Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clastogenic Plasma Factors in Psoriasis—Comparison of Phototherapy and Anti–TNF‐α Treatments

As previously described, Psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) therapy induces chromosome damage in psoriatic patients. This study evaluates whether these effects are transitory or persistent. In addition, we studied these effects after narrowband UVB (nUVB) and anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α treatments. Among 40 responder patients, 10 received PUVA, 10 nUVB, 10 Infliximab and 10 Etanercept. Disease activity was determined with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Chromosomal breakage was evaluated by the clastogenic factor (CF) test. Potential clastogenic agents, malondialdehyde (MDA) and TNF‐α were measured. Before treatment, the plasma‐adjusted clastogenic scores (ACS) of patients were increased. During treatment, a further increase in ACS was observed in both phototherapy groups. Chromosome damage persisted for PUVA patients at week 32, while it diminished after nUVB to ACS values lower than before treatment. MDA and TNF‐α values were also increased at baseline. MDA decreased during treatment in all groups, but without reaching normal levels. Plasma TNF‐α remained unchanged in PUVA and nUVB but decreased in both anti–TNF‐α treatment groups. Psoriasis is accompanied by CF‐induced chromosomal breakage that increases during PUVA and nUVB treatments. Plasma clastogenic activity persisted in the follow‐up after PUVA, while after nUVB ACS returned to values even lower than baseline. Clastogenic activity during the induction phase with anti–TNF‐α remained unchanged.
Intravenous magnesium sulfate in acute severe asthma not responding to conventional therapy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of early administration of intravenous Magnesium sulfate (i.v. MgSO4) in children with acute severe asthma not responding to conventional therapy. DESIGN Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING Pediatric emergency service of a large teaching hospital. SUBJECTS 47 children aged between 1-12 years with acute severe asthma showing inadequate or poor response to 3 doses of nebulized salbutamol given at an interval of 20 min each. INTERVENTION The MgSO4 group received 0.2 ml/kg of 50% MgSO4 as intravenous (i.v.) infusion over 35 minutes and the placebo group received normal saline infusion in the same dose and at the same rate. MgSO4 solution and normal saline were coded and dispensed in identical containers. Decoding was done at the completion of the study. All the patients received oxygen, nebulized salbutamol, i.v. aminophylline and corticosteroids. RESULTS MgSO4 group showed early and significant improvement as compared to placebo group in PEFR and SaO2 at 30 min and 1, 2, 3 and 7 hours after stopping the infusion (p ranging from < 0.05 to < 0.01). The clinical asthma score also showed significant improvement in the MgSO4 group 1, 2, 3 and 11 hours after stopping the infusion (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Addition of MgSO4 to conventional therapy helps in achieving earlier improvement in clinical signs and symptoms of asthma and PEFR in patients not responding to conventional therapy alone.
Can new treatment developments combat resistance in malaria?

1. Background Malaria control and elimination aspirations stand at a cross-roads. On the one hand, malaria morbidity and mortality have fallen substantially since the turn of the millennium as a result of considerable increases in global funding and the deploy-ment of insecticide-treated bed nets and effective treatments [artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs)]. On the other hand, there has been an alarming increase in resistance both to pyrethroid insecticides in the vector mosquitos, and to artemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Artemisinin resistance arose in Western Cambodia and currently extends across the Greater Mekong subregion [(GMS), from Vietnam to Myanmar] and now reaches the Eastern border of India. [1,2] Resistance to chloroquine arose in exactly this same place around 60 years ago, and spread to Africa at a cost of millions of lives. Sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (SP) was then used to treat chloroquineresistant falciparum malaria and resistance to that drug also emerged in the GMS and spread to Africa. Thus today the two main malaria control tools are threatened, and without them malaria will surely return with a vengeance as it did before from the 1970s to the 1990s as resistance to the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and the anti-malarial chloroquine spread across the world. History tells us that it would be very unwise to ignore these current threats. So can new treatment developments combat resistance in malaria and put us back on track towards malaria elimination?
Inception Rates of Deliberate Self-Harm among Adolescents in West London

Background: Studies have suggested that inception rates of deliberate self-harm among different ethnic group adolescents are broadly similar. Aims: We set out to study the rates of adolescent self-harm over a calendar year in Ealing - part of West London. Methods: All cases of deliberate self-harm presenting to the A&E department and paediatrics were identified and socio-cultural factors studied. Ethnicity was obtained using self-ascription. Results: A total of 76 cases were identified over one year. Using the at risk population as denominator, no differences in inception rates were noted according to ethnicity. Overdoses were the commonest method used for deliberate self-harm. Conclusions: The similarities between the Asian and white adolescents suggest that some common aetiological factors may be at play. The risk factors may be related to gender rather than ethnicity in this age group.
Local Microenvironment Controls the Compartmentalization of NK Cell Responses during Systemic Inflammation in Mice

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome is a whole-body reaction to a triggering insult that often results in life-threatening illness. Contributing to the development of this inflammatory cascade are numerous cellular partners, among which NK cells were shown to play a key role. Accumulating evidence points to organ-specific properties of systemic inflammation and NK cells. However, little is known about compartment-specific activation of NK cells during systemic inflammatory response syndrome or the relative contribution of NK cell–intrinsic properties and microenvironmental cues. In this study, we undertook a sequential characterization of NK responses in the spleen, lungs, bone marrow, peritoneum, and blood using a mouse model of endotoxemia. We report that, despite similar systemic dynamics of NK cell responses, expression of activation markers (CD69 and CD25) and effector molecules (IFN-γ, granzyme B, and IL-10) display organ-specific thresholds of maximum activation. Using adoptive transfers of spleen and lung NK cells, we found that these cells have the capacity to quickly adapt to a new environment and adjust their response levels to that of resident NK cells. This functional adaptation occurs without significant alterations in phenotype and independently of subpopulation-specific trafficking. Thus, using a dynamic in vivo–transfer system, to our knowledge our study is the first to report the compartmentalization of NK cells responses during systemic inflammation and to show that NK cell–intrinsic properties and microenvironmental cues are involved in this process, in a sequential manner.
Creation of Arteriovenous Fistulas Upregulates Venous eNOS

There are currently more than 300000 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on chronic hemodialysis in the United States (US). The gross and adjusted annual mortality of patients with ESRD greatly exceeds that of the general population. In these patients the ability to successfully deliver the required dose of hemodialysis is the most significant predictor of patient outcome. Dialysisdependent patients have an average of 3 hospital admissions per year and the most common reason is dialysis access malfunction that subsequently contributes to over one third of all dialysis-related expenditures. Previous studies from our group and from others have clearly demonstrated that native autogenous fistulas (AF) have better long-term patency rates compared to prosthetic bridging arteriovenous grafts (AVG). Autogenous fistulas are also associated with lower complication rates and patient morbidity. Recognizing these advantages, the National Kidney Foundation published its Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines with strong encouragement to increase the use of autogenous fistulas in preference to prosthetic AVG. However, universal use of AF has not been forthcoming with insertion of almost twice as often as constr patients. This is because as may fail to dilate and matur responsible for the poor matur high percentage of patients rem highest failure rate has been o with diabetes. How diabetes process resulting in even poorer is unknown. In-vitro studies on bovine cells have found that chronic stress increases mRNA and p eNOS. Zarins and colleague shear stress (WSS) was increas the creation of an AF in a rat arteries respond to increased fl remodeling and dilation, and dependent on NO and NOS a vivo investigations have, howev the effect of increased blood segment. Few investigations h venous segment, which is of p hemodialysis. There is limited u mechanisms involved in venou wall remodeling consequent to from an AVF. Consequently, th edge regarding the mechanism remodeling process. Because increased shear s increased blood flow induces eN subsequent remodeling and dil hypothesized that NO signalin the remodeling and maturation flow tract of AF. To test the hy gated the changes in gene expr iNOS in the arterial and venous in the hind limbs of a rat mode © 2007 Sage Publications 10.1177/1538574406290087
Enhancing the matching model of recruitment through focus groups

The present paper discusses recruitment of older African-Americans for a psycho-physiological study using the matching model of recruitment proposed by Levkoff, Levy, and Weitzman (2000). The hallmark of the model by Levkoff et al. is that there must be a match between research and minority communities’ perspectives in order for successful recruitment and retention of minority participants. The model by Levkoff et al. of recruitment differs from other recruitment strategies as it incorporates perspectives from both researchers and research institutions, as well as potential minority participants. The importance of holding pre-recruitment community focus groups based upon the tenets of the matching model of recruitment are discussed in this paper, and a community-based partnership research model is presented.
DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ANTIBODY, ANTI-EGRESSIN, THAT IS ABLE TO INHIBIT TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI EGRESS IN VITRO

Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite, is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. The disease is characterized by acute and chronic phases, with high and low parasitemia, respectively. A strong immune activation is necessary for the host to enter the chronic phase; however, immune mechanisms participating in the reduction of parasites between the acute and chronic phases of the disease have been very difficult to elucidate. We report here the discovery of anti-egressin, an antibody present in serum from chronically infected BALB/c mice that is able to inhibit parasite egress from infected BALB/c fibroblast cultures in vitro. The antibody is very concentrated in serum from these mice; chronic serum may be diluted 1:20 while still maintaining functional activity. Isotype analysis of anti-egressin has suggested it to be IgG2a. Further analysis revealed that anti-egressin was specific for a component expressed on the surface of infected host cells. The specificity of anti-egressin toward the extracellular portion of infected host cells was demonstrated both by using a quantitative assay measuring released trypomastigotes and through immunocytochemical staining. The novel role of anti-egressin in the inhibition of parasite egress from infected host cells has not been described in the literature to date. We believe that anti-egressin plays an important role in achieving the low parasitemia characteristic of chronic Chagas disease.
Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitors Reverse Paclitaxel-Induced Nociceptive Behavior and Proinflammatory Markers in a Mouse Model of Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy

Although paclitaxel effectively treats various cancers, its debilitating peripheral neuropathic pain side effects often persist long after treatment has ended. Therefore, a compelling need exists for the identification of novel pharmacologic strategies to mitigate this condition. As inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the primary hydrolytic enzyme of the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-arachidonyolglycerol, produces antinociceptive effects in numerous rodent models of pain, we investigated whether inhibitors of this enzyme (i.e., JZL184 and MJN110) would reverse paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia in mice. These drugs dose dependently reversed allodynia with respective ED50 values (95% confidence limit) of 8.4 (5.2–13.6) and 1.8 (1.0–3.3) mg/kg. Complementary genetic and pharmacologic approaches revealed that the antiallodynic effects of each drug require both cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. MJN110 reduced paclitaxel-mediated increased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1, CCL2) and phospho-p38 MAPK in dorsal root ganglia as well as MCP-1 in spinal dorsal horn. Whereas the antinociceptive effects of high dose JZL184 (40 mg/kg) underwent tolerance following 6 days of repeated dosing, repeated administration of a threshold dose (i.e., 4 mg/kg) completely reversed paclitaxel-induced allodynia. In addition, we found that the administration of MJN110 to control mice lacked intrinsic rewarding effects in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. However, it produced a CPP in paclitaxel-treated animals, suggesting a reduced paclitaxel-induced aversive state. Importantly, JZL184 did not alter the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of paclitaxel in A549 and H460 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Taken together, these data indicate that MAGL inhibitors reverse paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain without interfering with chemotherapeutic efficacy.
How bilingualism shapes the functional architecture of the brain: A study on executive control in early bilinguals and monolinguals

The existence of a behavioral advantage of bilinguals over monolinguals during executive tasks is controversial. A new approach to this issue is to investigate the effect of bilingualism on neural control when performing these tasks as a window to understand when behavioral differences are produced. Here, we tested if early bilinguals use more language‐related networks than monolinguals while performing a go/no‐go task that includes infrequent no‐go and go trials. The RTs and accuracy in both groups did not differ. An independent component analyses (ICA) revealed, however, that bilinguals used the left fronto‐parietal network and the salience network more than monolinguals while processing go infrequent cues and no‐go cues, respectively. It was noteworthy that the modulation of these networks had opposite correlates with performance in bilinguals and monolinguals, which suggests that between‐group differences were more qualitative than quantitative. Our results suggest that bilinguals may differently develop the involvement of the executive control networks that comprise the left inferior frontal gyrus during cognitive control tasks than monolinguals. Hum Brain Mapp 36:5101–5112, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against cells infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) elicits the production of virus-specific antibodies in infected individuals. We investigated the ability of serum from HIV-infected individuals to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in an in vitro 51Cr release assay system. Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors seronegative for HIV were used as cellular effectors against HIV-infected and uninfected H9 target cells in the presence of serum from HIV-infected or uninfected donors. Serum from HIV-infected, but not uninfected, donors significantly augmented cytolysis of virus-infected targets (P less than .005). There was no augmented killing of uninfected H9 cells with sera from either group. Studies using serum from mice that had been immunized with synthetic peptides from the HIV envelope region suggested that this response is directed, at least in part, at several determinants of the transmembrane portion of the HIV envelope glycoprotein.
Predicting respiratory failure in sarcoidosis patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF WORK Although sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease, mortality from sarcoidosis is usually due to respiratory failure. In order to identify those patients at risk of death from respiratory failure from sarcoidosis, we analyzed a seven-year experience of patients seen at the University of Cincinnati Interstitial Lung Disease clinic. RESULTS A total of 479 patients were seen during that time. Of these, 22 (4.6%) died. Thirteen patients died from respiratory failure, three died from cardiac disease, and two each from neurologic or hepatic disease. Two patients died from unrelated disease. Analysis of the patients who died from respiratory failure was compared to the other patients. All patients who died from respiratory failure had fibrotic changes demonstrated by chest roentgenogram. All patients who died had at least one vital capacity less than 2.5 liters, with the majority of patients who died of respiratory failure having a vital capacity of less than 1.5 liters. CONCLUSIONS Patients who die from respiratory failure from their sarcoidosis have fibrosis demonstrated on chest roentgenogram and a reduced vital capacity, usually less than 1.5 liters.
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia outcome in India: progress on all fronts.

Genetic modifiers of Hb E/beta0 thalassemia identified by a two-stage genomewide association study. BMCMed Genet. 2010;11:51. 3. Nuinoon M, Makarasara W, Mushiroda T, et al. A genome-wide association identified the common genetic variants influence disease severity in beta0-thalassemia/hemoglobin E. Hum Genet. 2010; 127:303–314. 4. Menzel S, Garner C, Gut I, et al. A QTL influencing F cell production maps to a gene encoding a zinc-finger protein on chromosome 2p15. Nat Genet. 2007;39: 1197–1199. 5. Uda M, Galanello R, Sanna S, et al. Genome-wide association study shows BCL11A associated with persistent fetal hemoglobin and amelioration of the phenotype of beta-thalassemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008;105: 1620–1625. 6. Sankaran VG, Menne TF, Xu J, et al. Human fetal hemoglobin expression is regulated by the developmental stagespecific repressor BCL11A. Science. 2008;322:1839–1842.
Field Penetration Through a Wire Mesh Screen Excited by a Reverberation Chamber Field: FDTD Analysis and Experiments

Field penetration into a metallic enclosure with a large aperture protected by a wire mesh screen is analyzed in this paper, using an in-house finite-difference time-domain code with a thin-wire approximation that accurately accounts for the cross between wires of the mesh. All results are experimentally validated using a reverberation chamber. Different enclosure dimensions and mesh sizes are considered, highlighting their implication on shielding performances.
Correlates of the Attitude Toward Life-Sustaining Treatment

The goal of the present study was to examine factors associated with the attitude toward life-sustaining treatment among older adults in South Korea. Focus was given to sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, education, financial status, and religious affiliation), family-related variables (presence of a spouse, children, and a living parent [or in-law]), and health-related variables (chronic conditions, functional disability, and self-rated health). Using data from 6,895 participants (aged 65−97) in the 2014 Korean National Elderly Survey, logistic regression model was tested. The proportion of the sample that endorsed a strong disagreement with the provision of life-sustaining treatment was 53.2%. The increased odds of having a strong disagreement was found in those with younger age (<75), higher education, a living parent (or in-law), and more favorable ratings of health. Findings shed light on programs and services on end-of-life care planning for older adults in South Korea.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of GalNAc 4-Sulfotransferase Expressed in Human Pituitary Gland*

We have previously cloned chondroitin-4-sulfotransferase (C4ST) cDNA from mouse brain. In this paper, we report cloning and characterization of GalNAc 4-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4ST), which transfers sulfate to position 4 of the nonreducing terminal GalNAc residue. The obtained cDNA contains a single open reading frame that predicts a type II transmembrane protein composed of 424 amino acid residues. Identity of the amino acid sequence between GalNAc4ST and human C4ST was 30%. When the cDNA was transfected in COS-7 cells, sulfotransferase activity toward carbonic anhydrase VI was overexpressed but no sulfotransferase activity toward chondroitin or desulfated dermatan sulfate was increased over the control. Sulfation of carbonic anhydrase VI by the recombinant GalNAc4ST occurred at position 4 of the GalNAc residue ofN-linked oligosaccharides. The recombinant GalNAc4ST transferred sulfate to position 4 of GalNAc residue ofp-nitrophenyl GalNAc, indicating that this sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to position 4 at the nonreducing terminal GalNAc residue. Dot blot analysis showed that the message of GalNAc4ST was expressed strongly in the human pituitary, suggesting that the cloned GalNAc4ST may be involved in the synthesis of the nonreducing terminal GalNAc 4-sulfate residues found in the N-linked oligosaccharides of pituitary glycoprotein hormones.
Role of Service Experience and Value Co- Creation in Determining Music Streaming Service Continuance

With the rapid development and penetration of music streaming services, more and more service providers have sought to seize market opportunities. How to maintain a strong subscription base thus becomes a challenge. This study draws on the service-dominant logic to explore the influence of platform attributes and content attributes on service experience and value co-creation, two of the key determinants that lead to continuance intention for online music streaming services through satisfaction. Research findings show that perceived ease of use, social presence, and content richness positively influence service experience, and that perceived ease of use and content richness positively lead to value co-creation. It was also found that positive relationship exists between value co-creation and service experience. Moreover, service experience and value co-creation positively contribute to subscribers’ continuance intentions through user satisfaction. Based on research findings, research implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Extreme Multi Class Classification

We consider the multi class classification problem under the setting where the number of labels is very large and hence it is very desirable to efficiently achieve train and test running times which are logarithmic in the label complexity. Additionally the labels are feature dependent in our setting. We propose a reduction of this problem to a set of binary regression problems organized in a tree structure and we introduce a simple top-down criterion for purification of labels that allows for gradient descent style optimization. Furthermore we prove that maximizing the proposed objective function (splitting criterion) leads simultaneously to pure and balanced splits. We use the entropy of the tree leafs, a standard measure used in decision trees, to measure the quality of obtained tree and we show an upperbound on the number of splits required to reduce this measure below threshold . Finally we empirically show that the splits recovered by our algorithm leads to significantly smaller error than random splits.