Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The efficacy and duration of vaccine protection against human papillomavirus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND The German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends vaccination against human papillomaviruses (HPV) of the high-risk types 16 and 18. The duration of protection afforded by HPV vaccines has been reported in multiple studies to date but has not been systematically evaluated. METHOD Systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of vaccination, with assessment of evidence by the GRADE criteria (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). RESULTS 15 studies were identified: 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 observational studies. The RCTs included a total of 46 436 participants. The duration of follow-up was short (median, 3 years) in 8 RCTs and long (median, 6 years) in 2 RCTs. During the period of short-term follow up, the pooled efficacy of vaccination for the study endpoint of incident HPV infection (percentage of infections prevented) was 83% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 70-90% ), while the pooled efficacy against persistent HPV infection was 90% (95% CI: 79-95% ). In this period, CIN 2+ lesions were prevented with 84% efficacy (95% CI: 50-95% ), and CIN 3+ lesions with 94% efficacy (95% CI: 83-98% ). During the period of long-term follow-up, incident infections were prevented with 94% efficacy (95% CI: 80-98% ) and persistent infections with 95% efficacy (95% CI: 84-99% ). The long-term efficacy against CIN 2+ lesions was 86% (95% CI: -166-99% ). No data are available on the long-term efficacy of vaccination against CIN 3+ lesions. CONCLUSION Long-term observation does not indicate any loss of antiviral protection after vaccination against HPV 16 and 18, although the evidence for long-term protection is of lesser quality than that for short-term protection.
Accelerated atherosclerosis in inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Over recent years it has become clear that patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis. The exact causes for this are probably related in part to a general adverse effect of inflammation on atherogenesis, and in part to immune mechanisms specific to individual rheumatic diseases. This review discusses proposed mechanisms of accelerated atherosclerosis, including abnormal lipid and lipoprotein profiles, oxidative stress, enhanced apoptosis, thrombophilia, immune complexes, and increased mononuclear cell infiltration of atherosclerotic lesions, and local generation of cytokines.
Developing Capabilities to Use Information Strategically

Efforts to deploy information technology for competitive advantage in eleven industries are evaluated through a field study. Findings are based on analysis of interviews with senior executives of a major competitor in each industry. Findings indicate that competitive advantage depends on the interaction between industry conditions and internal capability to identify and exploit opportunities. Internal capabilities and conditions and the processes that created these capabilities are defined and described. A brief review of the value added chain model from economics is included based on the authors' conclusion that this model is useful both for understanding the experience of companies in the study and as a guide in searching for opportunities.
Does sildenafil combined with testosterone gel improve erectile dysfunction in hypogonadal men in whom testosterone supplement therapy alone failed?

PURPOSE We evaluated the efficacy of testosterone gel (T-gel) alone and in combination with sildenafil in hypogonadal patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 49 hypogonadal men (mean age 60.7 years) with ED participated for a mean of 20.2 months. Blood was tested for total and bioavailable testosterone, and prostate specific antigen. Sexual function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire and a global assessment question (GAQ). Men received 1% 5 gm T-gel for 6 months, and 100 mg sildenafil was added to those with a "no" response to the GAQ after 3 months on testosterone supplement. RESULTS A total of 31 patients reported significant improvement in the sexual desire domain (from a mean +/- SD of 4.2 +/- 0.8 to 8.6 +/- 0.4) and erectile function (EF) domain (from 13.6 +/- 1.9 to 27 +/- 0.8) following treatment with testosterone supplement alone. One patient was excluded from study after urinary retention developed and 9 reported irritation at the gel application site. In spite of normalization of total and bioavailable testosterone values, and significant improvement of sexual desire domain scores, the EF of 17 men remained less than 26 or they responded "no" to the GAQ. These men received combined T-gel and sildenafil, after which all graded EF greater than 26 and responded positively to the GAQ. CONCLUSIONS Combined treatment with sildenafil and T-gel has a beneficial effect on ED in hypogonadal patients in whom treatment with testosterone supplement alone failed.
Transudative pleural effusions: false reassurance against malignancy.

Four rounds of treatments/measurements were performed in three patients who were receiving nebulized treatments in our ICU; three of four cases were treated first with the catheter in the system during nebulization, followed by a second treatment with the catheter and connector removed from the system. One patient received two rounds of measurements (both with the catheter in the system for the first albuterol treatment). With the catheter in the system during treatments, airway resistance was 19.0 Ϯ 1.5 cm H 2 O/L/s before and 18.1 Ϯ 1.9 cm H 2 O/L/s (p ϭ 0.24) after 2.5 mg of nebulized albuterol. Airway resistance decreased significantly from 19.4 Ϯ 2.8 to 14.4 Ϯ 2.6 cm H 2 O/L/s (p ϭ 0.01) after 2.5 mg of albuterol administered with the suction catheter out of (removed from) the system. Because treatments were not randomized and because there were only eight observations, we drew no conclusions from these findings. Nonetheless, these data suggest that the closed in-line suction catheter used in our hospital prevented aerosolized medication from reaching the airways of these intubated patients receiving mechanical ventilation. We suspect that the 90°, three-way connec-tor between the ETT and the wye trapped aerosolized particles. Importantly, aerosolized bronchodilators were effective when administered with another brand of in-line closed suction device 3 (Rajiv Dhand, MD; personal communication; March 2000). Either bench trials or prospective, randomized clinical studies are required to answer this question for each device on the market. Physicians and respiratory therapists should be aware that some brands of closed in-line suction catheters, used by 93% of nurses caring for adult patients, 1 may impede delivery of therapeutic aerosols. When aerosolized bronchodilator treatments fail to reduce airway resistance, and elevated resistance increases risk to the patient (eg, significant dynamic hyperinflation and/or weaning failure), clinicians should consider removing the suction catheter during treatment to determine if removal leads to the desired effect (bronchodilation). To reduce the risk of infection to health-care workers and patients, closed-suction systems are now used in the majority of critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Not infrequently, new devices are introduced to the clinical arena with the best of intentions, but without thorough consideration of potential negative effects. We should have learned from the available data that, in aerosol delivery, " the devil is in the details. " Seemingly trivial changes in the patient-ventilator circuit can significantly reduce the effectiveness of these treatments. …
Asymptotic behavior of second-order nonlinear dynamic equations on time scales

In this paper, we consider the second-order nonlinear dynamic equation $(p(t)y^{\Delta}(t))^{\Delta}+f(t, y^{\sigma})g(p(t)y^{\Delta})=0,$ on a time scale $\mathbb{T}$. Our goal is to establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of certain types of solutions of this dynamic equation. We apply results from the theory of lower and upper solutions for related dynamic equations and use several results from calculus.
Expectation and Outlook: The Impact of Patient Preference on Arthritis Care Among African Americans

We investigated beliefs of blacks with osteoarthritis (OA) regarding total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. These beliefs potentially related to the known racial disparity in the use of TKR. Ninety-four community-dwelling blacks aged 50 to 89 with knee OA in Harlem, NY, were assessed for arthritis knowledge, expectations, quality of life (QoL), and disability. Subjects have had OA for a median of 6 years and the disability was severe. Only 36% believed that TKR was likely to improve knee pain; 45% stated that TKR would not improve their current health. Mean QoL was 7.6 ± 1.7 (max 10). Despite debilitating OA, African American patients perceive a high QoL, yet have low expectations from TKR and are therefore less likely to consider TKR as a treatment for OA.
The Stylomastoid Area: Anatomic‐Histologic Study and Surgical Approach

This three‐part study explored the difficult problem of dissecting the facial nerve through the soft tissues of the mastoid tip. The anatomic relationships of the mastoid tip tissues were measured in 20 specimens. At the stylomastoid foramen, the facial nerve lies an average of 9 mm from the digastric muscle, 11 mm from the external canal, and 21 mm from the nerve's parotid bifurcation. The histologic relationships between the nerve sheath and the mastoid tip fascial tissues were examined in 10 specimens. The tight adherence of sheath and fascial fibers prevent their easy separation. By applying this new anatomic and histologic knowledge on cadaver specimens, the author refined a technique for the safe dissection of the facial nerve through mastoid tip tissues. This technique has proven successful in the operating room.
A Consensus Definition and Core Competencies for Being an Advocate for Pharmacy

Objective. To develop a consensus definition for “advocacy for the profession of pharmacy” and core competencies for doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) graduates to be effective advocates for the profession. Methods. A 3-round modified Delphi process was conducted using a panel of 9 experts. Participants revised a definition for “advocacy for the profession” and ultimately rated their agreement using a 5-point Likert scale. Competency statements were developed and subsequently rated for importance for being an advocate and importance to address in PharmD curricula. Results. A consensus-derived definition was developed. Two competency statements achieved consensus for both measures of importance. Four competency statements achieved consensus for only 1 measure and another 4 did not reach consensus for either measure. Conclusion. A consensus-derived definition was developed describing advocacy for the profession of pharmacy and began laying the groundwork for the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective advocate for the profession of pharmacy.
PROCESSO DE INTERNACIONALIZAÇÃO DE UMA EMPRESA MULTINACIONAL BRASILEIRA DE BASE TECNOLÓGICA

A partir da abertura da economia brasileira na decada de 90 e possivel verificar um crescente movimento de internacionalizacao de empresas brasileiras. A competicao migrou do nivel local ou domestico para o âmbito mundial. Como resposta das empresas nacionais e possivel verificar um crescente movimento de internacionalizacao das empresas brasileiras e a necessidade de se estudar esse fenomeno, visto que esse processo no Brasil e um tanto recente. Esse artigo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de internacionalizacao de uma empresa multinacional brasileira de base tecnologica. O resultado da pesquisa evidencia que embora o processo de internacionalizacao confirme os pressupostos da abordagem comportamental, outro fator que influencia no processo de internacionalizacao dessa empresa e o contexto tecnologico dos paises estrangeiros induzindo a empresa a adotar estrategias de inovacao diferenciadas, para a sua insercao no mercado internacional.
Modeling of the human skull in EEG source analysis

We used computer simulations to investigate finite element models of the layered structure of the human skull in EEG source analysis. Local models, where each skull location was modeled differently, and global models, where the skull was assumed to be homogeneous, were compared to a reference model, in which spongy and compact bone were explicitly accounted for. In both cases, isotropic and anisotropic conductivity assumptions were taken into account. We considered sources in the entire brain and determined errors both in the forward calculation and the reconstructed dipole position. Our results show that accounting for the local variations over the skull surface is important, whereas assuming isotropic or anisotropic skull conductivity has little influence. Moreover, we showed that, if using an isotropic and homogeneous skull model, the ratio between skin/brain and skull conductivities should be considerably lower than the commonly used 80:1. For skull modeling, we recommend (1) Local models: if compact and spongy bone can be identified with sufficient accuracy (e.g., from MRI) and their conductivities can be assumed to be known (e.g., from measurements), one should model these explicitly by assigning each voxel to one of the two conductivities, (2) Global models: if the conditions of (1) are not met, one should model the skull as either homogeneous and isotropic, but with considerably higher skull conductivity than the usual 0.0042 S/m, or as homogeneous and anisotropic, but with higher radial skull conductivity than the usual 0.0042 S/m and a considerably lower radial:tangential conductivity anisotropy than the usual 1:10. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thermodynamic study of the pH-dependent interaction of chromogranin A with an intraluminal loop peptide of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

The secretory vesicles of adrenal chromaffin cells have previously been identified as a major inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ store, and their Ca2+ store role has been attributed to the presence of chromogranin A, a high capacity, low affinity Ca2+ binding protein. Chromogranin A has since been shown to exist primarily in a dimeric state at pH 7.5 and primarily in a tetrameric state at the intravesicular pH of 5.5 and has also been shown to interact with the membrane proteins of secretory vesicles at pH 5.5, including a 260-kDa protein reactive to IP3 receptor antibody [Yoo, S. H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12001-12006]. In a recent study, chromogranin A was shown to interact with one of the intraluminal loop regions of the IP3 receptor at pH 5.5 but not at pH 7.5 [Yoo, S. H. , & Lewis, M. S. (1994) FEBS Lett. 341, 28-32]. To gain further insight, we have studied the temperature dependence of the pH-dependent interaction of chromogranin A with the intraluminal peptide of the the IP3 receptor by analytical ultracentrifugation, using multiwavelength scan analysis, and found that four molecules of the intraluminal domain peptide of the IP3 receptor bound to each chromogranin A tetramer with delta Go values ranging from -23.6 to -27.6 kcal mol-1 in the absence and presence of 35 mN Ca2+. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Technical and Economical Merits of Power Systems Interconnection

This work aims at exploring the effects of the interconnection between isolated electric power systems upon some important aspects such as enhancing reliability levels along with reducing installation and operation costs. To discern the advantages associated with this study, the developed methodology has been applied to three existing power systems in the northern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presently within the concession domain of the Saudi Electric Company (SEC). These systems have been established to meet the present loads and to withstand future electrical demands for a period of time before additional generation and transmission reinforcements are needed. In this work, reliability measures have been utilized to determine the period that these systems can fulfill the present and future loads without affecting the reliability levels and the threshold that an additional capacity should be added to maintain those required reliability levels. In application to the reliability criteria, technical, operational and economic advantages can be realized, i.e., higher reliability levels and lower installation and operation costs after the proposed interconnection between these selected isolated power systems take place.
In Vivo Nerve–Macrophage Interactions Following Peripheral Nerve Injury

In vertebrates, the peripheral nervous system has retained its regenerative capacity, enabling severed axons to reconnect with their original synaptic targets. While it is well documented that a favorable environment is critical for nerve regeneration, the complex cellular interactions between injured nerves with cells in their environment, as well as the functional significance of these interactions, have not been determined in vivo and in real time. Here we provide the first minute-by-minute account of cellular interactions between laser transected motor nerves and macrophages in live intact zebrafish. We show that macrophages arrive at the lesion site long before axon fragmentation, much earlier than previously thought. Moreover, we find that axon fragmentation triggers macrophage invasion into the nerve to engulf axonal debris, and that delaying nerve fragmentation in a Wlds model does not alter macrophage recruitment but induces a previously unknown ‘nerve scanning’ behavior, suggesting that macrophage recruitment and subsequent nerve invasion are controlled by separate mechanisms. Finally, we demonstrate that macrophage recruitment, thought to be dependent on Schwann cell-derived signals, occurs independently of Schwann cells. Thus, live cell imaging defines novel cellular and functional interactions between injured nerves and immune cells.
Effects Rotor Eccentricity and Parallel Windings on Induction Machine Behavior: A study Using Finite element Analysis

Rotor eccentricity and the effect of parallel windings in an induction motor are investigated by means of a transient finite element model. Magnetic flux density and force distribution harmonics generated by the model are presented for the cases of static and dynamic rotor eccentricity, with various combinations of series and parallel stator winding connections. These results are compared with those obtained from a centered rotor case. Examples of the action of parallel-connected windings to reduce the effects of rotor eccentricity are given. The effect of circulating current between various combinations of parallel windings in an eccentric rotor induction machine is shown to reduce the unbalanced magnetic pull and to significantly reduce or eliminate other vibration-producing magnetic force harmonics generated by the eccentricity. >
Biomarkers of suppressed natural killer (NK) cell function in metastatic melanoma: Decreased NKG2D and increased CD158a receptors on CD3–CD16+ NK cells

In metastatic melanoma (MM) patients we evaluated natural killer (NK)-cell activity, distribution of several NK receptors and their correlation with NK function. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of MM patients and controls were analysed for NK activity and expression of activating NKG2D, CD161 and KIR, CD158a and CD158b receptors on CD3–CD16+ NK cells. MM patients not only had significantly decreased NK activity and NK-cell interferon (IFN)-γ production, a redistribution of NK-cell subsets with an increase in CD16dim and a reduction in CD16bright NK subsets. There was a decreased CD161 and NKG2D and an increased CD158a NK-cell expression in MM patients, with a positive correlation between NKG2D expression and NK cytotoxicity and an inverse correlation between CD158b expression and NK-cell cytotoxicity in patients. Furthermore, patients’ CD3-CD16bright NK subset showed lower expression of CD161 and CD158a. Therefore, NKG2D, CD158a and CD158b expression in MM patients may represent several clinically useful ‘biomarkers’ of suppressed NK function.
Terminal versus transient cumulus congestus: A CloudSat perspective

While cumulus congestus as an important mode of tropical convection has been established, many of the previous studies that rely on radar observations usually capture them as snapshots. A logical question to consider is: are the statistics gathered from snapshot observations of cumulus congestus really reflective of this mode of convection that ceases its growth at these intermediate levels (terminal cumulus congestus), or will the convection being observed continue to ascend to greater altitudes to become deep convection at a later time (transient cumulus congestus)? This short article strives to answer this question by analyzing simultaneous, independent measurements of CTH and CTT from CloudSat and MODIS, together with CloudSat radar profile and collocated ECMWF analysis. It is found, based on analysis of one year of data, that a significant fraction (∼30–40%) of the tropical cumulus congestus observed by the snapshot views are in transient mode that will ascend to greater altitude at a later time. The analysis concept used in this study, which gives “static” snapshot observations some “dynamic” context, can be applied to analyze convection of all types.
Efficacy of ultraviolet A1 phototherapy on the expression of bcl‐2 in atopic dermatitis and cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma in vivo: a comparison study

Background/Purpose: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized immunohistochemically by a high number of skin infiltrating T‐helper cells (CD4 + ). In most cases cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL) is characterized by a malignant proliferation of CD4 + T‐helper lymphocytes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the extent of anti‐apoptotic effects in patients suffering from AD or CTCL, respectively, which may contribute to the prolonged inflammation. Furthermore, we investigated whether medium‐dose ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) phototherapy is able to modulate the expression of bcl‐2 within the dermal inflammatory infiltrate.