Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical features and changes in epidemiology of infective endocarditis on pacemaker devices over a 27-year period (1987-2013).

AIMS Use of cardiac pacing devices has grown in recent years. Our aim was to evaluate changes in epidemiology and clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE) involving pacemaker devices in a large series of IE over the last 27 years (1987-2013). METHODS AND RESULTS From 1987 to December 2013, 413 consecutive IE cases were diagnosed in our hospital. During this period, 7424 pacemaker devices were implanted (6917 pacemakers, 239 implantable cardiac defibrillators, 158 resynchronization devices, and 110 resynchronization/defibrillator devices). All consecutive cases of IE on pacemaker devices were included and analysed. Infective endocarditis on pacemaker devices represented 6.1% of all endocarditis cases (25 patients), affecting 3.6/1000 of all implanted pacemakers. Its proportion increased from 1.25% of all endocarditis in 1987-1993 to 4.08% in 1994-2000, 7.69% in 2001-2007 and 9.32% in 2008-2013 (P < 0.01). Its incidence also increased from 1.4/1000 of all pacemaker implants in the period of 1987-1993 to 2.5/1000 in 1994-2000, 3.3/1000 in 2001-2007 and 4.5/1000 implanted devices in 2008-2013 (P < 0.05). Mean age of patients was 68 years, and 80% were male. Causative microorganisms predominantly were Staphylococci (84%: Staphylococcus aureus 48%, Staphylococcus epidermidis 36%). Rate of severe complications was high: persistent sepsis in 60% of cases, heart failure in 20%, and stroke in 12%. Device was removed in 19 patients (76%), mostly by surgery (18 of the 19 cases). Early mortality was 24% (33% of medically, 21% of surgically treated patients, P = 0.82). CONCLUSION Infective endocarditis on pacemaker devices has shown an increasing incidence during the past decades, representing almost 10% of all IE in the last 6 years. This is a severe disease, with a high rate of severe complications and requiring removal of device in most cases. In spite of therapy, early mortality is high.
The combined effects of genetic risk and perceived discrimination on blood pressure among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study

Abstract Both genomics and environmental stressors play a significant role in increases in blood pressure (BP). In an attempt to further explain the hypertension (HTN) disparity among African Americans (AA), both genetic underpinnings (selected candidate genes) and stress due to perceived racial discrimination (as reported in the literature) have independently been linked to increased BP among AAs. Although Gene x Environment interactions on BP have been examined, the environmental component of these investigations has focused more on lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, diet, and physical activity, and less on psychosocial stressors such as perceived discrimination. The present study uses candidate gene analyses to identify the relationship between Everyday Discrimination (ED) and Major Life Discrimination (MLD) with increases in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) among AA in the Jackson Heart Study. Multiple linear regression models reveal no association between discrimination and BP after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), antihypertensive medication use, and current smoking status. Subsequent candidate gene analysis identified 5 SNPs (rs7602215, rs3771724, rs1006502, rs1791926, and rs2258119) that interacted with perceived discrimination and SBP, and 3 SNPs (rs2034454, rs7602215, and rs3771724) that interacted with perceived discrimination and DBP. Most notably, there was a significant SNP × discrimination interaction for 2 SNPs on the SLC4A5 gene: rs3771724 (MLD: SBP P = .034, DBP P = .031; ED: DBP: P = .016) and rs1006502 (MLD: SBP P = .034, DBP P = .030; ED: DBP P = .015). This study supports the idea that SNP × discrimination interactions combine to influence clinically relevant traits such as BP. Replication with similar epidemiological samples is required to ascertain the role of genes and psychosocial stressors in the development and expression of high BP in this understudied population.
Assessment of hyperacusis with a newly produced Japanese version of the Khalfa hyperacusis questionnaire

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the Khalfa hyperacusis questionnaire (KHQ) and proposed a threshold KHQ score for classifying hyperacusis. Methods: In total, 112 patients with hyperacusis (group A) and 103 patients without hyperacusis (group B). The patients in group A were further classified into the following subgroups: subjects with hyperacusis as their chief complaint (n = 26, group A1) and subjects with hyperacusis accompanied by chief complaints of tinnitus and/or hearing loss (n = 86, group A2). Results: The average total questionnaire score for patients in group A was 11.8 ± 9.7, which was statistically significantly higher than that of patients in group B, 5.7 ± 4.8. Cronbach’s coefficients for internal consistency were high for the total score (0.92). The average total scores for groups A1 and A2 were 18.1 ± 11.1 and 9.9 ± 8.4, respectively, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant. Conclusions: We developed a Japanese version of the KHQ. It showed high reliability and validity; suggesting its usefulness in clinical practice. We propose that a total KHQ score of 16 is an appropriate cutoff for classifying hyperacusis
Queueing Models for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

This thesis presents models for the performance analysis of a recent communication paradigm: mobile ad hoc networking. The objective of mobile ad hoc networking is to provide wireless connectivity between stations in a highly dynamic environment. These dynamics are driven by the mobility of stations and by breakdowns of stations, and may lead to temporary disconnectivity of parts of the network. Applications of this novel paradigm can be found in telecommunication services, but also in manufacturing systems, road-traffic control, animal monitoring and emergency networking. The performance of mobile ad hoc networks in terms of buffer occupancy and delay is quantified in this thesis by employing specific queueing models, viz., time-limited polling models. These polling models capture the uncontrollable characteristic of link availability in mobile ad hoc networks. Particularly, a novel, so-called pure exponential time-limited, service discipline is introduced in the context of polling systems. The highlighted performance characteristics for these polling systems include the stability, the queue lengths and the sojourn times of the customers. Stability conditions prescribe limits on the amount of tra±c that can be sustained by the system, so that the establishment of these conditions is a fundamental keystone in the analysis of polling models. Moreover, both exact and approximate analysis is presented for the queue length and sojourn time in time-limited polling systems with a single server. These exact analytical techniques are extended to multi-server polling systems operating under the pure time-limited service discipline. Such polling systems with multiple servers effectively may reflect large communication networks with multiple simultaneously active links, while the systems with a single server represent performance models for small networks in which a single communication link can be active at a time.
In Vitro Selection of Meropenem Resistance among Ceftazidime-Avibactam-Resistant, Meropenem-Susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates with Variant KPC-3 Carbapenemases

ABSTRACT Ceftazidime-avibactam resistance is mediated by blaKPC-3 mutations, which restore carbapenem susceptibility. We subjected Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with different blaKPC-3 mutations (n = 5) or wild-type blaKPC-3 (n = 2) to serial passages with meropenem. The meropenem MIC against each isolate increased. Mutations in the ompK36 porin gene evolved in 5 isolates. Among isolates with D179Y substitutions in KPC-3, blaKPC-3 mutations reverted to wild type, were replaced by new mutations, or were retained. Carbapenem treatment of ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant K. pneumoniae infections may select for carbapenem resistance.
Polarity-dependent Effects of Biparietal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Interplay between Target Location and Distractor Saliency in Visual Attention

Visual attention allows the allocation of limited neural processing resources to stimuli based on their behavioral priorities. The selection of task-relevant visual targets entails the processing of multiple competing stimuli and the suppression of distractors that may be either perceptually salient or perceptually similar to targets. The posterior parietal cortex controls the interaction between top–down (task-driven) and bottom–up (stimulus-driven) processes competing for attentional selection, as well as spatial distribution of attention. Here, we examined whether biparietal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) would modulate the interaction between top–down and bottom–up processes in visual attention. Visual attention function was assessed with a visual discrimination task, in which a lateralized target was presented alone or together with a contralateral, similar or salient, distractor. The accuracy and RTs were measured before and during three stimulation sessions (sham, right anodal/left cathodal, left anodal/right cathodal). The analyses demonstrated (i) polarity-dependent effects of tDCS on the accuracy of target discrimination, but only when the target was presented with a similar distractor; (ii) the tDCS-triggered effects on the accuracy of discriminating targets, accompanied by a similar distractor, varied according to the target location; and (iii) overall detrimental effects of tDCS on RTs were observed, regardless of target location, distractor type, and polarity of the stimulation. We conclude that the observed polarity, distractor type, and target location-dependent effects of biparietal tDCS on the accuracy of target detection resulted from both a modulation of the interaction between top–down and bottom–up attentional processes and the interhemispheric competition mechanisms guiding attentional selection and spatial deployment of attention.
Cofilin Activation Is Temporally Associated with the Cessation of Growth in the Developing Hippocampus

Abstract Dendritic extension and synaptogenesis proceed at high rates in rat hippocampus during early postnatal life but markedly slow during the third week of development. The reasons for the latter, fundamental event are poorly understood. Here, we report that levels of phosphorylated (inactive) cofilin, an actin depolymerizing factor, decrease by 90% from postnatal days (pnds) 10 to 21. During the same period, levels of total and phosphorylated Arp2, which nucleates actin branches, increase. A search for elements that could explain the switch from inactive to active cofilin identified reductions in &bgr;1 integrin, TrkB, and LIM domain kinase 2b, upstream proteins that promote cofilin phosphorylation. Moreover, levels of slingshot 3, which dephosphorylates cofilin, increase during the period in which growth slows. Consistent with the cofilin results, in situ phalloidin labeling of F‐actin demonstrated that spines and dendrites contained high levels of dynamic actin filaments during Week 2, but these fell dramatically by pnd 21. The results suggest that the change from inactive to constitutively active cofilin leads to a loss of dynamic actin filaments needed for process extension and thus the termination of spine formation and synaptogenesis. The relevance of these events to the emergence of memory‐related synaptic plasticity is described.
Marine Aerosol Weathering of Mediterranean Calcarenite Stone: Durability of Ethyl Silicate, Nano Ca(OH)2, Nano SiO2, and Nanostructured Consolidating Products

ABSTRACT Calcarenite stone samples from a historic building (Bizerte, Tunisia) were collected and treated under different environmental conditions with several consolidating products: alkoxysilane (ethyl silicate), a surfactant-templated novel sol–gel, Ca(OH)2, and SiO2 nanoparticles. These were subjected to marine aerosol accelerated aging cycles and studied by several non-destructive tests and techniques to assess the stability of the products. Results show that weathering caused by salt crystallization is not inhibited but it is slowed down due to the enhancement of superficial mechanical properties (surface cohesion and micro-hardness) achieved after one month of treatments application. A high or low relative humidity of the consolidation environment significantly affects the final mechanical and aesthetical physical properties and therefore conditions the durability of the treated substrates, even producing higher damage than observed in the blank specimens, depending on the product.
‘It′s good enough’: Swedish general dental practitioners on reasons for accepting substandard root filling quality

AIM The concept of 'good enough' is central and necessary in the assessment of root filling quality. The aim was to explore the concept by analysing reasons and arguments for the acceptance or rejection of substandard root filling quality as reported by general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Sweden. METHODOLOGY The study was designed as a qualitative and exploratory study based on seven videotaped focus group interviews analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. Thirty-three GDPs employed in the Public Dental Health Service in Gothenburg, Sweden, participated (4-6 GDPs/interview). In all, nine predetermined questions were followed. Before each focus group, the participants received radiographs of 37 root fillings and were asked to assess the root filling quality. The three cases representing the most divergent assessments served as a basis for the discussion. The cases were presented without clinical information; the dentists would relate to the cases as being just root filled by themselves. RESULTS The radiographs did not provide a sufficient basis for decisions on whether or not to accept the root filling. This study emphasized that dentists did not primarily look for these arguments in the technical details of the root filling per se, but instead, they considered selected features of the contextual situation. The GDPs constantly introduced relevant 'ad hoc considerations' to account for the decisions they made. These contextual considerations were related to aspects of pulpal and periapical disease, risks (e.g. technical complications) or to consumed resources (personal and/or economic). CONCLUSIONS It was obvious that the concept of 'good enough' does not exist as a general formula ready to be applied in particular situations. Instead, it is necessarily and irremediably tied to contextual properties that emerge from case to case.
Varying Patterns of Biomarkers of Mineral and Bone Metabolism After Kidney Transplantation

Abstract Sclerostin inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby decreasing bone formation. Osteoblast stimulating actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) are mediated by suppression of sclerostin. Thus, sclerostin may reflect both bone metabolism and parathyroid function. The study was aimed to analyze the patterns of the changes of mineral and bone biomarkers for 9 months following kidney transplantation (KTx). Thirty-five patients after KTx were included into a 9-month observational study. Serum creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, 25-OH vitamin D, PTH, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), sclerostin, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were measured before KTx, and 1, 2 weeks, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 months thereafter. Urine sclerostin/creatinine ratio was assessed in parallel from month 1 after KTx. Following KTx most serum markers significantly decreased till the end of observation including PTH (by 58%), phosphorus (37%), sclerostin (31%), BAP (28%), and FGF-23 (82%). Most of the decrease was observed during first 2 months after KTx. Serum calcium was increased by 17%. Urine sclerostin/creatinine ratio increased from month 1 till month 6. At KTx serum FGF-23 correlated only with phosphate (r=0.62, p=0.01) and PTH with BAP (r=0.49, p=0.04) but not with sclerostin. At the end of the study neither serum sclerostin nor FGF-23 correlated with other parameters of mineral and bone metabolism. Sclerostin shows the limited utility as the marker of the resolution of bone and mineral metabolism after KTx.
Loss of hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase impedes the rate of glycogenolysis but not gluconeogenic fluxes in exercising mice

Pathologies including diabetes and conditions such as exercise place an unusual demand on liver energy metabolism, and this demand induces a state of energy discharge. Hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been proposed to inhibit anabolic processes such as gluconeogenesis in response to cellular energy stress. However, both AMPK activation and glucose release from the liver are increased during exercise. Here, we sought to test the role of hepatic AMPK in the regulation of in vivo glucose-producing and citric acid cycle–related fluxes during an acute bout of muscular work. We used 2H/13C metabolic flux analysis to quantify intermediary metabolism fluxes in both sedentary and treadmill-running mice. Additionally, liver-specific AMPK α1 and α2 subunit KO and WT mice were utilized. Exercise caused an increase in endogenous glucose production, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis from phosphoenolpyruvate. Citric acid cycle fluxes, pyruvate cycling, anaplerosis, and cataplerosis were also elevated during this exercise. Sedentary nutrient fluxes in the postabsorptive state were comparable for the WT and KO mice. However, the increment in the endogenous rate of glucose appearance during exercise was blunted in the KO mice because of a diminished glycogenolytic flux. This lower rate of glycogenolysis was associated with lower hepatic glycogen content before the onset of exercise and prompted a reduction in arterial glucose during exercise. These results indicate that liver AMPKα1α2 is required for maintaining glucose homeostasis during an acute bout of exercise.
Behaviour of Circularized and FRP Wrapped Hollow Core RC Columns under Different Loading Conditions

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Genetic Variants of Surfactant Proteins A, B, C, and D in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

BPD_28D (O2 dependency at 28 days of life) and BPD_36W (O2 dependency at 36 wks post-menstrual age) are diseases of prematurely born infants exposed to mechanical ventilation and/or oxygen supplementation. In order to determine whether genetic variants of surfactant proteins (SPs-A, B, C, and D) and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers are risk factors in BPD, we performed a family based association study using a Greek study group of 71 neonates (<30 wks gestational age) from 60 families with, 52 BPD_28D and 19 BPD_36W, affected infants. Genotyping was performed using newly designed pyrosequencing assays and previously published methods. Associations between genetic variants of SPs and BPD subgroups were determined using Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT) and Family Based Association Test (FBAT). Significant associations (p ≤ 0.01) were observed for alleles of SP-B and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers, and haplotypes of SP-A, SP-D, and SP-B. Specifically, allele B-18_C associated with susceptibility in BPD_36W. Microsatellite marker AAGG_6 associated with susceptibility in BPD_28D/36W group. Haplotype analysis revealed ten susceptibility and one protective haplotypes for SP-B and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers and two SP-A-SP-D protective haplotypes. The data indicate that SP loci are linked to BPD. Studies in different study groups and/or of larger sample size are warranted to confirm these observations and delineate genetic background of BPD subgroups.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and risk of invasive fungal disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that leads to the production of NADPH, required to destroy microorganisms in the respiratory burst reaction of white blood cells. We evaluated the role of G6PD deficiency in susceptibility of IFD in 108 AML patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy. In all, 28 patients harbored G6PD deficiency (G6PD−), whereas 80 were normal (G6PD +). Incidence of IFD was significantly higher in G6PD− patients compared to G6PD + patients (35.7% vs. 5%, p = .0002, OR = 10, 95% CI = 2.96–37.5). Higher risk of mold infections (17.9% vs. 5%, p = .048, OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.0–16.6) and Candida sepsis (17.9% vs. 0%, p = .0009, OR = 37.68, 95% CI =2.0–707.1) was observed in G6PD − patients. The evaluation of G6PD activity may help to identify AML patients at higher risk of IFD, allowing to design more intensive surveillance and therapeutic strategies.
A vision system for surface roughness measurement.

The purpose of this research work was to develop an optical technique for the measurement of surface roughness for part quality inspection in a production environment. The system comprises a collimated 12W white light for light source and an optical system which captures the reflected light from a machined surface and images it onto a CCD camera. The analog signal from the camera is then digitized and analyzed by an IBM PC-AT. Two techniques were used in the study: one by the analysis of the grey-level histogram of the image and the other by the spectral analysis of a surface profile. The characteristics of the system were first examined to obtain an optimal setting for the measurement. Several optical parameters were then derived to quantify the roughness and correlate with the mechanical surface roughness parameter Ra as obtained from a stylus Instrument for tool steel specimens. It was found that the following parameters: SD/RMS, the maximum peak and the RMS level of a spectrum have good correlation with the mechanical surface roughness. This indicates that they can be used to characterize the roughness of machined surfaces. Similar results were obtained for brass and copper specimens. The results also indicated that the optical system has a better measurement precision over the stylus device because of the