Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Platelet function and cardiovascular risk in adult HIV-infected patients on HAART: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now at least threefold higher in HIV-infected patients as compared with the general population. Although platelet activation and reactivity are implicated in the development of CVDs in HIV-infected patients, its precise role remains inconclusive. We aim to assess the association between platelet activation and selected cardiovascular risk factors in HIV-1-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). Methods This will be a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies evaluating the association between platelet activation and CVD risk factors in HAART-treated adults. The search strategy will include medical subject headings words for MEDLINE, and this will be adapted to Embase search headings (Emtree) terms for the EMBASE database. The search will cover literature published between 1 January 1996 to 30 April 2017. Studies will be independently screened by two reviewers using predefined criteria. Relevant eligible full texts will be screened; data will be extracted, and a qualitative synthesis will be conducted. Data extraction will be performed using Review Manager V.5. 3. To assess the quality and strengths of evidence across selected studies, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation approach will be used. The Cochran’s Q statistic and the I2 statistics will be used to analyse statistical heterogeneity between studies. If included studies show high levels of homogeneity, a random effects meta-analysis will be performed using R statistical software. Ethics and dissemination This will be a review of existing studies and will not require ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and presented at local and international conferences. An emerging patient management dilemma is that of the increased incidence of CVD in people living with HIV on HAART. This review may inform treatment and cardiovascular risk stratification of HIV-infected patients at increased risk of developing CVD. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017062393.
Low back strengthening for the prevention and treatment of low back pain.

PURPOSE Chronic low back pain (CLBP) remains one of the most difficult and costly medical problems in the industrialized world. A review of nineteenth and early twentieth century spine rehabilitation shows that back disorders were commonly treated with aggressive and specific progressive resistance exercise (PRE). Despite a lack of scientific evidence to support their efficacy, therapeutic approaches to back rehabilitation over the past 30 yr have focused primarily upon passive care for symptom relief. Recent spine rehabilitation programs have returned to active reconditioning PRE centered around low back strengthening to restore normal musculoskeletal function. Research has shown that lumbar extension exercise using PRE significantly increases strength and decreases pain in CLBP patients. It appears that isolated lumbar extension exercise with the pelvis stabilized using specialized equipment elicits the most favorable improvements in low back strength, muscle cross-sectional area, and vertebral bone mineral density (BMD). These improvements occur with a low training volume of 1 set of 8 to 15 repetitions performed to volitional fatigue one time per week. CLBP patients participating in isolated lumbar extension PRE programs demonstrate significant reductions in pain and symptoms associated with improved muscle strength, endurance, and joint mobility. Improvements occur independent of diagnosis, are long-lasting, and appear to result in less re-utilization of the health care system than other more passive treatments. Low back strengthening shows promise for the reduction of industrial back injuries and associated costs.
Relationship Between Earnings and Cash Flow in Estimating Cash Flows: Evidence from Listed Nigerian Banks

This study examines the relationship between earnings and cash flow in estimating future cash flows of firms in Nigeria. The source of data collection is secondary data source which comprises of twenty-one (21) commercial banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange for the period of 2004-2013. The Ordinary Least Square technique was used in testing the hypothesis. The result of the analysis found a positive and significant relationship among future cash flows, past earnings, traditional measure of cash flows and current working capital of the observed firms. It was found that the obtained models were statistical adequate in estimating future cash flow of the firms. Hence, it was recommended among others that the regulatory authorities of accounting and capital market operations in Nigeria should encourage companies to set-up a cash flow system that will encourage the investing public to avail themselves of financial risk capable of jeopardizing their investment. This is expected to detail information on the financial performance of the company to enable investors make effective investment decisions.
New Growth of Axons in the Cochlear Nucleus of Adult Chinchillas after Acoustic Trauma

This study determined the effect of acoustic overstimulation of the adult cochlea on axons in the cochlear nucleus. Chinchillas were exposed to an octave-band noise centered at 4 kHz at 108 dB sound pressure level for 1.75 h. One chinchilla was never exposed to the noise, and several others had one ear protected by an ear plug or prior removal of the malleus and incus. Exposure of unprotected ears caused loss of inner and outer hair cells and myelinated nerve fibers, mostly in the basal half of the cochlea. Cochlear nerve fiber degeneration, ipsilateral to the exposed ears, was traced to regions of the cochlear nucleus representing the damaged parts of the cochlea. In silver impregnations of a deafferented zone in the posteroventral cochlear nucleus, the concentration of axons decreased by 43% after 1 month and by 54% after 2 months. However, by 8 months, the concentration of thinner axons, with diameters of less than 0.46 microm, increased by 46-90% over that at 2 months. The concentration of axons with larger diameters did not change. Between 2 and 8 months small axonal endings appeared next to neuronal cell bodies. This later increase of thinner axons and endings is consistent with a reactive growth of new axons of relatively small diameter. The emergence of small perisomatic boutons suggests that the new axons formed synaptic endings, which might contribute to an abnormal reorganization of the central auditory system and to the pathological changes that accompany acoustic overstimulation.
Use of Spoligotyping To Study the Evolution of the Direct Repeat Locus by IS6110 Transposition inMycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Based on the variability of 43 spacers within the direct repeat (DR) locus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms, spoligotyping is a rapid method that aids in the study of the epidemiology of tuberculosis. It was recently hypothesized that despite its presence in the DR locus, spacer 31 could not be amplified inM. tuberculosis clinical isolates belonging to spoligotype 50 due to the insertion of an extra copy of IS6110 between spacers 31 and 32 that could lead to an asymmetrical split of the primer targets (I. Filliol, C. Sola, and N. Rastogi, J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:1231–1234, 2000). In the present investigation, previous observations were extended to 25 clinical isolates of type 50 showing that the primer set IS6-DRb that selectively amplified the left and central DR regions was indeed able to demonstrate the presence of spacer 31. IS6110-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DR-RFLP showed that type 50 isolates were characterized by the presence of two copies of IS6110 associated with the DR locus and an additional double IS6110 band of 1.4 kb. The primer set IS3-IS6 was then used to selectively amplify a 750-bp inter-IS6110 fragment within the DR locus. The sequencing of the central DR region corroborated our previous findings and showed that the absence of spacer 31 among the type 50 isolates was due to the asymmetric insertion of an extra copy of IS6110 between spacers 31 and 32, leading to an unequal split of the DRa-DRb target into two portions, of 6 and 30 bp, respectively. These results show that the DR locus constitutes an ideal IS6110 preferential locus (ipl), permitting the insertion of two or more copies of IS6110, and provide new clues for epidemiological and phylogenetic interpretation of changes in IS6110-RFLP and spoligotyping profiles.
The gene for Nijmegen breakage syndrome (V2) is not located on chromosome 11.

Ataxia telanglectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by oculocutaneous telangiectasia and cerebellar ataxia. Individuals with this disorder display immunological impairments, hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation, and a predisposition to cancer. There has been reported genetic heterogeneity in AT, which appeared to include four genetic complementation groups in classical AT - i.e., A, B/C, D, E - and two variants, so-called Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), V1 and V2. Among the four groups of classical AT, no significant differences in clinical appearance have been seen. Familial linkage analyses have produced evidence that genes for all four complementation groups in classical AT reside in a narrow region on chromosome 11q22-23. On the other hand, NBS patients have neither cerebellar ataxia nor telanglectasia but do display microcephaly and a developmental delay. However, patients share features with AT, such as high radiosensitivity, radioresistant DNA synthesis (RDS), and chromosome instability, suggesting that the same pathway (or part thereof) is impaired in both syndromes. The underlying gene for NBS has not yet been identified, and its location in the human genome is still unknown. 15 refs., 3 figs.
Enthalpy and Entropy of Hydration of Bovine Crystallins (*)

Transparency of the lens of the eye is the result of a short range order in the packing of crystallin molecules within the fiber cells. Short range order depends on crystallin-crystallin as well as water-crystallin interactions. Light scattering measurements can provide information on the hydration of crystallins. Light scattering intensities were obtained as a function of scattering angle, concentration, and temperature on dilute solutions of β, β, and fractions of bovine lens crystallins. The temperature dependence of the second virial coefficient was negative for the β crystallin fractions and positive for the fraction as well as that for α crystallin (Wang, X., and Bettelheim, F. A.(1989) Proteins Struct. Funct. Genet. 5, 166-169). The partial molar enthalpy values of the solutions were negative for the β crystallin fractions, indicating a tendency for homo- and heterodimer and -oligomer association. The enthalpy values were positive for the α and fractions. The negative values of the enthalpy of solutions differentiate the β crystallins from the other crystallins. The partial molar entropy values of solutions of β and fractions were identical, those of the oligomeric β fraction were higher, whereas those of α crystallin were a magnitude larger than those of the the smaller crystallin molecules.
Three-Dimensional CT Evaluation of Tunnel Positioning in ACL Reconstruction Using the Single Anteromedial Bundle Biological Augmentation (SAMBBA) Technique

Background: Remnant preservation may confer important advantages in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)–reconstructed knee. However, the presence of a large remnant may obscure visualization and impair the ability to correctly place tunnels during surgery. Purpose: To determine whether tunnel placement during anatomic ACL reconstruction using the single anteromedial bundle biological augmentation (SAMBBA) technique is consistent and precise when a large native remnant is preserved. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Included in this study were 99 patients undergoing an ACL reconstruction during which at least 50% of the native ACL was preserved. The femoral tunnel was created using an outside-in specific guide. The tibial tunnel was positioned in the anteromedial region of the ACL footprint, and the remnant was carefully preserved while drilling and passing the semitendinosus graft through it. Postoperatively, 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) was used to evaluate tunnel placement. The mean tunnel locations were calculated and the standard deviation was used to evaluate precision of positioning. Inter- and intrareader agreement were determined to assess reliability of evaluation of tunnel position. Results: The center of the femoral tunnel was positioned at a mean 19.4% (SD, 2%) of the depth of the notch and a mean 23.1% (SD, 3.5%) of the lateral wall height. The center of the tibial tunnel was positioned at a mean 36.3% (SD, 3.8%) of the anteroposterior length of the tibial plateau and at a mean 47.0% (SD, 2.7%) of the mediolateral width. The small standard deviations demonstrate that this technique allows precise tunnel placement. The tunnel positions achieved were consistent with previous anatomic studies of femoral and tibial anteromedial bundle insertion. Intra- and interobserver reliability were high. Conclusion: Three-dimensional CT evaluation demonstrated that despite the presence of a large remnant, placement of femoral and tibial tunnels for anatomic ACL reconstruction using the SAMBBA technique is consistent and precise.
Acceptance and denial: implications for people adapting to chronic illness: literature review.

AIM This paper reports an exploration of the terms acceptance and denial by exploring the literature, with the aim of understanding the implications of using these concepts to categorize people's responses to living with chronic illness. BACKGROUND People learning to live with a chronic illness or condition may be judged and labelled by others as being in denial, particularly when they do not adhere to prescribed treatment regimes. METHOD A literature search for the period between 1989 and 2003 was conducted using the electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, PSYCArticles, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Elite and Sociological Abstracts. Key terms used were 'acceptance and denial' and variations of such themes as 'chronic illness', 'disability', 'adjustment', 'illness discourse', 'medical discourse', 'illness experience', 'labelling', 'self' and 'identity'. DISCUSSION The theoretical background of the common constructs 'acceptance and denial' are discussed using the psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Kubler-Ross's work on death and dying. Healthcare professionals and lay people commonly refer to the terms acceptance and denial when describing a person's response to chronic illness. Those whose understanding of the illness experience relies on the acceptance-denial framework may not listen when people with chronic illness attempt to tell their own unique story of how they have experienced life with illness. Instead, their listening antennae may be focused on fitting aspects of the experience with stages of adjustment. When others use labels of acceptance and denial, people who are learning to live with a chronic illness may internalize these labels as reflections of the self. This may be most likely when the person using the label is perceived to have authority, such as a healthcare professional. The internalization of negative information associated with these labels may obstruct the reshaping of self-identity that is fundamental when making a transition to living well with chronic illness. CONCLUSION Healthcare professionals are urged to challenge the stage model of adjustment as a way of understanding the response to illness and to listen instead to the stories people tell. They are encouraged to privilege the person's experience as the basis for developing a sensitive, client-focussed response that takes into account the wider social context of people's lives as well as the medical aspects.
Bortezomib restores stroma‐mediated APO2L/TRAIL apoptosis resistance in multiple myeloma

Objectives: Hematopoietic stroma promotes resistance to immune control by APO2L/TRAIL in multiple myeloma (MM) cells in part by increasing synthesis of the anti‐apoptotic protein c‐FLIP. Here, we tested whether bortezomib can reverse the APO2L/TRAIL environmental mediated‐immune resistance (EM‐IR).
Tomography of Cells by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and Computer-assisted Three-dimensional Image Reconstruction: Localization of Cathepsin B in Tumor Cells Penetrating Collagen Gels In Vitro

We used the nondestructive procedures of confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with computer-assisted methods to visualize tumor cells in the process of penetrating collagen gels. Three independent sets of images were collected. The image information of all data sets was combined into one image, giving a three-dimensional (3D) impression at high light microscopic resolution and sensitivity. We collected information about the extracellular matrix using the reflection mode, the cell surface/morphology by staining with the fluorescent dye DiOC6(3), and the distribution of cathepsin B by Cy-3-labeled immunolocalization. The specific aim of our study was visualization of the spatial relationship of cell organelles as far as they contain the enzyme cathepsin B to cell morphology and motility in a 3D model of extracellular matrix. The majority of the enzyme was localized pericellularly, with no visible relationship to the direction of movement. However, substantial amounts also appeared in intramatrix pseudopodia and associated with the extracellular face of the plasma membane, which may be indicative either of secretion and/or epicellular activity. Our approach has general applicability to study of the spatial relationships of cell compartments and their possible reorganization over time. This could open new horizons in understanding cell structure and function.
A new method for encapsulating hydrophobic compounds within cationic polymeric nanoparticles

Here we present the newly developed “solvent exchange” method that overcomes the challenge of encapsulating hydrophobic compounds within nanoparticle of water soluble polymers. Our studies involved the model polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and the hydrophobic dye Nile red. We found that the minimum molecular weight of the polymer required for nanoparticle formation was 49 KDa. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM) studies revealed spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter ranging from 20 to 33 nm. Encapsulation efficiency was evaluated using UV spectroscopy and found to be around 94%. The nanocarriers were found to be highly stable; less than 2% of Nile red release from nanoparticles after the addition of NaCl. Nanoparticles containing Nile red were able to penetrate into glioma cells. The solvent exchange method was proved to be applicable for other model hydrophobic drug molecules including ketoprofen, ibuprofen and indomethacin, as well as other solvents.
Reliability Simulation and Circuit-Failure Analysis in Analog and Mixed-Signal Applications

In this paper, an effective and efficient methodology for reliability simulation is developed to bridge the gap between device-level reliability and that at product level. For the first time, reliability and circuit-failure behaviors under analog and mixed-signal operating conditions are simulated and analyzed with a high-speed Flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit developed in advanced CMOS technology. We demonstrate how the failure rate at circuit-level integrating multiple failure mechanisms is determined as a function of operating voltage and temperature. The results show that the dominant failure mechanism and failure rate could be changed by operating conditions. Based on the complete analysis of the ADC circuit operating under normal condition, negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is the predominant failure mechanism in normal analog and mixed-signal applications, and failure rate increases with the elevated temperature. The impact of NBTI on circuit performance is addressed in detail. Two different types of degradation caused by NBTI are investigated: output voltage degradation and delay. The simulation results are verified by the field data. After exploring the reliability behaviors, a design for reliability methodologies is proposed and classified into two categories: device and circuit levels. This paper shreds light for the circuit life estimation and further reliable design.
Frequency-downconversion and IF channel selection A-DQS sample-and-hold pair for two-step-channel-select low-IF receiver

A novel I/Q sample-and-hold (S/H) pair for a recently proposed two-step-channel-select low-IF receiver, which performs both IF-to-baseband frequency down-conversion and IF channel selection, will be presented. Both functions are mainly implemented through a controllable Analog-Double Quadrature Sampling (A-DQS) technique, which can effectively perform forward/backward frequency shifting through simple digital control. Thus, a new two-step channel selection method is proposed to significantly relax the front-end frequency synthesizer phase noise and locking time requirements, by partitioning the channel selection process from the FS to the proposed S/H pair. A prototype is designed in CADENCE/spl trade/ environment with 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS process parameters and adopting various circuit techniques for minimization of the image problem due to the I/Q mismatch.
Neuron deficit in the white matter and subplate in periventricular leukomalacia

The cellular basis of cognitive abnormalities in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is uncertain. One important possibility is that damage to white matter and subplate neurons that are critical to the formation of the cerebral cortex occurs in conjunction with oligodendrocyte and axonal injury in PVL. We tested the hypothesis that the overall density of neurons in the white matter and subplate region is significantly lower in PVL cases compared to non‐PVL controls.
Study on Bullwhip Effect in Supply Chain

Bullwhip effect is a typical complicated phenomenon arising from uncertainties in the supply chain.The bullwhip effect badly affects the enterprises even the whole country.It has been being noted and studied for many years.Decreasing the bullwhip effect in the supply chain is the key to achieving the supply chain management and an effective way to enhance the enterprise competitive advantage.Based on the basic concept and the harm of bullwhip effect,the causes of bullwhip effect are analyzed.At the end,the feasible countermeasures from different sources are discussed.