Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecules affecting myelin stability: A novel hypothesis regarding the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

In this Mini‐Review we present a new hypothesis in support of the neurodegenerative theory as a mechanism for the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The pathogenesis of MS results from changes in two distinct CNS compartments. These are the “myelin” and “nonmyelin” compartments. The myelin compartment is where primary demyelination, amidst attempts at remyelination, is superseded in the CNS by ongoing disease. Recent evidence obtained via magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques supports the view that the normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM) in the MS brain is altered. Several biochemical changes in NAWM have been determined. These include the cationicity of myelin basic protein (MBP) as a result of the action of peptidyl argininedeiminase (PAD) activity converting arginyl residues to citrulline. The accompanying loss of positive charge makes myelin susceptible to vesiculation and MBP more susceptible to proteolytic activity. An increase of MBP autocatalysis in the MS brain might also contribute to the generation of immunodominant epitopes. Accompanying the destruction of myelin in the myelin compartment is the activation of astrocytes and microglia. These contribute to the inflammatory response and T‐cell activation leading to autoimmunity. The complex environment that exists in the demyelinating brain also affects the “nonmyelin” compartment. The inappropriate up‐regulation of molecules, including those of the Jagged‐1–Notch‐1 signal transduction pathway, affects oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation. Other effectors of oligodendrocyte maturation include stathmin, a microtubule‐destabilizing protein, which prevents healing in the demyelinating brain. The hypothesis we present suggests a therapeutic strategy that should 1) target the effectors within the myelin compartment and 2) enable resident OPC maturation in the nonmyelin compartment, allowing for effective repair of myelin loss. The net effect of this new therapeutic strategy is the modification of the disease environment and the stimulation of healing and repair. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dielectric Image Line-Based Leaky-Wave Antenna for Wide Range of Beam Scanning Through Broadside

In this communication, a dielectric image line (DIL)-based leaky-wave antenna is proposed with planar feeding. The dominant mode of DIL is perturbed by making holes periodically in the DIL and fast-wave space harmonics are generated. The proposed antenna is designed for Ku-band (12–18 GHz) and its impedance bandwidth in the fast-wave region is 36% (11.8–17 GHz). The scan range of the proposed antenna in the working band is 90° (−65° to 25°) and the gain is varying from 10 to 16 dBi in the fast-wave region. The proposed antenna can be directly scaled to other frequency bands by taking into account the corresponding dispersion characteristic in respective frequency bands. This scaling property is demonstrated in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band. A prototype is fabricated and measured in Ku-band, which fairly agrees with simulated results.
A simple procedure to design PID controllers in the frequency domain

In this paper, a simple method to design PID controllers in the frequency domain is proposed. The method is based on the use of a single tuning factor, defined as the quotient between the final cross over frequency and the zero of the controller. Classical methods described in the basic control books propose to fix the above parameter in a predetermined value (usually 10), independently of the process model. Several examples show that this fixed value is not the best choice in general, in the sense that the behavior can be greatly improved if an adequate tuning of that parameter is done. A tuning procedure for the parameter is also proposed, based on the maximization of a controller gain. The procedure is valid for PI, PD and PID controller design, and is tested with a set of well known benchmark systems for PI and PID design and compared with other (more complex) approaches.
Attitude towards the New Way of Working - a longitudinal Study

Information and communication technologies are rapidly transforming the work environment, providing flexibility of when and where to work. The New Way of Working (NWOW) is a relatively new phenomenon that provides the context for these developments. In this case research three reviews were performed over a one-year timeframe, evaluating the attitude of managers and employees towards the New Way of Working. Special attention was given to the relationship between personality traits (the ‘Big Five’) and satisfaction with NWOW. The case results show that, in general, managers and employees are and remain positive towards NWOW, though the actual effects of the implementation of NWOW on work and the work environment are often limited or hard to quantify. The personality survey shows there is a significant positive relationship between conscientiousness, being (self)disciplined, and satisfaction with NWOW. There is a negative relationship for neuroticism; sensitive employees. This leads to the conclusion that the New Way of Working is not beneficial to all. Where (self)disciplined employees may thrive well in the new work environment, high neuroticism (sensitive) persons may have problems to adapt to the newly gained freedom.
Effects of environmental variations on CO2 Efflux from a Tropical Peatland in eastern Sumatra

CO2 efflux from tropical peat swamp substrates was measured under three different land uses (selectively logged forest, recently burned and cleared forest, and agriculture) in Jambi Province, eastern Sumatra over a six-month period that incorporated parts of both the major wet and dry seasons. Clearance of peat swamp forest and cultivation led to increased emissions: mean CO2 effluxes ranged from 2.59 ± 0.22 μmolCO2 m−2 sec-1 for peat beneath selectively logged forest to 4.44 ± 1.16 μmolCO2 m−2 sec-1 beneath recently burned and cleared forest to 5.58 ± 1.34 μmolCO2 m−2 sec-1 beneath settled agriculture. Mean CO2 effluxes were significantly correlated with soil temperature at 20 cm depth (Q10 = 2.5) and water-table position. We combined SPOT satellite and CO2 efflux data to establish that the conversion of selectively logged forest to agricultural land has led to a substantial increase in annual emissions of CO2-C in the study area.
Antihypertensive and Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilator Effects of Alpinia zerumbet, a Medicinal Plant

Alpinia zerumbet (K. Schum), a medicinal plant originated from West Asia, is used in the northeast and southeast of Brazil as infusions or decoctions as a diuretic, antihypertensive, and antiulcerogenic. Experiments were undertaken to determine whether a hydroalcoholic extract obtained from leaves of Alpinia zerumbet (AZE) induces vasodilation in the mesenteric vascular bed (MVB), and an antihypertensive effect was also assessed in rats with DOCA-salt hypertension. In MVB precontracted with norepinephrine, AZE induces a long-lasting endothelium-dependent vasodilation that is not reduced by indomethacin. Inhibition of NO synthase by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and guanylyl cyclase by 1H-[1,2,3]oxadiazolo [4,4-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) reduces the vasodilator effect of AZE. In vessels precontracted with norepinephrine, the vasodilator effect of AZE was not changed by 4-aminopyridine, glibenclamide, or by charybdotoxin plus apamin. Concentrations of atropine, pyrilamine, and yohimbine that significantly reduced the vasodilator effect of acetylcholine, histamine, and clonidine, respectively, did not change the vasodilator effect of AZE. HOE 140, which significantly reduced the vasodilator effect of bradykinin, induced a slight but significant reduction on the vasodilator effect of AZE. Chronic oral administration of AZE induced a significant reduction in systolic, mean, and diastolic arterial pressure in rats with DOCA-salt hypertension. Probably the vasodilator effect of AZE is dependent on the activation of the NO-cGMP pathway and independent of activation of ATP-dependent, voltage-dependent, and calcium-dependent K+ channels. Bradykinin receptors may also participate in the vasodilator effect of AZE. Finally, the vasodilator and antihypertensive effects of AZE demonstrated in the present study provide experimental support for the indication of Alpinia zerumbet as an antihypertensive medicinal plant.
Protein overexpression and gene amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor in nonsmall cell lung carcinomas

Recently, molecular therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been developed for clinical use. The current study was conducted to determine 1) the exact frequency of EGFR protein overexpression, 2) the correlation between protein overexpression and EGFR amplification, and 3) the correlation between the status of the genetic and clinicopathologic features in nonsmall cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC).
Impact of feeling responsible for adverse events on doctors’ personal and professional lives: the importance of being open to criticism from colleagues

Objective: To investigate the impact of adverse events that had caused patient injury and for which the doctor felt responsible, and the experience of acceptance of criticism among colleagues. Design: Self-reports based on postal questionnaires to 1616 doctors. Setting: Norway. Participants: A representative sample of 1318 active doctors. Results: 368/1294 (28%) reported that they had experienced at least one adverse event with serious patient injury. Being male and working within a surgical discipline (including anaesthesiology, obstetrics and gynaecology) significantly increased the probability of such reports. 38% of the events had been reported to official authorities and, for 17% of doctors, the incident had a negative impact on their private life; 6% had needed professional help. 50% and 54%, respectively, found it difficult to criticise colleagues for their ethically or professionally unacceptable conduct. Doctors who found it easy to criticise colleagues also reported having received more support from their colleagues after a serious patient injury. Conclusion: Male surgeons report the highest prevalence of adverse events. Criticism for professionally and ethically unacceptable conduct is difficult to express among doctors. More acceptance of criticism of professional conduct may not only prevent patient harm, but may also give more support to colleagues who have experienced serious patient injury.
Spinal cord abnormalities in recently diagnosed MS patients

Objective: The most recent diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) ascertain that findings from spinal cord MRI can be used to demonstrate dissemination in space. Because little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of cord lesions early in the disease, the authors studied the prevalence of spinal cord abnormalities in patients with early-stage MS and assessed their impact on diagnostic classification. Methods: The brains and spinal cords of 104 recently diagnosed patients with MS were examined. Median interval between first symptom and diagnosis was 18.4 months. The brain MRI protocol included before and after gadolinium axial T1-weighted conventional spin-echo sequences and dual-echo spin-echo images. For spinal cord MRI, sagittal cardiac-triggered dual-echo T2-weighted and sagittal T1-weighted spin-echo images were included. Clinical assessment for each patient included age, sex, clinical signs for spinal cord involvement, and Expanded Disability Status Scale. Results: Abnormal cord MRIs were found in 83% of patients, usually with only focal lesions. Diffuse cord abnormalities were found in 13% of patients, although in isolation they were found in only three patients. Focal cord lesions were often multiple (median number, 3.0), small (median, 0.8 vertebral segments), and primarily (56.4%) situated in the cervical spinal cord. In 68 of 104 patients (65.4%), two or more focal lesions were visible on spinal cord images. The criteria for dissemination in space, as defined in the McDonald criteria for the brain, were met in only 66.3% of the patients. This percentage increased to 84.6% when spinal cord MRI abnormalities were also included. Conclusion: Spinal cord abnormalities are prevalent in patients with early-stage MS, have distinct morphologic characteristics, and help to determine dissemination in space at time of diagnosis.
Olopatadine hydrochloride suppresses the rebound phenomenon after discontinuation of treatment with a topical steroid in mice with chronic contact hypersensitivity

Background Olopatadine hydrochloride (olopatadine; Allelock®) is one of the second‐generation antihistamines that are treated for allergic disorders such as rhinitis, urticaria and eczema dermatitis. Olopatadine has recently been shown to have inhibitory effects on the chronic contact hypersensitivity induced by repeated application of oxazolone in mice. Although topical steroids have widely been prescribed for atopic dermatitis, a relapse often occurs within several days after discontinuation of their prolonged use.
Explants of Intact Endometrium to Model Bovine Innate Immunity and Inflammation Ex Vivo

Bacterial infections commonly cause bovine endometritis and infertility via innate immune pathways. However, mechanistic studies using isolated cells or chopped tissue may be compromised by the disruption of endometrial architecture and release of damage‐associated molecular patterns. So, this study aimed to establish an ex vivo model of intact bovine endometrium to study innate immunity and inflammation.
The diagnosis and management of tinea

#### Summary points Tinea refers to superficial infection with one of three fungal genera— Microsporum , Epidermophyton , and Trichophyton —collectively known as dermatophytes. These infections are among the most common diseases worldwide and cause serious chronic morbidity. Griseofulvin treatment and school screening programmes almost eradicated tinea capitis (scalp infection) as an endemic condition in the developed world in the 1950s, but it re-emerged as a public health problem in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, with infection rates of at least 12% in school children.1 Increased mass tourism and mobile populations may have contributed to the changing epidemiological trends.2 Newly developed polymerase chain reaction based techniques, although useful in rapid diagnosis of dermatophytosis,3 are still not widely available. Although the number and range of antifungal drugs are limited compared with antibiotics, most are highly effective for fungal disease acquired in temperate climates. This review aims to familiarise the reader with the various clinical presentations of tinea, to outline the steps that should be taken for accurate diagnosis, and to evaluate the most appropriate treatment regimens. #### Sources and selection criteria We based this review on a detailed review of English language publications. We also drew on the British Association of Dermatologists’ clinical guidelines for the management of tinea capitis and the management of onychomycosis, Health Protection Agency guidelines, and extensive clinical experience. All three genera of dermatophytes grow in keratinised environments such as hair, skin, and nails.4 Anthropophilic dermatophytes are restricted to human hosts and produce mild chronic inflammation. The main reservoirs of zoophilic dermatophytes are pets, livestock, and horses; infection with such organisms usually …
Microbial succession in biofilms growing on artificial substratum in subtropical freshwater aquaculture ponds

Abstract Biofilms can be used to improve the water quality in aquaculture ponds, and elucidating the process of microbial succession in biofilms would allow the characterization of metabolic processes and permit optimization. In the present study, microbial succession of a biofilm growing on artificial substrata in a subtropical freshwater pond was investigated by high‐throughput sequencing. Providing artificial substrata effectively reduced the concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the pond. Relatively stable microbiota were formed after approximately 1 week. The dominant phyla in the mature biofilm were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The relative abundances of denitrifiers and phosphorus‐removing bacteria, such as those in Comamonadaceae and Neisseriaceae, were significantly increased. The use of avermectin B1 changed the community structure of the microbiota; the microbiota were more similar to those at Week 0 than to those at Week 3. However, the microbial community structure recovered after approximately 1 week. Our results indicate that using artificial substrata can create a habitat for denitrifiers and phosphorus‐removing bacteria, and thereby improve pond water quality. This study provided insight into how the use of artificial substrata could improve water quality and elucidated the environment‐biofilm relationship in a subtropical freshwater pond.
Detection of atrial activity from high-voltage leads of implantable ventricular defibrillators using a cancellation technique

The inability to detect atrial activity limits implantable ventricular cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in discriminating tachycardias and can result in inappropriate therapy. This study attempted to detect atrial activity on the wide-spaced bipole signals formed by the high-voltage (HV) leads of the ICD during device implantation and to develop an algorithm for the detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib) from these signals. The authors used a method that cancelled ventricular and correlated atrial activity from the HV lead signals and measured frequency and amplitude distribution information to discriminate sinus rhythm (SR) and AFib segments. The authors analyzed 186 data segments from 21 patients (six AFib, 14 SR, one AFib and SR). For individual segments in this data set, the sensitivity of the algorithm was 78%, specificity 92.65%, positive and negative predictive values 79.59 and 91.97%, respectively. These results demonstrate that atrial activity is present in the HV lead signals, and AFib detection can be achieved in many, but not all cases, using information currently available to ICDs. Prior work from surface electrocardiograms suggests that this algorithm can function during ventricular tachycardias. However, specificity of the algorithm is not high enough for clinical use.
Risk of Active Tuberculosis among Index Case of Householders—A Long‐Term Assessment after the Conventional Contacts Study

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of active tuberculosis (TB) among household contacts of TB-index cases diagnosed during a 7-year period in a public Primary Care Center located in a high-incidence area. DESIGN AND SAMPLE A retrospective cohort study was performed. Data collection was based on the capture-recapture method; the two main sources crossed information from TB-index and contact cases from the El Fondo Primary Care Center (Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain) and their reports to the National Epidemiologic Surveillance Service. MEASURES Variables were divided into demographic and health data (result of the Mantoux test, chest X-ray, presence of risk factors, and indication for chemoprophylaxis). RESULTS Community nurses identified 103 household contacts that underwent the conventional contact study. Overall, 60.19% were male; the mean age was 29.08 years. Only one case of secondary active TB was found, representing an incidence of 0.56% per TB-index case and year. CONCLUSION The incidence of new secondary TB among household contacts with TB-index cases was of a case. Nevertheless, a long-term follow-up of these householders beyond the conventional contacts study should be considered in areas with higher incidences of TB or among specific high-risk populations.
Endoscopic laser surgery for early glottic carcinoma: A clinical and experimental study

The purpose of this study is to define the indications for using the CO2 laser for the treatment of early glottic cancer. For this purpose, 52 consecutive laser resections of Tis to T2 vocal cord carcinomas were studied prospectively. In addition, laser resection was performed in eight human cadaver larynges, which were then examined histologically using whole organ sections. Both tumor size and tumor location had important influences on tumor resectability by laser. All of the Tis, 78% of T1, and one of four T2 carcinomas were successfully treated by laser surgery alone. Of the 10 carcinomas involving the anterior commissure, only four could completely be resected with the laser; of these four, two recurred in the anterior commissure. This finding is corroborated by the histologic study, which clearly shows that anterior commissure resection poses problems. The only laser resection complication of early glottic cancer was persistent hoarseness in one third of the patients. It is concluded that CO2 laser resection is a safe and effective alternative treatment for patients with Tis and T1 glottic carcinoma, provided the anterior commissure is free of tumor.
ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND PERFORMANCE IN SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES IN VIETNAM

This paper focuses on applying the resource-based view (RBV) of firms to explain performance in supporting industries in Vietnam. Specifically, we based our research on the comprehensive framework of RBV and reviewed previous empirical researches before deciding on adopting a dynamic capabilities approach to test relationships among organisational capabilities, competitive advantage and performance. A multivariate analysis of survey responses of 102 firms belonging to supporting industries in Vietnam indicates that the organisational capabilities are related to the competitive advantage, that the competitive advantage is related to performance, and that the competitive advantage mediates the relationship between organizational capabilities and performance. These findings have considerable implications for academics as well as practitioners. Finally, this study also provides directions for future research.
Protein Phosphotyrosine in Mouse Brain: Developmental Changes and Regulation by Epidermal Growth Factor, Type I Insulin‐Like Growth Factor, and Insulin

Abstract: Using antiphosphotyrosine antibodies, we have investigated protein phosphorylation in mouse brain during development in intact animals and in reaggregated cerebral cultures. Under basal conditions, in vivo and in vitro, the levels of two main phosphoproteins, of Mr 120,000 and 180,000 (pp180), increased with development, reaching a maximum in the early postnatal period and decreasing thereafter. In adult forebrain, pp180 was still highly phosphorylated, but it was not detected in cerebellum or in peripheral tissues. In reaggregated cortical cultures, epidermal growth factor (EGF), type I insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐I), and insulin enhanced protein tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, which were specific for EGF or IGF‐I/insulin. In highly enriched neuronal or astrocytic monolayer cultures, some proteins phosphorylated in basal conditions, or in response to EGF and IGF‐I, were found in both types of culture, whereas others appeared cell type specific. In addition, in each cell type, some proteins were phosphorylated under the action of both growth factors. These results indicate that tyrosine protein phosphorylation is maximal in mouse brain during development and is regulated by growth factors in neurons as well as in astrocytes.