Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inadequacy of clinical scoring systems to differentiate stroke subtypes in population-based studies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We undertook to examine the usefulness for epidemiological studies of two well-known validated clinical scoring methods, the Guys' Hospital Stroke score and the Siriraj Hospital Stroke score, to classify strokes into the two main types, hemorrhagic and ischemic, in epidemiological studies. METHODS Patients from a population-based stroke register who received either a CT scan or an autopsy were retrospectively scored using the two clinical scoring methods. The scores were then compared with the CT scan and autopsy results to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for intracranial hemorrhage (primary intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage) and ischemic stroke. RESULTS Over a 12-month period, 554 patients from a population-based study underwent CT scanning. Films or autopsy reports were available for 521 patients, and of these, sufficient clinical information to calculate the Guys' Hospital Stroke score and the Siriraj Hospital Stroke score was available for 464 and 475 patients, respectively. For the Guys' Hospital Stroke score, the sensitivity and specificity for intracranial hemorrhage were 31% and 95%, respectively; the positive predictive value was 73%. The sensitivity and specificity for ischemic stroke were 78% and 70%, respectively, and the positive predictive value was 86%. For the Siriraj Hospital Stroke score, the sensitivity and the specificity for intracranial hemorrhage were 48% and 85%, respectively; the positive predictive value was 59%. The sensitivity and specificity for ischemic stroke were 61% and 74%, respectively, and the positive predictive value was 84%. CONCLUSIONS This validation study suggests that both clinical scores lack sufficient validity to be used in epidemiological studies for classification of stroke types and should probably not be used in the randomization of patients into treatment trials using thrombolytic or antithrombotic drugs in the absence of diagnostic information based on neuroimaging techniques.
Automatic Extraction of Quranic Lexis Representing Two Different Notions of Linguistic Salience: Keyness and Prosodic Prominence

This paper presents two sets of lexical items automatically extracted from the Arabic Qur’ān, and denoting two different notions of linguistic salience: keyness and prosodic prominence. Our novel hypothesis investigates a possible correlation between them. Our novel findings discover distributionally significant keywords that also occur strategically in phrase‐final position so as to maximise their prominence, and thus meaningfulness, for reader, reciter, and aural recipient. Our methodology first computes Quranic keywords via the Corpus Linguistics technique of Keyword Extraction, and maps them to major Quranic themes in Islamic scholarship. Next, we implement a bespoke algorithm for rule-based capture of words annotated with madd or prolongation, a specific type of prosodic highlighting in Quranic recitation rules or tajwīd. We find it especially interesting that the concept of final syllable lengthening (madd before pause) is encoded in tajwīid and effectively demarcates phrase boundaries in the Qur’ān. We concentrate on nominal keywords (i.e. nouns and adjectives) since these are more likely to be aligned with phrase edges and to bear the hallmarks of pre-boundary lengthening. This correlation between keyness and prominence occurs 43.29% of the time in our data, since 526 keywords appear in our extracted subset of nominal types tagged with madd before pause: ((526/1215)*100). Finally, we identify which Quranic keywords are most likely to be annotated with enhanced prolongation in the final syllable before pause, using an easy-to-interpret, single value metric: the Laplace Point Estimate. Keywords that emerge as semantically weighted in terms of both distributional and prosodic significance are most likely to reflect the Quranic themes of God, Nature, and Eschatology.
Enhancement of prostacyclin synthesis at the beginning of formation of caprine corpora lutea

We examined changes in the levels of prostacyclin (PGI2) synthase mRNA and 6‐keto‐PGF1α, a stable metabolite of PGI2, in the caprine corpus luteum (CL) during its development and subsequent maintenance. We also looked at the effects of a potent GnRH antagonist (GA), which is known to suppress the release of luteinizing hormone (LH), on the PGI2 synthase mRNA level and the 6‐keto‐PGF1α content during CL development. Goats were divided into a control group (n = 12) and a GA‐treated group (n = 6). They were treated with saline or GA (50 μg/kg, s.c.) on days 0 (day of ovulation), 4, and 8 (control only), and the CL were collected from a subset of goats (n = 3 for each day) on days 0 (no saline), 4, 8, or 14 (control only). Ribonuclease protection assay was performed to quantify the mRNA in the CL using specific cRNA probes generated by RT‐PCR and in vitro transcription. The 6‐keto‐PGF1α content in the CL was measured by radioimmunoassay. The level of PGI2 synthase mRNA and the 6‐keto‐PGF1α content in the CL in the control group decreased from day 0 to day 4 (P < 0.01), and did not change thereafter from day 4 to day 14. Levels of PGI2 synthase mRNA and 6‐keto‐PGF1α content in the CL on days 4 and 8 were not affected by treatment with GA. These results suggest that PGI2 synthesis is regulated upward at the beginning of caprine CL formation; this may play a role in initiating CL development. This study also suggests that changes of PGI2 synthesis during CL development are probably not regulated by LH. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 67: 308–312, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gene therapy. Beta-thalassemia treatment succeeds, with a caveat.

Gene therapy researchers are approaching a key milestone: They appear to have controlled an inherited blood disorder called β-thalassemia that9s more common than any disease treated so far with gene therapy. A young man who received new genes to repair blood cells no longer needs regular transfusions and, 2 years later, seems healthy. Describing this success last week to a U.S. review panel in Bethesda, Maryland, a researcher added a caveat: The inserted gene may have turned on growth signals, raising the potential for cancer.
Endogenous Enforcement Institutions

We model the State as a self-enforcing agreement over the use of force. Powerful individuals punish violations of contracts and property rights, and, if they shirk or abuse their power, society reverts to a low-production “anarchy” stage. Our model has two implications. First, improvements in coercion move the optimal enforcement system from private ordering, where coercive punishments are not used, to centralized State, where punihments sanction violations by citizens but not by the ruler, to decentralized State, where punishments sanction all violations. Second, institutions that reinforce the allegiance of State militias to the law simultaneously insure that contract violations are punished and that the ruler does not expropriate citizens; thus, they are more productive than judicial institutions, which solely facilitate contract enforcement. The model is consistent with the historical correlation between technological advances in coercion and the transition from private to State enforcement, and with the fact that institutional constraints on the Executive affected the long-run economic development of nations more than improvements in judicial institutions (Acemoglu and Johnson 2005). We also provide a framework for the optimal sequencing of institutional reforms: they should focus first on the binding self-enforcement constraint (punishment or expropriation), and switch to other constraints when the initially binding constraint becomes slack.
Abnormal intestinal regulation of calbindin-D9K and calmodulin by dietary calcium in genetic hypertension.

Using isolated duodenal cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive controls, Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), we previously showed that cellular calcium flux was decreased in SHR and that increasing dietary calcium (from 1 to 2%) eliminated strain differences in Ca2+ fluxes. The present study was carried out to investigate the role of calbindin-D9K and calmodulin in the flux difference and dietary calcium effects. Calbindin-D9K and calmodulin were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis in duodenal protein extracts of SHR and WKY (12-14 and 24-26 wk old) fed either a 1 or 2% calcium diet and measured by a ligand blotting (45Ca) technique. Young SHR had a significantly lower calbindin-D9K (P less than 0.001) than did WKY on either diet. Calmodulin was significantly lower in young SHR than in WKY (P less than 0.002). There was no strain difference in calmodulin in older rats fed the normal calcium diet. Calbindin-D9K was significantly decreased by the high-calcium diet in both strains at both ages. There was a significant correlation between duodenal calbindin-D9K and plasma levels of calcitriol (r = +0.80, P less than 0.001) in WKY but not in SHR. Calmodulin was significantly decreased by dietary calcium in mature WKY (4.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.7 +/- 0.4 micrograms/mg cell protein, P less than 0.03), demonstrating a potential regulation by dietary calcium of this protein. Finally, there was a significant correlation between calbindin-D9K and calmodulin (r = 0.59, P less than 0.001) in WKY but not in SHR. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Diagnosis and Treatment of Graves Disease

OBJECTIVE: To review the etiology, diagnosis, and clinical presentation of Graves disease and provide an overview of the standard and adjunctive treatments. Specifically, antithyroid drugs, β-blockers, inorganic iodide, lithium, and radioactive iodine are discussed, focusing on current controversies. DATA SOURCES: Primary articles were identified through a MEDLINE search (1966–July 2000). Key word searches included β-blockers, Graves disease, inorganic iodide, lithium, methimazole, and propylthiouracil. Additional articles from these sources and endocrinology textbooks were also identified. We agreed to include articles that would highlight the most relevant points, as well as current areas of controversy. DATA SYNTHESIS: Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. The 3 main treatment options for patients with Graves hyperthyroidism include antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, and surgery. Although the antithyroid drugs propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI) have similar efficacy, there are situations when 1 agent is preferred. MMI has a longer half-life than PTU, allowing once-daily dosing that can improve patient adherence to treatment. PTU has historically been the drug of choice for treating pregnant and breast-feeding women because of its limited transfer into the placenta and breast milk. Adjuvant therapies for Graves disease include β-blockers, inorganic iodide, and lithium. β-Blockers are used to decrease the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Inorganic iodide is primarily used to prepare patients for thyroid surgery because of its ability to decrease the vascularity of the thyroid gland. Lithium, which acts in a manner similar to iodine, is not routinely used due to its transient effect and the risk of potentially serious adverse effects. In the US, radioiodine therapy has become the preferred treatment for adults with Graves disease. It is easy to administer, safe, effective, and more affordable than long-term treatment with antithyroid drugs. Hypothyroidism is an inevitable consequence of radioiodine therapy. Radioiodine is contraindicated in pregnant women because it can damage the fetal thyroid gland, resulting in fetal hypothyroidism. Bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy, which was once the only treatment available, is now performed only in special circumstances. In addition to the normal risks associated with surgery, laryngeal nerve damage, hypoparathyroidism, and hypothyroidism can occur following that procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Despite extensive experience with medical management, controversy prevails regarding choosing among the various drugs for treatment of Graves disease. None of the treatment options, including antithyroid drugs, radioiodine, and surgery, is ideal. Each has risks and benefits, and selection should be tailored to the individual patient.
Mobilization and formation of histamine in the gastric mucosa as related to acid secretion

The present work originated in two independent studies. First, it was decided to investigate the acid secretion in rats in which the histamine content of the gastric mucosa had been strongly reduced by subjecting the animals to inhibition of bistamine formation. It was known that semicarbazide injected in rats fed on a pyridoxine-deficient diet would very greatly diminish both the rate of formation and the content of histamine to a small fraction of normal in various tissues, particularly in the gastric mucosa (Kahlson & Rosengren, 1959; Kahlson, Rosengren & Thunberg, 1963). Under such inhibition it was found that the gastric mucosa secreted normally in response to injections of gastrin. At an early stage of the present work it thus appeared uncertain whether the histamine present in the mucosa was essential for the excitation of acid secretion. Concurrently experiments were done to investigate whether the phenomenon of increased mitotic index of certain gastric mucosal cells of rats on re-feeding, which was noted by Hunt (1957), would be accompanied by a corresponding increase in the level of histidine decarboxylase. This search was considered of interest since a correlation between cell renewal and level of histidine decarboxylase activity (Histamine-Forming Capacity, HFC), had been found in various tissues (for references see Kahlson, Rosengren & Steinhardt, 1963). In the course of this investigation it was found that re-feeding as well as injection of purified gastrin evoked an elevation of HFC of the parietal cell-carrying mucosa (corpus) to many times the fasting level. Even the small fraction of histidine decarboxylase activity persisting after inhibition of histamine formation was found to be similarly elevated by feeding or gastrin. With this latter discovery it was decided to confine the study mainly to experiments on the part played by mucosal HFC in inciting acid secretion. A preliminary communication of some of these observations has been given to the Physiological Society (Kahlson, Rosengren, Svahn & Thunberg, 1963).
Effects of azathioprine on response of renal anaemia to subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin.

AIMS: To determine the effect of concomitant azathioprine treatment on the response of patients with renal failure to treatment with subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO). METHODS: Two groups of patients with renal failure not receiving haemodialysis were studied. One comprised seven patients receiving erythropoietin alone, the second consisted of nine patients who were also treated with azathioprine. The haematological changes were monitored, and the functional erythropoietic response was studied by two different ferrokinetic models. One analysed the initial, the other the extended plasma iron clearance. Studies were performed before r-HuEPO treatment on all 16 patients, and repeated on 11 of these when the target haemoglobin (10-11 g/dl) was achieved and stabilised. Total erythropoiesis was determined using both techniques. Analysis of the extended plasma iron clearance also permitted calculation of both effective and ineffective erythroid activity. RESULTS: The haematological response to r-HuEPO was the same for both patient groups. Measurement of total erythropoiesis by both ferrokinetic methods showed good correlation. For those receiving long term azathioprine, the percentage ineffective erythropoiesis was high compared with that of the other patients, and remained so for as long as they continued with azathioprine. For those uncomplicated by azathioprine treatment, r-HuEPO increased levels of both effective and ineffective erythropoiesis by the same degree. A substantial reduction in ineffective erythropoiesis was shown only by those patients who either discontinued or reduced their azathioprine once they started r-HuEPO treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Azathioprine increases ineffective erythropoiesis. In this study, the r-HuEPO dose was sufficient to overcome this effect and promoted effective erythropoiesis so that the anaemia lessened. Measurement of total erythropoiesis provided limited information on the functional changes involved, differentiation of effective from ineffective erythropoiesis being necessary to define the changes after azathioprine reduction or withdrawal.
Working toward the Future: Insights into Francisella tularensis Pathogenesis and Vaccine Development

SUMMARY Francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular gram-negative pathogen and the etiological agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. Recent advances in the field of Francisella genetics have led to a rapid increase in both the generation and subsequent characterization of mutant strains exhibiting altered growth and/or virulence characteristics within various model systems of infection. In this review, we summarize the major properties of several Francisella species, including F. tularensis and F. novicida, and provide an up-to-date synopsis of the genes necessary for pathogenesis by these organisms and the determinants that are currently being targeted for vaccine development.
Description of Corynebacterium trachiae sp. nov., isolated from a white stork (Ciconia ciconia).

A Gram-stain-positive bacterial isolate, strain 280/10(T) was isolated from the trachea of a white stork. The isolate was morphologically rod- to coccoid-shaped, non-motile and showed no oxidase activity. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity was found to the type strain of Corynebacterium ciconiae (97.3 % similarity) as the nearest relative of strain 280/10(T), all other 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to type strains of species of the genus Corynebacterium were below 94.2 %. Strain 280/10(T) had a quinone system consisting predominantly of menaquinone MK-8(H2), minor quantities of MK-9(H2) and small amounts of MK-8. The diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major compounds in the polar lipid profiles were diphosphatidylglycerol, phoshatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and an acidic glycolipid. Two phosphatidylinositol-mannosides and several unidentified lipids were also present. The strain contained corynemycolic acids, while only small amounts of cellular polyamines were detected. Spermidine and spermine were predominant in the polyamine pattern of 280/10(T) and putrescine was present in moderate amounts. In the fatty acid profile C18 : 1ω9c, and C16 : 0 were predominant. The strain was distinguishable from C. ciconiae, which is the most closely related species. In conclusion, strain 280/10(T) is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Corynebacterium with the name Corynebacterium trachiae sp. nov. and the type strain 280/10(T) ( = CIP 110796(T) = LMG 28214(T)).
Prevention of diabetes by FTY 720-mediated stabilization of peri-islet tertiary lymphoid organs Running title : Diabetes prevention by TLO stabilization

This is an uncopyedited electronic version of an article accepted for publication in Diabetes. The American Diabetes Association, publisher of Diabetes, is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it by third parties. The definitive publisher-authenticated version will be available in a future issue of Diabetes in print and online at http://diabetes.diabetesjournals. org. Diabetes Publish Ahead of Print, published online March 18, 2010
Notch-1 signaling facilitates survivin expression in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

The oncogenic potential of Notch activation is observed in many instances including lung tumorigenesis, but the associated molecular regulatory mechanism has not been thoroughly defined. It has been demonstrated that hypoxia can act as one of the major stimuli in the progression of many types of tumorigenesis. This study was designed to examine the activation of Notch-1 signaling by hypoxia and its contribution to survivin expression in human lung carcinomas. Western-blot and PCR analysis showed that Notch-1 signaling is activated by hypoxia in the human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, A549, through the upregulation of Notch-1, along with its intracellular domain (N1ICD). The activity of Hes-1, a crucial target molecule of N1ICD, was also increased under hypoxia. Interestingly, blockade of the Notch-1 pathway by a γ-secretase inhibitor or small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited survivin expression. Conversely, activation of Notch-1 signaling by N1ICD or stimulation with the Jagged1 ligand enhanced survivin levels in A549 cells. Notably, HIF-1α cooperated with Notch-1 signaling to increase survivin expression through its direct association with N1ICD, consequently accelerating survivin transcription. Overall, our findings suggest that Notch-1 signaling is involved in the upregulation of survivin expression in lung cancer cells, which is synergized by HIF-1α.
Running Velocity at Blood Lactate Threshold of Boys Aged 6-15 Years Compared with Untrained and Trained Young Males

Running velocities at the blood lactate threshold, which was estimated by the velocity just below 2 mmol X l-1 of blood lactate, were measured in sixty-six 6- to 15-year-old boys during a graded exercise stress test on the track and compared with those of twenty-three 16- to 18-year-old young males and eighteen 18- to 23-year-old untrained young males. The boys were divided into five age groups: 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, and 14-15. The mean velocity at the lactate threshold of all age groups was significantly higher than that of untrained young males and not different from that of trained young males. There was no significant difference between boys of all age groups, but a significant negative correlation between the velocity at the lactate threshold and bone maturity score (RUS score) of more than 200 was found in boys. Heart rates and percent maximal heart rate at the lactate threshold were dependent on age. These were significantly inversely related to the chronological age and RUS score. These results suggest that maturation is one of the factors influencing lactate threshold.