Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IBS-associated phylogenetic unbalances of the intestinal microbiota are not reverted by probiotic supplementation

IBS is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder, in which the microbiota has been demonstrated to play a role. An increasing number of studies have suggested how probiotics may alleviate IBS symptoms and several mechanisms of action have been proposed. In the present study we characterized the intestinal microbiota of 19 subjects suffering from diagnosed IBS using a fully validated High Taxonomic Fingerprint Microbiota Array (HTF-Microbi.Array). We demonstrated that the IBS microbiota is different from that of healthy individuals due to an unbalance in a number of commensal species, with an increase in relative abundance of lactobacilli, B. cereus and B. clausii, bifidobacteria, Clostridium cluster IX and E. rectale, and a decrease in abundance of Bacteroides/Prevotella group and Veillonella genus. Additionally, we demonstrated that some bacterial groups of the human intestinal microbiota, recently defined as pathobionts, are increased in concentration in the IBS microbiota. Furthermore, we aimed at investigating if the daily administration of a novel probiotic yogurt containing B. animalis subsp lactis Bb12 and K. marxianus B0399, recently demonstrated to have beneficial effects in the management of IBS symptoms, could impact on the biostructure of IBS microbiota, modulating its composition to counteract putative dysbiosis found in IBS subjects. Notably, we demonstrated that the beneficial effects associated to the probiotic preparation are not related to significant modifications in the composition of the human intestinal microbiota.
Cutting force, tool wear and surface finish in drilling metal matrix composites

Abstract In this paper the evolution of the cutting force, tool wear and surface finish, measured when drilling the metal matrix composite A356/20/SiCp-T6, is presented. The experimental work was developed through the continuous measurement of the torque with an appropriate piezoelectric dynamometer and the results were used to derive the cutting power (ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 kW) and the specific cutting pressure, K s (1700-3500 N/mm2). The tool wear type was identified and its evolution with cutting time was measured for different sets of cutting conditions, using polycrystalline diamond drills. The holes' surface finish was evaluated and very good results, exceeding standard values for drilling, were obtained (R a between 0.25 and 1.2 μm).
Document Representation and Dimension Reduction for Text Clustering

Increasingly large text damsels and the high dimensionality associated with natural language create a great challenge in text mining, In this research, a systematic study is conducted. in which three different document representation methods for text are used, together with three Dimension Reduction Techniques (DRT), in the context of the text clustering problem. Several standard benchmark datasets are used. The three Document representation methods considered are based on the vector space model, and they include word, multi-word term, and character N-gram representations. The dimension reduction methods are. independent component analysis (ICA). latent semantic indexing (LSI), and a feature selection technique based on Document Frequency (DF). Results are compared in terms of clustering performance, using the k-means clustering algorithm. Experiments show that ICA and LSI are clearly belter than DF on all darascls. For word and N-gram representation. ICA generally gives better results compared with LSI. Experiments also show that the word representation gives better clustering results compared to term and N-gram representation. Finally, for the N-gram representation, it is demonstrated that a profile length (before dimensionality reduction) of 2000 is sufficient to capture the information and in most cases, a -4-gram representation gives better performance than 3-gram representation.
Anti‐D (WinRho SD™) treatment of children with chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura stimulates transient cytokine/chemokine production

Intravenous anti‐D is often used in the treatment of autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP), but little is known about its mechanisms of action. To investigate anti‐D's potential in vivo mechanism(s) of action, a small group (N = 7) of children with chronic AITP was studied. The children initially received either 25 or 50 μg/kg of WinRho‐SD in a four‐cycle cross‐over trial, and peripheral blood samples from the first and third cycles were assessed for cytokine levels at pre‐treatment, 3 hr, 1 day, and 8 days post‐treatment. Results showed that platelet counts significantly increased in all the children by day 8 post‐treatment. Analysis of serum by ELISA showed that there was a significant but transient rise in both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels (e.g., IL1RA, IL6, GM‐CSF, MCP‐1α, TNF‐α and MCP‐1) by 3 hr post‐treatment in both cycles which returned to baseline levels by 8 days post‐treatment. These results suggest that anti‐D administration may initially activate the RES in the form of cytokine/chemokine secretion, which is subsequently followed by an increase in platelet counts. It is possible that the induced cytokine/chemokine storm may have an effect on several physiological processes such as those mediating either adverse effects or potentially RES phagocytic activity. Am. J. Hematol. 69:225‐227, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leadership Perspectives on Operationalizing the Learning Health Care System in an Integrated Delivery System

Introduction: Healthcare leaders need operational strategies that support organizational learning for continued improvement and value generation. The learning health system (LHS) model may provide leaders with such strategies; however, little is known about leaders’ perspectives on the value and application of system-wide operationalization of the LHS model. The objective of this project was to solicit and analyze senior health system leaders’ perspectives on the LHS and learning activities in an integrated delivery system. Methods: A series of interviews were conducted with 41 system leaders from a broad range of clinical and administrative areas across an integrated delivery system. Leaders’ responses were categorized into themes. Findings: Ten major themes emerged from our conversations with leaders. While leaders generally expressed support for the concept of the LHS and enhanced system-wide learning, their concerns and suggestions for operationalization where strongly aligned with their functional area and strategic goals. Discussion: Our findings suggests that leaders tend to adopt a very pragmatic approach to learning. Leaders expressed a dichotomy between the operational imperative to execute operational objectives efficiently and the need for rigorous evaluation. Alignment of learning activities with system-wide strategic and operational priorities is important to gain leadership support and resources. Practical approaches to addressing opportunities and challenges identified in the themes are discussed. Conclusion: Continuous learning is an ongoing, multi-disciplinary function of a health care delivery system. Findings from this and other research may be used to inform and prioritize system-wide learning objectives and strategies which support reliable, high value care delivery.
Long-term kidney allograft function and survival in prednisone-free regimens: tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil versus tacrolimus/sirolimus.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The optimal maintenance immunosuppressive regimen to improve long-term renal allograft function and graft survival is yet to be determined. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This observational study prospectively compared tacrolimus/sirolimus with tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil in renal transplant recipients using a prednisone-free regimen with over 8.5 years of follow-up. Patients received methylprednisonlone and anti-IL2 receptor antagonist (Basiliximab) induction and were blindly randomized to either the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil (n=45) or tacrolimus/sirolimus (n=37) groups. Outcome measures included patient and renal allograft survival, incidence of acute rejection, and estimated GFR. RESULTS The tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group compared with the tacrolimus/sirolimus group had overall better renal allograft survival (91% versus 70%, P=0.02); 13 patients (35.1%) in the tacrolimus/sirolimus group and 8 patients (17.8%) in the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group experienced biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection (P=0.07). By 3 months post-transplant, estimated GFR was significantly lower in the tacrolimus/sirolimus group compared with the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group (47.7 versus 59.6 ml/min per 1.73 m(2), P=0.0002), and this trend persisted throughout the follow-up period. Also, the slope of decline in the tacrolimus/sirolimus group was significantly steeper than in the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that, in a prednisone-free immunosuppressive regimen, long-term renal graft survival and function are significantly worse in the tacrolimus/sirolimus group than the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group. The synergistic nephrotoxic effect and higher acute rejection rates in the tacrolimus/sirolimus compared with the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil group adversely affect graft survival.
2nd International UBI Challenge 2013

This paper summarizes the 2nd UBI Challenge that invited the global R&D community to design, implement, deploy and evaluate novel applications and services in real world setting atop the open urban computing testbed in Oulu, Finland. The paper first recaps the 1st UBI Challenge and then provides a procedural description of the 2nd UBI Challenge. The paper concludes with a discussion on issues related to participation in the UBI Challenge.
The biomechanical effects of thoracic spine stapling

The use of anterior vertebral staples in the fusionless correction of scoliosis has received increased attention in recent literature. Several animal studies have shown stapling to be effective in modulating vertebral growth. In 2005 Betz (1) published the only clinical series to date. Despite the increasing volume of literature suggesting the efficacy of this treatment, little is known about it's biomechanical consequences. In 2007 Puttlitz (2) measured the change in spinal range of motion after staple insertion in a bovine model. They found a small but statistically significant decrease in range of motion in axial rotation and lateral bending. The clinical significance of this is questionable as the differences were only a few degrees over three vertebral levels. A well designed biomechanical evaluation of the effects of staple insertion on spinal stability is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of insertion of a laterally placed anterior vertebral staple on the stiffness characteristics of a single motion segment. These results suggest that staple insertion consistently decreased stiffness in all directions of motion. This is contrary to the results of Puttlitz (2), which reported a reduced range of motion (i.e. increased stiffness) for some motions using moment-controlled testing. This decrease in stiffness could not be explained by changes in anatomy or tissue properties between specimens, as each stapled motion segment was compared with its own intact state. Addition of the staple would intuitively be expected to increase motion segment stiffness, however we suggest that the staple prongs may cause sufficient disruption to the vertebral bodies and endplates to slightly reduce overall stiffness. Hence, growth modulation may be achieved through physical disruption of the endplate, rather than static mechanical stress. Further research is planned to investigate the proportion of load carried by the staple during spinal movement and the anatomical effect of the staple on the physis. In conclusion, anterior vertebral stapling causes a slight but significant decrease in the stiffness of treated motion segments.
Alternative splicing of Mef2c promoted by Fox‐1 during neural differentiation in P19 cells

Mef2c protein is one of the MADS‐box type transcription factors involved in muscular differentiation and synaptic formation. Previously, it has been reported that the Mef2c gene is responsible for three alternative splicing regulations. Here, we investigated the alternative splicing variants of Mef2c during neural differentiation of P19 cells and during cardio muscular differentiation of P19 clone 6 (P19CL6). We detected that two Mef2c mRNA isoforms, using exon α1 with and without the γ region at exon 10, are mainly produced in immature P19 cells. Remarkably, Mef2c isoforms containing exon β specifically appeared in the neural cell stage. Because most transcripts contain exon β in the neural cell stage and in the brain, this suggests that the alternative splicing of exon β is highly regulated. Among known regulators, Fox‐1 was specifically expressed in the neural cell stage in correlation with Mef2c exon β. Fox‐1 promoted exon β inclusion in transfection experiments using Mef2cβ minigene. Moreover, we found that the promotion required RNA‐binding activity of Fox‐1 and GCAUG sequence located in adjacent intron of exon β. Taken together, our results suggest that Fox‐1, expressed specifically in the neural cell stage, promoted Mef2c exon β inclusion via the GCAUG.
Down‐regulation of TRPS1 stimulates epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis through repression of FOXA1

The tricho–rhino–phalangeal syndrome 1 gene (TRPS1), which was initially found to be associated with tricho–rhino–phalangeal syndrome, is critical for the development and differentiation of bone, hair follicles and kidney. However, its role in cancer progression is largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that down‐regulation of TRPS1 correlated with distant metastasis, tumour recurrence and poor survival rate in cancer patients. TRPS1 was frequently down‐regulated in high‐metastatic cancer cell lines from the breast, colon and nasopharynx. Silencing of TRPS1 stimulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo, while TRPS1 over‐expression exhibited the opposite effects. Using quantitative proteomics, FOXA1, a negative regulator of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), was shown to be down‐regulated by TRPS1 knockdown. Ectopic expression of FOXA1 blocked the enhancement of EMT, migration and invasion induced by TRPS1 silencing. Mechanistically, TRPS1, acting as a transcription activator, directly induced FOXA1 transcription by binding to the FOXA1 promoter. We further showed that down‐regulation of TRPS1 was induced by miR‐373 binding to the 3′ UTR of TRPS1. Over‐expression of TRPS1, but not TRPS1 3′ UTR, blocked the enhancement of migration and invasion induced by miR‐373. Taken together, we consider that down‐regulation of TRPS1 by miR‐373, acting as a transcriptional activator, promotes EMT and metastasis by repressing FOXA1 transcription, expanding upon its previously reported role as a transcription repressor. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“I Want, Therefore I Am” – Anticipated Upward Mobility Reduces Ingroup Concern

Empirical findings suggest that members of socially disadvantaged groups who join a better-valued group through individual achievement tend to express low concern for their disadvantaged ingroup (e.g., denial of collective discrimination, low intent to initiate collective action). In the present research, we investigated whether this tendency occurs solely for individuals who have already engaged in social mobility, or also for individuals who psychologically prepare themselves, that is ‘anticipate’, social mobility. Moreover, we examined the role of group identification in this process. In two studies, we looked at the case of ‘frontier workers’, that is people who cross a national border every day to work in another country where the salaries are higher thereby achieving a better socio-economic status than in their home-country. Study 1 (N = 176) examined attitudes of French nationals (both the socially mobile and the non-mobile) and of Swiss nationals toward the non-mobile group. As expected, results showed that the mobile French had more negative attitudes than their non-mobile counterparts, but less negative attitudes than the Swiss. In Study 2 (N = 216), we examined ingroup concern at different stages of the social mobility process by comparing the attitudes of French people who worked in Switzerland (mobile individuals), with those who envisioned (anticipators), or not (non-anticipators), to work in Switzerland. The findings revealed that anticipators’ motivation to get personally involved in collective action for their French ingroup was lower than the non-anticipators’, but higher than the mobile individuals’. Moreover, we found that the decrease in ingroup concern across the different stages of social mobility was accounted for by a lower identification with the inherited ingroup. These findings corroborate the deleterious impact of social mobility on attitudes toward a low-status ingroup, and show that the decrease in ingroup concern already occurs among individuals who anticipate moving up the hierarchy. The discussion focuses on the role of the discounting of inherited identities in both the anticipation and the achievement of a higher-status identity.
Influence of age, sex and calcium and phosphorus levels on the mechanical properties of various bones in swine.

Seventy-two 4-week-old pigs were randomly assigned by sex (gilts, barrows, boars) to two dietary treatments and four age periods for determinations of the effects of age, sex and Ca and P levels on the mechanical properties of various bones in swine. Pigs were individually fed diets containing either. months after the initiation of the trial. The femur (Fem), humerus (Hum), third and fourth metacarpal (3Me, 4Me), third and fourth metatarsal (3MT, 4MT), third rib (Rib) and thoracic vertibrae were collected at each age period for mechanical tests and determination of percentage of ash. Bending moment, ultimate stress, yield stress and modulus of elasticity were determined by a flexure test in which the bone was treated as a simply supported , centrally-loaded beam (three-point loading). Bending moment of bones from boars was similar to that of bones from gilts or barrows. When expressed as force per unit area, the ultimate stress of bones from boars was less than that of bones from gilts or barrows. Percentage of ash did not differ significantly between sexes, but tended to be lower in bones from boars than in bones from gilts or barrows. Bones from pigs fed T2 had a higher bending moment than bones from pigs fed T1, regardless of age. At A1, the Fem, Hum and Rib of pigs 1Published as Paper No. 6094-, Journal Ser. , Ne-braska Agr. Exp. Sta. a Dept. of Anita. Sci. Acknowledgment is made to Chuck Clanton for assistance with engineering equations and to Cecilia Stodd and Mary Barnes for laboratory assistance. fed T2 were able to withstand a greater stress than the same bones of pigs fed T1. At A3 and AS, the ultimate stress of all bones increased with increasing levels of dietary Ca,P. At A7, the Fem, 4MT and Rib failed to show a response to increased levels of Ca, P.
A meta-analysis on the effect of dietary application of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes on the performance of dairy cows.

The aim of this study was to use meta-analytical methods to estimate effects of adding exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) to dairy cow diets on their performance and to determine which factors affect the response. Fifteen studies with 17 experiments and 36 observations met the study selection criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The effects were compared by using random-effect models to examine the raw mean difference (RMD) and standardized mean difference between EFE and control treatments after both were weighted with the inverse of the study variances. Heterogeneity sources evaluated by meta-regression included experimental duration, EFE type and application rate, form (liquid or solid), and method (application to the forage, concentrate, or total mixed ration). Only the cellulase-xylanase (C-X) enzymes had a substantial number of observations (n = 13 studies). Application of EFE, overall, did not affect dry matter intake, feed efficiency but tended to increase total-tract dry matter digestibility and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) by relatively small amounts (1.36 and 2.30%, respectively, or <0.31 standard deviation units). Application of EFE increased yields of milk (0.83 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (0.55 kg/d), milk protein (0.03 kg/d), and milk lactose (0.05 kg/d) by moderate to small amounts (<0.30 standard deviation units). Low heterogeneity (I 2 statistic <25%) was present for yields and concentrations of milk fat and protein and lactose yield. Moderate heterogeneity (I 2 = 25 to 50%) was detected for dry matter intake, milk yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk, and feed efficiency (kg of milk/kg of dry matter intake), whereas high heterogeneity (I 2 > 50%) was detected for total-tract dry matter digestibility and NDFD. Milk production responses were higher for the C-X enzymes (RMD = 1.04 kg/d; 95% confidence interval: 0.33 to 1.74), but were still only moderate, about 0.35 standardized mean difference. A 24% numerical increase in the RMD resulting from examining only C-X enzymes instead of all enzymes (RMD = 1.04 vs. 0.83 kg/d) suggests that had more studies met the inclusion criteria, the C-X enzymes would have statistically increased the milk response relative to that for all enzymes. Increasing the EFE application rate had no effect on performance measures. Application of EFE to the total mixed ration improved only milk protein concentration, and application to the forage or concentrate had no effect. Applying EFE tended to increase dry matter digestibility and NDFD and increased milk yield by relatively small amounts, reflecting the variable response among EFE types.
Lead Exposure and Behavior among Young Children in Chennai, India

Background Lead exposure has long been associated with deficits in IQ among children. However, few studies have assessed the impact of lead on specific domains of behavior and cognition. Objective We evaluated the associations between lead and different domains of neurobehavior and their relative sensitivity to lead. Methods We determined blood lead levels using a LeadCare instrument in 756 children 3–7 years of age attending pre- and elementary schools in Chennai, India. Anxiety, social problems, inattention, hyperactivity, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as executive function were assessed in children by their schoolteachers using Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales-39, Conners’ ADHD/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Scales (CADS), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function questionnaires, with higher scores denoting worse behavior. Analyses were carried out using multivariate generalized estimating equations with comparisons of outcome Z-scores to assess the relative strengths of the associations between log-blood lead and the different domains of behavior. Results Mean blood lead level was 11.4 ± 5.3 μg/dL. Blood lead was associated with higher anxiety (β = 0.27, p = 0.01), social problems (β = 0.20, p = 0.02), and higher scores in the ADHD index (β = 0.17; p = 0.05). The effect estimate was highest for global executive function (β = 0.42; p< 0.001). Conclusions Higher blood lead levels in this population of young children is associated with increased risk of neurobehavioral deficits and ADHD, with executive function and attention being particularly vulnerable domains to the effects of lead.