Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 Vaccine Design: What can we Learn from the Past?

This chapter is devoted to the topics of not yet marketed HSV vaccine, which is still in the focus of interest, especially from the point of immunotherapeutic use. To under‐ stand the principles of vaccination strategies (prophylactic and/or immunotherapeu‐ tic), the pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and/or HSV-2 infections in animal models is briefly outlined. Even when both herpesviruses may spread via bloodstream, which is especially true in the immunocompromised host, the main route of their transmission is along peripheral nerves. Both viruses establish latency in ganglion cells, and after reactivation, they spread along axons back to the site of primary infection. Since neither the establishment of latency nor its reactivation can be fully controlled by virus-neutralizing antibodies, the outcome of immune response greatly depends on the activity of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes. The majority of important antigenic epitopes is located in envelope glycoproteins (such as gB, gD, gE, gC and gG) that are related to virus adsorption and penetration into susceptible cells. The HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 experimental vaccines designed so far were either purified virion products derived from infected cells (subunit vaccines), purified recombinant immunogenic herpes simplex virus HSV-coded proteins (especially gD), and/or attenuated live viruses lacking some of virulence tools (such as gH and/or gE). We bring a comprehensive overview of the efficacy of experimental HSV-1/HSV-2 vaccines and discuss our own data. In conclusion, we believe in the continued demand of HSV-1 and HSV-2 vaccines, at least for their immunotherapeutic use, suggesting unified evalua‐ tion criteria for clinical trials to reach consent at their interpretation.
Projections from the substantia nigra pars reticulata to the motor thalamus of the rat: Single axon reconstructions and immunohistochemical study

This is a study in the rat of the distribution of specific neurotransmitters in neurones projecting from the substantia nigra reticulata (SNR) to the ventrolateral (VL) and ventromedial (VM) thalamic nuclei. Individual axons projecting from the SNR to these thalamic nuclei have also been reconstructed following small injection of the anterograde tracer dextran biotin into the the SNR. Analysis of reconstructions revealed two populations of SNR neurones projecting onto the VL and VM thalamic nuclei. One group projects directly onto the VM and VL, and the other projects to the VM/VL and to the parafascicular nucleus. In another set of experiments Fluoro‐Gold was injected into the VL/VM to label SNR projection neurones retrogradely, and immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), γ ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate in Fluoro‐Gold‐ labelled SNR projection neurones. Most SNR‐VL/VM thalamic projection neurones were immunoreactive to acetylcholine or glutamate, whereas only 25% of the projection neurones were found to be immunoreactive to GABA. J. Comp. Neurol. 440:20–30, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: clinical and pathological features and diagnostic approach

Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are mucin-producing neoplasms with a frequent papillary architecture that arise within the pancreatic ducts and are increasingly being recognised. Because they exhibit a spectrum of dysplasia ranging from low grade to high grade and may also have associated invasive carcinoma, and because they are clinically detectable, they are now intensively studied. There is marked overlap between IPMNs and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), such that the distinction between these two lesions is nearly impossible in certain cases. In addition, IPMNs sometimes can be confused with other primary cystic lesions of the pancreas. As a result, the correct diagnosis of IPMN can be challenging. This review addresses the clinical and pathological features of IPMNs, emphasising their diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis and biological behaviour. Problematic issues in the pathological evaluation of IPMNs are discussed.
Ischemic Postconditioning Attenuate Reperfusion Injury of Small Intestine: Impact of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition

Background Ischemic postconditioning (IPoC) modulates the reperfusion maneuver to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study aims to investigate the effects and protective mechanism of IPoC on intestinal I/R injury. Methods Intestinal I/R was induced by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min on male Wistar rats. IPoC was elicited by three cycles of 30-sec reperfusion and reocclusion of superior mesenteric artery at the initiation of reperfusion. Carboxyatractyloside (CATR), a mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opener, and N-methyl-4-isoleucine cyclosporine (NIM811), an mPTP inhibitor, were administered separately in selected groups. The serum and intestinal sections were collected for analysis. Results IPoC and the administration of NIM811 significantly diminished the expression of intestinal-type fatty acid-binding protein and lactate dehydrogenase (3427±236.8 U/L for I/R, 1190.5±36.7 U/L for IPoC, 1399.3±295.6 U/L for I/R+NIM811, and 2002±370.9 IU/L for IPoC+CATR) in portal blood, the release of cytosolic cytochrome c, and the cleaved caspase 9 expression in intestinal mucosa after intestinal I/R injury (P<0.05). Histopathologically, IPoC and NIM811 mitigated mucosal damage after I/R as well (Chiu’s score, 3.8±0.4 for I/R, 0.2±0.2 for IPoC, 0.4±0.2 for I/R+NIM811, and 4.2±0.2 for IPoC+CATR; apoptotic index, 59.5%±4.6% for I/R, 15.7%±15.7% for I/R+IPoC, 3.5%±3.5% for I/R+NIM811, and 67.1%±9.3% in IPoC+CATR). CATR negated the protection conferred by IPoC. Conclusions IPoC and NIM811 attenuate intestinal I/R injury. The addition of CATR negated the effects of IPoC, indicating that the protective mechanism of IPoC was associated with the modulation of mPTP opening.
The Innovation Type and Strategy Implemented by Chinese SMEs: Case Study of Manufacturing Industry in Shanghai

In China, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in economic development and social wealth in terms of GDP growth, employment creation and poverty alleviation. In the age of technology and information, innovation has been regarded as one of the most significant drivers for the growth and prosperity of SMEs. Therefore, it is necessary for SMEs to implement innovation strategy, which would help them to initiate new products, adopt new processes and increase their competitiveness. From this point of view, this study attempts to identify the innovation situation of Chinese SMEs with regard to innovation type as well as innovation strategy. The research data is collected through structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews from SMEs of manufacturing industry in Shanghai, China. According to the data results, process innovation and marketing innovation are adopted more frequently than product innovation and organizational innovation by Chinese SMEs. This study also demonstrates most SMEs in China implement free-riding strategy; some of them adopt niche strategy; and few SMEs practice cluster strategy. Although innovation is increasingly important for Chinese SMEs, their implementation of innovation strategy is not highly effective and successful.
Physical abuse during pregnancy and preterm delivery.

OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to assess the relationship between physical abuse during pregnancy and preterm delivery. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a hospital-based survey on physical abuse during pregnancy, which included 2660 women with consecutive live births. Women were interviewed and violence was assessed using the Abuse Assessment Screen. Data on sociodemographic, behavioral, and obstetric variables were also obtained. Mothers of preterm (<37 weeks; n = 217) were contrasted with mothers of term newborn infants (n = 2428). Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios. RESULTS Twenty-four percent of mothers of preterm newborn infants had experienced physical abuse during pregnancy compared with 8% of mothers of term newborn infants (P < .0001). Violence was associated with preterm birth even after controlling for age, marital status, education, income, parity, planned pregnancy, antenatal care, smoking, alcohol, and illicit drugs use (odds ratio = 3.14, 95% confidence interval, 2.00-4.93). CONCLUSION Women who have had physical abuse during pregnancy present a large increase in the risk of preterm delivery, independently from a large set of sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics usually recognized as determinants of preterm birth.
Effects of Grinding with Microcrystalline Cellulose and Cyclodextrins on the Ketoprofen Physicochemical Properties

Ground mixtures of ketoprofen (KETO) with native crystalline β-cyclodextrin, amorphous statistically substituted methyl-β-cyclodextrin, and microcrystalline cellulose were investigated for both solid phase characterization (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) powder X-ray diffractometry, and infrared (IR) spectrometry) and dissolution properties (dispersed amount and rotating disk methods) to evaluate the role of the carrier on the performance of the final product. The effects of different grinding conditions, partial sample dehydration, and 1 year storage at room temperature were also investigated. The results pointed out the importance of the carrier nature on the efficiency of the cogrinding process. Both cyclodextrins were much more effective than was microcrystalline cellulose, even though no true inclusion complex formation occurred by mechanochemical activation. The best results were obtained from ground mixtures with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, which showed the best amorphizing and solubilizing power toward the drug and permitted an increase of approximately 100 times its intrinsic dissolution rate constant, in comparison with the approximate 10 times increase obtained from ground mixtures with β-cyclodextrin.
Systemic Immunity Influences Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implantation

Hypothesis To determine whether a systemic immune response influences hearing thresholds and tissue response after cochlear implantation of hearing guinea pigs. Methods Guinea pigs were inoculated with sterile antigen (Keyhole limpet hemocyanin) 3 weeks before cochlear implantation. Pure-tone auditory brainstem response thresholds were performed before implantation and 1 and 4 weeks later. Dexamethasone phosphate 20% was adsorbed onto a hyaluronic acid carboxymethylcellulose sponge and was applied to the round window for 30 minutes before electrode insertion. Normal saline was used for controls. Cochlear histology was performed at 4 weeks after implantation to assess the tissue response to implantation. To control for the effect of keyhole limpet hemocyanin priming, a group of unprimed animals underwent cochlear implantation with a saline-soaked pledget applied to the round window. Results Keyhole limpet hemocyanin priming had no significant detrimental effect on thresholds without implantation. Thresholds were elevated after implantation across all frequencies tested (2–32 kHz) in primed animals but only at higher frequencies (4–32 kHz) in unprimed controls. In primed animals, dexamethasone treatment significantly reduced threshold shifts at 2 and 8 kHz. Keyhole limpet hemocyanin led to the more frequent observation of lymphocytes in the tissue response to the implant. Conclusion Systemic immune activation at the time of cochlear implantation broadened the range of frequencies experiencing elevated thresholds after implantation. Local dexamethasone provides partial protection against this hearing loss, but the degree and extent of protection are less compared to previous studies with unprimed animals.
Modulation of the gut microbiota: a focus on treatments for irritable bowel syndrome

ABSTRACT Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and disordered bowel habits, is one of the most common functional bowel disorders. IBS is a substantial burden on both patient health-related quality of life and healthcare costs. Several pathophysiologic mechanisms have been postulated for the occurrence of IBS, including altered gastrointestinal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, changes in gut permeability, immune activation, gut-brain dysregulation, central nervous system dysfunction, and changes in the gut microbiota. Of note, both qualitative and quantitative differences have been observed in the gut microbiota of a population with IBS versus a healthy population. Because of the substantial interest in the gut microbiota and its role as a therapeutic target in IBS, this article provides an overview of specific interventions with the potential to modulate the gut microbiota in IBS, including elimination diets, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and nonsystemic antibiotics. Although probiotics and synbiotics are generally well tolerated, differences in the composition and concentration of different bacterial species and inclusion or exclusion of prebiotic components varies widely across studies and has prevented strong recommendations on their use in IBS. For nonsystemic antibiotics, rifaximin is indicated in the United States for the treatment of IBS with diarrhea in adults and has been shown to be efficacious and well tolerated in well-designed clinical trials. Overall, more consistent evidence is needed regarding the efficacy and safety of elimination diets, prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics for the treatment of patients with IBS. Furthermore, additional well-designed studies are needed that examine alterations in the gut microbiota that occur with these interventions and their potential associations with clinical symptoms of IBS.
A Robust Strictly Passive Output-Error Identifier for Continuous-Time Systems

This paper shows that the adaptive output error identifier for linear time--invariant continuous--time systems proposed by (cite{A. Betser}) is robust {em vis--'a--vis} measurement noise. More precisely, it is proven that the map from the noise to the estimation error is $mathcal{L}_2$--stable---provided a tuning parameter is chosen sufficiently large. A procedure to determine the required minimal value of this parameter is also given. If the noise is exponentially vanishing, asymptotic convergence to zero of the prediction error is achieved. Instrument for the establishment of the results is a suitable decomposition of the error system equations that allows us to strengthen---to {em strict}---the well--known passivity property of the identifier. The estimator does not require fast adaptation, a dead--zone, nor the knowledge of an upperbound on the noise magnitude, which is an essential requirement to prove stability of standard output error identifiers. To robustify the estimator with respect to non--square integrable (but bounded) noises a prediction error--dependent leakage term is added in the integral adaptation. A simulated example, which is unstable for the equation error identifier and the output error identifier of (cite{A. Betser}), is used to illustrate the noise insensitivity property of the new scheme.
The measurement of rhythm: a comparison of Singapore and British English

Abstract This paper investigates the contrasting rhythmic properties of two varieties of English: Singapore English, which is often described as syllable-timed, and British English, which is more usually assumed to be stress-timed. Recordings were made of six speakers of each variety. For each stretch of continuous speech obtained from the recordings, the normalized duration of consecutive syllables (except for the final-syllable) was compared, to derive a variability index (VI). It was found that there is a significantly greater variability in this measure of syllable-to-syllable duration for British English, which supports previous indications that, by comparison, Singapore English might indeed be regarded as being more syllable-timed. Additionally, it was found that there is little evidence of the influence of speaking rate on the measured differences in rhythm, but there is some evidence that the greater frequency of reduced syllables with a schwa in British English contributes to the difference between the two varieties.
Receding Horizon Control under Uncertainty Using Optimal Input Design and the Unscented Transform

This paper presents a framework for receding horizon control under measurement or sensor uncertainty. Concepts from optimal input design (OID) are combined with the unscented transform (UT) developed for nonlinear estimation. UT algorithms represent probability distributions by a set of representative sample points that capture the first and second moments of the distribution. Using these sample points, the effects of nonlinear operators on a probability distribution can be approximated. This approximation can be used to calculate open-loop feedback control cost functions. Optimal input design enables receding horizon controllers to calculate and optimize a measure of the sensitivity of the estimation process to system inputs, thus enabling improvement of the state estimates during the control process
Significant evidence for linkage disequilibrium over a 5-cM region among Afrikaners.

We explore the extent of deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at a marker locus and linkage disequilibrium (LD) between pairs of marker loci in the Afrikaner population of South Africa. DNA samples were used for genotyping of 23 loci on six chromosomes. The samples were collected from 91 healthy unrelated Afrikaner adults. Exact tests were used to determine evidence for deviations from HWE at a single marker locus or LD between pairs of marker loci. At the 0.05 level of significance, evidence was found for deviation from HWE at only one of the 23 loci. At the same level of significance, LD was found among 8 of the 34 intrachromosomal pairs of loci. On chromosome 21, there was evidence for LD (P = 0.02) between a pair of loci with a genetic distance of 5.51 cM. On chromosome 2, there was evidence for LD between a pair of loci with a genetic distance of 5.28 cM (P = 0.002) and a pair of loci with a genetic distance of 3.68 cM (P = 0.0004). Detailed analysis of LD for one locus pair indicated that only a few of all alleles participated in the LD and that strong LD was most often positive. Our findings indicate that Afrikaans-speaking Afrikaners represent one of those special populations deemed particularly suitable for disequilibrium mapping.
2010 Conference on Infectious Disease Modeling sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Abstract : Advances in infectious disease modeling may offer opportunities to mitigate the effect of emerging infectious diseases upon military readiness. Concerned that opportunities for collaboration might be missed and unintended redundancy might be occurring, the U.S. Defense Department (DoD) Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (GEIS) sponsored conferences in August 2005 and May 2008 for infectious disease modelers engaged in DoD projects or on models useful to the DoD. Several recommendations were made at these conferences, to include the identification of organizations with ". demonstrated expertise in model development and operation for collaboration with the DoD and civilian organizations that are developing simulation models or conducting exercises. Despite these recommendations, infectious disease modeling efforts in support of the DoD have remained somewhat disjointed.
Transformerless bandpass matching network design for Y-shaped monopole antenna

In this paper, a transformerless bandpass matching network design procedure is presented. The Real Frequency Techniques are powerful numerical methods to design wideband lossless 2-port networks such that filters and matching networks. In these techniques, the value of the termination resistance of the designed network could not be yielded as 50 Ω by numerical package. Hence, a transformer is also required for 50 Ω termination which is not practical for high frequency applications. Also in this study a novel wideband monopole antenna is presented. The proposed antenna is consisting of two major elements; Y-shaped impedance matching plate and hemi-circular radiator. Moreover Y-shaped impedance matching plate connected to a feeding probe excites the suspended hemi-circular radiator via air gap. and its frequency band is expanded by using transformerless bandpass design procedure.
Effects of stocking density and concentrate supplementation of grazing dairy cows on milk production, composition and processing characteristics

The effects on milk composition and processing characteristics of varying grass supply by changing stocking density and of offering a concentrate supplement were investigated. The experiment was conducted over 28 weeks of the lactation (April–October) using 48 spring-calved Friesian–Holstein cows. Three herds each of 16 cows were offered a restricted grass supply, a standard grass supply and a standard grass supply with a supplement of 3 kg concentrate/d. Treatment groups were grazed separately with a residence time of 3 d/paddock. Milk production, composition and processing characteristics such as renneting properties, ethanol stability and plasmin activity were measured weekly. Increasing stocking density above the standard system resulted in significant reductions in milk fat and protein yields, the concentrations of total protein, casein and whey proteins, and a deterioration in most processing characteristics. Imposing concentrate supplementation on the standard system increased total protein, casein and whey protein concentrations but generally did not improve processing characteristics except for ethanol stability. These results suggest that the standard grass supply in a rotational grazing paddock system can support efficient production of quality milk, and concentrate supplementation will not improve processing characteristics when an adequate supply of good quality herbage is available.
Expression of the fibronectin‐binding components of Streptococcus pyogenes in Escherichia coli demonstrates that they are proteins

The fibronectin‐binding components (fbcs) of two clinical isolates and a culture collection strain of Streptococcus pyogenes have been analysed. Western immunoblotting of bacterial lysates which had been fractionated on polyacrylamide gels revealed trypsin‐sensitive fibronectin‐binding species. The genes specifying the fbcs were cloned from all three strains and expressed in Escherichia coli using a λ EMBL3 vector. An fbc gene from the culture collection strain was subcloned and expressed in the E. coli expression vector pJLA601, and subjected to deletion analysis. The fibronectin‐binding domain was thereby localized within a 40 kDa truncated peptide encoded by the 1000 bp C‐terminal region of the gene. Southern hybridization experiments demonstrated that the analysed gene was present in the parental S. pyogenes chromosome, but not in the DNA of fbc expressing λ clones obtained from the two clinical isolates. Further evidence for the existence of at least two different types of fbcs in group A streptococci was provided by Western blot analysis of recombinant phage tysates which revealed a complex series of fibronectin‐binding species ranging from 120 to 200 kDa in size and showing strain‐dependent variation in their patterns. As was the case with parental streptococcal strains all of the recombinant fbcs were protease‐sensitive, and treatment with trypsin or pronase resulted in a total loss of fibronectin‐binding activity. Competitive inhibition experiments indicated that lipoteichoic acid was not a significant fbc in the tested streptococcal strains. The biological separation of the principal fbcs of S. pyogenes from lipoteichoic acid, through the cloning and expression of their determinants in the non‐lipoteichoic acid‐producing organism E. coli K‐12, provides unequivocal proof of the protein nature of these components.