Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Further evidence of the association between periodontal conditions and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that chronic infections, such as periodontal diseases, could play a role in the initiation and development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study was intended to test for a possible association between presence and severity of periodontitis and coronary artery disease in a Belgian population. METHODS A total of 108 CAD patients (mean age 59.2 +/- 11 years) and 62 presumably healthy controls (mean age 57.7 +/- 9 years) were enrolled in the study. Probing depth, periodontal pocket bleeding index (PPBI), plaque index, furcation involvements, and tooth mobility were evaluated to compare periodontal health in both groups. The subjects were also ranked according to a novel index of periodontitis severity, the periodontal index for risk of infectiousness (PIRI), aimed at quantifying the risk of release of proinflammatory mediators from the periodontal sites. RESULTS Periodontitis was significantly more frequent in CAD patients than in controls (CAD patients: 91%; controls: 66%). The mean number of pockets was 18 +/- 17.1 in cardiac patients versus 7.6 +/- 12.7 in controls (P < 0.0001), despite the fact that the mean number of missing teeth was significantly greater in cases than in controls (14 +/- 7.1 versus 9 +/- 5.2; P < 0.0001). Furthermore, proportions of mobile teeth, bleeding sites, periodontal pockets, and involved furcations were significantly higher in CAD patients than in controls. In addition, the extent of the periodontal disease present was also greater in cases than in controls. A logistic model, adjusted for known cardiovascular risk factors, showed a strong association between CAD and periodontitis (odds ratio [OR] = 6.5). Moreover, there was a significant dose-response relationship between increasing scores of the periodontal risk of infectiousness and the presence of CAD (adjusted OR = 1.3 per PIRI unit). CONCLUSION In the present study, periodontitis was revealed to be a significant risk factor for CAD after adjusting for other confounding factors, with the level of association increasing with the individual extent of the periodontal lesions.
A rare case of eight multiple primary malignant neoplasms in a female patient: A case report and review of the literature

In recent years, the number of patients exhibiting multiple primary malignant neoplasms has been increasing. The current study reports the rare case of a 61-year-old Chinese female with eight histopathologically confirmed primary malignant neoplasms; to the best of our knowledge, such a high number of malignant neoplasms in one patient has not previously been described in the English literature. The tumors originated from the colon (five separate tumors over 32 years), the endometrium, the breast and the small intestine. It is important to diagnose multiple primary malignant neoplasms as such patients generally exhibit a more favorable prognosis compared with metastatic carcinoma patients. In addition, prolonged follow-up after surgery should be considered.
Androgen receptor protein in the androgen-dependent Dunning R-3327 prostate carcinoma.

The rat prostate carcinoma (Dunning R-3327) contains a relatively high concentration of androgen receptor (80 to 150 fmol/mg cytosol protein). We characterized this receptor for comparison with androgen receptors in normal organs of the rat. Binding of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone was of high affinity (Ka = 2 X 10(9) M). Rates of dissociation were slow (t 1/2 testosterone = 60 hr; t 1/2 dihydrotestosterone = approximately 160 hr). At low ionic strength, the receptor was in an 8S form which dissociated to 4.5 to 5.0S in the presence of 0.4 M KCl. Fractionation of [3H]dihydrotestosterone cytosol by chromatography on phosphocellulose yielded a single peak of radioactivity eluting at 0.2 M Cl-. Determination of size at high ionic strength by gel filtration chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation indicated a Stokes radius of 53 A and sedimentation coefficient of 5S (M.W. 115,000). Cytosols occasionally yielded a second peak of radioactivity eluting from phosphocellulose at 0.29 M Cl-. This fraction contained a smaller receptor [36 A, 3.6S (M.W. 55,000)]. Both receptor forms were observed in cytosols from the normal dorsal prostate. The larger high-salt form of the receptor is identical to native androgen receptor in normal tissues. Smaller receptor forms in the tumor and in normal androgen-responsive tissues have been shown previously to result from proteolytic cleavage of the native receptor during extraction.
Isotropic-sequence-order learning in a closed-loop behavioural system

The simplest form of sensor–motor control is obtained with a reflex. In this case the reflex can be interpreted as part of a closed–loop control paradigm which measures a sensor input and generates a motor reaction as soon as the sensor signal deviates from its desired (resting) state. This is a typical case of feedback control. However, reflex reactions are tardy, because they occur always only after a (for example, unpleasant) reflex–eliciting sensor event. This defines an objective problem for an organism which can only be avoided if the corresponding motor reaction is generated earlier. The goal of this study is to design a closed–loop control situation where temporal–sequence learning supersedes a tardy reflex reaction with a proactive anticipatory action. We achieve this by employing a second, earlier–occurring and causally coupled sensor event. An appropriate motor reaction to this early event prevents triggering of the original, primary reflex. Such causally coupled sensor events are common for animals, for example when smell predicts taste or when heat radiation precedes pain. We show that trying to achieve anticipatory control is a fundamentally different goal from trying to model a classical conditioning paradigm, which is an open–loop condition. To this end, we use a novel learning rule for temporal–sequence learning called isotropic–sequence–order (ISO) learning, which performs a confounded correlation between the primary sensor signal associated to the reflex and a predictive, earlier–occurring sensor input: this way the system learns the relation between the primary reflex and the earlier sensor input in order to create an earlier–occurring motor reaction. As a consequence of learning, the primary reflex will not be triggered any more, thereby permanently remaining in its desired resting state. In a robot application, we demonstrate that ISO learning can successfully solve the classical obstacle–avoidance task by learning to correlate a built–in reflex behaviour (retraction after touching) with earlier arising signals from range finders (before touching). Finally, we show that avoidance and attraction tasks can be combined in the same agent.
Abnormal glucose tolerance is a predictor of steatohepatitis and fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective. The majority of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have simple steatosis. A minority, however, present with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition that can lead to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. The frequencies of NASH and fibrosis among patients with NAFLD and sustained elevation of liver function tests (LFT) are uncertain. Our aim was to estimate these frequencies. We characterize a population with NAFLD, with special emphasis on insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome, and study possible predictors for different stages of the disease. Material and methods. All referred patients with sustained elevation of LFT, radiological evidence or clinical suspicion of fatty liver, and absence of other liver disease, were invited to participate in our study in the period June 2002 to December 2004. Results. Of 129 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 88 underwent liver biopsy. NAFLD was verified in 83 of them. Among these patients, 59 (71%) had the metabolic syndrome, 41 (49%) had NASH and 36 (43%) had fibrosis. Abnormal glucose tolerance (T2DM or impaired glucose tolerance) was the only independent risk factor for NASH (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.20–8.23). Independent predictors for fibrosis were abnormal glucose tolerance (OR: 3.83; 95% CI: 1.29–11.40) and body mass index (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06–1.36) per kg/m2. Conclusions. Both NASH and fibrosis are frequently present among patients with NAFLD and sustained elevation of LFT. The probability of these potentially progressive stages of NAFLD increases with the presence of abnormal glucose tolerance.
The influence of open loop currents on bioelectric and biomagnetic measurements : a phantom study

Closed loop currents are discussed as possible sources of differential information in the magnetocardiogram and the electrocardiogram. It is, however, unclear if also open loops, such as spiral activation in the heart, can contribute to these differences. We model two types of open loops, based on the heart geometry, with the help of twelve artificial current dipoles in a physical torso phantom. Electric potentials and magnetic fields were measured simultaneously for an increasing number of active dipoles in the two source geometries. We found for the magnetic fields a continuous increase of the measured amplitudes up to a plateau value at ten active dipoles. For the electric potentials, we found increasing amplitudes up to six or eight active dipoles and thereafter decreasing amplitudes. We conclude that also open loop currents can contribute to the experimentally observed differences in magnetocardiograms and electrocardiograms. Combined bioelectric and biomagnetic measurements will provide greater insight into heart activity then do single modality measurements.
Agrin elicits membrane lipid condensation at sites of acetylcholine receptor clusters in C2C12 myotubes Published, JLR Papers in Press, July 1, 2006.

The formation of the neuromuscular junction is characterized by the progressive accumulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in the postsynaptic membrane facing the nerve terminal, induced predominantly through the agrin/muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) signaling cascade. However, the cellular mechanisms linking MuSK activation to AChR clustering are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether lipid rafts are involved in agrin-elicited AChR clustering in a mouse C2C12 cell line. We observed that in C2C12 myotubes, both AChR clustering and cluster stability were dependent on cholesterol, because depletion by methyl-β-cyclodextrin inhibited cluster formation or dispersed established clusters. Importantly, AChR clusters resided in ordered membrane domains, a biophysical property of rafts, as probed by Laurdan two-photon fluorescence microscopy. We isolated detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) by three different biochemical procedures, all of which generate membranes with similar cholesterol/GM1 ganglioside contents, and these were enriched in several postsynaptic components, notably AChR, syntrophin, and raft markers flotillin-2 and caveolin-3. Agrin did not recruit AChRs into DRMs, suggesting that they are present in rafts independently of agrin activation. Consequently, in C2C12 myotubes, agrin likely triggers AChR clustering or maintains clusters through the coalescence of lipid rafts. These data led us to propose a model in which lipid rafts play a pivotal role in the assembly of the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction upon agrin signaling.
Medroxyprogesterone in postmenopausal females with partial upper airway obstruction during sleep

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the degree and duration of respiratory stimulation caused by medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and compare the effect of MPA to that of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in sleep-disordered breathing. Ten postmenopausal females with predominantly partial upper airway obstruction during sleep had an overnight sleep study at baseline, on the fourteenth day of treatment with MPA and after a 3-week washout period. Six subjects on nCPAP were also studied 3 months later. At baseline, the overnight mean±sd end-tidal pressure of carbon dioxide (Pet,CO2) was 5.5±0.4 kPa the arterial oxygen saturation (Sa,O2) 93.0±1.2%, Sa,O2 nadir 80.0±6.7%, and frequency of oxygen desaturation ⩾4% (ODI4) per hour 2.2±1.3. MPA decreased Pet,CO2 by 0.8 kPa (14.5%, p<0.001). After washout, the mean Pet,CO2 remained at 0.5 kPa (9.1%, p<0.001) lower than at baseline. Sa,O2 did not change. Pet,CO2 was lower on MPA than on nCPAP (4.7±0.2 kPa versus 5.0±0.3 kPa; p=0.037) but Sa,O2 was similar. Apnoea/hypopnoea index tended to be lower on CPAP than on MPA. Medroxyprogesterone acetate at a daily dose of 60 mg improves ventilation in postmenopausal females with partial upper airway obstruction during sleep without compromising sleep. The ventilatory improvement is sustained for at least 3 weeks post-treatment. Medroxyprogesterone acetate was more efficient in decreasing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide but continuous positive airway pressure was superior in decreasing respiratory efforts.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase Associated with Antigen Processing Defines the Composition and Structure of MHC Class I Peptide Repertoire in Normal and Virus-Infected Cells

The MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules ferry a cargo of peptides to the cell surface as potential ligands for CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. For nearly 20 years, the cargo has been described as a collection of short 8-9 mer peptides, whose length and sequences were believed to be primarily determined by the peptide-binding groove of MHC-I molecules. Yet the mechanisms for producing peptides of such optimal length and composition have remained unclear. In this study, using mass spectrometry, we determined the amino acid sequences of a large number of naturally processed peptides in mice lacking the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase associated with Ag processing (ERAAP). We find that ERAAP-deficiency changed the oeuvre and caused a marked increase in the length of peptides normally presented by MHC-I. Furthermore, we observed similar changes in the length of viral peptides recognized by CD8+ T cells in mouse CMV-infected ERAAP-deficient mice. In these mice, a distinct CD8+ T cell population was elicited with specificity for an N-terminally extended epitope. Thus, the characteristic length, as well as the composition of MHC-I peptide cargo, is determined not only by the MHC-I peptide-binding groove but also by ERAAP proteolysis in the endoplasmic reticulum.
Capacity of sparsewideband channels with limited feedback

Recent results in the wideband/low-SNR regime show that even one bit of perfect feedback is sufficient to achieve the same rate of capacity scaling as in the benchmark case of perfect CSI at the transmitter. However, the capacity achieving signals are peaky in the non-coherent scenario when CSI is estimated at the receiver. Signal peakiness is related to channel coherence and recent measurement campaigns show that, in contrast to previous assumptions, wideband channels exhibit a sparse multipath structure that naturally leads to coherence in time and frequency. With perfect receiver CSI, we show that limited feedback, even with an instantaneous power constraint, is sufficient to achieve the benchmark capacity in sparse multipath channels. Our analysis reveals the benefits of channel sparsity in the non-coherent scenario, where we employ a training-based signaling scheme. With an average power constraint, it is shown that the benchmark is achievable, provided the channel coherence scales at a sufficiently fast rate with signal space dimension. Furthermore, in contrast to peaky signaling schemes that violate instantaneous power constraints, we show that the benchmark is attainable in sparse channels even with finite instantaneous transmit power. We present rules of thumb on choosing the signaling parameters as a function of the channel parameters so that the full benefits of sparsity can be realized.
Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing: Effect of Inactivation, Splitting and Site of Manufacturing. Comparison of Influenza Vaccine Production Processes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different inactivation and splitting procedures on influenza vaccine product composition, stability and recovery to support transfer of process technology. Four split and two whole inactivated virus (WIV) influenza vaccine bulks were produced and compared with respect to release criteria, stability of the bulk and haemagglutinin recovery. One clarified harvest of influenza H3N2 A/Uruguay virus prepared on 25.000 fertilized eggs was divided equally over six downstream processes. The main unit operation for purification was sucrose gradient zonal ultracentrifugation. The inactivation of the virus was performed with either formaldehyde in phosphate buffer or with beta-propiolactone in citrate buffer. For splitting of the viral products in presence of Tween®, either Triton™ X-100 or di-ethyl-ether was used. Removal of ether was established by centrifugation and evaporation, whereas removal of Triton-X100 was performed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. All products were sterile filtered and subjected to a 5 months real time stability study. In all processes, major product losses were measured after sterile filtration; with larger losses for split virus than for WIV. The beta-propiolactone inactivation on average resulted in higher recoveries compared to processes using formaldehyde inactivation. Especially ether split formaldehyde product showed low recovery and least stability over a period of five months.
A New Irregular Modulation Technique for Turbo-BLAST Systems

A new adaptive irregular modulation technique is proposed for Turbo iterative detected multi-antenna system with different bit mapping schemes or (and) modulation schemes used in different transmit antennas. The modulation scheme and the bit mapping scheme can be adaptively chosen according to the time varying channel quality to improve the channel throughput. When combining the proposed approach and the irregular modulation scheme, it can provide more flexible adaptation to the current channel quality. Simulation results show that using this adaptive technique, the system can converge earlier without changing the system throughput; meanwhile, system using this adaptive method can have higher system throughput compared with conventional adaptive method.
Explaining a complex living system: dynamics, multi-scaling and emergence

Complex living systems are difficult to understand. They obey the laws of physics and chemistry, but these basic laws do not explain their behaviour; each component part of a complex system participates in many different interactions and these interactions generate unforeseeable, emergent properties. For example, microscopic interactions between non-living molecules, at the macroscopic level, produce a living cell. Here we discuss how to explain such complexity in the format of a dynamic model that is mathematically precise, yet understandable. Precise, computer-aided modelling will make it easier to formulate novel experiments and attain understanding and control of key biological processes.
Feature selection for multimodal emotion recognition in the arousal-valence space

Emotion recognition is a challenging research problem with a significant scientific interest. Most of the emotion assessment studies have focused on the analysis of facial expressions. Recently, it has been shown that the simultaneous use of several biosignals taken from the patient may improve the classification accuracy. An open problem in this area is to identify which biosignals are more relevant for emotion recognition. In this paper, we perform Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) to select a subset of features that allows emotion classification. Experiments are carried out over a multimodal database with arousal and valence annotations, and a diverse range of features extracted from physiological, neurophysiological, and video signals. Results show that several features can be eliminated while still preserving classification accuracy in setups of 2 and 3 classes. Using a small subset of the features, it is possible to reach 70% accuracy for arousal and 60% accuracy for valence in some experiments. Experimentally, it is shown that the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) is relevant for arousal classification, while the electroencephalogram (EEG) is relevant for valence.
Achieving Consistent Multiple Daily Low-Dose Bacillus anthracis Spore Inhalation Exposures in the Rabbit Model

Repeated low-level exposures to biological agents could occur before or after the remediation of an environmental release. This is especially true for persistent agents such as B. anthracis spores, the causative agent of anthrax. Studies were conducted to examine aerosol methods needed for consistent daily low aerosol concentrations to deliver a low-dose (less than 106 colony forming units (CFU) of B. anthracis spores) and included a pilot feasibility characterization study, acute exposure study, and a multiple 15 day exposure study. This manuscript focuses on the state-of-the-science aerosol methodologies used to generate and aerosolize consistent daily low aerosol concentrations and resultant low inhalation doses to rabbits. The pilot feasibility characterization study determined that the aerosol system was consistent and capable of producing very low aerosol concentrations. In the acute, single day exposure experiment, targeted inhaled doses of 1 × 102, 1 × 103, 1 × 104, and 1 × 105 CFU were used. In the multiple daily exposure experiment, rabbits were exposed multiple days to targeted inhaled doses of 1 × 102, 1 × 103, and 1 × 104 CFU. In all studies, targeted inhaled doses remained consistent from rabbit-to-rabbit and day-to-day. The aerosol system produced aerosolized spores within the optimal mass median aerodynamic diameter particle size range to reach deep lung alveoli. Consistency of the inhaled dose was aided by monitoring and recording respiratory parameters during the exposure with real-time plethysmography. Overall, the presented results show that the animal aerosol system was stable and highly reproducible between different studies and over multiple exposure days.
Premutation female carriers of fragile X syndrome: a pilot study on brain anatomy and metabolism.

OBJECTIVE It was thought that premutation carriers of fragile X syndrome (FraX) have no neurobiological abnormalities, but there have been no quantitative studies of brain morphometry and metabolism. Thus the authors investigated brain structure and metabolism in premutation carriers of FraX. METHOD Eight normal IQ, healthy female permutation FraX carriers aged 39 +/- 9 years (mean +/- SD) and 32 age-sex-handedness-matched controls (39 +/- 10 years) were studied; in vivo brain morphometry was measured using volumetric magnetic resonances imaging, and regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose were measured using positron emission tomography and (18F)-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. RESULTS Compared with controls, FraX premutation carriers had a significant (1) decrease in volume of whole brain, and caudate and thalamic nuclei bilaterally; (2) increase in volume of hippocampus and peripheral CSF bilaterally, and third ventricle; (3) relative hypometabolism of right parietal, temporal, and occipital association areas; (4) bilateral relative hypermetabolism of hippocampus; (5) relative hypermetabolism of left cerebellum; and (6) difference in right-left asymmetry of the Wernicke and Broca language areas. CONCLUSIONS Premutation carriers of FraX, as defined by analysis of peripheral lymphocytes, have abnormalities in brain anatomy and metabolism. The biological basis for this is unknown, but most likely it includes tissue heterogeneity for mutation status. The findings may be of relevance to people counseling families with FraX and to understanding other neuropsychiatric disorders which are associated with expansion of triplet repeats and genetic anticipation.