Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of treatment using interleukin‐2 in a patient with idiopathic CD4+ lymphopenia and Mycobacterium avium‐intracellulare

We present the case of a 39‐year‐old white man with a Myobacterium avium‐intracellulare pulmonary infection found to have a CD4+ count of 172 cells/mm3 and diagnosed subsequently with idiopathic CD4+ lymphopenia (ICL). After receiving clathromycin for 4 months with minimal improvement, the patient was started on pegylated subcutaneous interleukin (IL)‐2 at 600 000 units daily. Later, he received incrementally higher pegylated IL‐2 doses until he reached a maintenance dose 3 months later of 11 million units weekly divided into three equal doses. After 5 months of therapy, the patient's chronic cough resolved completely, sputum cultures became negative for Myobacterium avium‐intracellulare and the CD4+ T cell count increased to 553 cells/mm3. After 35 months of well‐tolerated IL‐2 treatments and no recurrence of any opportunistic infections, IL‐2 treatment was stopped. CD4+ counts 6 and 9 months after discontinuing IL‐2 treatment were 596 and 378 cells/mm3 respectively, and he remains asymptomatic. This report supports IL‐2 treatment for ICL‐associated opportunistic infections as a safe and potentially efficacious treatment option, especially when combined with more traditional treatment regimens.
Clinical diagnosis of MM2-type sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Background: No method for the clinical diagnosis of MM2-type sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) has been established except for pathologic examination. Objective: To identify a reliable marker for the clinical diagnosis of MM2-type sCJD. Methods: CSF, EEG, and neuroimaging studies were performed in eight patients with MM2-type sCJD confirmed by neuropathologic, genetic, and western blot analyses. Results: The eight cases were pathologically classified into the cortical (n = 2), thalamic (n = 5), and combined (corticothalamic) (n = 1) forms. The cortical form was characterized by late-onset, slowly progressive dementia, cortical hyperintensity signals on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of brain, and elevated levels of CSF 14-3-3 protein. The thalamic form showed various neurologic manifestations including dementia, ataxia, and pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs with onset at various ages and relatively long disease duration. Characteristic EEG and MRI abnormalities were almost absent. However, all four patients examined with cerebral blood flow (CBF) study using SPECT showed reduction of the CBF in the thalamus as well as the cerebral cortex. The combined form had features of both the cortical and the thalamic forms, showing cortical hyperintensity signals on DWI and hypometabolism of the thalamus on [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET. Conclusion: For the clinical diagnosis of MM2-type sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, cortical hyperintensity signals on diffusion-weighted MRI are useful for the cortical form and thalamic hypoperfusion or hypometabolism on cerebral blood flow SPECT or [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET for the thalamic form.
Long-lasting Capsicum baccatum ‘Organogenic callus’ formation

SummaryCapsicum regeneration is often obtained through direct (adventious) regeneration and only a few reports claim indirect regeneration (through callus) as an option to obtain complete plants. A possible reason for this may be because Capsicum cultures offer a narrow window in time for the regeneration process to occur, and after that, the ability to regenerate plants rapidly diminishes. In this study, the C. baccatum radicle-side half-seed was the explant of choice to induce the formation of callus on semisolid Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 5 mgl−1 (22.2μM) 6-benzylaminopurine, 1 mgl−1 (5.7μM) indole-3-acetic acid, and 2 mgl−1 (6.1μM) gibberellic acid. Organogenic calluses developed within 4–5 mo. and were subcultured every 2 mo. thereafter. Eventual bud elongation occurred and these shoots developed into complete plants after transfer to medium without plant growth regulators. The organogenic callus type retained its organogenic ability for more than 3 yr.
Approximate nonparametric corrected‐score method for joint modeling of survival and longitudinal data measured with error

We consider the problem of jointly modeling survival time and longitudinal data subject to measurement error. The survival times are modeled through the proportional hazards model and a random effects model is assumed for the longitudinal covariate process. Under this framework, we propose an approximate nonparametric corrected‐score estimator for the parameter, which describes the association between the time‐to‐event and the longitudinal covariate. The term nonparametric refers to the fact that assumptions regarding the distribution of the random effects and that of the measurement error are unnecessary. The finite sample size performance of the approximate nonparametric corrected‐score estimator is examined through simulation studies and its asymptotic properties are also developed. Furthermore, the proposed estimator and some existing estimators are applied to real data from an AIDS clinical trial.
Predictors of Internalizing Symptoms Among Very Low Birth Weight Young Women

ABSTRACT. As part of a longitudinal study of the outcomes of very low birth weight children (<1.5 kg), we sought to examine the perinatal, childhood, and young adult predictors of internalizing symptoms among very low birth weight young women and their normal birth weight controls. The cohort included 125 very low birth weight and 124 normal birth weight 20-year-old subjects. Perinatal, childhood, and young adult predictors were examined via stepwise multivariate analyses. Results revealed very low birth weight to be a significant predictor of parent-reported internalizing symptoms of their daughters but only among white subjects who had mothers with high levels of psychological distress. Additional significant predictors of 20-year internalizing symptoms included child I.Q. and internalizing symptoms at age 8 years and family expressiveness. When the results were analyzed according to the young adult self-report, additional predictors of internalizing symptoms included a history of asthma and exposure to violence. Perinatal risk factors were not found to be predictive of internalizing symptoms at age 20 years. Future studies should prospectively examine social and environmental factors associated with the neonatal intensive care experience that might explain the effect of very low birth weight on later psychopathology.
Within-session mood changes from TMS in depressed patients.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation has become an increasingly well studied tool in neuropsychiatry. It has been applied in neurophysiology and as a treatment modality in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Regarding the treatment of major depressive disorder, several meta-analyses of a number of randomized sham-controlled trials using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), 1–6 have produced a significant body of evidence supporting its efficacy. Target areas of repetitive TMS in the treatment of mood disorders are the left and the right prefrontal cortex. The selection of these areas is based on evidence from neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies that suggest that prefrontal cortical areas show significant abnormalities in mood disorders. 7–10 During treatment with TMS, magnetic pulses are applied to the scalp. These pulses induce an electrical current in the underlying cortical tissue which results in depolarization of cortical neurons. Indirectly TMS also has effects on related cortical and subcortical areas as evidenced by studies of the motor cortex. 11,12 TMS studies regarding mood disorders have focused largely on depressed patients during a course of TMS, which usually consists of multiple treatment sessions conducted over several weeks. In contrast, studies regarding immediate effects of TMS on mood and on neural networks have mostly assessed healthy subjects. Reasons for studying healthy subjects rather than depressed patients include concerns about symptom heterogeneity in depression and the impact of psychotropic medications. 13,14
Design and implementation of a bidirectional SEPIC-Zeta DC-DC Converter

Bidirectional DC-DC converters are used in many applications when bidirectional energy transfer between two DC buses is needed. This paper presents a bidirectional dc-dc converter with coupled inductor. High voltage conversion ratio is achieved and the leakage-inductor energy is recycled in both discharge mode and charge mode. Also, the switch voltage stress is reduced by the clamping circuit to achieve high efficiency in the proposed converter. An experimental circuit is implemented to verify the feasibility. The conversion efficiency can achieve 94.3% in discharge mode and 92.6% in charge mode.
Artificial reproduction of neotropical fish: Extrusion or natural spawning?

In captive conditions, most neotropical migratory species do not have the necessary incentive to complete gonadal maturation and spawning, which require induction techniques, usually with the use of hormones. Numerous studies have therefore focused on finding an effective hormonal treatment to induce reproduction for each species. A standard treatment was successfully developed for most of these species, which consists of two doses of Carp Pituitary Extract (CPE), totaling 5.5 mgCPE/kg of fish. However, the best strategy for the subsequent fertilization of gametes is still unclear. This study was conducted with five species of commercial interest that do not reproduce naturally in captivity: pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus, piracanjuba Brycon orbignyanus, curimbata Prochilodus lineatus, dourado Salminus brasiliensis and piau? u Leporinus macrocephalus. Ninety-nine broodstocks were used, consisting of males and females of the five species to compare two techniques for spawning and fertilization: extrusion followed by the dry method and natural spawning. All fish were induced with two hormone doses, i.e., 0.5 and 5.0 mgCPE/kg, and were subjected to one of the two types of fertilization. The results were compared using the fertilization rate, number of oocytes produced, relative fecundity and the broodstocks' survival rate on days following spawning. All species responded positively to spawning for extrusion, and only S. brasiliensis did not spawn through the natural spawning method. The natural spawning technique provided a higher fertilization rate of eggs and a greater broodstock survival rate (P < 0.05) for all species, except S. brasiliensis. It was concluded that the natural spawning technique can increase the production of viable eggs and reduce the mortality of species during breeding, except for S. brasiliensis.
An overview of the CPRI specification and its application to C-RAN-based LTE scenarios

The CPRI specification has been introduced to enable the communication between radio equipment and radio equipment controllers, and is of particular interest for mobile operators willing to deploy their networks following the novel cloud radio access network approach. In such a case, CPRI provides an interface for the interconnection of remote radio heads with a baseband unit by means of the so-called fronthaul network. This article presents the CPRI specification, its concept, design, and interfaces, provides a use case for fronthaul dimensioning in a realistic LTE scenario, and proposes some interesting open research challenges in the next-generation 5G mobile network.
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: pathobiology, current treatment and future directions

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is the most devastating form of stroke. Many pathological mechanisms ensue after cerebral aneurysm rupture, including hydrocephalus, apoptosis of endothelial cells and neurons, cerebral edema, loss of blood–brain barrier, abnormal cerebral autoregulation, microthrombosis, cortical spreading depolarization and macrovascular vasospasm. Although studied extensively through experimental and clinical trials, current treatment guidelines to prevent delayed cerebral ischemia is limited to oral nimodipine, maintenance of euvolemia, induction of hypertension if ischemic signs occur and endovascular therapy for patients with continued ischemia after induced hypertension. Future investigations will involve agents targeting vasodilation, anticoagulation, inhibition of apoptosis pathways, free radical neutralization, suppression of cortical spreading depolarization and attenuation of inflammation.
Depression in multiple sclerosis

Abstract Depressive disorders occur in up to 50% of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Prevalence estimates are generally 2–3-times higher than those of the general population. Myriad aetiologic factors may contribute to the aetiology of depression in MS including biological mechanisms (e.g. hippocampal microglial activation, lesion burden, regional atrophy), as well as the stressors, threats, and losses that accompany living with an unpredictable and often disabling disease. Some prominent risk factors for depression such as (younger) age, (female) sex, and family history of depression are less consistently associated with depression in MS than they are in the general population. Management of depression in MS has not been well studied, but available data on detection and treatment align with general principles of depression management. While the validity of standard measurement scales has often been questioned, available evidence suggests that standard scales provide valid ratings. Evidence for the effectiveness of depression treatments in MS is limited, but available evidence supports the effectiveness of standard treatment approaches, including both cognitive behavioural therapies and antidepressant medications.
Mitochondrial longevity in vitro: the retention of respiratory control.

Isolated mitochondria were maintained metabolically active and coupled, i.e., capable of respiratory control, for several hours at 25 degrees C. An increase in respiratory control generally occurred during the first 4-8 hr of incubation followed thereafter by a decline. Longevity is a dynamic function as evidenced by its dependency on substrate and cofactors, thiamine pyrophosphate, in particular. Magnesium was also essential to longevity; coenzyme A, bovine serum albumin, and reducing agents were not. The findings are discussed in terms of cytoplasmic-mitochondrial interrelationships and mitochondrial autonomy.
Convergence of Numerical Schemes to a Nonlinear Kinetic Model of Population Dynamics with Nonlocal Boundary Conditions

We examine existence and uniqueness of a global solution and some basic mathematical issues associated with the development of a numerical scheme for a model of a tumor-immune system interaction. The system consists of nonlinear transport equations with a bilinear operator like a Boltzmann type and with a nonlocal boundary condition. We construct a numerical scheme as a combination of a $S(t)$-operator semigroup associated with the continuous problem and $P^\Delta$ projection operator on the discrete space. The three estimates, (1) $L^\infty$ bound, (2) a uniform total variation bound, and (3) $L^1$ continuity in time of the approximate solution, are established with a self-contained treatment of the stability and convergence properties. Numerical calculations are reported.
Beneficial effect of hesperetin on cadmium induced oxidative stress in rats: an in vivo and in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES Cadmium (Cd) is ubiquitous in the environment and exposure through food and water as well as occupational sources can contribute to a well-defined spectrum of disease. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of hesperetin (Hp) in alleviating the Cd induced biochemical changes in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS During the experiment, male Wistar rats were injected with Cd 83 mg/kg day) subcutaneously alone or with oral administration of Hp 840 mg/kg day) for 21 days. RESULTS In Cd treated rats the levels of plasma lipid peroxidation (LPO) markers: thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) were significantly increased while the levels of plasma non-enzymatic antioxidants: reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamins C and E were significantly decreased in Cd administered rats. Administration of Hp along with Cd significantly decreased the level of LPO markers with elevation of non-enzymatic antioxidants in plasma. In vitro studies on the effect of Hp on scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*), 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+), superoxide anion (O*-), hydroxyl (OH*) radicals and reducing power also confirmed the free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of Hp. In addition to that, ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxyl toluene was used as the reference antioxidant radical scavenger compounds. Thus, the observed effects are due to the free radical scavenging and antioxidant potential of Hp. Interestingly, among the different concentrations, tested 50 microM of Hp showed the highest antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities when compared to other concentrations. CONCLUSIONS The result of these findings provides further evidence to the neutraceutical and pharmaceutical potentials of Hp.
Una metodología para la detección del perfil de un autor

Resumen En este articulo se presenta una metodologia para la deteccion del perfil de un autor usando los siguientes dos elementos: genero y edad. Para esto se parte de un conjunto de dialogos, escritos en dos idiomas: ingles y espanol, proporcionado para la competencia Author Profiling dentro del foro de evaluacion “Uncovering Plagiarism, Authorship, and Social Software Misuse” (PAN2013). Se utiliza conteos de caracteristicas lexicas, semanticas y sintacticas para generar un sistema de clasificacion de dos fases, el cual clasifica primero el genero y posteriormente la edad. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que, con la cantidad de datos disponibles, es posible caracterizar tanto la edad como el genero de un autor con una exactitud mayor al 50%. Sin embargo, estos valores podrian mejorarse al tener una mayor evidencia de informacion en los datos de entrenamiento.
Developing Common Metrics for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs): Lessons Learned

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research initiative, funded by the NIH Common Fund and offered through the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, developed more than 60 unique models for achieving the NIH goal of accelerating discoveries toward better public health. The variety of these models enabled participating academic centers to experiment with different approaches to fit their research environment. A central challenge related to the diversity of approaches is the ability to determine the success and contribution of each model. This paper describes the effort by the Evaluation Key Function Committee to develop and test a methodology for identifying a set of common metrics to assess the efficiency of clinical research processes and for pilot testing these processes for collecting and analyzing metrics. The project involved more than one‐fourth of all CTSAs and resulted in useful information regarding the challenges in developing common metrics, the complexity and costs of acquiring data for the metrics, and limitations on the utility of the metrics in assessing clinical research performance. The results of this process led to the identification of lessons learned and recommendations for development and use of common metrics to evaluate the CTSA effort.
Calculation of transient electric field of converter transformer under polarity reversal voltage

A state space finite element method is presented for the calculation of transient electric field in oil-immersed insulation system of converter transformer. Firstly, the state equation is derived based on the quasi-static electric field theory, combined with the given boundary value using the penalty method, which has a clear physical meaning. Secondly, the state equation is solved in a fine integration method. The validation of method is verified by means of a model, in which the analytic solution of transient electric field can be gotten. At last, the transient electric field is calculated of a practical converter transformer under polarity reversal voltage.
Essential involvement of cross‐talk between IFN‐γ and TNF‐α in CXCL10 production in human THP‐1 monocytes

Interferon (IFN)‐γ‐induced protein 10 (IP‐10/CXCL10), a CXC chemokine, has been documented in several inflammatory and autoimmune disorders including atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma. Although CXCL10 could be induced by IFN‐γ depending on cell type, the mechanisms regulating CXCL10 production following treatment with combination of IFN‐γ and TNF‐α have not been adequately elucidated in human monocytes. In this study, we showed that TNF‐α had more potential than IFN‐γ to induce CXCL10 production in THP‐1 monocytes. Furthermore, IFN‐γ synergistically enhanced the production of CXCL10 in parallel with the activation of NF‐κB in TNF‐α‐stimulated THP‐1 cells. Blockage of STAT1 or NF‐κB suppressed CXCL10 production. JAKs inhibitors suppressed IFN‐γ plus TNF‐α‐induced production of CXCL10 in parallel with activation of STAT1 and NF‐κB, while ERK inhibitor suppressed production of CXCL10 as well as activation of NF‐κB, but not that of STAT1. IFN‐γ‐induced phosphorylation of JAK1 and JAK2, whereas TNF‐α induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Interestingly, IFN‐γ alone had no effect on phosphorylation and degradation of IκB‐α, whereas it significantly promoted TNF‐α‐induced phosphorylation and degradation of IκB‐α. These results suggest that TNF‐α induces CXCL10 production by activating NF‐κB through ERK and that IFN‐γ induces CXCL10 production by increasing the activation of STAT1 through JAKs pathways. Of note, TNF‐α‐induced NF‐κB may be the primary pathway contributing to CXCL10 production in THP‐1 cells. IFN‐γ potentiates TNF‐α‐induced CXCL10 production in THP‐1 cells by increasing the activation of STAT1 and NF‐κB through JAK1 and JAK2. J. Cell. Physiol. 220: 690–697, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
224 n Project : Natural Language Learning Supports Reinforcement Learning

Deep learning systems have recently achieved near human level performance on game playing. However, they require a much larger amount of data to achieve this than humans do, and often (though not always) still perform worse than humans. One factor that may account for this is the richer feedback humans receive, in particular we often receive a great deal of natural language instruction when learning tasks. In this paper, we explore providing auxiliary natural language instruction to a network in the simple game context of tic-tac-toe, and show that it accelerates learning.