Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cholesterol-Lowering Gene Therapy Prevents Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Mice

Hypercholesterolemia may be causally related to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to establish a HFpEF model associated with hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus by feeding a high-sucrose/high-fat (HSHF) diet to C57BL/6J low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr)−/− mice. Secondly, we evaluated whether cholesterol-lowering adeno-associated viral serotype 8 (AAV8)-mediated LDLr gene transfer prevents HFpEF. AAV8-LDLr gene transfer strongly (p < 0.001) decreased plasma cholesterol in standard chow (SC) mice (66.8 ± 2.5 mg/dl versus 213 ± 12 mg/dl) and in HSHF mice (84.6 ± 4.4 mg/dl versus 464 ± 25 mg/dl). The HSHF diet induced cardiac hypertrophy and pathological remodeling, which were potently counteracted by AAV8-LDLr gene transfer. Wet lung weight was 19.0% (p < 0.001) higher in AAV8-null HSHF mice than in AAV8-null SC mice, whereas lung weight was normal in AAV8-LDLr HSHF mice. Pressure–volume loop analysis was consistent with HFpEF in AAV8-null HSHF mice and showed a completely normal cardiac function in AAV8-LDLr HSHF mice. Treadmill exercise testing demonstrated reduced exercise capacity in AAV8-null HSHF mice but a normal capacity in AAV8-LDLr HSHF mice. Reduced oxidative stress and decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α may mediate the beneficial effects of cholesterol lowering. In conclusion, AAV8-LDLr gene therapy prevents HFpEF.
Effects of boron-containing compounds on immune responses: review and patenting trends

ABSTRACT Introduction: Boron-containing compounds induce effects on immune responses. Such effects are interesting to the biomedical field for the development of therapeutic tools to modulate the immune system. Areas covered: The scope of BCC use to modify immune responses is expanding, mainly with regard to inflammatory diseases. The information was organized to demonstrate the breadth of reported effects. BCCs act as modulators of innate and adaptive immunity, with the former including regulation of cluster differentiation and cytokine production. In addition, BCCs exert effects on inflammation induced by infectious and noninfectious agents, and there are also reports regarding their effects on mechanisms involving hypersensitivity and transplants. Finally, the authors discuss the beneficial effects of BCCs on pathologies involving various targets and mechanisms. Expert opinion: Some BCCs are currently used as drugs in humans. The mechanisms by which these BCCs modulate immune responses, as well as the required structure–activity relationship for each observed mechanism of action, should be clarified. The former will allow for the development of improved immunomodulatory drugs with extensive applications in medicine. Patenting trends involve claims concerning the synthesis and actions of identified molecules with a defined profile regarding cytokines, cell differentiation, proliferation, and antibody production.
Telemedicine Video Visits for patients receiving palliative care: A qualitative study

In this needs assessment, gathered patient perceptions on how telemedicine video visits might influence their care. Patients in this study (n = 13) were all diagnosed with end-stage cancer and were receiving palliative care at an urban academic medical center. Interview themes addressed: 1. impact on patient's health management, 2. user experience, 3. technical issues and 4. cost and time. Ultimately, despite concerns over truncated physical exams and prescription limits, the majority of patients favored having the opportunity for telemedicine video visits, felt that the doctor-patient relationship would not suffer, had confidence in their or their surrogate's technical abilities to navigate the video visit, had privacy concerns on par with other technologies, had few cost concerns, and believed a video alternative to an in-person visit might increase access, save time as well as increase comfort and safety by avoiding a trip to the office. These results suggest potential for acceptance of video-based telemedicine by an urban population of oncology patients receiving palliative care.
Clinical and Morphological Features of Duodenal Cystic Dystrophy in Heterotopic Pancreas

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas (CDHP) is an uncommon complication of pancreatic heterotopia, only described in surgical series, whose natural history is not known. The aim of this study was to determine clinical and morphological features of CDHP in a medical-surgical series of patients and to ascertain the relationship of CDHP with chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the pancreas proper.METHODS:All patients who had duodenal CDHP diagnosed radiologically both with CT scan and endoscopic ultrasonography between 1995 and 2004 were included. The diagnosis was confirmed by surgical specimens when available.RESULTS:One hundred five patients were included (91% men, 86% chronic alcoholic) with a median follow-up of 15 months. The median age at first symptoms was 46 yr. CDHP was associated with CP in the pancreas proper in 71% of patients. Presenting symptoms were pancreatic pain (91%), severe weight loss (73%), acute pancreatitis (45%), vomiting (30%), steatorrhea (23%), diabetes mellitus (20%), jaundice (13%), and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (5%). Cysts were multiple in 75% (median 3). The median diameter of the largest cyst was 10 mm. Endoscopy was normal in 36% of patients and showed duodenal stenosis in 52% (complete 6%, incomplete 46%). Surgical treatment was necessary in only 27% of patients (Whipple procedure 16%). CONCLUSIONS:CDHP may arise in patients with or without CP and with or without chronic alcoholism. Symptoms may be severe but warrant surgery in less than one-third of patients.
Aspirations for a website to support families’ active waiting for speech-language pathology

Abstract Purpose: Children sometimes wait 12 months or longer to access speech-language pathology services. Information on websites may support families’ active waiting for speech-language pathology; however, there are few user-friendly, evidence-based websites specifically designed for children and families for this purpose. The current study aimed to: (1) ascertain appropriate website content, format, features and functions; (2) evaluate the quality of existing speech and language sites and (3) obtain feedback on a prototype website. Method: A three-stage explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Stage 1 involved 119 participants completing an online questionnaire recommending website content, format, features and functions. Stage 2 involved evaluating the quality of 25 online sites about children’s speech and language. Stage 3 involved focus groups with 16 participants to explore aspirations and feedback on a website to support active waiting. Result: Participants wanted information about typical development and services to access while waiting; strategies to stimulate children’s speech and language development; simple web architecture; and high readability. High scoring sites contained evidence-based information from trustworthy sources. Strategies from the theory of preparative waiting arose in the focus groups. Conclusion: Participants considered easily identifiable, trustworthy sources of information, and user-friendly strategies and resources to be important on a website to support active waiting for speech-language pathology. The theory of preparative waiting may be a viable framework informing waiting for speech-language pathology for children with speech and language difficulties.
Diversification of Transposable Elements in Arthropods and Its Impact on Genome Evolution

Transposable elements (TEs) are ubiquitous in arthropods. However, analyses of large-scale and long-term coevolution between TEs and host genomes remain scarce in arthropods. Here, we choose 14 representative Arthropoda species from eight orders spanning more than 500 million years of evolution. By developing an unbiased TE annotation pipeline, we obtained 87 to 2266 TE reference sequences in a species, which is a considerable improvement compared to the reference TEs previously annotated in Repbase. We find that TE loads are diversified among species and were previously underestimated. The highly species- and time-specific expansions and contractions, and intraspecific sequence diversification are the leading driver of long terminal repeat (LTR) dynamics in Lepidoptera. Terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) proliferated substantially in five species with large genomes. A phylogenetic comparison reveals that the loads of multiple TE subfamilies are positively correlated with genome sizes. We also identified a few horizontally transferred TE candidates across nine species. In addition, we set up the Arthropod Transposable Elements database (ArTEdb) to provide TE references and annotations. Collectively, our results provide high-quality TE references and uncover that TE loads and expansion histories vary greatly among arthropods, which implies that TEs are an important driving force shaping the evolution of genomes through gain and loss.
Incorporation of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) Leaf Powder in diet of broilers for quality meat production

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder on meat cholesterol and serum lipid profile of broiler from day old to 42nd day of age. One hundred fifty day old chicks were distributed into three experimental groups of 50 birds which were further divided into five replicates of 10 birds each. The control (T 1 ) group was fed with standard broiler diet and T2 and T3 were fed standard broiler diet plus tulsi leaf powder at the rate of 0.5% and 1% respectively. All the birds were reared under standard managemental conditions. The observations were recorded for cholesterol content of meat and serum lipid profile of broilers. Supplementation of tulsi leaf powder at the rate of 1% for 42 days showed the significant decrease (P<0.01) in breast muscle and thigh muscle cholesterol. Group T2 showed the significant reduction in thigh muscle cholesterol but not in breast muscle cholesterol. The average serum total cholesterol was reduced significantly (P<0.01) in T3 group but not in T2. The average serum HDL cholesterol was increased significantly (P<0.01) in T2 and T3. The average serum triglycerides were significantly reduced in T2 and T3. But higher reduction obtained in birds fed with 1% tulsi leaf powder in diet. The average serum LDL cholesterol was significantly reduced (P<0.01) in T3 followed by T2 group. The study concluded that supplementation of tulsi leaf powder at the rate of 1% in broiler diet for 42 days reduced meat and blood cholesterol levels of broiler.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Autoinducer 3O-C12 Homoserine Lactone Provokes Hyperinflammatory Responses from Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells

The discovery of novel antiinflammatory targets to treat inflammation in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung stands to benefit patient populations suffering with this disease. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing autoinducer N-3-oxododecanoyl homoserine lactone (3O-C12) is an important bacterial virulence factor that has been reported to induce proinflammatory cytokine production from a variety of cell types. The goal of this study was to examine the ability of 3O-C12 to induce proinflammatory cytokine production in normal and CF bronchial epithelial cells, and better understand the cellular mechanisms by which this cytokine induction occurs. 3O-C12 was found to induce higher levels of IL-6 production in the CF cell lines IB3-1 and CuFi, compared to their corresponding control cell lines C38 and NuLi. Systems biology and network analysis revealed a high predominance of over-represented innate immune pathways bridged together by calcium-dependant transcription factors governing the transcriptional responses of A549 airway cells to stimulation with 3O-C12. Using calcium-flux assays, 3O-C12 was found to induce larger and more sustained increases in intracellular calcium in IB3-1 cells compared to C38, and blocking this calcium flux with BAPTA-AM reduced the production of IL-6 by IB3-1 to the levels produced by C38. These data suggest that 3O-C12 induces proinflammatory cytokine production in airway epithelial cells in a calcium-dependent manner, and that dysregulated calcium storage or signalling in CF cells results in an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Mapping Workplace Neighborhood Mobility Among Sex Workers in an Urban Canadian Setting: Results of a Community-Based Spatial Epidemiological Study From 2010-2016

Mobility among sex workers has been linked not only to improved economic and social opportunities, but also to concerns regarding displacement, criminalization, and violence. In 2014, new “end-demand” legislation criminalized new aspects of sex work in Canada (e.g., third-party advertising, purchasing) while leaving the sale of sex legal. Utilizing data from a longitudinal community-based cohort of women sex workers in Metro Vancouver (An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access [AESHA], 2010-2016), we used kernel density mapping to understand and identify geographic patterns of workplace neighborhood mobility (i.e., changing the primary neighborhood in which one worked in the last 6 months); multivariable logistic regression using generalized estimating equations was also used to model contextual (policing, violence, and safety) and individual correlates of workplace mobility among sex workers over the 6-year period, including potential changes in mobility patterns pre- and post-end-demand criminalization. A total of 543 sex workers were included in analyses, contributing 2,199 observations. A total of 402 (74.0%) experienced workplace neighborhood mobility during the study period. Neighborhood mobility was negatively correlated with age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.98/year older, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.97, 0.99]) and positively correlated with homelessness (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI = [1.12, 1.82]), identifying as a gender/sexual minority (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI = [1.04, 1.70]), and servicing clients primarily outdoors (vs. informal indoor or in-call venues; AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = [1.21, 1.81]); police harassment (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = [0.96, 1.48], p = .11) and changing one’s neighborhood of work due to safety concerns (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI = [0.94, 2.00], p = .09) were both marginally correlated. Steps to promote safer working conditions for marginalized women in urban environments remain urgently needed, including shifts away from criminalized enforcement toward community-led initiatives and promoting access to safer indoor workspaces.
The Relationship between Learning Style Preferences and Memory Strategy use in Adults

ABSTRACT Deficits in working memory are pervasive, resistant to remediation and significantly impact a persons ability to perform activities of daily living. Internal strategies are effective for improving working memory. Learning style preferences may influence the use of various internal working memory strategies. This study compares the use of internal working memory strategies among four different learning style preferences; converger, diverger, assimilator and accommodator. A non-experimental group design was used to compare the use of internal working memory strategies and learning style preferences among 110 adults. There were some significant differences in the types of strategies used according to learning style preferences. Knowing the learning style preference of clients may help occupational therapists better tailor cognitive rehabilitation treatments to meet the client's needs.
Energy and Nutrient Intakes of Rural Nigerian Schoolchildren: Relationship With Dietary Diversity

Background: Undernutrition among schoolchildren is a prevalent public health problem which may be due to inadequate energy and nutrient intakes associated with low dietary diversity. Objective: This study assessed dietary diversity scores (DDS), energy and nutrient intakes of schoolchildren (6-15 years), and risks factors of DDS and determined if energy and nutrient intakes were dependent on dietary diversity. Methods: The study involved a 2-stage random sampling of 90 schoolchildren. Dietary diversity and nutrient intake data were obtained through a 3-day weighed food intake. Analysis of variance, t test, and χ2 with Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test were used to determine relationships among and between variables; P < . 05 was reported as significant. Results: Few (22.2%) had high DDS with no significant difference (P > .05) between age groups and sex. Children from male headed households were more likely to have medium DDS (odds ratio [OR] = 3.231; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.037-10.070) than those from female headed households (P < .05). Low nutrient intakes were observed among 85.6% for niacin, 76.7% for calcium, 72.2% for riboflavin, 54.4% for protein, 32.2% for thiamine, and 15.6% for vitamin C. Among boys, prevalence of inadequate riboflavin intake was significantly (P < .05) higher among 6- to 9-year-olds. Among girls, prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake was significantly (P < .01) higher among 10 to 15-year-olds. Children with adequate intakes of iron (OR = 0.744, 95% CI = 0.653-0.847) and thiamine (OR = 5.651, 95% CI = 1.214-26.310) were more likely to have high DDS. Conclusion: The schoolchildren had low energy and nutrient intakes. Iron and thiamine, intakes were dependent on DDS.
Diagnostic accuracy of a rapid RT-PCR assay for point-of-care detection of influenza A/B virus at emergency department admission: A prospective evaluation during the 2017/2018 influenza season

Study objective To investigate the performance of a rapid RT-PCR assay to detect influenza A/B at emergency department admission. Methods This single-center prospective study recruited adult patients attending the emergency department for influenza-like illness. Triage nurses performed nasopharyngeal swab samples and ran rapid RT-PCR assays using a dedicated device (cobas Liat, Roche Diagnostics, Meylan, France) located at triage. The same swab sample was also analyzed in the department of virology using conventional RT-PCR techniques. Patients were included 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of the rapid RT-PCR assay performed at triage. Results A total of 187 patients were included over 11 days in January 2018. Median age was 70 years (interquartile range 44 to 84) and 95 (51%) were male. Nine (5%) assays had to be repeated due to failure of the first assay. The sensitivity of the rapid RT-PCR assay performed at triage was 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91–1.00) and the specificity was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.94–1.00). A total of 92 (49%) assays were performed at night-time or during the weekend. The median time from patient entry to rapid RT-PCR assay results was 46 [interquartile range 36–55] minutes. Conclusion Rapid RT-PCR assay performed by nurses at triage to detect influenza A/B is feasible and highly accurate.
Rate-Compatible Root-Protograph LDPC Codes for Quasi-Static Fading Relay Channels

We investigate the protograph low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over quasi-static fading (QSF) relay channels with coded cooperation (CC) in this paper. A new construction method is proposed for designing the full-diversity rate-compatible root-protograph (RCRP) codes for such a relaying protocol. The asymptotic word error rate (WER) and bit error rate (BER) of the RCRP codes are analyzed by exploiting a new protograph extrinsic information transfer (PEXIT) algorithm. Furthermore, the expression of outage probability is also developed to characterize the error performance of RCRP codes. Both theoretical and simulated results suggest that the RCRP codes not only outperform the conventional regular rate-compatible protograph (RCP) codes in terms of error performance with code rates ranging from 0 to 1/2 but approach the outage limit as well.
A Systematic Review of Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy Practice and Education

Objective. To review literature pertaining to entrepreneurship in pharmacy practice, education, and the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) identified for pharmacist entrepreneurs. Findings. In terms of pharmacy practice, entrepreneurship was most frequently identified with innovation and creativity to develop new opportunities for pharmacists. The most frequent role for entrepreneurship in pharmacy education was related to schools putting a greater emphasis on innovation, creativity, or divergent thinking. Risk-taking and creativity/innovation were the most frequently identified KSAs, with 17 (63.0%) manuscripts mentioning these as important for a pharmacist entrepreneur. Other KSAs pertaining to pharmacy entrepreneurship that were mentioned in the articles included self-starter, management, proactivity, communication, strategic planning, positivity, decision-making, teamwork, versatility, marketing, critical thinking, competitiveness, proposal development, numeracy, technology, self-reflection, persistence, social responsibility, and cultural competence. Summary. No consensus for entrepreneurship in pharmacy practice or education currently exists. In order to improve instructional design and assessment for pharmacy entrepreneurship education, a core set of KSAs for a pharmacist entrepreneur construct must be identified. The most commonly cited KSAs in related literature that are not already part of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards include risk-taking, strategic planning, marketing, competitiveness, and social responsibility. These may serve as a starting point for enhancing pharmacy curricula to embrace pharmacist entrepreneurship.
Portfolio Selection with Small Transaction Costs and Binding Portfolio Constraints

An investor with constant relative risk aversion and an infinite planning horizon trades a risky and a safe asset with constant investment opportunities, in the presence of small transaction costs and a binding exogenous portfolio constraint. We explicitly derive the optimal trading policy, its welfare, and implied trading volume. As an application, we study the problem of selecting a prime broker among alternatives with different lending rates and margin requirements. Moreover, we discuss how changing regulatory constraints affect the deposit rates offered for illiquid loans.