Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressive symptoms and bone mineral density in menopause and postmenopausal women: A still increasing and neglected problem

Objective The objective of current study was to investigate whether associaction exist between depression and low BMD during menopausal and post-menopausal period. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study and 1650 women aged 45–65 years were included during 1182 women agreed to participate (71.6%). Data on body mass index (BMI), clinical biochemistry variables including serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were collected. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered for depression purposes. Results A total of 1182 women agreed to participate and responded to the study. The mean age and SD of the menopausal age were 48.71 ± 2.96 with depressed and 50.20 ± 3.22 without depressed (P < 0.001). Also, the mean and SD of postmenopausal age were 58.55 ± 3.27 depressed and 57.78 ± 3.20 without depressed (P < 0.001). There were statistically significance differences between menopausal stages with regards to number of parity, and place of living. There were statistically significance differences between menopausal stages with regards to BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, vitamin D deficiency, calcium deficiency and sheesha smoking habits. Overall, osteopenia and osteoporosis and bone loss were significantly lower in post-menopausal women than in menopausal women (P < 0.001). Similarly, T-score and z-score were lower with depressed menopause and postmenopausal women (P < 0.001). Conclusion The multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the depression, the mean serum vitamin D deficiency, calcium level deficiency, less physical activity, co-morbidity, number of parity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and sheesha smoking habits were considered as the main risk factors associated with bone mineral loss after adjusting for age, BMI and other variables. Disclosure of interest The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.
Main pulmonary artery dilation in association with congenital bicuspid aortic valve in the absence of pulmonary valve abnormality

Background Main pulmonary artery (MPA) dilation is reported to occur in association with pulmonary valve (PV) abnormalities and in genetic diseases of connective tissue. Aim To determine whether MPA dilation occurs with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) in the absence of PV abnormality. Methods MPA and aortic dimensions were investigated in 194 subjects with BAV and 178 controls matched for age, sex and body surface area (BSA) using transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography. Using control measurements, linear regression of each parameter versus age, gender, and BSA2/3 provided expected values. For each subject with BAV, the percentage divergence from expected value ((observed − expected value)/expected value) for each dimension was analysed. Results MPA and aortic measurements showed normal distribution in all subjects. PV annulus and MPA were larger in BAV; 17.7% positive divergence of MPA dimension from expected was found in diastole, and 16.7% in systole. Aortic dimensions at all levels measured were larger in BAV; divergence was greater distally than proximally (10% divergence at annulus, 31% at ascending aorta). In BAV, divergence of ascending aortic dimensions from expected values increased with age (r2=0.142, p=0.02), but MPA divergence from expected values did not increase with age (r2=0.001, p=0.296). Conclusions MPA dilation occurs in association with BAV in the absence of PV abnormality, suggesting primary vessel wall pathology predisposing to arterial dilation. A systemic abnormality of connective tissue common to both arteries may be responsible, or the dilation may result from a common developmental exposure as both originate from the embryologic cono-truncus.
Allostatic Load and Preterm Birth

Preterm birth is a universal health problem that is one of the largest unmet medical needs contributing to the global burden of disease. Adding to its complexity is that there are no means to predict who is at risk when pregnancy begins or when women will actually deliver. Until these problems are addressed, there will be no interventions to reduce the risk because those who should be treated will not be known. Considerable evidence now exists that chronic life, generational or accumulated stress is a risk factor for preterm delivery in animal models and in women. This wear and tear on the body and mind is called allostatic load. This review explores the evidence that chronic stress contributes to preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes in animal and human studies. It explores how allostatic load can be used to, firstly, model stress and preterm birth in animal models and, secondly, how it can be used to develop a predictive model to assess relative risk among women in early pregnancy. Once care providers know who is in the highest risk group, interventions can be developed and applied to mitigate their risk.
Red-shield: Shielding read disturbance for STT-RAM based register files on GPUs

To address the high energy consumption issue of SRAM on GPUs, emerging Spin-Transfer Torque (STT-RAM) memory technology has been intensively studied to build GPU register files for better energy-efficiency, thanks to its benefits of low leakage power, high density, and good scalability. However, STT-RAM suffers from a reliability issue, read disturbance, which stems from the fact that the voltage difference between read current and write current becomes smaller as technology scales. The read disturbance leads to high error rates for read operations, which cannot be effectively protected by SECDEC ECC on large-capacity register files of GPUs. Prior schemes (e.g. read-restore) to mitigate the read disturbance usually incur either non-trivial performance loss or excessive energy overhead, thus not applicable for the GPU register file design which aims to achieve both high performance and energy-efficiency. To combat the read disturbance on GPU register files, we propose a novel software-hardware co-designed solution, i.e. Red-Shield, which consists of three optimizations to overcome limitations of the existing solutions. First, we identify dead reads at compiling stage and augment instructions to avoid unnecessary restores. Second, we employ a small read buffer to accommodate register reads with high access locality to further reduce restores. Third, we propose an adaptive restore mechanism to selectively pick the suitable restore scheme, according to the busy status of corresponding register banks. Experimental results show that our proposed design can effectively mitigate the performance loss and energy overhead caused by restore operations, while still maintaining the reliability of reads.
Broadband noise masks suppress neural responses to narrowband stimuli

White pixel noise is widely used to estimate the level of internal noise in a system by injecting external variance into the detecting mechanism. Recent work (Baker and Meese, 2012) has provided psychophysical evidence that such noise masks might also cause suppression that could invalidate estimates of internal noise. Here we measure neural population responses directly, using steady-state visual evoked potentials, elicited by target stimuli embedded in different mask types. Sinusoidal target gratings of 1 c/deg flickered at 5 Hz, and were shown in isolation, or with superimposed orthogonal grating masks or 2D white noise masks, flickering at 7 Hz. Compared with responses to a blank screen, the Fourier amplitude at the target frequency increased monotonically as a function of target contrast when no mask was present. Both orthogonal and white noise masks caused rightward shifts of the contrast response function, providing evidence of contrast gain control suppression. We also calculated within-observer amplitude variance across trials. This increased in proportion to the target response, implying signal-dependent (i.e., multiplicative) noise at the system level, the implications of which we discuss for behavioral tasks. This measure of variance was reduced by both mask types, consistent with the changes in mean target response. An alternative variety of noise, which we term zero-dimensional noise, involves trial-by-trial jittering of the target contrast. This type of noise produced no gain control suppression, and increased the amplitude variance across trials.
Handbook of hydrocolloids.

Introduction. Agar. Starch. Gelatin. Carrageenan. Xanthum Gum. Gellan Gum. Gallactomannans. Gum Arabic. Pectins. Milk Proteins. Cellulosis. Tragacanth and Karaya. Xyloglucan. Curdlan. Glucans. Soluble Soybean Polysaccharide. Bacterial Cellulose. Microcrystalline Cellulose. Gums for Coating and Adhesives.Chitosan Hydrogels. Alginates. Frutafit-Inulin. The CRC Emulsifying Biopolymer.
Increased cathepsin D protein expression is a biomarker for osteosarcomas, pulmonary metastases and other bone malignancies

Cancer proteomics provide a powerful approach to identify biomarkers for personalized medicine. Particularly, biomarkers for early detection, prognosis and therapeutic intervention of bone cancers, especially osteosarcomas, are missing. Initially, we compared two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based protein expression pattern between cell lines of fetal osteoblasts, osteosarcoma and pulmonary metastasis derived from osteosarcoma. Two independent statistical analyses by means of PDQuest® and SameSpot® software revealed a common set of 34 differentially expressed protein spots (p < 0.05). 17 Proteins were identified by mass spectrometry and subjected to Ingenuity Pathway Analysis resulting in one high-ranked network associated with Gene Expression, Cell Death and Cell-To-Cell Signaling and Interaction. Ran/TC4-binding protein (RANBP1) and Cathepsin D (CTSD) were further validated by Western Blot in cell lines while the latter one showed higher expression differences also in cytospins and in clinical samples using tissue microarrays comprising osteosarcomas, metastases, other bone malignancies, and control tissues. The results show that protein expression patterns distinguish fetal osteoblasts from osteosarcomas, pulmonary metastases, and other bone diseases with relevant sensitivities between 55.56% and 100% at ≥87.50% specificity. Particularly, CTSD was validated in clinical material and could thus serve as a new biomarker for bone malignancies and potentially guide individualized treatment regimes.
Lateral Wedge Insoles for Reducing Biomechanical Risk Factors for Medial Knee Osteoarthritis Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Lateral wedge insoles are intended to reduce biomechanical risk factors of medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression, such as increased knee joint load; however, there has been no definitive consensus on this topic. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to establish the within‐subject effects of lateral wedge insoles on knee joint load in people with medial knee OA during walking.
Orientation relationships between adjacent plates of acicular ferrite in steel weld deposits

AbstractThe results of an investigation of the orientation relationships between adjacent plates of acicular ferrite are reported in an attempt to elucidate further the mechanism of acicular ferrite formation. Welds were made using the manual metal arc technique and the as deposited microstructure of the high strength steel weld deposits was examined using crystallography and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that clusters of acicular ferrite form in such a way that adjacent plates tend to have a similar orientation in space; the reasons for this are discussed.MST/903
CD4+ T Cells Expressing PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 Contribute to HIV Persistence during ART

HIV persists in a small pool of latently infected cells despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). Identifying cellular markers expressed at the surface of these cells may lead to novel therapeutic strategies to reduce the size of the HIV reservoir. We hypothesized that CD4+ T cells expressing immune checkpoint molecules would be enriched in HIV-infected cells in individuals receiving suppressive ART. Expression levels of 7 immune checkpoint molecules (PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIGIT, TIM-3, CD160 and 2B4) as well as 4 markers of HIV persistence (integrated and total HIV DNA, 2-LTR circles and cell-associated unspliced HIV RNA) were measured in PBMCs from 48 virally suppressed individuals. Using negative binomial regression models, we identified PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 as immune checkpoint molecules positively associated with the frequency of CD4+ T cells harboring integrated HIV DNA. The frequency of CD4+ T cells co-expressing PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 independently predicted the frequency of cells harboring integrated HIV DNA. Quantification of HIV genomes in highly purified cell subsets from blood further revealed that expressions of PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 were associated with HIV-infected cells in distinct memory CD4+ T cell subsets. CD4+ T cells co-expressing the three markers were highly enriched for integrated viral genomes (median of 8.2 fold compared to total CD4+ T cells). Importantly, most cells carrying inducible HIV genomes expressed at least one of these markers (median contribution of cells expressing LAG-3, PD-1 or TIGIT to the inducible reservoir = 76%). Our data provide evidence that CD4+ T cells expressing PD-1, TIGIT and LAG-3 alone or in combination are enriched for persistent HIV during ART and suggest that immune checkpoint blockers directed against these receptors may represent valuable tools to target latently infected cells in virally suppressed individuals.
Provisions of reductant for the hydroxypyruvate to glycerate conversion in leaf peroxisomes : a critical evaluation of the proposed malate/aspartate shuttle.

A series of experiments, with Secale cereale and Triticum aestivum var Argee, to evaluate critically the ability of a malate/aspartate shuttle to provide reducing equivalents to drive hydroxypyruvate reduction to glycerate led to the conclusion that the shuttle, as previously envisioned, does not supply NADH to the peroxisomal matrix. First, analysis of coupled malate dehydrogenase and glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase activities in the directions required for intraperoxisomal NADH generation indicated that the peroxisomal enzyme activities were insufficient to account for necessary rates of photorespiratory carbon flux. Second, although the peroxisomal isozyme of malate dehydrogenase comprised a substantial portion (40%) of total cellular activity, less than 7% of the cellular glutamate-oxaloacetate transmaminase activity was associated with the peroxisomes. Third, a peroxisomal extract was able to reduce added NAD only slowly upon addition of malate and glutamate. The rate of NAD reduction was greatly enhanced in the presence of exogenously added glutamateoxaloacetate transaminase. Finally, intact peroxisomes were unable to reduce hydroxypyruvate to glycerate when supplied with malate and glutamate in the absence of exogenously added pyridine nucleotides, although they readily reduced hydroxypyruvate when exogenous pyridine nucleotides were supplied. Three alternative mechanisms, which are in agreement with observed data and which could serve to supply the reducing power to the peroxisomal matrix, are discussed.
Germline BAP1 Inactivation Is Preferentially Associated with Metastatic Ocular Melanoma and Cutaneous-Ocular Melanoma Families

Background BAP1 has been shown to be a target of both somatic alteration in high-risk ocular melanomas (OM) and germline inactivation in a few individuals from cancer-prone families. These findings suggest that constitutional BAP1 changes may predispose individuals to metastatic OM and that familial permeation of deleterious alleles could delineate a new cancer syndrome. Design To characterize BAP1's contribution to melanoma risk, we sequenced BAP1 in a set of 100 patients with OM, including 50 metastatic OM cases and 50 matched non-metastatic OM controls, and 200 individuals with cutaneous melanoma (CM) including 7 CM patients from CM-OM families and 193 CM patients from CM-non-OM kindreds. Results Germline BAP1 mutations were detected in 4/50 patients with metastatic OM and 0/50 cases of non-metastatic OM (8% vs. 0%, p = 0.059). Since 2/4 of the BAP1 carriers reported a family history of CM, we analyzed 200 additional hereditary CM patients and found mutations in 2/7 CM probands from CM-OM families and 1/193 probands from CM-non-OM kindreds (29% vs. 0.52%, p = .003). Germline mutations co-segregated with both CM and OM phenotypes and were associated with the presence of unique nevoid melanomas and highly atypical nevoid melanoma-like melanocytic proliferations (NEMMPs). Interestingly, 7/14 germline variants identified to date reside in C-terminus suggesting that the BRCA1 binding domain is important in cancer predisposition. Conclusion Germline BAP1 mutations are associated with a more aggressive OM phenotype and a recurrent phenotypic complex of cutaneous/ocular melanoma, atypical melanocytic proliferations and other internal neoplasms (ie. COMMON syndrome), which could be a useful clinical marker for constitutive BAP1 inactivation.
Fluctuating Behavior and Influential Factors in the Performance of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

Background The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) is a newly developed but widely used interferon-γ release assay for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB). However, research has not determined whether age or the use of an immune suppressive or anti-TB treatment influences this assay’s ability to detect TB. We assessed the QFT-GIT diagnostic performance for active tuberculosis (ATB) in children and adults in an endemic country and explored the effects of glucocorticoids and anti-TB therapy on the diagnostic value of the QFT-GIT. Methods A total of 60 children and 212 adults with suspected ATB were evaluated with the QFT-GIT. The association between the QFT-GIT diagnostic value and pretreatment factors was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. Results The sensitivity of the QFT-GIT was 83.9% (95% CI 66.3%-94.6%) in children, and 73.7% (95% CI 57.8%-85.2%) in adults. Glucocorticoids affected the mitogen-stimulated response in both children and adults. In subjects undergoing glucocorticoid pretreatment, 25.0% of the children presented with false-negative QFT-GIT results, 28.6% of adults presented with indeterminate results. For subjects pre-treated with anti-TB drugs, 44.4% presented with false-negative QFT-GIT results. Conclusions The QFT-GIT has higher sensitivity and specificity in children than adults. Glucocorticoid treatment negatively impacts the diagnostic value of the QFT-GIT in all age groups. Anti-TB treatment decreases the sensitivity of the QFT-GIT. Therefore, we recommend that the QFT-GIT assay be performed before TB-specific treatment is initiated and the test should not be used on people undergoing immunosuppression treatment, regardless of their age. A quantitative analysis of the QFT-GIT could be useful for assessing and monitoring TB-specific and non-specific immunity during conversion of the disease.
Exposure of Splenic Hilum Increases Safety of Laparoscopic Splenectomy

Laparoscopic splenectomy is becoming the gold standard technique for the treatment of hematological disorders of the spleen. Hemostasis is a fundamental step during laparoscopic splenectomy leading some authors to develop several techniques to control splenic vessels such as hand assistance, preoperative splenic artery embolization, and the use of vascular linear staplers. However, intraoperative bleeding is usually due to inadequate exposure of the hilar splenic vessels itself. The authors describe a standardized technique for the exposure of splenic pedicle using an endoscopic triangular retractor. We have been used this technique in 16 consecutive laparoscopic splenectomies with minimal blood loss. The present technique may increase the safety of laparoscopic splenectomy with adequate exposure of the splenic hilum reducing the conversion rate and intraoperative blood loss.
Prospective study of calcium, potassium, and magnesium intake and risk of stroke in women.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE High intakes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium have been hypothesized to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, but only a few prospective studies have examined intakes of these cations in relation to risk of stroke. METHODS In 1980, 85 764 women in the Nurses' Health Study cohort, aged 34 to 59 years and free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease and cancer, completed dietary questionnaires from which we calculated intakes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. By 1994, after 1.16 million person-years of follow-up, 690 incident strokes (129 subarachnoid hemorrhages, 74 intraparenchymal hemorrhages, 386 ischemic strokes, and 101 strokes of undetermined type) had been documented. RESULTS Intakes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium were each inversely associated with age- and smoking-adjusted relative risks of ischemic stroke, excluding embolic infarction of nonatherogenic origin (n=347). Adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors, including history of hypertension, attenuated these associations, particularly for magnesium intake. In a multivariate analysis, women in the highest quintile of calcium intake had an adjusted relative risk of ischemic stroke of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.50 to 0.95; P for trend=0.03) compared with those in the lowest quintile; for potassium intake the corresponding relative risk was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.51 to 1.01; P for trend=0.10). Further simultaneous adjustment for calcium and potassium intake suggested an independent association for calcium intake. The association of risk with calcium intake did not appear to be log linear; the increase in risk was limited to the lowest quintile of intake, and intakes > approximately 600 mg/d did not appear to reduce risk of stroke further. The inverse association with calcium intake was stronger for dairy than for nondairy calcium intake. Intakes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium were not related to risk of other stroke subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Low calcium intake, and perhaps low potassium intake, may contribute to increased risk of ischemic stroke in middle-aged American women. It remains possible that women in the lowest quintile of calcium intake had unknown characteristics that made them susceptible to ischemic stroke.