Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Localization of the leukemogenic determinants of SL3-3, an ecotropic, XC-positive murine leukemia virus of AKR mouse origin

SL3-3 is a potent leukemogenic retrovirus that closely resembles the non-leukemogenic virus Akv. Both viruses were isolated from AKR mice, have ecotropic host ranges, and form plaques in the XC assay. They differ at only 1 to 2% of the nucleotides in the viral genomes but differ markedly in virulence properties. SL3-3 induces leukemia in a high percentage of inoculated AKR, C3H, CBA, and NFS mice, whereas Akv does not induce disease in any of these strains. To determine which region of the genome accounts for the leukemogenic potential of SL3-3, we constructed recombinant genomes between molecular clones of SL3-3 and Akv. Recombinant, viral DNA genomes were cloned and then were transfected onto NIH 3T3 fibroblasts to generate infectious virus. The recombinant viruses were tested for leukemogenicity in AKR/J, CBA/J, and C3Hf/Bi mice. We localized the primary leukemogenic determinant to a 3.8-kilobase fragment of the SL3-3 genome containing the viral long terminal repeat, 5' untranslated sequences, gag gene, and 5', 30% of the pol gene. Reciprocal recombinants containing the equivalent region from Akv, linked to the env gene and the remainder of the pol gene from SL3-3, did not induce leukemia. We conclude that the primary virulence determinant of SL3-3 lies outside the region of the genome that encodes the envelope proteins gp70 and p15E.
Controversy Wheezy bronchitis revisited

The description of wheezing illness in preschool children has always been confused. Terms such as wheezy bronchitis, wheeze associated respiratory illness, and asthmatoid bronchitis have been used in the past to describe episodic wheeze in infants and young children. These terms arose because it was felt by paediatricians that episodic wheeze in this age group had a more benign prognosis than asthma of older children. More recently, the use of the term asthma has been advocated to describe all wheezing illness in children, allowing no distinction between virus induced wheeze and other varieties of asthma.1 of precipitating factors, differed from control population terms of several markers. also shared several clinical features, it was concluded that they arose from the same population and that the only difference between them was severity.
Liquid penetration into paper

The origin of this thesis lay in the production of defects associated with manufa cturing LPM impregnated panels. The causes of these defects were unknown as was their exact nature. In identifying the actual nature and cause of these defects, it is necessary to research the fundamental mechanisms of fluid flow into paper as well as identifying how certain s tructural characteristics of paper, as well as characteristics of the penetrating liqu ids, affected fluid flow within paper. To understand the affect of different liquids on impregnation into porous media, simple isotropic micromodels are used to quantify the effects of surface tension an d contact angle on the rate of fluid flow. The use of the Lucas-Washburn equation is question d. Using cryo-SEM and a newly developed technique of cryo 2-photon con fo al laser scanning microscopy, the actual mechanisms of fluid flow in unsized paper are ide ntified. These are due primarily to the advance of the wetting fluid in the form of bulk liquid films along c hannels formed by fibre overlaps. This is in contrast to the common description of fluid penetration, where the primary flow mechanism is based on the bulk filling of pores. These channels, formed by fibre overlaps are shown to form a highly interconnected dens e network of flow paths which efficiently transport the wetting fluid. The flow rates associated with penetration along a number of potential flow paths within the fibre web are calculated. The experimentally observed penetration rate is consistent with a film flow process through inte r-fibr channels which is significantly slower than a penetration process dominated by meniscus flow through pores. In addition the mechanism of fluid flow in internally sized papers is pre sent d. The effects of different fillers on paper structure, flow path morpholog ies and imbibition rate are also quantified. Laboratory papers with different types and amo unts f filler are studied using SEM and cryo-SEM and a newly developed technique of high speed vid o microscopy to quantify such effects.
A Statistical Model for Quantification and Prediction of Cardiac Remodelling: Application to Tetralogy of Fallot

Cardiac remodelling plays a crucial role in heart diseases. Analyzing how the heart grows and remodels over time can provide precious insights into pathological mechanisms, eventually resulting in quantitative metrics for disease evaluation and therapy planning. This study aims to quantify the regional impacts of valve regurgitation and heart growth upon the end-diastolic right ventricle (RV) in patients with tetralogy of Fallot, a severe congenital heart defect. The ultimate goal is to determine, among clinical variables, predictors for the RV shape from which a statistical model that predicts RV remodelling is built. Our approach relies on a forward model based on currents and a diffeomorphic surface registration algorithm to estimate an unbiased template. Local effects of RV regurgitation upon the RV shape were assessed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and cross-sectional multivariate design. A generative 3-D model of RV growth was then estimated using partial least squares (PLS) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Applied on a retrospective population of 49 patients, cross-effects between growth and pathology could be identified. Qualitatively, the statistical findings were found realistic by cardiologists. 10-fold cross-validation demonstrated a promising generalization and stability of the growth model. Compared to PCA regression, PLS was more compact, more precise and provided better predictions.
Opus: University of Bath Online Publication Store Library 2.0: Balancing the Risks and Benefits to Maximise the Dividends

This version is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Abstract Purpose This paper provides a number of examples of how Web 2.0 technologies and approaches (Library 2.0) are being used within the library sector. The paper acknowledges that there are a variety of risks associated with such approaches. The paper describes the different types of risks and outlines a risk assessment and risk management approach which is being developed to minimize the dangers whilst allowing the benefits of Library 2.0 to be realized. The paper outlines various risks and barriers which have been identified at a series of workshops run by UKOLN for the cultural heritage sector in the UK. A risk assessment and risk management approach which was initially developed to support use of Web 2.0 technologies at events organized by UKOLN (a national centre of expertise in digital information management based in the UK) is described and its potential for use within the wider library community, in conjunction with related approaches for addressing areas such as accessibility and protection of young people, is described. Findings Use of Library 2.0 approaches is becoming embedded across many Libraries which seek to exploit the benefits which such technologies can provide. The need to ensure that the associated risks are identified and appropriate mechanisms implemented to minimize such risks are beginning to be appreciated. Practical implications The areas described in this paper should be of relevance to many Library organisations which are making use of Library 2.0 services. The paper should prove valuable to policy makers and Web practitioners within Libraries who may be aware of the potential benefits of Library 2.0 but have not considered associated risks.
Anion fluxes, volume regulation and electrical activity in the mammalian pancreatic beta‐cell

The secretion of insulin from the pancreatic f-cell can be influenced, as with numerous endocrine cell types, by hormones, neurotransmitters and drugs which bind to cell surface receptors and generate an intracellular signal (e.g. cyclic AMP, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate). However, the ,-cell has in addition the uncommon, possibly unique, ability to increase its hormone output in response to a rise in the ambient concentration of nutrients, notably glucose. Insulin release in response to virtually any type of stimulus is intimately associated with altered electrical activity. For example, a rise in glucose concentration within the approximate range 5-20 mM results in a progressive increase in the intensity of electrical, and hence secretory, activity. This, and virtually all other effects of glucose on the fl-cell, require metabolism of the sugar and the generation of some intracellular metabolic signal(s), the precise identity of which is unknown. The nature and regulation of/-cell electrical activity is a complex subject which has been extensively reviewed (for example, see Ashcroft & Rorsman, 1989; Cook, Satin & Hopkins, 1991). The majority of studies of f-cell electrophysiology have employed mouse islets or f-cells, and it is becoming apparent that profound species differences exist. In mouse fl-cells exposed to intermediate glucose concentrations, a rhythmic 'bursting' pattern is seen, consisting of a depolarization of the membrane potential, leading to bursts of Ca2+-dependent action potentials followed by a repolarization leading to a silent phase. As the glucose concentration progressively rises, the duration of the bursts
INJURY PATTERNS IN ADOLESCENT ELITE ENDURANCE ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN RUNNING, ORIENTEERING, AND CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING.

Background Prospective injury registration studies, monitoring adolescent elite athletes, are sparse in running, orienteering and cross-country skiing, yet essential for developing prevention programs. Purpose The aims of this study were to describe the injury prevalence/incidence, severity grade, injury location, risk factors and the prevalence of illness in running (RU), orienteering (OR) and cross-country skiing athletes (CR). Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods One hundred fifty adolescent elite athletes (age range 16-19), participating in orienteering (25 females, 20 males), running (13 females, 18 males), cross-country skiing (38 females, 36 males), from 12 National Sports High Schools in Sweden, were prospectively followed over one calendar year using a reliable and validated web-based questionnaire. Results The main finding was that the average weekly injury prevalence was higher during the pre-season compared to the competitive season in all three sports. RU reported the significantly (p<0.05) highest average weekly injury prevalence (32.4%) and substantial injury prevalence (17.0%), compared to OR (26.0, 8.2%) and CR (21.1%, 8.9%). Most injuries occurred in the lower extremity (RU 94.4%; OR 91.9%; CR 49.9%) and foot and knee injuries had the highest severity grade in all three sports. History of serious injury (p=0.002, OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.6-9.7) and current injury at study start (p=0.004, OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.5-11.2) were identified as the strongest risk factors for substantial injury. Younger athletes aged 16 (p=0.019, OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.8) and 17 (p=0.045, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0-5.9), had a significantly higher injury risk for substantial injury compared to older athletes aged 18-19. Conclusion Practitioners should be aware of the increased injury risk during pre-season and in younger athletes. By focus on prevention of foot and knee injuries, the injuries with the highest severity grade will be targeted in adolescent elite athletes participating in running, orienteering and cross-country skiing. Level of evidence 2b.
Predictors of CD4+ lymphocyte count among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE To determine the predictors of CD4+ lymphocyte count among pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS Between 04/1995 and 03/1997, HIV-seropositive (n=1,027) and HIV-seronegative (n=280) pregnant women were interviewed to obtain socio-demographic characteristics. Later, blood samples was collected for determination of T-lymphocyte subsets and other haematological indices. RESULTS CD4+ lymphocyte count was significantly higher among HIV-seronegative women (mean=770 cells/mm3, standard deviation (SD)=232 cells/mm3) than HIV-seropositive women (mean=422 cells/mm3, SD=205 cells/mm3). Most HIV-seropositive women were asymptomatic, in WHO clinical stage 1 (84.3%). Among HIV-seropositive women, total white blood count (WBC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) remained significantly correlated with CD4+ after adjusting for other predictors in multivariate analyses. For women of average age 25 years, the CD4+ lymphocyte count increased by about 16 cells/mm3 for each increment of 1000 WBC cells/mm3, while each 10 mm/hr increase in ESR was associated with a reduction of CD4+ lymphocyte count of about 8 cells/mm3. CONCLUSION These results show that simple and inexpensive haematological indices cannot be recommended for use as alternative measures of HIV-related immunosuppression in this population of mainly asymptomatic women.
Electronic mentoring: An innovative approach to providing clinical support

Aims Professional isolation is a contributing factor to poor recruitment and retention of physical therapists in rural positions. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a pilot electronic mentoring, or e-mentoring, programme to address the need for support of physical therapists working in rural positions, in British Colombia, Canada. Methods An action research approach was used to examine whether an e-mentoring programme could effectively support physical therapists in paediatric clinical practice. The pilot programme involved an experienced physical therapist who mentored two sole charge physical therapists with no paediatric experience from a distance using their laptop computers. Programme evaluation data was obtained through questionnaires, field notes and a final group meeting using videoconferencing. Findings The key to the success of the e-mentoring programme was the collaborative interaction between the mentor and the mentee. Other factors that supported this interaction and .
Known and Novel Sources of Variability in the Nicotine Metabolite Ratio in a Large Sample of Treatment-Seeking Smokers

Background: The ratio of 3′hydroxycotinine to cotinine, or nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), is strongly associated with CYP2A6 genotype, CYP2A6-mediated nicotine and cotinine metabolism, and nicotine clearance. Higher NMR (faster nicotine clearance) is associated retrospectively with heavier smoking and lower cessation rates. Methods: NMR as a predictive biomarker of cessation outcomes is being investigated (NCT01314001). In addition to strong CYP2A6 genetic influences on NMR, demographic and hormonal factors alter NMR. Here, we analyzed, for the first time together, these sources of variation on NMR in smokers screened for this clinical trial (N = 1,672). Results: Participants (mean age = 45.9) were 65.1% Caucasian, 34.9% African American, and 54.8% male. Mean NMR (SD) was higher in Caucasians versus African Americans [0.41 (0.20) vs. 0.33 (0.21); P < 0.001], and in females versus males [0.41 (0.22) vs. 0.37 (0.20); P < 0.001]. Among females, birth control pill use (N = 17) and hormone replacement therapy (N = 14) were associated with 19.5% (P = 0.09) and 29.3% (P = 0.06) higher mean NMR, respectively, albeit nonsignificantly. BMI was negatively associated with NMR (Rho = −0.14; P < 0.001), whereas alcohol use (Rho = 0.11; P < 0.001) and cigarette consumption (Rho = 0.12; P < 0.001) were positively associated with NMR. NMR was 16% lower in mentholated cigarette users (P < 0.001). When analyzed together in a linear regression model, these predictors (each ≤2%) accounted for <8% of total NMR variation. Conclusions: Although these factors significantly affected NMR, they contributed little (together <8%; each ≤2%) to total NMR variation. Impact: Thus, when using NMR, for example, to prospectively guide smoking cessation therapy, these sources of variation are unlikely to cause NMR misclassification. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(9); 1773–82. ©2014 AACR.
Poor Glycemic Control Is an Independent Risk Factor for Low HDL Cholesterol in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the association observed between poor glycemic control and low HDL cholesterol in type 2 diabetes is dependent on obesity and/or hypertriglyceridemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of 1,819 patients with type 2 diabetes and triglycerides <400 mg/dl enrolled at three diabetes centers in Italy. The risk for low HDL cholesterol was analyzed as a function of A1C levels. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated after adjustment for confounding factors. RESULTS A 1% increase in A1C significantly increased the risk for low HDL cholesterol (OR 1.17 [95% CI 1.1–1.2], P = 0.00072); no changes were observed when age, sex, smoking, and lipid-lowering therapy were included in the model (1.17 [1.1–1.2], P = 0.00044). The association remained strong after adjustments for obesity and hypertriglyceridemia in multivariate analysis (1.12 [1.05–1.18], P = 0.00017). CONCLUSIONS Poor glycemic control appears to be an independent risk factor for low HDL cholesterol in type 2 diabetes.
Aerotaxis in the closest relatives of animals

As the closest unicellular relatives of animals, choanoflagellates serve as useful model organisms for understanding the evolution of animal multicellularity. An important factor in animal evolution was the increasing ocean oxygen levels in the Precambrian, which are thought to have influenced the emergence of complex multicellular life. As a first step in addressing these conditions, we study here the response of the colony-forming choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta to oxygen gradients. Using a microfluidic device that allows spatio-temporal variations in oxygen concentrations, we report the discovery that S. rosetta displays positive aerotaxis. Analysis of the spatial population distributions provides evidence for logarithmic sensing of oxygen, which enhances sensing in low oxygen neighborhoods. Analysis of search strategy models on the experimental colony trajectories finds that choanoflagellate aerotaxis is consistent with stochastic navigation, the statistics of which are captured using an effective continuous version based on classical run-and-tumble chemotaxis. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.18109. 001
Aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and sleep-disordered breathing in morbidly obese females: a cross-sectional study

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is often encountered in morbid obesity (MO) in conjunction with insulin resistance (IR). Aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a promising marker for left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) in MO. We sought to explore the factors that may influence the relationships of SDB and IR with NT-proBNP in MO women. We performed a cross-sectional pilot study involving 110 asymptomatic MO (44.5±0.7 kg/m2) young women. SDB risk was assessed using a modified version of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ). IR was assessed using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index and adiponectin levels. LVD was assessed using NT-proBNP and echocardiograms. In this study, NT-proBNP levels and LVD increased significantly along the BQ strata. Multiple regression analysis identified BQ and log-transformed HOMA as the independent variables predicting as much as 48.0% of the variability of logNT-proBNP. In conclusion, NT-pro-BNP levels are independently predicted by SDB and IR in asymptomatic MO women. Larger prospective studies are warranted.
R2DB: A System for Querying and Visualizing Weighted RDF Graphs

Existing RDF query languages and RDF stores fail to support a large class of knowledge applications which associate utilities or costs on the available knowledge statements. A recent proposal includes (a) a ranked RDF (R2DF) specification to enhance RDF triples with an application specific weights and (b) a SPA Rank QL query language specification, which provides novel primitives on top of the SPARQL language to express top-k queries using traditional query patterns as well as novel flexible path predicates. We introduce and demonstrate R2DB, a database system for querying weighted RDF graphs. R2DB relies on the AR2Q query processing engine, which leverages novel index structures to support efficient ranked path search and includes query optimization strategies based on proximity and sub-result inter-arrival times. In addition to being the first data management system for the R2DF data model, R2DB also provides an innovative features-of-interest (FoI) based method for visualizing large sets of query results (i.e., sub graphs of the data graph).
Exploring a design space for place-based presence

Presence and Instant Messa in (PIM) applications are a very popular - if not the most popular - type of Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE). Current presence technology in PIM applications can only answer people-oriented presence queries such as "Who is online? ", hich may not suffice for use of PIM applications in the orkplace. In this poster, we explore more sophisticated, place-based presence systems that can also answer place-oriented presence queries, such as "Who is near? ".
Biochemical Staging of Synucleinopathy and Amyloid Deposition in Dementia With Lewy Bodies

The primary feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the aggregation of alpha-synuclein into characteristic lesions: Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites. However, in most of DLB cases, LBs are associated with neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques (both Alzheimer disease [AD]-related lesions). We wanted to determine if this overlap of lesions is statistical, as a result of the late onset of both diseases, or results from a specific physiopathological synergy between synucleinopathy and either tauopathy or amyloid pathology. All patients with DLB from our prospective and multidisciplinary study were analyzed. These cases were compared with cases with pure AD and patients with Parkinson disease and controls. All cases were analyzed thoroughly at the neuropathologic and biochemical levels with a biochemical staging of aggregated &agr;-synuclein, tau, and A&bgr; species. All sporadic cases of DLB were associated with abundant deposits of A&bgr; x-42 that were similar in quality and quantity to those of AD. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) dysfunction is a risk factor for AD as demonstrated by pathogenic mutations and A&bgr; accumulation. The constant and abundant A&bgr; x-42 deposition in sporadic DLB suggests that synucleinopathy is also promoted by APP dysfunction. Therefore, we conclude that APP is a therapeutic target for both AD and DLB.