Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen in Lupus Nephritis (Class IV) and Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis

Background: The role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of renal diseases has not been clearly established. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is also a proliferation marker. In this study, we investigated the relationship between clinical course and PCNA apoptosis on baseline renal biopsy in patients with Lupus nephritis (LN) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). Methods: Thirty-nine patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis [lupus nephritis (LN)[21] and MPGN[18]] were included in this study. PCNA and apoptosis on renal biopsies were detected by immunohistochemical and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labelling TUNEL methods, respectively. We calculated the ratios of intraglomerular apoptotic cells and PCNA positive cells per glomeruli, and total numbers of apoptotic tubular cells and PCNA positive tubular cells among the 100 tubular cells, and PCNA positive cell and apoptotic cell on two different tubulointerstitial areas (40 × 10). Results: In LN: Apoptotic indexes of glomerulus and tubulus were 1.08 ± 0.49 and 3.71 ± 1.38, respectively. PCNA positivities were found at 16.76 ± 11.34%, 46.57 ± 22.54%, and 40.28 ± 23.14% on glomerulus, tubulus, and interstitium, respectively. The activity index was 11.23 ± 3.41, and the chronicity index was 3.81 ± 1.99. In MPGN: Apoptotic indexes were found at 0.83 ± 0.25 and 3.55 ± 1.75 on glomerulus and tubulus, respectively. PCNA positivities were found at 21.33 ± 18.42%, 35.5 ± 25.99%, and 34.66 ± 26.84% on glomerulus, tubulus, and interstitium, respectively. In controls, apoptosis was not found. In LN: PCNA positivity on tubulus and interstitium were correlated with the activity index (r = 0.768, p < 0.001, r = 0.721, and p < 0.001, respectively). Glomerular PCNA and apoptosis on interstitium and glomerulus were not correlated with the activity index. The activity index also was not correlated with creatinine clearance and daily proteinuria (p = 0.35 for both). At the end of the first year, patients with recovered or stabilized renal function had higher interstitial and tubular PCNA than others in G1 and G2. Conclusion: It can be said that expression of PCNA on renal biopsy was correlated with activity indexes in LN. PCNA may be a prognostic indicator in MPGN and LN. However, apoptosis does not have a predictive value for MPGN and LN.
Cinnoline derivatives as human neutrophil elastase inhibitors

Abstract Compounds that can effectively inhibit the proteolytic activity of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) represent promising therapeutics for treatment of inflammatory diseases. We present here the synthesis, structure–activity relationship analysis, and biological evaluation of a new series of HNE inhibitors with a cinnoline scaffold. These compounds exhibited HNE inhibitory activity but had lower potency compared to N-benzoylindazoles previously reported by us. On the other hand, they exhibited increased stability in aqueous solution. The most potent compound, 18a, had a good balance between HNE inhibitory activity (IC50 value = 56 nM) and chemical stability (t1/2 = 114 min). Analysis of reaction kinetics revealed that these cinnoline derivatives were reversible competitive inhibitors of HNE. Furthermore, molecular docking studies of the active products into the HNE binding site revealed two types of HNE inhibitors: molecules with cinnolin-4(1H)-one scaffold, which were attacked by the HNE Ser195 hydroxyl group at the amido moiety, and cinnoline derivatives containing an ester function at C-4, which is the point of attack of Ser195.
Understanding movement

Through abstract movement, we are able to communicate various emotional content to users on the computer screen. This article examines movement in Theatre and Psychology and how connotative values are associated with movement. Through understanding the characteristics of movement and their various effects, the designer may better understand the complexity and relationship between movement and emotion.
Implementation of CycleTel Family Advice: an SMS-based service to provide family planning and fertility awareness information in India.

BACKGROUND CycleTel Family Advice (CFA), an SMS-based service designed to improve knowledge of fertility and family planning (FP), was delivered to over 100,000 people in India from April to August 2015. The goal of CFA was to increase knowledge on a range of reproductive health topics, e.g., the menstrual cycle, fertility, and FP, and to increase positive perceptions and use of FP. This paper focuses on the best practices and operational challenges for providing an SMS service based on the implementation experience of CFA. METHODS The implementation process for CFA was well documented, specifically program design, commercial partnerships, formative research, design of messages, and recruitment of users. The impact of CFA on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors was assessed through phone surveys before and after message delivery. RESULTS Programmatic data and phone surveys resulted in several operational findings, particularly in the areas of user behavior, partnership management, and mHealth research. While there were improvements in knowledge, there were not significant changes in FP use and couple communication. CONCLUSIONS The intervention yielded insights into designing an mHealth intervention as well as the opportunities and challenges of implementing a stand-alone SMS-based service with a broad audience. Lessons learned were that (I) SMS-based interventions, without other supporting systems, may not lead to high user engagement or behavior change; (II) partnerships with private sector technical platforms can help overcome the difficult problem of marketing and outreach, but they bring limitations to user interface and dependencies on a commercial structure; (III) collecting demographic data required to provide tailored content may be a barrier to user acquisition; and (IV) while phone surveys are useful for evaluation of mHealth interventions, reaching users is challenging and response rates are low.
Surveillance of transmitted HIV drug resistance in the Manzini-Mbabane corridor, Swaziland, in 2006

Background In resource-limited settings where anti-retroviral treatment (ART) is being scaled-up, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the surveillance of transmitted HIV drug resistance (HIVDR). We used the WHO's HIVDR threshold survey method to assess transmitted HIVDR in three antenatal clinic (ANC) sites along the corridor between the two most populous cities in Swaziland, where ART was introduced in 2003. Methods From July–August 2006, remnant sera were aliquoted from HIV serosurvey specimens collected from 70 primagravidas <25 years old attending ANC during the national HIV serosurvey. Genotyping was performed at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa. Transmitted resistance was defined by the WHO's surveillance list of mutations. HIVDR prevalence was categorized using the WHO's threshold survey binomial sequential sampling method. Results Among the 70 eligible specimens, 61 were sequenced – 60 (98%) were identified as subtype C and one as subtype B. No major nucleoside or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations occurred among the first 34 consecutive specimens, which supported a transmitted resistance categorization to these drug classes as <5%. One protease inhibitor mutation, M46I, was seen among the first 44 specimens, supporting a categorization of PI resistance as <5%. Conclusion Our survey indicates that prevalence of transmitted HIVDR among recently infected pregnant women along the Manzini-Mbabane corridor is low (<5%). Surveys will be carried out in this area biannually and may be extended to other areas. Surveys for transmitted resistance make up one element among a spectrum of activities to assess and support minimization of HIVDR.
Flooding Distributed Denial of Service Attacks-A Review

Problem statement: Flaws either in users' implementation of a network or in the standard specification of protocols has resulted in gaps tha t allow various kinds of network attack to be launched. Of the kinds of network attacks, denial-o f-service flood attacks have caused the most severe impact. Approach: This study reviews recent researches on flood atta cks and their mitigation, classifying such attacks as either high-rate flood or low-rate flood. Finally, the attacks are compare d against criteria related to their characteristics, methods and impacts. Results: Denial-of-service flood attacks vary in their rates, traffic, targets, goal s and impacts. However, they have general similarit ies that are the methods used are flooding and the main purpose is to achieve denial of service to the target. Conclusion/Recommendations: Mitigation of the denial-of-service flood attacks must correspond to the attack rates, traffic, targets, g oals and impacts in order to achieve effective solu tion.
Waveforms for simultaneous SAR and GMTI

In this paper we discuss the frequency-jump burst (FJB) waveform as a candidate for performing joint synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging and ground moving target indication (GMTI). We introduce the signal model for simulating SAR data and the method for image formation. The ambiguity function (AF) is used as an analysis tool for determining whether the waveform under investigation has the desired resolution. Image artefacts resulting from target motion are discussed and the degradations are quantified.
Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis in Northern Sweden.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the overall and the cardiovascular mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Northern Sweden. To analyze the effect of traditional risk factors and factors associated with rheumatoid disease and its treatment on the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and on mortality by all causes. METHODS A cohort of 606 patients with seropositive RA were followed from 1979 to the end of 1994 or to the death of the patient. Standardized mortality ratio and survival curves were estimated with the population of Vasterbotten as reference. Sex, age at disease onset, treatment with corticosteroids, use of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, HLA types, and cause of death were recorded from disease onset. Cox's proportional hazards regression was used to identify important predictors for death and cardiovascular event during followup. RESULTS The standardized mortality ratio in both sexes was significantly higher (1.57) for all underlying causes together, for CVD (1.46) and for ischemic heart disease (IHD) (1.54) compared to the reference population. The death rate increased over time. In multiple Cox regression analyses, male sex, higher age at disease onset, and former cardiovascular event increased the death rate. Male sex, high age at disease onset, and hypertension increased the risk of cardiovascular event. Diabetes mellitus, treatment with corticosteroids, DMARD, or HRT did not influence the risks of death or first cardiovascular event. CONCLUSION The overall mortality and death due to CVD and IHD were in both sexes increased in seropositive RA. Male sex and high age at disease onset predicted death and cardiovascular event. Except for hypertension, which increased the risk for cardiovascular event, neither of these traditional cardiovascular risk factors nor corticosteroid treatment influenced mortality by all causes or by cardiovascular event.
An Investigation of Sound-Symbolism in the Context of Tactile Feeling

ABSTRACT Sound symbolism suggests a non-arbitrary relationship between speech sounds and the concepts to which those sounds refer (Hinton, Nichols, & Ohala, 2006). Supporting evidence comes primarily from studies investigating how speech sounds relate to semantically compatible visual concepts. The present study therefore attempted to examine sound symbolism in the context of tactile perception. Contrary to the propositions of sound symbolism, participants in Experiment 1 did not consistently assign names with plosive consonant to objects with curved frames. Experiment 2, however, found that names with fricative consonants were more likely to be applied to materials with rough surfaces. The results suggested the existence of a direct relationship between speech sounds and their referent concepts that could be crucial in revealing the phenomenon of sound symbolism. A future study was also proposed to study the contributions of mouth shape and airflow to associations between speech sounds and tactile feelings. (161 words)
Modeling of transport behavior of the ballistic Silicon nanowire gate-all-around field-effect-transistors (Si NWFETs) with Si/SiO2 interface roughness

In the current work, the contribution of gate oxide/channel interface roughness has been estimated and incorporated into the transport models of a Si nanowire field-effect-transistor (Si NWFET). This has been incorporated by modifying the relevant energy sub-bands taking into account the roughness in both transverse and longitudinal directions. Accordingly, the channel Hamiltonian matrix elements related to energy sub-bands are modified. It has been observed from the study that such interface roughness has significant effect on the device performance in terms of transfer and output characteristics. The transfer characteristics show that the current decreases up to 40% for an increase in interface roughness up to 25%.
Set‐shifting and behavioral dysfunction in primary focal dystonia

The occurrence of cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with primary dystonia remains a matter of debate. We compared 45 patients with primary dystonia with 27 control subjects for performance on neuropsychological tasks with a load on executive‐Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Stroop test, and visuospatial‐Benton's visual retention test (BVRT) and Block assembly test from Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale BAT‐functions, as well as for intensity of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms (Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Y‐BOCS). Correlation analysis was performed between neuropsychological performance, dystonia characteristics (duration, age of onset) and severity (Unified Dystonia Rating Scale, UDRS), and Y‐BOCS. Patients made more perseverative errors on the WCST (P = 0.042) and had a higher mean Y‐BOCS (P = 0.003) score than controls. Timed tests (BVRT, BAT, Stroop test) correlated with UDRS. Y‐BOCS, WCST, and UDRS scores were not significantly correlated with one another.These results suggest that patients with primary dystonia may have set‐shifting deficits and a higher intensity of obsessive compulsive symptoms when compared to healthy subjects. This may reflect a pattern of complex neurophysiological dysfunction involving dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and motor frontostriatal circuits. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Cybersickness: an experimental study to isolate the effects of rotational scene oscillations

Head-coupled virtual reality systems can cause symptoms of sickness (cybersickness). A study has been conducted to investigate the effects of scene oscillations on the level and types of cybersickness. Sixteen male subjects participated in the experiments. They were exposed to four 20-minute virtual simulation sessions, in a balanced order with 10 days separation. The 4 simulation sessions exposed the subjects to similar visual scene oscillation in different axis: pitch axis, yaw axis, roll axis and no oscillation (speed: 30/spl deg//s, range: +/-60/spl deg/). Verbal ratings of nausea level were taken at 5-minute intervals and sickness symptoms were measured before and after the exposure using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Significant differences were found between the no oscillation condition and the oscillating conditions. With scene oscillation, nausea ratings increased significantly after 5-minute exposure for all the oscillation axes (pitch, yaw, and roll axes). Total sickness scores were obtained from the SSQ and their profiles with different scene oscillation axes were presented.
Surveying the literature from animal experiments: Systematic review and meta-analysis are important contributions

EDITOR—We agree with Lemon and Dunnett that better methods of surveying the literature on animal experiments are needed,1 but we do not share their confidence in the utility of non-systematic reviews. In clinical trials, systematic review and meta-analysis have made important contributions to our understanding of sources of bias, and the quality of clinical trials has improved as a result. We …
Stress responsiveness in adult life: influence of mother's diet in late pregnancy.

CONTEXT Men and women whose mothers ate an unbalanced high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in late pregnancy have raised blood pressure. We recently showed that they also have raised fasting plasma cortisol concentrations. Because raised fasting cortisol concentrations probably reflect a greater response to the stress of fasting and venesection, we suspected that this diet may have led to increased stress responsiveness in the adult offspring. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine whether an unbalanced high-protein diet during pregnancy is associated with increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured during a modified Trier Social Stress Test in 70 men and women aged 36.3 yr whose mothers had taken part in a dietary intervention in which they were advised to eat 1 pound (0.45 kg) of red meat daily during pregnancy and to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. RESULTS The offspring of women who reported greater consumption of meat and fish in the second half of pregnancy had higher cortisol concentrations during the Trier Test. Compared with the offspring of mothers who had reported eating no more than 13 meat/fish portions per week, the average cortisol concentrations were raised by 22% (95% confidence interval, 13 to 71%) and 46% (5 to 103%) in the offspring of those eating 14-16 and at least 17 portions per week, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide the first human evidence that an unbalanced high protein maternal diet during late pregnancy leads to increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring.
Translation and adaptation of the Competencias Esenciales en Salud Pública para los recursos humanos en salud 1

ABSTRACT Objective: to perform the translation and cultural adaptation of the document named Marco Regional de Competencias Esenciales en Salud Pública para los Recursos Humanos en Salud de la Región de las Américas (Regional Framework of Core Competencies in Public Health for Health Human Resources in the Region of Americas) from Spanish to Brazilian Portuguese. Method: a methodological study comprising the following phases: authorization for translation; initial translation; synthesis of translations and consensus; back-translation and formation of an expert committee. Result: in the translation of domain names, there was no difference in 66.7% (N = 4); in the translation of domain description and competencies there were divergences in 100% of them (N = 6, N = 56). A consensus of more than 80% was obtained in the translation and improvement in the expert committee by the change of words and expressions for approximation of meanings to the Brazilian context. Conclusion: the translated and adapted document has the potential of application in research, and use in the practice of collective/public health care in Brazil.
Flipping and flopping—lipids on the move

The rapid movement of polar lipids from one membrane leaflet to the other is facilitated by lipid flippases or translocases. Although their activity was first observed over 30 years ago, the structures, physiological roles, and molecular mechanisms of this group of proteins remain enigmatic. Lipid flippases maintain membrane lipid asymmetry, and in eukaryotes they are also intimately involved in membrane budding and vesicle trafficking. The ATP‐dependent flippases are members of well‐characterized protein families, whose other members transport nonlipid substrates across cell membranes. The P4‐type ATPases carry out the inward translocation of phospholipids, and various ABC transporters are involved in outward lipid movement. The ATP‐independent flippases move lipid substrates in both directions between membrane leaflets. With only a few exceptions, the molecular identity of these proteins is still unknown, despite their involvement in key biosynthetic pathways in both bacteria and eukaryotes. This review provides an overview of the different classes of flippases, and summarizes recent progress in their identification and functional characterization. The possible mechanisms of action of lipid flippases are discussed, and future directions explored. © 2011 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 63(9): 736–746, 2011
Towards the pharmacotherapy of eating disorders

The purpose of this review is to discuss pharmacological options for the treatment of patients with eating disorders. Sequentially described are pharmacotherapy studies of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED). The quantity of drug trials performed with AN patients has been very limited. While the majority of studies have failed to show medication efficacy for the acute treatment of AN, there is data which suggests that fluoxetine hydrochloride may play a role in preventing relapse during maintenance therapy. Atypical antipsychotics, most often olanzapine, have shown promise in a number of uncontrolled studies. BN has been most extensively studied, with the majority of pharmacological trials focusing on antidepressants. Fluoxetine, at a dose of 60 mg/day, is FDA-approved for the treatment of BN. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is of well-established utility in BN and data suggests that the combination of an antidepressant plus CBT is superior to either treatment alone. Recently, there has been interest in the 5-HT3 antagonist, ondansetron, and the anticonvulsant, topiramate. BED investigators have focused largely on antidepressants, which may reduce symptoms of depression and augment psychotherapy. While sibutramine and topiramate have both been associated with weight loss in controlled trials, the former appears to be fairly well-tolerated and the latter appears to be responsible for the emergence of significant cognitive and peripheral nervous system side effects in some patients. Further pharmacological research with eating disorder patients is needed, particularly in the areas of AN and BED. Also, pharmacological augmentation strategies for those not responding to primary therapies should be explored.