Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brood Parasitic Cowbird Nestlings Use Host Young to Procure Resources

Young brood parasites that tolerate the company of host offspring challenge the existing evolutionary view of family life. In theory, all parasitic nestlings should be ruthlessly self-interested and should kill host offspring soon after hatching. Yet many species allow host young to live, even though they are rivals for host resources. Here we show that the tolerance of host nestlings by the parasitic brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater is adaptive. Host young procure the cowbird a higher provisioning rate, so it grows more rapidly. The cowbird's unexpected altruism toward host offspring simply promotes its selfish interests in exploiting host parents.
Maternal and fetal outcome in patients with eclampsia at Murtala Muhammad specialist Hospital Kano, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Eclampsia is a major contributor to maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. It is much more common in developing countries like Nigeria where presentation is usually late and resources are scarce. The staggering figures of maternal death (46%) reported by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria (SOGON) in 2004 moved the Kano State government to initiate programs that will reduce maternal mortality in the state. The objectives of this report were; 1) to determine the prevalence of eclampsia at Murtala Muhammad Specialist hospital (MMSH) Kano between April 2008 and May 2009; 2) to determine maternal and fetal outcome in eclamptic patients admitted to MMSH Kano between April 2008 and May 2009. METHODS Case records of all patients admitted to MMSH between April 2008 and May 2009 were retrieved and analyzed using Epi-info version 3.2. 2 April 2004 (CDC Atlanta, USA). Information extracted includes demographic data, maternal and fetal outcome. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS There were 688 eclamptic patients admitted and 13 943 women delivered during the study period giving a prevalence of 5% of total deliveries. One hundred and twenty six women died giving a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 904/100 000, among them 36 were eclamptics. The perinatal mortality rate for the eclamptics was 132/1 000. 81.4% of the women were primigravidas and majority (82.2%) were at term. Almost 83.3% presented within 12 hours of the onset of the fits and nearly half (44.9%) had their convulsion before the onset of labor. CONCLUSION The incidence of eclampsia is 5% of total deliveries. Delay in presentation is associated with poor outcome.
The final spawning ground of Tachypleus gigas (Müller, 1785) on the east Peninsular Malaysia is at risk: a call for action

Tanjung Selongor and Pantai Balok (State Pahang) are the only two places known for spawning activity of the Malaysian horseshoe crab - Tachypleus gigas (Müller, 1785) on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. While the former beach has been disturbed by several anthropogenic activities that ultimately brought an end to the spawning activity of T. gigas, the status of the latter remains uncertain. In the present study, the spawning behavior of T. gigas at Pantai Balok (Sites I-III) was observed over a period of thirty six months, in three phases, between 2009 and 2013. Every year, the crab’s nesting activity was found to be high during Southwest monsoon (May–September) followed by Northeast (November–March) and Inter monsoon (April and October) periods. In the meantime, the number of female T. gigas in 2009–2010 (Phase-1) was higher (38 crabs) than in 2010–2011 (Phase-2: 7 crabs) and 2012–2013 (Phase-3: 9 crabs) for which both increased overexploitation (for edible and fishmeal preparations) as well as anthropogenic disturbances in the vicinity (sand mining since 2009, land reclamation for wave breaker/parking lot constructions in 2011 and fishing jetty construction in 2013) are responsible. In this context, the physical infrastructure developments have altered the sediment close to nesting sites to be dominated by fine sand (2.5Xφ ) with moderately-well sorted (0.6–0.7σφ), very-coarse skewed (−2.4SKφ), and extremely leptokurtic (12.6Kφ) properties. Also, increased concentrations of Cadmium (from 4.2 to 13.6 mg kg−1) and Selenium (from 11.5 to 23.3 mg kg−1) in the sediment, and Sulphide (from 21 to 28 µg l−1) in the water were observed. In relation to the monsoonal changes affecting sheltered beach topography and sediment flux, the spawning crabs have shown a seasonal nest shifting behaviour in-between Sites I-III during 2009–2011. However, in 2012–2013, the crabs were mostly restricted to the areas (i.e., Sites I and II) with high oxygen (5.5–8.0 mg l−1) and moisture depth (6.2–10.2 cm). In view of the sustained anthropogenic pressure on the coastal habitats on one hand and decreasing horseshoe crabs population on the other, it is crucial to implement both conservation and management measures for T. gigas at Pantai Balok. Failing that may lead to the loss of this final spawning ground on the east coast of P. Malaysia.
Transition State Analogues of Enzymatic Reaction as Potential Drugs

All chemical transformations pass through an unstable structure called the transition state, which is poised between the chemical structures of the substrates and products. The transi‐ tion states for chemical reactions are proposed to have lifetimes near 10-13 sec, the time for a single bond vibration. Thus, the transition state is the critical configuration of a reaction sys‐ tem situated at the highest point of the most favorable reaction path on the potential-energy surface, with its characteristics governing the dynamic behavior of reacting systems deci‐ sively. It is used primarily to understand qualitatively how chemical reactions take place.
4 Years of EU Cookie Law: Results and Lessons Learned

Abstract Personalized advertisement has changed the web. It lets websites monetize the content they offer. The downside is the continuous collection of personal information with significant threats to personal privacy. In 2002, the European Union (EU) introduced a first set of regulations on the use of online tracking technologies. It aimed, among other things, to make online tracking mechanisms explicit to increase privacy awareness among users. Amended in 2009, the EU Directive mandates websites to ask for informed consent before using any kind of profiling technology, e.g., cookies. Since 2013, the ePrivacy Directive became mandatory, and each EU Member State transposed it in national legislation. Since then, most of European websites embed a “Cookie Bar”, the most visible effect of the regulation. In this paper, we run a large-scale measurement campaign to check the current implementation status of the EU cookie directive. For this, we use CookieCheck, a simple tool to automatically verify legislation violations. Results depict a shady picture: 49 % of websites do not respect the Directive and install profiling cookies before any user’s consent is given. Beside presenting a detailed picture, this paper casts lights on the difficulty of legislator attempts to regulate the troubled marriage between ad-supported web services and their users. In this picture, online privacy seems to be continuously at stake, and it is hard to reach transparency.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition and the Heart

Research in the pathophysiology of hypertension and the development of antihypertensive treatments has evolved with long strides over the last decades. With every new therapeutic modality introduced in the field, the immediate objective has been the safe and effective lowering of blood pressure. Implicit is the expectation, established by the classic multicenter trials in the 1960s, that such lowering will prevent the complications of untreated hypertension. Yet most epidemiologic studies have shown a surprising lack of significant effect of antihypertensive therapy on the incidence of ischemic heart disease. This has led to the notion that such cardiac disease may not be simply a complication resulting from high blood pressure per se but rather a parallel product of some of the same pathophysiological alterations that characterize the hypertensive process. The logical upshot of this reasoning is that a successful therapy should address as many as possible of these alterations that constitute known coronary risk factors to protect the heart.
Magnitude of the protonmotive force in respiring Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

The membrane potential and pH gradient developed across the plasma membranes of whole cells of Staphylococcus aureus and spheroplasts of Escherichia coli were estimated. The distributions of potassium ions in the presence of valinomycin and the pH gradient across the membrane were determined from the changes in pK and pH observed in the external medium during transition from the energized respiring state to the de-engerized resting condition. The protonmotive force in respiring cells was estimated at 211 mV for S. aureus and 230 mV for E. coli at external pH values of approximately 6.5. The adequacy of these protonmotive forces as a driving force for substrate accumulation or adenosine 5'-triphosphate synthesis is discussed.
Is there an influence of modern life style on skeletal build?

Modern human life style has led to significant decrease in everyday physical activity and bipedal locomotion. It has previously been shown that skeletal robustness (relative elbow breadth) is associated with daily step counts. The aim of the study was to investigate whether also other skeletal measures, particularly pelvic breadth may have changed in recent decades.
Cerebrospinal fluid miRNA profile in HIV‐encephalitis

MicroRNAs are short non‐coding RNAs that modulate gene expression by translational repression. Because of their high stability in intracellular as well as extracellular environments, miRNAs have recently emerged as important biomarkers in several human diseases. However, they have not been tested in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HIV‐1 positive individuals. Here, we present results of a study aimed at determining the feasibility of detecting miRNAs in the CSF of HIV‐infected individuals with and without encephalitis (HIVE). We also evaluated similarities and differences between CSF and brain tissue miRNAs in the same clinical setting. We utilized a high throughput approach of miRNA detection arrays and identified differentially expressed miRNAs in the frontal cortex of three cases each of HIV+, HIVE, and HIV− controls, and CSF of 10 HIV‐positive and 10 HIV‐negative individuals. For the CSF samples, the group of HIV+ individuals contained nine cases of HIV‐associated neurological disorders (HAND) and, among those, four had HIVE. All the HIV‐negative samples had non‐viral acute disseminate encephalomyelitis. A total of 66 miRNAs were found differentially regulated in HIV+ compared to HIV− groups. The greatest difference in miRNA expression was observed when four cases of HIVE were compared to five non‐HIVE cases, previously normalized with the HIV‐negative group. After statistical analyses, 11 miRNAs were fund significantly up‐regulated in HIVE. Although more clinical samples should be examined, this work represents the first report of CSF miRNAs in HIV‐infection and offers the basis for future investigation. J. Cell. Physiol. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fibromyalgia, Facial Expression and Emotional Experience

Background: The present study aims at analyzing the nonverbal affective behavior of female fibromyalgia (FM) inpatients in comparison to healthy women. Methods: Videotaped psychodynamic interviews of each of 15 female FM inpatients and healthy women were analyzed. Afterwards the analyses of facial expression were related to gazing behavior and emotional experience. Results: FM patients exhibited neither a reduction in total activity of facial expression nor in absolute frequency of primary affects in comparison to healthy women, who, however, (also in eye contact) also exhibited a significantly higher proportion of ‘genuine joy’ and a lower one of ‘contempt’. No congruence between the patient’s emotional experience and affective expression was found. Conclusions: The absence of reduced total activity of facial expression is in contrast to the elaborate descriptions of complaints provided by the patients. Nevertheless, our detailed analysis shows a lack of elements that stabilize the relationship and the presence of dissociating elements in the interactions.
Plasma cholinesterase changes during pregnancy

Cholinesterase activities were measured on serum from 941 pregnant women distributed evenly throughout the 40 weeks of gestation. A rapid fall has been shown to occur during the first trimester to a level which did not alter significantly during the remainder of pregnancy. Even lower values were observed in 105 patients examined during the first 7 days following delivery.
Estimating Cumulative Treatment Effects in the Presence of Nonproportional Hazards

Summary Often in medical studies of time to an event, the treatment effect is not constant over time. In the context of Cox regression modeling, the most frequent solution is to apply a model that assumes the treatment effect is either piecewise constant or varies smoothly over time, i.e., the Cox nonproportional hazards model. This approach has at least two major limitations. First, it is generally difficult to assess whether the parametric form chosen for the treatment effect is correct. Second, in the presence of nonproportional hazards, investigators are usually more interested in the cumulative than the instantaneous treatment effect (e.g., determining if and when the survival functions cross). Therefore, we propose an estimator for the aggregate treatment effect in the presence of nonproportional hazards. Our estimator is based on the treatment‐specific baseline cumulative hazards estimated under a stratified Cox model. No functional form for the nonproportionality need be assumed. Asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are derived, and the finite‐sample properties are assessed in simulation studies. Pointwise and simultaneous confidence bands of the estimator can be computed. The proposed method is applied to data from a national organ failure registry.
Broad-band UVB versus paint PUVA for palmoplantar psoriasis treatment

Abstract Background: Plaque-type palmoplantar psoriasis (PPTP) is a chronic recalcitrant dermatosis with treatment modalities ranging through topical, phototherapy or systemic. Phototherapy options include various forms of ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A with prior psoralen sensitization (PUVA). Currently, few comparative studies have been reported. Purpose: To compare Broad-Band UVB (BB-UVB) versus paint PUVA (p-PUVA) in regard to efficacy and safety in the treatment of PPTP. Methods: A retrospective non-randomized cohort study comprised of all the patients with PPTP treated in our phototherapy centre during 2010–2012, either with BB-UVB or p-PUVA. Results: Among the 248 patients included in this study, 122 received BB-UVB and 126 followed p-PUVA treatment. About 36 (30%) and 53 (42%) had complete remission, 29 (24%) and 59 (47%) responded partially and 57 (47%) and 14 (11%) patients did not improve with BB-UVB and p-PUVA, respectively. The odds ratio for remission (p-PUVA: BB-UVB) was 7.9. Duration of remission was 21.9 ± 1.34 months for p-PUVA and 16.75 ± 1.83 months for BB-UVB. Conclusion: Both BB-UVB and p-PUVA are good therapeutic options for PPTP. P-PUVA emerges as the superior treatment modality, yielding a better and more extended response. BB-UVB represents a feasible alternative in patients with milder disease or possible contraindications for p-PUVA.
Cardiovascular Evaluation and Management of Severely Obese Patients Undergoing Surgery: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association

Obesity is associated with comorbidities that may lead to disability and death. During the past 20 years, the number of individuals with a body mass index >30, 40, and 50 kg/m2, respectively, has doubled, quadrupled, and quintupled in the United States. The risk of developing comorbid conditions rises with increasing body mass index. Possible cardiac symptoms such as exertional dyspnea and lower-extremity edema occur commonly and are nonspecific in obesity. The physical examination and electrocardiogram often underestimate cardiac dysfunction in obese patients. The risk of an adverse perioperative cardiac event in obese patients is related to the nature and severity of their underlying heart disease, associated comorbidities, and the type of surgery. Severe obesity has not been associated with increased mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery but has been associated with an increased length of hospital stay and with a greater likelihood of renal failure and prolonged assisted ventilation. Comorbidities that influence the preoperative cardiac risk assessment of severely obese patients include the presence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension related to sleep apnea and hypoventilation, cardiac arrhythmias (primarily atrial fibrillation), and deep vein thrombosis. When preoperatively evaluating risk for surgery, the clinician should consider age, gender, cardiorespiratory fitness, electrolyte disorders, and heart failure as independent predictors for surgical morbidity and mortality. An obesity surgery mortality score for gastric bypass has also been proposed. Given the high prevalence of severely obese patients, this scientific advisory was developed to provide cardiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other healthcare professionals with recommendations for the preoperative cardiovascular evaluation, intraoperative and perioperative management, and postoperative cardiovascular care of this increasingly prevalent patient population.
Home Blood Pressure Measurement - Epidemiology and Clinical Application

Hypertension, the leading global risk factor for early mortality, can not be detected or treated without accurate and practical methods of BP measurement. Although home blood pressure (BP) measurement enjoys considerable popularity among patients, the lack of evidence needed to assure its place in modern clinical practice has hindered its widespread acceptance among physicians. The objective of this study was to show that home BP measurement is more accurate than conventional clinic BP measurement and can be used effectively in clinical practice. We assessed the use of home BP for diagnosing hypertension and guiding antihypertensive treatment. The association between home BP and hypertensive end-organ damage was also examined. The first study population consisted of a representative sample of the Finnish adult population (2 120 individuals aged 45–74 years). These subjects underwent a clinical interview, electrocardiography and measurement of clinic and home BP. Carotid intima-media thickness (an indicator of atherosclerosis) and arterial pulse wave velocity (an indicator of arterial stiffness) were also measured in two subsets of 758 and 237 subjects, respectively. In a second study cohort, consisting of 98 hypertensive patients, adjustment of antihypertensive treatment was randomized to either daytime ambulatory BP or home diastolic BP. Clinic BP was significantly higher than home BP (mean systolic/diastolic difference was 8/3 mmHg), and the overall agreement between the two methods in diagnosing hypertension was moderate at best (75%). Of 593 subjects with elevated clinic BP, 38% had normal BP at home; so called white-coat hypertension. Hypertension could therefore be overdiagnosed in every third patient in a clinical screening situation. White-coat hypertension was associated with mildly elevated clinic BP, lower body mass index and non-smoking status, but not with psychiatric disease. However, the cardiovascular risk profile of white-coat hypertensives was between that of the normotensives and sustained hypertensives, indicating that white-coat hypertension is not a completely benign phenomenon, and may be a precursor of true hypertension. Home BP was more closely associated with hypertensive end-organ damage (intima-media thickness, pulse wave velocity, and electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy) than was clinic BP. The adjustment of antihypertensive treatment based on home BP measurement is effective as it led to equally good BP control as did ambulatory BP monitoring, which has been considered by many as the gold standard. On the basis of these results and data from previous studies, it can be concluded that home BP measurement is an improvement over conventional clinic BP measurement. Home monitoring of BP is as a convenient, accurate, and widely available option and may become the method of choice when diagnosing and treating hypertension. A paradigm shift is needed in BP measurement as evidencebased medicine suggests that clinic BP measurement should only be used for screening purposes.
Lack of prognostic significance of C-erbB-2 expression in low- and high- grade astrocytomas.

BACKGROUND Astrocytic tumors, the most common primary glial tumors of the central nervous system, are classified from low to high grade according to the degree of anaplasia and presence of necrosis. Despite advances in therapeutic management of high grade astrocytic tumors, prognosis remains poor. In the present study, the frequency and prognostic significance of c-erb-B2 in astrocytic tumors was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records of 72 patients with low- and high-grade astrocytic tumors were evaluated. The expression of C-erbB-2 was determined immunohistochemically and intensity was recorded as 0 to 3+. Tumors with weak staining (1+) or no staining (0) were considered Her-2 negative, while tumors with moderate (2+) and strong (3+) staining were considered Her-2 positive. RESULTS Of the 72 patients, 41 (56.9%) had glioblastoma (GBM), 10 (13.9%) had diffuse astrocytoma, 15 (20.8%) had anaplastic astrocytoma, 6 (8.3%) had pilocytic astrocytoma. C-erbB-2 overexpression was detected in the tumor specimens of 17 patients (23.6%). Six (8.3%) tumors, all GBMs, exhibited strong staining, 2 (2.7%) specimens, both GBMs, exhibited moderate staining, and 9 specimens, 5 of them GBMs (12.5%), exhibited weak staining. No staining was observed in diffuse astrocytoma and pilocytic astrocytoma specimens. Median overall survival of patients with C-erbB-2 negative and C-erbB-2 positive tumors were 30 months (95%CI: 22.5-37.4 months) and 16.9 months (95%CI: 4.3-29.5 months), respectively (p=0.244). CONCLUSIONS Although there was no difference in survival, C-erbB-2 overexpression was observed only in the GBM subtype.