Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Patients Suffering From Scleroderma: Clinical Effectiveness of Its Eradication

OBJECTIVES:After the skin, the gastrointestinal tract is the second most common target of systemic sclerosis (SSc). AIM:Our aims were to investigate orocecal transit time (OCTT) and the presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in SSc as a cause of intestinal symptoms.METHODS:Fifty-five SSc patients and 60 healthy controls, sex and age matched, entered the study. Enrolled subjects completed a questionnaire for intestinal symptoms and a global symptomatic score (GSS) was calculated. OCTT and the presence of SIBO were assessed by a lactulose breath test (LBT). Patients with SIBO were treated with rifaximin 1,200 mg/day for 10 days. Finally, a second questionnaire and LBT were performed 1 month after the end of therapy.RESULTS:The prevalence of SIBO was higher in SSc patients compared with controls (30/54 vs 4/60, respectively, P < 0.001). OCTT was significantly slower in SSc patients compared with controls (150 min, 25–75th percentile 142.5–165 vs 105 min, 25–75th percentile 90–135, respectively, P < 0.001). In patients with SIBO, the median GSS score was 8 (25–75th percentile 3.25–10.75). Eradication of SIBO was achieved in 73.3% of patients, with a significant reduction of symptoms in 72.7% of them (GSS score 2, 25–75th percentile 1–3, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that SIBO occurs more frequently in SSc patients than in controls. Intestinal symptoms in these patients may be related to this syndrome and its eradication seems useful to improve clinical features. OCTT is significantly delayed in SSc patients, suggesting an impairment of intestinal motility, a further risk factor for the development of SIBO.
The Feasibility of Venovenous Extracorporeal Life Support to Treat Acute Respiratory Failure in Adult Cancer Patients

AbstractVenovenous extracorporeal life support (VV-ECLS) is a lifesaving but invasive treatment for acute respiratory failure (ARF) that is not improved with conventional therapy. However, using VV-ECLS to treat ARF in adult cancer patients is controversial.This retrospective study included 14 cancer patients (median age: 58 years [interquartile range: 51–66]; solid malignancies in 13 patients and hematological malignancy in 1 patient) who received VV-ECLS for ARF that developed within 3 months after anticancer therapies. VV-ECLS would be considered in selected patients with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio ⩽70 mmHg under advanced mechanical ventilation.Before ECLS, the medians of intubation day, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score were 8 (2–12), 62 mmHg (53–76), and 10 (9–14), respectively. The case numbers of bacteremia, thrombocytopenia (platelet count <50000 cells/&mgr;L), and neutropenia (actual neutrophil count <1000 cells/&mgr;L) detected before ECLS were 3 (21%), 2 (14%), and 1 (7%), respectively. After 24 hours of ECLS, a significant improvement was seen in PaO2/FiO2 ratio but not in SOFA score. Six patients experienced major hemorrhages during ECLS. The median ECLS day, ECLS weaning rate, and hospital survival were 11 (7–16), 50% (n = 7), and 29% (n = 4). The development of dialysis-dependent nephropathy predicted death on ECLS (odds ratio: 36; 95% confidence interval: 1.8–718.7; P = 0.01). With a median follow-up of 11 (6–43) months, half of the survivors died of cancer recurrence and the others were in partial remission.The most prominent benefit of VV-ECLS is to improve the arterial oxygenation and rest the lungs. This may increase the chance of recovery from ARF in selected cancer patients.
Diminished Anxiety- and Depression-Related Behaviors in Mice with Selective Deletion of the Tac1 Gene

The tachykinin neuropeptide substance P and its receptor neurokinin 1 have been implicated in the regulation of many physiological and pathological processes, including the control of emotional behaviors. The present study examines mice with a targeted deletion of the Tac1 gene, which encodes the neuropeptides substance P and neurokinin A, in animal models relevant to depressive illness and anxiety. In depression-related paradigms,Tac1-deficient mice were more active in the Porsolt's forced-swimming test and the tail-suspension test, and they did not become hyperactive after bulbectomy. Tac1 mutant mice were also less fearful in several animal models of anxiety. They were more active and less affected by the light conditions in the central area of the open-field arena; they showed more social interactions in an aversive environment, they were more active in the open areas of an elevated zero-maze, and they had a reduced latency to feed in the Thatcher-Britton conflict paradigm. These results demonstrate that tachykinins are powerful mediators of depression-like or anxiety-related behaviors in mice. The tachykinin system therefore may play an important role in the regulation of emotional states and the development of anxiety disorders and depression.
Detection of Sounds in the Auditory Stream: Event-Related fMRI Evidence for Differential Activation to Speech and Nonspeech

The detection of speech in an auditory stream is a requisite first step in processing spoken language. In this study, we used event-related fMRI to investigate the neural substrates mediating detection of speech compared with that of nonspeech auditory stimuli. Unlike previous studies addressing this issue, we contrasted speech with nonspeech analogues that were matched along key temporal and spectral dimensions. In an oddball detection task, listeners heard nonsense speech sounds, matched sine wave analogues (complex nonspeech), or single tones (simple nonspeech). Speech stimuli elicited significantly greater activation than both complex and simple nonspeech stimuli in classic receptive language areas, namely the middle temporal gyri bilaterally and in a locus lateralized to the left posterior superior temporal gyrus. In addition, speech activated a small cluster of the right inferior frontal gyrus. The activation of these areas in a simple detection task, which requires neither identification nor linguistic analysis, suggests they play a fundamental role in speech processing.
B7‐H3 contributes to the metastatic capacity of melanoma cells by modulation of known metastasis‐associated genes

B7‐H3, an immunoregulatory protein, is known to play a role in tumor progression. In many cancer types, observed correlations between high B7‐H3 expression and poor prognosis have been attributed to involvement in antitumor immunity. However, here we demonstrate a nonimmunological alternative function of B7‐H3 in cancer metastasis. Since advanced malignant melanoma is a disease with a poor survival rate and a broad pattern of metastasis, we used this disease as a model in our studies. We found that shRNA silencing of B7‐H3 reduced the in vitro migratory potential and matrigel invasiveness of MDA‐MB‐435 and FEMX‐I melanoma cells. In an experimental metastasis model in vivo, B7‐H3 silencing of MDA‐MB‐435 cells resulted in reduced metastatic capacity and significantly increased the median symptom‐free survival of nude mice (147 vs. 65 days, p < 0.001) and rats (53 vs. 42 days, p = 0.025) injected with MDA‐MB‐435 cells. Furthermore, a smaller fraction of mice had microscopically detectable metastases compared to control animals, and the pattern of metastases was slightly different between the two groups but with the brain as the predominant organ. Immunohistochemistry on samples from two melanoma patients showed strong B7‐H3 staining in both a primary tumor and metastases. Notably, the metastasis‐associated proteins, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), and the level of secreted interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) were reduced in the B7‐H3 knock‐down cell variants, whereas tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)‐1 and‐2 levels were increased. Taken together, our findings indicate a novel role for B7‐H3 in the regulation of the metastatic capacity of melanoma cells and it might be a potential therapeutic target for anti‐metastasis therapy.
Activation of phospholipase D-2 by P2X7 agonists in rat submandibular gland acini DOI 10.1194/jlr.M100372-JLR200

Exogenous ATP stimulated phospholipase D (PLD), but not sphingomyelinase in rat submandibular gland (SMG) acini. PLD activation was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ and did not involve intracellular Ca2+ mobilization or phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activation. ATP-stimulated PLD was attenuated by inhibition or downregulation of protein kinase C (PKC). PLD activation was fully blocked by the cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor ONO-RS-082 and partially attenuated by the selective Ca2+-dependent cytosolic PLA2 inhibitor, arachidonyl trifluoromethylketone (AACOCF3), or by bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of Ca2+-independent cytosolic PLA2. Magnesium, which decreases the concentration of ATP4−, and nickel, which blocks nonspecific cation channels coupled to purinergic receptors, inhibited PLD activation by ATP. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blotting techniques, we demonstrated that the PLD isoform stimulated by ATP was PLD-2. Among various ATP analogs, only the P2Z/P2X7 purinergic receptor agonist benzoyl-benzoyl ATP stimulated PLD-2. The response to ATP was inhibited by the nonselective P2X purinergic antagonist suramin and by oxidized ATP, a potent P2Z/P2X7 receptor antagonist. It is concluded that in rat SMG acinar cells, PLD-2 is upregulated by exogenous ATP through a mechanism involving Ca2+ influx, cytosolic PLA2, and PKC. Also, the data suggest an involvement of P2X7 receptors in PLD-2 stimulation by ATP.
Fli + etsrp + Hemato-Vascular Progenitor Cells Proliferate at the Lateral Plate Mesoderm during Vasculogenesis in Zebrafish

Background Vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels from precursor cells is critical for a developing embryo. However, the signals and events that dictate the formation of primary axial vessels remain poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we use ets-related protein-1 (etsrp), which is essential for vascular development, to analyze the early stages of vasculogenesis in zebrafish. We found etsrp + cells of the head, trunk and tail follow distinct developmental sequences. Using a combination of genetic, molecular and chemical approaches, we demonstrate that fli + etsrp + hemato-vascular progenitors (FEVPs) are proliferating at the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). The Shh-VEGF-Notch-Hey2 signaling pathway controls the proliferation process, and experimental modulation of single components of this pathway alters etsrp + cell numbers at the LPM. Conclusions/Significance This study for the first time defines factors controlling proliferation, and cell numbers of pre-migratory FEVPs in zebrafish.
Teaching Internet of Things: Enhancing learning efficiency via full-semester flipped classroom

This paper presents a full-semester adoption of flipped classroom in teaching Internet of Things development. Student-paced video lectures had been used, allowing students to have more flexibility in learning. By delivering lectures online, the course instructor can spend more time in class to conduct activities which encourage in-depth, active learning and student-teacher interactions. The process of preparing, implementing and evaluating the course will be described in the paper.
Species‐specific chemosignals evoke delayed excitation of the vomeronasal amygdala in freely‐moving female rats

Male rat chemosignals attract females and influence their reproductive status. Through the accessory olfactory bulb and its projection target, the posteromedial cortical nucleus of the amygdala (PMCo), species‐specific chemosignals detected by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) may reach the hypothalamus. To test this hypothesis in vivo, behavioural activation and neurotransmitter release in the PMCo were simultaneously monitored in freely moving female oestrus rats exposed to either rat or mouse urinary stimuli, or to odorants. Plasma levels of the luteinizing hormone were subsequently monitored. All stimuli induced an immediate behavioural activation, but only species‐specific chemosignals led to a delayed behavioural activation. This biphasic behavioural activation was accompanied by a VNO‐mediated release of the excitatory amino acids, aspartate and glutamate, in the PMCo. The late behavioural and neurochemical activation was followed by an increase in the levels of circulating luteinizing hormone. In conclusion, these data show that only species‐specific chemosignals induce a delayed behavioural activation and excitatory activation of the PMCo, which is dependent on an intact VNO.
Application of 68Ga-PRGD2 PET/CT for αvβ3-integrin Imaging of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke

Purpose: Ischemic vascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, have been found to be associated with elevated expression of αvβ3-integrin, which provides a promising target for semi-quantitative monitoring of the disease. For the first time, we employed 68Ga-S-2-(isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid-PEG3-E[c(RGDyK)]2 (68Ga-PRGD2) to evaluate the αvβ3-integrin-related repair in post-MI and post-stroke patients via positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Methods: With Institutional Review Board approval, 23 MI patients (3 days-2 years post-MI) and 16 stroke patients (3 days-13 years post-stroke) were recruited. After giving informed consent, each patient underwent a cardiac or brain PET/CT scan 30 min after the intravenous injection of 68Ga-PRGD2 in a dose of approximately 1.85 MBq (0.05 mCi) per kilogram body weight. Two stroke patients underwent repeat scans three months after the event. Results: Patchy 68Ga-PRGD2 uptake occurred in or around the ischemic regions in 20/23 MI patients and punctate multifocal uptake occurred in 8/16 stroke patients. The peak standardized uptake values (pSUVs) in MI were 1.94 ± 0.48 (mean ± SD; range, 0.62-2.69), significantly higher than those in stroke (mean ± SD, 0.46 ± 0.29; range, 0.15-0.93; P < 0.001). Higher 68Ga-PRGD2 uptake was observed in the patients 1-3 weeks after the initial onset of the MI/stroke event. The uptake levels were significantly correlated with the diameter of the diseases (r = 0.748, P = 0.001 for MI and r = 0.835, P = 0.003 for stroke). Smaller or older lesions displayed no uptake. Conclusions: 68Ga-PRGD2 uptake was observed around the ischemic region in both MI and stroke patients, which was correlated with the disease phase and severity. The different image patterns and uptake levels in MI and stroke patients warrant further investigations.
Cross-sex hormone therapy alters the serum lipid profile: a retrospective cohort study in 169 transsexuals.

INTRODUCTION Cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) is known to lead to alterations in the serum lipid profile. However, the available reports in the literature are problematic, because of methodological limitations. AIMS To assess changes in the fasting serum lipid profile during CSHT, including long-term follow-up. METHODS Retrospective chart analysis of all 89 male-to-female (MtF) and 80 female-to-male (FtM) transsexuals who underwent standard CSHT at the Department of Gynecologic Endocrinology of the Medical University of Vienna (university hospital, tertiary care center), from 1995 to 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The results of the lipid profile were analyzed, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and the TC-to-HDL ratio, at the time of treatment initiation (time point "0") and at 3, 12, 24, and 60 months after the start of CSHT. RESULTS The mean age of patients about to commence CSHT was 35.7 ± 11.4 years (MtF) and 26.0 ± 6.3 years (FtM). For MtF transsexuals, consistent follow-up for 24 and 60 months was available in 83 (93.3%) and 58 (65.2%) patients, respectively; for FtM transsexuals, follow-up was available in 57 (71.3%) and 39 (48.8%) patients, respectively. When testing for an association between the lipid parameters and the time after treatment initiation, significant increases for TG (P < 0.001), TC (P = 0.021), and HDL (P = 0.001) were found for MtF transsexuals, whereas TG, TC, and LDL (P < 0.001) increased and HDL (P < 0.001) decreased in FtM patients. CONCLUSION Both MtF and FtM transsexuals experience alterations in the serum lipid profile because of CSHT, with the changes in FtM patients possibly more relevant in terms of atherogenesis.
Retrospective Study of Cryptosporidiosis Among Diarrhoeic Children in the Arid Region of North‐Eastern Nigeria

A retrospective study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts among diarrhoeic children (n = 650), aged between 0 and 15 years, living in Maiduguri metropolis (n = 220), Bama local government area (n = 278) and Gwoza local government area (n = 152). Stool samples were concentrated using the ethyl acetate sedimentation method. Data of stool samples with Cryptosporidium oocysts from patients within the specified age groups were collected and analysed. The overall prevalence was 42.9%. The prevalence was higher in Maiduguri metropolis 45.0%, which is an urban area as compared to Gwoza and Bama combined together 41.8% which are rural areas but not statistically significant at 95% confidence level (P > 0.05; OR = 1.14; CI = 0.82, 1.58). According to age, the prevalence in age group A (0–10 years) was higher (46.8%) as compared to age group B (11 < 15 years), which was 20.8%, and this was statistically significant at 95% confidence level (P < 0.05; OR = 3.34; CI = 1.98, 5.61). According to gender, males showed a higher prevalence (52.5%) compared with females (47.5%), but this was not statistically significant at 95% confidence level (P > 0.05; OR = 1.13; CI = 0.82, 1.53). Seasonal prevalence showed that hot dry months of March and April were higher compared with other months. Our findings indicate the presence of the pathogen in children in Borno State, Nigeria, with higher odds of the infection in younger children, and dry months may be more associated with the infection. Control and preventive measures should be taken to protect younger children from the infection.
Attention Drives Synchronization of Alpha and Beta Rhythms between Right Inferior Frontal and Primary Sensory Neocortex

The right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) is specifically associated with attentional control via the inhibition of behaviorally irrelevant stimuli and motor responses. Similarly, recent evidence has shown that alpha (7–14 Hz) and beta (15–29 Hz) oscillations in primary sensory neocortical areas are enhanced in the representation of non-attended stimuli, leading to the hypothesis that allocation of these rhythms plays an active role in optimal inattention. Here, we tested the hypothesis that selective synchronization between rIFC and primary sensory neocortex occurs in these frequency bands during inattention. We used magnetoencephalography to investigate phase synchrony between primary somatosensory (SI) and rIFC regions during a cued-attention tactile detection task that required suppression of response to uncertain distractor stimuli. Attentional modulation of synchrony between SI and rIFC was found in both the alpha and beta frequency bands. This synchrony manifested as an increase in the alpha-band early after cue between non-attended SI representations and rIFC, and as a subsequent increase in beta-band synchrony closer to stimulus processing. Differences in phase synchrony were not found in several proximal control regions. These results are the first to reveal distinct interactions between primary sensory cortex and rIFC in humans and suggest that synchrony between rIFC and primary sensory representations plays a role in the inhibition of irrelevant sensory stimuli and motor responses.
β arcades: recurring motifs in naturally occurring and disease‐related amyloid fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are filamentous protein aggregates that accumulate in diseases such as Alzheimer's or type II diabetes. The amyloid‐forming protein is disease specific. Amyloids may also be formed in vitro from many other proteins, after first denaturing them. Unlike the diverse native folds of these proteins, their amyloids are fundamentally similar in being rigid, smooth‐sided, and cross‐β‐structured, that is, with β strands running perpendicular to the fibril axis. In the absence of high‐resolution fibril structures, increasingly credible models are being derived by integrating data from a crossfire of experimental techniques. Most current models of disease‐related amyloids invoke “β arcades,” columnar structures produced by in‐register stacking of “β arches. ” A β arch is a strand‐turn‐strand motif in which the two β strands interact via their side chains, not via the polypeptide backbone as in a conventional β hairpin. Crystal structures of β‐solenoids, a class of proteins with amyloid‐like properties, offer insight into the β‐arc turns found in β arches. General conformational and thermodynamic considerations suggest that complexes of 2 or more β arches may nucleate amyloid fibrillogenesis in vivo. The apparent prevalence of β arches and their components have implications for identifying amyloidogenic sequences, elucidating fibril polymorphisms, predicting the locations and conformations of β arcs within amyloid fibrils, and refining existing fibril models. —Kajava, A. V. , Baxa, U. , Steven, A. C. β arcades: recurring motifs in naturally occurring and disease‐related amyloid fibrils. FASEB J. 24, 1311–1319 (2010). www.fasebj. org
Novel Genetic Algorithm Based Solutions for Optimal Power Flow under Contingency Conditions

Power system throughout the world is undergoing tremendous changes and developments due to rapid Restructuring, Deregulation and Open-access policies. Greater liberalization, larger market and increasing dependency on the electricity lead to the system operators to work on limited spinning reserve and to operate on vicinities to maximize the economy compromising on the reliability and security of the system for greater profits, which lead to establishment of a monitoring authority and accurate electronic system to prevent any untoward incidents like Blackouts. In any power system, unexpected outages of lines or transformers occur due to faults or other disturbances. These events may cause significant overloading of transmission lines or transformers, which in turn may lead to a viability crisis of the power system. The main role of power system control is to maintain a secure system state, i.e., to prevent the power system, moving from secure state into emergency state over the widest range of operating conditions. Security Constrained Optimal Power Flow (SCOPF) is major tool used to improve the security of the system. In this work, Genetic algorithm has been used to solve the OPF and SCOPF problems. As initial effort conventional GA (binary coded) based OPF and SCOPF is going to be attempted. The difficulties of binary coded GA in handling continuous search space lead to the evolution of real coded GA‟s. Solutions obtained using both the algorithms are compared. Case studies are made on the IEEE30 bus test system to demonstrate the ability of real coded GA in solving the OPF and SCOPF problems.
Performance assessment of feature detection algorithms: a methodology and case study on corner detectors

In this paper, we describe a generic methodology for evaluating the labeling performance of feature detectors. We describe a method for generating a test set and apply the methodology to the performance assessment of three well-known corner detectors: the Kitchen-Rosenfeld, Paler et al., and Harris-Stephens corner detectors. The labeling deficiencies of each of these detectors is related to their discrimination ability between corners and various of the features which comprise the class of noncorners.