Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contrasting human cytokine responses to promastigote whole‐cell extract and the Leishmania analogue receptor for activated C kinase antigen of L. amazonensis in natural infection versus immunization

It is known that the same antigen can induce different immune responses, depending upon the way that it is presented to the immune system. The objective of this study was to compare cytokine responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients and subjects immunized with a first‐generation candidate vaccine composed of killed Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes to a whole‐cell promastigote antigen extract (La) and to the recombinant protein LACK (Leishmania analogue receptor for activated C kinase), both from L. amazonensis. Thirty‐two patients, 35 vaccinees and 13 healthy subjects without exposure to Leishmania, were studied. Cytokine production was assessed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and enzyme‐linked immunospot assay. The interferon (IFN)‐γ levels stimulated by La were significantly higher and the levels of interleukin (IL)‐10 significantly lower than those stimulated by LACK in the patient group, while LACK induced a significantly higher IFN‐γ production and a significantly lower IL‐10 production compared with those induced by La in the vaccinated group. LACK also induced a significantly higher frequency of IFN‐γ‐producing cells than did La in the vaccinated group. The contrast in the cytokine responses stimulated by LACK and La in PBMC cultures from vaccinated subjects versus patients indicates that the human immune response to crude and defined Leishmania antigens as a consequence of immunization differs from that induced by natural infection.
New insights into the mechanism and management of allergic diseases: atopic dermatitis

Rapidly increasing knowledge on the complex background of atopic dermatitis (AD) on the genetic, immunological and environmental level in combination with the continuous improvement in our diagnostic options has initiated an ongoing discussion on factors, which primarily promote the disease on one hand and mechanisms which emerge rather secondarily as a consequence of disease‐specific modifications, on the other hand. Beside a sustained search for reliable and meaningful diagnostic tools for elicitors of the disease, novel therapeutic approaches are required, as most of the treatments of AD are limited to symptomatic therapies. In contrast, therapeutic approaches selectively regulating aberrant pathophysiological mechanisms in AD itself would be much more effective and promising.
Effects of Peer Tutoring and Attitude on Academic Performance of First Year Introductory Programming Students

Previous research has estimated failure rates in introductory programming courses to be as high as 50% in universities around the world. These high incidences of failure have also led to negative attitudes towards programming. This paper takes a look at the Introduction to Programming course offered at the University of Technology, Jamaica. Pre-and post test programming scores were used to measure academic performance, while a survey derived from a modified Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitudes scale was used to measure student attitude towards programming. Three sub-categories were used for the measurement of attitudes, namely, personal confidence in learning programming, usefulness of programming and the perception of teacher motivation. Results indicate little evidence of a positive effect of peer tutoring on the academic performance of students. It also reveals that attitude, and in particular, confidence in learning programming, plays an important role in students' academic performance. This paper discusses the design of the study and analyzes the results gathered
Interlocked Boards of Directors, Voluntary Disclosures and Earnings Quality

This paper studies the effects of interlocked boards of directors on voluntary disclosures, governance practices and earnings quality. The Canadian environment, where director interlocks are prevalent, is examined. A checklist of twenty voluntary disclosure measures from proxy statements is developed. The results find that interlocked boards of directors are negatively associated with voluntary disclosures and positively associated with earnings quality. Consistent with prior research, company size and independence of the chairperson are positively associated with voluntary disclosures. Board interlocks, however, do not have a significant effect on tax avoidance. From an accounting perspective, this study provides evidence that regulator rules and policies limiting interlocks may be unnecessary.
Financial Knowledge and Best Practice Behavior

The current research examines the relationship between personal financial knowledge (both objective and subjective), financial satisfaction, and selected demographic variables in terms of best practice financial behavior. Data are taken from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) National Financial Capability Study, a nationally representative sample of 1,488 participants and are analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Findings suggest that both objective and subjective financial knowledge influence financial behavior, with subjective knowledge having a larger relative impact. Other variables that have a significant impact on financial behavior include financial satisfaction, income, education, age, race, and ethnicity.
Association between Resistance to Erythromycin and the Presence of the Fibronectin Binding Protein F1 Gene, prtF1, in Streptococcus pyogenes Isolates from German Pediatric Patients

ABSTRACT A total of 301 German pediatric group A streptococcus isolates were screened for the presence of macrolide resistance and the fibronectin binding protein F1 gene (prtF1) encoding an adhesin and cell invasiveness protein. The prtF1 gene was present significantly more often among macrolide-resistant isolates. The majority of these were not clonally related.
In Vitro Synthesis of Poliovirus Ribonucleic Acid: Role of the Replicative Intermediate

Poliovirus ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase crude extracts could be stored frozen in liquid nitrogen without loss of activity or specificity. The major in vitro product of these extracts was viral single-stranded RNA. However, after short periods of incubation with radioactive nucleoside triphosphates, most of the incorporated label was found in replicative intermediate. When excess unlabeled nucleoside triphosphate was added, the label was displaced from the replicative intermediate and accumulated as viral RNA. It is concluded from this experiment that the replicative intermediate is the precursor to viral RNA. In addition, some of the label was chased into double-stranded RNA. The implications of this finding are discussed.
Everyday physical activity in adolescents and young adults with meningomyelocele as measured with a novel activity monitor.

We measured the extent of hypoactivity in adolescents and young adults with meningomyelocele with an activity monitor. The activity monitor is based on long-term ambulatory monitoring of signals from body-fixed accelerometers during everyday life and is aimed at the assessment of mobility-related activities. Measurements were performed during 2 consecutive weekdays in 14 patients with meningomyelocele (aged 14 to 26 years) and in 14 matched, healthy subjects. Mean duration of dynamic activities (composite measure) was less in the patients (6.5 +/- 2.3%) than in comparison subjects (12.7 +/- 4.3%, P =.001). Number of walking or wheelchair-driving periods was 122 +/- 48 in the patients and 185 +/- 65 in the comparison subjects (P =.01). Resting heart rate was higher in the patients (70 +/- 7 beats/min vs 64 +/- 5 beats/min, P =.01). Time spent with dynamic activities was correlated with ambulatory status (r(s) = 0.55, P <. 05). Adolescents and young adults with meningomyelocele, particularly the nonambulators, are considerably hypoactive.
Malaria: severe, life threatening.

Introduction Severe malaria mainly affects children under 5 years old, non-immune travellers, migrants to malarial areas, and people living in areas with unstable or seasonal malaria. Cerebral malaria, causing encephalopathy and coma, is fatal in around 20% of children and adults, and neurological sequelae may occur in some survivors. Severe malarial anaemia may have a mortality rate of over 13%.
Empirical Tests for Market Timing Theory of Capital Structure: The Case of IPOs in Indonesia Stock Exchange

This study aims to examine the validity of Market Timing Theory (MTT) in the Indonesian context. The essence of MTT is when the market price of a company’s stock is overvalued, the firms will take equity financing and debt financing for undervalued condition. The motivations of this study are to test the dispute level of pros and cons of empirical studies about MTT especially on the issue of persistency. The empirical model from MTT of previous researcher has a specific uniqueness i.e. the negative relation between leverage and market to book ratio. That negative relationship is controlled by several factors such as log total asset, earnings after taxes (EAT) and fixed asset. EAT and fixed asset are scaled by total asset. The other specific uniqueness is sample of IPO firms. With IPO firms, we can indicate the effect of overvalued or undervalued condition through market to book ratio (M/B). M/B will reflect the market respond regarding to equity issuing decision of the firm. The result of this study supports the hypothesis of MTT in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) with the main finding i.e. market to book ratio has the negative impact to market leverage. While the relevant factor for supporting the hypothesis of MTT is EAT. It suggests that in the context of MTT, IPO firms will experience increasing profits so that the proportion of the use of debt will decrease.
When Seem Means Think: The Role of theExperiencer-Phrase in Children's Comprehension of Raising

One aspect of language noted to be acquired late by children involves certain long-distance dependencies. In particular, acquisition of the verbal passive has been observed to be quite delayed. For all languages in which comprehension-based studies have been conducted, evidence of a comprehension delay for passives has been found (Crawford 2005). Input frequency theories relying on the paucity of passive sentences in child-directed speech have been called into serious question (Hirsch & Wexler 2006, Hirsch & Hartman 2006, Hirsch, Hartman & Wexler in preparation). Behavioral genetics research directly implicates a genetic component to the acquisition of verbal passives, demonstrating that passive comprehension is more correlated in identical than fraternal twins (Ganger, Dunn, & Gordon 2004). Finally, children’s comprehension of passives is not predicted by either environmental factors or IQ (Hirsch, Modyanova, Perovic, & Wexler in preparation). The evidence given above for delayed acquisition of verbal passives has inspired numerous maturational theories of passive development, (Borer & Wexler 1987, Wexler 2004, Snyder & Hyams 2005, among others). These maturational theories assert that the grammatical representations or operations necessary for allowing verbal passives by Universal Grammar (UG) for adults are unavailable for young children because of constraints imposed by their immature biology, rendering verbal passives ungrammatical for such children. Borer and Wexler’s (1987) A-Chain Deficit Hypothesis (ACDH), the first maturational theory of verbal passive acquisition to be developed, hypothesizes that it is A-chains that are ungrammatical for immature children. Since the ACDH was first formulated, however, it has been recognized that subjects are generated (merged) internal to the VP (Koopman & Sportiche 1991) and then raise to [Spec, TP], a form of A-movement, and thus all subject movement out of the VP is predicated by
Health status within the precincts of a nickel-copper mining and smelting environment.

BACKGROUND Mining and smelting activities affect the biophysical environment and human health. OBJECTIVE This paper elucidates on the human health status of residents close to a nickel-copper mine and concentrator/smelter plant. METHOD 600 questionnaires were administered and data generated was processed. RESULTS Health complaints of respondents included palpitations, lower abdominal pain, shortness of breath, constant chest pains, unusual spitting, coughing regularly, frequent headaches, loss of body weight, regular constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, urinary pain, and unusual genital discharge. Many respondents suffered from headaches frequently with >50% from five sites. The majority of respondents having frequent influenza/common colds were from three sites. Pracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen were taken for headache, period, back and abdominal pain. Fumes, vibrations, noise and constant movement of heavy equipment were considered as disturbing factors affecting health. CONCLUSION Fumes of SO(2) emanating from mining and smelting were the most suspected causative agent affecting health. Control site values for fumes, dust, vibrations and noise were very low. A link between health status and environmental pollution due to mining activities was thus inferred.
The impact of concurrent and treated Ancylostoma ceylanicum hookworm infections on the immunogenicity of a recombinant hookworm vaccine in hamsters.

BACKGROUND The effect of concurrent (active) and treated hookworm infections on the immunogenicity of vaccination with the recombinant fusion protein Ay-Ancylostoma-secreted protein 2 was analyzed in the Golden Syrian hamster. METHODS Hamsters were infected with the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum and vaccinated with the recombinant protein, with Quil A used as adjuvant. As controls, hookworm-infected hamsters were treated with the anthelmintic drug pyrantel pamoate before vaccination. Naive hamsters (i.e., those with neither previous hookworm infections nor treatment) were also vaccinated. RESULTS The proliferation capacities of carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester-positive lymphocytes from the hookworm-infected vaccinated group were reduced by 50% relative to the capacities of lymphocytes from uninfected or treated vaccinated hamsters; capacities were comparable to the rates observed in lymphocytes from the hamsters vaccinated with the adjuvant alone. Immunoglobulin G1 antibody responses were also reduced in the actively infected, untreated hamsters, and interferon- gamma and interleukin-4 cytokine mRNAs were down-regulated. Conversely, interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor- alpha mRNAs were up-regulated in those hamsters. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that hookworm infections have an immunomodulatory effect by impairing the immune response to an exogenous antigen during infection. The hookworm-associated immunodepression may have important implications for design of clinical trials of human vaccines and vaccination strategies.
Dexmedetomidine offers an option for safe and effective sedation for nuclear medicine imaging in children.

PURPOSE To determine the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of bradycardia, hypotension, and hypertension with dexmedetomidine (DEX), a recently approved sedative used for procedural sedation that has not been described previously for pediatric nuclear medicine imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between March 2005 and August 2011, 669 patients (mean age, 5.7 years ± 4.5 [standard deviation]; median age, 4.5 years; age range, 0.1-22.5 years) received DEX in this HIPAA-compliant study. Sedation was administered with DEX, an α-2 adrenergic agonist, as an intravenous bolus (2 μg per kilogram of body weight) over a 10-minute period; this was followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 1 μg/kg/h until imaging was complete. The bolus could be repeated up to two times, if needed, to achieve the targeted level of a Ramsay sedation score of 4. After institutional review board approval, collected quality assurance data were reviewed. RESULTS Adequate sedation was achieved within 8.6 minutes ± 4.6 (median, 8.0 minutes; range, 1.0-40.0 minutes) on average in studies that averaged 41.3 minutes ± 25.5 (median, 31.5 minutes; range, 9.0-183.0 minutes). Of 669 studies, 667 (99.7%) were completed successfully. Six children (0.9%) had brief periods of oxygen desaturation below 95%, none of which required airway intervention. Hypotension, hypertension, and bradycardia (all defined as deviations of more than 20% from age-adjusted awake norms), occurred in 58.7% (n = 393), 2.1% (n = 14), and 4.3% (n = 29) of patients, respectively. Both hypotension and bradycardia were related to age (P = .033 and P = .002, respectively); older children tended to experience more of these events. None of these fluctuations required pharmacologic therapy. Discharge criteria (modified Aldrete score ≥ 9) were met, on average, within 41.4 minutes ± 27.9 (median, 36.0 minutes; range, 1.0-220.0 minutes). CONCLUSION DEX offers advantages for pediatric sedation for nuclear medicine imaging. DEX produces a condition similar to natural sleep, with no detrimental effect on respiration. The hemodynamic variability anticipated with DEX did not require pharmacologic treatment, and the drug was well tolerated.
Major Abdominal Surgery Increases Plasma Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: Open More So Than Minimally Invasive Methods

Introduction:Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent inducer of angiogenesis that is necessary for wound healing and also promotes tumor growth. It is anticipated that plasma levels would increase after major surgery and that such elevations may facilitate tumor growth. This study's purpose was to determine plasma VEGF levels before and early after major open and minimally invasive abdominal surgery. Methods:Colorectal resection for cancer (n = 139) or benign pathology (n = 48) and gastric bypass for morbid obesity (n = 40) were assessed. Similar numbers of open and laparoscopic patients were studied for each indication. Plasma samples were obtained preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 3. VEGF levels were determined via ELISA. The following statistical methods were used: Fisher exact test, unmatched Student t test, Wilcoxon's matched pairs test, and the Mann Whitney U Test with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results:The mean preoperative VEGF level of the cancer patients was significantly higher than baseline level of benign colon patients. Regardless of indication or surgical method, on POD3, significantly elevated mean VEGF levels were noted for each subgroup. In addition, on POD1, open surgery patients for all 3 indications had significantly elevated VEGF levels; no POD1 differences were noted for the closed surgery patients. At each postoperative time point for each procedure and indication, the open group's VEGF levels were significantly higher than that of the matching laparoscopic group. VEGF elevations correlated with incision length for each indication. Conclusion:As a group colon cancer patients prior to surgery have significantly higher mean VEGF levels than patients without tumors. Also, both open and closed colorectal resection and gastric bypass are associated with significantly elevated plasma VEGF levels early after surgery. This elevation is significantly greater and occurs earlier in open surgery patients. The duration and clinical importance of this finding is uncertain but merits further study.
A Survey of State Support for Community Wind Power Development

Though historically confined to Europe, “community wind” projects – i.e., locally owned, utility-scale wind projects interconnected on either side of the meter – are a topic of increasing interest in the United States, not just among farmers and other potential local investors, but also among state policymakers interested in renewable energy. Several states are currently supporting community wind in a variety of ways, leading to the development of different types of projects.
Risk Factors for Short-term Complications of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in the United States

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a commonly performed procedure that is highly successful in restoring knee stability and function. The incidence of early ACLR complications and the risk factors for these complications are not well defined. Purpose: To determine the incidence of 30-day complications and patient and surgical risk factors for complications after ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients who underwent ACLR between 2005 and 2013 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database using Current Procedural Terminology billing codes. Postoperative complications in the 30-day period after surgery were identified. Potential patient and surgical risk factors for 30-day complications after ACLR were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 4933 patients were identified. Major complications occurred in 27 patients (0.55%), and minor complications occurred in 43 patients (0.87%), with overall complications occurring in 66 patients (1.34%). The most common complications were symptomatic deep venous thrombosis requiring treatment (n = 27; 0.55%), return to the operating room (n = 18; 0.36%), superficial infections (n = 10; 0.20%), deep infections (n = 7; 0.14%), and pulmonary embolism (n = 6; 0.12%). A single mortality (0.02%) occurred. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that smoking, dyspnea, a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and recent weight loss were all risk factors for the development of overall complications, although in combination, these factors accounted for only 3% of the variance in the complication rate. Conclusion: ACLR has a low incidence of complications (1.34%) in the early postoperative period, with the most common being symptomatic venous thromboembolic disease requiring treatment, return to the operating room, and infections. Because ACLR is an elective procedure, surgeons should use this information to counsel patients on risks and to guide their decision making about patient selection.
Elevated Skp 2 Protein Expression in Human Prostate Cancer : Association with Loss of the Cyclin-dependent Kinase Inhibitor p 27 and PTEN and with Reduced Recurrence-free Survival 1

The F-box protein Skp2 (Fbl1) is a positive regulator of G1-S transition and promotes ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27. Its overexpression has been implicated in cell transformation and oncogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo models. In this study, we investigated its role in human prostate cancer progression. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin sections of 622 radical prostatectomy specimens, 74 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm specimens, as well as in 4 normal prostate organ donors assembled into tissue microarrays. We found that both luminal and basal epithelial cells in normal prostate had very low Skp2 levels, but Skp2 levels and labeling frequency increased dramatically in both premalignant lesions of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm (P 0.0252) and in prostate cancer (P 0.0037). The Skp2 labeling frequency in cancer was positively correlated with preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen level (P 0.0499) and Gleason score (P 0.0002), whereas the Skp2 index was positively correlated with extraprostatic extension (P 0.0454), clinical stage (P 0.0170), as well as Gleason score (P 0.0002). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that a higher Skp2 labeling index (>10) was a significant predictor of shorter biochemical recurrence-free survival time after radical prostatectomy (P < 0.0363, log-rank test). An inverse correlation of Skp2 was observed with both its biochemical target p27 expression in prostate cancer (P 0.0003) and with its putative negative regulator, the PTEN tumor suppressor protein (P 0.0444). These data suggest that induction of Skp2 may be causally linked with decreased levels of p27 in prostate cancer and implicate PTEN in the regulation of Skp2 expression in vivo, as previous tissue culture experiments have suggested.