Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus managed without insulin

Background: The benefits of self-monitoring blood glucose levels are unclear in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who do not use insulin, but there are considerable costs. We sought to determine the cost effectiveness of self-monitoring for patients with type 2 diabetes not using insulin. Methods: We performed an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis of the self-monitoring of blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes not taking insulin. We used the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) model to forecast diabetes-related complications, corresponding quality-adjusted life years and costs. Clinical data were obtained from a systematic review comparing self-monitoring with no self-monitoring. Costs and utility decrements were derived from published sources. We performed sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of the results. Results: Based on a clinically modest reduction in hemoglobin A1C of 0.25% (95% confidence interval 0.15–0.36) estimated from the systematic review, the UKPDS model predicted that self-monitoring performed 7 or more times per week reduced the lifetime incidence of diabetes-related complications compared with no self-monitoring, albeit at a higher cost (incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year $113 643). The results were largely unchanged in the sensitivity analysis, although the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year fell within widely cited cost-effectiveness thresholds when testing frequency or the price per test strip was substantially reduced from the current levels. Interpretation: For most patients with type 2 diabetes not using insulin, use of blood glucose test strips for frequent self-monitoring (≥ 7 times per week) is unlikely to represent efficient use of finite health care resources, although periodic testing (e.g., 1 or 2 times per week) may be cost-effective. Reduced test strip price would likely also improve cost-effectiveness.
Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

&NA; Chronic musculoskeletal pain results from a complex interplay of mechanical, biochemical, psychological, and social factors. Effective management is markedly different from that of acute musculoskeletal pain. Understanding the physiology of pain transmission, modulation, and perception is crucial for effective management. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies such as psychotherapy and biofeedback exercises can be used to manage chronic pain. Evidence‐based treatment recommendations have been made for chronic pain conditions frequently encountered by orthopaedic surgeons, including low back, osteoarthritic, posttraumatic, and neuropathic pain. Extended‐release tramadol; select tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and anticonvulsants; and topical medications such as lidocaine, diclofenac, and capsaicin are among the most effective treatments. However, drug efficacy varies significantly by indication. Orthopaedic surgeons should be familiar with the widely available safe and effective nonnarcotic options for chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Cavovarus Foot Treated with Combined Calcaneus and Metatarsal Osteotomies

Twenty-one feet in fifteen patients underwent osteotomies of the calcaneus and one or more metatarsals for symptomatic cavovarus foot deformity. Seven (nine feet) were male, and eight (twelve feet) were female. The etiology included hereditary motor sensory neuropathy (HMSN) (fifteen feet), post-polio syndrome (two feet), sacral cord lipomeningocele (two feet), parietal lobe porencephalic cyst (one foot), and idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (one foot). Presenting complaints were metatarsalgia (fifteen feet), ankle instablility (five), and ulceration beneath the second metatarsal head (one foot). Eleven feet were assessed using the Maryland Foot Rating Score. Maryland Foot Rating Score (University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD) improved from 72.1 (avg.) pre-operatively to 89.9 (avg.) post-operatively (follow-up 70.9 months avg.). Eight feet were assessed using the AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) Ankle-Hindfoot and Midfoot Scores. The AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Score improved from 46.3 (avg.) pre-operatively to 89.1 (avg.) post-operatively, and the AOFAS Midfoot Score improved from 40.9 (avg.) pre-operatively to 88.8 (avg.) post-operatively (follow-up 20.8 months avg.). The postoperative AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Score for all nineteen feet was 90.8 (avg.) and the post-operative AOFAS Midfoot Score for all nineteen feet was 90.2 (avg.). Two patients were lost to follow-up and were not included in the study. Ankle, hindfoot, and midfoot motion was maintained or improved in sixteen feet. Complications included delayed union in two and nonunion in three of 66 metatarsal osteotomies. While three patients required an AFO (ankle-foot orthosis) for ambulation preoperatively, all patients were brace free postoperatively. All patients expressed willingness to undergo the same procedure again if it were necessary. Weight-bearing radiographs were available for 17 feet. Radiographic analysis revealed a decrease in forefoot adduction (9.6° avg.) and a reduction in both hindfoot (9.1° avg.) and forefoot cavus (10.6°) leading to an overall 13 percent reduction in the height of the longitudinal arch. Lateral sliding elevating calcaneal osteotomy combined with dorsolateral closing wedge osteotomies of one or more metatarsal bases in the severe symptomatic cavovarus foot can provide a pain-free, plantigrade foot with a lowered longitudinal arch and a stable ankle without sacrificing motion.
A taxonomic framework for emerging groups of ecologically important marine gammaproteobacteria based on the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships using genome-scale data

In recent years a large number of isolates were obtained from saline environments that are phylogenetically related to distinct clades of oligotrophic marine gammaproteobacteria, which were originally identified in seawater samples using cultivation independent methods and are characterized by high seasonal abundances in coastal environments. To date a sound taxonomic framework for the classification of these ecologically important isolates and related species in accordance with their evolutionary relationships is missing. In this study we demonstrate that a reliable allocation of members of the oligotrophic marine gammaproteobacteria (OMG) group and related species to higher taxonomic ranks is possible by phylogenetic analyses of whole proteomes but also of the RNA polymerase beta subunit, whereas phylogenetic reconstructions based on 16S rRNA genes alone resulted in unstable tree topologies with only insignificant bootstrap support. The identified clades could be correlated with distinct phenotypic traits illustrating an adaptation to common environmental factors in their evolutionary history. Genome wide gene-content analyses revealed the existence of two distinct ecological guilds within the analyzed lineage of marine gammaproteobacteria which can be distinguished by their trophic strategies. Based on our results a novel order within the class Gammaproteobacteria is proposed, which is designated Cellvibrionales ord. nov. and comprises the five novel families Cellvibrionaceae fam. nov., Halieaceae fam. nov., Microbulbiferaceae fam. nov., Porticoccaceae fam. nov., and Spongiibacteraceae fam. nov.
Patterns of Parasite Abundance and Distribution in Island Populations of Galápagos Endemic Birds

Parasite life-history characteristics, the environment, and host defenses determine variation in parasite population parameters across space and time. Parasite abundance and distribution have received little attention despite their pervasive effects on host populations and community dynamics. We used analyses of variance to estimate the variability of intensity, prevalence, and abundance of 4 species of lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) infecting Galápagos doves and Galápagos hawks and 1 haemosporidian parasite (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) infecting the doves across island populations throughout their entire geographic ranges. Population parameters of parasites with direct life cycles varied less within than among parasite species, and intensity and abundance did not differ significantly across islands. Prevalence explained a proportion of the variance (34%), similar to infection intensity (33%) and parasite abundance (37%). We detected a strong parasite species-by-island interaction, suggesting that parasite population dynamics is independent among islands. Prevalence (up to 100%) and infection intensity (parasitemias up to 12.7%) of Haemoproteus sp. parasites varied little across island populations.
Patterns and Predictors of Language and Literacy Abilities 4-10 Years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Aims Oral language is the foundation of literacy. Naturally, policies and practices to promote children’s literacy begin in early childhood and have a strong focus on developing children’s oral language, especially for children with known risk factors for low language ability. The underlying assumption is that children’s progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable, such that low language ability foretells low literacy ability. This study investigated patterns and predictors of children’s oral language and literacy abilities at 4, 6, 8 and 10 years. The study sample comprised 2,316 to 2,792 children from the first nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Six developmental patterns were observed, a stable middle-high pattern, a stable low pattern, an improving pattern, a declining pattern, a fluctuating low pattern, and a fluctuating middle-high pattern. Most children (69%) fit a stable middle-high pattern. By contrast, less than 1% of children fit a stable low pattern. These results challenged the view that children’s progress along the oral to literate continuum is stable and predictable. Findings Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate risks for low literacy ability at 10 years and sensitivity-specificity analysis was used to examine the predictive utility of the multivariate model. Predictors were modelled as risk variables with the lowest level of risk as the reference category. In the multivariate model, substantial risks for low literacy ability at 10 years, in order of descending magnitude, were: low school readiness, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status and low language ability at 8 years. Moderate risks were high temperamental reactivity, low language ability at 4 years, and low language ability at 6 years. The following risk factors were not statistically significant in the multivariate model: Low maternal consistency, low family income, health care card, child not read to at home, maternal smoking, maternal education, family structure, temperamental persistence, and socio-economic area disadvantage. The results of the sensitivity-specificity analysis showed that a well-fitted multivariate model featuring risks of substantive magnitude did not do particularly well in predicting low literacy ability at 10 years.
Thromboxane A2 receptor and MaxiK-channel intimate interaction supports channel trans-inhibition independent of G-protein activation

Large conductance voltage- and calcium-activated potassium channels (MaxiK, BKCa) are well known for sustaining cerebral and coronary arterial tone and for their linkage to vasodilator β-adrenergic receptors. However, how MaxiK channels are linked to counterbalancing vasoconstrictor receptors is unknown. Here, we show that vasopressive thromboxane A2 receptors (TP) can intimately couple with and inhibit MaxiK channels. Activation of the receptor with its agonist trans-inhibits MaxiK independently of G-protein activation. This unconventional mechanism is supported by independent lines of evidence: (i) inhibition of MaxiK current by thromboxane A2 mimetic, U46619, occurs even when G-protein activity is suppressed; (ii) MaxiK and TP physically associate and display a high degree of proximity; and (iii) Förster resonance energy transfer occurs between fluorescently labeled MaxiK and TP, supporting a direct interaction. The molecular mechanism of MaxiK–TP intimate interaction involves the receptor's first intracellular loop and C terminus, and it entails the voltage-sensing conduction cassette of MaxiK channel. Further, physiological evidence of MaxiK–TP physical interaction is given in human coronaries and rat aorta, and by confirming TP role (with antagonist SQ29,548) in the U46619-induced MaxiK inhibition in human coronaries. We propose that vasoconstrictor TP receptor and MaxiK-channel direct interaction facilitates G-protein–independent TP to MaxiK trans-inhibition, which would promote vasoconstriction.
Structural and Antihypertensive Properties of Enzymatic Hemp Seed Protein Hydrolysates

The aim of this work was to produce antihypertensive protein hydrolysates through different forms of enzymatic hydrolysis (2% pepsin, 4% pepsin, 1% alcalase, 2% alcalase, 2% papain, and 2% pepsin + pancreatin) of hemp seed proteins (HSP). The hemp seed protein hydrolysates (HPHs) were tested for in vitro inhibitions of renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), two of the enzymes that regulate human blood pressure. The HPHs were then administered orally (200 mg/kg body weight) to spontaneously hypertensive rats and systolic blood pressure (SBP)-lowering effects measured over a 24 h period. Size exclusion chromatography mainly showed a 300–9560 Da peptide size range for the HPHs, while amino acid composition data had the 2% pepsin HPH with the highest cysteine content. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed higher fluorescence intensities for the peptides when compared to the unhydrolyzed hemp seed protein. Overall, the 1% alcalase HPH was the most effective (p < 0.05) SBP-reducing agent (−32.5 ± 0.7 mmHg after 4 h), while the pepsin HPHs produced longer-lasting effects (−23.0 ± 1.4 mmHg after 24 h). We conclude that an optimized combination of the fast-acting HPH (1% alcalase) with the longer-lasting HPHs (2% and 4% pepsin) could provide daily effective SBP reductions.
Diet Quality and Its Association with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Vary by Hispanic and Latino Ethnic Background in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

BACKGROUND Healthful diet quality has been associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in several populations, but reports on Hispanic and Latino cohorts, grouped or by ethnic background, have been limited and inconsistent. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine diet quality by using the 2010 Alternate Healthy Eating Index [(AHEI) range: 0-110, lowest to highest quality] and its cross-sectional association with MetS and its cardiometabolic components across 6 Hispanic and Latino backgrounds. METHODS We studied 12,406 US Hispanics and Latinos, aged 18-74 y and free of diabetes, from the multicenter, population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos cohort. Food and nutrients were assessed from two 24-h recalls. MetS was defined by using the 2009 harmonized guidelines. Complex survey procedures were used in multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to test the association of the AHEI with continuous markers and in logistic regression models with MetS as an outcome. RESULTS The prevalence of MetS was 24.2%. Overall, Hispanics and Latinos had low scores for intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices, whole grains, and fruit and favorable scores for trans fats and nuts and legumes, according to AHEI criteria. Adjusted mean AHEI and its individual components differed by ethnic background (P < 0.001), ranging from 43.0 for Puerto Ricans to 52.6 for Mexicans. Overall, adjusted odds (95% CIs) of having MetS were 22% (9%, 33%) lower for each 10-unit increase in AHEI. This association was modified by ethnic background (P-interaction = 0.03), with significantly lower odds observed only for Mexicans (30%; 95% CIs: 13%, 44%) and Central Americans (42%; 95% CIs: 9%, 64%) for each 10-unit increase in AHEI. AHEI was inversely associated with waist circumference, blood pressure, and glucose among Mexicans and Puerto Ricans and with triglycerides among Mexicans only, and positively associated with HDL cholesterol among Puerto Ricans and Central Americans (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Diet quality differed by Hispanic or Latino background. Although healthier diet quality was associated with lower odds of MetS in the overall Hispanic and Latino cohort, the association of AHEI and cardiometabolic factors varied by ethnic background. Nutrition-related research and interventions among ethnically diverse groups should consider individual ethnic backgrounds to optimally address diet quality and cardiometabolic health. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02060344.
AN APPROACH TO REAL-TIME CONTENT-BASED AUDIO SYNTHESIS

1 1.0 Introduction 2 1.1 Motivation 2 1.2 Overview of this thesis 3 1.3 Perception 3 1.3.1 What is timbre? 1.3.2 The spectrogram 1.4 Granular Synthesis 6 1.4.1 History 1.4.2 Effects of granular synthesis 1.5 Related work 9 2.0 Computational Models 13 2.1 Feature Extraction 13 2.1.2 Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients 2.2 Similarity 17 2.2.1 Single Gaussian (G1) 2.2.2 Kullback-Leibler Divergence 2.3 Multidimensional scaling 20 N10302526 2.3.1 Force-directed model 2.4 Selection 24 2.4.1 K-dimensional Tree 3.0 Implementation 27 3.1 Analysis 28 3.2 Creating the layout 30 3.3 Graphical Interface 30 3.4 Control 32 3.5 Synthesis Engine 33 4.0 Results 34 4.1 Discussion 34 4.2 Future Work 38 4.3 Conclusions 39 5.0 Bibliography 41 N10302526
Detection of nodularin in flounders and cod from the Baltic Sea

The brackish water cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena regularly forms waterblooms in the Baltic Sea. Many N. spumigena strains can produce nodularin, a hepatotoxic penta‐peptide, which has caused several animal poisonings in the Baltic Sea area. To improve our understanding of nodularin bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms this study measured nodularin in flounder and cod caught from the Baltic Sea. Flounders were collected from the western Gulf of Finland in July 1996, September 1997, and September 1998, and from the Gulf of Bothnia in August 1997 and September 1998. Flounders were also collected from the coastal areas of Sweden in the Baltic Proper during September 1998. Cod were caught from the southern Baltic Sea in August 1998. Livers and muscles of the 1997 fish were isolated, extracted, and analysed for nodularin using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) inhibition assay. Approximately 30–70 ng of nodularin/g dry weight (maximum value 140 ng/g) were found in the liver tissue samples by ELISA and PP1 inhibition. These concentrations were below the detection limit of HPLC. PP1 assay showed inhibition also in muscle samples, but this may due to other compounds present in the muscle extracts rather than NODLN or due to matrix interference. The recovery of nodularin from liver tissue with ELISA and PP1 assays was about 30%. Nodularin concentrations in samples are not corrected for recovery. Although the concentrations of nodularin found in this study are low further studies of nodularin are needed to assess possible bioaccumulation in brackish water food webs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 16: 121–126, 2001
The Reactive Adventitia: Fibroblast Oxidase in Vascular Function

Abstract—The vascular adventitia is activated in a variety of cardiovascular disease states and has recently been shown to be a barrier to nitric oxide bioactivity. Vascular fibroblasts produce substantial amounts of NAD(P)H oxidase–derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) that appear to be involved in fibroblast proliferation, connective tissue deposition, and perhaps vascular tone. However, the physiological and pathophysiological roles of the adventitia have not been extensively studied, possibly because of its location in large blood vessels remote from the vascular endothelium. In recent years, substantial information has been gathered on pathways leading to oxidase activation in smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts and the downstream signaling pathways leading to hypertrophy and proliferation. A clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved will likely lead to therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing vascular dysfunction in diseases such as atherosclerosis, in which these pathways are activated.
Virus Incidence of Sweet Potato in Korea from 2011 to 2014

A nationwide survey was performed to investigate the current incidence of viral diseases in Korean sweet potatoes for germplasm and growing fields from 2011 to 2014. A total of 83.8% of the germplasm in Korea was infected with viruses in 2011. Commercial cultivars that were used to supply growing fields were infected at a rate of 62.1% in 2012. Among surveyed viruses, the incidence of five Potyvirus species that infect sweet potato decreased between 2012 and 2013, and then increased again in 2014. Representatively, the incidence of Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) was 87.0% in 2012, 20.7% in 2013 and then increased to 35.3% in 2014. Unlike RNA viruses, DNA viruses were shown to decrease continuously. The incidence of Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) was 5.5% in 2003, 59.5% in 2011, and 47.4% in 2012. It then decreased continuously year by year to 33.2% in 2013, and then 25.6% in 2014. While the infection rate of each virus species showed a tendency to decline, the virus infection status was more variable in 2013 and 2014. Nevertheless, the high rate of single infections and mixed infection combinations were more variable than the survey results from 2012. As shown in the results from 2013, the most prevalent virus infection was a single infection at 27.6%, with the highest rate of infection belonging to sweet potato symptomless virus-1 (SPSMV-1) (12.9%). Compared to 2013, infection combinations were more varied in 2014, with a total of 122 kinds of mixed infection.
Active and passive cigarette smoking and acute lung injury after severe blunt trauma.

RATIONALE Cigarette smoking has been demonstrated in laboratory studies to have effects on lung epithelial and endothelial function similar to those observed in acute lung injury (ALI). However, the association between active and passive cigarette smoke exposure and susceptibility to ALI has not been prospectively studied. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that both active and passive cigarette smoke exposure would be associated with increased susceptibility to ALI after severe blunt trauma. METHODS We measured levels of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine and validated biomarker of tobacco use, in plasma samples obtained immediately on arrival at the emergency department from 144 adult subjects after severe blunt trauma. Patients were then followed for the development of ALI. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Increasing quartiles of plasma cotinine were associated with the development of ALI (odds ratio [OR] for developing ALI in highest cotinine quartile, 3.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-8.68; P = 0.017 for trend across quartiles). Moderate to heavy passive smoke exposure was associated with nearly the same odds of developing ALI as active smoking (OR for moderate to heavy passive smoking compared with no exposure or low level exposure, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.15-8.04; OR for active smoking, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.28-5.99). This association persisted after adjusting for other predictors of ALI, including Injury Severity Score and alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS Both moderate to heavy passive smoking and active smoking are independently associated with the development of ALI after severe blunt trauma. This finding has important implications both for public health and for understanding the pathogenesis of ALI.