cholesterol-mediated diffusion properties of integrin receptors

A combination of sterol modulation with cyclodextrins plus fluorescence microscopy revealed a biophysical mechanism behind cholesterol’s influence on the diffusion of a ubiquitous class of receptors called integrins. The heterogeneous diffusion of integrins bound to ligand-coated quantum dots was measured using single particle tracking (SPT), and the ensemble changes in integrin diffusion were measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). A 25 ± 1% reduction of membrane cholesterol resulted in three significant changes to the diffusion of ligand-bound αPS2CβPS integrins as measured by SPT. There was a 23% increase in ligand-bound mobile integrins; there was a statistically significant increase in the average diffusion coefficient inside zones of confined diffusion, and histograms of confined integrin trajectories showed an increased frequency in the range of 0.1–1 μm2 s−1 and a decreased frequency in the 0.001–0.1 μm2 s−1 range. No statistical change was measured in the duration of confinement nor the size of confined zones. Restoring the cholesterol-depleted cells with exogenous cholesterol or exogenous epicholesterol resulted in similar diffusion properties. Epicholesterol differs from cholesterol in the orientation of a single hydroxyl group. The ability of epicholesterol to substitute for cholesterol suggests a biophysical mechanism for cholesterol’s effect on integrin diffusion. Influences of bilayer thickness, viscosity and organization are discussed as possible explanations for the measured changes in integrin diffusion when the membrane cholesterol concentration is reduced.
Returns to Human Capital in Kosova: Implications for Educational Policies

There is a large literature suggesting a positive and significant impact of human capital on economic development. Human capital increases productivity which feeds into higher economic growth (Sianesi and Van Reenen, 2003 provide e review of such studies). The mechanisms behind this relationship are largely higher labour productivity and faster innovation and exploitation of new technology, which is what the Kosovan economy needs to overcome the post-transition and post-war period and provide new jobs for the relatively large number of individuals entering the labour market. The adjustment of human capital to the new challenges brought by the market economy is crucial for a successful transformation of the former socialist economies of Europe including Kosova. When transition started it was argued, based on indicators of educational attainment, that the average level of education embodied in the labour force in transition countries was relatively high (Duczynski, 2001; Druska et al., 2002; Spagat, 2006). However, a number of studies suggested that firms in these economies lag behind those in advanced industrialised countries in terms of the quality of their workforce (EBRD, 2000). The previous system emphasised narrow technical skills (Boeri and Flinn, 1997; Sabirianova, 2000), which were appropriate to the nature of socialist economies but were not generally valued in the market economy. The reallocation of labour from the state to the private sector and across industrial sectors (mainly from the heavy industry toward service sectors) implied that the demand for skills in the labour market was shifting. The increased demand for labour with general skills that are transferable across jobs resulted in generally higher rates of returns to these skills compared to narrow/vocational skills.
Twelve-month administrative leadership development program at the University of Missouri: Perceived outcomes by staff participants and participants' supervisors

This study examined the perceived outcomes of a national institute or internship program focused on leadership development at a postsecondary institution by conducting in-depth, qualitative interviews with participants who completed the program and supervisors who oversee these participants in the workplace. The program selected for study was the Administrative Leadership Development Program (ALDP) hosted by the University of Missouri. The perceived outcomes by both populations converged and were identified as Feeling Valued, Relationship Building, Self-Awareness, and Skill Development. The data indicated perceived outcomes by ALDP participants and participants’ supervisors were positive in nature and observable differences in participant performance occurred. The perceived outcomes indicated that employees within the UM System who completed ALDP were more engaged, had an increased commitment to the University, had increased job satisfaction, and, according to participants’ supervisors, had increased their overall performance. The data also indicated ALDP had a desirable impact on staff members’ continued employment and commitment to the University of Missouri. The identified perceived outcomes were similar to those identified within industrial leadership development programs (Spletzer, 1999; Day, 2001; Huselid, 1998) and agreed with aspects of several models and theories on leadership development and employer-employee relationships (Berg, 2003; Bolman & Deal, 2003; Maslow, 1954; Pfeffer, 1998). This research adds to the literature and acts as a catalyst to identify the perceived outcomes of a 12-month leadership development program specific to nonacademic administrative and midlevel staff within a postsecondary institution.
Detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in donor cornea culture medium by polymerase chain reaction.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) may establish latent infection in the cornea and therefore be transmissible by corneal transplantation. Monitoring of donor cornea culture medium was evaluated for HSV infection. METHODS: HSV was sought using virus isolation in cell culture, and its DNA was amplified to detectable levels using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Virus isolation in cell culture was negative on neat, cell pellet, and cell free supernatant prepared from the spent culture media of 80 corneas. Three cell pellets (3.8%) were positive for HSV DNA. The PCR positive culture negative results might have reflected latent rather than active HSV infection of the cornea. Post transplant follow up of the three recipients of corneas with HSV PCR positive organ culture media revealed no evidence of HSV induced eye disease or primary graft failure. CONCLUSION: Screening of corneal culture medium for HSV by virus culture or for HSV DNA by PCR could not be recommended.
Surgical Management of Stable Vitiligo: A Review with Personal Experience

Background. Various modalities are available for surgical management of stable, localized patches of vitiligo, which are resistant to conventional medical treatment. Cutaneous surgeons often struggle to select among various methods of surgical treatment that include camouflage tattooing, melanocyte transplants, excision, and melanocyte culture. The advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of all the available modalities are reviewed. Objective. The purpose of this review is to find out if any guidelines can be drawn regarding the surgical management of stable vitiligo. Methods. This article is based on a review of the medical literature and the author's personal experience over the last decade. Results. It is difficult to draw any fixed guidelines from this review. Treatment must be individualized depending upon the site and the extent of involvement. Conclusion. Although the retrospective nature of this article limits its validity, discussing the various therapeutic options is of value as continuing medical education. Surgical treatment may be individualized to obtain the best possible cosmetic result.
A comparative evaluation of Video Stylet and flexible fibre-optic bronchoscope in the performance of intubation in adult patients

Background and Aims: Video Stylet (VS) is a new intubating modality that provides real-time video of endotracheal intubation (ETI). This device does not need alignment of the oral, pharyngeal and tracheal axes to view glottis and can be used in patients with limited mouth opening. The aim of this study was to compare flexible fibre-optic (FO) bronchoscope with VS in elective surgical patients in apparently normal airway patients requiring oral ETI. Methods: Sixty patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia of age group 20–60 years, weight 40–70 kg, American Society of Anesthesiologist 1 and 2 and modified Mallampatti I and II were included in the study. Patients in group FO (n = 30) were intubated by flexible FO bronchoscope, whereas patients in group VS (n = 30) were intubated by VS. Primary outcome measure was time taken for intubation (TTI). Secondary outcome measures were successful intubation, haemodynamic response and post-operative complications if any. Results: Average TTI in cases of FO group was 38.2 s (95% confidence interval [CI] 36–41) and in VS group was 19.7 s (95% CI 19–21; P = 0.0001). Three patients required a second attempt for successful intubation in FO group compared to eight in VS group (P = 0.2), with no failures in any group. Haemodynamic response and complications rate were greater in VS group; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: VS takes lesser time to intubate than flexible FO bronchoscope.
Microtensile bond strength of self-etching adhesives to ground and unground enamel.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the bond strength of two self-etching primers (SEP) to ground and unground enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-two bovine incisors were used in this study. The buccal enamel surface of 36 teeth was ground flat to resemble freshly cut enamel. The rest of the teeth were left intact. Two SEPs--Clearfil SE Bond, Kuraray (CSE) and Prompt L-Pop (3M ESPE) (LP)--and a conventional adhesive system, Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (3M ESPE) (SBMP) as a control, were used to bond a composite button to prepared and unprepared enamel. Microtensile test specimens were trimmed, resulting in a cylindrical cross-sectional area (0.21 mm2 to 0.47 mm2). These specimens were subjected to a tensile force at 1 mm/min until failure. Differences between adhesives and surface preparation were determined by two-way ANOVA. The samples were observed under SEM to evaluate the mode of failure. RESULTS Bond strength values in MPa (SD) obtained from pooled data in descending order were: SBMP ground 44.54 (5.96), LP unground 42.97 (7.90), CSE unground 41.67 (11.28), LP ground 41.07 (12.07), CSE ground 38.56 (8.78), and SBMP unground 37.60 (9.55). No statistically significant differences were found (p = 0.5061) between surface preparation or adhesive systems. The mean in MPa (SD) of all the specimens that failed at the adhesive joint were: LP unground 47.13 (14.65), SBMP ground 45.28 (7.33), CSE unground 41.40 (11.07), SBMP unground 41.1 (10.04), CSE ground 39.96 (11.83), and LP ground 39.92 (15.45). No statistically significant differences were found (p = 0.5863). Failure occurred mainly at the adhesive interface. CONCLUSIONS Surface preparation and adhesive treatment had no influence on resin composite microtensile bond strength to bovine enamel.
The Impact of Rural Reform on Economic and Social Stratification in a Chinese Village

'Let some peasants get rich first' was one of the leading slogans of China's rural reforms, beginning in the early 1980s. After almost a decade, who has become rich? Who has benefitted the most? And what specific changes have resulted to the structure of social stratification in rural China? All of these questions become centrally important when we examine the consequences of rural reform. Many scholarly efforts have been made to answer these questions, but the overall picture of inequality and stratification in the past decade is still unclear. ' The present study will offer an account of such shifts in inequality and stratification in one north China village since the rural reform. Instead of focusing on peasant income alone, I will also examine changes in economic position, political power, and social status, i.e., the three major dimensions of social stratification. I will begin with the general background of my survey and briefly describe the status groups in the previous hierarchy of the collectives. Then I will answer the question, 'who got rich first? ' by presenting the results of the village
Magnetization Transfer MRI in Multiple Sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis (MS), conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) has proved to be sensitive for detecting lesions and their changes over time. However, cMRI is not able to characterize and quantify the tissue damage within and outside such lesions. Magnetization transfer (MT) MRI is a quantitative technique with the potential to overcome this limitation and, as a consequence, to provide additional information about the nature and the extent of tissue damage associated to this disease.
Targeting p38 Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Restores Subventricular Zone Neural Stem Cells and Corrects Neuromotor Deficits in Atm Knockout Mouse

Ataxia‐telangiectasia (A‐T) is a progressive degenerative disorder that results in major neurological disability. In A‐T patients, necropsy has revealed atrophy of cerebellar cortical layers along with Purkinje and granular cell loss. We have previously identified an oxidative stress‐mediated increase in phospho‐p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the resultant downregulation of Bmi‐1 and upregulation of p21 as key components of the mechanism causing defective proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) isolated from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of Atm−/− mice. However, the in vivo aspect of alteration in SVZ tissue and the functional significance of p38MAPK activation in NSCs for neuropathogenesis of ATM deficiency remain unknown. Here we show that the NSC population was abnormally decreased in the SVZ of 3‐month‐old Atm−/− mice; this decrease was accompanied by p38MAPK activation. However, after a 2‐month treatment with the p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580, starting at 1 month old, Atm−/− mice showed restoration of normal levels of Bmi‐1 and p21 with the rescue of NSC population in the SVZ. In addition, treated Atm−/− mice exhibited more Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Most importantly, motor coordination of Atm−/− mice was significantly improved in the treatment group. Our results show for the first time in vivo evidence of depleted NSCs in the SVZ of Atm−/− mice and also demonstrate that pharmacologic inhibition of p38MAPK signaling has the potential to treat neurological defects of A‐T. This study provides a promising approach targeting the oxidative stress‐dependent p38 signaling pathway not only for A‐T but also for other neurodegenerative disorders.
Office Evaluation of Spine and Limb Pain: Spondylotic Radiculopathy and Other Nonstructural Mimickers

Low back and neck pain, with or without radiculopathy, are one of the most common reasons for referral to an outpatient neurology practice. Determining appropriate treatment relies on establishing an accurate diagnosis of the etiology of the spine or limb pain. The author reviews structural radiculopathies as a result of diskogenic and spondylotic etiologies with an emphasis on the clinical approach and evaluation of these patients (including imaging and electrodiagnostics), identifying management altering neurogenic mimickers of structural radiculopathies (such as infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic myeloradiculitis and radiculoplexopathies), and stratifying patients for treatment.
MGMT-Methylated Alleles Are Distributed Heterogeneously Within Glioma Samples Irrespective of IDH Status and Chromosome 10q Deletion

Several molecular markers drive diagnostic classification, prognostic stratification, and/or prediction of response to therapy in patients with gliomas. Among them, IDH gene mutations are valuable markers for defining subtypes and are strongly associated with epigenetic silencing of the methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene. However, little is known about the percentage of MGMT-methylated alleles in IDH-mutated cells or the potential association between MGMT methylation and deletion of chromosome 10q, which encompasses the MGMT locus. Here, we quantitatively assessed MGMT methylation and IDH1 mutation in 208 primary glioma samples to explore possible differences associated with the IDH genotype. We also explored a potential association between MGMT methylation and loss of chromosome 10q. We observed that MGMT methylation was heterogeneously distributed within glioma samples irrespective of IDH status suggesting an incomplete overlap between IDH1-mutated and MGMT-methylated alleles and indicating a partial association between these 2 events. Moreover, loss of one MGMT allele did not affect the methylation level of the remaining allele. MGMT was methylated in about half of gliomas harboring a 10q deletion; in those cases, loss of heterozygosity might be considered a second hit leading to complete inactivation of MGMT and further contributing to tumor progression.