Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amniotic fluid soluble human leukocyte antigen-G in term and preterm parturition, and intra-amniotic infection/inflammation

Objective. Circulating soluble human leukocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) has been associated with pregnancy complications, and determination of sHLA-G concentrations in amniotic fluid (AF) has been reported in normal pregnancies. Our aim was to determine if the AF concentrations of sHLA-G change with advancing gestation, spontaneous labor at term, and in patients with spontaneous preterm labor (PTL) with intact membranes, as well as in those with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM), in the presence or absence of intra-amniotic infection/inflammation (IAI). Study design. This cross-sectional study included the following groups: (1) mid-trimester (n = 55); (2) normal pregnancy at term with (n = 50) and without (n = 50) labor; (3) spontaneous PTL with intact membranes divided into: (a) PTL who delivered at term (n = 153); (b) PTL who delivered preterm without IAI (n = 108); and (c) PTL with IAI (n = 84); and (4) preterm PROM with (n = 46) and without (n = 44) IAI. sHLA-G concentrations were determined by ELISA. Non-parametric statistics were used for analysis. Results. (1) Among patients with PTL, the median AF sHLA-G concentration was higher in patients with IAI than in those without IAI or women that delivered at term (p < 0.001 for both comparisons); (2) Similarly, patients with preterm PROM and IAI had higher median AF sHLA-G concentrations than those without IAI (p = 0.004); (3) Among patients with PTL and delivery, those with histologic chorioamnionitis and/or funisitis had a higher median AF sHLA-G concentration than those without histologic inflammation (p < 0.001); and (4) The median AF sHLA-G concentration did not change with advancing gestational age. Conclusions. AF sHLA-G concentrations are elevated in preterm parturition associated to IAI as well as in histologic chorioamnionitis. We propose that sHLA-G may participate in the regulation of the host immune response against intra-amniotic infection.
Electrical and morphological properties of off‐center bipolar cells in the carp retina

Electrical membrane properties of carp off‐center bipolar cells were studied by injecting a ramp of current (changing at a rate of about 0.3 nA/s) through one barrel of a double‐barreled electrode and recording the voltage drop through the other barrel. The light‐elicited response reversed the polarity at a positive membrane potential. The current‐voltage curve showed inward and outward rectifications which modified the amplitude of the light‐elicited response. The degree of membrane rectifications varied considerably among the cells sampled.
Analysis of bleb morphology after trabeculectomy with Visante anterior segment optical coherence tomography

Background: To describe the use of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) in imaging intrableb morphology after trabeculectomy. Methods: 14 post-trabeculectomy eyes from 11 primary open angle glaucoma and 3 primary angle closure glaucoma subjects were studied. The blebs were classified with reference to slit lamp morphology and bleb function. They included diffuse filtering (n = 7), cystic (n = 2), encapsulated (n = 2) and flattened (n = 3) bleb types. One eye in each patient was imaged with the Visante anterior segment OCT. A vertical scan line of 10 mm consisting of 512 A-scans was positioned at the centre of the bleb. The images were then analysed by built-in software. Intrableb morphologies and structures, including bleb wall thickness, subconjunctival fluid collections, suprascleral fluid space, scleral flap thickness, intrableb intensity (low, medium or high) and the route under the scleral flap were characterised and measured. Results: Diffuse filtering blebs were found by subconjunctival fluid collections. Suprascleral fluid space and the route under the scleral flap were identified in four of the seven cases. Cystic blebs were composed of a large hyporeflective space with multiloculated fluid collections covered by a thin layer of conjunctiva. Encapsulated blebs had a thick bleb wall with high reflectivity and an enclosed fluid filled space. Flattened blebs demonstrated high scleral reflectivity and no bleb elevation. Conclusions: Visante anterior segment OCT can be used for bleb imaging. The different patterns of intrableb morphology identified by OCT were related to slit lamp appearance and bleb function. This information may be useful to study the different surgical outcomes and the process of wound healing in trabeculectomised eyes.
Whether Long-Term Tracking of Speech Rate Affects Perception Depends on Who is Talking

Speech rate is known to modulate perception of temporally ambiguous speech sounds. For instance, a vowel may be perceived as short when the immediate speech context is slow, but as long when the context is fast. Yet, effects of long-term tracking of speech rate are largely unexplored. Two experiments tested whether long-term tracking of rate influences perception of the temporal Dutch vowel contrast /ɑ/-/a:/. In Experiment 1, one low-rate group listened to 'neutral' rate speech from talker A and to slow speech from talker B. Another high-rate group was exposed to the same neutral speech from A, but to fast speech from B. Between-group comparison of the ‘neutral’ trials revealed that the low-rate group reported a higher proportion of /a:/ in A's ‘neutral' speech, indicating that A sounded faster when B was slow. Experiment 2 tested whether one’s own speech rate also contributes to effects of long-term tracking of rate. Here, talker B's speech was replaced by playback of participants' own fast or slow speech. No evidence was found that one's own voice affected perception of talker A in larger speech contexts. These results carry implications for our understanding of the mechanisms involved in rate-dependent speech perception and of dialogue.
Transportation and Other Nonfinancial Barriers Among Uninsured Primary Care Patients

Introduction: Nonfinancial barriers are frequent causes of unmet need in health-care services. The significance of transportation barriers can weigh more than the issues of access to care. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine transportation and other nonfinancial barriers among low-income uninsured patients of a safety net health-care facility (free clinic). Methods: The survey data were collected from patients aged 18 years and older who spoke English or Spanish at a free clinic, which served uninsured individuals in poverty in the United States. Results: Levels of transportation barriers were associated with levels of other nonfinancial barriers. Higher levels of nonfinancial barriers were associated with elevation in levels of stress and poorer self-rated general health. Higher educational attainment and employment were associated with an increase in other nonfinancial barriers. Conclusion: Focusing only on medical interventions might not be sufficient for the well-being of the underserved populations. Future studies should examine integrative care programs that include medical treatment and social services together and evaluate such programs to improve care for underserved populations.
Tuberculous uveitis: distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the retinal pigment epithelium.

The diagnosis of intraocular tuberculosis has been a challenge until the introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the mycobacterial-specific DNA sequence in the intraocular fluids. Such investigations have confirmed diverse manifestations of intraocular tuberculosis including retinal vasculitis and serpiginouslike choroiditis. The latter may manifest with multifocal lesions involving the inner choroid, which coalesce to form a geographic pattern simulating serpiginous choroiditis. Although, clinically, the choroiditis appears to involve primarily the inner choroid and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the presence of mycobacterium at these anatomic sites has not been documented. Herein, we describe a case of panuveitis that was clinically of unknown cause but for which histopathologic examination of the globe disclosed selective distribution of acid-fast organisms in the RPE. These were confirmed to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis by microdissection of the RPE, followed by real-time PCR.
Effects of MCI-186 upon neutrophil-derived active oxygens

Abstract Reactions of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazoline-5-one (MCI-186) with hypochlorous acid and superoxide were analysed by spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry. The results were applied to the neutrophil system to evaluate the scavenging activity of neutrophil-derived active oxygen species by MCI-186. MCI-186 reacted rapidly with hypochlorous acid (1 × 106 M−1s−1) to form a chlorinated intermediate, followed by a slow conversion to a new spectrum. MCI-186 consumed 3 moles of hypochlorous acid and did not react with superoxide. The newly synthesized fluorescence probes, 2-[6-(4′-amino)-phenoxy-3H-xanthen-3-on-9-yl]benzoic acid (APF) and 2-[6-(4′-hydroxy)phenoxy-3H-anthen-3-on-9-yl]benzoic acid (HPF) successfully detected neutrophil-derived active oxygens (Setsukinai K, Urano Y, Kakinuma K, Majima HJ, Nagano T. Development of novel fluorescence probes that can reliably detect reactive oxygen species and distinguish specific species. J Biol Chem 2003; 278: 3170–3175). The rate constants for the reaction of hypochlorous acid with MCI-186 and fluorescence probes was in the order of MCI-186 > APF > HPF. Fluorescence due to the oxidation of APF and HPF was observed with the stimulated neutrophils. The result that the intensity from APF oxidation was higher than that from HPF oxidation is compatible with reports that APF selectively reacts with hypochlorous acid. Fluorescence due to oxidation of both APF and HPF decreased when the reactions were carried out in the presence of a fluorescence probe and MCI-186 in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that MCI-186 effectively scavenges neutrophil-derived hypochlorous acid and other active oxygens.
Limited Sampling Strategies to Estimate Exposure to the Green Tea Polyphenol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, in Fasting and Fed Conditions

The objective of this study was to develop an efficient sampling strategy to predict epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) pharmacokinetics after green tea administration. Ten healthy subjects received a single 800-mg oral dose of EGCG administered as Polyphenon E under both fasting and fed conditions. Plasma samples were serially collected over 24 hours and EGCG concentrations were determined. A one-compartment model with a lag time for absorption best fit the concentration-time data. Maximum A Posteriori Bayesian (MAPB) priors were developed by simultaneously fitting pharmacokinetic parameters from both study phases. The D-optimal sampling designs were determined and Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The original model with the estimators was used to fit the simulated data with the optimized sampling schemes. Two and three optimal sampling strategies (OSS-2 and OSS-3, respectively) were developed. The median two sampling times for OSS-2 were 1.3 and 6.9 hours (fasting conditions) and 3.4 and 8.7 hours (fed conditions). The median three sampling times for OSS-3 were 0.7, 1.4, and 7.0 hours (fasting conditions) and 1.4, 3.6, and 8.7 hours (fed conditions). The predictive power of OSS-3 was greater than that of OSS-2, under both fasted and fed conditions, and both strategies had greater predictive performance under fasting conditions. The sampling schemes were accurate and precise in predicting EGCG oral clearance (or area under the curve with known doses), and hence exposure, under both fasting and fed conditions. The increased predictive performance for estimating pharmacokinetic parameters under fasting conditions appeared to be the result of a decreased variability in absorption.
Cross-Layer Rate Control of VoIP over DVB-S2/RCS

This paper presents a study of the cross-layer optimisation of real time traffic transmission over satellite systems implementing DVB-S2/RCS. In particular, we focus on voice over IP (VoIP) transmission and we aim at reducing total transmission delay and jitter. We propose an end-user-centric scenario where codec rate adaptation is performed. Two possible cross-layer codec rate adaptations have been analyzed. First, we propose a bank of codecs be available at both transmission ends and a codec switch is performed driven by the RTCP (real time control protocol) reports. In this case a transport-to-application layer cross-layer information flow is required. Second, we propose the use of adaptive wideband codecs (inherently cross-layer across the network). Realistic modelling is considered for both the system and (Ka band) channel. We present an analysis of the two proposed cross-layer mechanism showing the potentiality of both approaches even in long-delay scenarios such as a GEO satellite system.
Pim-1 protein kinase is nuclear in Burkitt's lymphoma: nuclear localization is necessary for its biologic effects.

BACKGROUND The Pim-1 33-kDa protein is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is capable of enhancing the rate of occurrence of c-Myc-induced lymphomas, and functions to block factor-withdrawal and genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used human lymphoma samples and tissue culture cells to examine the cellular location of this protein and its mechanism of action. RESULTS We found that Pim-1 can be located in the cytoplasm, the cytoplasm and nucleus, or the nucleus of cells of normal lymph nodes, but is only located in the nucleus in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. On transfection of Pim-1 into HeLa cells, a nuclear localization is observed that is not dependent upon kinase activity, but appears to be regulated by the carboxy terminal half of the protein. Because Pim-1 is known to regulate apoptosis and human Mdm2 (HDM2) contains a consensus Pim-1 phosphorylation site, the possible role of Pim-1 in modulating HDM2 was examined. When Pim-1 and HDM2 are transfected transiently into 293 cells, the presence of Pim-1 results in an increase in the levels of the HDM2 protein. This effect requires the presence of the entire HDM2 protein. Export of Pim-1 out of the nucleus by attachment of a nuclear export signal decreased its ability to regulate the levels of HDM2 protein. CONCLUSION The nuclear location of Pim-1 is essential for its regulation of the levels of HDM2 protein, and possibly for additional biological activities of this protein kinase.
Interferon Alpha-Induced Depression in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients: Comparison between Different Types of Interferon Alpha

IFN alpha treatment is able to produce dose-related side effects, such as depression, in the central nervous system. We assessed the effects on depression of four different types of IFN alpha (recombinant IFN alpha 2a, recombinant IFN alpha 2b, lymphoblastoid IFN alpha, leukocyte IFN alpha), administered at the same doses in four homogeneous groups of chronic hepatitis C patients (96 patients; 24 patients for each group). A group of 18 untreated hepatitis C patients was considered as a control group. Depression was measured using Zung’s self-rating depression scale (SDS scale) before starting IFN alpha therapy and at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month of treatment. In all patients evaluated, mean SDS values increased from mild to moderate depression, but never attained severe depression (SDS >70). More elevated SDS values were observed in the 1st month of treatment, with a progressive decrease during the end points above-mentioned. The recombinant IFN alpha 2a and lymphoblastoid IFN alpha arms presented higher SDS mean scores compared to the recombinant IFN alpha 2b and leukocyte IFN alpha arm. Only in the leukocyte IFN alpha arm SDS values returned to basal values at the 6-month end point. Leukocyte IFN alpha seemed to present a more elevated tolerability than other IFN alpha types available for clinical practice. A very careful selection of hepatitis C patients is required before starting IFN alpha therapy.
Correlation Between Skin Color Evaluation by Skin Color Scale Chart and Narrowband Reflectance Spectrophotometer

Context: Various methods are available for the evaluation of skin color. A skin color scale chart is a convenient and inexpensive tool. However, the correlation between a skin color scale chart and objective measurement has not been evaluated. Aims: To assess the correlation between skin color evaluation done by a skin color scale chart (Felix von Luschan skin color chart) and a narrowband reflectance spectrophotometer (Mexameter MX18). Materials and Methods: The participants were evaluated for skin color by using the Felix von Luschan skin color chart (range 1-36) and a narrowband reflectance spectrophotometer (Mexameter MX18) in which the results of the measurements were expressed as Erythema (E) and Melanin (M) indices. Skin color was measured on four different anatomical skin sites from each participant on the medial aspect of the volar and the dorsal regions of both forearms. Results: A total of 208 records from 52 participants were established. The majority of participants (19.2%) were rated with the skin color scale at the number 16 (range 14-33). The mean M plus E, M, and E indices were 498.9 ± 143.9, 230.4 ± 74.4, and 268.5 ± 73.2, respectively. The correlation coefficient between the number on the skin color scale and each index: M plus E, M, and E indices were 0.90, 0.90, and 0.86, respectively, with a statistical significance of P < 0.001. Conclusions: Skin color evaluation using a skin color scale chart has shown a high correlation with skin color evaluation done by the narrowband reflectance spectrophotometer.
Nicotinamide Prevents Apoptosis in Human Cortical Neuronal Cells

In previous studies, the free radical generating toxin tertiary butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) was found to induce significant cell death in human cortical neuronal cells (HCN2 cells). Pretreatment with the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor nicotinamide was able to prevent HCN2 cell death. In this study it is observed that apoptosis is induced following the addition of t-BuOOH at 6 h as indicated by TUNEL-positive cells. When nicotinamide is added prior to t-BuOOH, it is able to prevent neuronal cell death and inhibit apoptosis. DNA microarray studies demonstrate that t-BuOOH administration causes an upregulation of proapoptotic genes like ICH-2 and BimL. On the other hand, nicotinamide-pretreated neurons have higher expression levels of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) genes. Therefore, it appears that one mechanism by which nicotinamide acts as neuroprotective agents is by elevating the gene expression levels of IAPs. Moreover, there is an upregulation of the glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene in nicotinamide-pretreated HCN2 cells. Nicotinamide-pretreated cells also had higher expression levels of putative “death domain” genes like p75TNFR, TRAIL2, TNFR1, and HVEM-L. Thus, nicotinamide can regulate multiple apoptotic genes with seemingly opposite roles and through its action on these various genes prevent apoptosis of neuronal cells.
Alterations in Linker Flexibility Suppress DNA Topoisomerase I Mutant-induced Cell Lethality*

Eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I (Top1p) catalyzes changes in DNA topology via the formation of a covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate, which is reversibly stabilized by the anticancer agent camptothecin (CPT). Crystallographic studies of the 70-kDa C terminus of human Top1p bound to duplex DNA describe a monomeric protein clamp circumscribing the DNA helix. The structures, which lack the N-terminal domain, comprise the conserved clamp, an extended linker domain, and the conserved C-terminal active site Tyr domain. CPT bound to the covalent Top1p-DNA complex limits linker flexibility, allowing structural determination of this domain. We previously reported that mutation of Ala653 to Pro in the linker increases the rate of enzyme-catalyzed DNA religation, thereby rendering Top1A653Pp resistant to CPT (Fiorani, P., Bruselles, A., Falconi, M., Chillemi, G., Desideri, A., and Benedetti P. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 43268–43275). Molecular dynamics studies suggested mutation-induced increases in linker flexibility alter Top1p catalyzed DNA religation. To address the functional consequences of linker flexibility on enzyme catalysis and drug sensitivity, we investigated the interactions of the A653P linker mutation with a self-poisoning T718A mutation within the active site of Top1p. The A653P mutation suppressed the lethal phenotype of Top1T718Ap in yeast, yet did not restore enzyme sensitivity to CPT. However, the specific activity of the double mutant was decreased in vivo and in vitro, consistent with a decrease in DNA binding. These findings support a model where changes in the flexibility or orientation of the linker alter the geometry of the active site and thereby the kinetics of DNA cleavage/religation catalyzed by Top1p.
High-Resolution Electromagnetic Vortex Imaging Based on Sparse Bayesian Learning

The vortex electromagnetic (EM) wave carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been found great potential to improve radar imaging performance. However, to achieve high-resolution image, a large number of OAM modes should be applied in the existing EM vortex imaging methods, which seriously limits the improvement of resolution in practice. The orthogonality of OAM eigenmodes enables the reconstruction of targets with limited measurements. Thus, to improve the imaging resolution and reduce the number of measurements, the sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) is introduced to reconstruct the targets for EM vortex imaging. The sparse representation model for EM vortex imaging is first derived using the stepped frequency signal. Subsequently, based on the SBL framework, the enhanced SBL (ESBL) and variational sparse Bayesian inference (VSBI) are utilized to reconstruct the target. Simulation results show that the SBL-based reconstruction algorithms can achieve much higher resolution than conventional fast Fourier transform-based methods. The imaging results considering the influences of noise and radiation pattern optimization are presented and analyzed. Moreover, the off-grid imaging model is also derived and the target is reconstructed based on a modified VSBI algorithm. Finally, a practical application processing the real-world data from a proof-of-concept experiment in an anechoic chamber is provided.
The impact of financial development on economic growth

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible co-integration and the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth in South-Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries using annual data from 1994 to 2013. Design/methodology/approach The Carrion-i-Silvestre et al. (2005) stationarity test with structural breaks is used to check the stationarity. The Westerlund (2006) panel co-integration test is employed to examine the long-run relationship among the variables. To carry out tests on the co-integrating vectors, fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and PDOLS techniques are used and panel Granger causality test is used to examine the direction of the causality. Findings The Westerlund (2006) panel co-integration test confirms the existence of the long-run relationship between financial development and economic growth for SAARC countries. The coefficients of FMOLS and DOLS indicate that index of financial development (IFD) and trade openness supports economic growth in SAARC region. In the short-run, there is unidirectional causality running from IFD to economic growth. Research limitations/implications In the view of these findings it is recommended that countries in the region should adopt policies geared toward financial sector development to attain high economic growth. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no studies have looked into SAARC countries to study the relationship between financial development and economic growth, this study is the first of its kind.