Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The DiabCare Asia 2008 study – Outcomes on control and complications of type 2 diabetic patients in Indonesia

Aim: To collect information on diabetes management, diabetes complications, and awareness of self-control in diabetic population of the country. This study also evaluated the physician perspectives, psychological aspects, and quality of life of diabetic patients. Methods: This was a non-interventional, cross-sectional study, which recruited 1832 patients from secondary and tertiary medical centers across Indonesia. Data on demography, medical history, risk factors and clinical examination reports including laboratory assessments were collected from medical records of patients. Blood samples of all patients were collected for centralized HbA1c measurements. Results: Among 1832 patients, 1785 individuals were eligible for analysis. The mean age of the patients was 58.9+9.6 years. The mean duration of diabetes was 8.5+7.0 years. Majority (97.5%) of the patients had type 2 diabetes. 67.9% had poor control of diabetes (A1c:8.1 ± 2.0%). 47.2% had FPG>130 mg/dL (161.6±14.6 mg/dL). Dyslipidemia was reported in 60% (834/1390) and 74% (617/834) of those received lipid lowering treatment. Neuropathy was most common complication (63.5%); other complications were: Diabetic retinopathy 42%, nephropathy 7.3%, severe late complications 16.9%, macrovascular complications 16%, microvascular complications 27.6%. About 81.3% of patients were on OADs (± insulin), 37.7% were on insulin (±OADs). Majority used biguanides followed by sulfonylureas. Human insulin was used by 73.2%, premix regimen 58.5%, analogues usage was 24.9%. Majority of the WHO-5 well being index responses fell in positive territory.
Fusion of Chlamydia trachomatis-Containing Inclusions Is Inhibited at Low Temperatures and Requires Bacterial Protein Synthesis

ABSTRACT The human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium with a unique developmental cycle. Within the host cell cytoplasm, it resides within a membrane-bound compartment, the inclusion. A distinguishing characteristic of the C. trachomatis life cycle is the fusion of the chlamydia-containing inclusions with each other in the host cell cytoplasm. We report that fusion of inclusions does not occur at 32°C in multiple mammalian cell lines and with three different serovars of C. trachomatis. The inhibition of fusion was inclusion specific; the fusion with sphingolipid-containing secretory vesicles and the interaction with early endosomes were unaffected by incubation at 32°C. The inhibition of fusion of the inclusions was not primarily the result of delayed maturation of the inclusion, as infectious progeny was produced in host cells incubated at 32°C, and the unfused inclusions remained competent to fuse up to 48 h postinfection. The ability to reverse the inhibition of fusion by shifting the infected cells from 32 to 37°C allowed the measurement of the rate and the time of fusion of the inclusions after entry of the bacteria. Most significantly, we demonstrate that fusion of inclusions with each other requires bacterial protein synthesis and that the required bacterial protein(s) is present, but inactive or not secreted, at 32°C.
A taxonomic study of novice programming summative assessment

Learning to program is difficult, a situation that is largely responsible for high attrition rates in Computer Science schools. Novice programmers struggle to grasp an early understanding of programming, which can lead to frustration and eventually surrender. The problem has generated interest in a range of enquiries, and has given impetus to the need for a teaching-research nexus towards a better understanding of novice programming problems. We continue the trend in this paper and report on a study we have conducted of novice programmers' efforts in summative assessment. Our study involves multiple-choice questions and coding question drawn from a programming examination. We analyse the answers provided by novices to final examination questions, and attempt to understand why students make such errors. We aim to categorise and classify the questions in the context of two well-known learning taxonomies: Bloom's Taxonomy and the SOLO Taxonomy.
Impact of vacuum-assisted closure therapy on outcomes of sternal wound dehiscence†.

OBJECTIVES Sternal wound dehiscence (SWD) after cardiac surgery is a rare but serious condition associated with considerable costs and morbidity. We sought to evaluate the results of the introduction of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in the management of sternal wound dehiscence, compared with those of previous conventional treatments. METHODS We retrospectively collected 7148 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2002 and June 2012. A total of 152 (2.1%) patients had a sternal wound dehiscence: 107 were treated with conventional treatments (Group A) and 45 were managed with VAC therapy (Group B). Patients were stratified according to preoperative risk factors and type of sternal wound dehiscence (superficial or deep; infected or not) and compared by means of a propensity-matched analysis. A cost analysis was also performed. RESULTS Forty-five patients of each group matched for all preoperative risk factors and type of sternal wound dehiscence. SWD-related mortality rate was significantly lower in Group B (11 vs 0%; P = 0.05). Incidence of mediastinitis (P < 0.0001), sepsis (P = 0.04), delayed SWD infection (P = 0.05), other complication (P = 0.05), surgical sternal revision (P = 0.04) and surgical superficial revision (P < 0.0001) were all significantly lower in Group B. Mean patient cost was 31 106€ in Group A and 24 383€ in Group B, thus achieving a mean saving of 6723€ per patient. CONCLUSIONS In our experience, the use of VAC therapy for the management of SWD was considerably effective in decreasing mortality (SWD related), incidence of complications and need for surgical procedures; thus, leading to a significant reduction of costs.
A Generalized Expression for the Gradient of Mutual Information: Application in Multiple Access Channel with Feedback

This paper introduces a new functional approach to describe an expression for the gradient of mutual information with respect to the system parameters in general stochastic systems. In this approach the system input can be dependent on the system parameters in general cases. As an application of this model, it allows us to express the roles of interference and feedback and their interactions in a Multiple Access Channel (MAC) system. Using these results, we extend the mutual information and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) relations to the additive Gaussian noise MAC with feedback. In this regard, it is shown that the gradient of mutual information can be decomposed into three distinct parts that are originated from MMSE, interference and feedback. Then, we interpret the destructive effect of interference and the constructive impact of feedback on this channel. Moreover, doing a comparative study we show the capability of the proposed functional approach to give more insights into the some of the available results in the literature.
Nuclear pre-mRNA compartmentalization: trafficking of released transcripts to splicing factor reservoirs.

In the present study, the spatial organization of intron-containing pre-mRNAs of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genes relative to location of splicing factors is investigated. The intranuclear position of transcriptionally active EBV genes, as well as of nascent transcripts, is found to be random with respect to the speckled accumulations of splicing factors (SC35 domains) in Namalwa cells, arguing against the concept of the locus-specific organization of mRNA genes with respect to the speckles. Microclusters of splicing factors are, however, frequently superimposed on nascent transcript sites. The transcript environment is a dynamic structure consisting of both nascent and released transcripts, i.e., the track-like transcript environment. Both EBV sequences of the chromosome 1 homologue are usually associated with the track, are transcriptionally active, and exhibit in most cases a polar orientation. In contrast to nascent transcripts (in the form of spots), the association of a post-transcriptional pool of viral pre-mRNA (in the form of tracks) with speckles is not random and is further enhanced in transcriptionally silent cells when splicing factors are sequestered in enlarged accumulations. The transcript environment reflects the intranuclear transport of RNA from the sites of transcription to SC35 domains, as shown by concomitant mapping of DNA, RNA, and splicing factors. No clear vectorial intranuclear trafficking of transcripts from the site of synthesis toward the nuclear envelope for export into the cytoplasm is observed. Using Namalwa and Raji cell lines, a correlation between the level of viral gene transcription and splicing factor accumulation within the viral transcript environment has been observed. This supports a concept that the level of transcription can alter the spatial relationship among intron-containing genes, their transcripts, and speckles attributable to various levels of splicing factors recruited from splicing factor reservoirs. Electron microscopic in situ hybridization studies reveal that the released transcripts are directed toward reservoirs of splicing factors organized in clusters of interchromatin granules. Our results point to the bidirectional intranuclear movement of macromolecular complexes between intron-containing genes and splicing factor reservoirs: the recruitment of splicing factors to transcription sites and movement of released transcripts from DNA loci to reservoirs of splicing factors.
Critical influence of the thymus on peripheral T cell homeostasis

A tight balance between regulatory CD4+Foxp3+ (Treg) and conventional CD4+Foxp3− (Tconv) T cell subsets in the peripheral compartment, maintained stable throughout most of lifetime, is essential for preserving self‐tolerance along with efficient immune responses. An excess of Treg cells, described for aged individuals, may critically contribute to their reported immunodeficiency. In this work, we investigated if quantitative changes in thymus emigration may alter the Treg/Tconv homeostasis regardless of the aging status of the peripheral compartment.
Assessing Visuospatial Abilities in Healthy Aging: A Novel Visuomotor Task

This study examined the efficacy of a novel reaching-and-grasping task in determining visuospatial abilities across adulthood. The task required male and female young (18–25 years) and older adults (60–82 years) to replicate a series of complex models by locating and retrieving the appropriate building blocks from an array. The task allows visuospatial complexity to be manipulated independently from the visuomotor demands. Mental rotation and spatial visualization abilities were assessed. The results showed that the time taken to complete the tasks increased with increased mental rotation complexity. Patterns of hand use were also influenced by the complexity of the models being constructed with right hand use being greater for the less complex models. In addition, although older adults consistently performed the visuomotor tasks slower than the younger adults, their performance was comparable when expressed as the percent change in task demands. This is suggestive that spatial abilities are preserved in older adults. Given the ecologically validity, the described task is an excellent candidate for investigating: (1) developmental; (2) sex-based; and (3) pathology-based differences in spatial abilities in the visuomotor domain.
Candida parapsilosis bloodstream infections in neonatal intensive care unit patients: epidemiologic and laboratory confirmation of a common source outbreak.

BACKGROUND Candida parapsilosis is a common cause of sporadic and epidemic infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). When a cluster of C. parapsilosis bloodstream infections occurred in NICU patients in a hospital in Louisiana, it provided us with the opportunity to conduct an epidemiologic investigation and to apply newly developed molecular typing techniques. METHODS A case-patient was defined as any NICU patient at Louisiana State University Medical Center, University Hospital, with a blood culture positive for C. parapsilosis during July 20 to 27, 1991. To identify risk factors for C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection, a cohort study of all NICU infants admitted during July 17 to 27, 1991, was performed. Electrophoretic karyotyping was used to assess the relatedness of C. parapsilosis isolates. RESULTS The receipt of liquid glycerin given as a suppository was identified as a risk factor (relative risk, 31.2; 95% confidence intervals, 4.3 to 226.8). Glycerin was supplied to the NICU in a 16-oz multidose bottle. Bottles used at the time of the outbreak were not available for culture. All six available isolates from four case-patients had identical chromosomal banding patterns; six University Hospital non-outbreak isolates had different banding patterns. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the utility of combined epidemiologic and laboratory techniques in identifying a novel common source for a C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection outbreak and illustrates that extreme caution should be exercised when using multidose medications in more than one patient.
In vivo effects of hydrostatic pressure on interstitium of abdominal wall muscle.

Fluid loss from the peritoneal cavity to surrounding tissue varies directly with intraperitoneal hydrostatic pressure (Pip). According to Darcy's law [ Q = - KA(dPif/d x)], fluid flux ( Q) across a cross-sectional area ( A) of tissue will increase with an increase in either hydraulic conductivity ( K) or the interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure gradient (dPif/d x, where x is distance). Previously, we demonstrated that in the anterior abdominal muscle (AAM) of rats, dPif/d xincreases by only 40%, whereas Krises fivefold between Pip of 1.5 and 8 mmHg. Because K is a function of interstitial volume (θif), we hypothesized that perturbations of Pip would change Pif and expand the interstitium, increasing θif. To test this hypothesis, we used dual-label quantitative autoradiography (QAR) to measure extracellular fluid volume (θec) and intravascular volume (θiv) in the AAM of rats within the Pip range from -2.8 to +8 mmHg. θif was obtained by subtraction (θec- θiv). dPif/d xwas measured with a micropipette and a servo-null system. Local θiv did not vary with Pip and averaged 0.010 ± 0.002 ml/g, and θif averaged 0.19 ± 0.01 ml/g at Pif ≤1.2 mmHg. However, θif doubled between Pif of 1.2 and 4.2 mmHg (from 0.20 ± 0.00 to 0.39 ± 0.01 ml/g, respectively) but did not increase with further increases in Pif. This nonlinear pressure-volume relationship does not explain the fivefold increase in K with Pip. Because the interstitial matrix contributes to the interstitial resistance to fluid flow, and because hyaluronan (HA) is the only component of the matrix that is not anchored to the tissue, we hypothesized that the loss of interstitial HA was responsible for the continued decrease in interstitial resistance to fluid flow. We determined HA concentration in the rat AAM and adjacent subcutaneous tissue (SC) at Pip = 0 mmHg and after 2 h of dialysis at constant Pip = 6 mmHg. The HA content (normalized to dry weight) in the AAM was reduced from 487 ± 16 to 360 ± 27 μg/g dry tissue ( n = 4, P < 0.05) and increased from 528 ± 72 to 1,050 ± 136 mg/g dry tissue ( n = 4, P > 0.001) in the SC. We conclude that the mechanisms responsible for the increase in K with Pip include expansion of the interstitium, dilution of interstitial macromolecules, and washout from the AAM to SC of interstitial macromolecules responsible for resistance to fluid flow.
miR-106b-5p targets tumor suppressor gene SETD2 to inactive its function in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Inactivation of human SET domain containing protein 2 (SETD2) is a common event in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the mechanism underlying loss of SETD2 function, particularly the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, still remains unclear. In the present study, we found that SETD2 was downregulated and inversely correlated with high expression of miR-106b-5p in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Over-expression of miR-106b-5p resulted in the decreased mRNA and protein levels of SETD2 in ccRCC cells. In an SETD2 3′-UTR luciferase reporter system, miR-106b-5p downregulated the luciferase activity, and the effects were abolished by mutating the predicted miR-106b-5p binding site. Moreover, attenuation of miR-106b-5p induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, suppressed cell proliferation, enhanced processing of caspase-3, and promoted cell apoptosis in ccRCC cells, whereas these effects were reversed upon knockdown of SETD2. In addition, transfection of miR-106b-5p antagomir resulted in the increased binding of H3K36me3 to the promoter of p53 and enhanced its activity, as well as upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of p53, and the effects were also abolished by cotransfection with si-SETD2. Collectively, our findings extend the knowledge about the regulation of SETD2 at the posttranscriptional level by miRNA and regulatory mechanism downstream of SETD2 in ccRCC.
A cooperative ITS study on green light optimisation using an integrated traffic, driving, and communication simulator

Cooperative ITS is enabling vehicles to communicate with the infrastructure and each other, to provide improvements in traffic safety, traffic control, and traffic management. Researchers from fields of information technology, communication, and traffic engineering are involved in the development of applications to achieve these goals. One challenge is the testing of such systems and their impact in a large scale. Real-world implementation is mostly limited to test vehicles or test stations, simulation studies lack the human factor, and driving simulation experiments are limited to a single. In this paper, we present a system, integrating a traffic and communication simulators with a multi-user driving simulator that can overcome these drawbacks and provides a low-cost testing environment for new developments V2V and V2I applications in a controlled, but realistic way.
Pigs as Natural Hosts of Dientamoeba fragilis Genotypes Found in Humans

The world is home to more than 1 billion pigs, which produce large quantities of feces. We know that some organisms in pig feces can cause human disease, and now we might have another to add to the list. Little is known about where the common intestinal parasite Dientamoeba fragilis comes from and how it is spread. However, recent molecular analysis confirmed that the organism found in pigs is indeed the same as the one found in humans. Therefore, pigs (or their feces) might be a source of this parasitic infection in humans.
Integrin-linked kinase is a potential therapeutic target for anaplastic thyroid cancer

We investigated integrin-linked kinase (ILK), a focal adhesion serine-threonine protein kinase, as a new molecular target for treating anaplastic thyroid cancer. ILK mediates cell growth and survival signals and is overexpressed in a number of cancers. Therefore, we hypothesized that inhibition of ILK leads to growth arrest and apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells. According to Western blotting, the level of ILK protein was highly expressed in one papillary (NPA187) and four of five (Hth74, DRO, ARO, KAT4, and K4) anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemical analysis of a human tissue microarray revealed that ILK was highly expressed in anaplastic thyroid cancer but not in normal human thyroid tissue. Treating thyroid cancer cell lines with a new ILK inhibitor, QLT0267, inhibited epidermal growth factor–induced phosphorylation of AKT, inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis in the NPA187, DRO, and K4 cell lines. QLT0267 also inhibited the kinase activity of immunoprecipitated ILK in four of five cell lines. Tumor volumes in mice treated with QLT0267 were significantly reduced compared with those in untreated mice. In immunohistochemical studies, QLT0267 suppressed phosphorylated p-AKT and angiogenesis (i.e., reduced mean vascular density) and induced apoptosis in both tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells of the thyroid DRO xenografts. In summary, we found that ILK expression and activity were elevated in human anaplastic thyroid cancer and ILK inhibition led to growth arrest and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Our results provide preliminary evidence that ILK is a potential therapeutic target for treating anaplastic thyroid cancer.
CD34− Blood‐Derived Human Endothelial Cell Progenitors

A subset of adult peripheral blood leukocytes functions as endothelial cell progenitors called angioblasts. They can incorporate into the vasculature in animal models of neovascularization and accelerate the restoration of blood flow to mouse ischemic limbs. Earlier reports suggested that CD34‐expressing (CD34+) but not CD34+ cell‐depleted (CD34−) leukocytes can differentiate into endothelial cells (EC) in vitro and in vivo. Recent findings suggest that CD14+ cells, which are typically CD34−, also have angioblast‐like properties in vitro. To determine the identity of angioblasts, the potential of CD34+, CD34−, CD34−CD14+, and CD34−CD14− cells to produce EC was compared. We show that a subset of monocyte (CD34−CD14+)‐enriched cells can take on an EC‐like phenotype in culture, but that the EC‐like cells also express dendritic cell antigens. These findings suggest that monocytes differentiate into macrophages, dendritic cells, or EC depending on environmental cues. The data also demonstrate that angioblasts are more abundant in the blood than previously thought. Finally, we demonstrate that CD34− and CD34−CD14+ cells incorporate into the endothelium of blood vessels in mouse ischemic limbs. However, incorporation of these cells requires co‐injection with CD34+ cells, indicating that leukocyte‐leukocyte interactions may play a critical role in governing angioblast behavior in vivo.
[Psychosomatic dermatology - state of the art].

Based on the current literature, the paper gives an overview of the state of knowledge in psychosomatic dermatology. The authors propose the following classification: (1.) Dermatologic problems as a consequence of psychic disorders (e.g. factitious disorder, trichotillomania, dysmorphophobia, delusions of parasitosis etc.); (2.) Multifactorial dermatologic disorders, which can be substantially influenced by psychological factors (e.g. atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, chronic urticaria etc.); (3.) Psychic disorders developing as a consequence of disfiguring or life-threatening dermatoses (e.g. adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder); (4.) Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders. Psychosomatic dermatology developed from an anecdotal initial stage to more systematic research with larger numbers of patients, employing control groups and psychometric instruments. During the last decade, research focused on psychophysiological and psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms which influence dermatologic disorders. This course of development and the current state of knowledge are presented for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.