Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Highly purified lipoteichoic acid activates neutrophil granulocytes and delays their spontaneous apoptosis via CD14 and TLR2

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major component of the cell membrane of gram‐positive bacteria. Although LTA has become increasingly recognized as an immunomodulator, its effect on polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMN) is still not clear. The interaction between LTA and PMN, however, is of particular importance, as PMN are the first leukocytes that migrate to the site of infection and encounter bacterial pathogens. In the present study, the interaction of highly purified human PMN with endotoxin‐free LTA from Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. After exposure to LTA, neutrophil granulocytes acquired typical activated cell morphology. LTA had a marked activating effect on the functions of PMN as well. Shedding of CD62L, degranulation, and priming for formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe‐mediated oxidative burst were induced in PMN upon exposure to LTA. Moreover, LTA treatment induced the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐8, tumor necrosis factor α, and granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor by PMN. The effects of LTA on PMN were found to be associated with nuclear factor‐κB activation. Of particular interest was that LTA inhibited the spontaneous apoptosis and therefore, increased the lifespan of PMN. Experiments using blocking antibodies revealed that CD14 and Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) but not TLR4 play a major role in LTA‐mediated effects on PMN. These data clearly show that LTA, a component of gram‐positive bacteria, directly activates neutrophil granulocytes, the primary effector cells in the first line of defense against infectious challenge.
Revisiting biomarker discovery by plasma proteomics

Clinical analysis of blood is the most widespread diagnostic procedure in medicine, and blood biomarkers are used to categorize patients and to support treatment decisions. However, existing biomarkers are far from comprehensive and often lack specificity and new ones are being developed at a very slow rate. As described in this review, mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteomics has become a powerful technology in biological research and it is now poised to allow the characterization of the plasma proteome in great depth. Previous “triangular strategies” aimed at discovering single biomarker candidates in small cohorts, followed by classical immunoassays in much larger validation cohorts. We propose a “rectangular” plasma proteome profiling strategy, in which the proteome patterns of large cohorts are correlated with their phenotypes in health and disease. Translating such concepts into clinical practice will require restructuring several aspects of diagnostic decision‐making, and we discuss some first steps in this direction.
Remote collaboration and innovative performance: the moderating role of R&D intensity

Collaboration with geographically distant partners may enhance a firm’s innovative performance. In practice, however, this may be complicated as personal contacts are more limited so that effective search and transfer of remote partners’ tacit knowledge is hampered. We tested the potential moderating role of R&D intensity which, by indicating technology-oriented absorptive capacity, may mitigate the problems associated with remote collaboration. Drawing on survey data of 248 high-tech small firms, we find that remote collaboration is positively related with innovation performance, but at low R&D intensity, the relationship vanishes.
The PREVENT research programme – A novel research programme to identify and manage midlife risk for dementia: the conceptual framework

Abstract It is clear that the neurodegenerative disease processes which cause dementias are initiated many years before the onset of symptoms. In people with mild cognitive impairment there is already good evidence available to suggest that many of the key pathologies are well established. The PREVENT research programme seeks to understand the origin point and sequence of pathological changes which lead to dementia. It also aims to determine what clinical, environmental and genetic factors increase (or decrease) the risk of these changes initiating and developing. From this data we will be able to develop risk models that can be applied both in clinical practice and research which illustrate the chances a given individual has of developing clinical symptoms of neurodegenerative disease. Once these risks are identified and the sequence of pathological events are characterized; interventions to remove risk or reduce the impact of a risk can be undertaken, as can studies of agents which specifically target the earliest or most up-stream pathological processes. This paper provides the conceptual framework for the PREVENT programme and other similar studies interrogating people in midlife with a view to providing empirical evidence to inform intervention studies and better clinical practice.
AIS Electronic

Drug adverse reaction detection has attracted a great deal of interest, given pervasive drug accidents. Information systems offer clinical decision support for physicians to enable more rational drug use and improve patient interaction. Based on Chinese hospital data, we construct an empirical model to test the impact of a medicine management information system on doctors’ prescription performance and to explore the relationship with patient recovery. We further evaluate the effect of knowledge support on physicians’ decisions, recognizing that in the decision process there are various agents that offer different support for each other, e.g., pharmacists, IT staff, physicians and patients. Based on different influences on users, we evaluate the drug healthcare process through prescription. This paper examines computer-human interaction from behavioral and cognitive perspectives in exploring how clinicians respond and adapt to computational interventions over time.
Photosensitized inactivation of ascites tumor cells.

Visible light irradiation of suspensions of ascites tumor cells vitally stained with acridine orange resulted in the inability of the treated cells to produce tumors. The appropriate controls (irradiated unstained and stained unirradiated cells) were uninhibited in their growth. Ehrlich, Krebs-2, and Sarcoma 180 ascites tumor cells were similarly affected by this type of oxidative radiation injury. A wide range of intracellular concentrations of the sensitizer was effective in producing the radiation damage. The irradiated stained cells lost their ability to produce solid and ascites tumors and were unable to exist as free cells in the peritoneum. Untreated Sarcoma 180 ascites tumor cells were also found to lose their individuality immediately after inoculation into Swiss-Webster mice. However, these cells were able to regain their free-growing state after 19 hours in the host mice, whereas the stained irradiated cells could not. Cells damaged by the photo-oxidative mechanism were found to be incapable of initiating an immune response from the host. The microscopic test of cellular viability which utilizes acridine orange as the differential stain was unable to detect the photosensitized inactivation.
Improvements in antimicrobial prescribing for treatment of upper respiratory tract infections through provider education

AbstractBACKGROUND: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials to treat acute upper respiratory tract infections (URIs), which usually have a viral etiology, contributes to emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae and other human bacterial pathogens. OBJECTIVE: To reduce antimicrobial use for management of acute URIs in adult and pediatric patients. DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Four primary care clinics within a staff model HMO in Detroit, Mich. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one primary care physicians at clinics where the educational intervention was implemented, and 9 primary care physicians at control clinics where no educational programs were implemented. MEASUREMENTS: Antibiotic prescribing for acute URIs during the baseline and study years among the intervention and control groups. RESULTS: A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used and showed that antimicrobial prescribing among the intervention group physicians decreased 24.6% from the baseline to the postintervention period (P<.0001) for both pediatric and adult medicine physicians. From the baseline to the study period, there was no significant decline in rates of antimicrobial prescribing by the control group of physicians (pediatricians, P=.35; internists, P=.42). The rates of decline in antimicrobial prescribing differed significantly between the intervention and control groups (P<.0003 for pediatricians and P<.01 for Internists). CONCLUSIONS: An interactive, case-based educational program for physicians and their staff proved effective for reducing unwarranted prescribing of antibiotics in the treatment of URIs by primary care physicians in a Medicaid HMO setting.
How acute kidney injury is investigated and managed in UK intensive care units--a survey of current practice.

BACKGROUND Optimal management of acute kidney injury (AKI) remains controversial, particularly with respect to acutely unwell patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This is likely to be attributable to the currently poor evidence base. Attempts to introduce guidance and consistency have been made over recent years, such as the AKI Network (AKIN) staging system and, in the UK, recommendations from the 2009 National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report into AKI. We wished to ascertain how AKI is investigated and managed in intensive care units in the UK, and whether these recent initiatives have made any difference to clinical practice. METHODS This is an online survey of all general adult UK ICUs between December 2009 and May 2010. RESULTS One hundred and eighty-eight out of two hundred and thirty-three units (80%) started the survey; 167 (72%) completed it. Only 19.2% of respondents routinely use AKIN or Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) criteria for diagnosis and staging of AKI. A nephrologist is never or rarely consulted about patients with AKI in over 40% of the units. Only 46.4% have 24-h access to a renal ultrasound service. Continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH) is the most commonly used form of renal replacement therapy (RRT) but intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) is used infrequently. Continuous RRTs (CRRTs) are managed almost exclusively by intensivists, whereas IHD is managed predominantly by nephrologists. The most frequently used criteria for initiating RRT are hyperkalaemia, fluid overload and pH. Most units have a standard RRT protocol and 35 mL/kg/h is the most frequently prescribed dose of CVVH. Only 51% of the units assess the delivered dose of RRT. CONCLUSIONS Considerable variation exists in the investigation and management of AKI in UK ICUs. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of AKI, few ICUs are aware of RIFLE and AKIN criteria.
Deficiency of Viral Ribonucleic Acid-Dependent Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymerase in Noninfectious Virus-Like Particles Released from Murine Sarcoma Virus-Transformed Hamster Cells

Virions from hamster cells transformed by a new strain of murine sarcoma virus (MSV) appear to represent a form of MSV deficient in one or more of the viral components necessary for infectivity. Both the noninfectious virions and the sarcoma virus-transformed cells, which have no detectable replicating leukemia helper virus of either murine or hamster origin, are deficient in viral-type ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase activity (i.e., reverse transcriptase activity stimulated by the synthetic RNA-DNA template polyribo-adenylic-oligodeoxythymidylic acid). In comparison, both murine leukemia virus (MuLV) and MuLV-infected cells have abundant viral-type reverse transcriptase activity. It appears, therefore, that the leukemia virus genome may be required for the production of infectious sarcoma virus by contributing information needed for the full expression of functional viral-type reverse transcriptase.
Ultrastructure of mouse vallate taste buds. I. Taste cells and their associated synapses

The ultrastructural features of murine vallate taste bud cells and their associated synapses have been examined in thin and thick sections with conventional transmission electron microscopy and high‐voltage electron microscopy. Computer‐assisted reconstructions from serial sections were utilized to aid in visualization of taste bud cell‐nerve fiber synapses.
A pilot study to determine the normal haematological indices for young Malawian adults in Blantyre, Malawi.

BACKGROUND Reference ranges for haematological and other laboratory tests in most African countries are based on populations in Europe and America and, because of environmental and genetic factors, these may not accurately reflect the normal reference ranges in African populations. AIM To determine the distribution of haematological parameters in healthy individuals residing in Blantyre, Malawi. We also examined the effect of sociodemographic and nutritional factors on the haematological variables. METHODS We conducted a proof-of-concept cross-sectional study, involving 105 healthy blood donors at Malawi Blood Transfusion Service in Blantyre. Eligible participants were HIV-negative males and females, aged 19 to 35 years, who did not have any evidence of acute or chronic illness, or blood-borne infection. We performed the haematological tests at the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust laboratory in Blantyre, and the screening tests at Malawi Blood Transfusion Service laboratories. RESULTS Out of 170 consenting healthy volunteers, haematological results were available for 105 participants. The proportions of results which were below the lower limit of the manufacturer's reference ranges were 35.2% (37/105) for haemoglobin, 15.2% (16/105) for neutrophils, 23.8% (25/105) for eosinophils, and 88.6 % (93/105) for basophils. The proportions of results that were above the upper limit of the manufacturer's reference ranges were 9.5% (10/105) for platelets and 12.4% (13/105) for monocytes. We also observed that the mean leucocyte and basophil counts were significantly higher in males than females (p = 0.042 and p = 0.015, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in haematological results observed among different ethnic, age, and body mass index groups. CONCLUSIONS Over half of otherwise healthy study participants had at least one abnormal haematological result, using previously established foreign standards. More detailed studies are needed to establish locally relevant normal ranges for different age groups and other demographic characteristics of the Malawian population. This will lead to accurate interpretation of laboratory results.
Performance-Based Adaptive Fuzzy Tracking Control for Networked Industrial Processes

In this paper, the performance-based control design problem for double-layer networked industrial processes is investigated. At the device layer, the prescribed performance functions are first given to describe the output tracking performance, and then by using backstepping technique, new adaptive fuzzy controllers are designed to guarantee the tracking performance under the effects of input dead-zone and the constraint of prescribed tracking performance functions. At operation layer, by considering the stochastic disturbance, actual index value, target index value, and index prediction simultaneously, an adaptive inverse optimal controller in discrete-time form is designed to optimize the overall performance and stabilize the overall nonlinear system. Finally, a simulation example of continuous stirred tank reactor system is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Operating Decisions and the Disclosure of Management Accounting Information

In this paper, we analyze how the use of management accounting information to make operating decisions can reveal or communicate that information imprecisely when direct (precise) disclosure is a costly alternative. Specifically, we consider how data employed in making a decision to retain or replace a factor of production (e.g., a piece of equipment, a production process, or a manager) are inexactly inferred by outsiders who observe the outcome of the decision process. Such data, used in making production decisions, normally would be generated by the internal accounting system of the firm and considered proprietary. The primary result of the analysis is that we identify conditions under which optimal management decision making is altered by the existence of this potential indirect communication alternative to direct disclosure. In addition, the results suggest that care be taken in empirical tests relating production decisions to management accounting data. Because of the way in which the optimal retention-replacement decision may diverge from the efficient decision (the decision that would be made in the absence of the imprecise inferences made by outsiders), there may not be an unambiguous interpretation of the "correct" relation between the retention-replacement decision and the cost of direct disclosure. Our work provides an analytically tractable model of the use of man-
Soccer-specific video simulation for improving movement assessment

The improvement of ecological validity of laboratory research studies has recently come to the forefront of technology with virtual reality scenarios. The purpose of this study was to assess differences between unanticipated and anticipated lower extremity biomechanics while performing a sidestep cutting task. A visualization software was developed for this purpose, which would recreate a soccer game situation for use in a laboratory setting. Thirteen participants volunteered for this study. Lower extremity biomechanical data were collected with a VICON motion analysis system and two force plates, under anticipated and unanticipated conditions while performing a sidestep cutting task. Paired t-tests were conducted to assess possible differences between conditions. Alpha level was set a priori at 0.05. We found an increased knee adduction angle (unanticipated: -7.2 ± 5.3°; anticipated: -4.0 ± 5.3°), and knee internal rotation (unanticipated: 8.1 ± 4.7°; anticipated: 5.2 ± 6.5°) when performing the unanticipated condition (p < 0.05). The methodological approaches for studies investigating the factors possibly associated with ACL injury may need to take into account the laboratory environment and how the task(s) are presented to the participants.
Breast cancer among shift workers: results of the WOLF longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate whether shift work (with or without night work) is associated with increased risk of breast cancer. METHODS The population consisted of 4036 women. Data were obtained from WOLF (Work, Lipids, and Fibrinogen), a longitudinal cohort study. Information about baseline characteristics was based on questionnaire responses and medical examination. Cancer incidence from baseline to follow-up was obtained from the national cancer registry. Two exposure groups were identified: shift work with and without night work. The group with day work only was used as the reference group in the analysis. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate relative risk. RESULTS In total, 94 women developed breast cancer during follow-up. The average follow-up time was 12.4 years. The hazard ratio for breast cancer was 1.23 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.70-2.17] for shifts without night work and 2.02 (95% CI 1.03-3.95) for shifts with night work. When including only women <60 years of age, the risk estimates were 1.18 (95% CI 0.67-2.07) for shifts without night work, and 2.15 (95% CI 1.10-4.21) for shifts with night work. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate an increased risk for breast cancer among women who work shifts that includes night work.
Optimization of contrast-to-tissue ratio and role of bubble destruction in dual-frequency contrast-specific “acoustic angiography” imaging

Recently, dual-frequency transducers have enabled high-spatial resolution, high-contrast imaging of microvasculature by transmitting at a low frequency and receiving broadband superharmonic echoes from microbubble contrast agents at a higher frequency. In this work, we examine the imaging parameters for optimizing contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) for dual-frequency imaging and the relationship between bubble destruction and broadband harmonic signal production. CTR was assessed in vitro by acquiring scattered echoes by bubbles and beef muscle for transmit pressures up to 2 MPa, transmit frequencies from 1.5-8 MHz, and receive frequencies from 7.5 to 25 MHz. Optimum CTR (25.5 dB) was found to occur at the lowest transmit frequencies, though a broad peak exists within the 1.5-3.5 MHz range. At these frequencies, CTR is optimized when receiving at a center frequency of 10 - 15 MHz. A 4 μm-diameter microbubble population yielded ~5 dB higher CTR than a 1 μm population. Single bubble behavior was assessed with simultaneous acoustic and optical recordings. For n=250 single bubbles subjected to five consecutive single-cycle pulses (100-500 kPa), three primary categories of bubble behavior were observed optically: 1) no change in bubble diameter, 2) bubble shrinking (deflation), and 3) immediate bubble destruction (fragmentation). Matched acoustic data indicate that superharmonic signals having the broadest bandwidth and highest energy are associated with shell fragmentation. In the deflation case, a weaker superharmonic signal is produced with an amplitude approximately 25% of the signal in the shell fragmentation case. Similar regimes were observed in vivo, suggesting that bubble diameter, transmit frequency, peak negative pressure, and frame rate must be selected in light of the intended application, accounting for attenuation and local perfusion rate in the region of interest.
A Dynamic Numerical Method for Models of the Urine Concentrating Mechanism

Dynamic models of the urine concentrating mechanism consist of large systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations, with stiff source terms, coupled with fluid conservation relations. Efforts to solve these equations numerically with explicit methods have been frustrated by numerical instability and by long computation times. As a consequence, most models have been reformulated as steady-state boundary value problems, which have usually been solved by an adaptation of Newton’s method. Nonetheless, difficulties arise in finding conditions that lead to stable convergence, especially when the very large membrane permeabilities measured in experiments are used. In this report, an explicit method, previously introduced to solve the model equations of a single renal tubule, is extended to solve a large-scale model of the urine concentrating mechanism. This explicit method tracks concentration profiles in the upwind direction and thereby avoids instability arising from flow reversal. To attain second-orde.