Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders in People Living With HIV/AIDS in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract:Depression, alcohol use disorders (AUD), and neurocognitive disorders are the 3 most prevalent mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in people living with HIV infection in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Importantly, they have an impact on everyday functions and on HIV outcomes. Many LMICs have validated tools to screen for and diagnose depression and AUD in the general population that can be used among people living with HIV infection. Current screening and diagnostic methods for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in the era of antiretroviral therapy are suboptimal and require further research. In our view, 2 research priorities are most critical. One is the development of an integrated screening approach for depression, AUD, and neurocognitive disorders that can be used by nonspecialists in LMICs. Second, research is needed on interventions for depression and AUD that also target behavior change, as these could impact on adherence to antiretroviral therapy and improve mental symptoms. Mentorship and fellowship schemes at an individual and institutional level need to be further supported to build capacity and provide platforms for research on HIV and mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in LMICs.
Prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease and thyroid dysfunction in young Brazilian patients with type 1 diabetes

Abstract: Patients with an autoimmune condition are known to be at higher risk of developing other autoimmune disorders. Type 1 diabetes may be associated with additional autoimmune disorders including autoimmune thyroid disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies in a group of children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes from northeastern Brazil as well as their significance for the development of thyroid disorders. The study design was cross‐sectional and descriptive, analyzing young people with a previous type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Two hundred and fourteen children and adolescents with prior diagnosis of type 1 diabetes were evaluated. Antibodies to thyroperoxidase (anti‐TPO) were determined in all patients and thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. The anti‐TPO antibody test was positive in 54 out of the 214 patients studied, resulting in an overall prevalence of 25.2%. Among the anti‐TPO‐positive subjects, females were predominant (72%) over males (28%) (p < 0.001). A total of 55.5% patients with positive anti‐TPO antibodies had abnormal TSH levels. Clinically significant hypothyroidism was found in 29.6% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 22.2% of patients with positive anti‐TPO. Hyperthyroidism was present in only 3% of them. Our results demonstrate the high prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with type 1 diabetes and the need for these patients of regular screening to make a precocious diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction.
Human blood CD1c dendritic cells stimulate IL‐12‐independent IFN‐γ responses and have a strikingly low inflammatory profile

Adaptive immune responses are initiated by resident myeloid tissue DC. A major fraction of tissue DC express CD1c+ and is thought to be derived from blood CD1c DC, an idea supported here by the observation that they express tissue‐homing molecules and rapidly differentiate into cells with a tissue DC phenotype. Responses are thought to be augmented/modulated further by inflammatory moDC. Although much accepted human myeloid DC cell biology is based on moDC studies, we find these 2 DC populations to be functionally distinct. Stimulated moDC produce high levels of IL‐10 and the Th1‐promoting cytokine IL‐12. Under identical conditions, CD1c DC synthesized no IL‐10 and no or low levels of IL‐12. Despite this, CD1c DC stimulated a strong Th1 response, demonstrated by IL‐12 neutralization to be IL‐12 independent, whereas the response induced by moDC was IL‐12 dependent. This finding was supported by studies on a patient with a highly reduced ability to synthesize IL‐12, whose CD1c DC induced a good Th1 response contrasting with the failure of his moDC, which were impaired in IL‐12 production, to induce IFN‐γ‐secreting T cells. The IL‐10 and IL‐12 data were confirmed by microarray analysis, which also showed that stimulated moDC produced inflammatory‐associated chemokines and cytokines, whereas stimulated CD1c DC showed minimal up‐regulation of these genes. Thus, moDC, widely used as a human myeloid DC model, do not faithfully reflect the properties of CD1c tissue DC, making the initial response to a pathogen or vaccine.
Locus control region elements HS2 and HS3 in combination with chromatin boundaries confer high‐level expression of a human β‐globin transgene in a centromeric region

Expression constructs are subject to position‐effects in transgenic assays unless they harbour elements that protect them from negative or positive influences exerted by chromatin at the site of integration. Locus control regions (LCRs) and boundary elements are able to protect from position effects by preventing heterochromatization of linked genes. The LCR in the human β‐globin gene locus is located far upstream of the genes and composed of several erythroid specific DNase I hypersensitive (HS) sites. Previous studies demonstrated that the LCR HS sites act synergistically to confer position‐independent and high‐level globin gene expression at different integration sites in transgenic mice. Here we show that LCR HS sites 2 and 3, in combination with boundary elements derived from the chicken β‐globin gene locus, confer high‐level human β‐globin gene expression in different chromosomal integration sites in transgenic mice. Moreover, we found that the construct is accessible to nucleases and highly expressed when integrated in a centromeric region. These results demonstrate that the combination of enhancer, chromatin opening and boundary activities can establish independent expression units when integrated into chromatin.
The Bioactive Compounds α-Chaconine and Gallic Acid in Potato Extracts Decrease Survival and Induce Apoptosis in LNCaP and PC3 Prostate Cancer Cells

We recently reported that colored potato extracts and an anthocyanin rich fraction suppressed lymph-node carcinoma of the prostate (LNCaP) and prostate cancer-3 (PC-3) prostate cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis via caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, catechin, malvidin, and glycoalkaloids (α-chaconine and solanine) have now been identified as the major bioactive components of potato, and their effects on LNCaP and PC-3 cell proliferation and apoptosis have been investigated. α-chaconine (5 μg/ml) and gallic acid (15 μg/ml) exhibited potent antiproliferative properties and increased cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 levels in both cell lines. Both α-chaconine and gallic acid induced poly [adenosine diphosphate (ADP)] ribose polymerase cleavage and caspase-dependent apoptosis in LNCaP cells; however, caspase-independent apoptosis through nuclear translocation of endonuclease G was observed in both LNCaP and PC-3 cells. α-chaconine and gallic acid activated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and this response played a major role in induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis in LNCaP cells; whereas modulation of JNK and mitogen-activated protein kinase did not affect α-chaconine- and gallic acid-induced caspase-independent apoptosis. These results suggest that apoptosis induced by whole potato extracts in prostate cancer cell lines may be in part due to α-chaconine and gallic acid.
Assessing the Sustainability Performance of Coffee Farms in Vietnam: A Social Profit Inefficiency Approach

If we aim to increase the sustainability of farming, we must be able to measure the sustainability of individual farms and relate this sustainability to the characteristics of the farm and its management. We hypothesized that (i) sustainability can be expressed using social profit, and (ii) socio-economic characteristics and management practices of farms explain differences in sustainability. The objective of our work was to provide empirical evidence for these hypotheses. Data was collected data over two years from 361 coffee farms in Vietnam to calculate social profit. We found that the average social profit of farms was 2300 USD. The main source of social profit inefficiency is the sub-optimal allocation of resources and levels of production. Statistical association between the set of socio-economic characteristics and management practices and social profit inefficiency shows that social profit inefficiency is increased (sustainability is decreased) by larger distances from the coffee farm to the closest town/city center and to the closest coffee factory/traders and by a high frequency of spraying. On the other hand, sustainability is increased when coffee producers belong to the ethnic group JoRai, when using more hired labor and frequency, and when there are a larger number of fertilizing and pruning activities. We conclude that social profit inefficiency can be used to summarize sustainability.
Improved procedure of colonoscopy under accompanying music therapy.

BACKGROUND Administration of sedatives and analgetics during colonoscopy includes the risk for arterial hypotension and respiratory depression. The aim of this study was to assess whether music therapy increases patients tolerance and reduces the need of analgo-sedative premedication. METHODS 146 consecutive patients were examined in a randomized, prospective study. Colonoscopy was performed under intravenous administration with titrated dosages of midazolam and pethidin. Oxygen was given in cases of blood desaturation below values of 90%. Patients younger than 18 and older than 80 years, patients with history of partial colectomy, gastrectomy or hysterectomy and patients with colonic tumorous or inflammatory stenosis were excluded. 60 patients underwent conventional procedure (Group A), whereas 59 patients received additional music therapy (Group B). Time required to reach the cecum (examination time) was measured and the rate of successful colonoscopies was determined. RESULTS Most of the patients required sedation with midazolam in both groups (97 vs. 93%), whereas more group A patients required analgesia with pethidin than group B patients (43 vs. 31%, p<0.05). Under music therapy the rate of completed colonoscopies was higher (group A 93%, group B 98%) and examination time was significantly accelerated (group A 22.8 +/- 14.6 min, group B 16.8 +/- 11.8 min, p<0.03). CONCLUSIONS Accompanying music therapy reduces requirement of analgesia during colonoscopy, favours completion of the procedure and shortens examination time. Music therapy seems to promote safer conditions for endoscopical practice and diminishs patients discomfort.
Policing of ethnic minorities in Britain

This research explores the complexities of the relationship between the police and young black people. This includes considerations on how young people specifically, young black minority ethnic groups are shaped by government policies and its agents, the police. Published research supports the notion that Black young people continue to be affected by a lack of services such as education, employment as well as other social inequalities. In addition, the stop and search practices have caused much damage to BME groups and has impacted negatively on the relationship between the police and Black communities. This thesis explores the issue of Black young people within a historical and social policy context, as well as exploring the views of young Black people and the police. There is a significant body of published research about policing in general. There are however not many in depth research studies on a particular police setting about the experiences of white and black youths and how they are affected by policing. This research explores young people’s thoughts on exactly this theme. The empirical research was derived from qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 18 police officers, and 17 young people taken from diverse and economically active areas of London. The findings supports published research of police discriminatory practices to explain the disproportionate treatment of black young people within the criminal justice system. It also highlighted the feelings and the effect of police stop on the individuals being stopped. This study therefore suggests a move away from the notion that black young people are criminals to involving them as contributors to social policy by giving them a true voice in policing and social policy making process.
Fluorescein-enhanced autofluorescence thoracoscopy in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and normal subjects.

RATIONALE The exact site(s) and pathophysiology of air leakage in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) are unknown. In one patient with PSP, fluorescein-enhanced autofluorescence thoracoscopy (FEAT) has shown areas of parenchymal abnormality unnoticed during white light thoracoscopy (WLT). OBJECTIVES To prospectively perform and compare WLT and FEAT in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax and in normal subjects. METHODS One-time FEAT and WLT inspection with systematic mapping of semiquantified lesions in 12 consecutive patients with PSP was compared with one-time FEAT and WLT during sequential bilateral thoracoscopy in 17 control subjects. RESULTS WLT abnormalities (anthracosis, cobblestone malformation, and blebs/bullae) were more prevalent in PSP. FEAT, however, showed high-grade lesions in PSP only, which often were present at areas that were normal, or that only showed anthracosis at WLT. When blebs/bullae were present, bleb-associated FEAT abnormalities were only present in two. Actual fluorescein leakage was seen in two patients with PSP. CONCLUSIONS Lungs in patients with PSP show significantly more abnormalities at WLT when compared with normal subjects. High-grade FEAT lesions were exclusively present in PSP, and predominantly at lung zones that appeared normal at white light inspection. These findings suggest that significant parenchymal abnormalities are not limited to lesions visible during WLT, such as blebs and bullae.
Financial development, FDI and economic growth: evidence from Sudan

Purpose The effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth is widely believed to be contingent on the development of the financial sector. Nevertheless, as the possibility that the effect of financial development on growth being contingent on FDI has been neglected in existing literature, the authors have investigated it in this paper. In general, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of financial development and FDI on economic growth in Sudan using annual data from 1970 to 2014. Design/methodology/approach Since most of the macroeconomic variables are subject to unit root problem, the time series data are assessed using unit root and cointegration tests with/without structural break. Moreover, the study uses the fully modified ordinary least squares and the dynamic ordinary least squares techniques to estimate the long-run model. Findings The results of the cointegration tests provide evidence that a long-run relationship exists among variables even after accounting for the structural break. The results show that financial development and FDI are positive and significant in explaining economic growth in Sudan. Financial development is found to be more beneficial to economic growth than FDI. Moreover, the findings reveal that FDI leads to better economic performance through financial development. Interestingly, the findings of the study show that the effect of financial development on economic growth is further enhanced by the inflows of FDI. Research limitations/implications The government should focus on promoting FDI in more productive sectors. In addition, further cooperation with multinational enterprises is needed to increase FDI in the country. Originality/value This is the first paper that empirically examines both the interlinked impact of FDI on growth through financial development and the impact of financial development on economic growth through FDI in Sudan using appropriate econometric methods.
Growth inhibition of estrogen-dependent and estrogen-independent MXT mammary cancers in mice by the bombesin and gastrin-releasing peptide antagonist RC-3095.

BACKGROUND Many breast cancers are estrogen independent, and even in patients who initially respond to estrogen suppression therapy, the regression is often temporary. We have recently shown that antagonists of bombesin and gastrin-releasing peptide, including RC-3095, inhibit the growth of pancreatic, colonic, and prostatic cancers in experimental animals. This effect was associated with a substantial decrease in epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor levels in pancreatic and colon cancers. PURPOSE In view of these findings, we investigated the effects of our synthetic bombesin and gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist D-Tpi6,Leu13 psi (CH2NH)-Leu14 bombesin(6-14) (RC-3095) on the growth of hormone-dependent and hormone-independent MXT mouse mammary cancers in vivo. METHODS Female (C57BL x DBA/2)F1 mice bearing estrogen-dependent or estrogen-independent MXT mammary carcinomas were treated with small doses (20 micrograms/d) of RC-3095 administered from osmotic minipumps. Separate groups of mice with estrogen-independent tumors received RC-3095, bombesin, or gastrin-releasing peptide(14-27) at 20 micrograms/d. We determined tumor volume and weight, mitotic index, apoptosis (programmed cell death), and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions, an indicator of tumor cell proliferation. Levels of receptors for EGF and bombesin were measured in tumor membrane fractions. RESULTS Growth of both estrogen-dependent and estrogen-independent MXT breast cancers was significantly inhibited by RC-3095. Bombesin or gastrin-releasing peptide had no effect on the growth of estrogen-independent tumors. Inhibition of tumor cell proliferation was indicated by a 45%-65% reduction in tumor volume, a 35%-58% reduction in tumor weight, and statistically significant decreases in argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region counts after treatment with RC-3095. In estrogen-independent cancers, tumor inhibition was associated with a decrease in the capacity of EGF receptors from 0.21 +/- 0.016 pmol/mg membrane protein in controls to 0.03 +/- 0.003 pmol/mg membrane protein in the RC-3095-treated group. CONCLUSIONS This is the first demonstration of inhibitory effects of bombesin and gastrin-releasing peptide antagonists on the growth of breast cancers in vivo. IMPLICATIONS These findings suggest that bombesin antagonists should be considered for breast cancer therapy.
l/sub /spl infin// performance analysis of feedback systems with saturation nonlinearities: an approach based on polytopic representation

In this paper, we show a method of estimating l/sub /spl infin//-norm of an output signal of discrete-time feedback systems with saturation nonlinearities. The analysis condition for estimating l/sub /spl infin//-norm is derived based on the parameter dependent Lyapunov function (PDLF) and is reduced to a condition based on the linear matrix inequality (LMI) representation. Further, we show that the condition is guaranteed to be less conservative than the condition based on the standard sector condition. A numerical example is provided to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed method.
Altered expression and deletion of RMO1 in osteosarcoma

In order to increase our understanding of the molecular events underlying osteosarcoma progression, the expression of approximately 950 genes was examined in 24 primary and metastatic osteosarcoma tumor specimens. A gene, RMO1, was isolated with decreased expression in metastatic samples. Real‐Time PCR corroborated this pattern, revealing lower expression in the primary sample in 6 of 7 cases for which both primary and metastatic osteosarcoma samples were available from the same patient (p = 0.034). RMO1 is located at 2q33, a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in cancer, and exhibited loss of heterozygosity in 6 out of 9 primary osteosarcoma tumor samples (67%). Loss of heterozygosity is evident in primary tumors while the decrease in gene expression is seen in the metastatic samples, indicating that these 2 events are separately implicated in cancer progression. Cloning of RMO1 revealed an open reading frame with multiple splice forms with significant homology to GRB7, 10 and 14 and MIG10 in the region containing a Pleckstrin homology domain and a Ras association domain, suggestive of a role in cell signaling and migration. Northern blot analysis indicated that RMO1 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in tissues except for peripheral blood leukocytes. These data suggest that RMO1 may be a candidate for a protein involved in inhibiting tumor progression. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Empirical estimation of the Residual Income Valuation Model: Profit-Making vs. Loss-Making firms

This paper tests the empirical performance of different specifications of the residual income valuation model based upon the inflation-adjusted model of Gregory, Saleh, and Tucker (2005) that is consistent with the Walker's (1997, p 354) suggestion that historical cost accounting versions of the model be abandoned in favor of one based on deprival values. Overall, the paper concludes that the Ohlson (1995) specification appears to be the best model that explains stock prices relative to other specifications used in this paper.
Perceptual Experience of Visual Motion Activates hMT+ Independently From the Physical Reality: fMRI Insights From the Looming Pinna Figure

The human motion processing area, hMT+, has been labeled the critical neural area for processing of real and illusory visual motion in radial 2D patterns. However, the activation in hMT+ during perception of illusory rotation in the looming double-circular Pinna Figure (PF) generated in 3D space has not been observed yet. To do so, an optic-flow like motion of rings (looming) in PF was generated on a computer screen. A psychophysically precise nulling procedure allowed quantifying the individual amount of the perceived illusory rotation in PF (PI) for each participant. The interpolation of the individual illusory motion parameters created a subjectively non-rotating PF and a physically rotating control stimulus of identical rotary strength as the PI. The physically rotating control was a double-circular figure which diverged from PF only in its arrangement of luminance gradients. In a 3-Tesla scanner, participants were presented with a random order of rotating and non-rotating figures (illusory, real, no rotation, and nulled PI). Both types, illusory and real rotation, when equal in perceptual strength for the observer, were found to be processed by hMT+.