Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting sleep disordered breathing in outpatients with suspected OSA

Objective To validate the utilities of Berlin, STOP and STOP-BANG Questionnaires, other patient characteristics, comorbidities, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and blood markers for the prediction of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) on limited polygraphy. Setting North Glasgow Sleep Service (a tertiary referral centre). Participants 129 consecutive patients, aged ≥16 years, referred to the sleep clinic for assessment of possible obstructive sleep apnoea. Interventions We selected cut-points of apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI) of ≥5 and ≥15/h from their home polygraphy and determined associations of these with individual symptoms, questionnaire scores and other results. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to explore these. Primary and secondary outcomes measures Primary: The utility of STOP, STOP-BANG and Berlin Questionnaires for prediction of SDB. Secondary: The utility of other measures for prediction of SDB. Results AHI was ≥5 in 97 patients and ≥15 in 56 patients. STOP and STOP-BANG scores were associated with both AHI cut-points but results with ESS and Berlin Questionnaire scores were negative. STOP-BANG had a negative predictive value 1.00 (0.77–1.00) for an AHI ≥15 with a score ≥3 predicting AHI ≥5 with sensitivity 0.93 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.98) and accuracy 79%, while a score ≥6 predicted AHI ≥15 with specificity 0.78 (0.65 to 0.88) and accuracy 72%. Neck circumference ≥17 inch and presence of witnessed apnoeas were independent predictors of SDB. Conclusions STOP and STOP-BANG Questionnaires have utility for the prediction of SDB in the sleep clinic population. Modification of the STOP-BANG Questionnaire merits further study in this and other patient groups.
Treatment of septic knee arthritis: comparison of arthroscopic debridement alone or combined with continuous closed irrigation-suction system.

BACKGROUND Arthroscopic debridement has been widely adapted as initial treatment for septic knee arthritis. Although isolated cases of arthroscopic debridement combined with irrigation-suction systems have been reported, a comparison of two techniques has not been performed, to our knowledge. The purpose of this study was to compare the two methods of treatment. METHODS From January 1996 to December 2008, 39 patients with 39 septic knee arthritis treated in our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen knees were initially treated with arthroscopic debridement alone (group I), and 20 knees were initially treated with arthroscopic debridement combined with continuous closed irrigation-suction system (group II). The clinical presentation, laboratory and microbiologic findings, hospital course, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The mean delay between the onset of the symptoms and treatment had a significant effect on the clinical outcomes. When the comparison included all the patients in the series, no significant difference between the two groups was found with regard to the number of operation procedures required or the length of the hospital stay. However, when the comparison was separated from the initial stage of infection, it was found that in stage II infection, patients had fewer reoperations and in stages II and III infection, a shorter hospital stay in group II than in group I (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the functional results between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The early diagnosis and aggressive initiation of treatment carried the success of therapy in septic knee arthritis. Arthroscopic debridement combined with continuous closed irrigation-suction system is an effective treatment for patients with septic knee arthritis; these patients had fewer operations and a shorter hospital stay than did patients who had received arthroscopic debridement alone.
Logistics-Production, Logistics-Marketing and External Integration: Their Impact on Performance

Highly competitive environments are leading companies to implement Supply Chain Management (SCM) to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage. SCM involves integration, co-ordination and collaboration across organisations and throughout the supply chain. It means that SCM requires internal (intraorganisational) and external (interorganisational) integration. This paper examines the Logistics-Production and Logistics- Marketing interfaces and their relation with the external integration process. The study also investigates the causal impact of these internal and external relationships on the company’s logistical service performance. To analyse this, an empirical study was conducted in the Spanish Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector.
Paraffin Oxidation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa I. Induction of Paraffin Oxidation

The induction of paraffin oxidation in intact cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Oxidation of 14C-heptane by cell-free extracts of adapted cells showed that the activity of whole cells is a reliable reflection of the synthesis of the first enzyme in the degradation of n-alkanes. Induction was significantly affected by glucose and could be completely repressed by malate. The amino acids l-proline, l-alanine, l-arginine, and l-tyrosine exhibited a rather low repressor action. Malonate, a nonrepressive carbon source, allowed gratuitous enzyme synthesis. A number of compounds which did not sustain growth were found to be suitable substitutes for paraffins as an inducer. Among these were cyclopropane and diethoxymethane. The induction studied under conditions of gratuity with the latter compound as an inducer showed immediate linear kinetics only at saturating inducer concentrations. With n-hexane as the inducer, a lag time was always observed, even when high concentrations were used.
Accurate Blood Flow Measurements: Are Artificial Tracers Necessary?

Imaging-based blood flow measurement techniques, such as particle image velocimetry, have become an important tool in cardiovascular research. They provide quantitative information about blood flow, which benefits applications ranging from developmental biology to tumor perfusion studies. Studies using these methods can be classified based on whether they use artificial tracers or red blood cells to visualize the fluid motion. We here present the first direct comparison in vivo of both methods. For high magnification cases, the experiments using red blood cells strongly underestimate the flow (up to 50% in the present case), as compared to the tracer results. For medium magnification cases, the results from both methods are indistinguishable as they give the same underestimation of the real velocities (approximately 33%, based on in vitro reference measurements). These results suggest that flow characteristics reported in literature cannot be compared without a careful evaluation of the imaging characteristics. A method to predict the expected flow averaging behavior for a particular facility is presented.
Lead (Pb) Toxicity; Physio-Biochemical Mechanisms, Grain Yield, Quality, and Pb Distribution Proportions in Scented Rice

Lead (Pb) caused interruptions with normal plant metabolism, crop yield losses and quality issues are of great concern. This study assessed the physio-biochemical responses, yield and grain quality traits and Pb distribution proportions in three different fragrant rice cultivars i.e., Meixiangzhan-2, Xinagyaxiangzhan and Basmati-385. Plants were exposed to 400, 800, and 1,200 ppm of Pb while pots without Pb were taken as control (0 ppm). Our results showed that Pb toxicity significantly (P < 0.05) reduced photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll contents and carotenoids) and inducted oxidative stress with increased production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malanodialdehyde (MDA) and leaves leachates; while such effects were more apparent in Xinagyaxiangzhan than other two rice cultivars. Pb stress differentially affected the production protein, proline and soluble sugars; however the production rates were higher at heading stage (HS) than maturity stage (MS). Furthermore, Pb stress altered superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidases (POD), catalases (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidases (APX) activities and glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) production in all rice cultivars at both HS and MS. All Pb levels reduced the yield and yield components of all rice cultivars; nonetheless such reductions were observed highest in Xinagyaxiangzhan (69.12%) than Meixiangzhan-2 (58.05%) and Basmati-385 (46.27%) and resulted in grain quality deterioration. Significant and positive correlations among rice yields with productive tillers/pot and grains per panicle while negative with sterility percentage were also observed. In addition, all rice cultivars readily taken up the Pb contents from soil to roots and transported upward in different proportions with maximum in roots followed by stemss, leaves, ears and grains. Higher proportions of Pb contents in above ground plant parts in Xinagyaxiangzhan possibly lead to maximum losses in this cultivar than other two cultivars; while less damage in Basmati-385 might be related to strong anti-oxidative defense system and lower proportions of Pb contents in its aerial parts.
A stochastic multi-armed bandit approach to nonparametric H∞-norm estimation

We study the problem of estimating the largest gain of an unknown linear and time-invariant filter, which is also known as the H∞ norm of the system. By using ideas from the stochastic multi-armed bandit framework, we present a new algorithm that sequentially designs an input signal in order to estimate this quantity by means of input-output data. The algorithm is shown empirically to beat an asymptotically optimal method, known as Thompson Sampling, in the sense of its cumulative regret function. Finally, for a general class of algorithms, a lower bound on the performance of finding the H∞ norm is derived.
Dynamics of marsh-mangrove ecotone since the mid-Holocene: A palynological study of mangrove encroachment and sea level rise in the Shark River Estuary, Florida

Sea level rise and the associated inland shift of the marsh-mangrove ecotone in south Florida have raised many scientific and management concerns in recent years. Holocene paleoecological records can provide an important baseline to shed light on the long-term dynamics of vegetation changes across this ecotone in the past, which is needed to predict the future. In this study, we present palynological, X-ray fluorescence, and loss-on ignition data from four sedimentary cores recovered from a 20-km marine-to-freshwater transect along the Shark River Estuary, southwest Everglades, to document the patterns and processes of coastal vegetation changes in response to sea level rise since the mid-Holocene. Our record indicates that freshwater marsh progressively replaced marl prairies at the Shark River Estuary between 5700 and 4400 cal yr BP. As marine transgression continued, marine influence reached the threshold necessary for mangroves to establish at the current mouth of the Shark River Slough at 3800 cal yr BP. During the next 3000 years, although sea level rise in the Western North Atlantic slowed down to 0.4 mm/yr, a spatial and temporal gradient was evident as the marsh-mangrove ecotone shifted inland by 20 km from 3800 to 800 cal yr BP, accompanied by a gradual landward replacement of freshwater marsh by mangrove forest. If sea level continues to rise at 2.33 mm/yr in the 21st century in south Florida, it is possible that marine influence will reach the threshold for mangroves to establish in the central Everglades, and we could expect a much more aggressive mangrove encroachment toward the northern and interior parts of south Florida in the next few centuries.
Möbius-strip-like columnar functional connections are revealed in somato-sensory receptive field centroids

Receptive fields of neurons in the forelimb region of areas 3b and 1 of primary somatosensory cortex, in cats and monkeys, were mapped using extracellular recordings obtained sequentially from nearly radial penetrations. Locations of the field centroids indicated the presence of a functional system in which cortical homotypic representations of the limb surfaces are entwined in three-dimensional Möbius-strip-like patterns of synaptic connections. Boundaries of somatosensory receptive field in nested groups irregularly overlie the centroid order, and are interpreted as arising from the superposition of learned connections upon the embryonic order. Since the theory of embryonic synaptic self-organization used to model these results was devised and earlier used to explain findings in primary visual cortex, the present findings suggest the theory may be of general application throughout cortex and may reveal a modular functional synaptic system, which, only in some parts of the cortex, and in some species, is manifest as anatomical ordering into columns.
High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in young healthy adults from the western part of India

Objective Data on the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Indians living in the western part of the country are limited. The authors aimed to study the vitamin D status and dietary intake of calcium and phytates in healthy adult volunteers from a city in the western part of India. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in western India. A total of 1137 young (age: 25–35 years), healthy volunteers of both sexes were included in the study. All subjects were assessed for sun exposure, dietary intake of energy, protein, fat, calcium and phytates. Biochemical investigations included calcium, inorganic phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), total proteins, albumin and creatinine in serum and spot urinary calcium to creatinine ratio. Results The serum 25(OH)D concentration for the whole study population was low (17.4±9.1 ng/ml), and that for men and women were 18.9±8.9 ng/ml and 15.8±9.1 ng/ml, respectively. Seventy per cent of the study population had hypovitaminosis D (25(OH)D <20 ng/ml) with a slightly higher prevalence in women (76%). Mean dietary calcium intake of the study population was 322.92±135.17 mg/day and was very low when compared with the recommended dietary allowance (400 mg/day for adults of both sexes) issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Dietary phytate was much higher than calcium intake with a dietary phytate to calcium ratio of 2.25±0.76. Serum iPTH had significant negative correlation with 25(OH)D (r=−0.23, p<0.001). Conclusion Hypovitaminosis D, low dietary calcium and high phytate consumption are highly prevalent among young healthy adults in the western part of India.
A Riboswitch Regulates Expression of the Coenzyme B12-Independent Methionine Synthase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Implications for Differential Methionine Synthase Function in Strains H37Rv and CDC1551

ABSTRACT We observed vitamin B12-mediated growth inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain CDC1551. The B12 sensitivity was mapped to a polymorphism in metH, encoding a coenzyme B12-dependent methionine synthase. Vitamin B12-resistant suppressor mutants of CDC1551 containing mutations in a B12 riboswitch upstream of the metE gene, which encodes a B12-independent methionine synthase, were isolated. Expression analysis confirmed that the B12 riboswitch is a transcriptional regulator of metE in M. tuberculosis.
Hepatitis B Virus Mutants

During hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, selection and takeover of mutant viruses are frequent events driven by both humoral and cellular host-immune response and antiviral therapy. Therefore, dynamic studies of the variations of viral mutants over time within the overall viral population in relation with the host-virus interactions are extremely important to better understand the biological and pathogenic role of each mutant. With these premises, we review the more frequent mutations detected in each of the 4 open reading frames of HBV. A detailed analysis of the pathobiologic implications of pre-C region mutations which suppress the expression of the hepatitis B ‘e’ antigen, will be presented, as these mutations induce a specific change in virus biology and the variations of the ratio between wild-type and mutant correlate with significant events in host-virus interactions.
Presolar Grains from the Qingzhen (EH3) Meteorite

A 28 g sample of the Qingzhen enstatite (EH3) chondrite was subjected to chemical and physical separation procedures to yield several grain-size residues. Ion mapping of isotopes of Si, O, and C in the ion microprobe of two size fractions (QZR4: 0.4-0.8 μm; QZR5: 0.8-2 μm) identified 55 30Si-depleted candidates out of 37,917 Si-rich grains and six 18O-depleted grains out of 54,410 oxides. Subsequent isotopic analyses of C, N, and Si of 48 grains of the 30Si-depleted candidates and additional randomly selected SiC and Si3N4 grains confirmed 36 of X-type SiC, nine of X-type Si3N4, and one of A+B-type SiC. The isotopic compositions of most X grains overlap those of previously measured X grains from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite, but ~25% show more pronounced 29Si deficits, suggestive of multiple stellar origins of X grains. Presolar Si3N4 grains have isotopic compositions similar to those of X SiC grains, except that their C isotopic ratios are close to solar. The relative abundances of various presolar grain types in Qingzhen are different from those in Murchison, suggestive of heterogeneity and/or size sorting in the primitive solar nebula.
Chemical sensing in mammalian host–bacterial commensal associations

The mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract is colonized by a complex consortium of bacterial species. Bacteria engage in chemical signaling to coordinate population-wide behavior. However, it is unclear if chemical sensing plays a role in establishing mammalian host–bacterial commensal relationships. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a deadly human pathogen but is a member of the GI flora in cattle, its main reservoir. EHEC harbors SdiA, a regulator that senses acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by other bacteria. Here, we show that SdiA is necessary for EHEC colonization of cattle and that AHLs are prominent within the bovine rumen but absent in other areas of the GI tract. We also assessed the rumen metagenome of heifers, and we show that it is dominated by Clostridia and/or Bacilli but also harbors Bacteroidetes. Of note, some members of the Bacteroidetes phyla have been previously reported to produce AHLs. SdiA-AHL chemical signaling aids EHEC in gauging these GI environments, and promotes adaptation to a commensal lifestyle. We show that chemical sensing in the mammalian GI tract determines the niche specificity for colonization by a commensal bacterium of its natural animal reservoir. Chemical sensing may be a general mechanism used by commensal bacteria to sense and adapt to their mammalian hosts. Additionally, because EHEC is largely prevalent in cattle herds, interference with SdiA-mediated cattle colonization is an exciting alternative to diminish contamination of meat products and cross-contamination of produce crops because of cattle shedding of this human pathogen.
Acetylation of p53 Protein at Lysine 120 Up-regulates Apaf-1 Protein and Sensitizes the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway*

The p53 tumor suppressor controls cell growth, metabolism, and death by regulating the transcription of various target genes. The target-specific transcriptional activity of p53 is highly regulated. Here we demonstrate that acetylation of p53 at Lys-120 up-regulates its transcriptional activity toward Apaf-1, a core component in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and thus sensitizes caspase activation and apoptosis. We found that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, including butyrate, augment Lys-120 acetylation of p53 and thus Apaf-1 expression by inhibiting HDAC1. In p53-null cells, transfection of wild-type but not K120R mutant p53 can restore the p53-dependent sensitivity to butyrate. Strikingly, transfection of acetylation-mimicking K120Q mutant p53 is sufficient to up-regulates Apaf-1 in a manner independent of butyrate treatment. Therefore, HDAC inhibitors can induce p53 acetylation at lysine 120, which in turn enhances mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis through transcriptional up-regulation of Apaf-1.
The effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on serum and saliva chitotriosidase activities in patients with periodontitis and coronary artery disease

Background Plasma chitotriosidase activity, which is a marker of macrophage activation, has been reported to increase in inflammatory conditions and atherosclerosis. Chronic periodontitis has likely an important role in the development of coronary artery disease. In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of chronic periodontitis on salivary and plasma chitotriosidase activities in patients with or without coronary atherosclerosis. Methods Fifty subjects were divided into four groups as controls (n=13), periodontitis (n=11), coronary artery disease (n=13), and periodontitis + coronary artery disease (n=13). Plasma and saliva chitotriosidase activities were measured by a fluorimetric method in all groups before the nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis and 5 weeks posttreatment in periodontitis groups. Results Salivary chitotriosidase activity was decreased after nonsurgical periodontal treatment in patients having periodontitis with or without coronary atherosclerosis. However, plasma activities remained unchanged. Conclusion Although this study has some limitations like small sample size and short study duration, it can suggest that salivary chitotriosidase can have the potential to be used as a very useful and practical marker to evaluate the success of the periodontal treatment and/or host response. Key finding Salivary chitotriosidase can be used as a marker for the evaluation of the success of the periodontal treatment and/or host response.
Proliferation of Osteoblast-Like Cells on Zirconia/Alumina Nanocomposite

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility with the proliferation of osteoblast-like cell (MC3T3-E1) on zirconia/alumina nanocomposite (NANOZR) in comparison to yttria stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP) and titanium (Ti). Cellular proliferations after 1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-day incubation were calculated from the measurement of the MTT activities of the proliferated cell and were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. Time-dependent proliferation of MC3T3-E1 in all the sample was observed in all three materials with culture days. However, these were no significant differences in the proliferation between three kinds of material, indicating all the materials have a similar-good biocompatibility.