Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates and the Development of Eczema Phenotypes in Male Children: Results from the EDEN Mother–Child Cohort Study

Background: Contradictory results exist regarding the importance of early-life exposure to phthalates for development of childhood eczema. Objectives: We evaluated the association between maternal urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites between the 24th and 28th week of gestation and occurrence of eczema in their sons up to 5 y of age, according to allergic sensitization as assessed by total immunoglobulin E (IgE) in a subsample of individuals. Methods: Data on health outcomes and background factors were collected using five standardized annual questionnaires completed by parents at the children’s ages of 1–5 y, and their associations with phthalate metabolite urinary concentrations were assessed in 604 mother–son pairs with adjusted multiple logistic regression and Cox’s survival model. Several eczema phenotypes were considered. Atopic status was assessed at 5 y of age in 293 boys through total IgE assessment. Results: At 5 y of age, the prevalence of ever eczema was 30.4%. Metabolites of di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) were positively associated with early-onset (0–24 mo of age) eczema (15.7%) and late-onset (24–60 mo of age) eczema (14.7%). Applying the Cox’s model showed a significant association of occurrence of eczema in the first 5 y of life with DiBP and DiNP metabolites. Among IgE-sensitized boys, metabolites of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and DiBP were significantly associated with ever eczema {hazard ratio (HR)=1.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 2.54], p=0.01 and HR=1.87 (95% CI: 1.01, 3.48), p=0.04, respectively}. Conclusions: Occurrence of eczema in early childhood may be influenced by prenatal exposure to certain phthalates in boys. Further investigations are needed to confirm this observation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1829
The voluntary driven exoskeleton Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) for postoperative training of thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a case report

Context: The hybrid assistive limb (HAL) is a wearable robot suit that assists in voluntary control of knee and hip joint motion by detecting bioelectric signals on the surface of the skin with high sensitivity. HAL has been reported to be effective for functional recovery in motor impairments. However, few reports have revealed the utility of HAL for patients who have undergone surgery for thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (thoracic OPLL). Herein, we present a postoperative thoracic OPLL patient who showed remarkable functional recovery after training with HAL. Findings: A 63-year-old woman, who could not walk due to muscle weakness before surgery, underwent posterior decompression and fusion. Paralysis was re-aggravated after the initial postoperative rising. We diagnosed that paralysis was due to residual compression from the anterior lesion and microinstability after posterior fixation, and prescribed bed rest for a further 3 weeks. The incomplete paralysis gradually recovered, and walking training with HAL was started on postoperative day 44 in addition to standard physical therapy. The patient underwent 10 sessions of HAL training until discharge on postoperative day 73. Results of a 10-m walk test were assessed after every session, and the patient's speed and cadence markedly improved. At discharge, the patient could walk with 2 crutches and no assistance. Furthermore, no adverse events associated with HAL training occurred. Conclusion: HAL training for postoperative thoracic OPLL patients may enhance improvement in walking ability, even if severe impairment of ambulation and muscle weakness exist preoperatively.
Altered expression of PPAR-γ and TRPC in neonatal rats with persistent pulmonary hypertension

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a life-threatening disease that is commonly observed in the neonatal intensive care unit. PPHN is pathologically characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling and, in particular, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation. Decreased expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), which is a member of the nuclear receptor hormone superfamily, in combination with elevated expressions of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 1 (TRPC1) and TRPC6 contributes to the PASMC proliferation and excessive pulmonary vascular remodeling in adult pulmonary hypertension (PH). Whether PPAR-γ, TRPC1 and TRPC6 affect the development of vascular remodeling in PPHN model rats remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of PPAR-γ, TRPC1 and TRP6 on the pathogenesis of PPHN in rats. The rat model of PPHN was established by exposure to hypoxic conditions and indomethacin treatment. Lung tissues, hearts and blood from PPHN model and Control rats were collected and examined. Parameters, including the percentage of medial wall thickness (WT %), the percentage of medial wall area (WA %), right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and the plasma concentration of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were used to estimate the development of PPHN. The expression levels of PPAR-γ, TRPC1 and TRPC6 in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Significant increases were observed in the WT %, WA %, RVH and plasma BNP in the PPHN group compare with the Control group (P<0.01). In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPAR-γ were markedly downregulated (P<0.05 vs. Control). In the PPHN group, the protein expression levels of TRPC1 and TRPC6 were higher compared to the control group; however, there was no difference in the mRNA expression levels (P>0.05). In conclusion, the present study successfully established a PPHN rat model, and the altered expressions of PPAR-γ, TRPC1 and TRPC6 in the pulmonary artery located in the lungs of newborn rats with PPHN suggested that these proteins may be important mediators of PPHN.
A Review on Milkweed Fiber Properties as a High-Potential Raw Material in Textile Applications

Importance of solving the environmental pollution has attracted lots of designers and engineers’ attentions towards finding different available solutions such as substituting polymer-based raw materials with the natural ones. Thus, significant efforts applied by the researchers are generally involved to find new recourses of natural fibers instead of using the petroleum-based synthetic fibers. Among the variety of newly known natural resources, Milkweed is categorized as a versatile substitutive fiber with numerous unique properties which are mainly attributed to their hollowness structures. The presence of hollow channel along the fiber length is responsible for their lightweight and good insulation properties. Because of the fibers’ ecological and chemical benefits, numerous technical application fields could be considered for the eco-friendly and non-allergenic textiles made of Milkweed fibers especially in production of medical goods. Since morphological aspects as well as physical and mechanical properties of the Milkweed fibers significantly affect their functional behavior during their end uses, here in this review paper it is aimed to summarize all the available information regarding the fibers’ characteristics and properties. Having fundamental knowledge about the spin-ability of Milkweed fibers as well as finding the optimized process condition for their carding operation is considered to be the important points for obtaining such applicable textile products with desired properties.
The Diagnosis of Nongonococcal Urethritis in Men: Can There Be a Universal Standard?

Four years ago, we published an article in this journal reporting the results of an evaluation of more than 13,000 Gram-stained smears from men presenting with urethral discharge at the Denver Metro Health Clinic. Our findings provided a rationale to lower the traditional threshold at which treatment for nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is given, from ≥5 to ≥2 polymorhonuclear cells per high-power field (PMNs/HPF) in the absence of intracellular diplococci. We arrived at this conclusion because the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis at this threshold (16.2%) was similar to or higher compared with prevalence in circumstances where treatment is currently recommended, for example, male partners of women diagnosed as having pelvic inflammatory disease (13.4%) or mucopurulent cervicitis (8.7%). Our findings added to the evidence from other studies that the traditional Gram stain threshold of at least 5 PMNs/HPF missed substantial proportions of both C. trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium infections among men presenting with urethritis symptoms. Subsequently, after review of the available literature on this topic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included the threshold of at ≥2 PMNs/HPF in their 2015 sexually transmitted diseases (STD) treatment guidelines. In our article, we recognized the limitations of a single-site study and encouraged other STD clinics to validate our results, including clinics where clinicians both collect specimens and perform microscopy. One such study, very nicely conducted and described by Moi et al. is published in this issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and, at first blush, seems to be at odds with ours. Specifically, the study found low chlamydia prevalence rates at Loeffler's methylene blue (LMB) stain levels <10 PMNs/HPF and recommends against decreasing the treatment cutoff below this level. We want to acknowledge that Moi et al. graciously sent us an earlier draft of their manuscript for our review. We provided feedback and suggested they submit the manuscript to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (disclosure: we recused ourselves from the review process after the manuscript was submitted). Many of our comments and suggestions have been addressed by the authors in the current version; however, we want to make a few points in this editorial in an attempt to reconcile the 2 articles. First, there is an important point on which both studies agree. In contrast to gonococcal urethritis where most men are symptomatic and have Gram/LMB stain results >10 PMNs/HPF,
A Naturalistic Assessment of the Organization of Children's Memories Predicts Cognitive Functioning and Reading Ability

To explore the relationship between memory and early school performance, we used graph theory to investigate memory reports from 76 children aged 6–8 years. The reports comprised autobiographical memories of events days to years past, and memories of novel images reported immediately after encoding. We also measured intelligence quotient (IQ) and theory of mind (ToM). Reading and Mathematics were assessed before classes began (December 2013), around the time of report collection (June 2014), and at the end of the academic year (December 2014). IQ and ToM correlated positively with word diversity and word-to-word connectivity, and negatively with word recurrence. Connectivity correlated positively with Reading in June 2014 as well as December 2014, even after adjusting for IQ and ToM. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a link between the structure of children’s memories and their cognitive or academic performance.
The silver lining: towards the responsible and limited usage of silver

Silver has attracted a lot of attention as a powerful, broad spectrum and natural antimicrobial agent since the ancient times because of its nontoxic nature to the human body at low concentrations. It has been used in treatment of various infections and ulcers, storage of water and prevention of bacterial growth on the surfaces and within materials. However, there are numerous medical and health benefits of colloidal or nanosilver apart from its microbicidal ability which as yet has not been fully embraced by the medical community. These include antiplatelet activity, antioxidant effect, anticancer activity, wound healing and bone regeneration, enhancement of immunity, and increase in antibiotic efficiency. Additionally silver also provides protection against alcohol toxicity, upper respiratory tract infections and stomach ailments. Although nanosilver has been proposed for various topical applications, its usage by ingestion and inhalation remains controversial due to the lack of detailed and precise toxicity information. These beneficial properties of silver can be utilized by using silver at very low concentrations which are not harmful to the human body and environment. The following review discusses the diverse medical applications of silver and further recommends human clinical studies for its in vivo usage.
Expression of Glutamate Transporters in Mouse Liver, Kidney, and Intestine

Glutamate transport activities have been identified not only in the brain, but also in the liver, kidney, and intestine. Although glutamate transporter distributions in the central nervous system are fairly well known, there are still uncertainties with respect to the distribution of these transporters in peripheral organs. Quantitative information is mostly lacking, and few of the studies have included genetically modified animals as specificity controls. The present study provides validated qualitative and semi-quantitative data on the excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT)1–3 subtypes in the mouse liver, kidney, and intestine. In agreement with the current view, we found high EAAT3 protein levels in the brush borders of both the distal small intestine and the renal proximal tubules. Neither EAAT1 nor EAAT2 was detected at significant levels in murine kidney or intestine. In contrast, the liver only expressed EAAT2 (but 2 C-terminal splice variants). EAAT2 was detected in the plasma membranes of perivenous hepatocytes. These cells also expressed glutamine synthetase. Conditional deletion of hepatic EAAT2 did neither lead to overt neurological disturbances nor development of fatty liver.
The spatiotemporal characteristics of influenza A and B in the WHO European Region: can one define influenza transmission zones in Europe?

We aimed to assess the epidemiology and spatiotemporal patterns of influenza in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region and evaluate the validity of partitioning the Region into five influenza transmission zones (ITZs) as proposed by the WHO. We used the FluNet database and included over 650,000 influenza cases from 2000 to 2015. We analysed the data by country and season (from July to the following June). We calculated the median proportion of cases caused by each virus type in a season, compared the timing of the primary peak between countries and used a range of cluster analysis methods to assess the degree of overlap between the WHO-defined and data-driven ITZs. Influenza A and B caused, respectively, a median of 83% and 17% cases in a season. There was a significant west-to-east and non-significant (p = 0.10) south-to-north gradient in the timing of influenza activity. Typically, influenza peaked in February and March; influenza A earlier than influenza B. Most countries in the WHO European Region would fit into two ITZs: ‘Western Europe’ and ‘Eastern Europe’; countries bordering Asia may be better placed into extra-European ITZs. Our findings have implications for the presentation of surveillance data and prevention and control measures in this large WHO Region.
The association between body-built and injury occurrence in pre-professional ballet dancers - Separated analysis for the injured body-locations.

OBJECTIVES This study has aimed at identifying prevalence of injury-occurrence in 24 pre-professional-ballet-dancers (females, 16-18 years of age), and identifying the associations between the body-built and prevalence of injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS The sample of variables included: body mass, body height, and 3 somatotype characteristics (mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph) and data on injuries over the preceding year. RESULTS Dancers were mostly ectomorphic-mesomorph (endomorphy: 2.6±0.54, mesomorphy: 3.99±0.77, ectomorphy: 3.23±0.54). The most commonly injured locations were the foot (17% of all injuries) and ankle (17%). Majority of the injuries occurred while practising but 37% of hip-injuries occurred while performing. Ankle-injuries resulted in longest absence from ballet. Endomorphy was related to ankle-injury (odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-2.3), ectomorphy to foot injury (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9), and body-mass to injury to the toes (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.4-3.1). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study allow for recognizing those dancers who are particularly vulnerable to injuries of certain body location. A more profound analysis of the possible mechanisms that lead to hip-injury during performance is needed. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):151-159.
Learning-by-Doing and Cannibalization Effects at Multi-Vintage Firms: Evidence from the Semiconductor Industry

Abstract Previous studies on the measurement of learning-by-doing emphasize the importance of accounting for multi-vintage effects having an impact on firms' production costs through economies of scope. This study shows that accounting for cannibalization effects on the demand side is equally important for the adequate measurement of learning. Since multi-vintage firms anticipate the demand-side cannibalization effects in their production optimization, a previously omitted incentive to decrease production is captured having an impact on the measurement of learning by doing. We derive an empirical model from a dynamic oligopoly game of learning-by-doing and allow cannibalization effects to enter from the demand side. Using quarterly firm-level data for the dynamic random access memory semiconductor industry, we find support for cannibalization effects entering firms' pricing relations resulting in higher estimated learning effects.
How evolution learns to generalise: Using the principles of learning theory to understand the evolution of developmental organisation

One of the most intriguing questions in evolution is how organisms exhibit suitable phenotypic variation to rapidly adapt in novel selective environments. Such variability is crucial for evolvability, but poorly understood. In particular, how can natural selection favour developmental organisations that facilitate adaptive evolution in previously unseen environments? Such a capacity suggests foresight that is incompatible with the short-sighted concept of natural selection. A potential resolution is provided by the idea that evolution may discover and exploit information not only about the particular phenotypes selected in the past, but their underlying structural regularities: new phenotypes, with the same underlying regularities, but novel particulars, may then be useful in new environments. If true, we still need to understand the conditions in which natural selection will discover such deep regularities rather than exploiting ‘quick fixes’ (i.e., fixes that provide adaptive phenotypes in the short term, but limit future evolvability). Here we argue that the ability of evolution to discover such regularities is formally analogous to learning principles, familiar in humans and machines, that enable generalisation from past experience. Conversely, natural selection that fails to enhance evolvability is directly analogous to the learning problem of over-fitting and the subsequent failure to generalise. We support the conclusion that evolving systems and learning systems are different instantiations of the same algorithmic principles by showing that existing results from the learning domain can be transferred to the evolution domain. Specifically, we show that conditions that alleviate over-fitting in learning systems successfully predict which biological conditions (e.g., environmental variation, regularity, noise or a pressure for developmental simplicity) enhance evolvability. This equivalence provides access to a well-developed theoretical framework from learning theory that enables a characterisation of the general conditions for the evolution of evolvability.
Plant defence induced by PGPR against Spodoptera litura in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

The research conducted including its rationale: Spodoptera litura is the major pest of tomato causing significant reduction in tomato yield. Application of Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) prevent use of chemical fertilizer and synthetic pesticides through enhancement of plant growth and yield and induction of systemic resistance. Present investigation is an attempt to evaluate the role of PGPR, Pseudomonas putida and Rothia sp. on the physiology and yield of tomato fruit infested with the S. litura. Central methods applied: The surface sterilized seeds of tomato were inoculated with 48 h culture of P. putida and Rothia sp. At 6-7 branching stage of the plant, the larvae of S. litura at 2nd in star was used to infect the tomato plant leaves. KEY RESULTS The S. litura infestation decreased dry weight of shoots and roots by 46% and 22%, and significant reduction was recorded in tomato fruit yield. The P. putida and Rothia sp. inoculations alleviated the adverse effects of insect infestation and resulted in 60% increase in plant biomass and 40% increase in yield over infested plants. Main conclusions including key points of discussion: PGPR: Defense appears to be mediated via increase in proline production, enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes, stimulation in the activities of protease and polyphenol oxidases, increased contents of phenolics, protein and chlorophyll. The formulation of biopesticide involving PGPR comprise an environment friendly and sustainable approach to overcome insect infestation.
A cohort study of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy

Aims Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established procedure for patients with heart failure. However, trials evaluating its efficacy did not include patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC). We aimed to assess the role of CRT in a cohort of patients with CCC. Methods and results This retrospective study compared the outcomes of CCC patients who underwent CRT with those of dilated (DCM) and ischaemic cardiomyopathies (ICM). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality and the secondary endpoints were the rate of non-advanced New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 12 months after CRT and echocardiographic changes evaluated at least 6 months after CRT. There were 115 patients in the CCC group, 177 with DCM, and 134 with ICM. The annual mortality rates were 25.4%, 10.4%, and 11.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis adjusted for potential confounders showed that the CCC group had a two-fold [hazard ratio 2.34 (1.47-3.71), P < 0.001] higher risk of death compared to the DCM group. The rate of non-advanced NYHA class 12 months after CRT was significantly higher in non-CCC groups than in the CCC group (DCM 74.0% vs. ICM 73.9% vs. 56.5%, P < 0.001). Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy and ICM patients had no improvement in the echocardiographic evaluation, but patients in the DCM group had an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction and a decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter. Conclusion This study showed that CCC patients submitted to CRT have worse prognosis compared to patients with DCM and ICM who undergo CRT. Studies comparing CCC patients with and without CRT are warranted.