Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Habitat Correlates with the Spatial Distribution of Ectoparasites on Peromyscus leucopus in Southern Michigan

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of habitat in determining ectoparasite distribution of Peromyscus leucopus. We tested the hypothesis that ectoparasite occurrence is associated with particular host environments and this association is stronger for ectoparasites with limited interactions (i.e., ticks) than those with frequent interactions (i.e., lice). Ectoparasites from three different groups (Acari, Siphonaptera, and Phthiraptera) were collected from P. leucopus inhabiting a number of forested habitats in southern Michigan. Measurements of plant species structure and composition were collected and models were developed using quadratic discriminant function analysis to determine if habitats associated with ectoparasite presence were different from those associated with their absence. Mice parasitized by ticks were more likely to be found in areas having undergone a recent disturbance. Mice parasitized by ticks, fleas, and lice were more likely to be found in areas having tree species associated with dry soils. Our results show there is a distinct difference in habitats associated with the presence of ectoparasites, though we did not observe a stronger association of host habitat for ticks than for fleas or lice. This implies habitat should be included as an important component of assessments of the spatial distribution of ectoparasites.
College Student Drug Use: Patterns, Concerns, Consequences, and Interest in Intervention

Although previous surveys have indicated high rates of illicit and prescription drug misuse among college students, few have assessed negative consequences, personal concerns, or interest in interventions for drug use. In a survey of 262 college students who self-reported lifetime use of an illicit drug, 69% reported at least one negative consequence over the course of their lifetime and 63% in the past year. Many also reported being moderately concerned (28%) about their drug or medication misuse and moderately interested in some form of intervention (76%). The frequency of marijuana use and medication misuse in the past month was related to increased negative consequences and personal concerns even when controlling for the frequency of past month alcohol use. There were relatively few differences as a function of gender or year in college.
[Evaluation of seroconversion after vaccination of medical staff against HBV infection].

AIM Carry out analysis of formation of immune response in vaccinated medical staff against viral hepatitis B, detect risk factors by lack of seroconversion after vaccination. MATERIALS AND METHODS In medical staff (49 individuals) retrospective analysis of dynamics of antibody titers against HBsAg (aHBs) after vaccination in 1998-2011, data on objective status and main laboratory parameters based on medical documentation was carried out. RESULTS Among vaccinated the lack of response (aHBs < 10 mIU/ml) was observed in 20.4%, weak response (aHBs > or = 10 mIU/ml, < 100 mIU/ml)--in 34.7% and full response (aHBs > or = 100 mIU/ml)--in 44.9% of staff. Age over 40 years, male gender, obesity and insulin-resistance were linked with ineffectiveness of vaccination. With aHBs < 100 mIU/ml titers the patients became seornegative within 3 years after the immunization. With aHBs > or = 100 mIU/ml titers the patients remained seropositive for 10 years. CONCLUSION Age over 40 years, male gender, obesity and insulin-resistance are linked with lack of formation of seroconversion after vaccination against HBV infection. When immune response is weak early monitoring of HBV titers is necessary with the aim of timely execution of revaccination. When immune response is adequate, revaccination is possible in 10 years.
Clean version Does an aberrant right hepatic artery really influence the short- and long-term results of a pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignant disease? A matched case-controlled study

Background: An aberrant right hepatic artery (ARHA) is a common anatomical variation. The risk associated with ARHA during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) continues to be debated. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and survival after PD with ARHA against a matched cohort of patients without AHRA. Methods: PD with an ARHA performed between January 2000 and September 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with an AHRA (group 1) were matched (1:2) to patients without an ARHA (group 2) according to gender, age, BMI, type of tumor and lymph nodes status. Periand postoperative outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Overall (OS) and disease free (DFS) survival were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test. Results: A total of 29 patients (group 1) and 55 patients (group 2) were compared. In group 1, an AHRA entered the tumor in 6 cases (20.7%), was sacrificed in 4 cases, and repaired in 2 cases. There was no difference regarding the rate of intraoperative and postoperative variables between the 2 groups. The oncological clearance (p=0.731) and survival (OS, p=0.843; DFS, p=0.832) were also similar. Conclusions: Our study showed that the presence of an AHRA during PD was not associated with worse postoperative outcomes or survival.
Chapter 2 Leukocyte Kinetics and Migration in the Lungs

The primary function of the lungs is to enable the oxygenation of venous blood [1]. The blood–air barrier in the lungs (described in Chap. 1), which is continuously exposed to inhaled microbes and inflammatory stimuli, also serves as a site of host defense [2]. Leukocyte trafficking to sites of inflammation is central to the maintenance of homeostasis in the lung [3, 4]; however, unregulated profuse recruitment of leukocytes can promote lung injury and respiratory failure [5]. Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human blood and the first subset of leukocytes to reach a site of inflammation [3, 6]. More than 60 % of the lung microcirculation is made up of pulmonary capillaries, which are mostly smaller in diameter than neutrophils [7, 8]. As a result, neutrophils are required to deform into an elongated shape when entering the pulmonary capillaries, which slows down their transit, leading to their concentration in the noninflamed lung [9]. Thus, the anatomy of the lung microcirculation serves to promote homeostasis in the noninflamed lung by concentrating neutrophils within the pulmonary capillaries in the form of a “marginated pool,” which can be readily recruited in response to an inflammatory stimulus [10]. Following an inflammatory insult, neutrophils sequester primarily within the pulmonary capillaries in large numbers [11] and infiltrate into the alveolar air spaces, which contributes to the disruption of the blood-air barrier and progression of lung injury [5]. Unlike the well-characterized sequential steps of rolling, activation, arrest, crawling, and transmigration that drive neutrophil recruitment in the systemic venules [6], neutrophils do not roll in the pulmonary capillaries but rather undergo a series of overlapping steps of cell stiffening and sequestration followed
Functional Microorganisms for Functional Food Quality

Functional microorganisms and health benefits represent a binomial with great potential for fermented functional foods. The health benefits of fermented functional foods are expressed either directly through the interactions of ingested live microorganisms with the host (probiotic effect) or indirectly as the result of the ingestion of microbial metabolites synthesized during fermentation (biogenic effect). Since the importance of high viability for probiotic effect, two major options are currently pursued for improving it—to enhance bacterial stress response and to use alternative products for incorporating probiotics (e.g., ice cream, cheeses, cereals, fruit juices, vegetables, and soy beans). Further, it seems that quorum sensing signal molecules released by probiotics may interact with human epithelial cells from intestine thus modulating several physiological functions. Under optimal processing conditions, functional microorganisms contribute to food functionality through their enzyme portfolio and the release of metabolites. Overproduction of free amino acids and vitamins are two classical examples. Besides, bioactive compounds (e.g., peptides, γ-amino butyric acid, and conjugated linoleic acid) may be released during food processing above the physiological threshold and they may exert various in vivo health benefits. Functional microorganisms are even more used in novel strategies for decreasing phenomenon of food intolerance (e.g., gluten intolerance) and allergy. By a critical approach, this review will aim at showing the potential of functional microorganisms for the quality of functional foods.
Aspergillus fumigatus devoid of cell wall β‐1,3‐glucan is viable, massively sheds galactomannan and is killed by septum formation inhibitors

Echinocandins inhibit β‐1,3‐glucan synthesis and are one of the few antimycotic drug classes effective against Aspergillus spp. In this study, we characterized the β‐1,3‐glucan synthase Fks1 of Aspergillus fumigatus, the putative target of echinocandins. Data obtained with a conditional mutant suggest that fks1 is not essential. In agreement, we successfully constructed a viable Δfks1 deletion mutant. Lack of Fks1 results in characteristic growth phenotypes similar to wild type treated with echinocandins and an increased susceptibility to calcofluor white and sodium dodecyl sulfate. In agreement with Fks1 being the only β‐1,3‐glucan synthase in A. fumigatus, the cell wall is devoid of β‐1,3‐glucan. This is accompanied by a compensatory increase of chitin and galactosaminogalactan and a significant decrease in cell wall galactomannan due to a massively enhanced galactomannan shedding. Our data furthermore suggest that inhibition of hyphal septation can overcome the limitations of echinocandin therapy. Compounds inhibiting septum formation boosted the antifungal activity of caspofungin. Thus, development of clinically applicable inhibitors of septum formation is a promising strategy to improve existing antifungal therapy.
Human cumulus-free oocyte maturational profile and in vitro developmental potential after stimulation with recombinant versus urinary FSH.

BACKGROUND This study compares the influence of recombinant (r)FSH and urinary (u)FSH stimulation on oocyte and embryo quality in patients undergoing ICSI. METHODS AND RESULTS Denuded oocyte maturity in ICSI patients was graded on a scale from metaphase II (MII) to prophase for nuclear maturation of oocytes. The relationships of cumulus-free oocyte maturational profiles with in vitro outcome parameters were evaluated. In the study population with an unknown distribution of FSH receptor polymorphisms, the ovarian response to rFSH stimulation was significantly different from that of uFSH stimulation, including lower number of oocytes retrieved/oocytes in MII, higher fertilization rates and higher good quality embryo rates. In the study population with a similar distribution of FSH receptor polymorphisms, the ovarian responses to rFSH were lower numbers of oocytes in MII, higher fertilization rates and higher good quality embryo rates, but the total number of oocytes retrieved was not influenced, in comparison with ovarian stimulation with uFSH. CONCLUSIONS rFSH stimulation appears to influence oocyte quality and subsequent embryo quality in comparison with uFSH stimulation. FSH receptor polymorphisms seem to be an intrinsic factor influencing the ovarian response to FSH stimulation.
Arrested Eruption of First Permanent Molar – Frequency , Clinical Problems and Analysis

Arrested eruption have these first permanent molar that are not in reached functional position within the oral cavity and come into occlusal contact. The aim of the clinical analysis is to find out the frequency of arrested eruption of first molar, the etiology of this disorder among our clinical cases. From these 212 patients we find out 7 cases (3.30%). All of the cases were observed at patient in age between 7-8 years. Six of the patients were female and one was male (ratio 6:1). The first visit of the patients was with complaints of smoothed aesthetic in frontal area.
Demineralized Drinking Water in Local Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Stations and the Potential Effect on Human Health

Water is important for life and its elements are very useful for human body to some extent. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a very effective method in minimizing the concentrations of some elements in drinking water treatment. Therefore, the goal of this study is to measure the concentrations of some important parameters for human body and the role of Reverse Osmosis (RO) method in the local drinking water treatment stations in minimizing these constituents. This goal was achieved by comparing the effluent of five local drinking water treatment stations that depends on Reverse Osmosis as a primary treatment for the water produced from the Al-Diwaniyah water treatment plant. These parameters are PH, EC, TDS, Ca, Mg, and TH. Therefore, samples were collected and tested in Al-Qadisiyah Environmental Authority for these local drinking water treatment stations for seven weeks, in order to compare the effluent with the minimum concentrations required for human body according to the health studies and guide lines. The results show that all the drinking waters produced by these stations were below the WHO and Iraq standards. The concentrations of Calcium were in the range from 5.3 to 25 mg/l, while the concentrations of magnesium were in the range from 9.5 to 18.2 mg/l. Therefore, drinking water produced from RO stations should be remineralised to increase the concentrations of necessary constituents in order to minimize the risk of the potential influence of low level concentrations containing calcium carbonate or by adding calcium compounds to the water.
Wicking Phenomenon in Nanofiber-Coated Filament Yarns

Wicking phenomenon has been investigated in filaments and spun yarns in different studies. In comparison with conventional structures, nanofibrous structures have unique characteristics such as higher surface-to-volume ratios, smaller pores, and higher porosity. For many nanofiber applications, a good understanding of the liquid absorption and wettability of nanofibrous is crucial. In this article, a modified electrospinning process for yarn coating with nanofiber is presented. In this method, fiber direction was controlled by manipulating the conventional system of electrospining and embedded nanofibers on yarn surface. Nylon66 filament was coated with nylon 66 nanofiber. The coating morphology and capillary phenomenon were examined in different concentrations of polymer solution. The kinetics of capillary flow of colored liquid in coated yarns with nanofiber follows the Lucas-Washburn equation. Results show that coating with nanofibers increases equilibrium wicking height. In a nanofiber coating process, with a constant feeding rate, increasing the solution concentration increases the capillary rise rate.
Cultured human periodontal ligament cells constitutively express multiple osteotropic cytokines and growth factors, several of which are responsive to mechanical deformation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE A role for cytokines and growth factors in mediating the cellular and molecular events involved in orthodontic tooth movement is well established. The focus to date, however, has been largely on individual mediators, rather than to study cytokines in terms of complex interacting networks. Our objective was to expand our knowledge of the cytokines and growth factors expressed by human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells and to identify new genes that are responsive to mechanical deformation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Human PDL cells were strained with a cyclic deformation of 12% for 6-24 h, and the differential expression of 79 cytokine and growth factor genes was quantified using real-time RT-PCR arrays. For statistical comparison, t-tests were used with mean critical threshold (CT) values derived from triplicate samples. RESULTS Forty-one genes were detected at CT values < 35 and, of these, 15 showed a significant change in relative expression. These included seven interleukins (IL): IL1A, IL1F7, IL6 and IL7 (down), IL8, IL11 and IL12A (up). Eight genes representing other cytokine and growth factor families showed comparable mechanical sensitivity, including VEGFD and OPG (down) and PDGFA, INHBA, GDF8 and two transforming growth factor beta genes, TGFB1 and TGFB3 (up). The genes CSF2/GMCSF and IL11 were found to be consistently stimulated across all three time points. Genes that were not expressed included: (1) the immunoregulatory lymphokines (IL2-IL5), IL17 and IL17B; (2) IL10 and other members of the IL-10 family of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL19, IL20, IL22 and IL24); and (3) TNF and RANKL. CONCLUSION Human PDL cells constitutively express numerous osteotropic cytokines and growth factors, many of which are mechanoresponsive.
Effect of Palm or Coconut Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) on Growth of Lactobacillus plantarum in Milk

This study was performed to investigate the effect of palm or coconut solid lipid nanoparticles (PO-SLNs or CO-SLNs) on growth of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) in milk during storage period. The PO or CO (0.1% or 1.0%) was dispersed both in distilled water (DW) and ultra high temperature milk (UHTM), and subsequently emulsified with Tween® 80 by ultrasonication (30% power, 2 min). Increase in particle size and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) in DW was observed with an increase in oil concentration, whereas a decrease in ζ-potential of SLNs was noted with an increment in oil concentration. Moreover, the CO-SLNs exhibited relatively smaller particle size and higher EE% than PO-SLNs. The CO-SLNs were found to be more stable than PO-SLNs. Higher lipid oxidation of PO or CO-SLNs in UHTM was observed during the storage test, when compared to PO or CO-SLNs in DW. However, there was no remarkable difference in lipid oxidation during storage period (p>0.05). In the growth test, the viability of L. plantarum in control (without PO or CO-SLNs in DW) exhibited a dramatic decrease with increasing storage period. In addition, viability of L. plantarum of PO or CO-SLNs in UHTM was higher than that of SLNs in DW. Based on the present study, production of SLNs containing PO or CO in UHTM is proposed, which can be used in lactobacilli fortified beverages in food industry.
Adenovirus-mediated expression of growth and differentiation factor-5 promotes chondrogenesis of adipose stem cells

The repair of articular cartilage injuries is impeded by the avascular and non-innervated nature of cartilage. Transplantation of autologous chondrocytes has a limited ability to augment the repair process due to the highly differentiated state of chondrocytes and the risks of donor-site morbidity. Mesenchymal stem cells can undergo chondrogenesis in the presence of growth factors for cartilage defect repair. Growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF5) plays an important role in chondrogenesis. In this study, we examined the effects of GDF5 on chondrogenesis of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and evaluate the chondrogenic potentials of GDF5 genetically engineered ADSCs using an in vitro pellet culture model. Rat ADSCs were grown as pellet cultures and treated with chondrogenic media (CM). Induction of GDF5 by an adenovirus (Ad-GDF5) was compared with exogenous supplementation of GDF5 (100 ng/ml) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1; 10 ng/ml). The ADSCs underwent chondrogenic differentiation in response to GDF5 exposure as demonstrated by production of proteoglycan, and up-regulation of collagen II and aggrecan at the protein and mRNA level. The chondrogenic potential of a one-time infection with Ad-GDF5 was weaker than exogenous GDF5, but equal to that of TGF-β1. Stimulation with growth factors or CM alone induced transient expression of the mRNA for collagen X, indicating a need for optimization of the CM. Our findings indicate that GDF5 is a potent inducer of chondrogenesis in ADSCs, and that ADSCs genetically engineered to express prochondrogenic growth factors, such as GDF5, may be a promising therapeutic cell source for cartilage tissue engineering.
Effect of the ownership of dialysis facilities on patients' survival and referral for transplantation.

BACKGROUND More than 200,000 patients with end-stage renal disease undergo dialysis in the United States each year, about two thirds in for-profit centers. Economic pressures, such as the decline in inflation-adjusted Medicare payments for dialysis, may compromise the quality of care. Facilities may also be reluctant to refer patients to be evaluated for transplantation because of the loss of revenues from dialysis after patients receive transplants. It is unknown whether for-profit facilities respond more aggressively than not-for-profit facilities to these financial pressures. Therefore, we examined the effect of for-profit ownership of dialysis facilities on patients' survival and referral for possible transplantation. METHODS We used data from the U.S. Renal Data System to assemble a nationally representative cohort of patients with end-stage renal disease of recent onset. We followed patients for a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years, until death, placement on the waiting list for a renal transplant, or loss to follow-up, or until May 31, 1996. We used proportional-hazards models to assess the effect of the profit status of the dialysis facility on patients' outcomes and adjusted for differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and facility-level characteristics. RESULTS Of the 3681 patients who were eligible for inclusion, we included 3569 in the analysis of mortality and 3441 in the analysis of the waiting list. The crude mortality rate per 100 person-years of end-stage renal disease was 21.2 for patients treated in for-profit facilities and 17.1 for patients treated in not-for-profit centers (adjusted relative hazard, 1.20; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.42). The likelihood of being placed on the waiting list for a renal transplant was lower for patients treated at for-profit centers (adjusted relative hazard, 0.74; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.56 to 0.98). CONCLUSIONS In the United States, for-profit ownership of dialysis facilities, as compared with not-for-profit ownership, is associated with increased mortality and decreased rates of placement on the waiting list for a renal transplant.
Group bargaining based bitcoin mining scheme using incentive payment process

Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that has generated considerable public interests through a fully decentralised network with an inherently independence from governments or any central authorities. Although its short history has been volatile, the Bitcoin maintains a core group of committed users. In this study, we look at the Bitcoin complex structure and design a new Bitcoin mining protocol while developing a novel incentive payment process. To effectively implement an incentive payment mechanism, we adopt the concept of the group bargaining solution by considering a peer‐to‐peer relationship, and it is practically applied to a distributed computation network system. Based on the cooperative game model, we explore an efficient solution that can maximise Bitcoin users' rewards. Through system level simulations, the proposed scheme is evaluated and compared with other existing schemes. The simulation results show that our group bargaining game approach outperforms the existing Bitcoin schemes in providing a better fair‐efficient system performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.