Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Diet in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is steadily in the rise in Western as well as in developing countries paralleling the increase of westernized diets, characterized by high protein and fat as well as excessive sugar intake, with less vegetables and fiber. An interesting hypothesis is that environmental (food-) triggered changes of the intestinal microbiome might cause a proinflammatory state preceding the development of IBD. Indeed, an intact intestinal epithelial barrier assuring a normal bacterial clearance of the intestinal surface is crucial to guarantee intestinal homeostasis. Any factors affecting the epithelial barrier function directly or indirectly may impact on this homeostasis, as well as any changes of the intestinal microbial composition. It is intriguing to learn that some frequently used food components impact on the quality of the intestinal barrier, as well as on the composition of the intestinal microbiome. This highlights the close interaction between living conditions, hygiene, food habits and food quality with the bacterial composition of the intestinal microbiome and the activation status of the intestinal immune system. There is clear evidence that nutritional therapy is highly successful in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD). Exclusive enteral nutrition is well established as induction therapy of CD. New diets, such as a CD exclusion diet or defined diets (specific carbohydrate diets, FODMAP diet, Paleolithic diet) are being discussed as treatment options for IBD. Well-designed clinical trials in IBD are urgently required to define the precise role of each of these diets in the prevention or management of IBD. Up to now, the role of diet in IBD is highly undermined by lay and anecdotal reports without sufficient scientific proof.
GPUFish : A Parallel Computing Framework for Matrix Completion from A Few Observations

The problem of recovering a data matrix from a small sample of observed entries, also known as matrix completion, arises in several real-world applications including recommender systems, sensor localization, and system identification. We introduce GPUFish, a parallel computing software framework for solving very large-scale matrix completion problems. GPUFish is modular, tunable, inherently parallelizable, and leverages the massive number of multiple concurrent kernel executions possible on a modern GPU. The algorithmic core of GPUFish is an optimized implementation of the Jellyfish framework [1] which employs parallel stochastic gradient descent for solving the matrix completion problem. GPUFish enables the user to fine-tune the loss function to domain-dependent problems, thus extending the matrix completion framework to non-numeric observations. As a stylized application, we demonstrate how to adapt GPUFish to solve the 1-bit matrix completion problem where the matrix observations are binary [2]. Our results demonstrate that we achieve a 100x speedup over existing serial algorithms for this problem, with only a minimal loss in prediction accuracy, using a standard workstation equipped with a single GPU.
The role of nutrient regulation and the Gpa2 protein in the mating pheromone response of C. albicans

Although traditionally classified as asexual, the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans can undergo highly efficient mating. A key component of this mating is the response to pheromone, which is mediated by a conserved kinase cascade that transduces the signal from the pheromone receptor to a transcriptional response in the nucleus. In this paper we show (i) that the detailed response of C. albicans to the alpha pheromone differs among clinical isolates, (ii) that the response depends critically on nutritional conditions, (iii) that the entire response is mediated by the Ste2 receptor, and (iv) that, in terms of genes induced, the response to alpha pheromone in C. albicans shows only marginal overlap with the response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We further investigated the nutritional control of pheromone induction and identify the GPA2 gene as a critical component. We found that Δgpa2/Δgpa2 mutants are hypersensitive to pheromone and, unlike wild‐type strains, show efficient cell cycle arrest (including the formation of characteristic halos on solid medium) in response to mating pheromone. These results indicate that C. albicans, like several other fungal species but unlike S. cerevisiae, integrates signals from a nutrient‐sensing pathway with those of the pheromone response MAP kinase pathway to generate the final transcriptional response.
Nonmonotonic Status Effects in New Product Adoption

We investigate how the tendency to adopt a new product independently of social influence, the recipients' susceptibility to such influence, and the sources' strength of influence vary with social status. Leveraging insights from social psychology and sociology about middle-status anxiety and conformity, we propose that for products that potential adopters expect to boost their status, both the tendency to adopt independently from others and the susceptibility to contagion is higher for middle-status than for low-and high-status customers. Applying a nested case-control design to the adoption of commercial kits used in genetic engineering, we find evidence that status affects i how early or late one adopts regardless of social influence, ii how susceptible one is to such influence operating through social ties, and iii how influential one's own behavior is in triggering adoption by others. The inverse-U patterns in i and ii are consistent with middle-status anxiety and conformity. The findings have implications for how to use status to better understand adoption and contagion mechanisms, and for targeting customers when launching new products.
Clinical alterations in relation to the morphological composition of the subgingival microflora following scaling and root planing.

The aim of the present study was to relate shifts in the composition of subgingival plaque in periodontal pockets to alterations of the clinical periodontal conditions following a single course of subgingival scaling and root planing during a period of professional supragingival plaque control. For this purpose, 36 pairs of contralateral periodontal pockets in 10 subjects with moderately advanced periodontitis were assessed for the degree of gingival inflammation, probing pocket depths, bleeding on probing, attachment levels and the amount of supragingival plaque. In addition, samples of subgingival plaque were analyzed morphologically by dark-field microscopy. All patients received detailed information about proper oral hygiene and every 1-2 weeks, professional removal of supragingivally located deposits. When the oral hygiene standard had been sufficiently improved, 1 course of subgingival scaling on 1 side of each jaw only (test side) was carried out. Clinical and microbiological examinations were repeated after the scaling as well as after 2 and 6 months, while patients were recalled for supragingival prophylaxis every 2nd to 4th week. Our data showed that a single course of subgingival scaling and root planing resulted in reduced probing depths, a gain in clinical attachment and a shift in the composition of the subgingival microflora to a composition found in relatively healthy periodontal conditions. In relatively shallow pockets, however, a possible influence of repeated sampling on the subgingival microflora could not be ruled out. Bleeding on gentle probing was a reliable parameter for predicting a subgingival microflora where motile bacteria hold an increased portion. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Self-Care Practice Among Adolescents - A State Wide Cross- Sectional Study in Manipur, North Eastern India.

INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization global strategy of promoting oral health have shown vast improvements in developed countries but the scenario is glum among underprivileged communities due to lacunae in implementation of these promotional programs. Manipur, a North Eastern state in India, is one such marginalized area. AIM The study aimed to evaluate Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) towards oral health in 15-18 year adolescents residing in Manipur together with the association of these variables to sociodemographic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study included 810 healthy adolescents drawn from various primary health care centers spanning in all the nine districts of Manipur. A closed ended questionnaire for the purpose of collecting data was used in the survey. RESULTS Of the total participants 90.9% had high knowledge, 79.8% had favorable attitude and 70.4% had adequate practice towards oral health. Education of the parents and respondents was the only factor significantly associated with all three variables, knowledge, attitude and practice. Significant and positive linear correlation between knowledge-attitude (r=0.369, p<0.01) knowledge-practice (r=0.405, p<0.01) and attitude-practice (r =0.353, p<0.01), were observed. CONCLUSION An overwhelming majority of the respondents had high knowledge, favorable attitude and sound practice with respect to oral health. A positive linear correlation exists between the knowledge, attitude and practice. Evidence based reinforcement programs should be introduced to further reduce the gap between knowledge, attitude and practice. The study will also serve as a reference value for use in future evaluation to help measure the effectiveness of the planned activities. Future research needs to focus on establishing the dental caries prevalence and oral hygiene status of Manipuri youth.
Triage vital signs do not correlate with serum lactate or base deficit, and are less predictive of operative intervention in penetrating trauma patients: a prospective cohort study

Background Triage vital signs are often used to help determine a trauma patient's haemodynamic status. Recent studies have demonstrated that these may not be very specific in determining major injury. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is any correlation between triage vital signs, base deficit (BD) and lactate, and to determine the odds of operative intervention in penetrating trauma patients. Methods A prospective observational cohort study was undertaken. Baseline vital signs, BD and lactate were recorded in all patients for whom the trauma team was activated. Pearson correlation and coefficient (ρ) were calculated. ORs were calculated. Results 75 patients were enrolled. Pearson correlations and coefficients calculated for lactate to systolic blood pressure were: −0.052 (ρ=0.0011, 95% CI −0.225 to 0.228); lactate and HR: 0.23 (ρ=0.0166, 95% CI −0.211 to 0.242); lactate and RR: 0.23 (ρ=0.054, 95% CI −0.174 to 0.277). BD to systolic blood pressure were: 0.003 (ρ=0.00001, 95% CI −0.229 to 0.224); BD and HR: −0.19 (ρ=0.038, 95% CI −0.399 to 0.038); BD and RR: −0.019 (ρ=0.0004, 95% CI −0.244 to 0.208). Odds of operative intervention were greater in patients with abnormally high lactate, OR 4.17 (95% CI 1.57 to 11), but not for BD, OR 2.53 (95% CI 0.99 to 6.45), or any of the vital signs. Conclusions Triage vital signs have no correlation to lactate or BD levels in penetrating trauma patients. Odds of operative intervention are greater in patients with abnormally high serum lactate levels, but not in those with abnormal triage vital signs or BD.
The benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine perturbs microtubule assembly dynamics through tubulin binding

Sanguinarine has been shown to inhibit proliferation of several types of human cancer cell including multidrug‐resistant cells, whereas it has minimal cytotoxicity against normal cells such as neutrophils and keratinocytes. By analyzing the antiproliferative activity of sanguinarine in relation to its effects on mitosis and microtubule assembly, we found that it inhibits cancer cell proliferation by a novel mechanism. It inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with a half‐maximal inhibitory concentration of 1.6 ± 0.1 µm. In its lower effective inhibitory concentration range, sanguinarine depolymerized microtubules of both interphase and mitotic cells and perturbed chromosome organization in mitotic HeLa cells. At concentrations of 2 µm, it induced bundling of interphase microtubules and formation of granular tubulin aggregates. A brief exposure of HeLa cells to sanguinarine caused irreversible depolymerization of the microtubules, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced cell death. However, in contrast with several other microtubule‐depolymerizing agents, sanguinarine did not arrest cell cycle progression at mitosis. In vitro, low concentrations of sanguinarine inhibited microtubule assembly. At higher concentrations (> 40 µm), it altered polymer morphology. Further, it induced aggregation of tubulin in the presence of microtubule‐associated proteins. The binding of sanguinarine to tubulin induces conformational changes in tubulin. Together, the results suggest that sanguinarine inhibits cell proliferation at least in part by perturbing microtubule assembly dynamics.
Integrated Disease Management studies in Blight of Tomato

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most widely consumed vegetables in the world. In India, tomato is grown almost all over the country and ranks first with 0.88 million hectares of area and 18.22 million tonnes of production with a productivity of 19.50 t/ha. In Andhra Pradesh the crop is grown in 0.26 million hectares with a production and productivity of 5.21 million tones and 20 t/ha respectively (INDIASTAT, 2013). As Rhizoctonia solani is a soilborne pathogen, the disease caused by it is difficult to manage due to its exceptionally broad host range that includes over 500 plant species including tomato. On the other hand, management of this disease is difficult not only due to its wide host range and soil borne nature but also the long saprophytic survival ability of the pathogen in soil (Kumar et al., 2011).
Healing Components of a Bereavement Camp: Children and Adolescents Give Voice to Their Experiences

This qualitative study is the follow-up to a quantitative controlled study which showed a decrease in childhood traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in parentally bereaved children participating in a bereavement camp. The purpose of this study was to identify the healing components of this camp model. Semi-structured interviews with 19 children and 13 parents/guardians were conducted 3 to 9 months after participation in the bereavement camp. Therapeutic Interventions and Traditional Camp Activities emerged as themes. The themes are discussed in relation to previous research as are limitations of the study and the implications for theory, practice, and future research.
Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale in a Sports Context

The purpose of the present research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) in sport context. The TMMS is a 24-item self-report measure that assesses perceived emotional intelligence, which is the extent to which people believe they pay attention to their emotions and are capable of distinguishing and regulating them. Participants were 368 athletes (257 male, 111 female; M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 5.5; range = 14–40). Factor validity was tested via Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Based on factor loadings, covariances, and modification indices, the TMMS was reduced to a 22-item model. This respecification showed adequate reliability and construct validity. Multistep analysis of invariance indicated that the factor structure of the TMMS is invariant across sex. Predictive validity was assessed through path analysis. The results support the use of the Spanish version of the TMMS in a sport context.
A wide-band direct conversion receiver for WCDMA applications

Current digital mobile communications systems, such as GSM, are specified for voice-band applications. The channel bandwidths up to some hundreds of kHz limit data transfer to low bit rates, in applications such as electronic mail. The 3rd-generation global mobile system is in development under the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It will be capable of transmitting various services from voice to multimedia with different quality requirements for single or multiple users in the same frequency band. Data rates from 8 to 384 kb/s in wide-area applications, and even 2 Mb/s indoors, will be possible. The flexibility comes from use of the wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) scheme in the radio interface.
Increase in Serum Levels of Autoantibodies after Attack of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis in Patients with Graves’ Disease

Background: The prevalence of allergic disease is increasing worldwide, but its influence on the clinical course of autoimmune diseases is unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of seasonal allergic rhinitis on the clinical course of Graves’ disease, which has been considered a Th2-dominant autoimmune disease. Methods: Ten patients with Graves’ disease, who were considered to be in a state of remission or near remission, were serially examined for 18 months starting from August. Five of them had seasonal allergic rhinitis due to Japanese cedar pollen, and the remaining patients had no such allergic disorders. Peripheral eosinophil counts, serum concentrations of cedar-pollen-specific IgE, anti-TSH-receptor antibody, anti-thyroid-peroxidase antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody were assessed at 2- to 4-month intervals. Serum thyroid hormones and TSH levels were also measured to evaluate disease activity. Results: All patients with pollinosis had attacks of allergic rhinitis caused by cedar pollen in early March. Subsequently, peripheral eosinophil counts, pollen-specific IgE activity and serum levels of anti-thyroid-peroxidase and antithyroglobulin autoantibodies markedly increased. Serum levels of anti-TSH-receptor antibody increased in 3 patients in association with an increase in serum thyroid hormones but were always negative in 2 patients. The control patients without pollinosis showed no consistent change of these parameters. Conclusions: Seasonal allergic rhinitis aggravated the clinical course of Graves’ disease and induced an increase in serum antithyroid autoantibody concentrations as well as an increase in pollen-specific IgE concentration. These data suggest that environmental antigens induce not only local allergic reactions, but also stimulate thyroid immune reactions toward Th2 proliferation, and finally aggravate Th2-dependent autoimmune thyroid disease.
Alveolar macrophage phagocytic activity is enhanced with LPS priming, and combined stimulation of LPS and lipoteichoic acid synergistically induce pro-inflammatory cytokines in pigs

The objective of the present study was to investigate LPS and lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-induced TLRs, associated signaling molecules and inflammatory mediators, as well as to compare their combined effect in porcine alveolar macrophages. Macrophages were incubated for 24 h with various concentrations of LPS, LTA, LPS + LTA or control. Multiple concentrations of LPS elicited marked up-regulation in mRNA for TLR2 and TLR4, CD14, MD2, MyD88, IRAK-4 and TRAF6 compared with the control. LTA had no effect on TLR4 and MD2; only higher doses up-regulated TLR2, CD14, MyD88, IRAK-4 and TRAF6 mRNA. LPS-activated cells released IL1-β, IL12-β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ and IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner, while LTA had no effect on IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ. Higher doses of LTA induced IL-12β, TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-10. Combined stimulation augmented TLR2, CD14 and MyD88 mRNA, and subsequently produced elevated levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-8 when compared with LPS and LTA alone. Additionally, phagocytosis of macrophages was significantly increased following low concentration of LPS treatment. Only low levels of NO (nitric oxide) were detected in the LPS group. Overall, compared with LPS, LTA was a relatively weak inducer, and co-stimulation accelerated gene and cytokine production associated with pulmonary innate immune function.
Institutions, Investment and Economic Growth

The objective of this paper is to study the effect of institutional factors on investment and economic growth of a set of 11 countries in the MENA region during the period 2000-2009, using a model of dynamic panel data. The effect of institutions on the contribution of investment to economic growth has been a second empirical study in this paper. The key findings generated by these two empirical tests stipulate a significant relationship between institutional variables and investment on the one hand and economic growth on the other hand, a positive interaction between political institutions and investment and a negative interaction between political instability and investment.
Hypercapnic acidosis and mortality in acute lung injury*

Objective:We tested the hypothesis that hypercapnic acidosis is associated with reduced mortality rate in patients with acute lung injury independent of changes in mechanical ventilation. Design:Secondary analysis of randomized clinical trial data using hypothesis-driven multivariate logistic regression. Setting:Randomized, multiple-center trial (n = 861) comparing 12 mL/kg to 6 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volumes previously published by the National Institutes of Health Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Network. Patients:Acute lung injury patients enrolled in a randomized, multiple-center trial (n = 861). Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:The adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for 28-day mortality rate associated with hypercapnic acidosis defined as day 1 pH <7.35 and Paco2 >45 mm Hg were 0.14 (95% CI 0.03–0.70, p = .016) in the 12 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volume group and 1.18 (95% CI 0.59–2.35, p = .639) in the 6 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volume group. Other definitions of hypercapnic acidosis spanning a range of magnitudes suggest a dose-response association between hypercapnic acidosis and 28-day mortality in the 12 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volume group. None of our definitions of hypercapnic acidosis were associated with reduction in 28-day mortality in the 6 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volume group. Conclusions:Hypercapnic acidosis was associated with reduced 28-day mortality in the 12 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volume group after controlling for comorbidities and severity of lung injury. These results are consistent with a protective effect of hypercapnic acidosis against ventilator-associated lung injury that was not found when the further ongoing injury was reduced by 6 mL/kg predicted body weight tidal volumes.