Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overview of the role of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase and their variants in the genesis of alcohol-related pathology

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) are responsible for metabolizing the bulk of ethanol consumed as part of the diet and their activities contribute to the rate of ethanol elimination from the blood. They are expressed at highest levels in liver, but at lower levels in many tissues. This pathway probably evolved as a detoxification mechanism for environmental alcohols. However, with the consumption of large amounts of ethanol, the oxidation of ethanol can become a major energy source and, particularly in the liver, interferes with the metabolism of other nutrients. Polymorphic variants of the genes for these enzymes encode enzymes with altered kinetic properties. The pathophysiological effects of these variants may be mediated by accumulation of acetaldehyde; high-activity ADH variants are predicted to increase the rate of acetaldehyde generation, while the low-activity ALDH2 variant is associated with an inability to metabolize this compound. The effects of acetaldehyde may be expressed either in the cells generating it, or by delivery of acetaldehyde to various tissues by the bloodstream or even saliva. Inheritance of the high-activity ADH β2, encoded by the ADH2*2 gene, and the inactive ALDH2*2 gene product have been conclusively associated with reduced risk of alcoholism. This association is influenced by gene–environment interactions, such as religion and national origin. The variants have also been studied for association with alcoholic liver disease, cancer, fetal alcohol syndrome, CVD, gout, asthma and clearance of xenobiotics. The strongest correlations found to date have been those between the ALDH2*2 allele and cancers of the oro-pharynx and oesophagus. It will be important to replicate other interesting associations between these variants and other cancers and heart disease, and to determine the biochemical mechanisms underlying the associations.
Cryptosporidiosis: multiattribute evaluation of six diagnostic methods

Six diagnostic methods (Giemsa staining, Ziehl-Neelsen staining, auramine-rhodamine staining, Sheather's sugar flotation, an indirect immunofluorescence procedure, and a modified concentration-sugar flotation method) for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in stool specimens were compared on the following attributes: diagnostic yield, cost to perform each test, ease of handling, and ability to process large numbers of specimens for screening purposes by batching. A rank ordering from least desirable to most desirable was then established for each method by using the study attributes. The process of decision analysis with respect to the laboratory diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis is discussed through the application of multiattribute utility theory to the rank ordering of the study criteria. Within a specific health care setting, a diagnostic facility will be able to calculate its own utility scores for our study attributes. Multiattribute evaluation and analysis are potentially powerful tools in the allocation of resources in the laboratory.
See it with feeling: affective predictions during object perception

People see with feeling. We ‘gaze’, ‘behold’, ‘stare’, ‘gape’ and ‘glare’. In this paper, we develop the hypothesis that the brain's ability to see in the present incorporates a representation of the affective impact of those visual sensations in the past. This representation makes up part of the brain's prediction of what the visual sensations stand for in the present, including how to act on them in the near future. The affective prediction hypothesis implies that responses signalling an object's salience, relevance or value do not occur as a separate step after the object is identified. Instead, affective responses support vision from the very moment that visual stimulation begins.
Methylomic analysis of salivary DNA in childhood ADHD identifies altered DNA methylation in VIPR2.

BACKGROUND Peripheral epigenetic marks hold promise for understanding psychiatric illness and may represent fingerprints of gene-environment interactions. We conducted an initial examination of CpG methylation variation in children with or without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS Children age 7-12 were recruited, screened, evaluated and assigned to ADHD or non-ADHD groups by defined research criteria. Two independent age-matched samples were examined, a discovery set (n = 92, all boys, half control, half ADHD) and a confirmation set (n = 20, half ADHD, all boys). 5-methylcytosine levels were quantified in salivary DNA using the Illumina 450 K HumanMethylation array. Genes for which multiple probes were nominally significant and had a beta difference of at least 2% were evaluated for biological relevance and prioritized for confirmation and sequence validation. Gene pathways were explored and described. RESULTS Two genes met the criteria for confirmation testing, VIPR2 and MYT1L; both had multiple probes meeting cutoffs and strong biological relevance. Probes on VIPR2 passed FDR correction in the confirmation set and were confirmed through bisulfite sequencing. Enrichment analysis suggested involvement of gene sets or pathways related to inflammatory processes and modulation of monoamine and cholinergic neurotransmission. CONCLUSIONS Although it is unknown to what extent CpG methylation seen in peripheral tissue reflect transcriptomic changes in the brain, these initial results indicate that peripheral DNA methylation markers in ADHD may be promising and suggest targeted hypotheses for future study in larger samples.
A Support Vector Regression (SVR)-Based Latency Model for Network-on-Chip (NoC) Architectures

In this paper, we propose SVR-NoC, a network-onchip (NoC) latency model using support vector regression (SVR). More specifically, based on the application communication information and the NoC routing algorithm, the channel and source queue waiting times are first estimated using an analytical queuing model with two equivalent queues. To improve the prediction accuracy, the queuing theory-based delay estimations are included as features in the learning process. We then propose a learning framework that relies on SVR to collect training data and predict the traffic flow latency. The proposed learning methods can be used to analyze various traffic scenarios for the target NoC platform. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-application traffic demonstrate on average less than 12% prediction error in network saturation load, as well as more than 100× speedup compared to cycle-accurate simulations can be achieved.
Energetics of Gliding Motility in Mycoplasma mobile

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma mobile glides on surfaces at up to 7 μm/s by an unknown mechanism. We studied the energetics that power gliding by using a novel, growth medium-free system. We found that cells could glide in defined media if the glass substrate is preconditioned by exposure to horse serum. The active component that potentiates gliding is sensitive to proteinase K treatment. We used the defined medium system to test the effect of various inhibitors, ionophores, and poisons on motility of M. mobile. Valinomycin, carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP), N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, phenamil, amiloride, rifampin, and puromycin had no short-term effects on gliding. We also confirmed that we were able to modulate the membrane potential with valinomycin and FCCP by using a potential-sensitive dye. Shifting the pH likewise had no effect on motility. These results rule out the use of conventional ion motive forces to power gliding. Arsenate had a dramatic inhibitory effect on gliding, and both the speed and the fraction of cells moving tracked ATP levels. Sodium orthovanadate had a slight but significant inhibitory effect on gliding. Taken together, these results suggest that the motor system of M. mobile is likely an ATPase or is directly coupled to an ATPase.
Association between cigarette smoking and anxiety disorders during adolescence and early adulthood.

CONTEXT Cigarette smoking is associated with some anxiety disorders, but the direction of the association between smoking and specific anxiety disorders has not been determined. OBJECTIVE To investigate the longitudinal association between cigarette smoking and anxiety disorders among adolescents and young adults. DESIGN The Children in the Community Study, a prospective longitudinal investigation. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Community-based sample of 688 youths (51% female) from upstate New York interviewed in the years 1985-1986, at a mean age of 16 years, and in the years 1991-1993, at a mean age of 22 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Participant cigarette smoking and psychiatric disorders in adolescence and early adulthood, measured by age-appropriate versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. RESULTS Heavy cigarette smoking (>/=20 cigarettes/d) during adolescence was associated with higher risk of agoraphobia (10.3% vs 1.8%; odds ratio [OR], 6.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-30.17), generalized anxiety disorder (20.5% vs 3.71%; OR, 5.53; 95% CI, 1.84-16.66), and panic disorder (7.7% vs 0.6%; OR, 15.58; 95% CI, 2.31-105.14) during early adulthood after controlling for age, sex, difficult childhood temperament; alcohol and drug use, anxiety, and depressive disorders during adolescence; and parental smoking, educational level, and psychopathology. Anxiety disorders during adolescence were not significantly associated with chronic cigarette smoking during early adulthood. Fourteen percent and 15% of participants with and without anxiety during adolescence, respectively, smoked at least 20 cigarettes per day during early adulthood (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.36-2.14). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that cigarette smoking may increase risk of certain anxiety disorders during late adolescence and early adulthood. JAMA. 2000;284:2348-2351.
Four State Asynchronous Architectures

An approach is presented to high-performance asynchronous architectures offering significant advantages over conventional clocked systems, without some of the drawbacks normally associated with asynchronous techniques. As the level of integration increases, an asynchronous wavefront array designed using the techniques described will have three important advantages over the equivalent synchronous systolic array: faster throughput (rate at which data are clocked through a system), reduced design complexity, and greater reliability. The benefits and drawbacks of using the asynchronous technique are highlighted using three wavefront arrays: two one-dimensional multipliers, and a two-dimensional sorter. All three can be built using just one basic building block. >
Some Order dualities in Logic, Games and Choices

We first present the concept of duality appearing in order theory, i.e. the notions of dual isomorphism and of Galois connection. Then we describe two fundamental dualities, the duality extension/intention associated with a binary relation between two sets, and the duality between implicational systems and closure systems. Finally we present two «concrete» dualities occurring in social choice and in choice functions theories.
Properties of promoters cloned randomly from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome

Promoters were isolated at random from the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using a plasmid that contains a divergently arrayed pair of promoterless reporter genes. A comprehensive library was constructed by inserting random (DNase I-generated) fragments into the intergenic region upstream from the reporter genes. Simple in vivo assays for either reporter gene product (alcohol dehydrogenase or beta-galactosidase) allowed the rapid identification of promoters from among these random fragments. Poly(dA-dT) homopolymer tracts were present in three of five randomly cloned promoters. With two exceptions, each RNA start site detected was 40 to 100 base pairs downstream from a TATA element. All of the randomly cloned promoters were capable of activating reporter gene transcription bidirectionally. Interestingly, one of the promoter fragments originated in a region of the S. cerevisiae rDNA spacer; regulated divergent transcription (presumably by RNA polymerase II) initiated in the same region.
Center-Level Variation in Infection Rates After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background—Health-care–acquired infections (HAIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. Prior work has identified several patient-related risk factors associated with HAIs. We hypothesized that rates of HAIs would differ across institutions, in part attributed to differences in case mix. Methods and Results—We analyzed 20 896 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery at 33 medical centers in Michigan between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2012. Overall HAIs included pneumonia, sepsis/septicemia, and surgical site infections, including deep sternal wound, thoracotomy, and harvest/cannulation site infections. We excluded patients presenting with endocarditis. Predicted rates of HAIs were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Overall rate of HAI was 5.1% (1071 of 20 896; isolated pneumonia, 3.1% [n=644]; isolated sepsis/septicemia, 0.5% [n=99]; isolated deep sternal wound infection, 0.5% [n=96]; isolated harvest/cannulation site, 0.5% [n=97]; isolated thoracotomy, 0.02% [n=5]; multiple infections, 0.6% [n=130]). HAI subtypes differed across strata of center-level HAI rates. Although predicted risk of HAI differed in absolute terms by 2.8% across centers (3.9–6.7%; min:max), observed rates varied by 18.2% (0.9–19.1%). Conclusions—There was a 18.2% difference in observed HAI rates across medical centers among patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. This variability could not be explained by patient case mix. Future work should focus on the impact of other factors (eg, organizational and systems of clinical care) on risk of HAIs.
Braun Lipoprotein (Lpp) Contributes to Virulence of Yersiniae: Potential Role of Lpp in Inducing Bubonic and Pneumonic Plague

ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis evolved from Y. pseudotuberculosis to become the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague. We identified a homolog of the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium lipoprotein (lpp) gene in Yersinia species and prepared lpp gene deletion mutants of Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII, Y. pestis KIM/D27 (pigmentation locus minus), and Y. pestis CO92 with reduced virulence. Mice injected via the intraperitoneal route with 5 × 107 CFU of the Δlpp KIM/D27 mutant survived a month, even though this would have constituted a lethal dose for the parental KIM/D27 strain. Subsequently, these Δlpp KIM/D27-injected mice were solidly protected against an intranasally administered, highly virulent Y. pestis CO92 strain when it was given as five 50% lethal doses (LD50). In a parallel study with the pneumonic plague mouse model, after 72 h postinfection, the lungs of animals infected with wild-type (WT) Y. pestis CO92 and given a subinhibitory dose of levofloxacin had acute inflammation, edema, and masses of bacteria, while the lung tissue appeared essentially normal in mice inoculated with the Δlpp mutant of CO92 and given the same dose of levofloxacin. Importantly, while WT Y. pestis CO92 could be detected in the bloodstreams and spleens of infected mice at 72 h postinfection, the Δlpp mutant of CO92 could not be detected in those organs. Furthermore, the levels of cytokines/chemokines detected in the sera were significantly lower in animals infected with the Δlpp mutant than in those infected with WT CO92. Additionally, the Δlpp mutant was more rapidly killed by macrophages than was the WT CO92 strain. These data provided evidence that the Δlpp mutants of yersiniae were significantly attenuated and could be useful tools in the development of new vaccines.
Microwave Ablation Using Four-Tine Antenna: Effects of Blood Flow Velocity, Vessel Location, and Total Displacement on Porous Hepatic Cancer Tissue

This research is concerned with microwave ablation analyses using a 2.45 GHz four-tine (4T) antenna for hepatic cancer tissue. In the study, three-dimensional finite-element models were utilized to examine the tissue temperature distributions during and after MW ablation. A preliminary study was first carried out with regard to the specific absorption rates along the 4T antenna insertion depths and the temperature distributions inside the solid and porous liver models with either 3 cm-in-diameter tumor or 5 cm-in-diameter tumor. Based on the preliminary results, the porous models were further examined for the effect of varying blood flow velocities (0–200 cm/s) with a 1 cm-in-diameter blood vessel next to the antenna and also for the effect of vessel-antenna locations (0, 0.8, and 1.3 cm) with a constant blood flow velocity of 16.7 cm/s. All scenarios were simulated under temperature-controlled mode (90°C). The findings revealed that the blood flow velocity and vessel location influence the ablation effectiveness and that increased blood flow inhibits heat transfer to the vessel wall. At the nearest and farthest vessel-antenna locations (0 and 1.3 cm), approximately 90.3% and 99.55% of the cancer cells were eradicated except for the areas adjacent to the vessel. In addition, total tissue thermal displacement is 5.9 mm which is 6.59% of the total length of the overall model.
Reperfusion therapy for acute ST-elevation and non ST-elevation myocardial infarction: What can be achieved in daily clinical practice in unselected patients at an interventional center?

Background: In the year 2000 a new definition of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was introduced, now differentiating ST segment elevation AMI (STEMI) from non-ST segment elevation AMI (NSTEMI). The characterization of AMI patients according to this definition is still incomplete. Methods and results: 888 consecutive AMI patients at a single interventional center were included: 493 (55.5%) STEMI and 395 (44.5%) NSTEMI patients. Median age of STEMI patients was four years lower compared to NSTEMI patients (62.8 versus 66.6 years, P<0.001). STEMI patients more often presented in cardiogenic shock (11.0% versus 2.0%, P<0.001) and after pre-hospital resuscitation (4.9% versus 0.8%, P<0.001). Catheterization was performed in 98.4% of STEMI and in 95.9% of NSTEMI patients (P<0.001). The circumflex artery was more often the culprit lesion in NSTEMI patients compared to STEMI patients (58.3% versus 48%, P=0.003). They also showed significantly more often a 3 vessel disease (41.4% versus 29.9%, P=0.002). Out of STEMI patients 10.1% were treated with medical therapy only compared to 27.2% of NSTEMI patients (P<0.001). Whereas PCI was performed more often in STEMI patients (84.3% versus 57.8%, P<0.001), CABG was used more often in NSTEMI patients (21.6% versus 9.1%, P<0.001). In-hospital death was 8.7% in STEMI compared to 4.8% in NSTEMI patients (P<0.001). Conclusions: In clinical practice STEMI and NSTEMI seem to occur with similar frequency. Invasive strategies were applied in a high percentage in both groups, however with different therapeutic consequences. In-hospital mortality was twice as high in STEMI compared to NSTEMI patients.
Coalition Formation in Straddling Stock fisheries: a Partition Function Approach

In this paper the management of straddling fish stocks is approached through a coalition game in partition function form. A two-stage game is applied, assuming ex ante symmetric players and the classical Gordon-Schaefer bioeconomic model. It is shown that the game is characterized by positive externalities — the merger of coalitions increases the payoffs of players who belong to other coalitions. A key result is that, apart from the case of two players, the grand coalition is not a Nash equilibrium outcome. Furthermore, in the case of three or more players the only Nash equilibrium coalition structure is the one formed by singletons. The results indicate that the prospects of cooperation in straddling stock fisheries are low if players can free ride cooperative agreements. Thus, in order to protect cooperation, under the aegis of regional fishery management organizations, unregulated fishing must be prevented.
Predictors of death in seniors.

OBJECTIVES This article updates information on the leading causes of death for people aged 65 or older, and examines factors associated with death in seniors over an eight-year period. The analysis focuses on psychosocial factors--psychological distress, financial and family stress--in relation to mortality. DATA SOURCES Data are from the Canadian Mortality Database and the 1994/95 to 2002/03 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), longitudinal file. The NPHS sample analysed contains records for 955 men and 1,445 women. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES Death certificate information for 2002 and Census population estimates were used to calculate death rates and rank causes of death. NPHS data were cross-tabulated to examine selected characteristics reported in 1994/95 in relation to vital status (dead or alive) by 2002/03. Cox regression was used to calculate hazards ratios for psychological distress, financial and family-related stress in relation to subsequent mortality, while controlling for the effects of age, chronic diseases, and other potential confounders. MAIN RESULTS In senior women, psychological distress in 1994/95 was positively associated with mortality over the next eight years, even when controlling for the effects of other variables. The statistical significance of this relationship in senior men disappeared when controlling for chronic conditions.
The dynamics of health in the British Household Panel Survey

This paper considers the dynamics of a categorical indicator of self-assessed health using eight waves (1991–1998) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). Our analysis has three focal points: the relative contributions of state dependence and heterogeneity in explaining the dynamics of health, the existence and consequences of health-related sample attrition, and the investigation of the effects of measures of socioeconomic status, with a particular focus on educational attainment and income. To investigate these issues we use dynamic panel ordered probit models. There is clear evidence of health-related attrition in the data but this does not distort the estimates of state dependence and of the socioeconomic gradient in health. The models show strong positive state dependence and heterogeneity accounts for around 30% of the unexplained variation in health. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin revaccination questionable with low tuberculosis incidence.

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) revaccination was discontinued in Finland in 1990. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of BCG revaccination of tuberculin-negative school-children in prevention of tuberculosis. The tuberculosis cases in 1990-1995 were calculated among age cohorts born 1979-1984 and no longer covered by the BCG revaccination program. Corresponding data were collected for comparison from the period of revaccination in 1980-1985 among age cohorts born in 1969-1974. The National Tuberculosis Register was reviewed in order to observe the tuberculosis trend since 1980 in the age groups of 10-14 and 15-19 yr. Three cases of tuberculosis have been registered among non-BCG-revaccinated children during 6 yr after discontinuation of the program, i.e., 2.23 cases (95% CI 0.72 to 6.90) per million person yr. The control group revealed five cases, 3.78 (95% CI 1.57 to 9.07) per million person yr. The relative risk of tuberculosis in non-BCG-revaccinated children is 0.59 (95% CI 0.14 to 2.47) compared with the control group. The incidence of tuberculosis has continued to decline among adolescents since 1980. The follow-up data confirm that the cessation of BCG revaccination program had no effect on the continuing overall decline of tuberculosis in Finland. The efficacy of BCG revaccination seems to be low or nonexistent in countries with low tuberculosis incidence.