Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Blood Pressure

Objectives: Overt hypothyroidism is associated with hypertension and dyslipidemia, but there is uncertainty as to whether the same is true of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). This study aimed to investigate alterations of blood pressure and lipid profile in patients with SCH as compared to ageand sex-matched controls. Methods: Thirty-four patients with SCH and 34 control individuals without SCH were enrolled in this study. In all participants we determined thyroid function, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and a ratio of TC/HDL-C. Results: Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), a main risk factor for cardiovascular disease, was significantly higher in the patients vs the controls (P<.001). In the SCH group, there was an elevated TC (P<.01) and LDL-C (P<.01) concentration and a borderline elevated TG (not reaching the limit of significance, P=.063), whereas there were no significant differences in the mean values of systolic blood pressure (SBP), HDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio and body mass index between the two groups. Serum T4 levels were negatively correlated with SBP (P<.05) and DBP (P<.001). Significant negative correlation was also found between triiodothyronine values and diastolic blood pressure (P<.01). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients with SCH are at higher risk of hypertension and dyslipidemia as compared to the controls. VASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT 2016;13(3):E67-E74
A systematic review of randomised controlled trials assessing effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions

Background Assistive products are items which allow older people and people with disabilities to be able to live a healthy, productive and dignified life. It has been estimated that approximately 1.5% of the world’s population need a prosthesis or orthosis. Objective The objective of this study was to systematically identify and review the evidence from randomized controlled trials assessing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions. Methods Literature searches, completed in September 2015, were carried out in fourteen databases between years 1995 and 2015. The search results were independently screened by two reviewers. For the purpose of this manuscript, only randomized controlled trials which examined interventions using orthotic or prosthetic devices were selected for data extraction and synthesis. Results A total of 342 randomised controlled trials were identified (319 English language and 23 non-English language). Only 4 of these randomised controlled trials examined prosthetic interventions and the rest examined orthotic interventions. These orthotic interventions were categorised based on the medical conditions/injuries of the participants. From these studies, this review focused on the medical condition/injuries with the highest number of randomised controlled trials (osteoarthritis, fracture, stroke, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament, diabetic foot, rheumatoid and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankle sprain, cerebral palsy, lateral epicondylitis and low back pain). The included articles were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Details of the clinical population examined, the type of orthotic/prosthetic intervention, the comparator/s and the outcome measures were extracted. Effect sizes and odds ratios were calculated for all outcome measures, where possible. Conclusions At present, for prosthetic and orthotic interventions, the scientific literature does not provide sufficient high quality research to allow strong conclusions on their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Certificateless Public Auditing Scheme for Cloud-Assisted Wireless Body Area Networks

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) consist of many small low-power sensors, through which users could monitor the real-time parameters of patients' physiology remotely. This capability could improve medical care and the monitoring of patients. WBAN devices typically have limited computing, storage, power, and communication capabilities. These limitations restrict the applications that WBANs can support. To enhance the capabilities of WBANs, the concept of cloud-assisted WBANs has been introduced recently. By using cloud computing technologies, cloud-assisted WBANs can provide more efficient processing of patients' physiology parameters and support richer services. In cloud-assisted WBANs, the data of patients' physiology are stored in the cloud. The integrity of the data is very important because these data will be used to provide a medical diagnosis and other medical treatments. To address the issue of integrity in cloud-assisted WBANs, we propose an efficient certificateless public auditing (CLPA) scheme. A security analysis of our proposed CLPA scheme shows that it is provably secure against two types of adversaries (i.e., a type-I adversary can replace users' public keys, and a type-II adversary can access the master key) in an environment of certificateless cryptography. A detailed performance analysis demonstrates that the proposed CLPA scheme yields better performance over a previously proposed CLPA scheme.
Hyperadditive ventilatory response arising from interaction between the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex in healthy humans.

Physical exercise potentiates the carotid chemoreflex control of ventilation (VE). Hyperadditive neural interactions may partially mediate the potentiation. However, some neural interactions remain incompletely explored. As the potentiation occurs even during low-intensity exercise, we tested the hypothesis that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex could interact in a hyperadditive fashion. Fourteen young healthy subjects inhaled randomly, in separate visits, 12% O2 to stimulate the carotid chemoreflex and 21% O2 as control. A rebreathing circuit maintained isocapnia. During gases administration, subjects either remained at rest (i.e., normoxic and hypoxic rest) or the muscle mechanoreflex was stimulated via passive knee movement (i.e., normoxic and hypoxic movement). Surface muscle electrical activity did not increase during the passive movement, confirming the absence of active contractions. Hypoxic rest and normoxic movement similarly increased VE [change (mean ± SE) = 1.24 ± 0.72 vs. 0.73 ± 0.43 l/min, respectively; P = 0.46], but hypoxic rest only increased tidal volume (Vt), and normoxic movement only increased breathing frequency (BF). Hypoxic movement induced greater VE and mean inspiratory flow (Vt/Ti) increase than the sum of hypoxic rest and normoxic movement isolated responses (VE change: hypoxic movement = 3.72 ± 0.81 l/min vs. sum = 1.96 ± 0.83 l/min, P = 0.01; Vt/Ti change: hypoxic movement = 0.13 ± 0.03 l/s vs. sum = 0.06 ± 0.03 l/s, P = 0.02). Moreover, hypoxic movement increased both Vt and BF. Collectively, the results indicate that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex interacted, mediating a hyperadditive ventilatory response in healthy humans. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The main finding of this study was that concomitant carotid chemoreflex and muscle mechanoreflex stimulation provoked greater ventilation increase than the sum of ventilation increase induced by stimulation of each reflex in isolation, which, consequently, supports that the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex interacted, mediating a hyperadditive ventilatory response in healthy humans.
Reasons for Testing Mediation in the Absence of an Intervention Effect: A Research Imperative in Prevention and Intervention Research.

OBJECTIVE Mediation models are used in prevention and intervention research to assess the mechanisms by which interventions influence outcomes. However, researchers may not investigate mediators in the absence of intervention effects on the primary outcome variable. There is emerging evidence that in some situations, tests of mediated effects can be statistically significant when the total intervention effect is not statistically significant. In addition, there are important conceptual and practical reasons for investigating mediation when the intervention effect is nonsignificant. METHOD This article discusses the conditions under which mediation may be present when an intervention effect does not have a statistically significant effect and why mediation should always be considered important. RESULTS Mediation may be present in the following conditions: when the total and mediated effects are equal in value, when the mediated and direct effects have opposing signs, when mediated effects are equal across single and multiple-mediator models, and when specific mediated effects have opposing signs. Mediation should be conducted in every study because it provides the opportunity to test known and replicable mediators, to use mediators as an intervention manipulation check, and to address action and conceptual theory in intervention models. CONCLUSIONS Mediators are central to intervention programs, and mediators should be investigated for the valuable information they provide about the success or failure of interventions.
Analysis of Neurotrophic Factors in Limb and Extraocular Muscles of Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is currently an incurable fatal motor neuron syndrome characterized by progressive weakness, muscle wasting and death ensuing 3–5 years after diagnosis. Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are known to be important in both nervous system development and maintenance. However, the attempt to translate the potential of NTFs into the therapeutic options remains limited despite substantial number of approaches, which have been tested clinically. Using quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) technique, the present study investigated mRNA expression of four different NTFs: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in limb muscles and extraocular muscles (EOMs) from SOD1G93A transgenic mice at early and terminal stages of ALS. General morphological examination revealed that muscle fibres were well preserved in both limb muscles and EOMs in early stage ALS mice. However, in terminal ALS mice, most muscle fibres were either atrophied or hypertrophied in limb muscles but unaffected in EOMs. qRT-PCR analysis showed that in early stage ALS mice, NT-4 was significantly down-regulated in limb muscles whereas NT-3 and GDNF were markedly up-regulated in EOMs. In terminal ALS mice, only GDNF was significantly up-regulated in limb muscles. We concluded that the early down-regulation of NT-4 in limb muscles is closely associated with muscle dystrophy and dysfunction at late stage, whereas the early up-regulations of GDNF and NT-3 in EOMs are closely associated with the relatively well-preserved muscle morphology at late stage. Collectively, the data suggested that comparing NTFs expression between limb muscles and EOMs from different stages of ALS animal models is a useful method in revealing the patho-physiology and progression of ALS, and eventually rescuing motor neuron in ALS patients.
Wheat miR9678 Affects Seed Germination by Generating Phased siRNAs and Modulating Abscisic Acid/Gibberellin Signaling[OPEN]

Wheat miR9678, specifically expressed in scutellum of developing and germinating wheat seeds, affects seed germination by generating phased siRNAs and modulating abscisic acid/gibberellin signaling Seed germination is important for grain yield and quality and rapid, near-simultaneous germination helps in cultivation; however, cultivars that germinate too readily can undergo preharvest sprouting (PHS), which causes substantial losses in areas that tend to get rain around harvest time. Moreover, our knowledge of mechanisms regulating seed germination in wheat (Triticum aestivum) remains limited. In this study, we analyzed function of a wheat-specific microRNA 9678 (miR9678), which is specifically expressed in the scutellum of developing and germinating seeds. Overexpression of miR9678 delayed germination and improved resistance to PHS in wheat through reducing bioactive gibberellin (GA) levels; miR9678 silencing enhanced germination rates. We provide evidence that miR9678 targets a long noncoding RNA (WSGAR) and triggers the generation of phased small interfering RNAs that play a role in the delay of seed germination. Finally, we found that abscisic acid (ABA) signaling proteins bind the promoter of miR9678 precursor and activate its expression, indicating that miR9678 affects germination by modulating the GA/ABA signaling.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is common in people living with HIV on effective antiretroviral therapy

Abstract Objectives: The primary aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: PLHIV ≥18 years of age and on ART for >6 months and with HIV RNA <50 copies/mL plasma were included. Faecal elastase-1 measurement was performed on a single stool sample, serum markers of malnutrition were collected, and participants answered a short questionnaire about gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants with EPI and symptoms were offered pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), and the result of this therapy was also evaluated. Results: Of 100 participants, 32% had EPI (faecal elastase-1 < 200 μg/g) and 20% severe EPI (faecal elastase-1 < 100 μg/g). We did not find any correlation between self-reported symptoms and degree of EPI. Twelve out of the 32 participants with EPI accepted to start PERT. Nine out of 12 (75%) reported improvement or became asymptomatic within 14 days. Conclusion: EPI is common in PLHIV on effective ART. We could, however, not find a correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and the presence of EPI. Assessment of pancreatic exocrine function could be considered in PLHIV particularly in those with gastrointestinal discomfort, since there is a possible gain in treating them with relief of symptoms and improved quality of life. The effects of PERT in PLHIV on effective ART need further study.
Expression and clinical significance of serum MMP-7 and PTEN levels in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

The aim of this study was to examine the changes of serum matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) and phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at different time points following treatment. The levels of serum MMP-7 and PTEN were measured from 80 AML patients with a diagnosis of peripheral blood, immune cell phenotype, and bone marrow puncture cytology examination. Among these, there were 20 cases of complete remission, 20 cases of primary untreated patients, 21 cases of incomplete remission, and 19 cases of relapse after remission. In addition, 20 healthy adults with normal physical examination results were enrolled as the control group. Patients were divided into different groups according to the treatment period. Serum MMP-7 and PTEN levels in patients and the healthy control group were measured using an ELISA. Compared with the control group, the levels of MMP-7 of 20 primary untreated patients were significantly increased (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference for the levels of PTEN in the incomplete remission group. A comparison between the control and complete remission groups revealed that the levels of MMP-7 and PTEN in the serum samples of 21 cases of patients with incomplete remission were significantly increased (P<0.05). In addition, the content of MMP-7 in 19 patients in relapse after remission group was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the complete remission and healthy control groups, while the levels of serum PTEN did not show significant changes. In conclusion, the level of serum MMP-7 and PTEN in AML patients was closely related to the clinical stage and the degree of disease. The combination of MMP-7 and PTEN may provide theoretical support for the accurate diagnosis, understanding of efficacy, prognosis and improvement of survival rate of AML.
Word of mouth in consumers purchase decisions: The moderating role of product type

This article examines how homophily and ability (expertise) of eWOM source can impact on the consumers purchase decisions with moderating role of product type (credence product). The study used credence product with regards to selection of university by students. Using an interpretivist approach, the study examined 41 interviews and found that friends are good source of WOM but family plays a dominant role in decision making when it comes to college selection. Homophily with friends was regarded as important factor that evoked trust along with strong ties. Expertise and credibility of the WOM source also played critical role in trusting WOM. Article concludes with implications for practice.
Estrogen and schizophrenia in women: animal models lend a hand in understanding cognition

Women experience a differential onset of schizophrenia symptoms and a bi-modal peak of onset in the early years of adulthood and in the post-menopausal period. Cognitive deficits that accompany schizophrenia are some of the more severe symptoms associated with the disease. The understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction is still very limited and its understanding can bring important contributions to the adequate clinical management of the disease. Using rodent research to explore cognition, and how female hormones may affect cognitive decline with age in the context of schizophrenia can expand our understanding and perhaps offer more treatment options.
Physiological response of 10 phytoplankton species exposed to macondo oil and the dispersant, Corexit

Culture experiments were conducted on ten phytoplankton species to examine their biological and physiological responses during exposure to oil and a combination of oil and dispersant. The species tested included a range of taxa typically found in the Gulf of Mexico such as cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, and diatoms. Cultures were exposed to Macondo surrogate oil using the water accommodated fraction (WAF), and dispersed oil using a chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF) and diluted CEWAF, to replicate conditions following the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A range of responses were observed, that could broadly class the algae as either “robust” or “sensitive” to oil and/or dispersant exposure. Robust algae were identified as Synechococcus elongatus, Dunaliella tertiolecta, two pennate diatoms Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Navicula sp. , and Skeletonema grethae CCMP775, and were largely unaffected by any of the treatments (no changes to growth rate or time spent in lag phase relative to controls). The rest of the phytoplankton, all centric diatoms, exhibited at least some combination of reduced growth rates or increased lag time in response to oil and/or dispersant exposure. Photophysiology did not have a strong treatment effect, with significant inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) only observed in the CEWAF, if at all. We found that the effects of oil and dispersants on phytoplankton physiology were species‐dependent, and not always detrimental. This has significant implications on how oil spills might impact phytoplankton community structure and bloom dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico, which in turn impacts higher trophic levels.
Agent-Based Refinement for Predicate Abstraction of Multi-Agent Systems

We put forward an agent-based refinement methodology for the verification of infinite-state Multi-Agent Systems by predicate abstraction. We use specifications defined in a three-valued variant of the temporal epistemic logic ATLK. We define “failure states” as candidates for refinement, and provide a sound automatic procedure for their identification. Further, we introduce a methodology based on Craig’s interpolants for the refinement of the agent-specific predicates upon which the abstraction is built. We illustrate the refinement technique on an infinite-state auction scenario, and show that specifications of interest, that could not be checked by plain abstraction, can now be verified on the refined models.
Differential role of MyD88 and TRIF signaling in myeloid cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. While the role of adaptive immunity has been extensively studied, the role of innate immune responses and particularly of Toll- like Receptor (TLR) signaling in T1D remains poorly understood. Here we show that myeloid cell-specific MyD88 deficiency considerably protected mice from the development of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. The protective effect of MyD88 deficiency correlated with increased expression of the immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in pancreatic lymph nodes from STZ-treated mice and in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) stimulated with apoptotic cells. Mice with myeloid cell specific TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) knockout showed a trend towards accelerated onset of STZ-induced diabetes, while TRIF deficiency resulted in reduced IDO expression in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, myeloid cell specific MyD88 deficiency delayed the onset of diabetes in Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice, whereas TRIF deficiency had no effect. Taken together, these results identify MyD88 signaling in myeloid cells as a critical pathogenic factor in autoimmune diabetes, which is antagonized by TRIF-dependent responses. This differential function of MyD88 and TRIF depends at least in part on their opposite effects in regulating IDO expression in phagocytes exposed to apoptotic cells.
First record of imposex in Thais deltoidea (Lamarck, 1822) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Thaididae) in Vitória, ES, Brazil

One of the human activities that introduce chemical substances in the marine environment is the use of antifouling paints on ships hulls. Many formulations of these paints include biocides like organotins as tributyltin (TBT) or triphenyltin (TPT). The use of the organotin compound TBT as biocides in antifoulings for ship hulls or mariculture structures protection, associated or not to TPT, has demonstrated to cause lethal or sublethal damage in many marine species (FENT, 1996), even at ppt concentrations (ALZIEU, 1998). This toxicity has led to a progressive control of the application of organotin compounds in France, in the United Kingdom, in the USA, in Japan, Australia and New Zeeland and also in Germany, Sweden and Demark since the late eighties (CHAMP, 2000). The use of organotins in antifoulings is to be globally banned by IMO (International Maritime Organization - www.imo.org), but the ban originally scheduled to 2003 has not yet entered in force, because the required number of countries ratifying it was reached only by late 2007 (see References for details). These compounds are considered a threat to marine life in areas with intense naval activities and can act as endocrine disruptors in marine invertebrates, mainly gastropods (FIORONI; OEHLMANN; STROBEN, 1991; MATTHIESSEN; GIBBS, 1998; AXIAK et al