Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction: expanding the paradigm.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) who reach the hospital alive. Its incidence has remained constant for 20 years.1,2 Rapidly re-establishing infarct-related artery (IRA) blood flow is essential in the management of patients with shock due to right ventricular or left ventricular (LV) failure. A strategy of early revascularization is superior to initial aggressive medical therapy.3–5 Despite the advantages of early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), once shock is diagnosed, the mortality rate remains high (≈50%) despite intervention, and half of the deaths occur within the first 48 hours.6–8 This may be caused by irreversible extensive myocardial or vital-organ damage. New evidence suggests, however, that a systemic inflammatory response, complement activation, release of inflammatory cytokines, expression of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS), and inappropriate vasodilation may play an important role not only in the genesis of shock but also in outcome after shock. New insights and therapies are needed. The underlying pathophysiology of CS is profound depression of myocardial contractility, resulting in a vicious spiral of reduced cardiac output (CO), low blood pressure, further coronary insufficiency, and further reduction in contractility and CO. The classic paradigm predicts that compensatory systemic vasoconstriction with high systemic vascular resistance (SVR) should occur in response to the depression of CO (Figure 1). 9 Figure 1. Classic shock paradigm, as illustrated by S. Hollenberg, is shown in black. The influence of the inflammatory response syndrome initiated by a large MI is illustrated in red. LVEDP indicates left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Reprinted with permission from Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine . 9 Autopsy studies have shown that the pathological basis of CS is extensive MI. Varying pathological stages of infarction confirm the stuttering and progressive …
Phylogeography of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, as revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences

In a phylogeographical survey of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, DNA sequence variation along an 887‐bp segment of the cytochrome b gene was examined in 96 specimens from 86 localities covering the distribution range of the species. In addition, parts of the 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes from 12 selected specimens as representatives of more divergent cytochrome b haploclades were sequenced (together about 950 bp). Six phylogeographical main groups were found, three representing samples of the nominate subspecies Podarcis sicula sicula and closely related subspecies and the other three comprising Podarcis sicula campestris as well as all subspecies described from northern and eastern Adriatic islands. In southern Italy a population group with morphological characters of P. s. sicula but with the mitochondrial DNA features of P. s. campestris was detected indicating a probably recent hybridization zone. The present distribution patterns were interpreted as the consequence of natural events like retreats to glacial refuges and postglacial area expansions, but also as the results of multiple introductions by man.
Glucose Significantly Enhances Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Adherence to Intestinal Epithelial Cells through Its Effects on Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Production

The present study tested whether exposure of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) to glucose at different concentrations in the media results in increased bacterial adherence to host cells through increased heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) production, thereby suggesting the effects are physiological. Porcine-origin ETEC strains grown in Casamino acid yeast extract medium containing different concentrations of glucose were washed and inoculated onto IPEC-J2 porcine intestinal epithelial cells to test for effects on adherence and host cell cAMP concentrations. Consistent with previous studies, all LT+ strains had higher ETEC adherence to IPEC-J2 cells than did LT− strains. Adherence of the LT− but not the LT+ strains was increased by pre-incubating the IPEC-J2 cells with LT and decreased by co-incubation with GM1 ganglioside in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). To determine whether the glucose concentration of the cell culture media has an effect on adherence, IPEC-J2 cells were inoculated with LT+ or LT− strains in cell culture media containing a final glucose concentration of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0%, and incubated for 4 h. Only media containing 0.25% glucose resulted in increased adherence and cAMP levels, and this was limited to IPEC-J2 cells inoculated with LT+ strains. This study supports the hypothesis that glucose, at a concentration optimal for LT expression, enhances bacterial adherence through the promotion of LT production. Hence, these results establish the physiological relevance of the effects of glucose on LT production and provide a basis for how glucose intake may influence the severity of ETEC infection.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION NI-BASE SINGLE CRYSTAL SUPERALLOYS

Based on a fourth generation single crystal (SC) superalloy, TMS-138, we designed new SC alloys that contain higher amount of refractory elements, Nb, Ta, Mo, or Re, for strengthening. The Ru content was also increased to improve the phase stability. The creep strength and microstructure of these alloys were examined and compared with those of the base alloy TMS-138 and a third generation SC superalloy, CMSX-10K. As predicted by our alloy design program, TMS-162 (Mo and Ru addition) and TMS-173 (Re and Ru addition) exhibited excellent creep properties. Their times to 1% creep deformation at 1100qC/137MPa were about 2.5 times as long as that of TMS-138 and 5 times as long as that of CMSX-10K. The temperature capability of TMS-162 has reached a project target of 1100qC under stress at 137MPa and a creep rupture life as long as 1000 h, which is the highest ever reported.
Ad hoc networking with directional antennas: a complete system solution

Directional antennas offer tremendous potential for improving the performance of ad hoc networks. Harnessing this potential, however, requires new mechanisms at the medium access and network layers for intelligently and adaptively exploiting the antenna system. While recent years have seen a surge of research into such mechanisms, the problem of developing a complete ad hoc networking system, including the unique challenge of real-life prototype development and experimentation has not been addressed. In this paper, we present utilizing directional antennas for ad hoc networking (UDAAN). UDAAN is an interacting suite of modular network- and medium access control (MAC)-layer mechanisms for adaptive control of steered or switched antenna systems in an ad hoc network. UDAAN consists of several new mechanisms-a directional power-controlled MAC, neighbor discovery with beamforming, link characterization for directional antennas, proactive routing and forwarding-all working cohesively to provide the first complete systems solution. We also describe the development of a real-life ad hoc network testbed using UDAAN with switched directional antennas, and we discuss the lessons learned during field trials. High fidelity simulation results, using the same networking code as in the prototype, are also presented both for a specific scenario and using random mobility models. For the range of parameters studied, our results show that UDAAN can produce a very significant improvement in throughput over omnidirectional communications.
Analysis of Group B Streptococcal Isolates from Infants and Pregnant Women in Portugal Revealing Two Lineages with Enhanced Invasiveness

ABSTRACT The populations of group B streptococcus (GBS) associated with vaginal carriage in pregnant women and invasive neonatal infections in Portugal were compared. GBS isolates were characterized by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiling, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Serotypes III and V accounted for 44% of all colonization isolates (n = 269), whereas serotypes III and Ia amounted to 69% of all invasive isolates (n = 64). Whereas serotype Ia was associated with early-onset disease (EOD), serotype III was associated with late-onset disease (LOD). Characterization by PFGE and MLST identified very diverse populations in carriage and invasive disease. Serotype Ia was represented mainly by a single PFGE cluster defined by sequence type 23 (ST23) and the infrequent ST24. In contrast, serotype III was found in a large number of PFGE clusters and STs, but a single PFGE cluster defined by ST17 was found to be associated with invasive disease. Although serotype III was associated only with LOD, ST17 showed an enhanced capacity to cause both EOD and LOD. Our data reinforce the evidence for enhanced invasiveness of ST17 and identify a lineage expressing serotype Ia capsule and represented by ST23 and ST24 as having enhanced potential to cause EOD.
BioMot exoskeleton — Towards a smart wearable robot for symbiotic human-robot interaction

This paper presents design of a novel modular lower-limb gait exoskeleton built within the FP7 BioMot project. Exoskeleton employs a variable stiffness actuator in all 6 joints, a directional-flexibility structure and a novel physical humanrobot interfacing, which allows it to deliver the required output while minimally constraining user's gait by providing passive degrees of freedom. Due to modularity, the exoskeleton can be used as a full lower-limb orthosis, a single-joint orthosis in any of the three joints, and a two-joint orthosis in a combination of any of the two joints. By employing a simple torque control strategy, the exoskeleton can be used to deliver user-specific assistance, both in gait rehabilitation and in assisting people suffering musculoskeletal impairments. The result of the presented BioMot efforts is a low-footprint exoskeleton with powerful compliant actuators, simple, yet effective torque controller and easily adjustable flexible structure.
Sex and the development of Alzheimer's disease

Men and women exhibit differences in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The factors underlying the sex differences in AD are not well understood. This Review emphasizes the contributions of sex steroid hormones to the relationship between sex and AD. In women, events that decrease lifetime exposure to estrogens are generally associated with increased AD risk, whereas estrogen‐based hormone therapy administered near the time of menopause may reduce AD risk. In men, estrogens do not exhibit age‐related reduction and are not significantly associated with AD risk. Rather, normal age‐related depletions of testosterone in plasma and brain predict enhanced vulnerability to AD. Both estrogens and androgens exert numerous protective actions in the adult brain that increase neural functioning and resilience as well as specifically attenuating multiple aspects of AD‐related neuropathology. Aging diminishes the activational effects of sex hormones in sex‐specific manners, which is hypothesized to contribute to the relationship between aging and AD. Sex steroid hormones may also drive sex differences in AD through their organizational effects during developmental sexual differentiation of the brain. Specifically, sex hormone actions during early development may confer inherent vulnerability of the female brain to development of AD in advanced age. The combined effects of organizational and activational effects of sex steroids yield distinct sex differences in AD pathogenesis, a significant variable that must be more rigorously considered in future research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reduced heart rate variability in remitted bipolar disorder and recurrent depression

Objective: There is evidence that mood disorders are associated with impaired parasympathetic nervous system function and consequently increased morbidity and mortality. Our study addresses whether this impairment persists into remission in unipolar and bipolar disorders. Methods: Heart Rate Variability was measured in groups of subjects during remission, with Bipolar Affective Disorder I (n = 29), recurrent Major Depressive Disorder (n = 41) and a healthy control group (n = 38), during the bedtime period. Results: Heart Rate Variability was found to be lower in the bipolar and depression groups, compared with control subjects, using the Root Mean Square of Successive Distances variable, and lower in the depression group using the Standard Deviation of Normal to Normal variable and the Standard Deviation, Poincare Plot variable. Conclusion: Autonomic function during bedtime was impaired in subjects with Bipolar I and recurrent Major Depressive Disorder, despite clinical remission. This has significant implications for the morbidity and mortality of patients with major mood disorders.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection in Dromedary Camels in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is proposed to be a zoonotic disease; however, the reservoir and mechanism for transmission of the causative agent, the MERS coronavirus, are unknown. Dromedary camels have been implicated through reports that some victims have been exposed to camels, camels in areas where the disease has emerged have antibodies to the virus, and viral sequences have been recovered from camels in association with outbreaks of the disease among humans. Nonetheless, whether camels mediate transmission to humans is unresolved. Here we provide evidence from a geographic and temporal survey of camels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that MERS coronaviruses have been circulating in camels since at least 1992, are distributed countrywide, and can be phylogenetically classified into clades that correlate with outbreaks of the disease among humans. We found no evidence of infection in domestic sheep or domestic goats. IMPORTANCE This study was undertaken to determine the historical and current prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infection in dromedary camels and other livestock in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the index case and the majority of cases of MERS have been reported. This study was undertaken to determine the historical and current prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infection in dromedary camels and other livestock in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the index case and the majority of cases of MERS have been reported.
Plasticity of the Dorsal “Spatial” Stream in Visually Deprived Individuals

Studies on visually deprived individuals provide one of the most striking demonstrations that the brain is highly plastic and is able to rewire as a function of the sensory input it receives from the environment. In the current paper, we focus on spatial abilities that are typically related to the dorsal visual pathway (i.e., spatial/motion processing). Bringing together evidence from cataract-reversal individuals, early- and late-blind individuals and sight-recovery cases of long-standing blindness, we suggest that the dorsal “spatial” pathway is mostly plastic early in life and is then more resistant to subsequent experience once it is set, highlighting some limits of neuroplasticity.
The influence of sex hormones on neuromuscular function and premenstrual symptoms

The menstrual cycle with fluctuation in female sex hormones has been suggested to influence neuromuscular function. However, variation in ligament laxity, soft tissue stiffness, and skeletal muscle strength across the menstrual cycle has led to conflicting results. Furthermore, premenstrual symptoms (PMS) have been suggested to have a negative impact on neuromuscular performance and contribute to the risk of musculoskeletal injury in physically active women. On the other hand, the use of oral contraceptives (OCs) might protect from injury. The mechanisms of the influence of sex hormones on neuromuscular function and PMS are not fully understood. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the effect of endogenous sex hormones and OCs on muscle strength, postural control, and PMS in healthy women with moderate physical activity. A further aim was to explore the expression of sex hormone receptors in skeletal muscle during three well-defined phases of the menstrual cycle. Postural control was measured during the active and hormone-free phase of OC treatment in physically active women with or without PMS as evaluated by prospective symptom rating. In the same cohort of women, muscle strength and hop performance were measured during one OC cycle and one normal menstrual cycle at three specific phases, using a cross-over design. Furthermore, changes in PMS in the same women starting to use or discontinuing the use of OCs were evaluated. In another cohort of healthy women, muscle biopsies were collected from the musculus vastus lateralis in the follicular phase, the ovulatory phase, and the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle for determination of mRNA and protein levels of sex steroid hormone receptors. Women with PMS displayed a significant change in postural control (greater displacement area) during the active OC phase compared to the withdrawal phase of OC treatment, whereas women without such symptoms showed no variation in postural control during OC treatment. Muscle strength and hop performance did not vary during the different phases of the normal menstrual cycle, or during OC treatment. In women with PMS, OC treatment decreased ratings of premenstrual somatic symptoms, but not of negative mood symptoms. Gene and protein levels of estrogen receptor alpha and the progesterone receptor varied significantly during the three hormonally confirmed phases of the normal menstrual cycle. The results of this thesis indicate that PMS influences postural control and OC treatment decreases PMS of somatic type. Furthermore, muscle strength and hop performance are not influenced by endogenous and exogenous sex hormones. The variation in expression of sex hormone receptors in skeletal muscle may have an impact on the effects of muscular training and sports injuries in women.
IPD—the Immuno Polymorphism Database

The Immuno Polymorphism Database (IPD), http://www.ebi. ac.uk/ipd/ is a set of specialist databases related to the study of polymorphic genes in the immune system. The IPD project works with specialist groups or nomenclature committees who provide and curate individual sections before they are submitted to IPD for online publication. The IPD project stores all the data in a set of related databases. IPD currently consists of four databases: IPD-KIR, contains the allelic sequences of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors, IPD-MHC, a database of sequences of the major histocompatibility complex of different species; IPD-HPA, alloantigens expressed only on platelets; and IPD-ESTDAB, which provides access to the European Searchable Tumour Cell-Line Database, a cell bank of immunologically characterized melanoma cell lines. The data is currently available online from the website and FTP directory. This article describes the latest updates and additional tools added to the IPD project.
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans presenting in infancy and childhood

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a not uncommon low‐grade cutaneous sarcoma of uncertain histogenesis, which typically arises in early to middle adult life. Traditionally, it is regarded as extremely uncommon in infants and children, and this diagnosis may therefore easily be overlooked in young patients. Eight such cases (representing 5.9% of the available DFSPs on file) are presented of which two were congenital. Age range at presentation was 14 months to 12 years. Five arose on the trunk. Most had originally been mistaken for unclassified sarcoma, a fibromatosis, or diffuse neurofibroma. The histologic features were entirely comparable to the more usual adult cases except that all had a plaque‐like, rather than nodular, growth pattern. Short‐term follow up has revealed no recurrences. DFSP is not so rare in childhood and warrants wider recognition in order to ensure appropriate treatment.
Testing geographical pathways of speciation in a recent island radiation

Determining the mode, or geographical context, of speciation is a critical first step to understanding the evolutionary mechanisms that cause new species to arise. In this study, we estimated phylogenetic relationships in the cerasina species group of the Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) to test competing phylogeographical hypotheses and thus infer the mode of speciation. A previous phylogenetic result based on nuclear sequence data suggested that populations of L. cerasina on the Big Island of Hawaii are the result of two independent colonizations from Maui, implying parallel speciation and convergent song evolution, and contradicting systematic hypotheses based on behavioural and morphological data. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms to investigate further the relationships among species and populations in the cerasina species group. Results of these analyses provide a robust estimate of phylogenetic relationships and support the phylogeographical history indicated by behavioural and morphological data.
Development of 2A peptide-based strategies in the design of multicistronic vectors

As science progresses in its understanding of diseases and their treatment, advances have been made in the biotechnology used in disease therapy. Most gene therapy approaches utilise viral vectors to deliver genes of interest. However, multiple proteins are often involved in disease processes and there is often a need to efficiently deliver more than one gene. Researchers have employed several strategies to accomplish this goal. When designing vectors to express multiple genes, there are several factors that need to be taken into account, including cell type, the activity of the protein of interest and s-ubcellular protein localisation. In most cases, it is ideal for each protein to be expressed at comparable levels, a leading issue with traditional strategies for multigene expression. This review describes some of the techniques that have been used to express multiple genes, and will focus on the use of 2A peptides or 2A peptide-like sequences in the design of multicistronic v-ectors that may alleviate some of these issues.
Potential Species and Character of Wild Diesel Plant in Tianjin

In order to reveal the potentials of unknown and lessknown herbaceous wild plant (potential diesel plant) from saline-alkali wasteland for development biodiesel production, seed and plant samples from 33 species were collected and plant oil content, seed oil content, seed yield per plants and saline-alkali tolerance of the plants were analyzed. The result show that oil content in plants ranged from 1.31-15.01%. Euphorbia heyneana (15.01%) had the highest oil content followed by Ricinus communis (13.9%), Cirsium setosum (12.5%), Euphorbia nutans (11.02%), Cirsiu japonicum (9.27%). About fifty percent species were found have more seed oil content within the range of 21 to 48.5%. Maximum of 48.5% was observed in one wild species of Ricinus communis followed by Euphorbia esula (34.2%), Euphorbia nutans (29.3%), Xanthium sibiricum (28.5%), Euphorbia humifusa (28.1%), Euphorbia heyneana (24.1%), Capsella bursa-pastoris (24%), Suaeda glauca (23.6%), Artemisia argyi (23.5%), Lepidium apetalum (23%). Highest level of seed field per plant was observed in Ricinus communis, Glycine soja and the higher level of seed field was in Humulus scandens, Sonchus oleraceus, Gynura crepidioides, Artemisia argyi, Abutilon theophrasti, Cirsiu japonicum, Inula japonica, Comnyza canadensis. 14 species grew in moderate saline-alkali soil and only one species (Suaeda glauca) was in severe saline-alkali soil. Comprehensive analysis show that most potential herbaceous diesel plants are Ricinus communis, Euphorbia esula, Glycine soja, Gynura crepidioides, Cirsiu japonicum and Artemisia argyi, based on 4 values of oil content in plants, and seed, seed yield per plants and saline-alkali tolerance.