Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of updated sepsis scoring systems and systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria and their association with sepsis in equine neonates

Background The original equine sepsis score provided a method of identifying foals with sepsis. New variables associated with sepsis have been evaluated, but the sepsis score has not been updated. Objectives To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of 2 updated sepsis scores and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria in regard to detecting sepsis in foals. Animals Two‐hundred and seventy‐three ill foals and 25 healthy control foals. Methods Historical, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings were used to calculate the original sepsis score and 2 updated sepsis scores. SIRS criteria were also evaluated. Sepsis scores and positive SIRS scores were statistically compared to foals with sepsis. Results One‐hundred and twenty‐six foals were septic and 147 sick‐nonseptic. The original and updated sepsis scores were significantly higher in septic foals as compared to sick‐nonseptic and healthy foals. The sensitivity and specificity of the updated sepsis scores to predict sepsis were not significantly better than those of the original sepsis score. One‐hundred and twenty‐seven of 273 (46.5%) foals met the original SIRS criteria and 88/273 (32%) foals met the equine neonatal SIRS criteria. The original SIRS criteria had similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting sepsis as did the 3 sepsis scores in our study. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The updated sepsis scores did not provide improved ability in predicting sepsis. Fulfilling the original SIRS criteria provided similar sensitivity and specificity in predicting sepsis as the modified sepsis score and might serve as a diagnostic aid in identifying foals at risk for sepsis.
Teacher-Level Factors, Classroom Physical Activity Opportunities, and Children's Physical Activity Levels.

BACKGROUND Classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) breaks are a cost-effective strategy to promote physical activity (PA) at school. Despite teachers' critical roles in sustained implementation of CBPA breaks, few studies examined the association of teacher-level factors with student PA levels, and none focused on rural schools. METHODS We monitored children's PA levels over 4 consecutive school days at 6 rural Oregon elementary schools with Walk4Life pedometers. During the same week, teachers recorded all student PA opportunities (recess, PE, and CBPA breaks) and answered a 26-item questionnaire about factors influencing their use of CBPA breaks. Mixed-effects models were used to associate teacher-level factors and PA opportunities with children's moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA; in minutes per day), controlling for child-level covariates. RESULTS When teachers valued PA, students accumulated more MVPA (1.07 min/d; P < .01) than students of teachers reporting low PA value. Students did more MVPA (1 min/d; P < .001) when teachers agreed the school operating conditions posed barriers to providing PA than when teachers disagreed that barriers existed. PE classes contributed significantly to student's PA levels. CONCLUSION Provision of PE, increasing teacher value for PA, and further investigation of how teacher-level factors relate to students' MVPA levels during CBPA breaks at rural elementary schools are warranted.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum and Na 1 / Ca 2 1 exchanger function during early and late relaxation in ventricular myocytes

Yao, Atsushi, Hiroshi Matsui, Kenneth W. Spitzer, John H. B. Bridge, and William H. Barry. Sarcoplasmic reticulum and Na1/Ca21 exchanger function during early and late relaxation in ventricular myocytes. Am. J. Physiol. 273 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 42): H2765–H2773, 1997. —The relative importance of the Na1/Ca21 exchanger in the initial and terminal phases of relaxation and the decline in the [Ca]i transient was investigated in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes loaded with the Ca21 indicator fluo 3. For electrically stimulated contractions, the peak intracellular Ca21 concentration ([Ca]i) was 700 6 87 nM and end-diastolic [Ca]i was 239 6 30 nM (0.25 Hz, 37°C, 1.08 mM extracellular Ca21 concentration; n 5 14). Abrupt inhibition of Na1/Ca21 exchange was produced by removal of extracellular Na1 (KCl substitution) and Ca21 [2 mM Ca21-free ethylene glycol-bis(baminoethyl ether)-N,N,N8,N8-tetraacetic acid] by means of a rapid switcher device (SW). Abrupt exposure to high K1 induced an action potential, although sufficient Ca21 remained adjacent to the sarcolemma to induce a contraction (SW beat) and [Ca]i transient that were identical in amplitude to those induced by electrical stimulation (ES beat). The initial relaxation and decline in the [Ca]i transient was not significantly prolonged by abrupt elimination of the Na1/Ca21 exchanger, but the rate and extent of the terminal phase of the decline in the [Ca]i transient were significantly reduced. The first derivative of [Ca]i with respect to time versus [Ca]i during the decline of the [Ca]i transient attributable to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function was estimated from the average SW transients, and that attributable to Na1/Ca21 exchange was estimated from the difference between SW and ES transients. By this analysis, the Na1/Ca21 exchanger produces 13% of the first half of the decline in [Ca]i and 45% of the second half of the decline. We conclude that abrupt inhibition of forward Na1/Ca21 exchange does not significantly affect the amplitude or the initial rate of decline of the [Ca]i transient and relaxation. However, its contribution to the reduction of [Ca]i becomes apparent late during the [Ca]i transient, when cytosolic [Ca]i has been reduced.
Rat hepatic stellate cells produce cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant in culture and in vivo.

Hepatic stellate cells are widely recognized for their contribution to liver fibrosis. This study investigated whether these cells also promote hepatic inflammation by producing neutrophil chemoattractants. Specifically, stellate cells were examined as potential sources of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), a rat chemokine resembling human interleukin-8. Stellate cells from normal rat liver expressed little or no CINC. In culture, CINC mRNA was induced rapidly, coinciding with the phenomenon of culture activation. CINC mRNA rose 4.6-fold within 3 days and was accompanied by secretion of immunoreactive and biologically active CINC protein (4.1 ng ⋅ μg DNA-1 ⋅ day-1). Studies in vivo demonstrated that CINC could be induced in stellate cells during liver injury. CINC mRNA rose significantly (4- to 6-fold) in two models of liver disease, both of which cause stellate cell activation. In summary, the data indicate that CINC is induced during stellate cell activation in culture and in vivo. They suggest that stellate cell-derived CINC can promote hepatic inflammation in vivo.
Consumer Use of Social Live Streaming Services: the Influence of Co-Experience and effectance on enjoyment

Social live streaming services (SLSS) have emerged as a new type of hedonic social media. SLSS allow users to watch and broadcast video streams in real-time, fostering sociability through synchronous communication via chat channels. While the extant literature has mostly examined producers’ use of SLSS, the consumer perspective has been underexplored. Prior research has identified perceived enjoyment as consumers’ primary motivation to use hedonic social media. However, it remains unclear how the specific affordances of SLSS affect consumers’ enjoyment. Due to their synchronous nature, SLSS enable consumers to co-experience live streams together and to perceive so-called “effectance” by shaping the content of live streams through their actions. Consequently, research is required on how both co-experience and effectance influence consumers’ enjoyment of SLSS. We empirically address this research gap by applying partial least squares equation modeling on web survey data of 127 consumers of SLSS. Our results show that consumers’ perceived co-experience has a strong positive effect on the enjoyment of their active behavior (chatting) and their passive behavior (watching). Perceived effectance, however, only shows a positive impact on the enjoyment of active behavior, while playing no role for the enjoyment of passive behavior.
Collective Vortex-Like Movement of Bacillus subtilis Facilitates the Generation of Floating Biofilms

Bacteria in nature are usually found in complex multicellular structures, called biofilms. One common form of a biofilm is pellicle—a floating mat of bacteria formed in the water-air interphase. So far, our knowledge on the basic mechanisms underlying the formation of biofilms at air-liquid interfaces is not complete. In particular, the co-occurrence of motile cells and extracellular matrix producers has not been studied. In addition, the potential involvement of chemical communication in pellicle formation remained largely undefined. Our results indicate that vortex-like collective motility by aggregates of motile cells and EPS producers accelerate the formation of floating biofilms. Successful aggregation and migration to the water-air interphase depend on the chemical communication signal autoinducer 2 (AI-2). This ability of bacteria to form a biofilm in a preferable niche ahead of their potential rivals would provide a fitness advantage in the context of inter-species competition.
Inhibition of soil microbial activity by nitrogen‐based energetic materials

We investigated individual toxicities of the nitrogen‐based energetic materials (EMs) 2,4‐dinitrotoluene (2,4‐DNT); 2‐amino‐4,6‐dinitrotoluene (2‐ADNT); 4‐amino‐2,6‐dinitrotoluene (4‐ADNT); and nitroglycerin (NG) on microbial activity in Sassafras sandy loam (SSL) soil, which has physicochemical characteristics that support very high qualitative relative bioavailability for organic chemicals. Batches of SSL soil for basal respiration (BR) and substrate‐induced respiration (SIR) assays were separately amended with individual EMs or acetone carrier control. Total microbial biomass carbon (biomass C) was determined from CO2 production increases after addition of 2500 mg/kg of glucose–water slurry to the soil. Exposure concentrations of each EM in soil were determined using US Environmental Protection Agency method 8330A. Basal respiration was the most sensitive endpoint for assessing the effects of nitroaromatic EMs on microbial activity in SSL, whereas SIR and biomass C were more sensitive endpoints for assessing the effects of NG in soil. The orders of toxicity (from greatest to least) were 4‐ADNT > 2,4‐DNT = 2‐ADNT > NG for BR; but for SIR and biomass C, the order of toxicity was NG > 2,4‐DNT > 2‐ADNT = 4‐ADNT. No inhibition of SIR was found up to and including the greatest concentration of each ADNT tested in SSL. These ecotoxicological data will be helpful in identifying concentrations of contaminant EMs in soil that present acceptable ecological risks for biologically mediated processes in soil. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2981–2990. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC.This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Meta-analysis of individual registry results enhances international registry collaboration

Background and purpose — Although common in medical research, meta-analysis has not been widely adopted in registry collaborations. A meta-analytic approach in which each registry conducts a standardized analysis on its own data followed by a meta-analysis to calculate a weighted average of the estimates allows collaboration without sharing patient-level data. The value of meta-analysis as an alternative to individual patient data analysis is illustrated in this study by comparing the risk of revision of porous tantalum cups versus other uncemented cups in primary total hip arthroplasties from Sweden, Australia, and a US registry (2003–2015). Patients and methods — For both individual patient data analysis and meta-analysis approaches a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to revision, comparing porous tantalum (n = 23,201) with other uncemented cups (n = 128,321). Covariates included age, sex, diagnosis, head size, and stem fixation. In the meta-analysis approach, treatment effect size (i.e., Cox model hazard ratio) was calculated within each registry and a weighted average for the individual registries’ estimates was calculated. Results — Patient-level data analysis and meta-analytic approaches yielded the same results with the porous tantalum cups having a higher risk of revision than other uncemented cups (HR (95% CI) 1.6 (1.4–1.7) and HR (95% CI) 1.5 (1.4–1.7), respectively). Adding the US cohort to the meta-analysis led to greater generalizability, increased precision of the treatment effect, and similar findings (HR (95% CI) 1.6 (1.4–1.7)) with increased risk of porous tantalum cups. Interpretation — The meta-analytic technique is a viable option to address privacy, security, and data ownership concerns allowing more expansive registry collaboration, greater generalizability, and increased precision of treatment effects.
Insights into the regulation of small RNA expression: SarA represses the expression of two sRNAs in Staphylococcus aureus

The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus expresses transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) which are essential for bacterial adaptation and infectivity. Until recently, the study of S. aureus sRNA gene expression regulation was under investigated, but it is now an expanding field. Here we address the regulation of Srn_3610_SprC sRNA, an attenuator of S. aureus virulence. We demonstrate that SarA TF represses srn_3610_sprC transcription. DNase I footprinting and deletion analyses show that the SarA binding site on srn_3610_sprC belongs to an essential 22 bp DNA region. Comparative analysis also revealed another possible site, this time in the srn_9340 promoter. SarA specifically binds these two sRNA promoters with high affinity in vitro and also represses their transcription in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed SarA attachment to both promoters. ChIP and electrophoretic mobility shift assays targeting σA RNA polymerase subunit or using bacterial RNA polymerase holoenzyme suggested that SarA and the σA bind srn_3610_sprC and srn_9340 promoters in a mutually exclusive way. Beyond the mechanistic study of SarA repression of these two sRNAs, this work also suggests that some S. aureus sRNAs belong to the same regulon and act jointly in responding to environmental changes.
Influenza vaccination in healthcare workers: A comprehensive critical appraisal of the literature

ABSTRACT Influenza imposes a significant burden worldwide from the healthcare and socio-economic standpoints. This is also due to suboptimal vaccination coverage among the target population, even though immunization is recommended since many years and still remains the fundamental tool for its prevention. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of exposure to respiratory pathogens compared with the general population, including flu, with potential threat for their health and for patients' safety. Nevertheless, despite recommendation for immunization of this work-category in most of Western Countries, inadequate flu vaccine uptake is reported during the last decade in the European area. According to recent systematic reviews on this topic, the main determinants of vaccine acceptance among HCWs have been largely investigated and include desire for self-protection and to protect family rather than absolute disease risk or desire to protect patients, among the main drivers. On the other hand, concerns regarding safety of the vaccines resulted in decreased vaccine uptake. Moreover, influenza vaccine hesitancy among HCWs was also associated with several issues such as low risk perception, denial of the social benefit of influenza vaccination, low social pressure, lack of perceived behavioral control, negative attitude toward vaccines, not having been previously vaccinated against influenza, not having previously had influenza, lack of adequate influenza-specific knowledge, lack of access to vaccination facilities, and socio-demographic variables. The topic of influenza vaccination among HCWs is challenging, full of ethical issues. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of interventions for improving vaccine uptake among HCWs found that combined strategies were more effective than isolate approaches. Mandatory policies are currently under debate in several countries. High quality studies would help policy-makers and stake-holders to shape evidence-based initiatives and programs to improve the control of influenza.
Effects of miR-144 on the sensitivity of human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells to cisplatin by autophagy regulation

ABSTRACT Background: We investigated the influence of miR-144 on the cisplatin-sensitivity of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cells and explored the internal molecular mechanism of miR-144. Methods: Thyroid cancer cells ARO, TPC1 and normal thyroid cells HT-ori3 were used in this research. Expressions of miR-144 and TGF-α were uncovered by western blot and qRT-PCR. Expressions of autophagy-related protein LC3 II and apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3 and PARP were explored by western blot and immunofluorescence. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and apoptosis condition was revealed by flow cytometric analysis and TUNEL staining. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify the target relationship. Tissue sections were detected by IHC. Xenograft assay was conducted to further verify conclusions in vivo. Results: MiR-144, which was low expressed in ATC cells and tissues, could inhibit autophagy activation induced by cisplatin, enhancing the sensitivity of ATC cells to cisplatin, and promoting cell apoptosis. TGF-α was the target of miR-144 and was negatively regulated by it. MiR-144 could improve the sensitivity of ATC cells to cisplatin and inhibit tumor growth by suppressing TGF-α both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: MiR-144 could inhibit autophagy of ATC cells by down-regulating TGF-α, enhancing the cisplatin-sensitivity of ATC cells.
Subcutaneous injection of dendritic cells aggravates atherosclerosis in ApoE-knockout mice by activation of TLR4

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells which are important in immune diseases, in particular atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease, however their role in atherosclerosis-associated immunity is unclear. To evaluate the role of DCs in atherosclerosis, exogenous bone marrow-derived DCs were transferred into ApoE−/− mice in the present study. The extent of disease was measured in the aorta and was compared with mice treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or left untreated and fed a western diet. Mice receiving exogenous DCs demonstrated significantly larger atherosclerotic lesions compared with the mice treated with PBS, with increasing numbers of mature DCs in circulation and enhanced DC infiltration into plaque lesions, in addition to activation of circulating inflammatory components and atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that exogenous DCs upregulated the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on DCs, which may be an important mechanism to activate DCs and aggravate atherosclerosis. Therefore the present study concluded that exogenous DCs may induce maturation of endogenous DCs via upregulation of TLR4, further increasing the inflammatory response and accelerating atherosclerosis.
Differential inhibition of Na+/Ca2+exchanger isoforms by divalent cations and isothiourea derivative.

We compared the properties of three mammalian Na+/Ca2+exchanger isoforms, NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3, by analyzing the effects of Ni2+ and other cations as well as the recently identified inhibitor isothiourea derivatives on intracellular Na+-dependent45Ca2+uptake into CCL-39 (Dede) fibroblasts stably expressing each isoform. All these NCX isoforms had similar affinities for the extracellular transport substrates Ca2+ and Na+. Ni2+ inhibited45Ca2+uptake by competing with Ca2+ for the external transport site, with 10-fold less affinity in NCX3 than in NCX1 or NCX2. Ni2+ and Co2+ were most efficient in such discrimination of NCX isoforms, although their inhibitory potencies were less than those of La3+ and Cd2+. The monovalent cation Li+ stimulated45Ca2+uptake rate by all NCX isoforms similarly with low affinity, although the extent of stimulation was somewhat smaller in NCX1. On the other hand, the isothiourea derivative KB-R7943 was threefold more inhibitory to NCX3 than to NCX1 or NCX2. Thus distinct differences in the kinetic and pharmacological properties were detected between NCX3 and the other two isoforms.
Developmental trajectories of positive and negative affect in children at high and low familial risk for depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND Although low positive affect (PA) and high negative affect (NA) have been posited to predispose to depressive disorders, little is known about the developmental trajectories of these affects in children at familial risk for mood disorders. METHODS We examined 202 offspring of mothers who had a history of juvenile-onset unipolar depressive disorder (n = 60) or no history of major psychopathology (n = 80). Offspring participated in up to seven annual, structured laboratory tasks that were designed to elicit PA and NA. RESULTS Growth curve analyses revealed that PA increased linearly and similarly for all children from late infancy through age 9. However, there also were individual differences in early PA. Relative to control peers, offspring of mothers with lifetime unipolar depression had consistently lower levels of PA, and this association remained significant even when controlling for current maternal depression and maternal affect displays. Growth curve analyses also revealed a significant linear decrease in NA in children across time; however, there was no significant inter-individual variation either in early NA or rate of change in NA. CONCLUSION Attenuated PA (rather than excessive NA) may be an early vulnerability factor for eventual unipolar depressive disorder in at-risk children and may represent one pathway through which depression is transmitted.
Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada

Since its detection in Canada in the early 1990s, Ixodes scapularis, the primary tick vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America, has continued to expand northward. Estimates of the tick’s broad-scale distribution are useful for tracking the extent of the Lyme disease risk zone; however, tick distribution may vary widely within this zone. Here, we investigated I. scapularis nymph distribution at three spatial scales across the Lyme disease emergence zone in southern Quebec, Canada. We collected ticks and compared the nymph densities among different woodlands and different plots and transects within the same woodland. Hot spot analysis highlighted significant nymph clustering at each spatial scale. In regression models, nymph abundance was associated with litter depth, humidity, and elevation, which contribute to a suitable habitat for ticks, but also with the distance from the trail and the type of trail, which could be linked to host distribution and human disturbance. Accounting for this heterogeneous nymph distribution at a fine spatial scale could help improve Lyme disease management strategies but also help people to understand the risk variation around them and to adopt appropriate behaviors, such as staying on the trail in infested parks to limit their exposure to the vector and associated pathogens.