Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Satisfaction with abilities and well-being: development and validation of a questionnaire for use among persons with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To develop a questionnaire to measure satisfaction with abilities and well-being of persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS We used data from a panel study of persons with RA (n = 446). The 13 items of the Satisfaction with Abilities and Well-Being Scale (SAWS) were based on problematic aspects of RA and domains of life activities. RESULTS The SAWS demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). Two subscales were identified, Satisfaction with Abilities and Satisfaction with Well-Being, which also demonstrated internal consistency (alpha = 0.91 and alpha = 0.82, respectively). Construct validity was supported by significant correlations with psychosocial and clinical variables. After controlling for demographic, psychosocial, and clinical characteristics, there was a significant inverse association between SAWS scores and depressive symptoms scores. CONCLUSIONS The SAWS appears to be a valid and reliable measure of satisfaction with abilities and well-being among persons with RA. Longitudinal studies will examine the role of satisfaction in the development of depressive symptoms.
Influences of surface coatings and components of FePt nanoparticles on the suppression of glioma cell proliferation

Malignant gliomas are primary brain tumors with high rates of morbidity and mortality; they are the fourth most common cause of cancer death. Novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques based on nanomaterials provide promising options in the treatment of malignant gliomas. In order to evaluate the potential of FePt nanoparticles (NPs) for malignant glioma therapy, FePt NPs with different surface coatings and components were tunably synthesized using oleic acid/oleylamine (OA/OA) and cysteines (Cys) as the capping agents, respectively. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photon spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectrum, and zeta potential. The influence of the surface coatings and components of the FePt NPs on the proliferation of glioma cells was assessed through MTT assay and TEM observation using three typical glioma cell lines (glioma U251 cells, astrocytoma U87 cells, and neuroglioma H4 cells) as in vitro models. The results showed that the proliferation of glioma cells was significantly suppressed by lipophilic FePt-OA/OA NPs in a time- and/or dose-dependent manner, while no or low cytotoxic effects were detected in the case of hydrophilic FePt-Cys NPs. The IC50 value of FePt-OA/OA NPs on the three glioma cell lines was approximately 5–10 μg mL−1 after 24 hours’ incubation. Although the cellular uptake of FePt NPs was confirmed regardless of the surface coatings and components of the FePt NPs, the suppression of FePt NPs on glioma cell proliferation was dominantly determined by their surface coatings rather than their components. Therefore, these results demonstrate that, through engineering of the surface coating, FePt NPs can potentially be developed as novel therapeutic agents for malignant gliomas.
The Microbial Community Dynamics during the Vitex Honey Ripening Process in the Honeycomb

The bacterial and fungal communities of vitex honey were surveyed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA. Vitex honey samples were analyzed at different stage of ripening; the vitex flower was also analyzed, and the effect of the chemical composition in the experimental setup was assessed. The results confirmed the presence of dominant Bacillus spp. as the dominant bacterial in honey, and yeast related genera was the main fungal in the honey, respectively. Lactococcus and Enterococcus were detected for the first time in honey. The proportion of most of the fungal community decreased during the honey ripening process. Multivariate analyses also showed that the fungal community of 5, 10, and 15 days honey samples tended to cluster together and were completely separated from the 1 day honey sample. The change in the fungal community showed a correlation with the variation in the chemical components, such as moisture and phenolic compounds. Together, these results suggest that ripening of honey could change its microbial composition, and decrease the potential risk of microbiology.
Influence of stratospheric air masses on radiotracers and ozone over the central Mediterranean

This work aims at determining the characteristics and the preferred source regions of stratospheric air masses at the Mt. Cimone World Meteorological Organization‐Global Atmosphere Watch station located in the Italian northern Apennines (44°11′N, 10°42′E, 2165 m above sea level) , a site which is considered representative of Southern Europe‐Mediterranean free troposphere. Source regions of high concentrations of 7Be, 7Be/210Pb, and O3 and regions originating high potential vorticity values are analyzed by means of trajectory statistical methods applied over the time series collected in the period of 1998–2011 to this aim. Our analysis points out the frequent occurrence of stratosphere‐to‐troposphere exchange in the North America and northern Atlantic region, which can be linked to the usual location of the polar‐front and subtropical jet streams in these two regions, but also to the tropopause discontinuity and to the high cyclogenetic activity in the Atlantic region. High 7Be concentrations associated with trajectories of high‐latitude origin descend from high altitudes to the study site, while at midlatitudes trajectories arrive from relatively lower levels. The geographical distribution of the tropopause crossing of air masses before arriving the study site points out particularly to Greenland. Our results also suggest the importance of the interaction between upper level disturbances and the Alps mountain range as a driver for stratosphere‐to‐troposphere exchange. In this case, the time between the tropopause crossing and the arrival at the elevated study site is less than 24 h and frequently below 6 h. The Atlas range in northern Africa plays a similar role though with lower influence.
Edinburgh Research Explorer On Trees, Chains and Fast Transactions in the Blockchain

A fundamental open problem in the area of blockchain protocols is whether the Bitcoin protocol is the only solution for building a secure transaction ledger. A recently proposed and widely considered alternative is the GHOST protocol which, notably, was proposed to be at the core of Ethereum as well as other recent proposals for improved Bitcoin-like systems. The GHOST variant is touted as o(cid:27)ering superior performance compared to Bitcoin (potentially o(cid:27)ering block production speed up by a factor of more than 40) without a security loss. Motivated by this, in this work, we study from a provable security point of view the GHOST protocol. We introduce a new formal framework for the analysis of blockchain protocols that relies on trees (rather than chains) and we showcase the power of the framework by providing a uni(cid:28)ed description of the GHOST and Bit-coin protocols, the former of which we extract and formally describe. We then prove that GHOST implements a (cid:16)robust transaction ledger(cid:17) (i.e., possesses liveness and persistence) and hence it is a provably secure alternative to Bitcoin; moreover, our bound for the liveness parameter is superior to that proven for the bitcoin backbone in line with the original expectation for GHOST. Our proof follows a novel methodology for establishing that GHOST is a robust transaction ledger compared to previous works, which may be of independent interest and can be applicable to other blockchain variants.
MYB107 and MYB9 Homologs Regulate Suberin Deposition in Angiosperms

Analysis of fruit surface suberization leads to the identification and characterization of AtMYB107 and AtMYB9 as positive regulators of suberin deposition in Arabidopsis seeds. Suberin, a polymer composed of both aliphatic and aromatic domains, is deposited as a rough matrix upon plant surface damage and during normal growth in the root endodermis, bark, specialized organs (e.g., potato [Solanum tuberosum] tubers), and seed coats. To identify genes associated with the developmental control of suberin deposition, we investigated the chemical composition and transcriptomes of suberized tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and russet apple (Malus x domestica) fruit surfaces. Consequently, a gene expression signature for suberin polymer assembly was revealed that is highly conserved in angiosperms. Seed permeability assays of knockout mutants corresponding to signature genes revealed regulatory proteins (i.e., AtMYB9 and AtMYB107) required for suberin assembly in the Arabidopsis thaliana seed coat. Seeds of myb107 and myb9 Arabidopsis mutants displayed a significant reduction in suberin monomers and altered levels of other seed coat-associated metabolites. They also exhibited increased permeability, and lower germination capacities under osmotic and salt stress. AtMYB9 and AtMYB107 appear to synchronize the transcriptional induction of aliphatic and aromatic monomer biosynthesis and transport and suberin polymerization in the seed outer integument layer. Collectively, our findings establish a regulatory system controlling developmentally deposited suberin, which likely differs from the one of stress-induced polymer assembly recognized to date.
Extreme Population Differences in the Human Zinc Transporter ZIP4 (SLC39A4) Are Explained by Positive Selection in Sub-Saharan Africa

Extreme differences in allele frequency between West Africans and Eurasians were observed for a leucine-to-valine substitution (Leu372Val) in the human intestinal zinc uptake transporter, ZIP4, yet no further evidence was found for a selective sweep around the ZIP4 gene (SLC39A4). By interrogating allele frequencies in more than 100 diverse human populations and resequencing Neanderthal DNA, we confirmed the ancestral state of this locus and found a strong geographical gradient for the derived allele (Val372), with near fixation in West Africa. In extensive coalescent simulations, we show that the extreme differences in allele frequency, yet absence of a classical sweep signature, can be explained by the effect of a local recombination hotspot, together with directional selection favoring the Val372 allele in Sub-Saharan Africans. The possible functional effect of the Leu372Val substitution, together with two pathological mutations at the same codon (Leu372Pro and Leu372Arg) that cause acrodermatitis enteropathica (a disease phenotype characterized by extreme zinc deficiency), was investigated by transient overexpression of human ZIP4 protein in HeLa cells. Both acrodermatitis mutations cause absence of the ZIP4 transporter cell surface expression and nearly absent zinc uptake, while the Val372 variant displayed significantly reduced surface protein expression, reduced basal levels of intracellular zinc, and reduced zinc uptake in comparison with the Leu372 variant. We speculate that reduced zinc uptake by the ZIP4-derived Val372 isoform may act by starving certain pathogens of zinc, and hence may have been advantageous in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, these functional results may indicate differences in zinc homeostasis among modern human populations with possible relevance for disease risk.
A Review of Neuroimaging Findings in Repetitive Brain Trauma

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease confirmed at postmortem. Those at highest risk are professional athletes who participate in contact sports and military personnel who are exposed to repetitive blast events. All neuropathologically confirmed CTE cases, to date, have had a history of repetitive head impacts. This suggests that repetitive head impacts may be necessary for the initiation of the pathogenetic cascade that, in some cases, leads to CTE. Importantly, while all CTE appears to result from repetitive brain trauma, not all repetitive brain trauma results in CTE. Magnetic resonance imaging has great potential for understanding better the underlying mechanisms of repetitive brain trauma. In this review, we provide an overview of advanced imaging techniques currently used to investigate brain anomalies. We also provide an overview of neuroimaging findings in those exposed to repetitive head impacts in the acute/subacute and chronic phase of injury and in more neurodegenerative phases of injury, as well as in military personnel exposed to repetitive head impacts. Finally, we discuss future directions for research that will likely lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms separating those who recover from repetitive brain trauma vs. those who go on to develop CTE.
Review of Aerosol–Cloud Interactions: Mechanisms, Significance, and Challenges

AbstractOver the past decade, the number of studies that investigate aerosol–cloud interactions has increased considerably. Although tremendous progress has been made to improve the understanding of basic physical mechanisms of aerosol–cloud interactions and reduce their uncertainties in climate forcing, there is still poor understanding of 1) some of the mechanisms that interact with each other over multiple spatial and temporal scales, 2) the feedbacks between microphysical and dynamical processes and between local-scale processes and large-scale circulations, and 3) the significance of cloud–aerosol interactions on weather systems as well as regional and global climate. This review focuses on recent theoretical studies and important mechanisms on aerosol–cloud interactions and discusses the significances of aerosol impacts on radiative forcing and precipitation extremes associated with different cloud systems. The authors summarize the main obstacles preventing the science from making a leap—for exampl.
Alternative interpretation of the Fermilab Tevatron top events

We propose an alternative interpretation of the top events discovered at the Fermilab Tevatron in 1995. Given that the charge of the {ital b} quark jet cannot be measured for the whole sample with certainty, the signal can be due to a quark of charge {minus}4/3 at the reported mass, i.e., 174 GeV, while the top quark is actually heavier, say above 230 GeV. We point out in this paper that such a scenario is actually hinted at by the latest precision electroweak measurements of {ital Z} decay. To rule out this possibility in the future, the {ital b} quark jet charge analysis has to become definitive, or the single {open_quotes}top{close_quotes} production cross section has to be measured. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Usefulness of Non–Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography Using a Silent Scan for Follow-Up after Y-Configuration Stent-Assisted Coil Embolization for Basilar Tip Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Y-configuration stent-assisted coil embolization is used for treating wide-neck aneurysms. Noninvasive alternatives to x-ray DSA for follow-up after Y-configuration stent-assisted coil embolization treatment are required. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of non–contrast-enhanced MRA by using a Silent Scan (silent MRA) for follow-up after Y-configuration stent-assisted coil embolization for basilar tip aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients treated with Y-configuration stent-assisted coil embolization for basilar tip aneurysms underwent silent MRA, 3D TOF-MRA, and DSA. Silent MRA and 3D TOF-MRA images were obtained during the same scan session on a 3T MR imaging system. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed both types of MRA images and subjectively scored the flow in the stents on a scale of 1 (not visible) to 5 (nearly equal to DSA) by referring to the latest DSA image as a criterion standard. Furthermore, we evaluated the visualization of the neck remnant. RESULTS: In all patients, the 2 observers gave a higher score for the flow in the stents on silent MRA than on 3D TOF-MRA. The average score ± standard deviation was 4.07 ± 0.70 for silent MRA and 1.93 ± 0.80 (P < .05) for 3D TOF-MRA. Neck remnants were depicted by DSA in 5 patients. In silent MRA, neck remnants were depicted in 5 patients, and visualization was similar to DSA; however, in 3D TOF-MRA, neck remnants were depicted in only 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Silent MRA might be useful for follow-up after Y-configuration stent-assisted coil embolization.
Comment: Allergen-specific exposure associated with high immunoglobulin E and eye rubbing predisposes to progression of keratoconus

© 2017 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non‐commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. Access this article online
A large‐alphabet‐oriented scheme for Chinese and English text compression

In this paper, a large‐alphabet‐oriented scheme is proposed for both Chinese and English text compression. Our scheme parses Chinese text with the alphabet defined by Big‐5 code, and parses English text with some rules designed here. Thus, the alphabet used for English is not a word alphabet. After a token is parsed out from the input text, zero‐, first‐, and second‐order Markov models are used to estimate the occurrence probabilities of this token. Then, the probabilities estimated are blended and accumulated in order to perform arithmetic coding. To implement arithmetic coding under a large alphabet and probability‐blending condition, a way to partition count‐value range is studied. Our scheme has been programmed and can be executed as a software package. Then, typical Chinese and English text files are compressed to study the influences of alphabet size and prediction order. On average, our compression scheme can reduce a text file's size to 33.9% for Chinese and to 23.3% for English text. These rates are comparable with or better than those obtained by popular data compression packages. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy: The Blood–Brain Barrier and the Sphingolipid Rheostat

Sepsis is not only a significant cause of mortality worldwide but has particularly devastating effects on the central nervous system of survivors. It is therefore crucial to understand the molecular structure, physiology, and events involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy, so that potential therapeutic advances can be achieved. A key determinant to the development of this type of encephalopathy is morphological and functional modification of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), whose function is to protect the CNS from pathogens and toxic threats. Key mediators of pathologic sequelae of sepsis in the brain include cytokines, including TNF-α, and sphingolipids, which are biologically active components of cellular membranes that possess diverse functions. Emerging data demonstrated an essential role for sphingolipids in the pulmonary vascular endothelium. This raises the question of whether endothelial stability in other organs systems such as the CNS may also be mediated by sphingolipids and their receptors. In this review, we will model the structure and vulnerability of the BBB and hypothesize mechanisms for therapeutic stabilization and repair following a confrontation with sepsis-induced inflammation.
Therapeutic effects of alpha lipoic acid and vitamin C on alveolar bone resorption after experimental periodontitis in rats: a biochemical, histochemical, and stereologic study.

BACKGROUND Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and vitamin C (Vit-C) are very important and powerful antioxidants that have been used for the treatment of many diseases. The present study aims to investigate the role of ALA and Vit-C substances in the treatment of alveolar bone resorption in periodontal diseases. METHODS Thirty-six male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows: 1) control rats; 2) rats with experimental periodontitis (PED); 3) rats with PED treated with ALA (ALA); and 4) rats with PED treated with ALA+Vit-C (ALA+Vit-C). PED was simulated by placing ligatures around the neck of teeth for 5 weeks. After ligature removal, the PED group was given a single intragastric dose of 1 mL saline, and the ALA and ALA+Vit-C groups were treated with an intragastric dose of 50 mg/kg ALA and ALA+Vit-C for 15 days, respectively. Levels of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in gingival tissues were analyzed. To evaluate the osteoclast activation, expression of activated receptor activator nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) and bone density index (BDI) were determined stereologically in the bone sections obtained from the mandibles of the rats. RESULTS The results showed statistically significant differences between the PED group and groups treated with antioxidant according to B-ALP, MPO, RANKL, and BDI values (P <0.05). ALA and ALA+Vit-C treatments showed beneficial effects on the mesial/distal periodontal bone support at the ligature-induced periodontitis tooth areas. CONCLUSION This study shows that ALA and Vit-C treatment provides therapeutic effects on inhibition of alveolar bone resorption and periodontal tissue destruction.
TNF- (cid:1) /cycloheximide-induced apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells requires Rac1-regulated reactive oxygen species

TNF- apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells requires Rac1-regulated reactive oxygen species. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 294: G928–G937, 2008. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00219. 2007. —Pre-viously we have shown that both Rac1 and c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK1/2) are key proapoptotic molecules in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- (cid:1) /cycloheximide (CHX)-induced apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells, whereas the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in apoptosis is unclear. The present studies tested the hypothesis that Rac1-mediated ROS production is involved in TNF- (cid:1) -induced apoptosis. In this study, we showed that TNF- (cid:1) /CHX-induced ROS production and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced oxidative stress in- creased apoptosis. Inhibition of Rac1 by a speciﬁc inhibitor NSC23766 prevented TNF- (cid:1) -induced ROS production. The antioxidant, N -acetylcysteine (NAC), or rotenone (Rot), the mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibitor, attenuated mitochondrial ROS production and apoptosis. Rot also prevented JNK1/2 activation during apoptosis. Inhibition of Rac1 by expression of dominant negative Rac1 decreased TNF- (cid:1) -induced mitochondrial ROS production. Moreover, TNF- (cid:1) -induced cytosolic ROS production was inhibited by Rac1 inhibition, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase), and NAC. In addition, DPI inhibited TNF- (cid:1) induced apoptosis as judged by morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, and JNK1/2 activation. Mitochondrial membrane potential change is Rac1 or cytosolic ROS dependent. Lastly, all ROS inhibitors inhibited caspase-3 activity. Thus these results indicate that TNF- (cid:1) -induced apoptosis requires Rac1-dependent ROS production in intestinal epithelial cells. ROS, which subsequently activates the JNK pathway. JNK results in mitochondrial dysfunction, additional ROS produc- tion, and release of cytochrome c . Caspase-3 is then activated, causing DNA fragmentation and apoptosis.