Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between drug resistance and HIV-1 disease progression or death in patients undergoing resistance testing

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with drug resistance detected by genotypic antiretroviral resistance testing (GART), and to determine the association between the level of resistance and subsequent human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) disease progression or death. Design: Observational cohort study. Methods: We identified highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated patients who had GART as part of clinical management. Factors associated with greater numbers of resistance mutations were assessed by ordinal logistic regression. Survival analysis was used to assess time to a new opportunistic condition or death following GART. Results: A total of 572 patients were identified who had GART: of these, 50% had 0–2 resistance mutations, 33% had 3–6 mutations, and 17% had ⩾ 7 mutations. In multivariate analysis, prolonged use of HAART in the setting of incomplete viral suppression was significantly associated with more drug resistance. Patients with fewer resistance mutations were significantly more likely to achieve viral suppression after GART than patients with more mutations. Compared to patients with two or less resistance mutations, those with three to six mutations, or seven or more mutations were not at higher risk of HIV-1 disease progression or death over a median follow-up of 15 months. In contrast, continued HAART use following GART was strongly associated with slower disease progression, particularly at lower CD4 cell counts. Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis the drug-resistant HIV-1 may be less pathogenic than wild-type virus, and that continued use of HAART might provide clinical benefit, despite persistent viremia and HIV-1 drug resistance.
Alzheimer's disease

We evaluated 197 patients with predominantly late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) who belonged to several ethnic groups and analyzed the relationship of age of onset of AD to the presence or absence of several risk factors in this entire group of patients. The apolipoprotein E (apoE) epsilon 4 allele frequency, which was 29% in all patients (compared with the reported population mean of 13.7%, p < 0.001, did not vary significantly between ethnic groups but declined significantly with increasing age. The apoE epsilon 2 allele frequency was 3%, compared with the reported population mean of 7.4% (p = 0.001). The frequency of a positive family history of dementia in first-degree relatives (FH+) (overall 45%) did not vary significantly between ethnic groups. ApoE epsilon 4-positive (epsilon 4+) patients tended to have a higher FH+ rate (58%) than apoE epsilon 4-negative (epsilon 4-) patients (40%) (p = 0.02). When the potential risk factors of gender, education, FH+ status, and epsilon 4+ status were examined together in a multiple linear-regression analysis, FH+ and epsilon 4+ status (but not gender or education) were significant (they were both associated with an earlier age of onset of AD). In a post-hoc analysis, we found a reduced age of onset in women, but not men, who were both FH+ and epsilon 4+. Additionally, those probands who were epsilon 4+ were more likely to inherit the disease from their mothers than their fathers. The mechanism by which epsilon 4+ and FH+ status operate as risk factors may be by their effect on the age of onset of AD. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 1575-1579
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS ON STUDENTS' PEER GROUPS RELATIONS: A REVIEW ON THEIR INFLUENCE ON SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this essay is to analyse why and how teachers should concern themselves with informal peer interactions in the school. It is widely acknowledged that peer group relations are fundamental for children’s development, affecting both, school engagement and students’ academic achievement. However, it has been less discussed what is the role of teachers on these relations. To accomplish the goal of the essay a critical analysis of the literature on the two following topics is conducted: 1) peer relationships in the school context, considering the concepts of homogeneity and engagement, and taking into account the three informal dimensions of peer relations: friendship, status and centrality; 2) teachers’ influence on peer relation, considering their roles as protectors, ‘architects’ or social referents, as well as considering their participation in two different pedagogical approaches: the performance mode or the cooperative mode of teaching . It is concluded that teachers should concern themselves with children’s informal relationships at school, as they consciously or not, influence those relationships. If teachers take an active role in promoting positive and healthy relationships at school, they will be promoting children’s development and fostering school performance. Considering the literature, it is suggested that teachers should adopt a cooperative mode of teaching, act as social referents for their students’ behaviour and avoid negative feedback to aggressive-rejected children to prevent further rejection. However, it is remarked that this is a task to be fulfilled not only by the teachers, but by the school system as a whole.
[Laryngeal papillomatosis - first recognition in Germany as an occupational disease in an operating room nurse].

BACKGROUND The CO (2)-Laser is an established and well-proven tool in the excision and vaporisation of laryngeal papillomatosis. Actually there exists only one report of an iatrogenous infection with the Human Papillomavirs (HPV) in a gynecological laser surgeon. CASE REPORT A 28-year-old gynecological operating room nurse, who assisted repeatedly in electrosurgical and lasersurgical excisions of anogenital condylomas, developed a recurrent and histologically proven laryngeal papillomatosis. The expert opinion of a virological institute confirmed a high probability of correlation between the occupational exposition and the laryngeal papillomatosis so that it was accepted as occupational disease. INFECTIVITY OF LASER PLUME: HPV-DNA has been repeatedly detected in laser-plume after excision of papillomas and condylomas. As of the present an exact proof that these particles are infectious has not been brought forward. CONCLUSION When following the recommended protective measures the potential risk of infection is estimated as very low for surgeons and nurses. The risk of exposition seems to be higher in gynecological interventions than in ENT because of the much larger tissue masses and because laser plume escapes easier into the room air when applying an open approach.
Behavioural and psychological symptoms are not related to white matter hyperintensities and medial temporal lobe atrophy in Alzheimer's disease

The neuropathology of behavioural and psychological symptoms is much less understood than the neuropathology of cognitive impairment in AD. On MRI, medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) is presumed to reflect Alzheimer‐ type pathology. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are considered markers of vascular pathology.
Spatial Discrete Choice Models: A Review Focused on Specification, Estimation and Health Economics applications

Modeling individual choices is one of the main aim in microeconometrics. Discrete choice models have been widely used to describe economic agents' utility functions, and most of them play a paramount role in applied health economics. On the other hand, spatial econometrics collects a series of econometric tools which are particularly useful when we deal with spatially-distributed data sets. It has been demonstrated that accounting for spatial dependence can avoid inconsistency problems of the commonly used estimators. However, the complex structure of spatial dependence in most of the nonlinear models still precludes a large diffusion of these spatial techniques. The purpose of this paper is then twofold. The former is to review the main methodological problems and their different solutions in spatial discrete choice modeling as they have appeared in the econometric literature. The latter is to review their applications to health issues, especially in the last few years, by highlighting at least two main reasons why spatial discrete neighboring effects should be considered and then suggesting possible future lines of the development of this emerging field.
The optical sensor fac-tricarbonylchloro(di-2-pyridylmethanone p-nitrophenylhydrazone)rhenium(I) dimethyl sulfoxide solvate.

The first metal complex of di-2-pyridylmethanone p-nitrophenylhydrazone (dpknph), i.e. the title compound, fac-[ReCl(C17H13N5O2)(CO)3]*C2H6OS, crystallizes as well separated pseudo-tetrahedral DMSO (DMSO is dimethyl sulfoxide) and pseudo-octahedral fac-[ReCl(dpknph)(CO)3] moieties. Two N atoms from dpknph, three C atoms from the carbonyl groups and one chloride ion occupy the coordination sphere around rhenium. The coordinated dpknph ligand forms a six-membered ring in a boat conformation, with the pyridine rings in a butterfly formation. The p-nitrophenylhydrazone moiety is planar, with all C and N atoms in sp2-hybridized forms. The molecules pack as stacks of interlocked fac-[ReCl(dpknph)(CO)3]*DMSO units via a network of non-covalent bonds that include solute-solute, solvent-solute and pi-pi interactions.
Preclinical Evaluation of 3-18F-Fluoro-2,2-Dimethylpropionic Acid as an Imaging Agent for Tumor Detection

Deregulated cellular metabolism is a hallmark of many cancers. In addition to increased glycolytic flux, exploited for cancer imaging with 18F-FDG, tumor cells display aberrant lipid metabolism. Pivalic acid is a short-chain, branched carboxylic acid used to increase oral bioavailability of prodrugs. After prodrug hydrolysis, pivalic acid undergoes intracellular metabolism via the fatty acid oxidation pathway. We have designed a new probe, 3-18F-fluoro-2,2-dimethylpropionic acid, also called 18F-fluoro-pivalic acid (18F-FPIA), for the imaging of aberrant lipid metabolism and cancer detection. Methods: Cell intrinsic uptake of 18F-FPIA was measured in murine EMT6 breast adenocarcinoma cells. In vivo dynamic imaging, time course biodistribution, and radiotracer stability testing were performed. 18F-FPIA tumor retention was further compared in vivo to 18F-FDG uptake in several xenograft models and inflammatory tissue. Results: 18F-FPIA rapidly accumulated in EMT6 breast cancer cells, with retention of intracellular radioactivity predicted to occur via a putative 18F-FPIA carnitine-ester. The radiotracer was metabolically stable to degradation in mice. In vivo imaging of implanted EMT6 murine and BT474 human breast adenocarcinoma cells by 18F-FPIA PET showed rapid and extensive tumor localization, reaching 9.1% ± 0.5% and 7.6% ± 1.2% injected dose/g, respectively, at 60 min after injection. Substantial uptake in the cortex of the kidney was seen, with clearance primarily via urinary excretion. Regarding diagnostic utility, uptake of 18F-FPIA was comparable to that of 18F-FDG in EMT6 tumors but superior in the DU145 human prostate cancer model (54% higher uptake; P = 0.002). Furthermore, compared with 18F-FDG, 18F-FPIA had lower normal-brain uptake resulting in a superior tumor-to-brain ratio (2.5 vs. 1.3 in subcutaneously implanted U87 human glioma tumors; P = 0.001), predicting higher contrast for brain cancer imaging. Both radiotracers showed increased localization in inflammatory tissue. Conclusion: 18F-FPIA shows promise as an imaging agent for cancer detection and warrants further investigation.
Employers' views on the fit note.

BACKGROUND The fit note replaced the sick note in 2010. The statement of fitness for work (fit note) is expected to benefit the British economy by helping more people stay in work and prevent long-term sickness absence. Understanding and responding to employers' views on the fit note is key, in order for this goal to be achieved. AIMS To explore employers' views on the fit note. METHODS A qualitative study was undertaken and face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants representing employers from a variety of industries. RESULTS There were 21 participants who were mainly human resources officers and line managers. Employers welcomed the introduction of the fit note and felt that it was an improvement on the sick note. The majority of employers felt the fit note had the potential to promote an earlier return to work, if used properly. The main problems reported were the completion of the fit notes and quality of advice received from general practitioners. Employers felt that the most helpful advice came from fit notes with information on the functional effects of the medical condition. Some employers found return to work decisions problematic. CONCLUSIONS The fit note has the potential to promote an earlier return to work. In order for the fit note to achieve its aim, further understanding of the difficulties employers are having when making return to work decisions is important, in order to develop guidance to enable them to provide the practical support employees need to return to work sooner.
Expression of Receptor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Embryonic Chick Spinal Cord

Receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatases potentially play a crucial role in axon growth and targeting. We focus here on their role within the embryonic avian spinal cord, in particular the development and outgrowth of motorneurons. We have used in situ mRNA hybridization to examine the spatiotemporal expression of eight receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatases and find that it is both dynamic and highly varied, including novel, isoform-specific expression patterns. CRYP alpha 1 is expressed in all of the ventral motorneuron pools, whereas CRYP2, RPTP gamma, and RPTP alpha are only expressed in specific subsets of these neurons. CRYP alpha 2, RPTP psi, and RPTP delta are neuronally expressed elsewhere in the cord, but not in ventral motorneurons, whereas RPTP mu is unique in being restricted to capillaries. The developmentally regulated expression of these genes strongly suggests that the encoded phosphatases play numerous roles during neurogenesis and axonogenesis in the vertebrate spinal cord.
Molecular cytogenetic delineation of 17q translocation breakpoints in neuroblastoma cell lines

It has recently been recognized that unbalanced translocations resulting in the gain of material from 17q are the most common chromosomal changes in neuroblastoma. These rearrangements are associated with established indicators of bad prognosis and poor patient survival. We have used 13 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes to map 12 translocation breakpoints on 17q in 10 neuroblastoma cell lines, identifying at least seven different breakpoints, all localized within the proximal half of 17q (268–369 cR, 53–68 cM). These results suggest that the dosage of a gene, or genes, in 17q22–qter is responsible for the clinical effects of 17q gain, rather than the disruption of a specific gene. This region contains two genes, nm23‐H1 and NGFR, already implicated in neuroblastoma biology. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 23:116–122, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hybrid Quantile Regression Neural Network Model for Forecasting Currency Inflow and Outflow in Indonesia

Regression analysis which can explain the relationship between variables on various quantiles has been developed using quantile regression. Moreover, quantile regression can be applied in forecasting analysis. The aim of this study was to find the best model for forecasting inflow and outflow in Indonesia which contains heteroscedasticity and nonlinearity problems. In order to improve the forecast accuracy, quantile regression will be combined with neural network method, known as quantile regression neural network (QRNN). Then, the forecast accuracy of QRNN will be compared with ARIMAX method based on some forecast accuracy criteria, i.e. RMSE, MAE, MdAE, MAPE, and MdAPE. Two types of data are used as case studies in this research, i.e. simulation and real data about 6 currencies of inflow and outflow in Indonesia. The result of simulation study shows that QRNN is the best method to solve heteroscedasticity and nonlinearity problem. Furthermore, the comparison results on real data shows that QRNN yield better result than ARIMAX for four currencies.
The Role of Reflection in ELT: University of Sharjah Teachers' Views

A Master of Arts thesis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) by Ambreen Zehra entitled, "The Role of Reflection in ELT: University of Sharjah Teachers' Views," June 2012. Thesis advisor is Dr. Rodney Tyson. Available are both hard and soft copies of the thesis.
Evaluation of the Bio-Rad BioPlex Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus IgG Multiplex Bead Immunoassay

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to compare the BioPlex 2200 measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella-zoster virus (MMRV) IgG multiplex assays (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA) to routine testing by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Serum specimens (n = 500) submitted to our reference laboratory for routine MMRV IgG testing by EIA were also tested by the BioPlex assays. Following testing, the BioPlex measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella-zoster virus assays demonstrated agreements of 91.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.8% to 93.7%), 94.2% (95% CI, 91.7% to 95.7%), 94.4% (95% CI, 92.0% to 96.1%), and 91.8% (95% CI, 89.0% to 93.9%), respectively, compared to the results of EIA. Timing studies showed that the BioPlex MMRV assay could provide complete analysis of 100 serum specimens in 1.7 h, compared to 5.5 h by EIA. These data indicate that the BioPlex MMRV IgG assays exhibit comparable performance (93% overall agreement [1,860/2,000 results]; κ = 0.67) to routine testing by EIA. The BioPlex assays allow for the simultaneous detection of all four analytes, thereby eliminating potential aliquot errors and reducing turnaround time.
Circulating miR-30 is related to carotid artery atherosclerosis

ABSTRACT Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of miR-30 with office and ambulatory blood pressure parameters and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with hypertension and healthy controls. Methods: We assessed the expression level of miR-30 in 40 patients with essential hypertension and 40 healthy individuals. All patients underwent carotid artery ultrasonography, and office and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression level of selected miR-30. The miR-30 expression level correlation between blood pressure parameters and CIMT was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess independent association between miR-30 expression level and CIMT. Results: We observed lower expression level of miR-30 (26.01 ± 2.40 vs. 28.26 ± 1.28; p < 0.001) in hypertensive patients compared with healthy control individuals, as well as in increased CIMT group compared with normal CIMT group (25.09 ± 1.84 vs. 27.81 ± 2.37; p < 0.001). miR-30 expression level showed significant negative correlation with 24 h mean SBP (r = −0.51, p < 0.001), 24 h mean DBP(r = −0.316, p = 0.004), office SBP(r = −0.502, p < 0.001), office DBP (r = −0.205, p = 0.068), and CIMT (r = −0.578, p < 0.001), respectively. The odds ratio for CIMT was 0.519 (B = −0.748, CI 95% 0.278, 0.806; p = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study suggests that circulating miR-30 might be used as a biomarker for atherosclerosis in essential hypertensive patients.
THE EFFECT OF MANAGERIAL OVERCONFIDENCE ON CORPORATE FINANCING DECISION

The objective of this research is to examine the effect of managerial overconfidence on corporate financing decision of the miscellaneous industry sector in Indonesian Stock Exchange for the period of 2011-2015. This research uses quantitative perspective with linier regression in a panel data for all of the research’s observation. Fixed effect models (FEM) is employed to examine the effect of managerial overconfidence on corporate financing decision. CEO personal characteristics such as profile photo, education, experience, gender, tenure, and age are used as the proxy of managerial overconfidence. The result of this research indicate that: first, CEO overconfidence has positive significant effect on corporate financing decision; second, CEO profile photo has negative significant effect on leverage; third, CEO education has no significant effect on leverage; fourth, CEO experience has positive significant effect on leverage; fifth, male CEO tend to use more debt than female CEO which means gender has positive significant effect on leverage; sixth, CEO tenure has positive significant effect on leverage; seventh CEO age has negative significant effect on leverage.
Mpdz expression in the caudolateral substantia nigra pars reticulata is crucially involved in alcohol withdrawal

Association studies implicate the multiple PDZ domain protein (MUPP1/MPDZ) gene in risk for alcoholism in humans and alcohol withdrawal in mice. Although manipulation of the Mpdz gene by homologous recombination and bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis has suggested that its expression affects alcohol withdrawal risk, the potential confounding effects of linked genes and developmental compensation currently limit interpretation. Here, using RNA interference (RNAi), we directly test the impact of Mpdz expression on alcohol withdrawal severity and provide brain regional mechanistic information. Lentiviral‐mediated delivery of Mpdz short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to the caudolateral substantia nigra pars reticulata (clSNr) significantly reduces Mpdz expression and exacerbates alcohol withdrawal convulsions compared with control mice that delivered a scrambled shRNA. Neither baseline nor pentylenetetrazol‐enhanced convulsions differed between Mpdz shRNA and control animals, indicating Mpdz expression in the clSNr does not generally affect seizure susceptibility. To our knowledge, these represent the first in vivo Mpdz RNAi analyses, and provide the first direct evidence that Mpdz expression impacts behavior. Our results confirm that Mpdz is a quantitative trait gene for alcohol withdrawal and demonstrate that its expression in the clSNr is crucially involved in risk for alcohol withdrawal.
The MHC class II ligand lymphocyte activation gene-3 is co-distributed with CD8 and CD3-TCR molecules after their engagement by mAb or peptide-MHC class I complexes.

Previous studies indicated that signaling through lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), a MHC class II ligand, induced by multivalent anti-receptor antibodies led to unresponsiveness to TCR stimulation. Here, lateral distribution of the LAG-3 molecules and its topological relationship (mutual proximity) to the TCR, CD8, CD4, and MHC class I and II molecules were studied in the plasma membrane of activated human T cells in co-capping experiments and conventional fluorescence microscopy. Following TCR engagement by either TCR-specific mAb or MHC-peptide complex recognition in T-B cell conjugates, LAG-3 was found to be specifically associated with the CD3-TCR complex. Similarly, following CD8 engagement LAG-3 and CD8 were co-distributed on the cell surface while only a low percentage of CD4-capped cells displayed LAG-3 co-caps. In addition, LAG-3 was found to be associated with MHC class II (i.e. DR, DP and DQ) and partially with MHC class I molecules. The supramolecular assemblies described here between LAG-3, CD3, CD8 and MHC class II molecules may result from an organization in raft microdomains, a phenomenon known to regulate early events of T cell activation.