Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utility of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale in gout: a prospective study

Background The outcomes of any chronic illness often depend on patients’ adherence with their treatment. A tool is lacking to assess adherence in gout that is standardized, allows real-time feedback, and is easy to understand. Objective We set out to evaluate the utility of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) in monitoring medication adherence in a multiethnic Asian gout cohort on urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Methods This cohort study recruited patients with gout where baseline and 6-monthly clinical data, self-report of adherence, and health status by Gout Impact Scale (GIS) and EuroQoL-5 dimension 3 levels were collected. Those who received at least 9 months of ULT were analyzed. Convergent and construct validities of MMAS-8 were evaluated against medication possession ratio (MPR) and known groups, clinical outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Results Of 91 patients, 92.3% were male, 72.5% Chinese with mean age 53.5 years. MMAS-8 (mean 6.17) and MPR (mean 96.3%) were poorly correlated (r=0.069, P=0.521). MMAS-8 did not differ between those who did or did not achieve target serum urate (SU) <360 µmol/L (P=0.852); or among those whose SU improved, stagnated, or worsened during follow-up (P=0.777). Adherence was associated with age (β=0.256, P=0.015) and education level (P=0.011) but not comorbidities, polypharmacy, or flare frequency. Concerns for medication side effects and anxiety or depression were associated with lower MMAS-8 (P<0.005). Internal consistency was acceptable (α=0.725) and test–retest reliability was satisfactory (ICC =0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36–0.88). Conclusion MMAS-8 had limited construct validity in assessing medication adherence to ULT in our gout patients. Nevertheless, it identified patients bothered or worried about ULT side effects, and those with underlying anxiety or depression, for whom targeted education and coping support may be useful.
Chromosomal location, structure, and temporal expression of the platelet‐activating factor receptor (PAFr) gene in porcine endometrium and embryos relative to estrogen receptor α gene expression

Although platelet‐activating factor receptor (PAFr) gene was well characterized in the human, little was known about it in domestic animals. Porcine PAFr gene was mapped using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The structure of this gene was investigated using a 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. Temporal expression of PAFr and estrogen receptor α genes (ER), and distribution of the PAFr transcripts in porcine endometrial and embryonic tissues on days 0, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 were analyzed using DNA competitors and reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The porcine PAFr gene was mapped to SSC6q26‐27. Alternative splicing of primary transcripts of the PAFr gene produced two different transcripts. Transcript 1 was expressed in all tissues and cells, and transcript 2 was detected in all tissues but white blood cells. The temporal expression of the PAFr gene in endometrial (P > 0.05) and embryonic (P < 0.05) tissues of pregnant sows increased from day 10 to 16. The temporal expression of ER genes in endometrial tissues of pregnant sows decreased from day 10 to 18 (P < 0.05). In addition, ER expression was detectable in 20–60% of embryonic tissue samples, which generally decreased. In combination with previously obtained data on PAF and estradiol‐17β (E2) concentrations in pregnant uterine luminal fluids (pULF), endometrial and embryonic tissues, the present results indicated that the increasing PAFr transcripts were positively associated with increasing levels of PAF. Both ER transcripts and E2 found in pULF decreased correspondingly from day 13 to 16. These results indicate that via PAFr, PAF could play a dominant role in peri‐implantation development in pigs as compared to E2. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 64: 4–12, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combinations of Two Capsid Regions Controlling Canine Host Range Determine Canine Transferrin Receptor Binding by Canine and Feline Parvoviruses

ABSTRACT Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and its host range variant, canine parvovirus (CPV), can bind the feline transferrin receptor (TfR), while only CPV binds to the canine TfR. Introducing two CPV-specific changes into FPV (at VP2 residues 93 and 323) endowed that virus with the canine TfR binding property and allowed canine cell infection, although neither change alone altered either property. In CPV the reciprocal changes of VP2 residue 93 or 323 to the FPV sequences individually resulted in modest reductions in infectivity for canine cells. Changing both residues in CPV to the FPV amino acids blocked the canine cell infection, but that virus was still able to bind the canine TfR at low levels. This shows that both CPV-specific changes control canine TfR binding but that binding is not always sufficient to mediate infection.
HYPEROXIA INCREASES PROTEIN MASS OF 5-LIPOXYGENASE AND ITS ACTIVATING PROTEIN, FLAP, AND LEUKOTRIENE B 4 OUTPUT IN NEWBORN RAT LUNGS

In this study, the authors examined in newborn rat lung tissues the release of leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4) from tissue explants in vitro, the protein expression of the LT-synthesizing enzyme, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), and its activating protein (FLAP), and the effects of in vivo hyperoxic exposure (>95% O 2) on these parameters. Basal LTB 4 output increased from 0.98 ng/mgDNA/30 min at day 1 to 3.3 ng/mgDNA/30 min at day 28 (P <. 05). Exposure of rat pups to >95% O 2 from days 1 to 7 and 60% O 2 from days 7 to 28 stimulated a 1.6-fold (P <. 05) increase in LTB 4 output, compared to normoxic pups (to 1.6 ng/mgDNA/30 min) by day 1 and on day 7. The calcium ionophore, A23187, caused an increase in LTB 4 output from both exposure groups, but LTB 4 output was consistently greater (P <. 05) from hyperoxia-exposed pups. Western immunoblotting of lung tissue showed that 5-LO and FLAP protein mass increased (P <. 05) from days 4 to 14. Hyperoxia exposure increased the mass of both proteins (P <. 05). Immunohistochemistry localized 5-LO and FLAP mainly to alveolar macrophages on day 14, but some staining was evident in parenchymal tissue. These data show that hyperoxia increases LTB 4 output, as well as protein levels of 5-LO and FLAP, in newborn rat lungs during early postnatal life. Elevated LTB 4 may contribute to the etiology of newborn lung disease.
Endosymbionts escape dead hydrothermal vent tubeworms to enrich the free-living population

Significance For horizontally transmitted, facultative symbionts, cycles of infection and escape from the host are crucial for the persistence over host generations. The hydrothermal vent tubeworm Riftia pachyptila is entirely nourished by its thiotrophic endosymbiotic bacteria, which are acquired horizontally in settled larvae; however, release back into the environment has not been demonstrated. We show experimentally that viable symbionts are released upon host death. Moreover, observations of turnover of tubeworm clumps after a volcanic eruption provide evidence for rapid colonization, growth, and death. The observed connectivity of host-associated and free-living symbiont populations helps to explain the stability of this mutualism over ecological and evolutionary timescales. Theory predicts that horizontal acquisition of symbionts by plants and animals must be coupled to release and limited dispersal of symbionts for intergenerational persistence of mutualisms. For deep-sea hydrothermal vent tubeworms (Vestimentifera, Siboglinidae), it has been demonstrated that a few symbiotic bacteria infect aposymbiotic host larvae and grow in a newly formed organ, the trophosome. However, whether viable symbionts can be released to augment environmental populations has been doubtful, because (i) the adult worms lack obvious openings and (ii) the vast majority of symbionts has been regarded as terminally differentiated. Here we show experimentally that symbionts rapidly escape their hosts upon death and recruit to surfaces where they proliferate. Estimating symbiont release from our experiments taken together with well-known tubeworm density ranges, we suggest a few million to 1.5 billion symbionts seeding the environment upon death of a tubeworm clump. In situ observations show that such clumps have rapid turnover, suggesting that release of large numbers of symbionts may ensure effective dispersal to new sites followed by active larval colonization. Moreover, release of symbionts might enable adaptations that evolve within host individuals to spread within host populations and possibly to new environments.
Antioxidant plants and diabetes mellitus

The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing rapidly and it is expected to increase by 2030. Other than currently available therapeutic options, there are a lot of herbal medicines, which have been recommended for its treatment. Herbal medicines have long been used for the treatment of DM because of the advantage usually having no or less side-effects. Most of these plants have antioxidant activities and hence, prevent or treat hard curable diseases, other than having the property of combating the toxicity of toxic or other drugs. In this review other than presenting new findings of DM, the plants, which are used and have been evaluated scientifically for the treatment of DM are introduced.
Aerobic exercise attenuates pulmonary injury induced by exposure to cigarette smoke

It has recently been suggested that regular exercise reduces lung function decline and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among active smokers; however, the mechanisms involved in this effect remain poorly understood. The present study evaluated the effects of regular exercise training in an experimental mouse model of chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (control, exercise, smoke and smoke+exercise). For 24 weeks, we measured respiratory mechanics, mean linear intercept, inflammatory cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, collagen deposition in alveolar walls, and the expression of antioxidant enzymes, matrix metalloproteinase 9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)1, interleukin (IL)-10 and 8-isoprostane in alveolar walls. Exercise attenuated the decrease in pulmonary elastance (p<0.01) and the increase in mean linear intercept (p=0.003) induced by cigarette smoke exposure. Exercise substantially inhibited the increase in ROS in BAL fluid and 8-isoprostane expression in lung tissue induced by cigarette smoke. In addition, exercise significantly inhibited the decreases in IL-10, TIMP1 and CuZn superoxide dismutase induced by exposure to cigarette smoke. Exercise also increased the number of cells expressing glutathione peroxidase. Our results suggest that regular aerobic physical training of moderate intensity attenuates the development of pulmonary disease induced by cigarette smoke exposure.
Phylogenomic evidence for multiple losses of flight in ratite birds

Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, and kiwis) are large, flightless birds that have long fascinated biologists. Their current distribution on isolated southern land masses is believed to reflect the breakup of the paleocontinent of Gondwana. The prevailing view is that ratites are monophyletic, with the flighted tinamous as their sister group, suggesting a single loss of flight in the common ancestry of ratites. However, phylogenetic analyses of 20 unlinked nuclear genes reveal a genome-wide signal that unequivocally places tinamous within ratites, making ratites polyphyletic and suggesting multiple losses of flight. Phenomena that can mislead phylogenetic analyses, including long branch attraction, base compositional bias, discordance between gene trees and species trees, and sequence alignment errors, have been eliminated as explanations for this result. The most plausible hypothesis requires at least three losses of flight and explains the many morphological and behavioral similarities among ratites by parallel or convergent evolution. Finally, this phylogeny demands fundamental reconsideration of proposals that relate ratite evolution to continental drift.
Healing of Fatigue Crack by High-Density Electropulsing in Austenitic Stainless Steel Treated with the Surface-Activated Pre-Coating

A technique to heal a fatigue crack in austenitic stainless steel SUS316 by applying a controlled, high-density pulsed current was developed. A surface-activated pre-coating (SAPC), which eliminates the oxide layer and coats a Ni film on the crack surface, was used to improve the adhesion between crack surfaces. Cracks were observed by scanning electron microscopy before and after the application of high-density electropulsing. To evaluate the healing effect of the SAPC during crack propagation, fatigue tests were conducted under a constant stress intensity factor. The fatigue crack treated with the SAPC was found to be effectively healed as a result of electropulsing, and also showed a slower rate of crack propagation.
Species richness of indigenous beetles in restored plant communities on Matiu-Somes Island, Wellington Harbour, New Zealand

Previous studies have shown that indigenous beetle diversity reflects indigenous plant diversity in modified and remnant habitats. This study examines the indigenous: introduced relationship at a locality where degraded pasture has been progressively revegetated. Pitfall traps were used to collect beetles from three revegetated sites of different ages (5, 17 and 100 years) and in a coastal Muehlenbeckia habitat on Matiu-Somes Island (25 ha), Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. A total of 78 morphospecies were found over 12 months. The indigenous: introduced status of 74 species were determined; 67 were classified as 'indigenous', and 7 as 'introduced'. A positive trend was found between the proportion of ground-dwelling indigenous beetle species collected and the proportion of indigenous plant species present at a study site. As the revegetated site matured, the proportion of indigenous beetle species increased. We collected 20 (83%), 37 (88%) and 48 (92%) indigenous beetle species from the 5-year scrubland, 17-year shrubland and 100-year forest, respectively.
Granulomatous response to Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever: the lessons from gene expression analysis

The formation of granulomas is associated with the resolution of Q fever, a zoonosis due to Coxiella burnetii; however the molecular mechanisms of granuloma formation remain poorly understood. We generated human granulomas with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and beads coated with C. burnetii, using BCG extracts as controls. A microarray analysis showed dramatic changes in gene expression in granuloma cells of which more than 50% were commonly modulated genes in response to C. burnetii and BCG. They included M1-related genes and genes related to chemotaxis. The inhibition of the chemokines, CCL2 and CCL5, directly interfered with granuloma formation. C. burnetii granulomas also expressed a specific transcriptional profile that was essentially enriched in genes associated with type I interferon response. Our results showed that granuloma formation is associated with a core of transcriptional response based on inflammatory genes. The specific granulomatous response to C. burnetii is characterized by the activation of type 1 interferon pathway.
A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Acetaminophen for Prevention of Post-Vaccination Fever in Infants

Background Fever is common following infant vaccinations. Two randomized controlled trials demonstrated the efficacy of acetaminophen prophylaxis in preventing fever after whole cell pertussis vaccination, but acetaminophen prophylaxis has not been evaluated for prevention of fever following contemporary vaccines recommended for infants in the United States. Methods Children six weeks through nine months of age were randomized 1∶1 to receive up to five doses of acetaminophen (10–15 mg per kg) or placebo following routine vaccinations. The primary outcome was a rectal temperature ≥38°C within 32 hours following the vaccinations. Secondary outcomes included medical utilization, infant fussiness, and parents' time lost from work. Parents could request unblinding of the treatment assignment if the child developed fever or symptoms that would warrant supplementary acetaminophen treatment for children who had been receiving placebo. Results A temperature ≥38°C was recorded for 14% (25/176) of children randomized to acetaminophen compared with 22% (37/176) of those randomized to placebo but that difference was not statistically significant (relative risk [RR], 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40–1.01). Children randomized to acetaminophen were less likely to be reported as being much more fussy than usual (10% vs 24%) (RR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.25–0.70) or to have the treatment assignment unblinded (3% vs 9%) (RR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11–0.83) than those randomized to placebo. In age-stratified analyses, among children ≥24 weeks of age, there was a significantly lower risk of temperature ≥38°C in the acetaminophen group (13% vs. 25%; p = 0.03). Conclusion The results of this relatively small trial suggest that acetaminophen may reduce the risk of post-vaccination fever and fussiness. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00325819
Sequence capture and massively parallel sequencing to detect mutations associated with malignant hyperthermia.

BACKGROUND Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal pharmacogenetic disorder in which intracellular calcium homeostasis in the skeletal muscle of susceptible individuals is disrupted upon exposure to halogenated anaesthetics. While MH is linked to the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) on chromosome 19 and the α1S subunit of the voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel (CACNA1S) on chromosome 1, mutations have been found in only 50-70% of patients, and subsequently, there is a need for a more powerful screening tool. METHODS Genomic DNA capture and next-generation sequencing was used to screen 32 genes involved in excitation-contraction coupling, skeletal muscle calcium homeostasis, or immune response in two MH patients. Lymphoblastoid cell lines were used to functionally characterize candidate RYR1 mutations in one family. RESULTS Sequence analysis revealed two putative causative mutations in RYR1 in one patient. Segregation analysis and functional analysis support a causative role of the detected variants. The amount of Ca(2+) released after stimulation with 4-chloro-m-cresol from B lymphocytes of the MH-susceptible patients in the family was significantly greater compared with that of Ca(2+) released from cells of an MH-negative family member. In the other patient, no causative mutations were identified in the 32 genes screened. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we successfully demonstrate the use of genomic DNA capture and next-generation sequencing for identification of putative mutations causing MH. We also suggest that whole exome sequencing may be necessary to identify MH causing mutations in patients where no mutations in RYR1 and CACNA1S have been identified thus far.
Multiview Bayesian Correlated Component Analysis

Abstract Correlated component analysis as proposed by Dmochowski, Sajda, Dias, and Parra (2012) is a tool for investigating brain process similarity in the responses to multiple views of a given stimulus. Correlated components are identified under the assumption that the involved spatial networks are identical. Here we propose a hierarchical probabilistic model that can infer the level of universality in such multiview data, from completely unrelated representations, corresponding to canonical correlation analysis, to identical representations as in correlated component analysis. This new model, which we denote Bayesian correlated component analysis, evaluates favorably against three relevant algorithms in simulated data. A well-established benchmark EEG data set is used to further validate the new model and infer the variability of spatial representations across multiple subjects.
Optimal Variable-Weight Optical Orthogonal Codes via Difference Packings

Variable-weight optical orthogonal code (OOC) was introduced by Yang for multimedia optical CDMA systems with multiple quality of service (QoS) requirements. In this paper, the upper bound on the size of variable-weight OOCs is improved, a cyclic <i>t</i>-(<i>v</i>, <i>W</i>, λ, <i>Q</i>) packing is introduced to construct a variable-weight OOC, an upper bound for the number of blocks of <i>t</i>-(<i>v</i>, <i>W</i>, λ, <i>Q</i>) packings is obtained, and an equivalence between optimal cyclic packing and optimal variable-weight optical orthogonal code is established. Recursive constructions for optimal <i>2-CP(W</i>, 1, <i>Q</i>;<i>v</i>)s are also presented. By using skew starters and these constructions, infinite classes of optimal <i>(v</i>, <i>W</i>, 1, {1/2, 1/2})-OOCs are obtained for <i>W</i> = {3, 4}, and <i>{4, 5}</i>.
Advance Disclosure of Insider Trading in a Competitive Market

We present a noisy rational expectations equilibrium model in which agents who possess private information regarding the protability of a rm are required to provide advance disclosure of their trading activity. We analytically characterize an equilibrium and conduct a numerical analysis to evaluate the implications of advance disclosure relative to a market in which informed agents trade without providing advance disclosure.
Development of Prehension Between 5 and 10 Years of Age: Distance Scaling, Grip Aperture, and Sight of the Hand

The authors investigated whether 5- to 10-year-old children (N = 75) differ from adults (N = 12) in the developmental course of distance scaling and the adaptations to the inability to see the hand during prehension movements. The children reached under a surface and grasped and lifted an object suspended through it. All children scaled velocity appropriately for movement distance, both with and without sight of the hand. However, 5- to 6-year-old children did not increase grip aperture with increased distance, whereas older children and adults did. The older children and adults spent longer after peak deceleration when they could not see the hand, and maximum grip aperture (MGA) was larger, providing an increased safety margin. Children aged 5 to 6 spent the same amount of time between peak deceleration and grasp, whether or not they could see the hand, and they failed to increase MGA when they could not see the hand. Prehension in the younger children differed from that of older children in two ways: The younger children did not integrate reach and grasp over different distances and did not use visual information about hand position to optimize accuracy.