Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peripheral Arterial Disease: Morbidity and Mortality Implications

Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) refers to a range of non-coronary arterial vascular syndromes with progressive stenosis, occlusion, or aneurysmal dilation, most commonly affecting the lower extremity. Lower extremity PAD involves occlusive disease of the aorta, iliac, femoral, and more distal arteries. Patients with PAD typically carry a substantial burden of systemic atherosclerotic disease. Like other manifestations of atherosclerosis, the prevalence of PAD is related to hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, tobacco smoking, age, gender, and heredity. Clinical manifestations associated with lower extremity PAD include decrements in functional capacity and quality of life, intermittent claudication, and possibly limb loss. In addition, patients with PAD face an increased risk of vascular events including myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and mortality.
Seroprevalence and spatial distribution of Fasciola hepatica-infected dairy herds in England and Wales

The seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in a population of commercial dairy herds in England and Wales was estimated using an ELISA that detected antibodies to F hepatica in bulk tank milk. A total of 3130 milk samples, obtained as convenience samples from two commercial milk-testing laboratories, were tested during the winter of 2006/07. Herds considered to be seropositive were categorised as low positive, medium positive or high positive. A geospatial map was drawn to show the distribution of infected herds and the seroprevalence of exposure at regional level, using the Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics boundaries, and at a finer spatial level defined by postcode area. Overall, 76 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 74 to 77 per cent) of herds carried antibodies to F hepatica; the seroprevalence in England was 72 per cent (95 per cent CI 70 to 74 per cent) and in Wales it was 84 per cent (95 per cent CI 82 to 86 per cent). The highest prevalences of exposure were found in north-west England, where more than 47 per cent of herds were in the high positive exposure category.
The Network Structure and Systemic Risk in the Global Non-Life Insurance Market

This paper contributes to the literature on systemic risk by assessing the systemic importance of insurers in the global non-life insurance market. First, we estimate the bilateral reinsurance claims matrix using the aggregate outstanding reinsurance data from ISIS and theoretically analyze the interconnectedness in the global reinsurance network using network indicators. The robustness of the estimated matrix is fully assured by sensitivity analysis. Second, we theoretically analyze the contagious defaults introducing the Eisenberg–Noe framework. Reinsurers play a dominant role in the reinsurance network and most of them are included in our data sample. The network analysis finds that some reinsurers with large centrality measures are central in the hierarchical structure of the network. The default analysis shows the occurrences of many stand-alone defaults and only one contagious default via the global reinsurance network after the global financial crisis. In addition, one stress test based on a hypothetical severe stress scenario predicts a few occurrences of contagious defaults in the future. It follows from these analyses that systemic risk via the global reinsurance network is relatively restricted in the global non-life insurance market. In conclusion, our methodology would help supervisory authorities develop an assessment approach for interconnectedness in the global reinsurance network and aid the implementation of insurer stress tests for default contagion.
Communication about sexuality and intimacy in couples affected by lung cancer and their clinical‐care providers

Objective: Little is known about the effects of lung cancer on intimate and sexual relationships. This study explores health‐care provider, patient, and partner perspectives on: (1) the effects of lung cancer on physical and emotional intimacy, (2) the ways in which intimacy affects the experience of living with lung cancer, and (3) communication about intimacy and sexuality in the context of lung cancer.
Upper Gastrointestinal Histopathological Findings in Children and Adolescents With Nonulcer Dyspepsia With Helicobacter pylori Infection

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the histopathological lesions in the upper gastrointestinal mucosa associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in children with nonulcer dyspepsia. Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was performed on 185 Brazilian children and adolescents (4–17 years, mean 9.5 ± 2.7 years), 63.2% girls, submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The histopathological lesions of the esophageal and gastric mucosa were analyzed in biopsy samples. Results: H pylori infection was identified in 96 children (51.8%). Moderate to severe chronic active gastritis was present in antrum (70.5%) and corpus (45.2%), with higher grading in antrum than in corpus (P < 0.05). The topographic distribution of inflammation was pangastritis (61.9%), followed by antral (32.1%) and corpus (5.9%). H pylori density was higher in antrum than in corpus. Intestinal metaplasia was not found in the H pylori–infected group, nor was significant gastric atrophy. The scores for esophagitis were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the noninfected group (1.4 ± 0.8) than in the H pylori–infected group (1.07 ± 0.9), with significant negative correlation (r = 0.29; P < 0.05) with the scores of gastric inflammation. Conclusions: The prevalence of H pylori infection was high among children with dyspepsia and associated with moderate/severe degrees of gastric inflammation. The high scores of esophagitis in the noninfected group point to 2 distinct groups of pathological conditions sharing similar clinical patterns.
Alveolar epithelial type I cells contain transport proteins and transport sodium, supporting an active role for type I cells in regulation of lung liquid homeostasis

Transport of lung liquid is essential for both normal pulmonary physiologic processes and for resolution of pathologic processes. The large internal surface area of the lung is lined by alveolar epithelial type I (TI) and type II (TII) cells; TI cells line >95% of this surface, TII cells <5%. Fluid transport is regulated by ion transport, with water movement following passively. Current concepts are that TII cells are the main sites of ion transport in the lung. TI cells have been thought to provide only passive barrier, rather than active, functions. Because TI cells line most of the internal surface area of the lung, we hypothesized that TI cells could be important in the regulation of lung liquid homeostasis. We measured both Na+ and K+ (Rb+) transport in TI cells isolated from adult rat lungs and compared the results to those of concomitant experiments with isolated TII cells. TI cells take up Na+ in an amiloride-inhibitable fashion, suggesting the presence of Na+ channels; TI cell Na+ uptake, per microgram of protein, is ≈2.5 times that of TII cells. Rb+ uptake in TI cells was ≈3 times that in TII cells and was inhibited by 10−4 M ouabain, the latter observation suggesting that TI cells exhibit Na+-, K+-ATPase activity. By immunocytochemical methods, TI cells contain all three subunits (α, β, and γ) of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC and two subunits of Na+-, K+-ATPase. By Western blot analysis, TI cells contain ≈3 times the amount of αENaC/μg protein of TII cells. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that TI cells not only contain molecular machinery necessary for active ion transport, but also transport ions. These results modify some basic concepts about lung liquid transport, suggesting that TI cells may contribute significantly in maintaining alveolar fluid balance and in resolving airspace edema.
Charge engineering of cellulases improves ionic liquid tolerance and reduces lignin inhibition

We report a novel approach to concurrently improve the tolerance to ionic liquids (ILs) as well as reduce lignin inhibition of Trichoderma reesei cellulase via engineering enzyme charge. Succinylation of the cellulase enzymes led to a nearly twofold enhancement in cellulose conversion in 15% (v/v) 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]). The improvement in activity upon succinylation correlated with the apparent preferential exclusion of the [Cl] anion in fluorescence quenching assays. Additionally, modeling analysis of progress curves of Avicel hydrolysis in buffer indicated that succinylation had a negligible impact on the apparent KM of cellulase. As evidence of reducing lignin inhibition of T. reesei cellulase, succinylation resulted in a greater than twofold increase in Avicel conversion after 170 h in buffer with 1 wt% lignin. The impact of succinylation on lignin inhibition of cellulase further led to the reduction in apparent KM of the enzyme cocktail for Avicel by 2.7‐fold. These results provide evidence that naturally evolved cellulases with highly negative surface charge densities may similarly repel lignin, resulting in improved cellulase activity. Ultimately, these results underscore the potential of rational charge engineering as a means of enhancing cellulase function and thus conversion of whole biomass in ILs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1541–1549. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Parent-Child Associations in Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour on Weekdays and Weekends in Random Samples of Families in the Czech Republic

This study investigates whether more physically active parents bring up more physically active children and whether parents’ level of physical activity helps children achieve step count recommendations on weekdays and weekends. The participants (388 parents aged 35–45 and their 485 children aged 9–12) were randomly recruited from 21 Czech government-funded primary schools. The participants recorded pedometer step counts for seven days (≥10 h a day) during April–May and September–October of 2013. Logistic regression (Enter method) was used to examine the achievement of the international recommendations of 11,000 steps/day for girls and 13,000 steps/day for boys. The children of fathers and mothers who met the weekend recommendation of 10,000 steps were 5.48 (95% confidence interval: 1.65; 18.19; p < 0.01) and 3.60 times, respectively (95% confidence interval: 1.21; 10.74; p < 0.05) more likely to achieve the international weekend recommendation than the children of less active parents. The children of mothers who reached the weekday pedometer-based step count recommendation were 4.94 times (95% confidence interval: 1.45; 16.82; p < 0.05) more likely to fulfil the step count recommendation on weekdays than the children of less active mothers.
Virtual Time CSMA Protocols for Hard Real-Time Communication

We study virtual time CSMA protocols for hard real time communication systems, i, e. , systems where messages have explicit deadlines. In this class of CSMA protocols, each node maintains two clocks; a real time clock and a virtual time clock. Whenever a node finds the channel to be idle, it resets its virtual clock. The virtual clock then runs at a higher rate than the real clock. A node transmits a waiting message when the time on the virtual clock is equal to some parameter of the message. Using different message parameters in conjunction with the virtual clock, different transmission policies can be implemented. In particular, use of message arrival time, message length, message laxity, and message deadline implements FCFS, Minimum-Length-First, Minimum-Laxity-First, and Minimum-Deadline-First transmission policies, respectively.
Enzymatic Glycosylation of Nonbenzoquinone Geldanamycin Analogs via Bacillus UDP-Glycosyltransferase

ABSTRACT Geldanamycin (GM) is a naturally occurring anticancer agent isolated from several strains of Streptomyces hygroscopicus. However, its potential clinical utility is compromised by its severe toxicity and poor water solubility. For this reason, considerable efforts are under way to make new derivatives that have both good clinical efficacy and high water solubility. On the other hand, glycosylation is often a step that improves the water solubility and/or biological activity in many natural products of biosynthesis. Here, we report the facile production of glucose-conjugated nonbenzoquinone GM analogs using the Bacillus UDP-glycosyltransferase BL-C. Five aglycon substrates containing nonbenzoquinone aromatic rings were chosen to validate the in vitro glycosylation reaction. Putative glucoside compounds were determined through the presence of a product peak(s) and were also verified using LC/MS analyses. Further, the chemical structures of new glucoside compounds 6 and 7 were elucidated using spectroscopy data. These glucoside compounds showed a dramatic improvement in water solubility compared with that of the original aglycon, nonbenzoquinone GM.
Transmissible Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (human herpesvirus 8) in saliva of men with a history of Kaposi's sarcoma

We have evaluated the physical state and infectious nature of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in the saliva of nine persons with past or current Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). KSHV DNA in saliva had the physical characteristics of DNA present in virions. Inoculation of 293 cells with cell-free saliva fluid resulted in the persistence of KSHV DNA in culture for at least 13 passages of the cells. The addition of tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate to KSHV-infected 293 cells led to increased viral DNA. Two virus-specific RNAs were detected by reverse transcriptase PCR in 293 cells infected with cell-free saliva fluid and in cells present in saliva from subjects with KSHV salivary shedding. These results indicate that infectious KSHV can be present in saliva of patients with KS.
Specific Early and Late Oddball-Evoked Responses in Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons of Mouse Auditory Cortex

A major challenge for sensory processing in the brain is considering stimulus context, such as stimulus probability, which may be relevant for survival. Excitatory neurons in auditory cortex, for example, adapt to repetitive tones in a stimulus-specific manner without fully generalizing to a low-probability deviant tone (“oddball”) that breaks the preceding regularity. Whether such stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) also prevails in inhibitory neurons and how it might relate to deviance detection remains elusive. We obtained whole-cell recordings from excitatory neurons and somatostatin- and parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in layer 2/3 of mouse auditory cortex and measured tone-evoked membrane potential responses. All cell types displayed SSA of fast (“early”) subthreshold and suprathreshold responses with oddball tones of a deviant frequency eliciting enlarged responses compared with adapted standards. SSA was especially strong when oddball frequency matched neuronal preference. In addition, we identified a slower “late” response component (200–400 ms after tone onset), most clearly in excitatory and parvalbumin-positive neurons, which also displayed SSA. For excitatory neurons, this late component reflected genuine deviance detection. Moreover, intracellular blockade of NMDA receptors reduced early and late responses in excitatory but not parvalbumin-positive neurons. The late component in excitatory neurons thus shares time course, deviance detection, and pharmacological features with the deviant-evoked event-related potential known as mismatch negativity (MMN) and provides a potential link between neuronal SSA and MMN. In summary, our results suggest a two-phase cortical activation upon oddball stimulation, with oddball tones first reactivating the adapted auditory cortex circuitry and subsequently triggering delayed reverberating network activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding how the brain encodes sensory context in addition to stimulus feature has been a main focus in neuroscience. Using in vivo targeted whole-cell recordings from excitatory and inhibitory neurons of mouse primary auditory cortex, we report two temporally distinct components of membrane potential responses encoding oddball tones that break stimulus regularity. Both components display stimulus-specific adaptation upon oddball paradigm stimulation in the three recorded cell types. The late response component, in particular, carries signatures of genuine deviance detection. In excitatory but not parvalbumin-positive inhibitory neurons, both early and late components depend on NMDA receptor-signaling. Our work proposes a potential neuronal substrate of a known deviant-evoked event-related potential, which is of fundamental significance in basic and clinical neuroscience.
Hospice Disease Types Which Indicate a Greater Need for Bereavement Counseling

This article attempts to find a correlation between certain disease types and increased needs for bereavement services for survivors. Data were examined from those requesting increased bereavement services from a hospice provider in Kentucky, over a 2-year span. The survivors were then matched with the disease type of their loved one to see whether there was a connection between the two. Although limited in its scope and focus, the study revealed that patients surviving Alzheimer disease, lung cancer, and renal failure consistently (at least 50% of the time) required increased bereavement services after the death of their loved one. Other disease types indicated more erratic patterns for increased grief services.
Shear bond strength of denture teeth to two chemically different denture base resins after various surface treatments.

PURPOSE Debonding of acrylic teeth from the denture base remains a major problem in prosthodontics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various surface treatments on the shear bond strength of the two chemically different denture base resins-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA). MATERIALS AND METHODS Two denture base resins, heat-cured PMMA (Meliodent) and light-activated UDMA (Eclipse), were used in this study. A total of 60 molar acrylic denture teeth were randomly separated into four groups (n = 15), according to surface treatment: acrylic untreated (group AC), Eclipse untreated (group EC), treated with eclipse bonding agent (group EB), and Er:YAG laser-irradiated eclipse (group EL). Shear bond strength test specimens were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions. Specimens were subjected to shear bond strength test by a universal testing machine with a 1 mm/min crosshead speed. The data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS The highest mean bond strength was observed in specimens of group EB, and the lowest was observed in group EC specimens. A statistically significant difference in shear bond strength was found among all groups (p < 0.001), except between groups EC and EL (p = 0.61). CONCLUSION The two chemically different denture base polymers showed different shear bond strength values to acrylic denture teeth. Laser-irradiation of the adhesive surface was found to be ineffective on improving bond strength of acrylic denture teeth to denture base resin. Eclipse bonding agent should be used as a part of denture fabrication with the Eclipse Resin System.
Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT)for monitoring and control in the milk processing industry

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Lhx6 and Lhx8: cell fate regulators and beyond

As transcription factors of the lines (LIN)‐11/Islet (Isl)∗∗∗‐1/mitosis entry checkpoint (MEC)‐3 (LIM)‐homeobox subfamily, LIM homeobox (Lhx)6 and ‐8 are remarkably conserved and involved in the morphogenesis of multiple organ systems. Lhx6 and ‐8 play overlapping and distinctive roles, but in general act as cell fate mediators and in turn are regulated by several transcriptional factors, such as sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth factors, and wingless‐int (Wnt)/β‐catenin. In this review, we first summarize Lhx6 and ‐8 distributions in development and then explore how Lhx6 and ‐8 act as transcription factors and coregulators of cell lineage specification. Known Lhx6 and ‐8 functions and targets are outlined in neurogenesis, craniofacial development, and germ cell differentiation. The underlying mechanisms of Lhx6 and ‐8 in regulating cell fate remain elusive. Whether Lhx6 and ‐8 affect functions in tissues and organs other than neural, craniofacial, oocytes, and germ cells is largely unexplored. Taken together, Lhx6 and ‐8 are important regulators of cell lineage specification and may act as one of the pivotal mediators of stem cell fate. Undoubtedly, future investigations of Lhx6 and ‐8 biology will continue to yield fascinating insights into tissue development and homeostasis, in addition to their putative roles in tissue regeneration and ageing. —Zhou, C. , Yang, G. , Chen, M. , He, L. , Xiang, L. , Ricupero, C. , Mao, J. J., Ling, J. Lhx6 and Lhx8: cell fate regulators and beyond. FASEB J. 29, 4083‐4091 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Antimicrobial effects of chitosan and essential oils on postharvest diseases of pomegranate fruit

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) diseases often caused by a range of fungi and bacteria, pose direct significant financial, nutritional and postharvest losses along the value chain. Common postharvest pathogens of pomegranate fruit include Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium implicatum, Coniella granati and Aspergillus niger. A major bacterial disease of pomegranate is bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axanopodis pv. punicae. Field application of fungicides is necessary to control pathogens, which infect the fruit during developmental stages. Additionally, postharvest fungicides could be used to control localised infections in the fruit tissue or to prevent new infections during postharvest handling processes and storage. However, global trends towards reducing application of chemical fungicides are growing, with the demand for ‘green’ and cost effective strategies. This review discusses the details of various pomegranate postharvest diseases, symptoms and their causative microorganism. The importance and types of disease control and management strategies for pomegranate fruit and fruit tree are critically evaluated. This review will provide a critical guide to all the role players along the pomegranate value chain.