Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial clusters of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease in the United States.

RATIONALE Prevalence of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (PNTM) disease varies by geographic region, yet the factors driving these differences remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVES To identify spatial clusters of PNTM disease at the county level and to describe environmental and sociodemographic factors predictive of disease. METHODS PNTM cases identified from a nationally representative sample of Medicare Part B beneficiaries from 1997 to 2007 were geocoded by county and state of residence. County-level PNTM case counts and Medicare population data were then uploaded into SaTScan to identify significant spatial clusters and low-risk areas of disease. High-risk and low-risk counties were then compared to identify significant sociodemographic and environmental differences. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We identified seven significant (P < 0.05) clusters of PNTM cases. These high-risk areas encompassed 55 counties in 8 states, including parts of California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Five low-risk areas were also identified, which encompassed 746 counties in 23 states, mostly in the Midwest. Counties in high-risk areas were significantly larger, had greater population densities, and higher education and income levels than low-risk counties. High-risk counties also had higher mean daily potential evapotranspiration levels and percentages covered by surface water, and were more likely to have greater copper and sodium levels in the soil, although lower manganese levels. CONCLUSIONS Specific environmental factors related to soil and water exposure appear to increase the risk of PNTM infection. Still, given that environmental sources of NTM are ubiquitous and PNTM disease is rare, both host susceptibility and environmental factors must be considered in explaining disease development.
Vitamin C effects in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain.

INTRODUCTION To evaluate the efficacy of vitamin C in reducing the consequences generated by the production of free radicals in the acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease, two different doses of ascorbic acid were administered orally to 60 mice infected by Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain. METHODS The animals were divided into six groups: G1, G2, and G3 for the acute phase study, and G'1, G'2, and G'3 for the chronic stage. The groups G1 and G'1 received 8.6 x 10⁻⁴ mg/g of vitamin C daily, whereas G2 and G'2 received 7.14 x 10⁻³ mg/g daily. The other groups, G3 and G'3, were considered placebos and received 10 µL of mineral water. RESULTS The study of the acute phase showed statistically significant differences between G1 and the other groups at various count days of the parasitemia evolution. The multiplying parasite was slower in G1 until the 11th day, but on the 22nd day it had greater parasitemia than in G2 and G3, and from the 36th day on, parasitemia stabilized at higher levels. However, when the histopathology of acute and chronic phases is considered, one does not note significant differences. CONCLUSIONS The administration of two different doses of vitamin C was not able to protect mice and to contain the oxidative stress caused by free radicals formed by the metabolism of oxygen (reactive oxygen species) and nitrogen (reactive nitrogen species).
Sex work in Tallinn, Estonia: the sociospatial penetration of sex work into society

Background: It is important to describe and understand the underlying patterns and dynamics that govern sex work in societies undergoing rapid political and social changes, its heterogeneity across populations, and its evolution through time in order to inform future research, sound policy formation, and programme delivery. Objectives: To describe the socioeconomic and cultural determinants, organisational structure, distinct categories, and spatial patterning of sex work in Tallinn, Estonia, and identify recent temporal changes in sex work patterns. Methods: In-depth interviews with key informants; naturalistic observations of sex work and drug use venues, geo-mapping of sex work sites, review of media, public policy, and commissioned reports, and analyses of existing data. Results: Sex work takes place in a hierarchy of locations in Tallinn ranging from elite brothels and “love flats” to truck stops. These sites vary in terms of their public health importance and social organisation. There are full time, part time, and intermittent male and female sex workers. Among others, the taxi driver, madam and the bartender are central roles in the organisation of sex work in Tallinn. Cell phone and internet technology enable sex work to be highly dispersed and spatially mobile. Conclusion: Future research and programmatic service delivery or outreach efforts should respond to the changing profile of sex work in Tallinn and its implications for STD/HIV epidemiology.
Multilinear analysis for discrete and periodic pseudo-differential operators inLp-spaces

In this note we announce our investigation on the L properties for periodic and discrete multilinear pseudo-differential operators. First, we review the periodic analysis of multilinear pseudo-differential operators by showing classical multilinear Fourier multipliers theorems (proved by Coifman and Meyer, Tomita, Miyachi, Fujita, Grafakos, Tao, etc.) in the context of periodic and discrete multilinear pseudo-differential operators. For this, we use the periodic analysis of pseudo-differential operators developed by Ruzhansky and Turunen. The s-nuclearity, 0 < s ≤ 1, for the discrete and periodic multilinear pseudo-differential operators will be investigated. To do so, we classify those s-nuclear, 0 < s ≤ 1, multilinear integral operators on arbitrary Lebesgue spaces defined on σ-finite measures spaces. Finally, we present some applications of our analysis to deduce the periodic Kato-Ponce inequality and to examine the s-nuclearity of multilinear Bessel potentials as well as the s-nuclearity of periodic Fourier integral operators admitting suitable types of singularities.
Influence of Drip Fertigation on Yield, Quality parameters and Economics of Aggregatum Onion

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar, to evaluate the yield, quality and economics as influenced by different drip fertigation treatments on aggregatum onion during kharif 2017. The treatment consists of 100 per cent N through fertigation with 100 per cent P and K applied as basal, 100 per cent N and K through fertigation with 100 per cent P applied as basal, 100 per cent N, P and K through fertigation, 75 per cent N, P and K through fertigation and 25 per cent N, P and K applied as basal, 75 per cent N through fertigation with 75 per cent P and K applied as basal, 75 per cent N and K through fertigation with 75 per cent P applied as basal, 75 per cent N, P and K through fertigation, 75 per cent of 75 per cent N, P and K through fertigation and 25 per cent of 75 per cent N, P and K applied as basal, 50 per cent N 100 per cent P and K applied as basal and 50 per cent N applied on 30 days after transplanting (DAT), absolute control. Among different fertigation treatments imposed 100 per cent N, P and K through fertigation registered higher quality, yield (23.24 t ha-1) and was comparable with 75 per cent N, P and K through fertigation.
PV.1 induced by FGF-Xbra functions as a repressor of neurogenesis in Xenopus embryos

During Xenopus early development, FGF signaling is involved in mesoderm formation and neurogenesis by modulating various signaling cascades. FGF-MAPK signaling induces Xbra expression, which maintains mesodermal fate through an autocatalytic-loop. Interestingly, previous reports have demonstrated that basic FGF (bFGF) treatment alone does not induce neurogenesis in ectodermal explants, even though FGF signaling inhibits BMP signaling via phosphorylation in Smad1 linker region. In addition, the overexpression of dominantnegative Xbra induces neurogenesis in ectodermal explants. However, the detailed mechanism underlying these phenomena has not yet been clarified. In this work, we showed that bFGF-Xbra signaling increased the PV.1 expression. DN-Xbra was found to decrease PV.1 expression, and the co-injection of PV.1 with DN-Xbra reduced neurogenesis in ectodermal explants. Furthermore, the knockdown of PV.1 induced neurogenesis in bFGF-treated ectodermal explants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that FGF-Xbra signaling induces PV.1 expression and that PV.1 functions as a neural repressor in the FGF-treated ectoderm. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(12): 673-678]
Open-angle glaucoma and ocular perfusion

Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease characterised by loss of retinal ganglion cells that leads to a characteristic optic neuropathy and associated visual-field changes. It is currently the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, with more than 50 million people affected.1 The precise pathogenesis of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) remains to be elucidated. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for the development and progression of OAG and is currently our only therapeutic target.2 However, in some patients, glaucoma may continue to progress despite statistically significant IOP reduction.3 4 It may be that other factors, such as impaired ocular blood flow, may be contributory. Recent epidemiological data (eg, the Egna-Neumarkt Study and the Barbados Eye Study) suggest that vascular factors are related to both the risk and progression of glaucoma, and several clinical trials have demonstrated the role of vascular factors as part of the multifaceted pathogenesis of OAG.3 5 6 Nevertheless, the significance of these features has yet to be fully understood, and the clinical implications for patient management remain uncertain.5 7 The normal functioning of tissues depends on continuous adequate perfusion. A crucial element is the presence of a sufficient perfusion pressure to meet tissue needs, a process that requires a balance between arterial and venous blood pressure (BP). Ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) is expressed as the difference between the mean arterial BP and the IOP, and is an important determinant of ocular blood flow.5 7 8 It is necessary to distinguish among different BP parameters: systolic, diastolic and mean arterial BP. The mean OPP can be calculated as two-thirds of the mean arterial BP–IOP, where mean arterial pressure=diastolic BP+1/3 (systolic BP–diastolic BP). Likewise, systolic perfusion pressure equals systolic BP–IOP, and diastolic perfusion pressure equals diastolic BP–IOP. The maintenance of OPP depends on …
Gender Differences in Preferences

This paper reviews the literature on gender differences in economic experiments. In the three main sections, we identify robust differences in risk preferences, social (other-regarding) preferences, and competitive preferences. We also speculate on the source of these differences, as well as on their implications. Our hope is that this article will serve as a resource for those seeking to understand gender differences and to use as a starting point to illuminate the debate on gender-specific outcomes in the labor and goods markets.
Unsupervised Bayesian Detection of Independent Motion in Crowds

While crowds of various subjects may offer applicationspecific cues to detect individuals, we demonstrate that for the general case, motion itself contains more information than previously exploited. This paper describes an unsupervised data driven Bayesian clustering algorithm which has detection of individual entities as its primary goal. We track simple image features and probabilistically group them into clusters representing independently moving entities. The numbers of clusters and the grouping of constituent features are determined without supervised learning or any subject-specific model. The new approach is instead, that space-time proximity and trajectory coherence through image space are used as the only probabilistic criteria for clustering. An important contribution of this work is how these criteria are used to perform a one-shot data association without iterating through combinatorial hypotheses of cluster assignments. Our proposed general detection algorithm can be augmented with subject-specific filtering, but is shown to already be effective at detecting individual entities in crowds of people, insects, and animals. This paper and the associated video examine the implementation and experiments of our motion clustering framework.
Liver transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma

1. Highly selected patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma have satisfactory overall survival with neoadjuvant therapy followed by liver transplantation, especially those with primary sclerosing cholangitis. 2. Patients with unicentric intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma < 2 cm have an excellent overall survival following liver transplantation whereas those with multicentric disease or larger lesions do less well.
Brain structure and functional connectivity associated with pornography consumption: the brain on porn.

IMPORTANCE Since pornography appeared on the Internet, the accessibility, affordability, and anonymity of consuming visual sexual stimuli have increased and attracted millions of users. Based on the assumption that pornography consumption bears resemblance with reward-seeking behavior, novelty-seeking behavior, and addictive behavior, we hypothesized alterations of the frontostriatal network in frequent users. OBJECTIVE To determine whether frequent pornography consumption is associated with the frontostriatal network. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In a study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany, 64 healthy male adults covering a wide range of pornography consumption reported hours of pornography consumption per week. Pornography consumption was associated with neural structure, task-related activation, and functional resting-state connectivity. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Gray matter volume of the brain was measured by voxel-based morphometry and resting state functional connectivity was measured on 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scans. RESULTS We found a significant negative association between reported pornography hours per week and gray matter volume in the right caudate (P < .001, corrected for multiple comparisons) as well as with functional activity during a sexual cue-reactivity paradigm in the left putamen (P < .001). Functional connectivity of the right caudate to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was negatively associated with hours of pornography consumption. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The negative association of self-reported pornography consumption with the right striatum (caudate) volume, left striatum (putamen) activation during cue reactivity, and lower functional connectivity of the right caudate to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could reflect change in neural plasticity as a consequence of an intense stimulation of the reward system, together with a lower top-down modulation of prefrontal cortical areas. Alternatively, it could be a precondition that makes pornography consumption more rewarding.
BDNF and extracellular matrix regulate differentiation of mice neurosphere‐derived cells into a GABAergic neuronal phenotype

Differentiation of neurosphere‐derived cells is regulated by extracellular cues, namely, growth factors and proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study we analyzed the influence of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), retinoic acid plus potassium chloride (RA‐KCl), and the nonsynthetic ECMs laminin (LN) and fibronectin (FN) versus the synthetic adhesion substrate poly‐L‐lysine (PLL) in the in vitro differentiation of postnatal neurosphere cells. BDNF increased the number of differentiated neurons and decreased the number of neuronal precursors (nestin‐positive cells) compared with NGF or RA‐KCl. Moreover, cells treated with BDNF plus B27 supplement acquired a γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)–ergic phenotype and showed increased survival. No significant differences were found in the number of differentiated neurons in the presence of the ECMs alone. Nevertheless, FN or PLL in combination with BDNF promoted the acquisition of a GABAergic phenotype. The results obtained in this study highlight the importance of growth factors and ECM proteins for the potential of neurosphere cells to differentiate into neurons. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation, Selection and Stability Analysis of Elite Lines of Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev Syn.Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat)

Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev Syn. Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat), a member of family Asteraceae, is a popular flower crop of commercial importance. In many countries including the United States and Japan, it is considered as number one while in several other leading flower producing countries it is next only to rose in value of crop produced. In the international floricultural trade, it ranked second as cut flower and sixth as pot plant.
Peritoneal exudate cells. III. Effect of gamma-irradiation on mouse peritoneal colony-forming cells.

The effect of gamma irradiation on the proliferative capacity of peritoneal exudate colony-forming cells in agar was investigated. The values of D$sub 0$ obtained from the in vitro and in vivo irradiation studies were 110 and 118 rad, respectively. The recovery of the inducibility by thioglycollate medium of colony formation by cells in the peritoneal cavity of irradiated mice was also studied. A rapid initial recovery four days after irradiation was followed by a marked second depression in the number of colony-forming cells; numbers returned to near control value at day 17. (auth)
Event Tunnel: Exploring Event-Driven Business Processes

Event-based systems monitor business processes in real time. The event-tunnel visualization sees the stream of events captured from such systems as a cylindrical tunnel The tunnel allows for back- tracing business incidents and exploring event patterns' root causes. The authors couple this visualization with tools that let users search for relevant events within a data repository.
Concurrent lacrimal duct obstruction in patients with fungal corneal ulcer

Abstract Introduction: Occlusion of the lacrimal duct will cause inflammation and accumulation of the harmful materials and pathogens, in the conjunctival sac, raising the risk of corneal infection.7 Hence this study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of lacrimal duct obstruction in patients suffering from fungal keratitis. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study conducted for a period of one year from July 2017 to July 2018. Forty fungal keratitis cases were studied. Detailed personal history along with presenting symptoms was collected. Patency of lacrimal duct was confirmed by lacrimal syringing. Ocular investigations and microbiological investigations were done standard techniques. Data collected was tabulated and results obtained were analyzed by counts and percentages using MS Excel, 2007 version. Results: Out of 40 cases, 29(72.5%) cases were male and 11(27.5%) cases were female. Two cases (5.0%) had nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Both were male patients aged 57 years and 65 years respectively. First male patient had right eye involvement and the second male patient had left eye involvement. Conclusion: Out of 40 cases of fungal corneal ulcer, 2 cases (5.0%) had nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Though the incidence of fungal corneal ulcer with concurrent nasolacrimal duct obstruction is low, a thorough evaluation of lacrimal apparatus has to be performed. Keywords: Fungal corneal ulcer, Chronic Dacrocystitis, Nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Introduction Corneal diseases are a major cause of vision loss and blindness, and caused by bacteria, fungi and protozoa. However, with in the tropics, as many as two third of ulcers may be due to filamentous fungi and distribution may vary considerably between continents and countries and also within countries. [1]According to the World Health Organization, corneal diseases are a major cause of vision loss and blindness, second only to cataract in overall importance. [2]The typi
Structural and Functional Consequences of Connexin 36 (Cx36) Interaction with Calmodulin

Functional plasticity of neuronal gap junctions involves the interaction of the neuronal connexin36 with calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII). The important relationship between Cx36 and CaMKII must also be considered in the context of another protein partner, Ca2+ loaded calmodulin, binding an overlapping site in the carboxy-terminus of Cx36. We demonstrate that CaM and CaMKII binding to Cx36 is calcium-dependent, with Cx36 able to engage with CaM outside of the gap junction plaque. Furthermore, Ca2+ loaded calmodulin activates Cx36 channels, which is different to other connexins. The NMR solution structure demonstrates that CaM binds Cx36 in its characteristic compact state with major hydrophobic contributions arising from W277 at anchor position 1 and V284 at position 8 of Cx36. Our results establish Cx36 as a hub binding Ca2+ loaded CaM and they identify this interaction as a critical step with implications for functions preceding the initiation of CaMKII mediated plasticity at electrical synapses.
Homocysteine, antioxidant vitamins and lipids as biomarkers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease versus non-Alzheimer's dementia.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Evidence for the benefit of antioxidants' based therapeutic intervention in dementia are inconsistent. Parallel studies in disease forms of dementia different than Alzheimer's are even less conclusive. In this study, the role of serum levels of homocysteine (tHcy), lipids and antioxidants in predicting the risk of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus non-Alzheimer's dementias (n-AD). The objective was to add to the ongoing cumulative research to establish the biochemical baseline for potential nutri-therapeutic intervention in different forms of dementia. MATERIALS AND METHOD 65 participants with dementia (DP-s) were divided into two groups: ADP--patients with Alzheimer's disease and n-ADP--patients with dementia of a different etiology than primary neurodegenerative dementia in the course of Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and related to plasma levels of tHcy, folate, vitamins B-6, B-12, lipids and vitamins A and E for both groups. Also examined were associations between cognitive impairment and several variables (age, education, duration of dementia) that might confound nutrition-cognition associations. RESULTS A significant reduction in serum vitamin A levels and elevation of total cholesterol levels were shown for the DP-s group compared to those in the control group. Moreover, significant differences were found in MMSE data and serum vitamin E and tHcy levels between patients with ADP and n-ADP. The scores for MMSE showed a correlation with the vitamin E levels and duration of dementia in the ADP group and/or correlation with tHcy, levels of vitamins A and/or E, and duration of dementia in the n-ADP group. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained suggest that elevated serum tHcy and decreased levels of vitamins A and E are associated with an increased risk of non-Alzheimer's dementias, although further studies involving a larger cohort are now needed to verify these results.