Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Helicopter crashes into water: warning time, final position, and other factors affecting survival.

INTRODUCTION According to 40 yr of data, the fatality rate for a helicopter crash into water is approximately 25%. Does warning time and the final position of the helicopter in the water influence the survival rate? METHODS The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database was queried to identify helicopter crashes into water between 1981 and 2011 in the Gulf of Mexico and Hawaii. Fatality rate, amount of warning time prior to the crash, and final position of the helicopter were identified. RESULTS There were 133 helicopters that crashed into water with 456 crew and passengers. Of these, 119 occupants (26%) did not survive; of those who did survive, 38% were injured. Twelve died after making a successful escape from the helicopter. Crashes with < 15 s warning had a fatality rate of 22%, compared to 12% for 16-60 s warning and 5% for > 1 min. However, more than half of fatalities (57%) came from crashes for which the warning time could not be determined. DISCUSSION Lack of warning time and how to survive in the water after the crash should be a topic for study in all marine survival/aircraft ditching courses. Investigators should be trained to provide estimates of warning time when investigating helicopter crashes into water.
Distinct Transcriptional Profiles in Ex Vivo CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells Are Established Early in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection and Are Characterized by a Chronic Interferon Response as Well as Extensive Transcriptional Changes in CD8+ T Cells

ABSTRACT Changes in T-cell function are a hallmark of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, but the pathogenic mechanisms leading to these changes are unclear. We examined the gene expression profiles in ex vivo human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from untreated HIV-1-infected individuals at different clinical stages and rates of disease progression. Profiles of pure CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets from HIV-1-infected nonprogressors with controlled viremia were indistinguishable from those of individuals not infected with HIV-1. Similarly, no gene clusters could distinguish T cells from individuals with early infection from those seen in chronic progressive HIV-1 infection, whereas differences were observed between uninfected individuals or nonprogressors versus early or chronic progressors. In early and chronic HIV-1 infection, three characteristic gene expression signatures were observed. (i) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells showed increased expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). However, some ISGs, including CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, and the interleukin-15 alpha receptor were not upregulated. (ii) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells showed a cluster similar to that observed in thymocytes. (iii) More genes were differentially regulated in CD8+ T cells than in CD4+ T cells, including a cluster of genes downregulated exclusively in CD8+ T cells. In conclusion, HIV-1 infection induces a persistent T-cell transcriptional profile, early in infection, characterized by a dramatic but potentially aberrant interferon response and a profile suggesting an active thymic output. These findings highlight the complexity of the host-virus relationship in HIV-1 infection.
Issues on Research Integrity: A Perspective

This paper discusses several key issues that are relevant to the integrity and success of the biomedical research enterprise. Attention to these issues will improve research outcomes and reduce negative consequences in research. Subjects addressed include normative practices in research; the importance of quality data; mentoring of young scientists; how to proceed when a member of the scientific community discovers misconduct or other breaches of integrity; and the level of harm to public confidence in research due to misconduct and lack of transparency in research findings.
Microfounding Meaningful Wage Rigidity and Involuntary Job Loss

The holy grail of Keynesian theorists during much of the postwar period has been to fully microfound meaningful wage rigidity (MWR), defined by its capacity to rationally suppress wage recontracting. This paper accomplishes that longstanding goal! MWR is shown to be a necessary condition for the existence of involuntary job loss (IJL) and uniquely enables causality from adverse nominal demand disturbances to IJL. Absent microfounded MWR and IJL, macroeconomics cannot be simultaneously micro-coherent and stabilization-relevant, making this paper a big deal.
Silicone‐Based Adhesives with Highly Tunable Adhesion Force for Skin‐Contact Applications

A fundamental approach to fabricating silicone‐based adhesives with highly tunable adhesion force for the skin‐contact applications is presented. Liquid blends consisting of vinyl‐multifunctional polydimethylsiloxane (V‐PDMS), hydride‐terminated PDMS (H‐PDMS), and a tackifier composed of a silanol‐terminated PDMS/MQ resin mixture and the MQ resin are used as the adhesive materials. The peel adhesion force of addition‐cured adhesives on the skin is increased by increasing the H‐PDMS molecular weights and the tackifier content, and decreasing the H‐PDMS/V‐PDMS ratio. There is an inverse relationship between the adhesion force and the Young's modulus. The low‐modulus adhesives with a low H‐PDMS/V‐PDMS ratio exhibit enhanced adhesion properties. The low‐modulus adhesives with the high MQ resin content show significantly enhanced adhesion properties. These adhesives exhibit a wide range of modulus (2–499 kPa), and their adhesion force (0.04–5.38 N) is superior to commercially available soft silicone adhesives (0.82–2.79 N). The strong adhesives (>≈2 N) provide sufficient adhesion for fixing the flexible electrocardiogram (ECG) device to the skin in most daily activity. The human ECG signals are successfully recorded in real time. These results suggest that the silicone‐based adhesives should be useful as an atraumatic adhesive for the skin‐contact applications.
Quantitative 89Zr immuno-PET for in vivo scouting of 90Y-labeled monoclonal antibodies in xenograft-bearing nude mice.

UNLABELLED Immuno-PET as a scouting procedure before radioimmunotherapy (RIT) aims at the confirmation of tumor targeting and the accurate estimation of radiation dose delivery to both tumor and normal tissues. Immuno-PET with (89)Zr-labeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and (90)Y-mAb RIT might form such a valuable combination. In this study, the biodistribution of (89)Zr-labeled and (88)Y-labeled mAb ((88)Y as substitute for (90)Y) was compared and the quantitative imaging performance of (89)Zr immuno-PET was evaluated. METHODS Chimeric mAb (cmAb) U36, directed against an antigen preferentially expressed in head and neck cancer, was labeled with (89)Zr using the bifunctional chelate N-succinyldesferrioxamine B (N-sucDf) and with (88)Y using the bifunctional chelate p-isothiocyanatobenzyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (p-SCN-Bz-DOTA). The radioimmunoconjugates were coinjected in xenograft-bearing nude mice, and biodistribution was determined at 3, 24, 48, 72, and 144 h after injection. (89)Zr was evaluated and compared with (18)F in phantom studies to determine linearity, resolution, and recovery coefficients, using a high-resolution research tomograph PET scanner. The potential of PET to quantify cmAb U36-N-sucDf-(89)Zr was evaluated by relating image-derived tumor uptake data (noninvasive method) to (89)Zr uptake data derived from excised tumors (invasive method). RESULTS (89)Zr-N-sucDf-labeled and (88)Y-p-SCN-Bz-DOTA-labeled cmAb U36 showed a highly similar biodistribution, except for sternum and thigh bone at later time points (72 and 144 h after injection). Small differences were found in kidney and liver. Imaging performance of (89)Zr approximates that of (18)F, whereas millimeter-sized (19-154 mg) tumors were visualized in xenograft-bearing mice after injection of cmAb U36-N-sucDf-(89)Zr. After correction for partial-volume effects, an excellent correlation was found between image-derived (89)Zr tumor radioactivity and gamma-counter (89)Zr values of excised tumors (R(2) = 0.79). CONCLUSION The similar biodistribution and the favorable imaging characteristics make (89)Zr a promising candidate for use as a positron-emitting surrogate for (90)Y.
Particulate Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Risk: Short-term and Long-term Effects

It is well known that exposure to particulate air pollutants is associated with the development of adverse health effects. In particular, there is growing evidence of a close relationship between increased levels of environmental pollutants and cardiovascular disease. Particle exposure may trigger acute cardiac events as well as promote the chronic development of cardiovascular disorders. Several biological mechanisms have been suggested to explain the important effect of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, although the exact pathways are not fully understood. The literature data on the short-term and long-term cardiovascular effects of particulate air pollutants are discussed in this review from a clinical and mechanistic point of view.
eCampus as a platform for ubiquitous learning

eCampus is a web application designed for learning, learning management and multimedia learning content creation which can be used regardless of the type of the device (PC, tablet, smartphone) and platform (Android, IOS, Windows). In the following article technical solutions as well as the usability and accessibility goals are presented. Meeting the requirements of usability and user-friendliness is proven by the SUMI and SUS evaluations. The results of the evaluation are presented. These were also used to improve the system.
Kunsteconomie in nieuw perspectief

Part I. This part shows a picture of the state of the art economics. First, the situation in the Netherlands is described thematically. The most important issue in the seventies and eighties was trying to find an economic rationale for the government support of the arts. Part II. This new theoretical concept is tested on the cultural policy of the central government in the Netherlands. Since World War II the Dutch government is structurally concerned with the arts and the first twenty years can be considered as ‘the building-up period’. Government expenditures for the arts rose from 0,05 percent of total government expenditures in 1946 to 0,19 percent in 1965. Part III. It would appear that each amount the government spends on the arts, is legitimate from the point of view that it will finance arts production facilities. The following condition must be stipulated: government money for the arts should not slip away into bureaucratic waste. Zie: Summary
Effects of age and acclimation on responses to passive heat exposure.

To examine the effect of chronological age on thermoregulation during passive heat exposure, six older (O, 61 +/- 1 yr) and six young (Y, 26 +/- 2 yr) men sat at rest during a 30-min baseline period (dry-bulb temperature = 28 degrees C), a 60-min thermal transient (28-46 degrees C by 2 degrees C steps every 5 min), and 30 min at 46 degrees C dry-bulb temperature. Subjects were matched for maximal O2 consumption, anthropometry, and body composition. Testing was repeated after a 9-day active heat acclimation protocol. There were no age differences in rectal (Tre), mean skin (Tsk), or mean body temperature (Tb = 0.8Tre + 0.2Tsk) before or after acclimation, but heart rate was lower (P < 0.01) in the O group in both acclimation states. Heat acclimation resulted in a significantly lower baseline Tre and Tb in both groups, which remained lower throughout the passive heat stress (P < 0.05). To examine the effects of age and acclimation on thermoregulatory effector function, forearm blood flow (by venous occlusion plethysmography) and chest sweating rate (SRch, by dew-point hygrometry) were plotted against Tb. The slope of the forearm blood flow-Tb relationship was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the O group before and after acclimation. A lower maximal SRch (P < 0.05) was achieved by the O group, but neither the slope of SRch-Tb relationship nor the Tb threshold for sweating was affected by age. Predictably, acclimation resulted in a lower Tb threshold for the onset of sweating and skin vasodilation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Changes in left ventricular synchrony and systolic function in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with fragmented QRS complexes.

AIMS Fragmented QRS (f-QRS) complexes are associated with adverse cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease; however, the effects on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remain elusive. This study is to investigate the changes of left ventricular (LV) synchrony and systolic function in DCM patients with f-QRS complexes. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty DCM patients with f-QRS complexes and 29 DCM patients without f-QRS (n-QRS) complexes were enrolled. The LV segmental longitudinal, radial and circumferential time to peak strain and general longitudinal systolic strain, radial strain, circumferential strain were measured, respectively, by speckle tracking imaging. The LV segmental standard deviations and maximal differences were also calculated. The LV dyssynchrony was defined as the time in peak anteroseptal wall to posterior wall strain >130 ms or longitudinal strain delay index >25%. The mean QRS durations in f-QRS and n-QRS groups were not different (P = ns). The incidence of LV dyssynchrony was 15/20 (75%) vs. 5/29 (17%) in two groups (P < 0.01). Two patients died of sudden death in f-QRS group during 2 years follow-up; however, no death in n-QRS group (P < 0.05). Patients in f-QRS group showed worsening LV dyssynchrony in f-QRS group after 2 years follow-up (P < 0.05). Overall, LV function was comparable at baseline (P = ns), but had significantly worsened only in the f-QRS group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The f-QRS complex is significantly associated with LV dyssynchrony in DCM patients and can be used as a reliable index to evaluate ventricular synchrony and predict the prognosis in DCM patients with narrow QRS complexes.
Entrepreneurship in southern Europe: Symptom or solution to the Euro Crisis?

Against ample discouraging evidence, expressions of false optimism occasionally enter into the debate on the Euro crisis. As an example of such optimism, a previous post on this blog by Mark Esposito voiced high hopes for entrepreneurialism in Southern Europe. Unfortunately, the confidence in entrepreneurship is misplaced, because the symptom is being mistaken for a cure.
Ginkgo Biloba for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: A Review of the Literature

Results from clinical trials demonstrate that standardized leaf extracts of Ginkgo biloba (SGB extract) reduce the symptoms of age-associated memory impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and may be of benefit in treating intermittent claudication. In addition, preliminary results suggest that SGB extract may be useful in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly ischemic cardiac syndrome. Since many patients with cardiovascular disease are already taking anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, self-medication with SGB extract is not recommended without the advice of their physician. Although SGB extracts look promising for preventing and treating CVD, well-controlled clinical trials are needed before clinical recommendations can be made.
Possible relationship between periodontitis and dementia in a North Indian old age population: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Periodontitis and cognitive impairment or dementia is relatively common among older adults. Few cross-sectional studies and some longitudinal studies have attempted to link oral health with dementia diagnosis or disease pathology but none has investigated the role of inflammation as a potential mediator. OBJECTIVES This study was planned to establish a relation of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-five patients with severe periodontitis (range 60-69 years), 20 with dementia (10:10 M:F; range 59-69) and 32 healthy controls (range 58-69 years) were selected. The socio-demographic characteristics, physical health, oral health, education status, and medical status were measured. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9, total IGF-I, free IGF-I and TNF-alpha and GCF MMP-8 &MMP-9 were calculated. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the three groups in the level of education, age, occupation, BMI, CAD, CHF and diabetes except dentate status. After adjusting for age, significant differences were found between patients and controls with respect to gingival inflammation, dental plaque, bleeding on probing and probing pocket depth. Total counts of WBCs, neutrophils, thrombocytic counts and serum CRP, MMP-8, MMP-9, TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in dementia and periodontitis patients in contrast to healthy controls, while, RBC counts, total IGF-I and Hb levels were lowered in dementia and periodontitis patients in comparison to healthy controls, although higher in dementia as compared to periodontitis patients. CONCLUSIONS This study data suggest a relationship of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia. Further exploration of this is warranted.
Essential protective role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 in neurodegeneration

Significance TNF is known to play an important role in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, anti-TNF therapeutics failed in clinical trials of neurodegenerative diseases. This failure is most likely due to antithetic effects of the TNF receptors in the central nervous system, whereby TNFR1 promotes inflammatory degeneration and TNFR2 neuroprotection. Here we show that novel TNFR-selective therapeutics, i.e., a TNFR1 antagonist and a TNFR2 agonist, block neuroinflammation and promote neuronal survival in a mouse model of neurodegeneration related to Alzheimer disease as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. Most important, neuroprotection mediated by the TNFR1 antagonist is abrogated by simultaneous blockade of TNFR2 activation, revealing that neuroprotection requires TNFR2 signaling and uncover why anti-TNF drugs failed in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the recognized role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in inflammation and neuronal degeneration, anti-TNF therapeutics failed to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Animal disease models had revealed the antithetic effects of the two TNF receptors (TNFR) in the central nervous system, whereby TNFR1 has been associated with inflammatory degeneration and TNFR2 with neuroprotection. We here show the therapeutic potential of selective inhibition of TNFR1 and activation of TNFR2 by ATROSAB, a TNFR1-selective antagonistic antibody, and EHD2-scTNFR2, an agonistic TNFR2-selective TNF, respectively, in a mouse model of NMDA-induced acute neurodegeneration. Coadministration of either ATROSAB or EHD2-scTNFR2 into the magnocellular nucleus basalis significantly protected cholinergic neurons and their cortical projections against cell death, and reverted the neurodegeneration-associated memory impairment in a passive avoidance paradigm. Simultaneous blocking of TNFR1 and TNFR2 signaling, however, abrogated the therapeutic effect. Our results uncover an essential role of TNFR2 in neuroprotection. Accordingly, the therapeutic activity of ATROSAB is mediated by shifting the balance of the antithetic activity of endogenous TNF toward TNFR2, which appears essential for neuroprotection. Our data also explain earlier results showing that complete blocking of TNF activity by anti-TNF drugs was detrimental rather than protective and argue for the use of next-generation TNFR-selective TNF therapeutics as an effective approach in treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Donor Strains of the Soft-Rot Bacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi and Conjugational Transfer of the Pectolytic Capacity

Donor strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi ICPB EC16, a member of the soft-rot (pectolytic) section of the enterobacterial genus Erwinia, were obtained by chromosomal integration of an F′lac+ plasmid originating from Escherichia coli. These stable donor strains, selected from an unstable F′lac+ heterogenote by repeated platings of single Lac+ colonies on lactose minimal agar, do not segregate (as does the parent F′lac+ heterogenote) into Lac− or F− clones, in either the presence or absence of acridine orange. One representative donor strain (from the 12 that have been selected) has been examined in more detail; it can transfer ade+, gal+, gtu+ (utilization of galacturonate), his+, lac+, leu+, lys+, mcu+ (multiple carbohydrate utilization), pat+ (production of polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase), thr+, and trp+ in a polarized manner to appropriate recipient strains of E. chrysanthemi; the frequencies of ade+, leu+, and thr+ transfer were higher than those of the other markers tested to date. This donor strain transfers lac+ genes during a 6-h mating on membranes; most of the Lac+ recombinants are donors of chromosomal markers. The kinetics of entry as well as the frequencies of transfer of chromosomal markers indicate that thr+ and leu+ enter the recipient as proximal markers and that lac+ enters as a distal marker. Analysis of the recombinants demonstrates close linkage between thr and leu, ade and thr, his and pat, and his and trp loci. The results suggest that the integration of F′lac+ into the chromosome of E. chrysanthemi has occurred at a region adjacent to the leu-thr loci, and that the chromosome is transferred in the following sequence: origin----leu--thr--ade--lys--mcu--pat--his--trp--gal--gtu--lac--F. Plant-tissue maceration occurs in Pat+ recombinants and not in Pat− recombinants, even though both form another pectolytic enzyme, hydrolytic polygalacturonase. This genetic evidence supports the idea that the E. chrysanthemi polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase plays an essential role in bringing about plant-tissue maceration.
The presence or absence of antibodies to infliximab or adalimumab determines the outcome of switching to etanercept

Objective The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the reason for non-response (caused by immunogenicity or not) to a first tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor defines whether a second TNF inhibitor will be effective. Methods This cohort study consisted of 292 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), all treated with etanercept. A total of 89 patients (30%) were treated previously with infliximab or adalimumab (‘switchers’), and the remaining 203 (70%) were anti-TNF naive. All switchers were divided into two groups: with and without antibodies against the previous biological. Differences in clinical response to etanercept between switchers with and without antibodies and patients who were anti-TNF naive were assessed after 28 weeks of treatment using changes in Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28). Results After 28 weeks of treatment, response to etanercept did not differ between patients who were anti-TNF naive and switchers with anti-drug antibodies (ΔDAS28=2.1±1.3 vs ΔDAS28=2.0±1.3; p=0.743). In contrast, switchers without anti-drug antibodies had a diminished response to etanercept treatment compared to patients who were TNF naive (ΔDAS28=1.2±1.3 vs ΔDAS28=2.1±1.3; p=0.001) and switchers with antibodies (ΔDAS28=1.2±1.3 vs ΔDAS28=2.0±1.3; p=0.017). Conclusion Patients with RA with an immunogenic response against a first TNF-blocking agent had a better clinical response to a subsequent TNF blocker compared to patients with RA without anti-drug antibodies. Hence, determining immunogenicity can be helpful in deciding in which patient switching could be beneficial and can be part of a personalised treatment regimen.