Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The upper airway in sleep‐disordered breathing: A clinical prediction model

An examination of the upper airway in patients with suspected sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is recommended prior to nighttime polysomnography (PSG) despite a reported low predictive value of those examinations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the data of the clinical examination and to create a clinical prediction model.
Concentration Study of High Sensitive C - reactive Protein and some Serum Trace Elements in Patients with Benign and Malignant Breast Tumor

Background : Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in females worldwide. It accounts for 16% of all female cancers and 22.9% of invasive cancers in women. 18.2% of all cancer deaths worldwide including both males and females are from breast cancer. In this study we compared few serum elements in patients with benign and malignant breast tumor to find any related prognostic and predictive value. Subjects and Methods: A case-control study was carried out in a hospital (Tehran - Iran) in 2012. Target population was divided in 2 groups; subjects with benign and malignant breast tumors. We did preoperative hematological test. Five milliliter fasting blood vein was collected, centrifuged in 3000 g for 15 minutes to obtain serum. We measured serum Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg), Zinc (Zn), and high sensitive-CRP, analyzed statistically and compared recorded elements in 2 groups by software package SPSS version 16. The level of significant was considered P < 0.05. Results: Of 87 women, 49 cases with benign breast disease (group A) and 38 cases with breast cancer (group B) entered our study. Serum concentration of Ca, mg, and P in group A were higher than group B, however these differences were not significant. We found no significant correlation between serum Zn and type of tumor in our patients. On the other hand, a significant elevation in hs-CRP in patient with breast cancer was seen (P Value=.000). Conclusion : Our results have shown similar concentration of Ca, Mg, Zn, P and completely different hs-CRP concentration in patients with benign and malignant breast disease.
High Dietary Glycemic Index and Low Fiber Content Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: To investigate possible associations of dietary glycemic index (GI) and fiber content with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 175 outpatients with type 2 diabetes (aged 61.1 ± 9.7 years; HbA1c 7.3% ± 1.4%; diabetes duration of 11 years [range, 5–17]) had food intake assessed by 3-day weighed-diet records. Dietary GI (according to FAO/WHO) and fiber content were categorized as high or low based on median values. MetS was defined according to the 2009 Joint Interim Statement. Results: Patients with MetS (n = 109) had higher 24-hour GI (60.0% ± 6.3% vs 57.5% ± 6.4%), higher breakfast GI (59.8% ± 8.0% vs 55.0% ± 9.9%), and lower fiber intake at 24 hours (17.0 ± 6.6 g vs 21.2 ± 8.0 g), breakfast (1.9 [1.2–3.2] vs 3.1 [1.8–4.9] g), lunch (6.2 [3.9–8.0] vs 7.5 [4.7–9.4] g), and dinner (3.3 [2.1–5.2] vs 4.9 [3.1–6.4] g; p < 0.05 for all comparisons) than patients without MetS. In multivariate analyses, high GI (∼60%) of 24 hours (odds ratio [OR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–4.11; p = 0.025), breakfast (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.15–4.21; p = 0.017), and lunch (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.28–4.74; p = 0.007) was associated with MetS. Breakfast (OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.04–4.41; p = 0.039) and dinner (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.15–4.49; p = 0.019) with low fiber content were also associated with MetS. When high GI and low fiber intake were combined into the same variable, associations with MetS were maintained. Conclusions: Increased dietary GI and reduced fiber content were positively associated with MetS, mainly due to breakfast intake, in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Interactions between actin filaments and between actin filaments and membranes in quick-frozen and deeply etched hair cells of the chick ear

Replicas of the apical surface of hair cells of the inner ear (vestibular organ) were examined after quick freezing and rotary shadowing. With this technique we illustrate two previously undescribed ways in which the actin filaments in the stereocilia and in the cuticular plate are attached to the plasma membrane. First, in each stereocilium there are threadlike connectors running from the actin filament bundle to the limiting membrane. Second, many of the actin filaments in the cuticular plate are connected to the apical cell membrane by tiny branched connecting units like a "crow's foot. " Where these "feet" contact the membrane there is a small swelling. These branched "feet" extend mainly from the ends of the actin filaments but some connect the lateral surfaces of the actin filaments as well. Actin filaments in the cuticular plate are also connected to each other by finer filaments, 3 nm in thickness and 74 +/- 14 nm in length. Interestingly, these 3-nm filaments (which measure 4 nm in replicas) connect actin filaments not only of the same polarity but of opposite polarities as documented by examining replicas of the cuticular plate which had been decorated with subfragment 1 (S1) of myosin. At the apicolateral margins of the cell we find two populations of actin filaments, one just beneath the tight junction as a network, the other at the level of the zonula adherens as a ring. The latter which is quite substantial is composed of actin filaments that run parallel to each other; adjacent filaments often show opposite polarities, as evidenced by S1 decoration. The filaments making up this ring are connected together by the 3-nm connectors. Because of the polarity of the filaments this ring may be a "contractile" ring; the implications of this is discussed.
Spontaneous male death during copulation in an orb-weaving spider

Males of some cannibalistic species of spiders and insects appear to sacrifice themselves by allowing the female to eat them, and the adaptive significance of such drastic terminal reproductive investment has recently been demonstrated for a spider. Typically, the female has to kill the male, but it has been suggested that males of some species in the cannibalistic orb-weaving spider genus Argiope may die in copula without female 'collaboration'. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence to our knowledge of programmed sudden death after onset of copulation in males of the spider Argiope aurantia. Our observations reveal that males invariably die during the insertion of their second pedipalp, regardless of whether they mate with newly moulted, defenceless females or with older mature females that often attack them. We determined experimentally that the death of males is triggered immediately upon insertion of the second palp, when males become unresponsive, and heartbeat ceases within minutes of insertion. We discuss the possible adaptive significance of programmed death during copulation, and argue that male death has evolved in a context other than sexual cannibalism.
The ASH 1-RELATED 3 SET-Domain Protein Controls Cell Division Competence of the Meristem and the Quiescent Center of the Arabidopsis Primary Root 1 [ W ] [ OPEN ]

Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, N–0316 Oslo, Norway (R.K., T.T., M.A.R., H.Z.N., U.H., S.V.V., G.E., R.B.A.); Department of Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B–9052 Ghent, Belgium (J.H., T.L., L.D.V.); and Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (R.S., M.J.B.)
Metabolic Programming during Lactation Stimulates Renal Na+ Transport in the Adult Offspring Due to an Early Impact on Local Angiotensin II Pathways

Background Several studies have correlated perinatal malnutrition with diseases in adulthood, giving support to the programming hypothesis. In this study, the effects of maternal undernutrition during lactation on renal Na+-transporters and on the local angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling cascade in rats were investigated. Methodology/Principal Findings Female rats received a hypoproteic diet (8% protein) throughout lactation. Control and programmed offspring consumed a diet containing 20% protein after weaning. Programming caused a decrease in the number of nephrons (35%), in the area of the Bowman's capsule (30%) and the capillary tuft (30%), and increased collagen deposition in the cortex and medulla (by 175% and 700%, respectively). In programmed rats the expression of (Na++K+)ATPase in proximal tubules increased by 40%, but its activity was doubled owing to a threefold increase in affinity for K+. Programming doubled the ouabain-insensitive Na+-ATPase activity with loss of its physiological response to Ang II, increased the expression of AT1 and decreased the expression of AT2 receptors), and caused a pronounced inhibition (90%) of protein kinase C activity with decrease in the expression of the α (24%) and ε (13%) isoforms. Activity and expression of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase decreased in the same proportion as the AT2 receptors (30%). In vivo studies at 60 days revealed an increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (70%), increased Na+ excretion (80%) and intense proteinuria (increase of 400% in protein excretion). Programmed rats, which had normal arterial pressure at 60 days, became hypertensive by 150 days. Conclusions/Significance Maternal protein restriction during lactation results in alterations in GFR, renal Na+ handling and in components of the Ang II-linked regulatory pathway of renal Na+ reabsorption. At the molecular level, they provide a framework for understanding how metabolic programming of renal mechanisms contributes to the onset of hypertension in adulthood.
Keeping clean water clean in a Malawi refugee camp: a randomized intervention trial.

OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to assess the ability of a water container with a cover and a spout to prevent household contamination of water in a Malawian refugee camp. METHODS A randomized trial was conducted in a refugee population that had experienced repeated outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea and where contamination of water in the home was found to be a significant cause of cholera. Four hundred Mozambican refugee households were systematically identified and followed over a 4-month period, one fourth of the households were randomly assigned to exclusively use the improved container for water collection. FINDINGS Water flowing from the source wells had little or no microbial contamination although the water collectors quickly contaminated their water, primarily through contact with their hands. Analysis of water samples demonstrated that there was a 69% reduction in the geometric mean of faecal coliform levels in household water and 31% less diarrhoeal disease (P = 0.06) in children under 5 years of age among the group using the improved bucket. Regression models examining diarrhoea among under 5-year-olds confirmed the protective effect of the bucket and found that visible faeces in the family latrine and the presence of animals were significantly associated with an increased diarrhoeal incidence in children. CONCLUSION Household contamination of drinking-water significantly contributed to diarrhoea in this population. Proper chlorination is a less expensive and more effective means of water quality protection in comparison with the improved bucket, but was unpopular and rarely utilized by the camp inhabitants.
Point Process Modelling of Rumour Dynamics in Social Media

Rumours on social media exhibit complex temporal patterns. This paper develops a model of rumour prevalence using a point process, namely a log-Gaussian Cox process, to infer an underlying continuous temporal probabilistic model of post frequencies. To generalize over different rumours, we present a multi-task learning method parametrized by the text in posts which allows data statistics to be shared between groups of similar rumours. Our experiments demonstrate that our model outperforms several strong baseline methods for rumour frequency prediction evaluated on tweets from the 2014 Ferguson riots.
Composition Operators on the Fock Space

We determine the holomorphic mappings of C that induce bounded composition operators on the Fock space in C. Furthermore, we determine which of these composition operators are compact, and we compute the operator norm of all bounded composition operators in this setting. We also consider extensions of these results in various generalizations of the Fock space.
Short Communication: Skeletal Maturation of Children with Sex Chromosome Abnormalities

Summary: Skeletal maturity, or “bone age,” is one of the several criteria used to determine developmental or physiologic age as opposed to chronologic age. The purpose of this study of skeletal maturation of children with sex chromosome abnormalities (45,X, 47,XXX, 47,XXY, X-chromosomal mosaics) and controls is 2c-fold: (1) to investigate if children with sex chromosome aneuploidy ascertained in an unbiased fashion differ in skeletal maturation from their siblings and other normal healthy children born in Denver, Colorado, and (2) to assess if the skeletal age standards currently in use (Greulich-Pyle; Tanner-Whitehouse) are applicable to Denver children when evaluating radiographs for skeletal maturation. Mean chronologic and skeletal age were measured. Mean differences between skeletal and chronologic age for all groups across all measures were calculated.The 45,X females constitute the only group studied with bone ages lower than expected (0.05 > P > 0.01; two-tailed test). We found no other significant differences in skeletal maturation between Denver children with sex chromosome abnormalities and their siblings or the control sample of Denver children.Although we found the Tanner-Whitehouse standards to be more applicable for use with this population, all the Denver groups investigated yielded consistently lower bone ages than expected published norms.This is the first documentation in a group of children with sex chromosome abnormalities, ascertained in an unbiased fashion, that, with the exception of those with a 45,X karyotype, bone age is not significantly different from that of the normal population.
Remarks on bootstrap percolation in metric networks

We examine bootstrap percolation in d-dimensional, directed metric graphs in the context of recent measurements of firing dynamics in 2D neuronal cultures. There are two regimes depending on the graph size N. Large metric graphs are ignited by the occurrence of critical nuclei, which initially occupy an infinitesimal fraction, f∗ → 0, of the graph and then explode throughout a finite fraction. Smaller metric graphs are effectively random in the sense that their ignition requires the initial ignition of a finite, unlocalized fraction of the graph, f∗ > 0. The crossover between the two regimes is at a size N∗ which scales exponentially with the connectivity range λ like N∗ ∼ exp λd. The neuronal cultures are finite metric graphs of size N ≃ 105 − 106, which, for the parameters of the experiment, is effectively random since N ≪ N∗. This explains the seeming contradiction in the observed finite f∗ in these cultures. Finally, we discuss the dynamics of the firing front.
Moving Toward a Standard for Spinal Fusion Outcomes Assessment

Previous spinal fusion outcomes assessment studies have been complicated by inconsistencies in evaluative criteria and consequent variations in results. As a result, a general consensus is lacking on how to achieve comprehensive outcomes assessment for spinal fusion surgeries. The purpose of this article is to report the most validated and frequently used assessment measures to facilitate comparable outcomes studies in the future. Twenty-seven spinal fusion outcomes studies published between 1990 and 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Study characteristics such as design, evaluative measures, and assessment tools were recorded and analyzed. Based on the reviewed literature, an outcomes assessment model is proposed including the Short Form-36 Health Survey, the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, the North American Spine Society Patient Satisfaction Index, the Prolo Economic Scale, a 0–10 analog pain scale, medication use, radiographically assessed fusion status, and a generalized complication rate.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Appearance of the Hip Musculature After Arthroscopic Labral-Level Iliopsoas Tenotomies

Background: Iliopsoas (IP) muscle atrophy is a known consequence of open IP tenotomy, but the severity of IP muscle atrophy that occurs after arthroscopic labral-level IP tenotomies has not been documented. Purpose: To document the severity of muscle atrophy that occurs in the iliacus, psoas, and adjacent hip musculature after arthroscopic labral-level IP tenotomy. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Twenty-eight patients who had magnetic resonance arthrograms (MRAs) obtained prior to and 3 months to 5 years after arthroscopic labral-level IP tenotomies are the basis of this report. The pre- and postoperative MRAs of each patient were examined in consensus by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists who graded the postoperative muscle atrophy from 0 (no fatty infiltration) to 4 (>75% fatty infiltration) and noted any compensatory muscle hypertrophy or abnormal IP tendon morphology. Patients also were assessed with the Byrd 100-point modified Harris Hip Scoring system (MHHS) preoperatively and at the time of their postoperative MRA. Results: Postoperative MRAs were obtained on average 1.7 years (range, 3 months to 5 years) after hip arthroscopy. None of the patients had muscle atrophy on their preoperative MRAs. In contrast, 89% of patients had iliacus and psoas muscle atrophy on their postoperative MRAs, but only 2 (7%) developed grade 4 atrophy, and the majority (64%) had either grade 1 (n = 15) or no atrophy (n = 3). In addition, there were no significant differences in the MHHS of the patients with mild (grades 0-1), moderate (grades 2-3), or severe (grade 4) postoperative atrophy. Postoperative MRAs also demonstrated low-grade atrophy (grades 1-2) in the quadratus femoris (n = 5) and rectus femoris (n = 1) muscles, and 16 patients (57%) had distortion of the tendon, but none had a gap in their tendon. Conclusion: A majority of patients (89%) developed IP muscle atrophy after arthroscopic labral-level IP tenotomies, and although this percentage was similar (89% vs 90%) to that reported with lesser trochanteric IP tenotomies, the patients did not (1) develop atrophy of the gluteus maximus and vastus lateralis muscles, (2) have chronic IP tendon disruption, or (3) develop the severity of IP atrophy (55% grade 4 vs 7% grade 4) that has been reported after arthroscopic lesser trochanteric IP tenotomies.
No Effect of Muscle Stretching within a Full, Dynamic Warm-up on Athletic Performance

PurposeThis study aimed to examine the effects of static and dynamic stretching routines performed as part of a comprehensive warm-up on flexibility and sprint running, jumping, and change of direction tests in team sport athletes. MethodsA randomized, controlled, crossover study design with experimenter blinding was conducted. On separate days, 20 male team sport athletes completed a comprehensive warm-up routine. After a low-intensity warm-up, a 5-s static stretch (5S), a 30-s static stretch (30S; 3 × 10-s stretches), a 5-repetition (per muscle group) dynamic stretch (DYN), or a no-stretch (NS) protocol was completed; stretches were done on seven lower body and two upper body regions. This was followed by test-specific practice progressing to maximum intensity. A comprehensive test battery assessing intervention effect expectations as well as flexibility, vertical jump, sprint running, and change of direction outcomes was then completed in a random order. ResultsThere were no effects of stretch condition on test performances. Before the study, 18/20 participants nominated DYN as the most likely to improve performance and 15/20 nominated NS as least likely. Immediately before testing, NS was rated less “effective” (4.0 ± 2.2 on a 10-point scale) than 5S, 30S, and DYN (5.3–6.4). Nonetheless, these ratings were not related to test performances. ConclusionParticipants felt they were more likely to perform well when stretching was performed as part of the warm-up, irrespective of stretch type. However, no effect of muscle stretching was observed on flexibility and physical function compared with no stretching. On the basis of the current evidence, the inclusion of short durations of either static or dynamic stretching is unlikely to affect sprint running, jumping, or change of direction performance when performed as part of a comprehensive physical preparation routine.
Heterogenic Endothelial Responses to Inflammation: Role for Differential N‐Glycosylation and Vascular Bed of Origin

Background Endothelial cell responses during inflammation are heterogeneous and key for selectivity in how leukocytes hone in on specific sites and why vascular diseases are highly bed specific. However, mechanisms for this specificity remain unclear. Methods and Results Here, we exposed human endothelial cells isolated from 5 systemic arterial beds from 1 donor (to overcome donor‐to‐donor genetic/epigenetic differences), the umbilical vein, and pulmonary microvasculature to TNF‐α, LPS, and IL‐1β and assessed acute (ERK1/2 and p65) and chronic (ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1 total and surface expression) signaling responses and assessed changes in surface N‐glycans and monocyte adhesion. Significant diversity in responses was evident by disparate changes in ERK1/2 and p65 NF‐κB phosphorylation, which varied up to 5‐fold between different cells and in temporal and magnitude differences in ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1 expression (maximal VCAM‐1 induction typically being observed by 4 hours, whereas ICAM‐1 expression was increased further at 24 hours relative to 4 hours). N‐glycan profiles both basally and with stimulation were also bed specific, with hypoglycosylated N‐glycans correlating with increased THP‐1 monocyte adhesion. Differences in surface N‐glycan expression tracked with dynamic up‐ or downregulation of α‐mannosidase activity during inflammation. Conclusions These results demonstrate a critical role for the vascular bed of origin in controlling endothelial responses and function to inflammatory stimuli and suggest that bed‐specific expression of N‐linked sugars may provide a signature for select leukocyte recruitment.
An approximate voting scheme for reliable computing

This paper relies on the principles of inexact computing to alleviate the issues arising in static masking by voting for reliable computing. A scheme that utilizes approximate voting is proposed; it is referred to as inexact double modular redundancy (IDMR). IDMR does not resort to triplication, thus saving overhead due to modular replication; moreover, this scheme is adaptive in its operation, i.e., it allows a threshold to determine the validity of the module outputs. IDMR operates by initially establishing the difference between the values of the outputs of the two modules; only if the difference is below a preset threshold, then the voter calculates the average value of the two module outputs. An extensive analysis of the voting circuits and an application to image processing are presented.