Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxidant-antioxidant system: role and significance in human body.

Present article gives a holistic view of the causes, role and conrol of oxidative stress in the development and progression of various human diseases. Several types of reactive species are generated in the body as a result of metabolic reactions in the form of free radicals or non-radicals. These species may be either oxygen derived or nitrogen derived and called prooxidants. They attack macromolecules including protein, DNA and lipid etc. causing cellular/tissue damage. To counter their effect, the body is endowed with another category of compounds called antioxidants. These antioxidants are produced either endogenously or received from exogenous sources and include enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, minerals like Se, Mn, Cu and Zn, and vitamins like vitamin A, C and E. Other compounds with antioxidant activity include glutathione, flavonoids, bilirubin and uric acid etc. In a healthy body, prooxidants and antioxidants maintain a ratio and a shift in this ratio towards prooxidants gives rise to oxidative stress. This oxidative stress may be either mild or severe depending on the extent of shift and remains the cause of several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, malignancies, renal diseases, diabetes, inflammatory problems, skin diseases, aging, respiratory diseases, liver diseases and different types of viral infections. As more and more reports are pouring in, a lot of information is being unfolded about oxidative stress in relation to several other diseases.
Fatal transfer of malignant melanoma from multiorgan donor to four allograft recipients.

BACKGROUND In this report we describe the transfer of malignant melanoma from a single donor to four solid organ transplant recipients, all of whom died from metastatic melanoma. METHODS AND CASE HISTORIES: The donor of a heart, liver, and two kidneys to four separate recipients died of intracerebral hemorrhage. The donor had no history or clinical evidence of melanoma. All four recipients, treated with standard immunosuppression protocols, developed metastatic malignant melanoma within 1 year after transplantation Three patients died within 14 months after transplantation, although the fourth, whose immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued, died of metastatic melanoma 30 months after renal transplantation. FINDINGS Tumors from all recipients were histologically identical. Donor origin of tumor cells was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based DNA analysis for polymorphic short tandem tetrameric repeats (Geneprint STR, Promega Corp., Madison, WI). DNAs from nontumorous donor tissue and tumor tissue available from three recipients tested positive for CSF1P0 alleles 10 and 12 and for TH01 alleles 6 and 7, although DNAs from nonneoplastic recipient tissues all exhibited different allelotypes. INTERPRETATION Transmission of fatal or potentially fatal malignant tumors, notably malignant melanoma, from donor to recipient is an uncommon complication of solid organ transplantation. PCR-based genetic analysis permits definitive assignment of the source of posttransplant tumors.
Antibiotic stewardship implementation in the EU: the way forward

There is an urgent need for an agreement on the principles and key components of antibiotic stewardship to support the EU member states in developing their national or regional programs. A proposal for a conceptual framework was drafted during an international expert workshop on hospital antibiotic stewardship organized under the Czech presidency in Prague on 15 April 2009. This document aims at defining structural and organizational requirements to optimize antibiotic use for hospitalized patients. Optimization should aim at improving patient outcomes, ensuring cost-effective therapy, and reducing the adverse health and ecological effects of antimicrobial use, including drug resistance. Antibiotic stewardship is of relevance to hospital as well as community care. To progress on antibiotic stewardship implementation in the EU, we suggest that three issues need to be addressed: the need for further research on the comparative effectiveness and cost–effectiveness of antibiotic stewardship strategies and interventions in different healthcare settings, the development of expert consensus on key elements of evidence-based best practice in hospital and community antibiotic stewardship, and strengthening the legal basis and core funding of antibiotic stewardship programs as integral components of quality and efficiency of care promotion initiatives.
Starch–poly(ε‐caprolactone) and starch–poly(lactic acid) fibre‐mesh scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications: structure, mechanical properties and degradation behaviour

In scaffold‐based tissue engineering strategies, the successful regeneration of tissues from matrix‐producing connective tissue cells or anchorage‐dependent cells (e.g. osteoblasts) relies on the use of a suitable scaffold. This study describes the development and characterization of SPCL (starch with ε‐polycaprolactone, 30:70%) and SPLA [starch with poly(lactic acid), 30:70%] fibre‐meshes, aimed at application in bone tissue‐engineering strategies. Scaffolds based on SPCL and SPLA were prepared from fibres obtained by melt‐spinning by a fibre‐bonding process. The porosity of the scaffolds was characterized by microcomputerized tomography (µCT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Scaffold degradation behaviour was assessed in solutions containing hydrolytic enzymes (α‐amylase and lipase) in physiological concentrations, in order to simulate in vivo conditions. Mechanical properties were also evaluated in compression tests. The results show that these scaffolds exhibit adequate porosity and mechanical properties to support cell adhesion and proliferation and also tissue ingrowth upon implantation of the construct. The results of the degradation studies showed that these starch‐based scaffolds are susceptible to enzymatic degradation, as detected by increased weight loss (within 2 weeks, weight loss in the SPCL samples reached 20%). With increasing degradation time, the diameter of the SPCL and SPLA fibres decreases significantly, increasing the porosity and consequently the available space for cells and tissue ingrowth during implantation time. These results, in combination with previous cell culture studies showing the ability of these scaffolds to induce cell adhesion and proliferation, clearly demonstrate the potential of these scaffolds to be used in tissue engineering strategies to regenerate bone tissue defects. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is Corporate Political Activity an Investment or Agency? An Application of System GMM Approach

Corporate political activity (CPA) has been recognized as bearing a significant impact on financial performance (FP). Nevertheless, there has been a lack of considerable research to date. The results of the research regarding the relationship between CPA and FP have been contradictory and this has necessitated further investigation of this relationship. Nonetheless, rather than examining the relationship between CPA and FP, research scholars have revealed that a contingency perspective must be employed for revealing the conditions and the context which enhance the relationship between these two constructs. This study offers a quite distinctive viewpoint with respect to the link between CPA and FP as regards the corporate reputation perspective. For this reason, the study obtained data from the Fortune list of top 100 World Most Admired Companies (WMAC) for the period of 2007 and 2016. This data was utilized to examine the relationship between CPA and FP using the dynamic panel data system GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) estimator. This study finds virtually no support for the hypothesis that lobbying and PACs (political action committees) represent an investment in political capital. Instead, CPA is symptomatic of agency problems within firms. This study also argues that corporate reputation moderates the effect of CPA on the FP and the analysis supports the argument. Our results are particularly useful in light of the reputable corporation, which is greatly to likely increase the use of corporate funds for political contributions.
Clinical features and pregnancy outcome in antiphospholipid syndrome patients with history of severe pregnancy complications

Abstract Objective. To clarify the clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profile in patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Methods. Clinical records of 13 pregnant patients (15 pregnancies) with obstetrical APS were reviewed over 10 years. Patients who met the Sapporo Criteria fully were studied, whereas those with only early pregnancy loss were excluded. In addition to classical aPL: lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin antibody (aCL), and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI); phosphatidylserine-dependent anti-prothrombin antibody (aPS/PT) and kininogen-dependent anti-phosphatidylethanolamine antibody (aPE) were also examined in each case. Results. Cases were divided into two groups according to patient response to standard treatment: good and poor outcome groups. All cases with poor outcome presented LA, with IgG aβ2GPI and IgG aPS/PT were also frequently observed. IgG aPE did not correlate with pregnancy outcome. Conclusion. aPL profile may predict pregnancy outcome in patients with this subset of obstetric APS.
Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the detection of herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus and cytomegalovirus in ocular specimens

Purpose. A majority of ocular viral diseases are caused by herpes group of viruses. Such infections, especially atypical herpetic keratitis, iridocyclitis and intra-ocular inflammations, can often present with overlapping clinical manifestations misleading the diagnosis. Molecular techniques are most useful in such instances for an accurate and rapid diagnosis since conventional methods are time consuming and less sensitive. A multiplex PCR was developed and used for the detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in ocular samples. Methods. One hundred and forty six ocular samples (corneal scrapings – 52, aqueous fluid – 36, vitreous fluid – 31, tissues – 26, skin vesicle scraping – 1) were included in the study. The sensitivity of the assay was determined using serial dilutions of standard strains of HSV, VZV, and CMV vis-à-vis plaque forming assay. Results. The sensitivity of the assay was 4, 4 and 12PFU/ml or 20, 20 and 60 genome copy numbers of HSV, VZV and CMV respectively. Using DNA from various sources (fungal, bacterial, human leukocytes, tissues) along with standard positive controls, the assay was found to be highly specific. HSV DNA was detected in majority of the clinical samples (33.6%), most frequent being corneal samples. Comparatively, VZV and CMV infections were detected in small number of samples (VZV-3, CMV-2). Conclusions. We found the assay very useful in our set-up whenever a differential diagnosis of herpetic infections was suggested by the ophthalmologist. The multiplex PCR we have described here can be of greater value in clinics with larger number of patients suspected of having HSV, VZV or CMV infections.
Cognitive Functioning, Aging, and Work: A Review and Recommendations for Research and Practice

There is a larger proportion and number of older adults in the labor force than ever before. Furthermore, older adults in the workforce are working until later ages. Although a great deal of research has examined physical health and well-being of working older adults, less research has focused on cognitive functioning. The purpose of this article is to provide a broad contemporary and multidisciplinary review of the intersection between cognitive functioning, aging, and work as a follow-up to a paper previously written by Fisher et al. (2014). We begin by providing definitions and background about cognitive functioning and how it changes over the life span. Next we discuss theories relevant to the intersection of cognitive functioning and work, including the use-it-or-lose-it hypothesis, the cognitive reserve hypothesis, hypotheses regarding environmental influences on intellectual functioning, and the job-demands-resources model. Then we summarize recent research about the effects of work on cognitive functioning, as well as ways that cognitive functioning may influence work motivation, learning, development, training, and safety. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of person-environment fit, suggesting avenues for future research, and discussing practical implications for the field of occupational health psychology.
Use of functional foods among Swedish consumers is related to health-consciousness and perceived effect

The aim of the present study was to survey attitudes to and use of functional foods and to investigate which demographic variables and attitudes to diet and health predict consumption of functional foods among Swedish consumers. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2000 randomly selected Swedish citizens aged between 17 and 75 years. A total of 972 (48 %) responded, 53 % were female and 44 % male. Mean age was 45 years. The results revealed that 84 % of respondents were familiar with the concept of functional foods; 83 % had consumed/purchased at least one of the seven functional food products presented in the questionnaire. Of those who had consumed a functional food, 25 % had perceived effect of it. Positive correlations were seen between consumers perceiving a personal reward from eating functional foods, having an interest in natural products and an interest in general health. Consumption/purchase of functional foods was related to beliefs in the effects of the products, having consumed nutraceuticals or dietary supplements, having a diet-related problem personally or in the family, and a high level of education. The characteristic Swedish functional food consumer has a high level of education, is health-conscious and interested in healthy foods and believes in the health effect of functional foods. Thus, factors other than demographics better explain consumption of FF. However, the study population may represent a more health-conscious segment of the Swedish population in general. Additional studies are therefore required to elucidate the attitudes and use of FF in different consumer groups.
Mobile App Development and Management: Results from a Qualitative Investigation

We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the main aspects related to the development and management of applications (or apps) for smart and mobile devices. Is investigation is composed of two main steps and its context is the so ware industry. In the rst step, we interviewed so ware managers with experience in the context of app development and management. Is part of our study can be intended as explorative because we used its outcomes to plan and execute the second step of our study, namely a survey with so ware professionals. From this survey, we obtained a number of ndings that we can summarize as follows: (i) app development is mostly done by junior developers, (ii) agile methodologies and cross-platform development frameworks are largely adopted even if there are no approaches and frameworks considered the best, (iii) support for testing is considered inadequate, (iv) fragmentation of so ware and hardware is perceived an important concern, and (v) app development is considered di erent from the development of web/desktop applications. Based on our ndings, we highlight areas that require more a ention from the research and the industry.
Voltage-Controlled Cycling Endurance of HfOx-Based Resistive-Switching Memory

Resistive-switching memory (RRAM) based on metal oxide is currently considered as a possible candidate for future nonvolatile storage and storage-class memory. To explore possible applications of RRAM, the switching variability and the cycling endurance are key issues that must be carefully understood. To this purpose, we studied the switching variability and the endurance in pulsed regime for HfOx-based RRAM. We found that the resistance window, the set/reset variability, and the endurance are all controlled by the maximum voltage Vstop, which is applied during the negative-reset operation. We demonstrate that the endurance failure is triggered by a negative-set event, where the resistance suddenly decreases during the reset. Cycling endurance is studied as a function of time, compliance current and Vstop, allowing to develop an Arrhenius-law model, which is capable of predicting device lifetime under various conditions.
Transcriptional patterns of the pCD41 (U27) locus of human herpesvirus 6

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a lymphotropic herpesvirus, and in vitro, it can productively infect many of the same cell types that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects. Simultaneous infection of T cells by HIV and HHV-6 can lead to both activation of the HIV promoter and acceleration of the cytopathic effects. Several HHV-6 genes have been demonstrated to activate HIV promoter expression. Among them is a cDNA clone, pCD41 (U27), which codes for the HHV-6 DNA polymerase accessory protein. We have now further characterized the transcription pattern in the pCD41 locus and identified at least six RNA species, ranging in size from 1.2 to 4.5 kb. Northern (RNA) blot analyses showed no significant difference in RNA patterns between the HHV-6 variant A (GS) and variant B (Z29) viruses. All the RNA species detected by pCD41 are polyadenylated and polyribosome associated, suggesting that they may be actively engaged in protein synthesis. Cycloheximide and phosphonoacetic acid inhibition assay results indicate that all the pCD41 RNA species belong to the herpesviral early-late family. Using primer extension and S1 mapping techniques, the 5' and 3' ends of each transcript were mapped to different positions, and no splicing was observed.
A phase II study of AMN107, a novel inhibitor of Bcr-Abl, administered to imatinib-resistant or intolerant patients (pts) with Ph+ chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast crisis (BC) or relapsed/refractory Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

6536 Background: AMN107 is a highly selective, aminopyrimidine which is 30-fold more potent in vitro than imatinib and active against 32/33 imatinib resistant Bcr-Abl mutations. METHODS This open-label study evaluated safety and efficacy of AMN107 (400 mg bid) by hematologic/cytogenetic response (HR/CyR) rates in imatinib resistant/ intolerant BC or relapsed/refractory ALL pts. RESULTS Preliminary data from this ongoing study are presented for 18 BC and 6 ALL (5 relapsed/refractory, 1 minimal residual disease) pts. Baseline mutation data are available for 6 BC and 2 ALL pts: 2 and 1, respectively, had Bcr-Abl mutations. The overall median age was 54 yrs and the overall median exposure was 84 days. Seven patients remain on treatment (5 BC, 2 ALL) and 17 discontinued (3 adverse events, 9 progressive disease (PD), 3 deaths, 2 other). Two BC pts died of PD. 1 ALL pt had sudden cardiac death. HR was reported in 7 (38%) BC pts; 5 complete HR and 2 marrow responses/no evidence of leukemia. 3 BC pts had CyR (2 complete, 1 minor). Complete remission was reported in 2 (33%) ALL (1 relapsed/refractory and 1 MRD) pts. Adverse events in ≥ 10% were rash in 9 (37%) pts, thrombocytopenia in 8 (33%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 7 (29%), nausea in 7 (29%) pts, pyrexia in 7 (29%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 2 (8%)); vomiting in 7 (29%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 1 (4%), diarrhea, fatigue in 6 (25%) pts each, headache in 6 (25%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 1 (4%)), neutropenia in 6 (25%) pts (all Gr 3/4), anemia in 5 (21%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 4 (17%)), pain in extremity in 5 (21%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 1 (4%)), pain, peripheral edema in 4 (17%) pts each, pruritus in 4 (17%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 1 (4%)), leukocytosis in 3 (13%) pts (Gr 3/4 in 1 (4%)), arthralgia, pharyngolaryngeal pain, and upper abdominal pain 3 (13%) each. CONCLUSIONS AMN107 has clinical activity and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile in pts with imatinib-resistant or intolerant BC and relapsed/refractory Ph+ ALL pts [Table: see text].
Benfluorex: the last chapter of drug-induced valvular heart disease?

This editorial refers to ‘Valvular heart disease associated with benfluorex therapy: results from the French multicenter registry’ by F.L. Ven et al . , doi:10.1093/ejechocard/jeq172 . The first case reports about drug-induced valvular heart disease (VHD) date from the 1960s with the use of ergot-derived drugs (methysergide and ergotamine) for the treatment of migraine.1 Nevertheless, public awareness about this particular entity came after the withdrawal of the appetite suppressant fenfluramine (Fen-Phen) in 1997.2 Thereafter a limited number of drugs have been added to this list such as pergolide, cabergoline, and MDMA (the main component of Ecstasy). 3–5 The hallmark feature of these drugs or their metabolites is serotonin 2B (5-HT2B) receptor overstimulation, with valvular fibroblast proliferation and production of myxoid substance as a consequence.6 This leads to reduced leaflet mobility (restrictive VHD) due to superficial plaque like thickening of the valvular leaflets and subvalvular apparatus. Both …
No Evidence of Current Sexual Selection on Sexually Dimorphic Traits in a Bird with High Variance in Mating Success

Sexual dimorphism, particularly in ornamental traits, is likely to have arisen by sexual selection. Most empirical and theoretical studies of sexual dimorphism assume that ongoing sexual selection also maintains the dimorphism. Over four seasons, I measured the sexual selection acting on three sexually dimorphic attributes (epaulet size, body size, and the blackness of the body plumage) of male red‐winged blackbirds and found no consistent directional or stabilizing selection on any of them. Correlational selection was also negligible. I used path analysis to explore potential relationships in more detail but found no direct or indirect effects of male traits on either within‐ or extrapair success. Males who were resident on the marsh for more years had higher within‐pair success, primarily because they spent more of the season on their territory. Experimental manipulations of epaulet size and color and the extent of nonblack feathers in the black body plumage had no detectable effect on the number of within‐pair mates, paternity, or the number of extrapair offspring sired in nearby territories. These results combine with data from other studies of red‐winged blackbirds to suggest that, despite high variation in male mating success and hence a strong opportunity for sexual selection, several morphological attributes that differ between the sexes and vary among males are not under current sexual selection. The possible explanations for why add complexity to our understanding of how sexual selection operates.