Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cord (placental) blood storage: extent and functional aspects

In 2010, two articles were published in TRANSFUSION dealing with the storage of umbilical (placental) cord blood cell units (UCB). Both articles studied the influence of temperature on maintenance of viable total nucleated cells, CD34+ cells, and committed progenitors (colony forming cells [CFCs]). They used, as a control group, the UCB stored at a temperature of 4°C, that is, the temperature employed in routine storage and transportation. With that respect, the first article showed that there were no significant differences during storage of 84 to 88 hours comparing to time zero values (n = 10) in the recoveries of total nucleated cells, CD34+ cells, and CFCs. However, in the second article, there was evidence of a difference for these three aspects of cells over time. However, this result was based on only three samples. Since this issue is of great importance for practice (the dilemma: could the storage of UCB be extended or not), we studied the storage of 12 UCB units for 72 hours to evaluate if there were any significant decrease for each of these cell populations. Cord blood was collected using Macopharma UCB collection and storage bags (Macopharma, Tourcoing, France) and maintained at 4°C. The viable cell count was obtained using an automatic counter (Cell-Dyn 3500R, Abbott, Ramsey, MN). The number of viable CD34+ cells was obtained using simultaneous staining with anti-CD34 and anti-CD45 as well as 7-aminoactinomycin-D (FACSCalibur flow cytometer, Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA). CFC detection was made by a methylcellulose ready-touse kit (Stem Alpha ID, Stem Alpha, St Clément les Places, France; 150 ¥ 10 cells per dish; Nunc, Roskilde, Denmark) cultured for 14 days in water-saturated atmosphere at 37°C with 5% CO2. The number of total cells, CD34+ cells, and CFCs decreased for each individual sample after 72 hours of storage (Fig. 1). This series, limited in the number of samples, did not exhibit “Gaussian” distribution, and only two time points (0 and 72 hr) were compared. Thus we used a nonparametric Wilcoxon test for paired (dependent) samples. We found a significant decrease in the recovery for each of these three cell categories (Fig. 2). Concerning CFCs, which is the only functional variable in this study, it should be stressed that the mean recovery was below 80% at 72 hours, which represents an obvious detrimental effect of prolonged storage. In addition, in real use, these UCB cells would be volume reduced, frozen, and thawed. Each of these steps is associated with a cellular loss to some extent that could be increased by cell vulnerability that might be potentiated by length of storage (our experimental observations). Accordingly, to evaluate the possibility to extend the storage period to 72 hours, these variables (including CFCs) should be tested throughout the usual complete process through to the postthawing period. Furthermore, no data are available concerning the maintenance of stem cell populations
Clinico-Pathologic Study of Salivary Gland Disorders at a Sub-Urban Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A 5 Year Retrospective Review

Background: The spectrum of salivary gland lesions is wide and the relative incidence of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions is variable in different studies. Despite the relatively common nature of salivary gland disorders, there is dearth of literature on these lesions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We therefore embarked on this study to analyze the differential diagnosis of salivary gland lesions seen and managed at our institution. Methods: A retrospective review of salivary gland disorders that presented at our facility from January 2012 to December 2016 was done. Information on patients’ demographic details, type and location of salivary gland lesion, histologic diagnosis and treatment were retrieved and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Result: A total of 65 patients were treated for salivary gland lesions of various types during the study period. The age of the patients ranged from 3 months to 68 years [mean 33.8 ± 12.3]. Neoplastic lesions [n = 39, 60.0%] were the commonest followed by sialolithiasis [n = 14, 21.5%] while mucous retention/extravasation cysts accounted for 13.9% of the cases. Pleomorphic adenoma was the predominant tumor in this series [87.2%] and the commonest site was the parotid gland [58.8%]. On the contrary submandibular gland appeared to be the commonest site for sialolithiasis [57.1%]. The majority of mucous retention/extravasation cysts occurred in the sublingual gland [55.5%]. Conclusion: Neoplastic lesions remain the commonest salivary gland disorder and pleomorphic adenoma was the most prevalent. Sialolithiasis and mucous cysts are salivary gland lesions with equally wide disease spectrum.
The Severity of Acute Illness and Functional Trajectories in Hospitalized Older Medical Patients

Background: Acute diseases and hospitalization are associated with functional deterioration in older persons. Although most of the functional decline occurs before hospitalization in response to the acute diseases, the role played by comorbidity in the functional trajectories around hospitalization is unclear. Methods: Observational prospective study of 696 elderly individuals hospitalized in two Italian general medicine wards. Functional status of the elderly patients at 2 weeks before hospitalization (baseline), at hospital admission, and at discharge was measured by the Barthel Index. Comorbidity was measured at admission by the Geriatric Index of Comorbidity (GIC), a tool mostly based on illness severity. The association of GIC with changes in functional status before hospitalization (between baseline and admission), during hospitalization (between admission and discharge), and in the overall period between baseline and discharge was assessed by logistic regression analyses. Hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) was defined as a functional decline between baseline and discharge. Results: Illness severity (GIC 3–4 vs 1–2: odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.5–3.3, p < .0001) and older age significantly predicted prehospital functional decline (between baseline and admission). Illness severity (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3, p = .004) and older age were also predictive of HAD, even after adjustment for each coded primary discharge diagnosis. After adjustment for the occurrence of prehospital functional decline, however, illness severity and older age were not predictive of HAD anymore. Conclusions: The severity of illnesses was strongly associated with adverse functional outcomes around hospitalization, but frailty, intended as functional vulnerability to the acute disease before hospitalization, was a stronger predictor of HAD than illness severity and age.
Evaluation of efficacy of the fixed vs unfixed combination of latanoprost and timolol in patients of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension insufficiently controlled on timolol and latanoprost monotherapy

Background: Glaucoma is a term describing a group of ocular disorders with multifactorial etiology united by a clinically characteristic intraocular pressure (IOP) associated optic neuropathy. Elevated IOP is identified as the only known risk factor which can be modified by anti-glaucomatous treatments. Patients who do not achieve target IOP levels with a single ocular hypotensive agent often are prescribed concomitant therapy with a medication that has a different mechanism of action. Aims and Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of the fixed and unfixed combinations of latanoprost and timolol in patients of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OH). Materials and Methods: A comparative randomized open-label trial was conducted on newly diagnosed patients of open-angle glaucoma and OH who were receiving either latanoprost 0.005% once daily or either timolol SR 0.5% once or twice daily in the preceding 4 weeks and whose IOP was not controlled with the prior monotherapy of latanoprost or timolol and remained ≥21 mmHg were included in the study. Patients were randomized to two groups to receive the following medication - Group I: Fixed combination eye drops of latanoprost (0.005%) and timolol SR (0.5%), once a day, in the dose of 1 drop at 9 LTFC and Group II: Unfixed combination of latanoprost (0.005%), once a day in the dose of 1 drop at 9 pm and timolol SR (0.5%), once a day in the dose of 1 drop at 9 am (LTuFC). Patients were evaluated at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks for the assessment of IOP and Visual acuity. Results: Both LTFC (Group I) and LTuFC (Group II) caused a reduction in IOP which was statistically highly significant (P 0.05). Conclusion: Both the regimens on comparison revealed similar efficacy thereby failing to prove superiority over each other. Thus, the clinicians have a wider choice of fixed or unfixed combinations of latanoprost and timolol, when monotherapy of either drug fails.
Effects of Fluorequinolone Treatment Acidified Feed , and Improved Hygiene Measures on the Occurrence of Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104 in an Integrated Pig Breeding Herd

U. Roesler, A. von Altrock, P. Heller, S. Bremerich, T. Arnold, J. Lehmann, K. -H. Waldmann, U. Truyen and A. Hensel Addresses of authors: Institutes of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, and Immunology, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany; Clinic for Pigs, Small Ruminants, Forensic Medicine and Ambulatory Service, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, D-30173 Hannover, Germany; Veterinary Society of the German Hybrid Pig Breeding Program, D-21320 Lüneburg, Germany; Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, D-14195 Berlin, Germany; Corresponding author: Tel. : 49 341 97 38153; fax: 49 341 97 38198; E-mail: roesler@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de
The role of neutrophils, oxidants, and proteases in the pathogenesis of acid pulmonary injury.

We recently reported a biphasic injury pattern of nonlethal acid aspiration pneumonitis in rats. The first phase consisted of the immediate effects of the direct tissue injury, and the second phase was associated with a neutrophilic inflammatory response. Using this model, the present report examines the possible role of neutrophils, oxidants, and proteases in the pathogenesis of the second phase of this lung injury. Acid aspiration injury was induced by instillation of saline/HCl, pH = 1.25, into the trachea of rats. Lung injury was assessed by measuring the degree of alveolar capillary permeability to 125I-labeled albumin (permeability index [PI]). Rats made neutropenic with polyclonal antineutrophil antibody had a lower PI (0.44 +/- 0.07, P less than 0.05) 6 h after acid aspiration than similarly injured animals with normal whole blood neutrophil counts (PI = 0.85 +/- 0.03). Even though neutrophils appeared necessary for the full development of the lung injury in this model, the administration of different intravenous and/or intratracheal concentrations of either deferoxamine or catalase offered no protection against injury. This suggests that neutrophil oxidants were minimally involved in the injury. Large increases in leukocyte-free serine protease activity (1,477 +/- 438 u/ml, P less than 0.05) were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the saline/HCl, pH = 1.25, injured rats at 6 h postinjury, as compared to saline/HCl, pH = 5.3, treated control animals (2.7 +/- 0.2 u/ml). This study supports the hypothesis that neutrophils are necessary for the full expression of acid-induced lung injury and that the generation of leukocyte-derived oxidants does not appear to be the primary mechanism involved in this injury. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Regulation of RAD54- and RAD52-lacZ gene fusions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to DNA damage

The RAD52 and RAD54 genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are involved in both DNA repair and DNA recombination. RAD54 has recently been shown to be inducible by X-rays, while RAD52 is not. To further investigate the regulation of these genes, we constructed gene fusions using 5' regions upstream of the RAD52 and RAD54 genes and a 3'-terminal fragment of the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene. Yeast transformants with either an integrated or an autonomously replicating plasmid containing these fusions expressed beta-galactosidase activity constitutively. In addition, the RAD54 gene fusion was inducible in both haploid and diploid cells in response to the DNA-damaging agents X-rays, UV light, and methyl methanesulfonate, but not in response to heat shock. The RAD52-lacZ gene fusion showed little or no induction in response to X-ray or UV radiation nor methyl methanesulfonate. Typical induction levels for RAD54 in cells exposed to such agents were from 3- to 12-fold, in good agreement with previous mRNA analyses. When MATa cells were arrested in G1 with alpha-factor, RAD54 was still inducible after DNA damage, indicating that the observed induction is independent of the cell cycle. Using a yeast vector containing the EcoRI structural gene fused to the GAL1 promoter, we showed that double-strand breaks alone are sufficient in vivo for induction of RAD54.
PID parameter optimization using Cohort intelligence technique for D.C motor control system

D.C motor is largely used in many industrial applications such as automotive industries, elevators, air compressor. There are some uncertainties in D.C motor, therefore to overcome it various control system were studied and designed. The speed of D.C motor is generally controlled using PID controller. In this paper, parameters of PID controller are tuned by novel optimization approach called Cohort intelligence (CI). The results using CI shows better response compared to Genetic algorithm (GA). The robustness of CI has been evaluated using statistical analysis.
Assessment of haematuria: automated urine flowmetry vs microscopy.

BACKGROUND Microscopy of the urine sediment may be a useful method in the distinction between a glomerular and a non-glomerular source of urinary bleeding. However, microscopic techniques are time consuming and hampered by inter-observer variations. In the present study we have therefore compared bright-field microscopy with automated urine flowmetry (Sysmex UF-100), examining their ability to differentiate between glomerular and non-glomerular haematuria. METHODS Fresh urine samples were obtained from 112 patients with a well-defined, single cause of a positive dipstick test. Their urine specimens were examined within 4 h in a blinded manner. Of them, 79 specimens had a positive dipstick for blood and thus could be evaluated for haematuria. RESULTS The Sysmex UF-100 had a sensitivity and specificity of 0.83 and 0.94 respectively in detecting non-glomerular bleeding. The positive and negative predictive values were 0.95 and 0.78 respectively. The corresponding values of microscopy were 0.79 and 0.90 respectively, and 0.93 and 0.74 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Automated flowmetry can be used in the distinction between glomerular and non-glomerular haematuria.
Transgenic expression in the liver of truncated Met blocks apoptosis and permits immortalization of hepatocytes

Hepatocyte growth factor induces proliferation, motility and differentiation of epithelial cells through the tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the MET proto‐oncogene. The cytoplasmic portion of Met (referred to as cyto‐Met) is activated but only weakly transforming. In order to determine the effect of activated Met on hepatocytes, we have targeted truncated Met expression to the liver by incorporating the cDNA into a vector carrying the entire human a‐1‐antitrypsin transcriptional unit. Transgenic expression in the liver of truncated human Met, containing the regulatory and the catalytic cytoplasmic domains, renders hepatocytes constitutively resistant to apoptosis and reproducibly permits immortalization. The emerging stable cell lines are not transformed and maintain a highly differentiated phenotype judged by the retention of epithelial cell polarity and the expression of hepatocyte‐enriched transcription factors as well as hepatic products.
Using a Bayes classifier to optimize alarm generation to electric power generator stator overheating

The paper shows how a Bayes classifier can be implemented for a Failure Detection System where statistical failure data is not available for one of the classes. Results of field data obtained from a large electric power generator are shown. The classifier is further improved by the iterative re-evaluation of the prior probabilities, which results in the use of higher alarm threshold values when a good agreement between the monitored quantity and its estimated value is observed, while large disagreement values result in smaller thresholds. As expected, the proposed system is an improvement over a classical Bayesian implementation and a large improvement over a fixed, arbitrary value threshold classifier.
Levels of autoantibodies, unlike antibodies to all extrinsic antigen groups, fall following B cell depletion with Rituximab

Many autoantibodies have variable‐region sequences indicating their production in an affinity‐matured antibody response involving germinal centers (GC). Plasma cells from GC can be long‐lived, do not express CD20 and thus should not be depleted by a therapeutic monoclonal Ab against human CD20 ‐ Rituximab. Nevertheless, autoantibody titers often fall following Rituximab treatment. To test if this reflects exclusive production by short‐lived plasma cells in extrafollicular Ab responses, we monitored, after Rituximab treatment, levels of natural Ab and Ab against extrinsic antigens that do not induce productive GC. Eleven patients with active vasculitis and anti‐proteinase‐3 (PR3) Ab were assessed before and during 5 months after Rituximab therapy. Blood B cells were undetectable within 2 wk, and all patients achieved clinical remission. Levels of natural Ab – isohemagglutinins and anti‐phosphorylcholine Ab – and Ab levels against thymus‐independent and thymus‐dependent extrinsic antigens were little affected. By contrast, 5 months after Rituximab, IgG autoantibody against PR3 had fallen to a median of 22% of pretreatment values. While the kinetics of this fall do not suggest an intrinsically short lifespan of autoantibody‐producing cells, the data are consistent with Rituximab causing loss of sites within inflammatory tissues that selectively sustain autoantibody‐producing cells.
DO THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF A STRONG PRESCHOOL PROGRAM PERSIST?

We investigate the persistence of short-term effects of a high-quality school-based prekindergarten program in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We analyze third-grade reading and math scores for two cohorts of students eligible to participate in pre-kindergarten in 2000-01 and 2005-06, using boosted regression and propensity score matching to select a comparison group of local students who did not participate in the pre-K program. For the early cohort, we find no evidence of persistence of early gains. For the late cohort, we find that early gains persist through third grade in math but not reading, and for boys but not for girls. JEL No. I2, I21, I28
Reduced thalamic grey matter volume in opioid dependence is influenced by degree of alcohol use: a voxel-based morphometry study

The aim of this study was to make a comparison of brain structure between a group of opioid-dependent subjects and healthy controls. We report the results of an `optimized' voxel-based morphometry study on a sample of nine opioid-dependent subjects with no comorbid substance misuse disorders versus 21 healthy controls. We found a significant reduction in grey matter volume of the thalamus after controlling for age and total grey matter volume. Regression analysis of substance use variables in the opioid-dependent sample shows that only level of alcohol use negatively predicts grey matter volume for this region of difference. We suggest that level of nondependent alcohol use could influence reduced thalamic grey matter volume in opioid-dependent subjects.
Asynchronous sampled-data consensus of singular multi-agent systems based on event-triggered strategy

ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with sampled-data consensus for multi-agent systems with singular dynamics. It is assumed that the sampling period of each agent is independent of the other's. Based on event-triggered sampled-data transmission strategy, a distributed consensus protocol is presented. The consensus of singular multi-agent system is transformed into the stability of singular systems with multiple time-varying delays. By employing the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method, a sufficient condition on the consensus of multi-agent singular system is derived. Based on the obtained condition, an algorithm to design consensus controller gains is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Time-domain simulation of sound production of the sho.

A physical model based on the sound production mechanism of the sho is proposed with intention of applying it to sound synthesis. Time-domain simulation was done using this model, and effects of the tube length and blowing pressure on the sounding frequency and sounds spectra were investigated. The reed vibration, pressure variation inside the tube, and threshold blowing pressure for oscillation were measured by artificially blowing air into the sho. The experimental results are in acceptable agreement with simulation results in terms of the relationships between tube length and threshold pressure and between tube length and the sounding frequency. In addition, recorded sound waveforms and simulated ones have a common feature in the sense that high-frequency components of their spectra increase with increasing blowing pressure. Further, it is concluded that a sho reed acts as an "outward-striking valve. "
Virtual Impedance-Based Selective Harmonic Compensation (VI-SHC) PWM for Current Source Rectifiers

To mitigate the line current harmonics of a high-power current source rectifier (CSR) system, the selective harmonic elimination (SHE) scheme is frequently used due to its low switching frequency and superior harmonic performance. However, the SHE scheme only focuses on the harmonics generated by the converter itself. It cannot cope with the line current harmonics caused by the background grid voltage harmonics. In this paper, a selective harmonic compensation scheme using the virtual impedance concept (VI-SHC) is presented. This method compensates for the preexisting grid background harmonics using only the line current measurement, and provides superior line current harmonic performance. The proposed method does not require measuring the grid voltage harmonics (which are typically low), does not rely on an accurate CSR system model, and therefore is very robust for practical implementation. Thi s PWM control scheme has been verified by real-time experiments on a CSR prototype.