Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review of the evidence base for the ‘F’ and ‘E’ components of the SAFE strategy for trachoma control

Summary Community control of trachoma as a blinding disease is based on the SAFE strategy of Surgery, Antibiotic therapy, Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement. Surgery and antibiotic therapy currently dominate most programmes. Blindness from trachoma results from frequent infections repeated over many years, so ultimate success requires the reduction of transmission. This is only likely to be sustainable through the F and E components of SAFE. Environmental improvement with access to water, enhanced hygiene and better sanitation reduces trachoma transmission and the blinding sequelae eventually disappear. Transmission routes and factors that cause this are not known and consequently no single specific tool for F and E is in place. Evidence from intervention studies shows that the promotion of face‐washing gave modest gains for intense effort and a pilot study showed that trachoma transmission was reduced in the absence of eye‐seeking flies. Other studies have shown that latrines and improved access to water are associated with a lower prevalence of active trachoma. There is likely to be a long‐term beneficial effect of a combination of improved water supplies, provision of latrines, facial hygiene promotion through established infrastructure and control of eye‐seeking flies. Each of these interventions offers additional public health and other benefits in its own right. Further research on the routes of transmission, the role of hygiene and means of sustainable fly control should be a priority.
Physique, adiposity and risk for chronic disease

Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso. Physique, adiposity and risk for chronic disease Autor(es): Katzmarzyk, Peter T. ; Bouchard, Claude Publicado por: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra URL persistente: URI:http://hdl.handle. net/10316.2/38553 DOI: DOI:http://dx.doi. org/10.14195/978-989-26-0773-3_11
Epidemiologic models in studies of vectorborne diseases.

THE CENTEE of interest and point of em¬ phasis of any living subject changes. The center of active interest in epidemiology gravi¬ tates to the United States of America, and I pay homage to the outstanding quality and volume of work I have seen in this country. It is therefore a unique privilege to give the Dyer Lecture at the National Institutes of Health, and especially to do so in the presence of Dr. Eolla E. Dyer, who is largely responsible for the stature of the Institutes and after whom the lecture is named. An epidemiologic model is a closely argued statement of the quantitative aspects of trans¬ mission of a disease. This model includes all those factors with a direct influence on the dynamics of transmission and shows propor¬ tionately, but not necessarily in exact numerical terms, how changes in any one or all of the fac¬ tors will influence transmission, incidence, and prevalence. The model taken by itself has no significance; it proves nothing and explains nothing, except perhaps the mind of the man who made it. Its value lies in its potential use as a tool for understanding the patterns in which the dis¬ ease occurs, the causes of divergence between them and of fluctuations in prevalence, the rel-
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates with Different Antibiotic Susceptibilities

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a primary cause of opportunistic infections. We have sequenced and annotated the genomes of two P. aeruginosa clinical isolates evidencing different antibiotic susceptibilities. Registered differences in the composition of their accessory genomes may provide clues on P. aeruginosa strategies to thrive in different environments like infection loci.
Stimulation of Hematopoiesis by the Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Ligand Restores Bacterial Induction of Th1 Cytokines in Thermally Injured Mice

ABSTRACT Patients with large burn injuries are susceptible to opportunistic infections due to impaired functions of multiple effector cells of innate immunity and acquired immunity, including macrophages, dendritic cells (DC), natural killer (NK) cells, and T cells. The ability of a host to produce Th1 cytokines, such as gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12), upon infectious challenge is also impaired after burn injury. Stimulation of hematopoiesis, to regenerate new immune cells, may be an effective strategy for improving resistance to infections after severe burn trauma. Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) is a hematopoietic cytokine that stimulates the expansion and differentiation of NK cells and DC. Using a mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that Flt3L treatments after burn injury stimulate the production of functional effector cells of innate immunity and restore appropriate Th1 cytokine responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common source of pneumonia and wound infections in burn victims. Flt3L increased splenic cellularity in sham (uninjured) and burned mice and increased the numbers of NK cells (DX5+) and DC (CD11c+). In response to P. aeruginosa, significant increases in the serum IFN-γ levels and the numbers of splenic IFN-γ-producing DC, NK cells, and T cells were observed in Flt3L-treated burned mice compared to the values obtained for untreated burned mice. The splenic levels of IL-12 and IL-15 mRNAs and the IL-12 and IL-15 receptors were also increased. In addition, Flt3L treatment restored the ability of splenic cultures prepared from burned mice to produce IFN-γ and IL-12 after in vitro challenge with P. aeruginosa. Flt3L may have potential for restoring NK cell and DC functions and improving immunity after burn injury.
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis of oropharyngeal origin - a retrospective 15 years study.

1*Rares C. Roman, 2*Madalina Lazar, 3Mircea Ghergie, 4Teodora Angelescu, 4Bogdan Samachisa 1 Deparment of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery , ”Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 2 Department of Oral Implantology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Farmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania; 3 Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, ”Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 4 County Emergency Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. * Pointed authors had equal contribution.
Panel of language authors

This was the panel of the language designers who had described their work in the previous sessions of the Symposium, namely: Garwick, Mailloux, Peck, Irons, Standish, Bell, and MacLaren. Early portions of the panel discussion were lost through malfunction of the tape recorder. The remaining discussion, in edited form, follows.
Cystic fibrosis: year in review.

The last year has been an exciting one for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and caregivers. New approaches to care have been evident throughout the CF age spectrum: from prenatal and newborn screening (NBS) becoming an increasingly accepted standard of care, to new guidelines for CF-related diabetes (CFRD) which highlight the approximately 50% prevalence of CFRD in CF adults over the age of 30. Pivotal clinical trials have commenced which do not just seek to address symptoms or complications of CF, but utilize genotype-specific therapies to address underlying CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction. Around the globe CF care centers have focused on optimizing treatment practices and care delivery to assure best outcomes for their patients.
Continuous wave InGaAsP/InP Fabry-Perot lasers on silicon

We present 1.55 mum InGaAsP/InP Fabry-Perot lasers on silicon realized by a die-to-wafer CMOS compatible SiO2/SiO2 bonding process. The devices run under continuous wave operation at room temperature with a maximal output power of 4 mW and a threshold current of 108 mA at 15degC.
Association between serum amyloid A proteins and coronary artery disease: evidence from two distinct arteriosclerotic processes.

BACKGROUND Serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins are a family of inflammatory apolipoproteins that may modify high-density lipoprotein structure and function. Elevations of SAA have been reported in unstable coronary syndromes, but the levels and types of SAA protein in humans with spontaneous or transplant-associated coronary artery disease are not known. METHODS AND RESULTS SAA levels were analyzed using an ELISA in 76 sera from 36 patients after cardiac transplantation and in 346 other individuals, 85 patients with atherosclerotic coronary disease plus 261 of their relatives. The mean SAA level was 5-fold higher in transplant patients (203+/-181 microg/mL [23 to 934 microg/mL]) compared with normal subjects without coronary disease (36+/-16 microg/mL [2.8 to 193 microg/mL], P<.005). The mean SAA level was significantly elevated in patients with transplant coronary disease (206+/-160 microg/mL, n=23) compared with those without (140+/-104 microg/mL, n=12, P=.02). Elevated SAA levels were associated with increased mortality after transplantation. On multiple regression analysis, SAA levels were predicted by corticosteroid dose, pretransplant diagnosis of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and the presence of transplant coronary disease. SAA levels were elevated in patients with spontaneous atherosclerotic coronary disease (49+/-31 microg/mL) compared with unaffected relatives (39+/-36 microg/mL, mean+/-SD, P=.02). There was no evidence for a genetic contribution to SAA levels. All inducible human SAA protein types were documented by immunoblotting in both spontaneous and transplant coronary disease. CONCLUSIONS Environmentally determined elevations in SAA levels in patients with both spontaneous and transplant coronary artery disease provide further evidence for a potential pathophysiological link between inflammation, lipoprotein metabolism, and the development of atherosclerosis.
Constraint-Induced Movement therapy can improve hemiparetic progressive multiple sclerosis. Preliminary findings

Objective To evaluate whether Constraint-Induced Movement therapy (CI therapy) may benefit chronic upper extremity hemiparesis in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods Five patients with progressive MS, who had chronic upper extremity hemiparesis and evidence for learned non-use of the paretic limb in the life situation, underwent 30 hours of repetitive task training and shaping for the paretic limb over 2–10 consecutive weeks, along with physical restraint of the less-affected arm and a “transfer package” of behavioral techniques to reinforce treatment adherence. Results The patients showed significantly improved spontaneous, real-world limb use at post-treatment and 4 weeks post-treatment, along with improved fatigue ratings and maximal movement ability displayed in a laboratory motor test. Conclusions The findings suggest for the first time that slowly progressive MS may benefit from CI therapy. Further studies are needed to determine the retention of treatment responses.
The "Myth" of the minimum SAR antenna area constraint

A design constraint traceable to the early days of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is known as the minimum antenna area constraint for SAR. In this paper, it is confirmed that this constraint strictly applies only to the case where both the best possible resolution and the widest possible swath are the design goals. SAR antennas with area smaller than the constraint allows are shown to be possible, have been used on spaceborne SAR missions in the past, and should permit further, lower-cost SAR missions in the future.
Use of Stable Isotopes to Assess Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism in Children and Adolescents: A Brief Review

As protein accretion is a prerequisite for growth, studying the mechanisms by which nutrients and hormones promote protein gain is of the utmost relevance to paediatric endocrinology. Tracers are ideally suited for the assessment of protein and amino acid kinetics in vivo, as they provide an estimate of synthesis and turnover. Current tracer approaches in children and adolescents utilize stable isotopes, ‘heavier’ forms of elements that have one or several extra neutrons in the nucleus. Such isotopes are already present at low, but significant, levels in all tissues and foodstuffs, are not radioactive and are devoid of any known side-effects when present in small amounts. L-[1-13C] labelled leucine, given as a 4- to 6-h intravenous infusion, has become the method of choice to assess whole-body protein kinetics. After infusion, any 13C-leucinethat is oxidized appears in the breath as 13CO2, whereas the remainder is incorporated into body proteins through protein synthesis. The isotope enrichments are determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and absolute rates of whole-body protein synthesis, oxidation, and breakdown can be extrapolated. This approach has been used extensively to investigate the regulation of protein kinetics by nutrients and by hormones. Attempts have also been made to measure amino acid/protein metabolism in selected body compartments, and to measure the kinetics of specific tissue proteins, for example, muscle, gut, or plasma proteins.
The Effectiveness of Phonological-Based Instruction in English As a Foreign Language Students at Primary School Level: A Research Synthesis

Phonological-based instruction, namely phonological awareness instruction (PA) and phonics instruction, has shown to be effective on early literacy skills among young children in western countries. Children who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) learn to read English differently from children in English dominant societies. Effectiveness of the instruction in the EFL context is much less investigated. The present study systematically reviewed 15 experimental and quasi-experimental studies published in between 2000 to 2016, on the topic of the effectiveness of phonological-based instruction in the EFL context. Study characteristics and instructional features were described, and effect sizes were calculated. Phonological-based instruction was consistently found to be effective among primary school EFL students on reading underlying skills including phonemic awareness and non-word reading. The median value of the effect size was moderate. In contrast, the effectiveness on word recognition (lexical access and pronunciation) and reading comprehension were inconsistent across studies. The median value of the effect size on word reading was small. This pattern suggests a limitation of the phonological-based instruction, which is the difficulty of transferring the phonological underlying outcomes to real reading. We found that most studies, although meeting the minimum standard of evidence for effectiveness, suffer from methodological flaws, thus they are potentially biased. Therefore, the positive effects reported in this study should be interpreted with caution. The implication for practice of this study is that including phonological-based instruction in the current English curriculum may be beneficial for young EFL students, thus they can better learn to phonologically decode English words. But not enough evidence has been found to support the instructional effectiveness on real word recognition and reading comprehension. Future research on this topic with rigorous design are needed so that strong causal inference can be made. The findings of this study provide novel insights into foreign language education of English for young learners.
Hierarchical linear analysis of the factors affecting C2C online bids

The influencing factors on the C2C online bids can be divided in product level and seller level in this paper. We explore the relations between the cross-level using the HLM. The results show that the price and description will respectively have a major impact on the CSS and the CSS between different sellers also have significant differences. The Feedback score and the Positive feedback of sellers will respectively have an impact on the CSS. The Feedback score and the Positive feedback of sellers will respectively strengthen the negative correlation between price and the CSS as well as the positive correlation between information description and the CSS.
Researchers challenge findings of team that showed awareness in three patients in vegetative state

Questions have been raised about the findings of a study that hit the headlines two years ago claiming that electroencephalography had shown awareness in three patients who were in a vegetative state. The 2011 study was carried out by the postdoctoral fellow Damian Cruse, the British neuroscientist Adrian Owen, and colleagues at the University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Brain and Mind in London, Ontario, in collaboration with Cambridge University and the University of Liege. It used electroencephalography to look at the brain images of 16 patients, thought to be in a vegetative state, after they were asked to undertake two tasks: making a fist and wriggling their toes.1 Owen, a neuroscientist who previously worked at Cambridge, moved in 2011 …
LOCATION OF THE ANTIGEN, ANTIBODY AND ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY COMPLEXES IN DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY SKIN REACTIONS TO HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE

The sites of intradermally injected horseradish peroxidase (HRP), of its antibody and of HRP-anti-HRP antibody complexes were investigated in the dermis of rabbits showing strong skin reactions of delayed hypersensitivity against HRP. Comparison was made with the location of intradermally injected HRP and its antibody in the dermis of immunized rabbits showing slight degrees of hypersensitivity of a nondelayed type and with the location of intradermally injected HRP in the dermis of nonimmunized animals. In all skin reactions of delayed hypersensitivity, a considerable proportion of the injected antigen was associated with collagen fibers, the reaction product appearing as "dots," "rodlets" and "strands" in linear array on individual collagen fibers in the interior of the bundles or as strands coating the outermost surface of the bundles. The reaction for the antibody was positive at the same sites. It was suggested that receptors for antigen-antibody complexes may be associated with collagen fibers. Free granular deposits containing antigen-antibody complexes seemed to originate from the collagen-associated granules after their enlargement and release. The extracellular granules often adhered to the antibody-positive surface membranes of lymphocytes. Other granular deposits (antigen-antibody complexes) seemed to be phagocytosed by monocytes (macrophages) and fibroblasts. In areas of tissue injury in the upper dermis, many mononuclear cells showed the reaction for the antibody on their cell surface. Aggregations of such cells were often located close to disintegrating bundles of collagen fibers. It was suggested that the encounter of the antigen and the antibody (antigen-antibody complexes) on the surfaces of cells and of collagen may trigger the release of cytotoxic factors. A few lymphocytes in the dermis of hypersensitive rabbits contained the specific antibody on their cell surface before skin lesions were elicited.
Effect of cholecystokinin-A receptor blockade on lipid-induced gastric relaxation in humans.

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) in regulating fat-induced changes in human gastric relaxation. Proximal gastric pressure-volume relationships were determined in 12 healthy volunteers during a series of gastric distensions, both fasting and after intragastric instillation of 250 ml of 10% Intralipid. All subjects were studied twice, in a randomized, double-blind study, during intravenous infusion of either loxiglumide (CCK-A antagonist) or saline. For each distension, intragastric pressure and compliance were determined together with perception intensity. During saline infusion, Intralipid reduced intragastric pressure (prelipid, 11.7 +/- 0.8; postlipid, 9.7 +/- 0.6 mmHg; P = 0.002) and increased compliance (pressure-volume slope values: prelipid, 87.6 +/- 9.7; postlipid, 47.2 +/- 7; P < 0.01). Loxiglumide infusion during fasting exerted no effect on either intragastric pressure or compliance. After lipid, however, loxiglumide abolished the expected postlipid reduction in intragastric pressure (prelipid, 12.1 +/- 0.7; postlipid, 11.5 +/- 0.8 mmHg; P = 0.4) but did not consistently abolish the postlipid increase in compliance. Loxiglumide exerted no effect on the cumulative perception score or on the volume at perception threshold, although it prevented the fat-induced reduction in pressure at perception threshold [control: prelipid, 15.4 +/- 1.1; postlipid, 10.7 +/- 0.5 (P < 0.05); loxiglumide: prelipid, 13.8 +/- 1.5; postlipid, 12.2 +/- 0.9 (P > 0.05)]. Endogenous CCK or CCK-A receptors therefore play a role in the fat-induced reduction of intragastric pressure and might also modulate gastric perception after lipid.
The determinants of labour force participation and employment in Chile

Chile's labour force participation is low in comparison with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Latin American countries on average, especially among females and youths. This article estimates the main determinants of labour supply and employment for prime-age individuals and youths using data from the National Household Survey (CASEN) for 1990, 1996 and 2003. Educational attainment is found to be a powerful predictor of labour supply and employability for both males and females. The number of young children in the household is a strong deterrent to female participation, both for prime-age and young women. Changes in labour supply and employment during 1990 and 2003 are decomposed using the probit estimations. The results suggest that structural changes in the economy were the main determinants of changes in participation among prime-age individuals, but the converse is true for changes in employment, which depended predominantly on shifts in individual characteristics.
Exogenous IL‐6 promotes enhanced intestinal antibody responses in vivo

It is well documented that IL‐6 plays a critical role in B cell terminal differentiation, and in mucosal sites it stimulates proliferation and large‐scale secretion of immunoglobulin by B cells, especially those committed to IgA production. The close juxtaposition of IL‐6 mRNA+ cells to plasma cells in the intestinal lamina propria supports the proposition that IL‐6 production in situ is an important factor determining the outcome of antibody responses at that site. However, it has not been established previously whether exogenous IL‐6 could boost antibody responses in the intestine if administered with a challenge antigen. Using a resected gut loop (Thiry‐Vella loop) model, we have been able to demonstrate that in mice with double loops, antibody containing cell responses to lumenal administration of ovalbumin were 50% greater in loops given intralumenal recombinant IL‐6 with the challenge antigen, than in loops challenged with antigen alone. This demonstrates the efficacy of IL‐6 in promoting accumulation of antibody secreting cells in the gut, and suggests a potential therapeutic role for IL‐6 to enhance responses to mucosal vaccines.