Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin sensitivity and secretion in children and adolescents with hypothalamic obesity following treatment for craniopharyngioma

Background Craniopharyngioma (CP), a tumour occurring in the hypothalamic–pituitary area, results in morbid obesity in 25–60% of affected children. It has been suggested that abnormalities of insulin secretion and/or insulin action due to hypothalamic injury may be associated with weight gain and the metabolic syndrome in this population.
Treatment of pneumonia in elderly patients

Pneumonia represents the leading cause of infection-related death and the fifth cause of overall mortality, in the elderly. Several risk factors for acquiring pneumonia in older age have been reported, such as alcoholism, lung and heart diseases, nursing home residence and swallowing disorders. The clinical characteristics of pneumonia in the elderly differ substantially compared with younger patients, and the severity of the disease is strongly associated with increased age and age-related comorbidities. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading pathogen responsible for pneumonia in elderly; enteric Gram-negative rods should be considered in nursing-home-acquired pneumonia, as well anaerobes in patients with aspiration pneumonia. Antimicrobial therapy should take into account the most recent guidelines, which are briefly presented in this review. A special consideration should be given to the preventive measures, including vaccination, oral care and nutrition.
Demographic Change in the Asia-Pacific: The Effect on Average Living Standards

ABSTRACT This paper applies a simulation model to identify the impact of prospective demographic change on average living standards over the next 50 years in each of 12 Asia-Pacific countries. The impact on living standards depends on the country's stage of demographic transition. For countries that are already experiencing population ageing, such as Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, impending demographic change has an immediate negative impact on living standards. But young countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, derive a dividend from impending demographic change that could, with an appropriate saving response, impact positively on living standards for at least the next 50 years.
Plasma Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Concentration is Increased in Hemodialysis Patients and May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Coronary Heart Disease

Introduction: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in this population. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme with immunomodulatory properties, was evaluated in HD patients with or without CHD. Methods: Of the total of 66 HD patients, 22 of them with CHD were confirmed by coronary angiography and 24 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Plasma IDO was assessed by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured. Results: Compared with healthy volunteers, plasma IDO concentration was markedly increased in HD patients (median 8.04 ng/mL vs. 48.9 ng/mL). Serum IL-6 and CRP were also significantly increased in HD patients. Compared with HD patients without CHD, plasma IDO concentration was significantly increased in HD patients with CHD (median 38.6 ng/mL vs. 74.5 ng/mL). Neither IL-6 nor CRP differed between the last two groups. IDO was negatively correlated with IL-6 and CRP. Conclusion: IDO concentration is increased in HD patients and is increased further in HD patients with CHD. It remains to be elucidated if increased IDO plays a direct role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis or if it affects atherosclerosis indirectly by curtailing chronic inflammation or both.
Late Failure of Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose: The authors describe a group of patients with initially successful dacryocystorhinostomy surgery with late recurrence of epiphora. The causes of late failure and its management are documented. Methods: A retrospective chart review of primary dacryocystorhinostomy cases was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were an initially successful primary dacryocystorhinostomy and recurrence of symptoms at least 12 months after surgery, together with clinical evidence of impaired lacrimal drainage. Patients' subsequent procedures were detailed and outcomes determined. Results: Thirteen cases of late failure of dacryocystorhinostomy were identified (8 of 1,158 surgeries by A.A.M., 4 of 378 by D.S., 1 patient whose initial dacryocystorhinostomy was done by another surgeon). Most patients were female (85%), and average age at initial surgery was 57.9 years. Most cases had nasolacrimal duct obstruction as the initial cause of epiphora (10 of 13 or 76.9%). The mean time to recurrence of symptoms after initial surgery was 46.9 months (range, 15–97 months). Pre- and intraoperative findings at second lacrimal surgery identified the cause of epiphora in late failure to be common canalicular obstruction in 11 of 13 patients (84.6%). Eleven of the 13 patients avoided repeat dacryocystorhinostomy, instead undergoing probing (with or without common canalicular membranotomy/membranectomy) and silicone intubation. Twelve of the 13 patients (92.3%) remained asymptomatic at final follow-up (range, 4–131 months). Conclusions: Although late failure after primary dacryocystorhinostomy is rare, this newly described group appears to be a distinct clinical entity, with lacrimal system obstruction often occurring at the common canaliculus. In the large majority of cases, a less invasive surgical solution than repeat dacryocystorhinostomy is effective in resolving symptoms.
Physiological and Transcriptional Responses to High Concentrations of Lactic Acid in Anaerobic Chemostat Cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Based on the high acid tolerance and the simple nutritional requirements of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, engineered strains of this yeast are considered biocatalysts for industrial production of high-purity undissociated lactic acid. However, high concentrations of lactic acid are toxic to S. cerevisiae, thus limiting its growth and product formation. Physiological and transcriptional responses to high concentrations of lactic acid were studied in anaerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures grown at different pH values and lactic acid concentrations, resulting in a 50% decrease in the biomass yield. At pH 5, the yield decrease was caused mostly by osmotically induced glycerol production and not by the classic weak-acid action, as was observed at pH 3. Cultures grown at pH 5 with 900 mM lactic acid revealed an upregulation of many genes involved in iron homeostasis, indicating that iron chelation occurred at high concentrations of dissociated lactic acid. Chemostat cultivation at pH 3 with 500 mM lactate, resulting in lower anion concentrations, showed an alleviation of this iron homeostasis response. Six of the 10 known targets of the transcriptional regulator Haa1p were strongly upregulated in lactate-challenged cultures at pH 3 but showed only moderate induction by high lactate concentrations at pH 5. Moreover, the haa1Δ mutant exhibited a growth defect at high lactic acid concentrations at pH 3. These results indicate that iron homeostasis plays a major role in the response of S. cerevisiae to high lactate concentrations, whereas the Haa1p regulon is involved primarily in the response to high concentrations of undissociated lactic acid.
Mitigation of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis by TGF-β Induced Foxp3+ Regulatory T Lymphocytes through the Induction of Anergy and Infectious Tolerance1

Stimulation of naive T lymphocytes in the presence of IL-2 and TGF-β induces the regulatory transcription factor Foxp3, which endows the cells with regulatory functions. To better understand the properties and therapeutic potential of these induced regulatory T cells (iTreg), we examined their immunomodulatory properties in myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein-induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (MOG-EAE). Adoptively transferred iTreg were as potent as natural Foxp3+ Treg in preventing EAE development, and were active both prophylactically and after priming. The iTreg migrated into the CNS in quantity, skewing the ratio of regulatory to effector T lymphocytes. IL-10−/− iTreg failed to suppress disease, demonstrating a critical role for iTreg IL-10 production in their therapeutic activity. MOG-specific T cells from iTreg treated animals were anergic. The cells failed to proliferate in response to Ag except in the presence of exogenous IL-2, and did not secrete or secreted reduced amounts of IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-17. MOG-specific T cells were not wholly unresponsive though, as they did secrete IL-10 after stimulation. To determine whether iTreg-mediated tolerance was infectious, fostering the development of T lymphocytes that could independently suppress EAE, we purged draining lymph node cells from MOG-immunized, iTreg treated mice of the administered iTreg, and transferred the remaining cells to Ag-inexperienced mice. The transferred cells were able to block EAE development. Thus iTreg are highly potent suppressors of autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and act in an IL-10 dependent manner both through the induction of anergy in effector T cells and through the infectious induction of protective T lymphocytes able to independently suppress disease development.
Immediate contact hypersensitivity to pomegranate

Pomegranate is the fruit of the pomegranate tree (Punica granatum), native to Africa, introduced into the Mediterranean area, and now widely cultivated. The tree be‐longs to the Myrtaceae family and is currently used therapeutically for gingivitis and gastric‐duodenal trait. The fruit pulp is made up of a cluster of red‐violet seeds.
The role of beach morphology on coastal cliff erosion under extreme waves

Erosion of hard‐rock coastal cliffs is understood to be caused by a combination of both marine and sub‐aerial processes. Beach morphology, tidal elevation and significant wave heights, especially under extreme storm conditions, can lead to variability in wave energy flux to the cliff‐toe. Wave and water level measurements in the nearshore under energetic conditions are difficult to obtain and in situ observations are rare. Here we use monthly cliff‐face volume changes detected using terrestrial laser scanning alongside beach morphological changes and modelled nearshore hydrodynamics to examine how exposed cliffs respond to changes in extreme wave conditions and beach morphology. The measurements cover the North Atlantic storms of 2013 to 2014 and consider two exposed stretches of coastline (Porthleven and Godrevy, UK) with contrasting beach morphology fronting the cliffs; a flat dissipative sandy beach at Godrevy and a steep reflective gravel beach at Porthleven. Beach slope and the elevation of the beach–cliff junction were found to influence the frequency of cliff inundation and the power of wave–cliff impacts. Numerical modelling (XBeach‐G) showed that under highly energetic wave conditions, i.e. those that occurred in the North Atlantic during winter 2013–2014, with Hs = 5.5 m (dissipative site) and 8 m (reflective site), the combination of greater wave height and steeper beach at the reflective site led to amplified wave run‐up, subjecting these cliffs to waves over four times as powerful as those impacting the cliffs at the dissipative site (39 kWm‐1 compared with 9 kWm‐1). This study highlighted the sensitivity of cliff erosion to extreme wave conditions, where the majority (over 90% of the annual value) of cliff‐face erosion ensued during the winter. The significance of these short‐term erosion rates in the context of long‐term retreat illustrates the importance of incorporating short‐term beach and wave dynamics into geomorphological studies of coastal cliff change. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Comparative effectiveness of cardiovascular outcomes in new users of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors: SGLT2 inhibitors in the real world.

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at high risk for the development of cardiovascular (CV) disease and premature death (1). Heart failure is a CV outcome whose association with diabetes is being increasingly recognised (2). Heart failure is not only a common complication of T2DM but is also associated with a very poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rate for people with T2DM that develop heart failure has been reported to be less than 25% (3). The results from two randomised clinical trials of glucose lowering medications belonging to the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor class which showed a reduction in CV events, especially those related to heart failure, in high risk vascular patients with T2DM have therefore been enthusiastically received (4,5). Evidence is now also available to suggest that SGLT-2 inhibitors may have similar effects outside of the clinical trial setting. Furthermore, this so called “real world” data infer a SGLT-2 inhibitor class effect for CV protection in patients with T2DM across a range of background CV disease risk.
Artificial neural network based digital temperature compensation method for aluminum nitride MEMS resonators

Temperature stability is critical for commercial oscillators and many methods have been explored such as: a) constant-resistance-based control methods; b) DTCMs with look-up tables; c) phase-lock-loop based control methods. Whereas exemplary results have been attained with these techniques, to be effective they require: a) accurate knowledge of the source of temperature fluctuations; (b) the use of multiple and very accurate calibration curves; c) very high power consumption. ANN-DTCM addresses all these challenges simultaneously by enabling a compensation method that is agnostic about the physical source of temperature-induced frequency fluctuations, performs rapid calibration (>10X faster than b), and results in low power consumption.
Recent developments in renal cell cancer immunotherapy

Various immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been developed for > 90 years. Existing immunotherapeutic strategies against RCC include: systemic administration of cytokines; therapeutic vaccines based on tumor cells or dendritic cells; monoclonal antibodies; and adoptive immunotherapy (T cell transfer or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation). However, the overall efficacy of immunotherapy for advanced RCC remains moderate. With the advent of molecularly targeted biological therapies that turned out to be significantly effective in the treatment of metastatic RCC, to many oncologists immunotherapy may seem to be moving into the periphery of RCC treatment strategies. However, for the last 2 years there has been significant progress made in immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of RCC. Immunotherapy still remains the only systemic therapeutic strategy that is believed to potentially cure RCC patients. The development of active and passive specific immunotherapeutic approaches, along with the possibility to ‘switch off’ particular immunosuppressive mechanisms (e.g., elimination of regulatory T cells, blockage of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 signaling), have paved the way for future trials of new immunotherapies of RCC. However, the new studies will have to enroll optimally selected patients (nephrectomized, with non-massive metastases and good performance status) and will use tumor response criteria that are specifically optimized for clinical trials of immunotherapy.
Simulating hydrologic and hydraulic processes throughout the Amazon River Basin

Presented here is a model framework based on a land surface topography that can be represented with various degrees of resolution and capable of providing representative channel/floodplain hydraulic characteristics on a daily to hourly scale. The framework integrates two models: (1) a water balance model (WBM) for the vertical fluxes and stores of water in and through the canopy and soil layers based on the conservation of mass and energy, and (2) a routing model for the horizontal routing of surface and subsurface runoff and channel and floodplain waters based on kinematic and diffusion wave methodologies. The WBM is driven by satellite‐derived precipitation (TRMM_3B42) and air temperature (MOD08_M3). The model's use of an irregular computational grid is intended to facilitate parallel processing for applications to continental and global scales. Results are presented for the Amazon Basin over the period Jan 2001 through Dec 2005. The model is shown to capture annual runoff totals, annual peaks, seasonal patterns, and daily fluctuations over a range of spatial scales (>1, 000 to < 4·7M km2). For the period of study, results suggest basin‐wide total water storage changes in the Amazon vary by approximately + /− 5 to 10 cm, and the fractional components accounting for these changes are: root zone soil moisture (20%), subsurface water being routed laterally to channels (40%) and channel/floodplain discharge (40%). Annual variability in monthly water storage changes by + /− 2·5 cm is likely due to 0·5 to 1 month variability in the arrival of significant rainfall periods throughout the basin. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dual Targeting of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Using NVP-BEZ235 as a Novel Therapeutic Approach in Human Ovarian Carcinoma

Purpose: This study evaluates the effect of dual PI3K and mTOR inhibition using NVP-BEZ235 in preclinical models of ovarian cancer as a potential novel therapeutic strategy. Experimental Design: Inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling by NVP-BEZ235 was demonstrated by immunoblotting. The effect on cell proliferation was assessed in 18 ovarian cancer cell lines, including four pairs of syngeneic cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant cell lines. The in vivo effects of NVP-BEZ235 on established tumor growth were evaluated using an immunocompetent, transgenic murine ovarian cancer model (LSL-K-rasG12D/+PtenloxP/loxP). Results: NVP-BEZ235 decreased cell proliferation in all ovarian cancer cell lines assayed and sensitized cisplatin-resistant cells to the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin. Cell lines with PI3K-activating mutations or Pten deletions were significantly more sensitive to the effect of NVP-BEZ235 than cell lines without these mutations (P < 0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between relative levels of p4E-BP1 and the IC50 for NVP-BEZ235. In LSL-K-rasG12D/+PtenloxP/loxP mice with established intraperitoneal tumor disease, oral administration of NVP-BEZ235 decreased pAkt, p4E-BP1 and Ki67 in tumor tissue, and resulted in significantly longer survival compared to control animals (P < 0.05). NVP-BEZ235 also induced cell cycle arrest, caspase 3 activity, and reduced cell migration. Conclusions: Targeting PI3K and mTOR simultaneously using NVP-BEZ235 effectively inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth even in the presence of platinum resistance and prolongs survival of mice with intra-abdominal ovarian tumor disease. We propose that dual PI3K and mTOR inhibition using NVP-BEZ235 may be an effective novel therapeutic approach in patients with ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 17(8); 2373–84. ©2011 AACR.
Seasonal Variation in the Abundance of Culex nigripalpus and Culex quinquefasciatus in Wastewater Ponds at Two Florida Dairies

Abstract Patterns of seasonal variation in the relative abundance of immature Culex mosquitoes in wastewater ponds at dairies located in 2 different regions of peninsular Florida were compared. Culex nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were by far the most common mosquitoes collected during the study (99,344 and 106,225 individuals, respectively). Within-station differences in abundance of Cx. nigripalpus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were evident depending upon time of year. There were also between-station differences in the abundances of the 2 species depending upon time of year and station. Environmental and behavioral factors are implicated in some of the observed differences. We discuss mosquito control options for dairy ponds as well as possible impacts of mosquito production from these areas to humans and to animal health and production.
Comparison of the fatigue characteristics of centrifuged and uncentrifuged simplex P bone cement

Fatigue test specimens of Simplex P bone cement (Howmedica Inc., Rutherford, NJ) prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions and specimens of Simplex P prepared by centrifuging the cement immediately after mixing were subjected to fully reversed tension‐compression fatigue tests at initial strain levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.001. S:N curves for both cement preparations were generated and compared on the basis of regression analysis, Weibull analysis, and Student's t tests. Centrifuged Simplex P was able to withstand significantly more fatigue cycles than uncentrifuged Simplex P at all strain levels tested. Importantly, at the more physiologic strain levels of 2,000 and 1,000 microstrain, the centrifuged cement demonstrated superior fatigue life. Specifically, at the 1,000‐microstrain level eight of the 11 uncentrifuged specimens fractured before undergoing 10 million cycles. Of those that failed, the average number of cycles to failure was 1.8 million with a range of 560,000 to 4 million cycles. In contrast, all 11 centrifuged specimens tested at 1,000 microstrain remained intact at 10 million cycles.
Unique relations between counterfactual thinking and DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters.

OBJECTIVE Cognitive models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) propose that rumination about a trauma may increase particular symptom clusters. One type of rumination, termed counterfactual thinking (CFT), refers to thinking of alternative outcomes for an event. CFT centered on a trauma is thought to increase intrusions, negative alterations in mood and cognitions (NAMC), and marked alterations in arousal and reactivity (AAR). The theorized relations between CFT and specific symptom clusters have not been thoroughly investigated. Also, past work has not evaluated whether the relation is confounded by depressive symptoms, age, gender, or number of traumatic events experienced. METHOD The current study examined the unique associations between CFT and PTSD symptom clusters according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) in 51 trauma-exposed treatment-seeking individuals. RESULTS As predicted, CFT was associated with all PTSD symptom clusters. After controlling for common predictors of PTSD symptom severity (i.e., age, depressive symptoms, and number of traumatic life events endorsed), we found CFT to be significantly associated with the intrusion and avoidance symptom clusters but not the AAR or NAMC symptom clusters. CONCLUSIONS Results from the present study provide further support for the role of rumination in specific PTSD symptom clusters above and beyond symptoms of depression, age, and number of traumatic life events endorsed. Future work may consider investigating interventions to reduce rumination in PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record