Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gene Transfer to the Thymus A Means of Abrogating the Immune Response to Recombinant Adenovirus

ObjectiveThe authors investigated whether adenoviral gene transfer to the thymus could be accomplished in vivo and whether immunologic unresponsiveness to recombinant adenovirus could be induced by intrathymic inoculation. Summary Background DataA major barrier to the clinical application of adenovirus-mediated gene therapy for diseases requiring long-lasting gene expression is the immunogenicity of adenoviral vectors, which limits the duration of its effects. In other experimental models, intrathymic inoculation of foreign proteins or cells has proven to be an effective means to induce immunologic tolerance. MethodsThe efficiency of gene transfer to the mouse thymus after direct inoculation of recombinant adenovirus was compared with that of several other vectors. Animals inoculated with adenovirus-infected pancreatic islets into the thymus were tested for unresponsiveness to the virus with a subsequent challenge of adenovirus administered into the liver by intravenous injection. ResultsAdenovirus accomplished highly efficient gene transfer to the thymus, unlike plasmid DNA, DNA-liposome complexes, retrovirus, and adeno-associated virus. Adenoviral transgene expression was transient in the thymus of immunocompetent mice but persistent in CD8+ T-cell-deficient and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, implicating the role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in viral clearance. Intrathymic transplantation of syngeneic pancreatic islet cells infected with adenovirus impaired the normal antiviral cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response and prolonged hepatic transgene expression after an intravenous challenge with adenovirus. ConclusionsRecombinant adenovirus accomplishes highly efficient gene transfer to the thymus in vivo. Intrathymic inoculation of adenovirus-infected islets can be used to induce immunologic unresponsiveness to the adenoviral vector and, potentially, to other proteins that it might be engineered to encode.
Narrow pass-band and narrow transmission-angle filter by photonic heterostructures containing negative-index materials

We propose a type of photonic heterostructure by combining two one dimensional (1D) defective photonic crystals (PCs) containing negative-index materials (NIMs). It is demonstrated by transfer matrix method that the proposed structure can achieve the integrated functions of narrow passband (NPB) frequency filtering and narrow transmission-angle (NTA) direction filtering. The key in designing such a structure is first to make the frequencies of the defect modes the same in the sub-PCs at a certain angle, and secondly to make the dispersion deviation of the defect modes as large as possible between the sub-PCs. This kind of structure is useful for medical sensing, and designing filters with the functions of NPB and NTA.
Epithelial cells secrete the chemokine interleukin-8 in response to bacterial entry

Bacterial invasion of mucosal surfaces results in a rapid influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The chemotactic stimulus responsible for this response is not known. Since epithelial cells are among the first cells entered by many enteric pathogens, we investigated the ability of epithelial cells to provide an early signal for the mucosal inflammatory response through the release of chemotactic cytokines. As shown herein, the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent chemoattractant and activator of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, was secreted by intestinal and cervical epithelial cells in response to bacterial entry. Moreover, a variety of different bacteria, including those that remain inside phagosomal vacuoles, e.g., Salmonella spp. , and those that enter the cytoplasm, e.g., Listeria monocytogenes, stimulated this response. Increased IL-8 mRNA levels could be detected within 90 min after infection. Neither bacterial lipopolysaccharide nor noninvasive bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium, induced an IL-8 response. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is known to be expressed by some epithelial cells, was not detected in the culture supernatants after bacterial entry, and addition of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibodies had no effect on the IL-8 response following bacterial entry. These data suggest the novel concept that epithelial cells serve as an early signaling system to host immune and inflammatory cells in the underlying mucosa following bacterial entry.
Does one hour of bright or short-wavelength filtered tablet screenlight have a meaningful effect on adolescents’ pre-bedtime alertness, sleep, and daytime functioning?

Electronic media use is prevalent among adolescent populations, as is the frequency of sleeplessness. One mechanism proposed for technology affecting adolescents’ sleep is the alerting effects from bright screens. Two explanations are provided. First, screens emit significant amounts of short-wavelength light (i.e. blue), which produces acute alertness and alters sleep timing. Second, later chronotypes are hypothesised to be hypersensitive to evening light. This study analysed the pre-sleep alertness (GO/NOGO task speed, accuracy; subjective sleepiness), sleep (sleep diary, polysomnography), and morning functioning of 16 healthy adolescents (M = 17.4 ± 1.9 yrs, 56% f) who used a bright tablet screen (80 lux), dim screen (1 lux) and a filtered short-wavelength screen (f.lux; 50 lux) for 1 hr before their usual bedtime in a within-subjects protocol. Chronotype was analysed as a continuous between-subjects factor; however, no significant interactions occurred. Significant effects occurred between bright and dim screens for GO/NOGO speed and accuracy. However, the magnitude of these differences was small (e.g. GO/NOGO speed = 23 ms, accuracy = 13%), suggesting minimal clinical significance. No significant effects were found for sleep onset latency, slow-rolling eye movements, or the number of SWS and REM minutes in the first two sleep cycles. Future independent studies are needed to test short (1 hr) vs longer (>2 hrs) screen usage to provide evidence for safe-to-harmful levels of screenlight exposure before adolescents’ usual bedtime.
Persistent elevation of C-reactive protein and ischemic heart disease in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We evaluated the association between a persistent elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the presence or severity of ischemic heart disease (IHD) in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Seventy-three patients, who were over 40 years old, underwent dipyridamole thallium single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and followed-up for more than 1 year were enrolled. We measured stored plasma for CRP every 3 months. Elevation of CRP was defined as greater than or equal to 5 mg/L and persistent elevation of CRP as elevated CRP levels that lasted longer than 6 months. Serum albumin, cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), and plasma fibrinogen were measured at 3 months after the start of CAPD. Twenty-six patients showed an elevation of CRP for more than 6 months during the follow-up period. Twenty-eight patients showed positive findings on thallium SPECT. Coronary angiography showed significant stenosis (narrowing of the diameter more than 50%) in 23 of the 25 patients studied. Seventeen (65%) of 26 patients who had an elevated CRP level for longer than 6 months had positive thallium SPECT. The presence of diabetes, albumin, fibrinogen, and the presence of a persistent elevation of CRP were different between the patients with positive (n = 28) or negative thallium SPECT (n = 45). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a persistent elevation of CRP is the only predictor of positive thallium SPECT (P = 0.002). There was a tendency of association, although it was not statistically significant, between the persistence of CRP elevation and the severity of IHD (P = 0.066). Three of 9 patients who had a persistent elevation of CRP and a negative thallium SPECT had a history of cerebral infarction or peripheral vascular disease. Therefore, 77% (20/26) of an elevated CRP level that lasted longer than 6 months can be explained by the presence of IHD or other atherosclerotic vascular disease. In conclusion, a persistent elevation of CRP level in patients with CAPD was strongly associated with IHD. For patients who have a persistent elevation of CRP without an apparent cause, we recommend a workup for IHD or other atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Sectoral Effects of Higher Costs of Imported Inputs/Sektorale Auswirkungen höherer Aufwendungen für importierte Inputs

The oil-price shocks of 1973/74 and 1979/80 had a strong stagflationary impact on the oil-importing countries throughout the world. The first shock made economists search for an explanation of this phenomenon. Benavie (1978), Bruno and Sachs (1979), Findlay and Rodriguez (1977), Herberg (1976), (1980), (1981) and Schmid (1976), (1980) have been among those studying the consequences of an oil-price increase using simple macroeconomic general-equilibrium models. It is by now well understood that higher prices for oil or any other important raw material have two interrelated basic effects on the importing countries: (i) As production costs rise domestic supply prices are pushed up. (ii) As the terms-of-trade vis-à-vis oil deteriorate the share of oil imports in the total real value of domestic production increases thus inducing a real income transfer from the oil-importing countries to the oil-exporting countries. Combined these effects can be expected to lead, under fixed as well as flexible exchange rates, to inflation-cum-recession in the oil-importing countries. (For a detailed analysis see, e.g., Herberg (1980, 1981) or Schmid (1980)) The studies mentioned, except Benavie's, are based on models with only one domestic product. Thus they cannot answer the question whether or not in spite of the overall recessionary effects some sectors of an oil-importing economy can possibly expand output and employment. There is, of course, the trivial case of domestic oil production or of sectors turning out oil-substitutes like coal, lignite
Board independence and the efficacy of social reporting

ABSTRACT The recent decade of scandals, financial crisis, and loss in moral values questioned the soundness of firms' governance structure and held them more accountable to their societies. This put corporate boards under increased pressure to acknowledge their monitoring needs and respond to societal obligations. This paper offers a deepened understanding of the CSR-firm welfare relationship by suggesting its reliance on the participation of independent directors on corporate boards. Our findings show that higher board independence increases social disclosures. We also show that the effect of social disclosure on the firm's risk and performance is favorably affected by the participation of independent directors on corporate boards. Accordingly, we demonstrate that board independence not only facilitates firms' CSR reporting, but also positively influences the CSR-firm performance association. Board independence enhances the efficacy of CSR reporting by elevating the reliability of the disclosed informati.
Isolation of Prokaryotic VoVl-ATPase from a Thermophilic Eubacterium Thermus thermophilus*

The soluble ATPase purified from an aerobic thermo- philic eubacterium, Thermus thermophilus, was not a usual F,-ATPase but a Vl-ATPase, a peripheral section of plasma membrane V-type ATPase (Yokoyama, K., Oshima, T., and Yoshida, M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 21946-21950). Here, we report the purification of V-type ATPase from the same bacterium (V,V,-ATPase) which consists of VI-ATPase and a membrane-integrated sec- tion, V,. The VoVl-ATPase, either in the Triton X-100-solu-bilized membrane fraction or in the purified state, mi- grates as a single band in a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for membrane protein complexes, and eight kinds of polypeptides are found when this band is developed in a second dimension de-naturing gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The 66-, 56-, 30-, and 12-kDa polypeptides are the subunits of Vl-ATPase and the loo-, 38-, 24-, and 13-kDa polypeptides vesicles were collected by centrifugation, and was suspended in 500 pl of 0.5 M sucrose and 2.5 m~ MgSO,. Then, 50 pl of K+-loaded V, vesicles were suspended in 2.5 ml (a final volume) of 4 p~ 9-aminoacridine, 0.25 M sucrose, 2.5 m MgSO,, 10 m~ Tricine-Na, pH 7.5. Assays of H channel activity was started by the addition of 10 ng of valinomycin. The fluorescence change was monitored with PTL 396s (Jasco) fluorometer using the wavelength of 365 nm for excitation and 451 nm for emission. The medium in the quartz cuvette was maintained at 30 "C by circulating water. electrophoresis, were electrophoretically polyvinylidene difluoride The were Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 and cut fmm the membrane, and were analyzed an Applied Biosystems 470 Sequencer
Enhanced neural response to anticipation, effort and consummation of reward and aversion during bupropion treatment

Background We have previously shown that the selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, reduces the neural response to reward and aversion in healthy volunteers. We suggest that this inhibitory effect might underlie the emotional blunting reported by patients on these medications. Bupropion is a dopaminergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor and has been suggested to have more therapeutic effects on reward-related deficits. However, how bupropion affects the neural responses to reward and aversion is unclear. Method Seventeen healthy volunteers (9 female, 8 male) received 7 days bupropion (150 mg/day) and 7 days placebo treatment, in a double-blind crossover design. Our functional magnetic resonance imaging task consisted of three phases; an anticipatory phase (pleasant or unpleasant cue), an effort phase (button presses to achieve a pleasant taste or to avoid an unpleasant taste) and a consummatory phase (pleasant or unpleasant tastes). Volunteers also rated wanting, pleasantness and intensity of the tastes. Results Relative to placebo, bupropion increased activity during the anticipation phase in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and caudate. During the effort phase, bupropion increased activity in the vmPFC, striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and primary motor cortex. Bupropion also increased medial orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and ventral striatum activity during the consummatory phase. Conclusions Our results are the first to show that bupropion can increase neural responses during the anticipation, effort and consummation of rewarding and aversive stimuli. This supports the notion that bupropion might be beneficial for depressed patients with reward-related deficits and blunted affect.
Definition and significance of polycystic ovaries.

Defining the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has challenged clinicians for many years. The clinical, hormonal and morphological definitions of PCOS have their own limitations and do not correspond exactly. Clinically, PCOS can be schematically divided into three components, i.e. hyperandrogenic, anovulatory and dysmetabolic. No one is specific for the syndrome. Hormonally, PCOS has recently been defined by the GnRH agonist test as a functional abnormality in ovarian androgen synthesis. This functional ovarian hyperandrogenism seems closely linked to hyperinsulinism secondary to an insulin resistance. Morphologically, ovarian ultrasonography has emerged in the last decade or so as a new diagnostic tool. However, the sonographic definition of the polycystic ovary (PCO) is controversial, mainly because of a lack of consensus about normative data. The aim of this review is to present the diagnostic dilemma in the diagnosis of PCOS and to discuss the prognostic significance of the PCO.
Practitioner Perspectives of the Economic Coping Experiences of Women of Domestic Violence Abuse

Through this case study the author investigates women's coping experiences with economic challenges in the spectrum of domestic violence abuse. Women of abuse cope with financial difficulties compounded by other ecologically contributing factors. Eight non-abused, social service practitioners from four different agencies, two providers per agency, described the economic coping experiences of women of abuse they serve. Comprehensive and interdisciplinary care is necessary to meet women's multifaceted, complex economic needs. Study results corroborate with research. Service delivery of care for women of abuse coping with family, schooling, and economic hardships are enhanced through schools and service agencies working together, collaborating networking, and sharing of resources in order to better advocate for women and children.
Long-term metabolic effects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy in type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and intensive multiple daily insulin injections (iMDI) program are treatment options in patients with type 1 diabetes not achieving optimal glycemic control. The long-term effects of CSII in patients with type 1 diabetes in comparison with those educated for iMDI are poorly documented. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Medical records for patients commenced on CSII or undertaking an iMDI program between 2000 and 2011 were extracted. Change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), hypoglycemia, and weight were analyzed. Prior to CSII or iMDI commencement, all patients were on basal bolus analog insulin. Data from blood glucose meter downloads before and 6 months after CSII and iMDI were also analyzed. RESULTS One hundred twenty-six CSII and 121 iMDI patients were studied, with mean (±SD) follow-up of 39±26 and 48±26 months, respectively. For CSII, HbA1c was significantly lower than baseline at every time period up to 36 months. Peak HbA1c reduction was 0.64% at 6 months, following which the HbA1c change declined. For iMDI, HbA1c was significantly reduced only at 6 months, by 0.15%. Glucose meter data were available for 119 patients. CSII-treated patients had a significant decrease in mean glucose and glucose SD with no change hypoglycemia at 6 months compared with baseline; no differences were observed for iMDI-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS CSII in type 1 diabetes is associated with improved glycemic control with no increase in hypoglycemia. HbA1c improvement declined over time, suggesting a need for re-education after CSII commencement. The iMDI program did not have significant glycemic benefits.
Text-Mining in Streams of Textual Data Using Time Series Applied to Stock Market

Each day, a lot of text data is generated. This data comes from various sources and may contain valuable information. In this article, we use text mining methods to discover if there is a connection between news articles and changes of the S&P 500 stock index. The index values and documents were divided into time windows according to the direction of the index value changes. We achieved a classification accuracy of 65–74 %.
Additive Interactions between Propofol and Ketamine When Used for Anesthesia Induction in Female Patients

Background Propofol and ketamine may be paired for anesthesia induction and for total intravenous anesthesia. The nature of any sedative interactions occurring between propofol and ketamine are unknown. The combination when used for anesthesia induction in female patients was studied. Methods Quantal dose‐response curves were determined in 180 female patients to whom the drugs were administered individually and in combination. Two minutes after administering the drugs, two endpoints were assessed. First, loss of response to verbal command (hypnosis) and then, in those who failed to respond to this endpoint, loss of response to a 5‐s transcutaneous tetanus (anesthesia). Interactions were analyzed by fitting the data to a mathematical model in which response was analyzed in terms of the doses of the two drugs and an additional term included to describe nonadditive interactions. The incidences of apnea, arterial pressure, and heart rate changes during the first 5 min were recorded. Results At the hypnotic endpoint, the ED50 S were 1.10 mg/kg propofol (95% CIs 0.93–1.27), 0.39 mg/kg ketamine (95% CIs 0.27–0.46), and the combination of 0.63 mg/kg propofol and 0.21 mg/kg ketamine (95% CIs 0.53/0.18–0.73/0.24). At the anesthetic endpoint, the ED50 S were 1.85 mg/kg propofol (95% CIs 1.58–2.36), 0.66 mg/kg ketamine (95% CIs 0.58–0.77), and the combination of 1.05 mg/kg propofol and 0.35 mg/kg ketamine (95% CIs 0.88/0.29–1.27/0.42). The effects were additive at both endpoints; there was no evidence of an interaction. The ED50 S for apnea were 1.61 mg/kg propofol (95% CIs 1.39–1.94), greater than 0.85 mg/kg ketamine and for the combination 1.50 mg/kg propofol and 0.50 mg/kg ketamine (95% CIs 1.15/0.38–3.09/1.03). The addition of ketamine did not significantly alter the ED50 for apnea of propofol. There was a significant difference in the arterial pressures among the three groups (P < 0.001). Using the combination, the cardiostimulant effects of ketamine balanced the cardiodepressant effects of propofol. There was no change in arterial pressure or heart rate after the noxious stimulus. Conclusions When using the combination, doses were additive at hypnotic and anesthetic endpoints. Ketamine had no influence on the incidence of apnea after propofol, and the net hemodynamic effects were minimal.
The barbary macaque.

Even though the macaques are one of the most studied of primate groups, the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus L.), has been relatively neglected. The macaque of Gibraltar has been known for long, but, there has been little scientific interest in them despite their proximity to Europe. The earliest mention of the macaque in the wild goes back to ancient times, yet the first serious systematic study of the animal’s behaviour and ecology was only carried out less than a decade ago (Deag, 1974).
Treating Dementia Patients With Vascular Lesions With Donepezil: A Preliminary Analysis

Sixteen patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 15 patients with vascular dementia (VaD) associated with subcortical white matter lesions or subcortical cardiovascular accidents (CVAs) were treated with donepezil for 16 weeks. Within-group analyses for the AD group revealed significant improvement on some tests of working memory, and marginal improvement on the Mini-Mental State Examination and on tests of immediate free recall from a serial list-learning task. Identical analyses for the VaD group revealed substantial gains on tests of working memory and delayed recognition memory. These data suggest that medication such as donepezil may act to improve the working memory deficits known to be associated with dementia patients with subcortical vascular lesions. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.