Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are salt loading and prolonging infusion period effective in prevention of amphotericin B-induced nephrotoxicity?

Introduction: Nephrotoxicity is generally considered as the most clinically significant adverse reaction of amphotericin B, and has been reported in up to 80% of amphotericin B recipients during the first 2 weeks of treatment. Numerous experimental and clinical investigations have been performed over the past 4 decades, to find appropriate interventions for preventing or minimizing the nephrotoxic effects of amphotericin B. Areas covered: The aim of this literature review was to collect available clinical data regarding interventions to prevent amphotericin B-induced nephrotoxicity in human populations. A literature search was performed in the following databases: Scopus, Medline, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, and Cochrane database systematic reviews. The key words used as search terms were ‘amphotericin', ‘amphotericin B', ‘nephrotoxicity', ‘renal failure', ‘renal damage', ‘renal dysfunction', ‘renal impairment', ‘prevention', ‘preventive measures', and ‘preventive interventions'. Expert opinion: Studies in humans have clearly demonstrated that salt loading can prevent or alleviate an amphotericin B-induced rise in serum creatinine, or decrease in glomerular filtration rate, without beneficial effects on tubular toxicity of amphotericin B. Current clinical data regarding the prolongation of amphotericin B duration of infusion in the prevention of nephrotoxicity is controversial and associated with several clinical and practical drawbacks.
Treatment Interruption after Pregnancy: Effects on Disease Progression and Laboratory Findings

Objective. To assess clinical progression and inflammatory markers among women stopping or continuing antiretroviral therapy (ART) after pregnancy. Methods. ART-naïve women with CD4+ lymphocyte counts >350 cells/uL initiating ART during pregnancy had clinical events and laboratory markers compared over one year postpartum between those stopping (n = 59) or continuing (n = 147) ART. Results. Slopes in CD4 count and HIV RNA did not differ between groups overall and in subsets of ZDV or combination therapy. The hazard ratio (HR) of a new class B event was 2.09 (95% CI 0.79–5.58) among women stopping ART, 1.24 (0.31–4.95) in those stopping ZDV, and 2.93 (0.64–13.36) among those stopping combination therapy. Women stopping ART had increased immune activation. No significant differences were seen in C-reactive protein, lipids, leptin, or interleukin-6. Conclusions. While changes in CD4 and HIV RNA levels over one year were similar between women stopping or continuing ART postpartum, higher immune activation among women stopping therapy requires further study.
Role of systematic lymphadenectomy as part of primary debulking surgery for optimally cytoreduced advanced ovarian cancer: Reappraisal in the era of radical surgery

The prognostic significance of pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy during primary debulking surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the survival impact of lymph node dissection (LND) in patients treated with optimal cytoreduction for advanced ovarian cancer. Data from 158 consecutive patients with stage IIIC–IV disease who underwent optimal cytoreduction (<1 cm) were obtained via retrospective chart review. Patients were classified into two groups: (1) lymph node sampling (LNS), node count <20; and (2) LND, node count ≥20. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Among the included patients, 96 and 62 patients underwent LND and LNS as primary debulking surgery, respectively. There were no differences in the extent of debulking surgical procedures, including extensive upper abdominal surgery, between the groups. Patients who underwent LND had a marginally significantly improved PFS (P = 0.059) and significantly improved OS (P < 0.001) compared with those who underwent LNS. In a subgroup with negative lymphadenopathy on preoperative computed tomography scans, revealed LND correlated with a better PFS and OS (P = 0.042, 0.001, respectively). Follow-ups of subsequent recurrences observed a significantly lower nodal recurrence rate among patients who underwent LND. A multivariate analysis identified LND as an independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.629; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.400–0.989) and OS (HR, 0.250; 95% CI, 0.137–0.456). In conclusion, systematic LND might have therapeutic value and improve prognosis for patients with optimally cytoreduced advanced ovarian cancer.
The Influence of Ingested Dietary Fat and Its Affects on the Gut and Brain

Obesity and overeating affect many functions of the body including increasing amounts of certain hormones and the storage of fat. Digestive processes influence the digestion and absorption of fats in the gut and these functions can be altered when overeating occurs or a person is obese. The type of fat and the length of a fatty acid chain also contribute to a person’s ability to digest and store fat appropriately. Physiological responses to fatty acids, the release of insulin and regulation of glucose levels are different in obese people. There are also specific receptors that, when activated or inhibited, can alter physiological responses as well. Many areas of the brain have been shown to be involved in feeding behaviors and to regulate the amount of food ingested during a meal. The hypothalamus, nucleus of the solitary tract, area postrema, and paraventricular nucleus are a few of the important areas of the brain that can be modified by obesity and overeating. Peptides, neurotransmitters, and lesions are able to reverse or excite the functions of the brain that regulate food ingestion. Research is being conducted to try to understand the importance of how dietary fat influences digestive behavior. This paper reviews each of these aspects of the above influences on that ingestion of fat.
Characterization of Conserved T- and B-Cell Epitopes in Plasmodium falciparum Major Merozoite Surface Protein 1

ABSTRACT Vaccines for P. falciparum will need to contain both T- and B-cell epitopes. Conserved epitopes are the most desirable, but they are often poorly immunogenic. The major merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) is currently a leading vaccine candidate antigen. In this study, six peptides from conserved or partly conserved regions of MSP-1 were evaluated for immunogenicity in B10 congenic mice. Following immunization with the peptides, murine T cells were tested for the ability to proliferate in vitro and antibody responses to MSP-1 were evaluated in vivo. The results showed that one highly conserved sequence (MSP-1#1, VTHESYQELVKKLEALEDAV; located at amino acid positions 20 to 39) and one partly conserved sequence (MSP-1#23, GLFHKEKMILNEEEITTKGA; located at positions 44 to 63) contained both T- and B-cell epitopes. Immunization of mice with these peptides resulted in T-cell proliferation and enhanced production of antibody to MSP-1 upon exposure to merozoites. MSP-1#1 stimulated T-cell responses in three of the six strains of mice evaluated, whereas MSP-1#23 was immunogenic in only one strain. Immunization with the other four peptides resulted in T-cell responses to the peptides, but none of the resulting peptide-specific T cells recognized native MSP-1. These results demonstrate that two sequences located in the N terminus of MSP-1 can induce T- and B-cell responses following immunization in a murine model. Clearly, these sequences merit further consideration for inclusion in a vaccine for malaria.
Hubungan Kepercayaan Diri Dan Dukungan Keluarga Dengan Kecemasan Matematika

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga dengan kecemasan matematika. Hipotesis yang diuji adalah ada hubungan antara kepercayaan diri dan dukungan orang tua dengan kecemasan matematika. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian kuantitatif korelasional dengan teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan skala. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan studi populasi. Lokasi penelitian di kota Sukoharjo. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan tiga skala, yaitu kepercayaan diri, dukungan orang tua, dan kecemasan matematika. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data menggunakan analisis regresi berganda diperoleh hasil bahwa ada hubungan yang sangat signifikan antara kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga dengan kecemasan matematika. Sumbangan efektif kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga terhadap kecemasan matematika sebesar 60,3 %. Hasil penelitian juga didapatkan nilai korelasi antara kepercayaan diri dengan kecemasan matematika (rx1y) sebesar -0,758 dengan sumbangan efektif sebesar 54,27 %. Adapun nilai korelasi antara dukungan keluarga dengan kecemasan matematika (rx2y) sebesar -0,250 dengan sumbangan efektif sebesar 6,03 %. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada hubungan yang sangat signifikan antara kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga dengan kecemasan matematika. Kesimpulan hubungan kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga bersifat negatif terhadap kecemasan matematika. Implikasi penelitian ini dalam bidang pendidikan adalah kecemasan matematika dapat dikurangi dengan meningkatkan kepercayaan diri dan dukungan keluarga.
Stage‐Structured Infection Transmission and a Spatial Epidemic: A Model for Lyme Disease

A greater understanding of the rate at which emerging disease advances spatially has both ecological and applied significance. Analyzing the spread of vector‐borne disease can be relatively complex when the vector's acquisition of a pathogen and subsequent transmission to a host occur in different life stages. A contemporary example is Lyme disease. A long‐lived tick vector acquires infection during the larval blood meal and transmits it as a nymph. We present a reaction‐diffusion model for the ecological dynamics governing the velocity of the current epidemic's spread. We find that the equilibrium density of infectious tick nymphs (hence the risk of human disease) can depend on density‐independent survival interacting with biotic effects on the tick’s stage structure. The local risk of infection reaches a maximum at an intermediate level of adult tick mortality and at an intermediate rate of juvenile tick attacks on mammalian hosts. If the juvenile tick attack rate is low, an increase generates both a greater density of infectious nymphs and an increased spatial velocity. However, if the juvenile attack rate is relatively high, nymph density may decline while the epidemic’s velocity still increases. Velocities of simulated two‐dimensional epidemics correlate with the model pathogen’s basic reproductive number ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$R_{0}$$ \end{document} ), but calculating \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$R_{0}$$ \end{document} involves parameters of both host infection dynamics and the vector’s stage‐structured dynamics.
SMOKING AND SKIN

Numerous adverse effects and health problems are associated with smoking, but the mechanisms of the adverse effects of smoking on skin are not well documented. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effects of smoking on the structure, metabolism and appearance of skin. The study population consisted of 98 Finnish males, of whom 47 were current smokers and 51 non-smokers. The main parameters under evaluation were the appearance and physical qualities of skin, including skin wrinkling, thickness and elasticity. Biochemical analyses were performed to assess the rate of type I and III collagen biosynthesis as well as the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of skin in terms of matrix metalloproteinase levels (MMPs). To compare the morphology of skin between the groups, histological and immunohistological studies were performed, including assessments of the proportional area and width of dermal elastic fibres. The results revealed decreased synthesis of type I and III collagens in smokers as well as changes in the regulatory mechanisms which control the turnover of these and other extracellular matrix proteins. The level of matrix metalloproteinase -8 (collagenase-2), a protease degrading both type I and type III collagen, in suction blister fluid was significantly higher in smokers, indicating enhanced degradation of these collagens. In skin tissue samples, the levels of the active forms of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were significantly lower in smokers compared to non-smokers. Serum levels of MMP-8 were slightly but not significantly higher in smokers, whereas the levels of the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 (72-kDa and 92-kDa gelatinase, respectively) were significantly higher in smokers compared to non-smokers. Salivary MMP-8 and MMP-9 were lower in smokers compared to non-smokers, but only the latter showed a statistically significant difference. The levels of the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) were significantly lower in the suction blister fluid of smokers compared to non-smokers. In general, there were no significant differences in skin thickness and elasticity or regeneration of barrier function, nor in the amount or width of elastic fibres between the groups. We did not observe significant differences in skin wrinkling between smokers and non-smokers, but smokers looked older than their age compared to non-smokers. It can be concluded that the rate of type I and III collagen synthesis in skin is decreased and the regulation of ECM turnover is altered in smokers, which may lead to deterioration of the tensile strength and resiliency of skin in the long term, even though no morphological changes were detected in the present study.
International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering Quantum Finite Automata: a Language Acceptor Model Keywords— Quantum Finite Automata (qfa);quantum Pushdown Automata(qpda); 1-way Quantum Finite Automata (1qfa) ;2-way Quantum Finite Automata (2qfa);1.5-way Quant

— There exist an computational gap between the models that allowed to use quantum effects and that are not using quantum effects. Quantum Finite Automata (QFA), Quantum Pushdown Automata (QPDA), Quantum branching are several computational models. Some computational models are more powerful than classical counterparts and some are not. In this survey work, we have drawn a comparison among 1-way QFA, 2-way QFA and 1.5-way QFA. Also we have discussed about the strengths and weakness of all these QFA models and the power of Quantum Finite State Automata. I. INTRODUCTION A language is set of strings of symbols. In this sense we can define a programming language as a set of symbols only. In the environment of Computer Science and Engineering, there are four classes of languages called Chomsky Formal languages. The four classes can be given as (i) Regular languages (Type 3) (ii) Context-free language (Type 2) (iii) Context Sensitive language (Type 1) (iv)Phrase structure (Type 0). These formal languages are characterized by grammars, which are essentially a set of rewrite rules for generating strings belonging to a language [1, 2]. Also there is various kind of computing devices called automata which process these types of languages and generate some output if required. Thus formal languages can also be characterized by the computing devices which process them. These formal languages and automata capture the essence of various computing devices which process them. A finite state automaton involves states and transitions among states in response to inputs. They are useful for building several different kinds of software, including the lexical analysis component of a compiler and systems for verifying the correctness of circuits or protocols. They also serve the control unit in many physical systems including vending machines, elevators, automatic traffic signals and computer microprocessors. The Regular languages are the simplest of the four formal languages, together with regular expressions which are the methods of representing regular languages in a mathematical way [3, 4, 18]. It is quite possible that the first implementations of quantum computers will not be fully quantum mechanical. Instead, they may have two parts viz. a Quantum part and a Classical part with a communication between these two parts. In this case, the quantum part will be considerably more expensive than the classical part. Therefore, it will be useful to make the quantum part as small as possible even if it leads to slight (reasonable) increases …
Virtual Bookshelf - Ein Natural User Interface zur Organisation und Exploration digitaler Dokumente

Wir beschreiben eine Designstudie fur ein virtuelles Bucherregal, das wesentliche Merkmale der Interaktion mit Buchern als physischen Artefakten ins digitale Medium transportieren soll. Dabei steht das Aufgreifen der konkreten visuellen Anordnung von Buchern im Mittelpunkt. Das virtual bookshelf soll das Personal Information Management (PIM) verbessern helfen. We describe a design prototype for a virtual bookshelf which transfers characteristics of the interaction with books as physical artifacts into the digital medium. We focus on the actual visual presentation and arrangement of books. The virtual bookshelf is intended as a tool for advancing Personal Information Management (PIM).
Comparison of Two Methods for Purification of Enterocin B, a Bacteriocin Produced by Enterococcus faecium W3

This study aimed to compare two different approaches for the purification of enterocin B from Enterococcus faecium strain W3 based on the observation that the bacteriocin was found both in cell associated form and in culture supernatant. The first approach employed ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography, and sequential reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The latter approach exploited a pH-mediated cell adsorption–desorption method to extract cell-bound bacteriocin, and one run of reverse-phase chromatography. The first method resulted in purification of enterocin B with a recovery of 4% of the initial bacteriocin activity found in culture supernatant. MALDI-TOF MS analysis and de novo peptide sequencing of the purified bacteriocin confirmed that the active peptide was enterocin B. The second method achieved the purification of enterocin B with a higher recovery (16%) and enabled us to achieve pure bacteriocin within a shorter period of time by avoiding time consuming purification protocols. The purity and identity of the active peptide were confirmed again by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Although both approaches were satisfactory to obtain a sufficient amount of enterocin B for use in MS and amino acid sequence analysis, the latter was proved to be applicable in large-scale and rapid purification of enterocin B.
A heterologous prime-boost vaccination regimen using ORFF DNA and recombinant ORFF protein confers protective immunity against experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

OBJECTIVE We describe the effectiveness of a prime-boost vaccination regimen using the open-reading frame (ORFF) gene from the LD1 locus of Leishmania donovani. METHODS A group of BALB/c mice was immunized with the plasmid carrying the gene for ORFF (F/pcDNA 3.1) and given a booster dose of either the same DNA vaccine or a vaccine with a recombinant ORFF (rORFF) protein. Another group of BALB/c mice was immunized and given a booster dose of the rORFF protein vaccine. The protective efficacies of these vaccine formulations were compared after challenge with L. donovani stationary-phase promastigotes. RESULTS Mice given the prime-boost vaccination regimen had an enhanced reduction in parasite load (75%-80%), compared with that in mice given only the rORFF protein vaccine (45%-60%). However, the protective response induced in the prime-boost group was not more than that elicited in the DNA vaccine group. Immunization with only the rORFF protein vaccine did not induce the typical T helper response, whereas priming with the DNA vaccine resulted in enhanced production of immunoglobulin G2a and interferon- gamma . Furthermore, priming with the DNA vaccine also led to enhanced proliferation of splenocytes, suggesting subsequent expansion of antigen-specific T cells. CONCLUSIONS The heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy may be utilized for visceral leishmaniasis.
Planck 2018 results

We analyse thePlanckfull-mission cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature andE-mode polarization maps to obtain constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity (NG). We compare estimates obtained from separable template-fitting, binned, and optimal modal bispectrum estimators, finding consistent values for the local, equilateral, and orthogonal bispectrum amplitudes. Our combined temperature and polarization analysis produces the following final results:fNLlocal= −0.9 ± 5.1;fNLequil= −26 ± 47; andfNLortho= −38 ± 24 (68% CL, statistical). These results include low-multipole (4 ≤ ℓ < 40) polarization data that are not included in our previous analysis. The results also pass an extensive battery of tests (with additional tests regarding foreground residuals compared to 2015), and they are stable with respect to our 2015 measurements (with small fluctuations, at the level of a fraction of a standard deviation, which is consistent with changes in data processing). Polarization-only bispectra display a significant improvement in robustness; they can now be used independently to set primordial NG constraints with a sensitivity comparable to WMAP temperature-based results and they give excellent agreement. In addition to the analysis of the standard local, equilateral, and orthogonal bispectrum shapes, we consider a large number of additional cases, such as scale-dependent feature and resonance bispectra, isocurvature primordial NG, and parity-breaking models, where we also place tight constraints but do not detect any signal. The non-primordial lensing bispectrum is, however, detected with an improved significance compared to 2015, excluding the null hypothesis at 3. 5σ. Beyond estimates of individual shape amplitudes, we also present model-independent reconstructions and analyses of thePlanckCMB bispectrum. Our final constraint on the local primordial trispectrum shape isgNLlocal= (−5.8 ± 6.5) × 104(68% CL, statistical), while constraints for other trispectrum shapes are also determined. Exploiting the tight limits on various bispectrum and trispectrum shapes, we constrain the parameter space of different early-Universe scenarios that generate primordial NG, including general single-field models of inflation, multi-field models (e.g. curvaton models), models of inflation with axion fields producing parity-violation bispectra in the tensor sector, and inflationary models involving vector-like fields with directionally-dependent bispectra. Our results provide a high-precision test for structure-formation scenarios, showing complete agreement with the basic picture of the ΛCDM cosmology regarding the statistics of the initial conditions, with cosmic structures arising from adiabatic, passive, Gaussian, and primordial seed perturbations.