Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autoimmunity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: clinical and experimental evidence

Over the past few decades, neutrophils and macrophages had co-occupied center stage as the critical innate immune cells underlying the pathobiology of cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung parenchymal destruction (i.e., emphysema). While chronic exposure to smoke facilitates the recruitment of innate immune cells into the lung, a clear role for adaptive immunity in emphysema has emerged. Evidence from human studies specifically point to a role for recruitment and activation of pathogenic lymphocytes and lung antigen-presenting cells in emphysema; similarly, animal models have confirmed a significant role for autoimumnity in progressive smoke-induced emphysema. Increased numbers of activated antigen-presenting cells, Th1 and Th17 cells, have been associated with smoke-induced lung inflammation and production of the canonical cytokines of these cells, IFN-γ and IL-17, correlates with disease severity. These exciting new breakthroughs could open new avenues for developing effective new therapies for smoke-induced emphysema.
A CMOS True Single-Phase-Clock Divider With Differential Outputs

This letter presents a true single-phase-clock (TSPC) divider that takes a single-ended input signal while producing differential outputs. The differential outputs are generated by properly coupling the waveforms of two TSPC dividers. Implemented using TSMC 0.18 mum CMOS technology, the divider is capable of operating from 0.6 to 5 GHz. The phase deviation and amplitude difference of the differential outputs are less than 1.7 degree and 0.41%, respectively, below 3 GHz. The core circuit size of the TSPC divider is 160 mum times 215 mum.
Essays on child labour and schooling in Ghana

ii Acknowledgements . iv Dedication.vi Declaration.vii CHAPTER 1: General Introduction . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Objectives of the Thesis . 4 1.3 Child Labour and Schooling in Ghana . 5 1.3. 1 Definition of Child Labour . 5 1.3. 2 Extent and Nature of Child Labour in Ghana . 6 1.3. 3 Education in Ghana . 9 1.4 Structure of the Thesis. 11 CHAPTER 2: Child Labour and Schooling in Ghana: Correlates and Trade-Off . 13 2.
Cognitive changes predict functional decline in ALS

Objective: To determine whether cognitive status in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a useful predictor of attrition and motor and cognitive decline. Methods: Cognitive testing was undertaken in a large population-based cohort of incident ALS patients using a longitudinal, case-control study design. Normative data for neuropsychological tests were generated using age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls who also underwent repeated assessments. Data were analyzed to generate models for progression/spread. Results: One hundred eighty-six patients with ALS who had no evidence of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion were enrolled. A second and third assessment were undertaken in 98 and 46 of the patients with ALS, respectively. Executive impairment at the initial visit was associated with significantly higher rates of attrition due to disability or death and faster rates of motor functional decline, particularly decline in bulbar function. Decline in cognitive function was faster in patients who were cognitively impaired at baseline. Normal cognition at baseline was associated with tendency to remain cognitively intact, and with slower motor and cognitive progression. Conclusions: Non-C9orf72–associated ALS is characterized by nonoverlapping cognitive subgroups with different disease trajectories. These findings have important implications for models of ALS pathogenesis, and for future clinical trial design.
Tunable Two-Color Lasing Emission Based on Fabry-Pérot Laser Diode Combined With External Cavity Feedback

In this paper, two-color lasing emission is experimentally demonstrated by employing a multimode Fabry-Pérot laser diode (MMFP-LD) associated with external cavity of two tunable filters and an erbium-doped fiber amplification (EDFA), whose difference frequency is quasi-continuously tunable from several hundred GHz to more than 2 THz. The obtained side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) in the output spectrum is around ~20 dB, and the modulation depth of simulated beat signal converted by two emission modes rapidly decayed as increasing the frequency separation. In addition, optical behaviors induced by mode competition and four-wave mixing are observed and discussed, while the difference frequency was shortened to GHz regime.
Autotaxin Regulates Vascular Development via Multiple Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) Receptors in Zebrafish*

Background: Autotaxin is essential for vascular development in mice, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Results: Autotaxin had similar vascular functions in zebrafish. Furthermore, suppression of lysophosphatidic acid receptors (LPA1 and LPA4) led to similar vascular defects. Conclusion: Autotaxin exerts its vascular functions by activating LPA1 and/or LPA4 in zebrafish. Significance: LPA is a critical factor for regulating angiogenesis in vertebrates. Autotaxin (ATX) is a multifunctional ecto-type phosphodiesterase that converts lysophospholipids, such as lysophosphatidylcholine, to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) by its lysophospholipase D activity. LPA is a lipid mediator with diverse biological functions, most of which are mediated by G protein-coupled receptors specific to LPA (LPA1–6). Recent studies on ATX knock-out mice revealed that ATX has an essential role in embryonic blood vessel formation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be solved. A data base search revealed that ATX and LPA receptors are conserved in wide range of vertebrates from fishes to mammals. Here we analyzed zebrafish ATX (zATX) and LPA receptors both biochemically and functionally. zATX, like mammalian ATX, showed lysophospholipase D activity to produce LPA. In addition, all zebrafish LPA receptors except for LPA5a and LPA5b were found to respond to LPA. Knockdown of zATX in zebrafish embryos by injecting morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs) specific to zATX caused abnormal blood vessel formation, which has not been observed in other morphant embryos or mutants with vascular defects reported previously. In ATX morphant embryos, the segmental arteries sprouted normally from the dorsal aorta but stalled in midcourse, resulting in aberrant vascular connection around the horizontal myoseptum. Similar vascular defects were not observed in embryos in which each single LPA receptor was attenuated by using MOs. Interestingly, similar vascular defects were observed when both LPA1 and LPA4 functions were attenuated by using MOs and/or a selective LPA receptor antagonist, Ki16425. These results demonstrate that the ATX-LPA-LPAR axis is a critical regulator of embryonic vascular development that is conserved in vertebrates.
Identification of Rat and Human Cytochrome P450 Isoforms and a Rat Serum Esterase That Metabolize the Pyrethroid Insecticides Deltamethrin and Esfenvalerate

The metabolism of (αS)-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1R, 3R)-cis-3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylate (deltamethrin) and (αS)-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methylbutyrate (esfenvalerate) by rat and human liver microsomes differs with respect to the biotransformation pathway (oxidation versus hydrolysis) responsible for their clearance. This study aims to further explore the species differences in the metabolism of these chemicals. Using a parent depletion approach, rat and human cytochromes P450 (P450s) were screened for their ability to eliminate deltamethrin or esfenvalerate during in vitro incubations. Rat P450 isoforms CYP1A1, CYP2C6, CYP2C11, and CYP3A2 and human P450 isoforms CYP2C8, CYP2C19, and CYP3A5 were capable of metabolizing either pyrethroid. Human CYP2C9 metabolized esfenvalerate but not deltamethrin. Rat and human P450s that metabolize esfenvalerate and deltamethrin do so with similar kinetics. In addition to the liver, a potential site of metabolic elimination of pyrethroids is the blood via serum carboxylesterase (CE) hydrolysis. The serum of rats, but not humans, contains significant quantities of CE. Deltamethrin and esfenvalerate were metabolized effectively by rat serum and a purified rat serum CE. In contrast, neither pyrethroid was metabolized by human serum or purified human serum esterases (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase). These studies suggest that the difference in rates of oxidative metabolism of pyrethroids by rat and human hepatic microsomes is dependent on the expression levels of individual P450 isoforms rather than their specific activity. Furthermore, these studies show that the metabolic elimination of deltamethrin and esfenvalerate in blood may be important to their disposition in rats but not in humans.
Laryngeal penetration and aspiration during swallowing after the treatment of advanced oropharyngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether laryngeal penetration and aspiration in oropharyngeal cancer survivors differ by treatment group. DESIGN Cross-sectional study of patients with stage III or IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who were at least 12 months removed from combined modality therapy and clinically free of disease. SUBJECTS Potential subjects were stratified by tumor site and tumor T stage to achieve a similar comparison between chemoradiotherapy (n = 10) and surgery/radiotherapy (n = 11) groups. Validated instruments used to evaluate swallowing included the Penetration-Aspiration Scale and the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory. RESULTS Patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy demonstrated greater airway protection according to Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores than those treated with surgery and radiotherapy on 5-mL (P = .02), 10-mL (P = .04), and 20-mL (P = .04) liquid barium swallows. Also, the oropharyngeal chemoradiotherapy group had better self-perceived swallowing ability than the surgery-radiotherapy group on the basis of the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (P = .02). CONCLUSION The present study suggests that patients with oropharyngeal cancer who successfully complete chemoradiotherapy protocols without surgical salvage retain greater airway protection during swallowing and better swallowing-related quality of life than patients treated with primary surgery and radiotherapy.
No Increased Serum Levels of Antifood Antibodies in Patients with Ménière’s Disease

The etiology of Ménière’s disease (MD) is still unknown, but it is likely to be multifactorial, one of the factors being an immunological causation. Antifood allergens as well as anti-baker’s yeast antibodies are humoral factors that may be linked with allergenic disorders and other autoimmune conditions. To determine their possible role in MD activity, we investigated 29 MD sera for the presence of antibodies against gliadin, β-lactoglobulin, albumin, ovalbumin, soya, and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using an ELISA technique. The patients were compared with 29 healthy individuals matched for sex and age. A serum was regarded as positive if the absorbance was two standard deviations higher than values obtained with sera from healthy subjects. Historical data, including factors which the patients believed to provoke their Ménière’s symptoms, were obtained from patients’ questionnaires. MD patients showed no significant symptoms of allergenic disorders suggesting allergies when compared to controls (p > 0.05). IgG and IgA antibody levels were not significantly raised in MD patients as compared with healthy controls (p > 0.05) for gliadin, β-lactoglobulin, soya, albumin, ovalbumin, and D. pteronyssinus and S. cerevisiae strains. These data do not convincingly support a hypothesis of increased serum levels of antifood antibodies in patients with MD, as very few patients were antibody positive.
Diclofenac poisoning is widespread in declining vulture populations across the Indian subcontinent

Recent declines in the populations of three species of vultures in the Indian subcontinent are among the most rapid ever recorded in any bird species. Evidence from a previous study of one of these species, Gyps bengalensis, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, strongly implicates mortality caused by ingestion of residues of the veterinary non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drug diclofenac as the major cause of the decline. We show that a high proportion of Gyps bengalensis and G. indicus found dead or dying in a much larger area of India and Nepal also have residues of diclofenac and visceral gout, a post–mortem finding that is strongly associated with diclofenac contamination in both species. Hence, veterinary use of diclofenac is likely to have been the major cause of the rapid vulture population declines across the subcontinent.
Angiotensin II Type 1 and 2 Receptors in Conduit Arteries of Normal Developing Microswine

Objective—To identify vascular cells capable of responding to angiotensin II (Ang II) generated in conduit arteries, we examined the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and Ang II type 2 receptor (AT2R) in the thoracic aorta (TA) and abdominal aorta (AA) and branches in 90-day fetal, 3-week postnatal, and 6-month adult microswine. Methods and Results—By autoradiography (125I-[Sar1Ile8]-Ang II with or without AT1R- or AT2R-selective analogues or 125I - CGP 42112), there were striking rostrocaudal differences in (1) AT2R binding at all ages (prominent in AA wall and branches, sparse in TA wall and branches) and (2) a non-AT2R binding site for CGP 42112 (consistently evident in postnatal TA and branches but absent in AA and branches). Furthermore, patterns of AT2R distribution in infradiaphragmatic arteries were developmentally distinct. In fetal AAs, high-density AT2Rs occupied the inner 60% of the medial-endothelial wall. In postnatal AAs, AT2Rs were sparse in the medial-endothelial wall but prominent in a circumferential smooth muscle &agr;-actin–negative cell layer at the medial-adventitial border, occupying ≈20% to 25% of the AA cross-sectional area. AT1R density in the TA and AA medial-endothelial wall increased with age, whereas AT2R density decreased after birth. Conclusions—A novel AT2R-positive cell layer confined to postnatal infradiaphragmatic arteries physically links adventitial and medial layers, appears optimally positioned to transduce AT2R-dependent functions of local Ang II, and suggests that adventitial Ang II may elicit regionally distinct vascular responses.
CRN‐1, a Caenorhabditis elegans FEN‐1 homologue, cooperates with CPS‐6/EndoG to promote apoptotic DNA degradation

Oligonucleosomal fragmentation of chromosomes in dying cells is a hallmark of apoptosis. Little is known about how it is executed or what cellular components are involved. We show that crn‐1, a Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of human flap endonuclease‐1 (FEN‐1) that is normally involved in DNA replication and repair, is also important for apoptosis. Reduction of crn‐1 activity by RNA interference resulted in cell death phenotypes similar to those displayed by a mutant lacking the mitochondrial endonuclease CPS‐6/endonuclease G. CRN‐1 localizes to nuclei and can associate and cooperate with CPS‐6 to promote stepwise DNA fragmentation, utilizing the endonuclease activity of CPS‐6 and both the 5′–3′ exonuclease activity and a previously uncharacterized gap‐dependent endonuclease activity of CRN‐1. Our results suggest that CRN‐1/FEN‐1 may play a critical role in switching the state of cells from DNA replication/repair to DNA degradation during apoptosis.
Web interface design for academic institutions

Nowadays, online marketing plays an important role in academic institutions such as universities and colleges; because they are seeking to improve their revenue. However, many academic websites fail to capitalize on their potential by not adhering to the principles of usability according to visitors' culture and gender. Academic institution' websites aiming to attract more visitors require a strategy for designing attractive web interfaces base on their visitors' culture and gender. With a discussion of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, Edward Hall's cultural factor (context communication) and studies on gender preferences in website design (e.g. Mcinnis and Shearer, John Hallock, Simon and its), this article explores how academic institutions might make their website design more attractive. This article represents a web design approach aiming to enhance academic website interface usability and attractiveness through an attending majority of visitors' cultures and genders in academic institutions.
Medial meniscectomy in patients over the age of fifty: a six year follow-up study.

PURPOSE Meniscectomy in the older patient remains a controversial topic. The aim of our study is to assess the mid-term outcome of arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy in patients over fifty years of age and attempt to retrospectively identify symptoms and/or findings on examination which can differentiate between non-degenerative medial meniscal tears versus degenerative meniscal changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two patients over the age of fifty who had undergone arthroscopic medial partial meniscectomy, were reviewed. The average age was 60 (51-74 yrs) and the average follow-up was six years (3-7 yrs). Based upon the intra-operative findings, patients were divided into two groups: (1) non-degenerative meniscal tears (NDM; n = 12) and (2) degenerative meniscal changes (DM; n = 20). Our outcome measurements were with the HSS knee score, a satisfaction score, and weight-bearing X-rays. RESULTS In the NDM group, eleven patients were rated excellent or good, and one was rated poor. In the DM group, three patients were rated as excellent or good, eight as fair, and nine as poor. The HSS score was 97 +/- 4.6 for the NDM group and 85 +/- 9.5 for the DM group. The average satisfaction score was 9.2 +/- 0.7 (very satisfied) for the NDM group and 5.8 +/- 2.6 (fairly satisfied) for the DM group. There was no significant difference between the NDM and the DM groups with regards to pre-operative symptoms and signs, except for the McMurray sign, which was found to be positive in 83% of NDM cases versus 25% of DM cases (sensitivity = 83%). Using only these data, the McMurray sign was 67% specific for NDM. CONCLUSIONS Arthroscopic medial meniscectomy in older patients provides 90% good results six years after a non-degenerative meniscal tear, but only 20% of good results after a degenerative meniscal tear. However, based on this study, neither symptoms nor physical examination are able to differentiate between traumatic meniscal tears and degenerative meniscal changes in older patients. A positive McMurray's sign favors the diagnosis of a traumatic tear. However, a specificity of this test of only 67% as shown in our data questions its utility in clinical decision-making.
Molecular Analysis of Gene Rearrangements and Mutations in Acute Leukemias and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

A large subset of acute leukemias and other myeloproliferative neoplasms contain specific genetic alterations, many of which are associated with unique clinical and pathologic features. These alterations include chromosomal translocations leading to oncogenic fusion genes, as well as mutations leading to aberrant activation of a variety of proteins critical to hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. Molecular analysis is central to diagnosis and clinical management of leukemias, permitting genetic confirmation of a clinical and histologic impression, providing prognostic and predictive information, and facilitating detection of minimal residual disease. This unit will outline approaches to the molecular diagnosis of the most frequent and clinically relevant genetic alterations in acute leukemias and myeloproliferative neoplasms. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 67:10.4. 1‐10.4. 35 © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Specificity of Bactericidal Antibody Response to Serogroup B Meningococcal Strains in Brazilian Children after Immunization with an Outer Membrane Vaccine

ABSTRACT Pre- and postvaccination serum samples from 77 children aged 2 to 6 years, who received the Cuban BC vaccine (B:4:P1.15), were analyzed for bactericidal antibodies against a local B:4:P1.15 strain (N44/89). Sera from 16 individuals with bactericidal antibodies against the B:4:P1.15 strain were tested against 23 Brazilian isolates. These include B:4 strains of distinct serosubtypes: P1.15, P1.7,1, P1.3, P1.9, P1.nt, and a B:8,19,23:P1.16 strain. A Cuban B:4:P1.15 strain (Cu385/83) was also included in the study. The specificities of bactericidal antibodies were analyzed by using mutant strains lacking a class 1 protein (PorA protein) or a class 5 protein or both. The results indicated that PorA and class 5 proteins are the main targets recognized by the bactericidal antibodies of vaccinees. Nonetheless, a complex pattern of recognition by bactericidal antibodies was found, and vaccinees were grouped according to antibody specificity. Antibodies from some individuals recognized PorA of serosubtype P1.15. However, antibodies from these individuals could not kill all P1.15 strains tested. Antibodies from a second group recognized both PorA and class 5 proteins, and antibodies from a third group recognized an as yet unidentified target antigen. The results demonstrate the importance of determining the fine epitope specificity of bactericidal antibodies to improve the existing vaccines against B meningococci.
Application of an MTT reduction assay for assessing sperm quality and predicting fertilising ability of domestic fowl semen

1. The ability of domestic fowl spermatozoa to reduce MTT tetrazolium to its coloured formazan was compared with other tests of sperm quality and fertilising ability. 2. MTT reduction was highly correlated with sperm ATP content (r2=0.85); sperm mobility (r2=0.62.); sperm:perivitelline layer interaction (r2=0.80) and fertilizing ability (r2=0.83). 3. The simple, robust, MTT-reduction assay may therefore be used to select male chickens on the basis of their sperm quality and thus potential fertilising ability.
Rationale Behind IPO Underpricing: Evidence from Asian REIT IPOs

This article examines the rationale behind IPO underpricing using a sample of REIT IPOs in Asia. Although the IPOs registered an average initial return of 3.08%, the issuers were able to sell the IPO shares above their fundamental values by timing the listings in periods when existing REIT stocks are traded at a premium to their net asset values (NAV). An IPO could therefore be underpriced and yet produce a net gain for the issuer. The issuers’ net gain from IPO is, however, negatively related to long‐run performance of REIT IPOs.