Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of catheter-related bloodstream infections on the mortality of critically ill patients: A meta-analysis*

Objective: There is controversy on whether catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) affect the mortality of critically ill patients. Design: Meta-analysis of comparative studies that reported on mortality of intensive care unit (ICU) adult patients with and without CR-BSI. Methods: PubMed, Current Contents, and reference lists of retrieved publications were searched with no language or time restrictions. Heterogeneity was assessed by means of I2-statistic and chi-square test. Publication bias was detected by the funnel plot method using Egger’s test. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by implementing both the Mantel–Haenszel fixed effect and the DerSimonian–Laird random effects model. Results: Eight studies, involving 2,540 ICU patients, were included. Heterogeneity was detected (I2 = 0.67, 95% CI 0.32–0.85, p = 0.003). Publication bias was not found (Egger’s test, p = 0.28). All-cause in-hospital mortality was higher in ICU patients with CR-BSI than in those without CR-BSI (fixed effect model: OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.44–2.28; random effects model: OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.25–3.09). This was also the case for the subgroup analysis of the studies that were matched for severity of illness (fixed effect model: OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.28–2.13; random effects model: OR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.00–2.90). Conclusion: Presence, as opposed to absence, of CR-BSI is associated with higher mortality in critically ill adult patients. This finding seems to justify and may enhance efforts to prevent CR-BSI in such patients.
Closed-Loop Glycemic Control with a Wearable Artificial Endocrine Pancreas Variations in Daily Insulin Requirements to Glycemic Response

We succeeded in miniaturizing a needle-type glucose monitoring system with characteristics suitable for application in a wearable, closed-loop control system. A wearable artificial endocrine pancreas (12 × 15 × 6 cm, 400 g) consisting of a sensor, a microcomputer system that calculates insulin and glucagon infusion rates, and two roller pumps was developed. Continuous glucose monitoring by a glucose sensor inserted in the subcutaneous tissue of the forearm or abdomen of healthy and diabetic volunteers revealed that glucose concentrations in subcutaneous tissue were 10% lower than, but were highly correlated with, blood glucose concentrations in the range of 49–388 mg/dl. Glycemic control was established in diabetic patients by intravenously infusing insulin in response to measured glucose concentrations on a moment-to-moment basis for a period of several days. By comparing the glycemic control obtained in each patient treated with multiple insulin injections or open-loop subcutaneous insulin infusion, the superiority of feedback control with the system was clearly demonstrated. During continuous glycemic regulation, day-to-day variations of insulin requirements were recognized in both basal insulin infusion and postprandial insulin infusion rates in response to identical meals and exercise. These data suggest the feasibility of long-term glycemic control in diabetic subjects with a wearable artificial endocrine pancreas, and indicate that to overcome changes in individual metabolic characteristics on a moment-to-moment basis, a closed-loop glycemic control system may be essential for ambulatory diabetic patients.
Quasi-linear transformations , substitutions , numeration systems and fractals Marie-Andrée

In this paper we will define relations between quasi-linear transformations, substitutions, numeration systems and fractals. A QuasiLinear Transformation (QLT) is a transformation on Z which corresponds to the composition of a linear transformation with an integer part function. We will first give some theoretical results about QLTs. We will then point out relations between QLTs, substitutions, numerations systems and fractals. These relations allow us to define substitutions, new numeration systems and fractals associated with them. With help of some properties of the QLTs we can give the fractal dimension of these fractals.
Adenosine Receptor Antagonists Effect on Plasma-Enhanced Killing

ABSTRACT Previous studies demonstrated that naive plasma has inherent capabilities to enhance bacterial opsonization and phagocyte killing, but not all plasma is equally effective. This raised the question of whether plasma constituents other than opsonins may play a role. Adenosine receptor antagonists have been shown to modulate cytokine response and survival in mice after a bacterial challenge. We investigated whether selective adenosine receptor blockade would influence the ability of naive plasma to effectively control bacterial growth. Colonic bacteria- and thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages and neutrophils were obtained from naive mice. Stock murine plasma from naive was purchased and categorized as having high plasma-enhanced bacterial killing capacity using our previously described methods. Bacteria and plasma were incubated to allow for opsonization and then added to macrophages previously exposed to selected adenosine receptor antagonists: ZM 241385: A2A, MRS1754: A2B, DPCPX: A1, and MRS1220: A3. The final mixture was plated on blood agar plates in aerobic and anaerobic conditions and bacterial colony-forming units quantified after 24 h. This study demonstrated that exogenous adenosine was able to significantly decrease phagocyte killing of cecal bacteria. Blocking adenosine receptors with selective antagonists altered the bacterial killing capacity of plasma. Selectively blocking the A1, A2A, or A2B receptors proved most beneficial at reversing the effect of adenosine. Consistent with previous work, only macrophage killing of bacteria could be modulated by adenosine receptor blockade because neutrophils were unaffected. These data demonstrate that adenosine decreases macrophage killing of enteric bacteria and that this effect is mediated through the adenosine receptors.
Detection of Gravitational Waves from the Coalescence of Population III Remnants with Advanced LIGO

The comoving mass density of massive black hole (MBH) remnants from pregalactic star formation could have been similar in magnitude to the mass density of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the present-day universe. We show that the fraction of MBHs that coalesce during the assembly of SMBHs can be extracted from the rate of ring-down gravitational waves that are detectable by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Based on the SMBH formation history inferred from the evolution of the quasar luminosity function, we show that an observed event rate of 1 yr-1 will constrain the SMBH mass fraction that was contributed by MBH coalescence down to a level of ~10-6 for 20 M☉ MBH remnants (or ~10-4 for 260 M☉ remnants).
A mouse model of cholestasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma and transcription factors involved in progression.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Cholestasis contributes to hepatocellular injury and promotes liver carcinogenesis. We created a mouse model of chronic cholestasis to study its effects on progression of cholangiocarcinoma and the oncogenes involved. METHODS To induce chronic cholestasis, Balb/c mice were given 2 weekly intraperitoneal injections of diethylnitrosamine (DEN); 2 weeks later, some mice also received left and median bile duct ligation (LMBDL) and, then 1 week later, were fed DEN, in corn oil, weekly by oral gavage (DLD). Liver samples were analyzed by immunohistochemical and biochemical assays; expression of Mnt and c-Myc was reduced by injection of small inhibitor RNAs. RESULTS Chronic cholestasis was induced by DLD and accelerated progression of cholangiocarcinoma, compared with mice given only DEN. Cystic hyperplasias, cystic atypical hyperplasias, cholangiomas, and cholangiocarcinoma developed in the DLD group at weeks 8, 12, 16, and 28, respectively. LMBDL repressed expression of microRNA (miR)-34a and let-7a, up-regulating Lin-28B, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, HIF-2α, and miR-210. Up-regulation of Lin-28B might inhibit let-7a, which is associated with development of cystic hyperplasias, cystic atypical hyperplasias, cholangiomas, and cholangiocarcinoma. Knockdown of c-Myc reduced progression of cholangiocarcinoma, whereas knockdown of Mnt accelerated its progression. Down-regulation of miR-34a expression might up-regulate c-Myc. The up-regulation of miR-210 via HIF-2α was involved in down-regulation of Mnt. Activation of the miR-34a-c-Myc and HIF-2α-miR-210-Mnt pathways caused c-Myc to bind the E-box element of cyclin D1, instead of Mnt, resulting in cyclin D1 up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS DLD induction of chronic cholestasis accelerated progression of cholangiocarcinoma, which is mediated by down-regulation of miR-34a, up-regulation miR-210, and replacement of Mnt by c-Myc in binding to cyclin D1.
Participation of fad and mbt Genes in Synthesis of Mycobactin in Mycobacterium smegmatis

ABSTRACT Colonies of Mycobacterium smegmatis LR222 on iron-limiting (0.1 μM Fe) minimal medium agar fluoresce under UV light due to the accumulation in the cells of the deferri form of the siderophore mycobactin. Two mutants with little or no fluorescence, designated LUN8 and LUN9, were isolated by screening colonies of transposon (Tn611)-mutagenized M. smegmatis. Ferrimycobactin prepared from iron-restricted cells of the wild type had an Rf of 0.62 on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and a characteristic visible absorption spectrum with a peak near 450 nm. Similar extracts from LUN8 cells contained a small amount of ferrimycobactin with an Rf of 0.58 on HPTLC and an absorption spectrum with the peak shifted to a wavelength lower than that of the wild-type ferrimycobactin. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies suggested that the LUN8 mycobactin may have an altered fatty acid side chain. Mutant strain LUN9 produced no detectable mycobactin. Neither mutant strain produced measurable amounts of excreted mycobactin, although both excreted exochelin (the mycobacterial peptido-hydroxamate siderophore), and both mutants were more sensitive than the wild-type strain to growth inhibition by the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). The transposon insertion sites were identified, and sequence analyses of the cloned flanking chromosome regions showed that the mutated gene in LUN9 was an orthologue of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycobactin biosynthetic gene mbtE. The mutated gene in LUN8 had homology with M. tuberculosis fadD33 (Rv1345), a gene that may encode an acyl-coenzyme A synthase and which previously was not known to participate in synthesis of mycobactin.
Genetic variability in CYP2E1 and catalase gene among currently and formerly alcohol-dependent male subjects.

AIMS The present study explored whether specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms in alcohol metabolic pathway are associated with alcohol dependence or alcohol-related psychopathological symptoms. METHODS Three groups of male unrelated subjects were included: 101 currently alcohol-dependent patients, 100 formerly alcohol-dependent subjects and 97 healthy controls. The following questionnaires were implemented: AUDIT, Zung Depression and Anxiety scale, Brief Social Phobia Scale, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale and Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. All the subjects were genotyped for CYP2E1 c. -1053C>T and CAT c. -262C>T. RESULTS Statistically significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and alleles for CAT c. -262C>T polymorphism were observed among the three investigated groups. We observed a higher frequency of CAT -262T allele in alcohol-dependent subjects (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.164-2.610). Among currently dependent patients CAT -262T allele carriers had higher AUDIT scores (P = 0.023), while CYP2E1-1053T allele carriers had significantly higher YBOCS-obsession subscale scores (P = 0.005) and Zung Anxiety Scale scores (P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the CAT c. -262C>T genetic polymorphism influences the susceptibility to alcohol dependence and severity of alcohol dependence, while CYP2E1 c. -1053C>T polymorphism influences the expression of obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptoms.
Predicting Total, Abdominal, Visceral and Hepatic Adiposity with Circulating Biomarkers in Caucasian and Japanese American Women

Background Characterization of abdominal and intra-abdominal fat requires imaging, and thus is not feasible in large epidemiologic studies. Objective We investigated whether biomarkers may complement anthropometry (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and waist-hip ratio [WHR]) in predicting the size of the body fat compartments by analyzing blood biomarkers, including adipocytokines, insulin resistance markers, sex steroid hormones, lipids, liver enzymes and gastro-neuropeptides. Methods Fasting levels of 58 blood markers were analyzed in 60 healthy, Caucasian or Japanese American postmenopausal women who underwent anthropometric measurements, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging. Total, abdominal, visceral and hepatic adiposity were predicted based on anthropometry and the biomarkers using Random Forest models. Results Total body fat was well predicted by anthropometry alone (R2 = 0.85), by the 5 best predictors from the biomarker model alone (leptin, leptin-adiponectin ratio [LAR], free estradiol, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 [PAI1], alanine transaminase [ALT]; R2 = 0.69), or by combining these 5 biomarkers with anthropometry (R2 = 0.91). Abdominal adiposity (DXA trunk-to-periphery fat ratio) was better predicted by combining the two types of predictors (R2 = 0.58) than by anthropometry alone (R2 = 0.53) or the 5 best biomarkers alone (25(OH)-vitamin D3, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 [IGFBP1], uric acid, soluble leptin receptor [sLEPR], Coenzyme Q10; R2 = 0.35). Similarly, visceral fat was slightly better predicted by combining the predictors (R2 = 0.68) than by anthropometry alone (R2 = 0.65) or the 5 best biomarker predictors alone (leptin, C-reactive protein [CRP], LAR, lycopene, vitamin D3; R2 = 0.58). Percent liver fat was predicted better by the 5 best biomarker predictors (insulin, sex hormone binding globulin [SHBG], LAR, alpha-tocopherol, PAI1; R2 = 0.42) or by combining the predictors (R2 = 0.44) than by anthropometry alone (R2 = 0.29). Conclusion The predictive ability of anthropometry for body fat distribution may be enhanced by measuring a small number of biomarkers. Studies to replicate these data in men and other ethnic groups are warranted.
Influence of starches of low digestibility on the rat caecal microflora

1. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed on either a purified, fibre-free diet or a diet in which half the maize starch was replaced with uncooked amylomaize or potato starch (equivalent to 100 or 200 g amylase-resistant starch (ARS)/kg diet respectively). Changes in short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), pH, ammonia and a number of bacterial variables in caecal contents were then assessed. 2. Both ARS supplements decreased caecal content pH by approximately 1–2 units, with an associated reduction in ammonia concentration. Potato starch significantly decreased the concentration of SCFA in the hind-gut, while amylomaize supplementation increased propionic and butyric acids but decreased the occurrence of minor, branched-chain fatty acids. 3. Caecal bacterial biotransformation activities (β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21), β-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31), reduction of p-nitrobenzoic acid, apparent ammonia formation) were consistently decreased by both ARS sources. 4. The results demonstrate that amylase-resistant carbohydrate altered toxicologically important functions in the large-intestinal flora of the rat.
A novel system for predicting the toxicity of irinotecan based on statistical pattern recognition with UGT1A genotypes

To predict precisely severe toxicity of irinotecan, we evaluated the association of UGT1A variants, haplotypes and the combination of UGT1A genotypes to severe toxicity of irinotecan. UGT1A1*6 (211G>A), UGT1A1*28 (TA6>TA7), UGT1A1*60 (−3279T>G), UGT1A7 (387T>G), UGT1A7 (622T>C), and UGT1A9*1b (−118T9>T10, also named *22) were genotyped in 123 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had received irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Among the 123 patients, 73 were enrolled in either of two phase II studies of the FOLFIRI (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan) regimen; these patients constituted the training population, which was used to construct the predicting system. The other 50 patients constituted the validation population; these 50 patients either had participated in a phase II study of irinotecan/5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine or were among consecutive patients who received FOLFIRI therapy. This prediction system used sequential forward floating selection based on statistical pattern recognition using UGT1A genotypes, gender and age. Several UGT1A genotypes [UGT1A1*6, UGT1A7 (387T>G), UGT1A7 (622T>C) and UGT1A9*1b] were associated with the irinotecan toxicity. Among the haplotypes, haplotype-I (UGT1A1: −3279T, TA6, 211G; UGT1A7: 387T, 622T; UGT1A9: T10) and haplotype-II (UGT1A1: −3279T, TA6, 211A; UGT1A7: 387G, 622C; UGT1A9: T9) were also associated with irinotecan toxicity. Furthermore, our new system for predicting the risk of irinotecan toxicity was 83.9% accurate with the training population and 72.1% accurate with the validation population. Our novel prediction system using statistical pattern recognition depend on genotypes in UGT1A, age and gender; moreover, it showed high predictive performance even though the treatment regimens differed among the training and validation patients.
Subarachnoid haemorrhage induces an inflammatory response followed by a delayed persisting increase in asymmetric dimethylarginine

Abstract Objective. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is associated with an inflammatory systemic response and cardiovascular complications. Asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, mediates vasoconstriction and might contribute to cerebral vasoconstriction and cardiovascular complications after SAH. ADMA is also involved in inflammation and induces endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether and how CRP (marker for systemic inflammation) and ADMA increased in patients during the acute phase (first week) after SAH. The ADMA level was also assessed in the patients in a non-acute phase (three months), and in healthy controls. Methods. A prospective study of 20 patients with aneurysmal SAH. ADMA and CRP were followed daily during the first week after SAH and a follow up sample for ADMA was obtained 3 months later. A single blood sample for ADMA was collected from age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 40, two for each case). Results. CRP increased significantly from day 2; 16 (Confidence interval (CI) 10–23) mg/L to day 4; 84 (CI 47–120) mg/L, (p < 0.01). ADMA increased significantly from day 2; 0.22 (CI 0.17–0.27) μmol/L, to day 7; 0.37 (CI 0.21–0.54) μmol/L, p < 0.01. ADMA remained elevated at a 3-month follow-up: 0.36 (CI 0.31–0.42) μmol/L. ADMA in the first sample from the patients (day 1–3); 0.25 (CI 0.19–0.30) μmol/L, was not different from ADMA in matched healthy controls; 0.25 (CI 0.20–0.31), p > 0.05. Conclusion. After SAH, CRP and ADMA in serum increased significantly during the first week and ADMA remained elevated 3 months later.
The measurement of hormones and their metabolites.

METHODS for the measurement of substances in the tissues and body fluids of patients are expected to meet certain criteria. Most important are the criteria of reliability; these are accuracy, precision, specificity and sensitivity. Methods should also meet criteria of practicability; they must not be too costly, require too much time, skill or space. It will be obvious that these criteria tend to be mutually exclusive. The most reliable methods may be the least practical, and a compromise has often to be reached. This is particularly true for the measurements of hormones, and arises in the report on page 186 of this issue of the Scottish Medical Journal by Dr J. A. Loraine and his colleagues on the effect of ACTH on hormone excretion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These authors are rightly at pains to point out that their bioassay for 'total gonadotrophic activity' is not specific for either follicle-stimulating hormone or 1uteinising hormone. This statement, and the fact that the urinary gonadotrophins were to be measured in men, also highlights the present unsatisfactory state of nomenclature for gonadotrophins. Dr Loraine and his colleagues chose methods for measuring groups of urinarymetabolites of steroid hormones; namely the total 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and total 17-oxosteroids (ketosteroids). These 'group'methods are quite practicable and are adequately accurate, precise and sensitive. They can be undertaken by any hospital laboratory willing to check reliability in the hands of its own technicians. Reliability, quoted by others, is not acceptable to the best laboratories. The work should, of course, be under the 'supervision of properly trained and experienced biochemists. Single determinations of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and 17-oxosteroids in a urine Scot. moo. J., 1967, 12:: 196
Ternary Concrete with Fractionated Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

A ternary-blend concrete (65% cement, 25% slag, and 10% fly ash) containing fractionated reclaimed asphalt pavement (FRAP) as a partial replacement (0, 20, 35, and 50%) for coarse aggregate was investigated through a comprehensive laboratory testing program. With increasing FRAP replacement, the concrete workability increased, unit weight decreased, and air content was mainly unaffected. The source of the measured strength and modulus reductions was linked to the interface between the FRAP particle and the paste. The incorporation of FRAP did not significantly impact the concrete free drying shrinkage but did reduce the restrained ring shrinkage strains. The freezing-and-thawing durability was acceptable for all tested FRAP contents. Fracture results indicated that FRAP addition did not statistically affect the initial or total fracture energy of the concrete. Mixtures containing up to 50% coarse FRAP may be used in concrete pavement and still produce acceptable fresh and hardened properties.
Optimized Resource Allocation for Upstream Vectored DSL Systems With Zero-Forcing Generalized Decision Feedback Equalizer

In upstream vectored DSL systems using zero-forcing generalized decision feedback equalizers (ZF-GDFE), different decoding orders cause performance tradeoffs among the users. In this paper, these tradeoffs are characterized by formulating optimization problems with practical constraints. Lagrange dual decomposition and a two-step algorithm are used to solve the dual problems optimally with the computational complexity linear in the number of DMT tones. However, solving the tonal subproblem, which is shared by all the proposed optimization problems, associates with a high-complexity exhaustive search of K\ orderings, where K is the number of users. Thus, this paper proposes two low-complexity algorithms in order to find suboptimal orderings: successive ordering search (SOS) with complexity O(K4) and modified greedy search (MGA) with complexity O(K3). Numerical results show that MGA performs well enough in finding the achievable rate region. For problems related to feasibility check, SOS is suitable for closely approximating the optimal solution.