Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma and other allergies in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: unnoticed issue

Introduction Allergic diseases are becoming more prevalent in elderly patients. Allergic diseases have been observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The prevalence of atopic bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis was analyzed in such elderly Polish population. Aim Analysis of the presence of allergic diseases in the patients with AD in Poland, including asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis. Material and methods The recruitment of subjects with AD was conducted at 6 sites representative of Polish rural and urban areas, and 1060 subjects with a mean age of 69.2 ±5.1 years were screened. Medical examinations, an original questionnaire, skin prick testing for common aeroallergens and appropriate serum-specific IgE assays were performed. Results Probable atopy was diagnosed in 234 (22.1%) analyzed patients, including 127 women (21.5% of women) and 234 men (22.8% of men). The average prevalence associated with age and sex in this population for bronchial asthma was 2.9%, atopic dermatitis/eczema was 0.6%, seasonal allergic rhinitis was 6.6%, perennial allergic rhinitis was 11.1% and polymorphous atopic disease was 4.4%. The most frequent positive results were recorded for the following allergens: mixed grass, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and Alternaria. Conclusions One-fifth of diagnosed patients with AD have allergic disease requiring treatment.
Multiple levels of Notch signal regulation (Review)

Notch is a vitally important signalling receptor controlling cell fate determination and pattern formation in numerous ways during development of both invertebrate and vertebrate species. An intriguing pathway for the Notch signal has emerged where, after ligand-dependent proteolysis, an intracellular fragment of the receptor itself translocates to the nucleus to regulate gene expression. The nuclear activity of the Notch intracellular domain is linked to complexes regulating chromatin organization through histone deacetylation and acetylation. To allow the Notch signal to be deployed in numerous contexts, many different mechanisms have evolved to regulate the level, duration and spatial distribution of Notch activity. Regulation occurs at multiple levels including patterns of ligand and receptor expression, Notch - ligand interactions, trafficking of the receptor and ligands, and covalent modifications including glycosylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination. Several Notch regulatory proteins have conserved domains that link them to the ubiquitination pathway, and ubiquitination of the Notch intracellular domain has recently been linked to its degradation. Different proteolytically derived isoforms of Notch have also been identified that may be involved in alternative Notch-dependent signals or regulatory mechanisms, and differences between the four mammalian Notch homologues are beginning to be appreciated.
The Hidden Tragedy of Rivers: A Decade of Unintentional Fatal Drowning in Australia

Objective(s) Describe unintentional drowning deaths in rivers, creeks and streams (rivers) in Australia and identify risk factors to inform prevention. Design & Setting This study is a cross-sectional, total population audit of all unintentional fatal drownings in Australian rivers between 1-July-2002 and 30-June-2012 using Australian coronial data. A modified Bonferroni test has been applied, deeming statistical significance p<0.03 and p<0.04 respectively. Results Rivers (n = 770; 26.6%) were the leading location among the 2,892 people who died from unintentional fatal drowning. This is a rate of 0.37/100,000 people / annum. Within river drowning deaths common groups include; males (80.4%), adults (85.3%), adults who have consumed alcohol (25.5%), people who fell in (21.3%), people involved in non-aquatic transport incidents (18.2%) and locals (74.0%). Children were 1.75 times more likely than adults (p<0.04) to drown in rivers as a result of a fall and adults 1.50 times more likely to drown in rivers as a result of watercraft incidents when compared to children. When compared to males, females were 2.27 and 4.45 times respectively more likely to drown in rivers as a result of incidents involving non-aquatic transport (p<0.04) and being swept away by floodwaters (p<0.04). Males were 2.66 and 4.27 times respectively more likely to drown in rivers as a result of watercraft incidents (p<0.04) and as a result of jumping in (p<0.04) when compared to females. Conclusion(s) While rivers are the leading location for drowning in Australia, little is understood about the risks. This study has identified key groups (males, adults, locals) and activities. While males were more likely to drown, the risk profile for females differed.
Thin Plate Design for Transverse Loading

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A Systematic Review of Loneliness and Smoking: Small Effects, Big Implications

Background: Research supports an association between smoking and negative affect. Loneliness is a negative affective state experienced when a person perceives themselves as socially isolated and is associated with poor health behaviors and increased morbidity and early mortality. Objectives: In this article, we systematically review the literature on loneliness and smoking and suggest potential theoretical and methodological implications. Methods: PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched for articles that assessed the statistical association between loneliness and smoking. Articles that met study inclusion criteria were reviewed. Results: Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Ten studies were conducted with nationally representative samples. Twelve studies assessed loneliness using a version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale and nine used a one-item measure of loneliness. Seventeen studies assessed smoking with a binary smoking status variable. Fourteen of the studies were conducted with adults and 11 with adolescents. Half of the reviewed studies reported a statistically significant association between loneliness and smoking. Of the studies with significant results, all but one study found that higher loneliness scores were associated with being a smoker. Conclusions/Importance: Loneliness and smoking are likely associated, however, half of the studies reviewed did not report significant associations. Studies conducted with larger sample sizes, such as those that used nationally representative samples, were more likely to have statistically significant findings. Future studies should focus on using large, longitudinal cohorts, using measures that capture different aspects of loneliness and smoking, and exploring mediators and moderators of the association between loneliness and smoking.
Anomalous strain relaxation behavior of Fe3O4∕MgO (100) heteroepitaxial system grown using molecular beam epitaxy

Strain relaxation studies in epitaxial magnetite (Fe3O4) thin films grown on MgO (100) substrates using high-resolution x-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveal that the films remain fully coherent up to a thickness of 700nm. This thickness is much greater than the critical thickness tc for strain relaxation estimated from mismatch strain. Anomalous strain relaxation behavior of Fe3O4∕MgO heteroepitaxy is attributed to the reduction in the effective stress experienced by the film due to the presence of antiphase boundaries (APBs) that enable the film to maintain coherency with the substrate at large thickness. However, the stress accommodation in the film depends upon the nature and density of the APBs.
Impact of smoking cessation therapy on health-related quality of life

Background Smoking is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQL); however, there are few data regarding effects of smoking cessation treatment on HRQL. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in HRQL after smoking cessation treatment and to elucidate factors influencing this improvement in HRQL. Setting Smoking cessation clinic at a 358-bed community teaching hospital in Japan. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of cigarette smokers who participated in a 3-month smoking cessation programme. HRQL was assessed at baseline and at the end of the programme using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The abstinence was subjected to verification by an exhaled CO level of ≤10 ppm. Results Of 570 participants in the programme, 277 (mean age: 60.9±12.2 y, male/female=180/97) were eligible; excluded were 277 participants who dropped out of the programme and 16 for whom SGRQs were not available or were incomplete. Initial prescribed pharmacotherapy was transdermal nicotine patches in 160 participants and varenicline in 117. At 12 weeks, SGRQ scores improved significantly as follows (mean±SD): Δ symptoms score, −5.7±16.0; Δ activity score, −4.4±18.3; Δ impact score, −5.3±13.5 and Δ total score, −5.1±12.2 (p<0.0001 in all cases). There were no significant differences in changes in SGRQ scores between quitters (n=183) and continuous smokers (n=94). In a multivariate analysis, only the average nicotine addiction level according to the Tobacco Dependence Screener test was associated with a clinically significant improvement in the SGRQ (OR 1.35 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.59)). Marked reduction in number of cigarettes smoked with a corresponding low median exhaled CO level of 7 ppm in continuous smokers following therapy was observed. Conclusions Smoking cessation treatment improved HRQL regardless of quit status. Baseline nicotine addiction level was predictive of that improvement.
Results of total hip replacement using the Robodoc surgical assistant system: clinical outcome and evaluation of complications for 97 procedures

A computerized robotic surgical system was developed from 1986 by the Thomas J. Watson Research Center. In 1992 the system unit Orthodoc® and the milling robot Robodoc® were first used on humans. We present the results achieved with Robodoc‐assisted total hip arthroplasty in 97 hips.
DARC on RBC limits lung injury by balancing compartmental distribution of CXC chemokines

The Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) has a high affinity for CC and CXC chemokines. However, it lacks the ability to induce cell responses that are typical for classical chemokine receptors. The role of DARC in inflammatory conditions remains to be elucidated. We studied the role of DARC in a murine model of acute lung injury. We found that in Darc‐gene‐deficient (Darc−/−) mice, LPS‐induced PMN migration into the alveolar space was elevated more than twofold. In contrast, PMN adhesion to endothelial cells and within the interstitial space was reduced in Darc−/− mice. Darc−/− mice also exhibited increased microvascular permeability. Elevated PMN migration in Darc−/− mice was associated with increased concentrations of two essential CXCR2 ligands, CXCL1 and CXCL2/3 in the alveolar space. In the blood, CXCL1 was mostly associated with RBC in WT mice and with plasma in Darc−/− mice. We found that DARC on RBC prevented excessive PMN migration into the alveolar space. In contrast, DARC on non‐hematopoietic cells appeared to have only minor effects on leukocyte trafficking in this model. These findings show how DARC regulates lung inflammation by controlling the distribution and presentation of chemokines that bind CXCR2.
VIM-1 Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains in Greek Hospitals

ABSTRACT Seventeen Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates carrying the blaVIM-1 metallo-β-lactamase gene were collected in the intensive care units of three hospitals in Athens, Greece, in 2002. They exhibited various carbapenem resistance levels (Etest MICs of imipenem ranged from 4 to 32 μg/ml). All isolates gave positive results by the imipenem-EDTA synergy Etest. The isolates were classified into four main types by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; the majority of the isolates (5 and 10 isolates) belonged to two types. The blaVIM-1 gene cassette was part of the variable region of a class 1 integron that also included aac6, dhfrI, and aadA. This structure was carried by transferable plasmids.
Differential Gene Expression during Development in Two Oligodendroglial Cell Lines Overexpressing Transferrin: A cDNA Array Analysis

In the central nervous system, transferrin (Tf) is produced by oligodendroglial cells (OLGcs) and is essential for their development. Recently, using the complete cDNA of the human Tf gene, we obtained clones overexpressing Tf in two OLGc lines, N19 and N20.1, which represent different stages of differentiation. We showed that the overexpression of this glycoprotein promotes the maturation and myelinogenic capacity of both cell lines. In this work, using cDNA array technology, we examined changes induced by Tf in 1,176 genes. We found 41 genes differentially expressed in both cell lines, all of them involved in OLGc development. In the less mature cells (N19) overexpressing Tf, there was a significant increase in key enzymes of neurosteroid metabolism, such as cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 5α-reductase type 1. In the more mature cell line (N20.1), Tf overexpression produced an induction of several mRNAs of the GABAA receptor subunits, of thyroid hormone receptors and of proteins involved in axon-glia interactions such as F3/contactin. In addition, in both cell lines, Tf overexpression induced an increase in the expression of different isoforms of transforming growth factor β receptors and in several genes related to mitochondrial function and to complex lipid metabolism, crucial steps in myelin synthesis. Differentiation produced by Tf in both cell lines seems to occur by modulation of different genes depending on the maturational stage of the cells. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of OLGc differentiation and on the role played by Tf in this process.
Left-Right Asymmetrical Development of the Proepicardium

The proepicardium (PE) is a cluster of cells that forms on the cardiac inflow tract and gives rise to the epicardium and connective tissue and largely contributes to the coronary vasculature. In many vertebrates, the PE undergoes left-right asymmetrical development. While PE cells and marker genes can be initially found on both sides, only the right-sided PE will fully develop and ultimately deliver cells to the heart. Several signalling inputs, like FGF and BMP signals, are involved in PE induction in the lateral plate mesoderm, as well as during inflow tract formation and, also, control asymmetric PE development. These signalling events will be put into the context of embryonic left-right asymmetry determination. Finally, it will be discussed whether PE development may serve as a readout for asymmetric inflow tract morphogenesis.
Role of GABA Receptors in Fetal Lung Development in Rats

Fluid accumulation is critical for lung distension and normal development. The multi-subunit γ-amino butyric acid type A receptors (GABAA) mainly act by mediating chloride ion (Cl−) fluxes. Since fetal lung actively secretes Cl−-rich fluid, we investigated the role of GABAA receptors in fetal lung development. The physiological ligand, GABA, and its synthesizing enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase, were predominantly localized to saccular epithelium. To examine the effect of activating GABAA receptors in fetal lung development in vivo, timed-pregnant rats of day 18 gestation underwent an in utero surgery for the administration of GABAA receptor modulators into the fetuses. The fetal lungs were isolated on day 21 of gestation and analyzed for changes in fetal lung development. Fetuses injected with GABA had a significantly higher body weight and lung weight when compared to phosphate-buffered saline (control)-injected fetuses. GABA-injected fetal lungs had a higher number of saccules than the control. GABA increased the number of alveolar epithelial type II cells as indicated by surfactant protein C-positive cells. However, GABA decreased the number of α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts, but did not affect the number of Clara cells or alveolar type I cells. GABA-mediated effects were blocked by the GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline. GABA also increased cell proliferation and Cl− efflux in fetal distal lung epithelial cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that GABAA receptors accelerate fetal lung development, likely through an enhanced cell proliferation and/or fluid secretion.
Genome Sequences of Three Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus Isolates from Hawthorns in China

The genome sequences of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) isolates from three accessions of hawthorns (Crataegus pinnatifida) grown at Shenyang Agricultural University were determined using Illumina RNA-seq. To confirm the assembly data from the de novo sequencing, two ACLSV genomic sequences (SY01 and SY02) were sequenced using the Sanger method. The SY01 and SY02 sequences obtained with the Sanger method showed 99.5% and 99.7% nucleotide identity with the transcriptome data, respectively. The genome sequences of the hawthorn isolates SY01, SY02 and SY03 (GenBank accession nos. KM207212, KU870524 and KU870525, respectively) consisted of 7,543, 7,561 and 7,545 nucleotides, respectively, excluding poly-adenylated tails. Sequence analysis revealed that these hawthorn isolates shared an overall nucleotide identity of 82.8–92.1% and showed the highest identity of 90.3% for isolate YH (GenBank accession no. KC935955) from pear and the lowest identity of 67.7% for isolate TaTao5 (GenBank accession no. EU223295) from peach. Hawthorn isolate sequences were similar to those of ‘B6 type’ ACLSV. The relationship between ACLSV isolates largely depends upon the host species. This represents the first comparative study of the genome sequences of ACLSV isolates from hawthorns.
Actor-Critic Reinforcement Learning with Simultaneous Human Control and Feedback

This paper contributes a first study into how different human users deliver simultaneous control and feedback signals during human-robot interaction. As part of this work, we formalize and present a general interactive learning framework for online cooperation between humans and reinforcement learning agents. In many human-machine interaction settings, there is a growing gap between the degrees-of-freedom of complex semi-autonomous systems and the number of human control channels. Simple human control and feedback mechanisms are required to close this gap and allow for better collaboration between humans and machines on complex tasks. To better inform the design of concurrent control and feedback interfaces, we present experimental results from a human-robot collaborative domain wherein the human must simultaneously deliver both control and feedback signals to interactively train an actor-critic reinforcement learning robot. We compare three experimental conditions: 1) human delivered control signals, 2) reward-shaping feedback signals, and 3) simultaneous control and feedback. Our results suggest that subjects provide less feedback when simultaneously delivering feedback and control signals and that control signal quality is not significantly diminished. Our data suggest that subjects may also modify when and how they provide feedback. Through algorithmic development and tuning informed by this study, we expect semi-autonomous actions of robotic agents can be better shaped by human feedback, allowing for seamless collaboration and improved performance in difficult interactive domains.
Aslib Journal of Information Management Competitive intelligence theoretical framework and practices : The case of Spanish universities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarise previous studies to develop a theoretical framework useful to describe and classify competitive intelligence (CI) practices. It is applied to study CI practices developed by Spanish universities, comparing usual practices with those developed during the process of adaptation of degrees to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), with strong challenges. Design/methodology/approach – The research employs a mixed-methods approach (semi-structured interviews and questionnaires) developed in two phases. It has focused on the academic offer, which represents 46.35 per cent of the degrees presented in 2009, belonging to 90.16 per cent of Spanish universities. Findings – The results reveal predominance of incipient and reactive practices, oriented to the tactical level. During the adaptation process, these practices evolved due to the perception of the involvement of universities in the adaptation process. In addition, the proposed theoretical framework could be a tool to study CI both in other university management areas and other kind of organisations. Research limitations/implications – This research has been applied only to a critic incident: the design of university academic offer to be adapted to the EHEA. More studies about CI practices in other areas of universities should be done, using the same framework proposed in this study. Practical implications – This framework based on research done in business sector can be applied to any kind or organisations, including NGO and public sectors. Originality/value –Management tools used in the business sector, such as CI, have been adopted by Higher Educations Institutions, but while CI has been studied in depth in the business sector, it has scarcely been studied in higher education. This framework can be applied to any kind or organisations.
Comparison of different models for melting point change of metallic nanocrystals

Our phenomenological model without adjustable parameters for the size dependence and dimension dependence of melting point depression and enhancement of nanocrystals is introduced. The predictions of our models are consistent with both of experimental results and other thermodynamic models for metallic nanocrystals while the difference between our model and other theoretical considerations in mesoscopic size range is discussed.