Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autologous stem cell transplantation for progressive multiple sclerosis: Update of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation autoimmune diseases working party database

Over the last decade, hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HSCT) has been increasingly used in the treatment of severe progressive autoimmune diseases. We report a retrospective survey of 183 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, recorded in the database of the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (EBMT). Transplant data were available from 178 patients who received an autologous graft. Overall, transplant related mortality (TRM) was 5.3% and was restricted to the period 1995-2000, with no further TRM reported since then. Busulphan-based regimens were significantly associated with TRM. Clinical status at the time of transplant and transplant techniques showed some correlations with toxicity. No toxic deaths were reported among the 53 patients treated with the BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytosine-arabinoside, melphalan)/antithymocyte globulin (ATG) regimen without graft manipulation, irrespective of their clinical condition at the time of the transplant. Improvement or stabilization of neurological conditions occurred in 63% of patients at a median follow-up of 41.7 months, and was not associated with the intensity of the conditioning regimen. In this large series, HSCT was shown as a promising procedure to slow down progression in a subset of patients affected by severe, progressive MS; the safety and feasibility of the procedure can be significantly improved by appropriate patient selection and choice of transplant regimen.
Lactate Level as a Prediction Factor of Reperforation after Repairing Gastric Perforation

Reperforation after gastric perforation repair is a complication which increases the rate of morbidity and mortality in gastric perforation. The lack of ability of the tissue to use oxygen in septic condition causes anaerobic cellular metabolism and furthermore it will cause failure in closing the perforation. The production of anaerobic metabolism is lactic acid which can be measured from the blood. The aim of this study is to determine the cut-off point of blood lactate level as a predictor of reperforation after repairing gastric perforation. Forty-six patients diagnosed as gastric perforation, who were repaired in Dr Soetomo Hospital from October 2014 to October 2015 were recruited as samples. Serum lactate was taken one hour before repairing the perforation. After being repaired, the patients were observed until the 14th day to evaluate whether any reperforation would occur or not . The design of this research was cross-sectional, analytic observational. The data was analyzed using independent t-test and ROC for obtaining the cut-off point as a predictor of the reperforation after the gastric perforation was repaired. There was a significant difference in the mean of lactate level in the group with reperforation compared with that of the non-reperforation group, that is as big as 3.74±0.59 mmol/L and 2.60±0.76 mmol/L. Using ROC curve analysis, there was the cut-off point of lactate level for reperforation 3.35 mmol/L, with sensitivity 92.9%, specificity 84.4%, positive predictive value 72% and negative predictive Value 96.4%, accuracy 87.0% and in the AUC value 0.902.
Comparative in vitro activities of 20 fluoroquinolones against Mycobacterium leprae

The in vitro activities of 20 fluoroquinolones against Mycobacterium leprae were evaluated by using the BACTEC 460 system. M. leprae was incubated in BACTEC 12B medium at 33 degrees C under reduced oxygen for 2 to 3 weeks in the presence of fluoroquinolones at 0.31 to 5 micrograms/ml. Activity was determined by a reduction in 14CO2 evolution compared with that of drug-free controls. Of the commercially available agents, ofloxacin was most active, while enoxacin and norfloxacin were inactive. However, a number of newer fluoroquinolones (AT-4140, OPC-17100, OPC-17066, PD-117596, PD-124816, PD-127391, and WIN-57273), all containing a cyclopropyl group at R-1 and, with the exception of WIN-57273, either a halogen or methyl group at R-8, were more active than ofloxacin in vitro. Further in vivo evaluations of these agents should help determine their potential for use against leprosy.
Atypical Presentation of a Rare Eyelid Tumor: A Case Report

Superficial Angiomyxomas (SA) are a group of uncommon soft tissue, myxoid mesenchymal tumours, found especially on the trunk. They mostly occur in people between 40 and 60 years of age and affect both men and women, in equal measure. The eyelid is an uncommon site of SA. Only two more cases have been reported in the past. We present a case of Superficial Angiomyxoma of the eyelid in an adult male patient.
Experience with laparoscopic donor nephrectomy among more than 1000 cases: low complication rates, despite more challenging cases.

HYPOTHESIS Despite the overall acceptance of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDNX), concern remains about the application of this technique in certain complex situations, such as right-sided nephrectomies and in donors with complex kidney anatomy and obese donors. This study was designed to determine if complication rates have remained stable as we have offered LDNX to all medically acceptable donors and to analyze the results of cases in each of the complex categories. We hypothesized that complication rates in the 3 complex categories would be equivalent to those among more straightforward cases. DESIGN Retrospective medical record review. SETTING Academic medical center. PATIENTS A total of 1045 patients who underwent LDNX between November 3, 1999, and August 28, 2009. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Operative times, lengths of hospital stay, overall complications, major complications, conversions to open surgery, blood transfusions, readmissions, and reoperations. RESULTS The outcomes of the first 250 patients (when LDNX was selectively offered) were compared with the outcomes of the last 795 patients (when LDNX was offered to all medically acceptable donors). Overall operative times significantly improved (212 vs 176 minutes), overall complication rates did not change (6.4% vs 5.5%), and major complication rates significantly declined (4.0% vs 1.4%). Among the last 795 patients, 1 conversion to open surgery and 1 blood transfusion occurred. There were no deaths in the series. Moreover, no differences in overall or major complication rates were seen when cases involving 200 right-sided nephrectomies, 204 donors with complex kidney anatomy, and 148 obese donors were analyzed independently. CONCLUSIONS Low complication rates persist for LDNX, even when applied to more technically challenging cases. This procedure is offered to all medically acceptable donors, with an excellent safety profile, and should be considered the standard of care for kidney donation.
Water stress augments silicon-mediated resistance of susceptible sugarcane cultivars to the stalk borer Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract Silicon (Si) can improve resistance of plants to insect attack and may also enhance tolerance of water stress. This study tested if Si-mediated host plant resistance to insect attack was augmented by water stress. Four sugarcane cultivars, two resistant (N21, N33) and two susceptible (N26, N11) to Eldana saccharina Walker were grown in a pot trial in Si-deficient river sand, with (Si+) and without (Si−) calcium silicate. To induce water stress, irrigation to half the trial was reduced after 8.5 months. The trial was artificially infested with E. saccharina eggs after water reduction and harvested 66 days later. Silicon treated, stressed and non-stressed plants of the same cultivar did not differ appreciably in Si content. Decreases in numbers of borers recovered and stalk damage were not associated with comparable increases in rind hardness in Si+ cane, particularly in water-stressed susceptible cultivars. Overall, Si+ plants displayed increased resistance to E. saccharina attack compared with Si− plants. Borer recoveries were significantly lower in stressed Si+ cane compared with either stressed Si− or non-stressed Si− and Si+ cane. Generally, fewer borers were recovered from resistant cultivars than susceptible cultivars. Stalk damage was significantly lower in Si+ cane than in Si− cane, for N21, N11 and N26. Stalk damage was significantly less in Si+ combined susceptible cultivars than in Si− combined susceptible cultivars under non-stressed and especially stressed conditions. In general, the reduction in borer numbers and stalk damage in Si+ plants was greater for water-stressed cane than non-stressed cane, particularly for susceptible sugarcane cultivars. The hypothesis that Si affords greater protection against E. saccharina borer attack in water-stressed sugarcane than in non-stressed cane and that this benefit is greatly enhanced in susceptible cultivars is supported. A possible active role for soluble Si in defence against E. saccharina is proposed.
A Comparison of Community and Clinic Baby Showers to Promote Safe Sleep for Populations at High Risk for Infant Mortality

Community baby showers have provided education and free portable cribs to promote safe sleep for high-risk infants. We evaluated knowledge gained at these showers and the effectiveness of holding baby showers at a primary care clinic as an alternative to traditional community venues. Participants at the community venue were more likely to exhibit risk factors associated with unsafe sleep and to report an unsafe sleep location for their infant without the provided portable crib. Following the showers, both groups showed improvement in knowledge and intentions regarding safe sleep. However, to connect with the highest risk groups, showers held at community venues appeared to be preferable to those held at high-risk clinics.
Phylogenetic Relationships Matter: Antifungal Susceptibility among Clinically Relevant Yeasts

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was 2-fold: to evaluate whether phylogenetically closely related yeasts share common antifungal susceptibility profiles (ASPs) and whether these ASPs can be predicted from phylogeny. To address this question, 9,627 yeast strains were collected and tested for their antifungal susceptibility. Isolates were reidentified by considering recent changes in taxonomy and nomenclature. A phylogenetic (PHYLO) code based on the results of multilocus sequence analyses (large-subunit rRNA, small-subunit rRNA, translation elongation factor 1α, RNA polymerase II subunits 1 and 2) and the classification of the cellular neutral sugar composition of coenzyme Q and 18S ribosomal DNA was created to group related yeasts into PHYLO groups. The ASPs were determined for fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole in each PHYLO group. The majority (95%) of the yeast strains were Ascomycetes. After reclassification, a total of 23 genera and 54 species were identified, resulting in an increase of 64% of genera and a decrease of 5% of species compared with the initial identification. These taxa were assigned to 17 distinct PHYLO groups (Ascomycota, n = 13; Basidiomycota, n = 4). ASPs for azoles were similar among members of the same PHYLO group and different between the various PHYLO groups. Yeast phylogeny may be an additional tool to significantly enhance the assessment of MIC values and to predict antifungal susceptibility, thereby more rapidly initiating appropriate patient management.
The Preparation of Aiming Movements

Three experiments are reported in which subjects made rapid aiming movements to visual targets with their left and right hands. In Experiments 1 and 3, a precue protocol was employed. In the "simple" reaction time condition, subjects were precued with complete information concerning the target position. In the four-choice condition, subjects were precued with partial information, indicating a subset of four possible target positions. In the eight-choice condition, advance information regarding the target position was entirely ambiguous. Results indicated that when subjects were provided with unspecific advance information concerning the position of the target, and thus were unable to partially prepare movements prior to the imperative stimulus, a left hand advantage for speed of initiation was obtained. When complete advance information was available, reaction times for the left and right hands were equivalent. The left hand advantage in choice conditions was eliminated when the accuracy of response execution was emphasized and subjects were afforded the opportunity for "on-line" preparation (Experiment 3). These data are discussed in relation to the role of the right hemisphere in the preparation of movement.
Models for management of wildlife populations: lessons from spectacled bears in zoos and grizzly bears in Yellowstone

Models of population dynamics are frequently used in the management and conservation of wildlife populations. They provide a powerful method of quantitatively assessing a population’s risk of decline and determining the potential to reverse the decline. Models from recent studies of managed populations are presented. The first model simulates the spectacled bear populations maintained in American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) zoos. The second model simulates the grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The article concludes with a discussion of system dynamics modeling in the larger context of population dynamics modeling. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Syst. Dyn. Rev. 20, 163–178, (2004) Quantitative models of population dynamics are essential tools for conservation and management of endangered and threatened species (Beissinger and Westphal 1998; Beissinger and McCullough 2002; Morris and Doak 2002). They are used as general predictive tools for assessing a population’s risk of extinction or potential for growth. With sensitivity, elasticity, and perturbation analyses, users can assess the impact of changes in demographic rates on a population’s growth or decline (Mills and Lindberg 2002). Through such analyses the model can be used to assess the impact of management actions, to indicate which variables are most critical for prioritized data collection, and ultimately to guide allocation of conservation resources. Population models focus on understanding the demographic processes influencing population growth through births, deaths, immigration and emigration. The models show how the demography is influenced by external factors such as environmental fluctuations and by management actions. We work within two systems closely influenced by management actions. In captive populations maintained in AZA institutions, for example, mortality is influenced by veterinary care, diet, and protection from predation. Reproduction is influenced by controlling access of breeding animals to each other or by contraception. In the grizzly bear population of the GYE, managers can influence the demographics by garbage cleanup practices or by limiting human access to prime habitat where grizzly bears would prefer to feed. Managers can also influence the grizzly bear demographics more directly by the removal or killing of the “nuisance bears” that have become conditioned to human Lisa Faust is a
Identification of Five Outer Membrane-Associated Proteins among Cross-Protective Factor Proteins of Pasteurella multocida

ABSTRACT Fowl cholera is caused by Pasteurella multocida serovars A:1, A:3, and A:4. The 39-kDa cross-protective factor protein and four other membrane proteins of the membrane proteome of P. multocida were identified. We determined that the 39-kDa cross-protective protein was Pasteurella lipoprotein B, or PlpB.
The dual effect of habits in a current used system on the acceptance of a new IT

The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the two contradicted effects of the habits in a current used system on the acceptance of a new system. The first one is lock-in to a current used system, which negatively influence the intention of using a new system. The second one is familiarity and expertise for a new system from rich experiences through the repetitive use of similar system, which positively influence two relationships in the acceptance of a new system: usefulness – intention and ease-of-use – intention. For the validation of the hypotheses, 208 university students in Korea, who have enough experiences of word processors, were surveyed for the acceptance of Google Docs. The analysis of data from the survey showed all the hypotheses were supported with relatively low significance level.
Preservation of Endothelium, Dependent Vascular Relaxation in Cholesterol, Fed Rabbit by Treatment with the Calcium Blocker PN 200110

We tested the effects of low doses of a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, PN 200110, on endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol diet. The drug was given orally, 1 mg/day, and control rabbits received placebo. Plasma total cholesterol after 10 weeks, was similar in the placebo- and PN 200110-treated groups. The respective values averaged 2140 ± 116 (n = 14; mean ± SEM) and 2012 ± 115 mg/dl (n = 13). In placebo-treated rabbits, sudanophilic aortic lesions covered 52 ± 5% of the intimal surface, and the aortic cholesterol concentration was 72 ± 6 mg/g protein. Corresponding values in aortas from PN 200110-treated rabbits were significantly lower [36 ± 5% (P < 0.03) and 52 ± 3 mg/g protein (P < 0.03)]. Maximal endothelium-dependent cholinergic relaxation of aortic strips in untreated (n = 14) and treated cholesterol-fed rabbits (n = 13) differed significantly (P < 0.01) and averaged 31 ± 4% and 61 ± 7% of the value in normocholesterolemic controls (n = 13). We conclude that cholesterol feeding suppresses endothelium-dependent relaxation evoked by acetylchoUne, and that PN 200110 reduces the severity of atherosclerosis and impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation.
Future steps of LTE-A: evolution toward integration of local area and wide area systems

In the future steps of 3GPP LTE-Advanced, we will need to ensure the sustainability of 3GPP radio access technologies in order to respond to the anticipated challenging requirements of the future. To this end, this article presents our views on the evolution concept and candidate technologies for future steps of LTE-A taking into account the ever increasing importance of local area (small cells) and the need for further spectrum extension to higher frequency bands. In our evolution concept, we emphasize the integration of the local area with the wide area as a new form of cooperation between conventional macrocells in lower frequency bands and small cells deployed in higher frequency bands. Furthermore, we identify the potential key technologies for further spectrum efficiency enhancements for both the local area and the wide area, and for the efficient integration of the local and wide areas while assuming frequency separation between macrocells and small cells. In particular, multicell cooperation based on macrocell assistance of small cells (referred to as Phantom cell) is introduced, and the related benefits are discussed. Finally, in order to demonstrate the potential capacity gains of our evolution concept, system-level simulation results are provided for using outdoor small cells in higher/wider frequency bands.
Prevalence and temporal trends of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS co-infection during pregnancy across the decade, 1998-2007.

BACKGROUND Limited data are available on hepatitis rates during pregnancy by socio-demographic characteristics. This study examined temporal trends in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infections and HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV co-infections in subpopulations among pregnant women in Florida between 1998 and 2007. METHODS We analyzed all Florida live births from 1998 to 2007 using hospital discharge data linked to birth records. RESULTS The total sample size was 1,700,734 singleton live births. The prevalance of HBV in pregnancy rose from 65.4 per 100,000 births to 123.5 per 100,000 births (p<0.0001 for trend), and the prevalence of HCV in pregnancy increased from 17.0 per 100,000 births to 125.1 per 100,000 births (p<0.0001 for trend). Compared with white mothers, black mothers were more than twice as likely to have HBV in pregnancy (adjusted rate ratios [ARR]=2.24; 95% CI=1.97-2.53). Black mothers were 69% (ARR=0.31, 95% CI=0.25-0.39) and Hispanic mothers were 51% (ARR=0.49, 95% CI=0.41-0.60) less likely to have HCV compared with white mothers. CONCLUSIONS Although the overall prevalence rate of HBV increased over the past decade, black women still had a noticeably higher rate of infection. Similarly, white women and those with HIV co-infection had noticeably higher rates of HCV infection over the study period. Our findings call for improved and increased HBV/HCV prevention, screening, and immunization programs among minority women of childbearing age.
INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION, ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY AND NULL HYPOTHESES

We conducted a field study of some of Darwin's Finches (Geospiza species) in order to assess the relative importance of interspecific competition and habitat features in determining the observed biogeographic, ecological and morphological characteristics of these species (Abbott et al., 1977). Strong et al. (1979) have criticized one of our methods and have reanalyzed a small portion of our data. They employed stochastic models to generate expected beak size differences between sympatric species, and then compared expected with observed differences. Finding a generally close correspondence between expected and observed differences, they concluded that random processes are sufficient to account for the observations, and that therefore there is no need to invoke deterministic processes such as competition as we had done. Strong et al. (1979) obtained the same results and drew the same conclusion from analyses of beak size differences among birds on the Tres Marias islands of Mexico and the Channel islands of California. Simberloff and his associates have also drawn the same conclusion from a series of other analyses performed in like manner (Connor and Simberloff, 1978; Simberloff, 1978). We take issue with the procedures Strong et al. (1979) have used in their analyses and with the way in which our statements and interpretations have been represented. We identify five problems in their analyses and five sources of confusion in the interpretation of results. We find no evidence in their analyses or arguments to change our previous conclusion that interspecific competition has played a role in the adaptive radiation of Darwin's Finches. Finally, we draw attention to some unsolved problems in biogeography, concerning principally the separation of potentially conflicting effects of different processes such as dispersal and competition.