Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eustachian tube evaluation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract Objectives: Investigate the presence of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) in Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Correlate the ET function and the severity of the sleep apnea syndrome. Correlate nasal resistance and nasal mucociliary clearance with the onset of ETD in these patients. Materials and methods: Forty patients affected by OSA were enrolled in our clinical prospective study. Thirty patients were also investigated as a control group. All of the analyzed subjects underwent ENT examination, anterior rhinomanometry and test for mucociliary transport time. To evaluate Eustachian tube function the Eustachian tube score-7 (ETS-7) were employed. Results: Twenty percent of the patients with a diagnosis of OSA had a diagnosis of ETD (ETS-7 ≤ 7) with a statistical difference with control group (p = .03). No differences regarding ETD in OSA sub-groups were found. Conclusion: This study showed that ET blockage or delayed openings were found in most adult patients with OSA when evaluated by a sensible score as the ETS-7. Our data suggest that an evaluation of the Eustachian tube function should be performed in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
High sodium diet converts renal proteoglycans into pro-inflammatory mediators in rats

Background High dietary sodium aggravates renal disease by affecting blood pressure and by its recently shown pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic effects. Moreover, pro-inflammatory modification of renal heparan sulfate (HS) can induce tissue remodeling. We aim to investigate if high sodium intake in normotensive rats converts renal HS into a pro-inflammatory phenotype, able to bind more sodium and orchestrate inflammation, fibrosis and lymphangiogenesis. Methods Wistar rats received a normal diet for 4 weeks, or 8% NaCl diet for 2 or 4 weeks. Blood pressure was monitored, and plasma, urine and tissue collected. Tissue sodium was measured by flame spectroscopy. Renal HS and tubulo-interstitial remodeling were studied by biochemical, immunohistochemical and qRT-PCR approaches. Results High sodium rats showed a transient increase in blood pressure (week 1; p<0.01) and increased sodium excretion (p<0.05) at 2 and 4 weeks compared to controls. Tubulo-interstitial T-cells, myofibroblasts and mRNA levels of VCAM1, TGF-β1 and collagen type III significantly increased after 4 weeks (all p<0.05). There was a trend for increased macrophage infiltration and lymphangiogenesis (both p = 0.07). Despite increased dermal sodium over time (p<0.05), renal concentrations remained stable. Renal HS of high sodium rats showed increased sulfation (p = 0.05), increased L-selectin binding to HS (p<0,05), and a reduction of sulfation-sensitive anti-HS mAbs JM403 (p<0.001) and 10E4 (p<0.01). Hyaluronan expression increased under high salt conditions (p<0.01) without significant changes in the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan versican. Statistical analyses showed that sodium-induced tissue remodeling responses partly correlated with observed HS changes. Conclusion We show that high salt intake by healthy normotensive rats convert renal HS into high sulfated pro-inflammatory glycans involved in tissue remodeling events, but not in increased sodium storage.
Impact of Using an Educational Robot-Based Learning System on Students’ Motivation in Elementary Education

Educational robotics has been regarded as an effective instructional tool over the past decade. Many studies have tested the role of robots in supporting educational classroom activities. However, reliable empirical evidence confirming the effectiveness of educational robots remains limited. Therefore, this study developed an educational robot-based learning system that provides an attractive teaching application that combines multimedia objects with an educational robot. This study examined the impact of the proposed learning system on student learning performance and motivation. The four-stage experimental procedure involved a pre-test, post-test, learning activities, and questionnaire survey. The participants comprised one homeroom teacher and 52 second-grade students from two classes at an elementary school in Taiwan. All of the students were assigned to use either the proposed learning system or a PowerPoint-based learning system. The pre-test and post-test results show that the proposed learning system improved student performance more than the PowerPoint-based learning system did. A questionnaire based on the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) was employed to measure four motivational factors (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction). The IMMS survey results show that satisfaction and relevance were the highest rated motivational factors among students who used the proposed learning system. The experimental results indicate that the students were motivated to use the educational robot-based learning system. Thus, using educational robot-based learning systems in classrooms demonstrates a significant advantage for students, by improving overall learning interest and motivation.
Remodelling of action potential and intracellular calcium cycling dynamics during subacute myocardial infarction promotes ventricular arrhythmias in Langendorff‐perfused rabbit hearts

We hypothesize that remodelling of action potential and intracellular calcium (Cai) dynamics in the peri‐infarct zone contributes to ventricular arrhythmogenesis in the postmyocardial infarction setting. To test this hypothesis, we performed simultaneous optical mapping of Cai and membrane potential (Vm) in the left ventricle in 15 rabbit hearts with myocardial infarction for 1 week. Ventricular premature beats frequently originated from the peri‐infarct zone, and 37% showed elevation of Cai prior to Vm depolarization, suggesting reverse excitation–contraction coupling as their aetiology. During electrically induced ventricular fibrillation, the highest dominant frequency was in the peri‐infarct zone in 61 of 70 episodes. The site of highest dominant frequency had steeper action potential duration restitution and was more susceptible to pacing‐induced Cai alternans than sites remote from infarct. Wavebreaks during ventricular fibrillation tended to occur at sites of persistently elevated Cai. Infusion of propranolol flattened action potential duration restitution, reduced wavebreaks and converted ventricular fibrillation to ventricular tachycardia. We conclude that in the subacute phase of myocardial infarction, the peri‐infarct zone exhibits regions with steep action potential duration restitution slope and unstable Cai dynamics. These changes may promote ventricular extrasystoles and increase the incidence of wavebreaks during ventricular fibrillation. Whereas increased tissue heterogeneity after subacute myocardial infarction creates a highly arrhythmogenic substrate, dynamic action potential and Cai cycling remodelling also contribute to the initiation and maintenance of ventricular fibrillation in this setting.
SOFA criteria predict infection-related in-hospital mortality in ICU patients better than SIRS criteria and the qSOFA score

Commentary on : Raith EP, Udy AA, Bailey M, et al . Prognostic accuracy of the SOFA score, SIRS criteria, and qSOFA score for in-hospital mortality among adults with suspected infection admitted to the intensive care unit. JAMA 2017;317:290–300. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) has redefined sepsis, now defining sepsis as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, with organ failure defined as a two-or-more-point change in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score.1 The new sepsis definition was determined in a retrospective cohort of both intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU encounters.2 The quick SOFA (qSOFA) score (altered mentation, systolic blood pressure ≤100 mm Hg and respiratory rate ≥22/min) was also introduced as a possible useful predictive tool among patients outside the ICU. This external validation study compares the discrimination …
Microbial Community Structure and Denitrification in a Wetland Mitigation Bank

ABSTRACT Wetland mitigation is implemented to replace ecosystem functions provided by wetlands; however, restoration efforts frequently fail to establish equivalent levels of ecosystem services. Delivery of microbially mediated ecosystem functions, such as denitrification, is influenced by both the structure and activity of the microbial community. The objective of this study was to compare the relationship between soil and vegetation factors and microbial community structure and function in restored and reference wetlands within a mitigation bank. Microbial community composition was assessed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting the 16S rRNA gene (total bacteria) and the nosZ gene (denitrifiers). Comparisons of microbial function were based on potential denitrification rates. Bacterial community structures differed significantly between restored and reference wetlands; denitrifier community assemblages were similar among reference sites but highly variable among restored sites throughout the mitigation bank. Potential denitrification was highest in the reference wetland sites. These data demonstrate that wetland restoration efforts in this mitigation bank have not successfully restored denitrification and that differences in potential denitrification rates may be due to distinct microbial assemblages observed in restored and reference (natural) wetlands. Further, we have identified gradients in soil moisture and soil fertility that were associated with differences in microbial community structure. Microbial function was influenced by bacterial community composition and soil fertility. Identifying soil factors that are primary ecological drivers of soil bacterial communities, especially denitrifying populations, can potentially aid the development of predictive models for restoration of biogeochemical transformations and enhance the success of wetland restoration efforts.
A Maximal Affine Stochastic Volatility Model of Oil Prices

This study develops and estimates a stochastic volatility model of commodity prices that nests many of the previous models in the literature. The model is an affine three‐factor model with one state variable driving the volatility and is maximal among all such models that are also identifiable. The model leads to quasi‐analytical formulas for futures and options prices. It allows for time‐varying correlation structures between the spot price and convenience yield, the spot price and its volatility, and the volatility and convenience yield. It allows for expected mean‐reversion in the short term and for an increasing expected long‐term price, and for time‐varying risk premia. Furthermore, the model allows for the situation in which options' prices depend on risk not fully spanned by futures prices. These properties are desirable and empirically important for modeling many commodities, especially crude oil. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 30:101–133, 2010
Editors' introduction: cultural capital and social inequality.

Savage (ESRC Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change, University of Manchester) Bennett (ESRC Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change, Open University) (Corresponding author email: msrssms@fs1.ec.man.ac.uk) © London School of Economics and Political Science 2005 ISSN 0007-1315 print/1468-4446 online. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA on behalf of the LSE. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-4446.2005. 00043.x Editors’ introduction: Cultural capital and social inequality
Educational level and risk of colorectal cancer in EPIC with specific reference to tumor location

Existing evidence is inconclusive on whether socioeconomic status (SES) and educational inequalities influence colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, and whether low or high SES/educational level is associated with developing CRC. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between educational level and CRC. We studied data from 400,510 participants in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study, of whom 2,447 developed CRC (colon: 1,551, rectum: 896, mean follow‐up 8.3 years). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis stratified by age, gender and center, and adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Relative indices of inequality (RII) for education were estimated using Cox regression models. We conducted separate analyses for tumor location, gender and geographical region. Compared with participants with college/university education, participants with vocational secondary education or less had a nonsignificantly lower risk of developing CRC. When further stratified for tumor location, adjusted risk estimates for the proximal colon were statistically significant for primary education or less (HR 0.73, 95%CI 0.57–0.94) and for vocational secondary education (HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.58–0.98). The inverse association between low education and CRC risk was particularly found in women and Southern Europe. These associations were statistically significant for CRC, for colon cancer and for proximal colon cancer. In conclusion, CRC risk, especially in the proximal colon, is lower in subjects with a lower educational level compared to those with a higher educational level. This association is most pronounced in women and Southern Europe.
Identification of a Locus Involved in Systemic Dissemination of Yersinia enterocolitica

ABSTRACT A putative LysR-type transcriptional activator, Hre20, was identified previously in an in vivo expression technology screen designed to identify factors which are expressed early during infection by Yersinia enterocolitica (G. M. Young and V. L. Miller, Mol. Microbiol. 25:319–328, 1997). An insertion in hre20, now designated rscR, resulted in increased splenic dissemination of bacteria during infection in a BALB/c mouse model. A nonpolar mutation was generated inrscR, and examination of this strain in the BALB/c mouse model demonstrated that the mutation in rscR was responsible for the increased dissemination to the spleen that was seen in the original experiments. RscR is homologous to the LysR family of transcriptional regulators; thus, a screen was undertaken to identify genes regulated by RscR. A strain containing an insertion in the chromosomal rscR gene and carrying rscR on a plasmid under the control of the inducible araBAD promoter was mutagenized with an mTn5Km-2 transposon containing a promoterless lacZY. Eighteen insertions were identified which appeared to respond to levels of RscR, and these were classified into four allelic groups based on Southern blot hybridization analysis. Representative members were sequenced from three allelic groups. Sequencing revealed insertions in an ORF with no known homologues, a homologue of OmpF of Serratia marcescens, and a locus (designated rscBAC) with similarity to thehmwABC locus of Haemophilus influenzae. ThehmwABC locus promotes adherence of H. influenzae to host cells (S. J. Barenkamp and J. W. St. Geme III, Infect. Immun. 62:3320–3328, 1994; J. W. St. Geme III, S. Falkow, and S. J. Barenkamp, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:2875–2879, 1993). A strain containing a deletion mutant of rscA, the hmwA homologue, exhibits increased splenic dissemination of bacteria during infection in a BALB/c mouse model, similar to the rscR mutant. This suggests that the phenotype of an rscR mutant is due to the loss of RscA.
Prevalence and Resistance Pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Surface Water

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria, frequently found in different environmental samples. The prevalence of multidrug resistant isolates has become an alarming concern for both patients and their surroundings. The present study was carried out to record prevalence of P. aeruginosa in surface water of Dhaka city and to screen their antibiotic resistance pattern. The study was also extended to typing of resistant isolates according to extended spectrum beta lactamase production. Hereby, Kirby-Bauer method was applied to test antibiotic sensitivity according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Then, the Ampicillin resistant isolates were screened for ESBL production by Double Disk Synergy Test (DDST). In these prospects, 52 water samples were tested, of which 32 were found positive for P. aeruginosa isolates. Hundred percent of the positive isolates were found to Ampicillin (AMP) resistant followed by 93.7% to both Tetracycline and Gentamycin and 71.8% to Co-triimoxazole. P. aeruginosa is completely susceptible to third generation antibiotics ciprofloxacin, Imipenem and Aztreonam followed by moderately susceptible to Polymyxin-B (78.2%) and Colistin (87.5%). According to DDST, all of the susceptible isolates were found positive for AMC type beta-lactamase production. It is evident from this study that the surface water is contaminated with antibiotic resistant P. aeruginosa and that through the water systems antibiotic resistance can be transferred to humans and animals. So, appropriate and rationale use of antibiotic should be applied to minimize the emergence of multidrug isolates to environment.
Undiagnosed Asymptomatic Hypoglycemia: Diet, Insulin, and Glyburide for Gestational Diabetic Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: The role of maternal hypoglycemia during pregnancy has not yet been established. We sought to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed, asymptomatic hypoglycemic events that occur in diabetic patients. METHODS: All patients were evaluated using a continuous glucose monitoring system for 72 consecutive hours. The continuous glucose monitoring system measures in subcutaneous tissue interstitial glucose levels within a range of 40–400 mg/dL every 5 minutes for a total of 288 measurements per day. All patients were instructed regarding diabetic diet and assigned to pharmacological treatment as needed. Patients documented the time of food intake, insulin or glyburide administration, and all clinical hypoglycemic events. An asymptomatic hypoglycemic episode was defined as more than 30 consecutive minutes of glucose value below 50 mg/dL detected only by continuous glucose monitoring system reading without patient awareness. RESULTS: An evaluation of 82 patients with gestational diabetes was performed; 30 were insulin-treated, 27 were managed by diet only, and 25 were patients treated with glyburide. For purposes of comparison, data were obtained from 35 nondiabetic gravid women. Asymptomatic hypoglycemic events were identified in 19 of 30 (63%) insulin-treated patients and in 7 of 25 (28%) glyburide-treated patients. No hypoglycemic events were identified in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus treated by diet alone or in nondiabetic subjects. The mean recorded hypoglycemic episodes per day was significantly higher in insulin-treated patients (4.2 ± 2.1) than in glyburide-treated patients (2.1 ± 1.1), P = . 03. In insulin-treated patients, the majority of the hypoglycemic events were nocturnal (84%), whereas in glyburide-treated patients, episodes were identified equally by day and night. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that asymptomatic hypoglycemic events are common during pharmacological treatment in gestational diabetic pregnancies. We speculate that this finding may be explained by treatment modality rather than by the disease itself. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Study to Determine the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of an HPV-16 Therapeutic Vaccine in HIV-Positive Participants With Oncogenic HPV Infection of the Anus

Objective:Study aimed to assess safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of novel therapeutic HPV-16 E6E7 ISCOMATRIX vaccine for treatment of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-infected men who have sex with men with moderate immunosuppression. Design:Randomized, multicenter, blinded, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating study investigating 3 different doses of vaccine and different dose schedule. Primary objective to determine safety and tolerability, including clinical status, maintenance of virological control, and CD4 cell count for more than 252 days. Results:Thirty-five men who have sex with men enrolled; median age 47 years; current CD4 count 627 cells per milliliter; nadir CD4 count 154 cells per milliliter; 94% current antiretrovirals; 100% high-risk HPV types; 69% abnormal anal cytology; and 34% anal intraepithelial neoplasia 1-3 on high-resolution anoscopy. No dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events in HPV-16 vaccine recipients. Most HPV-16 vaccine recipients reported moderate/severe short-term injection site reactions and systemic reactions including headache, myalgia, and fatigue. CD4 cell counts remained stable. Five participants had transiently detectable viral loads. Ninety-six percent of vaccine recipients had at least a 4-fold increase in HPV-16 antibody from prevaccination levels. Seventy-one percent had at least a 3-fold increase in interferon-gamma responses to E6E7 peptides. Conclusions:The novel therapeutic HPV-16 E6E7 ISCOMATRIX vaccine seemed safe and reasonably well tolerated. The therapeutic vaccine induces strong and durable antibody responses and moderate interferon-γ levels that fell to prevaccination levels by week 24.
Bilayer Graphene-Hexagonal Boron Nitride Heterostructure Negative Differential Resistance Interlayer Tunnel FET

We present the room temperature operation of a vertical tunneling field-effect transistor using a stacked double bilayer graphene (BLG) and hexagonal boron nitride heterostructure. The device shows two tunneling resonances with negative differential resistance (NDR). An analysis of the electrostatic potential drop across the heterostructure indicates the resonances are associated with the relative alignment of the lower or upper bands of the two BLG. Using the NDR characteristic of the device, one-transistor latch or SRAM operation is demonstrated. The device characteristics are largely insensitive to temperature from 1.5 to 300 K.
Delay in the Diagnosis of Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis: Influence on Outcome

Background and Purpose— Diagnostic delay of cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis may have an impact on outcome. Methods— In the International Study on Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis (ISCVT) cohort (624 patients with cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis), we analyzed the predictors and the impact on outcome of diagnostic delay. Primary outcome was a modified Rankin Scale score >2 at the end of follow-up. Secondary outcomes were modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1 at the end of follow-up, death, and visual deficits (visual acuity or visual field). Results— Median delay was 7 days (interquartile range, 3 to 16). Patients with disturbance of consciousness (P<0.001) and of mental status (P=0.042), seizure (<0.001), and with parenchymal lesions on admission CT/MR (P<0.001) were diagnosed earlier, whereas men (P=0.01) and those with isolated intracranial hypertension syndrome (P=0.04) were diagnosed later. Between patients diagnosed earlier and later than the median delay, no statistically significant differences were found in the primary (P=0.33) and in secondary outcomes: modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1 (P=0.86) or deaths (P=0.53). Persistent visual deficits were more frequent in patients diagnosed later (P=0.05). In patients with isolated intracranial hypertension syndrome, modified Rankin Scale score >2 at the end of follow-up was more frequent in patients diagnosed later (P=0.02). Conclusions— Diagnostic delay was considerable in this cohort and was associated with an increased risk of visual deficit. In patients with isolated intracranial hypertension syndrome, diagnostic delay was also associated with death or dependency.