Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does comorbid disease interact with cancer? An epidemiologic analysis of mortality in a cohort of elderly breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Although widely believed that co-occurring chronic diseases in elderly persons do not act independently in causing death, there has been little empirical research assessing prognostic interrelationships between comorbidities. METHODS Nonconcurrent prospective follow-up of 3,549 Virginia-resident elderly women diagnosed with a first breast cancer and 2,114 elderly women with no breast cancer history admitted to Virginia hospitals with principal diagnoses of genital prolapse during 1986-1988 was conducted through linkage of cancer registry and Medicare administrative records. Aggregate comorbidity was measured from Medicare claims via the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Mortality rates and relative risks were estimated for the breast cancer and non-breast-cancer groups stratified by the presence and level of comorbidity. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate Rothman's synergy index (S) measure of additive interaction. RESULTS Over full follow-up, the excess mortality rate for women with breast cancer and other comorbidity was 17% greater than expected under the null hypothesis that risks were additive and independent (S = 1.17, p = .12). Stratified analyses revealed a pattern of S estimates across cancer stage subgroups that was biologically sensible, but this pattern was not supported by strong statistical evidence. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first empirical estimates of statistical interaction between breast cancer and other chronic comorbidity. S index values tended to be small, but these small effects would translate into substantial numbers of deaths attributable to interaction between cancer and comorbidity. Interactions between breast cancer and comorbid disease should be explored further in large studies that can estimate these effects with increased precision.
Changements et facteurs explicatifs de l’emploi du temps chez les parents, aux États-Unis, au Canada et au Québec

Meme s’ils ont moins d’enfants, les parents nord-americains consacrent pratiquement autant de temps a leurs enfants, les meres un peu moins, les peres un peu plus. Ce dernier trait est particulierement prononce chez les jeunes peres quebecois. Dans l’ensemble, cependant, on demeure moins longtemps en compagnie de ses enfants, quelle que soit l’activite, a l’exception, encore une fois, des jeunes peres quebecois. La diminution du temps parental des meres s’explique largement par leur presence accrue sur le marche du travail. La presence de jeunes enfants constitue l’un des principaux facteurs explicatifs de l’emploi du temps quotidien des parents, notamment la duree du travail et du temps libre, par-dela l’âge, le sexe et la scolarite. Quand leurs enfants ont grandi, les parents tendent a occuper leurs journees comme ceux qui n’ont pas d’enfants.
White Matter Hyperintensities of Presumed Vascular Origin: A Population-Based Study in Rural Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project)

Background Cerebral small vessel disease is probably one of the most common pathogenetic mechanisms underlying stroke in Latin America. However, the importance of silent markers of small vessel disease, including white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin, has not been assessed so far. Aim The study aims to evaluate prevalence and correlates of white matter hyperintensities in community-dwelling elders living in Atahualpa (rural Ecuador). Methods Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door survey and invited to undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging for identification and grading white matter hyperintensities and other markers of small vessel disease. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we evaluated whether white matter hyperintensities is associated with demographics, cardiovascular health status, stroke, cerebral microbleeds, and cortical atrophy, after adjusting for the other variables. Results Out of 258 enrolled persons (mean age, 70 ± 8 years; 59% women), 172 (67%) had white matter hyperintensities, which were moderate to severe in 63. Analyses showed significant associations of white matter hyperintensities presence and severity with age and cardiovascular health status, as well as with overt and silent strokes, and a trend for association with cerebral microbleeds and cortical atrophy. Conclusions Prevalence and correlates of white matter hyperintensities in elders living in rural Ecuador is almost comparable with that reported from industrialized nations, reinforcing the concept that the burden of small vessel disease is on the rise in underserved Latin American populations.
Assembly of Colicin A in the Outer Membrane of Producing Escherichia coli Cells Requires both Phospholipase A and One Porin, but Phospholipase A Is Sufficient for Secretion

ABSTRACT Three oligomeric forms of colicin A with apparent molecular masses of about 95 to 98 kDa were detected on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels loaded with unheated samples from colicin A-producing cells of Escherichia coli. These heat-labile forms, called colicins Au, were visualized both on immunoblots probed with monoclonal antibodies against colicin A and by radiolabeling. Cell fractionation studies show that these forms of colicin A were localized in the outer membrane whether or not the producing cells contained the cal gene, which encodes the colicin A lysis protein responsible for colicin A release in the medium. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that their assembly into the outer membrane, as measured by their heat modifiable migration in SDS gels, was an efficient process. Colicins Au were produced in various null mutant strains, each devoid of one major outer membrane protein, except in a mutant devoid of both OmpC and OmpF porins. In cells devoid of outer membrane phospholipase A (OMPLA), colicin A was not expressed. Colicins Au were detected on immunoblots of induced cells probed with either polyclonal antibodies to OmpF or monoclonal antibodies to OMPLA, indicating that they were associated with both OmpF and OMPLA. Similar heat-labile forms were obtained with various colicin A derivatives, demonstrating that the C-terminal domain of colicin A, but not the hydrophobic hairpin present in this domain, was involved in their formation.
Late onset Wilson's disease: Therapeutic implications

The clinical symptoms of Wilson's disease (WD) usually develop between 3 and 40 years of age and include signs of liver and/or neurologic and psychiatric disease. We report on an 84‐year‐old woman with WD. Despite the absence of treatment, the only symptom she presented with, until the age of 74 years, was Kayser‐Fleisher rings. At the age of 74, she developed slightly abnormal liver function. This case raises the following issues: (a) Should WD be considered in all patients of all ages who manifest signs related to the disease? (b) Are ATP7B mutations fully penetrant? (c) Should all patients diagnosed presymptomatically receive anticopper therapy? © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Quality of care for people with dementia and professional caregivers' perspectives regarding palliative care in Japanese community care settings

Palliative care for dementia includes psychosocial interventions as first‐line treatment for challenging behaviour. However, the national dementia plan in Japan contradicts recommendations for palliative care for dementia. This study aimed to examine the association between care quality for patients with dementia and professional caregivers' perspectives regarding palliative care for dementia in Japanese community care settings.
Estimation des tendances de l’engagement dans les associations volontaires au cours des dernières décennies au Québec et au Canada anglais

Etant donne la rarete des donnees sur les tendances passees de l’engagement dans les associations volontaires au Quebec et au Canada anglais, nous proposons une methode d’estimation de ces tendances. C’est une methode qui repose sur la comparaison de donnees fournies par des repondants au sujet de leurs experiences a une etape particuliere de leur vie, c’est-a-dire pendant leurs annees d’etudes. Nous disposons de donnees provenant de telles questions posees a un important echantillon d’adultes de tous les âges lors d’une enquete de la fin des annees 1990. En les comparant aux experiences de jeunesse de differentes cohortes d’âge, nous sommes en mesure de « remonter » le temps pour obtenir des renseignements couvrant plusieurs decennies passees. Les resultats obtenus pour le Quebec et pour le Canada anglais dementent la these voulant que l’engagement dans les associations volontaires soit en baisse en Amerique du Nord depuis les annees 1960. Il n’y a qu’une seule exception, la participation a des groupes religieux.
Dietary α-linolenic acid and health-related outcomes: a metabolic perspective

α-Linolenic acid (αLNA; 18: 3n-3) is essential in the human diet, probably because it is the substrate for the synthesis of longer-chain, more unsaturated n-3 fatty acids, principally EPA (20: 5n-3) and DHA (22: 6n-3), which confer important biophysical properties on cell membranes and so are required for tissue function. The extent to which this molecular transformation occurs in man is controversial. The present paper reviews the recent literature on the metabolism of αLNA in man, including the use of dietary αLNA in β-oxidation, recycling of carbon by fatty acid synthesis de novo and conversion to longer-chain PUFA. Sex differences in αLNA metabolism and the possible biological consequences are discussed. Increased consumption of EPA and DHA in fish oil has a number of well-characterised beneficial effects on health. The present paper also reviews the efficacy of increased αLNA consumption in increasing the concentrations of EPA and DHA in blood and cell lipid pools, and the extent to which such dietary interventions might be protective against CVD and inflammation. Although the effects on CVD risk factors and inflammatory markers are variable, where beneficial effects have been reported these are weaker than have been achieved from increasing consumption of EPA+DHA or linoleic acid. Overall, the limited capacity for conversion to longer-chain n-3 fatty acids, and the lack of efficacy in ameliorating CVD risk factors and inflammatory markers in man suggests that increased consumption of αLNA may be of little benefit in altering EPA+DHA status or in improving health outcomes compared with other dietary interventions.
DNA Methylation-mediated Control of Sry Gene Expression in Mouse Gonadal Development*

DNA methylation at CpG sequences is involved in tissue-specific and developmentally regulated gene expression. The Sry (sex-determining region on the Y chromosome) gene encodes a master protein for initiating testis differentiation in mammals, and its expression is restricted to gonadal somatic cells at 10.5-12.5 days post-coitum (dpc) in the mouse. We found that in vitro methylation of the 5′-flanking region of the Sry gene caused suppression of reporter activity, implying that Sry gene expression could be regulated by DNA methylation-mediated gene silencing. Bisulfite restriction mapping and sodium bisulfite sequencing revealed that the 5′-flanking region of the Sry gene was hypermethylated in the 8.5-dpc embryos in which the Sry gene was not expressed. Importantly, this region was specifically hypomethylated in the gonad at 11.5 dpc, while the hypermethylated status was maintained in tissues that do not express the Sry gene. We concluded that expression of the Sry gene is under the control of an epigenetic mechanism mediated by DNA methylation.
Haematological levels in Jamaican infants

A longitudinal study of 300 infants from birth to 1 year of age was carried out in Kingston, Jamaica. Haemoglobin levels were estimated 7 times during the year and serum iron and total iron binding capacity once. Hb electrophoresis was performed. In singleton children with Hb genotype AA, AS, or AC, and of birthweight 2·5 kg or over, Hb levels were low after 3 months of age. These low levels were associated with iron deficiency, which was probably due to poor iron stores at birth followed by poor iron intake or absorption. It was not possible to determine whether folic acid deficiency or protein deficiency was also important. Hb levels varied with age, socioeconomic class, birthweight, sex, and rate of weight gain. The growth and health of 4 girls with homozygous sickle cell disease is mentioned.
Primary intracranial dural B cell small lymphocytic lymphoma

Primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphomas (PCNSNHL) are extranodal lymphomas arising within and confined to the central nervous system (CNS). A frequency of 1 – 3% of all nonHodgkin lymphomas and 2 – 4% of all brain neoplasms has been reported, with a particularly high incidence in the AIDS population, in transplant recipients and immunocompromised patients [1 – 3]. Meningeal involvement by malignant lymphomas is most often a manifestation of diffuse aggressive lymphomas [1 – 3] while primary dural lymphomas with no associated cerebral parenchyma lesions are rare diseases [4 – 22]. We describe a case of primary B cell small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) involving the dura of the frontoparietal and temporal regions, and include a review of the literature, performing a Medline search for cases of primary intracranial dural lymphoma [4 – 22]. A 44-year-old immunocompetent woman referred a 2-week history of headache, diplopia, blurring of vision, loss of concentration, and right eye exophthalmos. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed a large right dural thickening frontal mass, which was hyperintense in T1 weighted images and hypointense in T2 sequences. The administration of Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd DTPA) revealed a wide contrast enhanced area involving the meninges and initial invasion of the underlying brain on the right frontoparietal and sphenoidal regions [Figure 1(A)]. Ophthalmic examination confirmed right eye exophthalmos and diplopia; fundoscopic evaluation showed mild pupil pallor, but no evidence of edema. Lumbar puncture was performed: cerebrospinal fluid (CFS) did not show malignant cells; CSF biochemical evaluations were within normal range with a glucose level of 65 mg/dl (n.v. 40 – 70 mg/dl) and protein level of 40 mg/dl (n.v. 15 – 45 mg/dl); polymerase chain reaction studies on CSF samples for Varicella Zoster, Herpes Simplex, Epstein-Barr viruses were negative. The patient underwent a right frontoparietal craniotomy. Intraoperatively, a diffuse plaque-like mass firmly adherent to the dura and infiltrating the pia mater and arachnoid membrane was encountered. The lesion could not be excised, and biopsies were performed. Histological examination revealed a monomorphic population of small lymphocytes diffusely infiltrating the dura [Figure 2(A)]. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated CD20 [Figure 2(B)], CD5 [Figure 2(C)], and CD23 [Figure 2(D)] positivity, bcl2 protein expression, and lambda light chain restriction, suggesting a typical pattern of SLL. CT scans of the neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed no evidence of disease. Routine laboratory tests were within normal range, including serum lactate dehydrogenase 92 U/l (n.v. 100 – 190 U/l) and b2 microglobulin 1 mg/ml (n.v. 0.8 – 2.0 mg/ml). Cytological and immunophenotypical analysis did not show bone marrow and peripheral blood involvement. Serum HIV, EBV, CMV tests were negative. The patient was treated according to the IELSG 20 protocol and treatment consisted of four cycles of high dose i.v. methotrexate
Optimisation of Cell Bioenergetics in Food-Associated Microorganisms

Microorganisms display a considerable versatility, with mechanisms that govern cell bioenergetics and a large number of redox active molecules being used as electron donors or acceptors. We will not review the basis of microbial bioenergetics here, but instead focus attention on the metabolic systems that microorganisms have evolved to optimise the efficiency of cell catabolism and cell energy homeostasis. The mechanisms that act in the regulation of cell bioenergetics belong to the complexity of biological systems in which large networks of metabolic pathways interact to govern the life and responsiveness of cells towards environmental fluctuations. During growth, all microorganisms determine considerable changes in the environmental concentration of nutrients, organic acids and other molecules generated by cell catabolism. As a consequence, microorganisms are constantly faced with different environmental stimuli and stresses. The natural habitats of some microorganisms may fluctuate erratically, whereas others which are more predictable offer the opportunity to prepare in advance for the next environmental change. In this context, microorganisms may have evolved the bioenergetic machinery to anticipate environmental fluctuations by adapting to their temporal order of appearance. Food matrixes represent an example of 'predictable' fluctuating environments, generated by anthropic activities and able to drive the speciation of several microorganisms. The nutrient’s richness, and specifically the abundance of monoand disaccharides that characterise several food matrixes (such as milk and grape juice), have allowed the speciation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts with a high fermentation capacity. The bakers' yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae degrades sugars to two-carbon components – in particular, ethanol – even in the presence of excess oxygen, thus using a fermentation metabolism instead of the energetically favourable respiration metabolism (2 mol versus about 32 mol of ATP per mol of glucose respectively). S. cerevisiae alcoholic fermentation has been exploited for several millennia throughout the world in a variety of food processes of crucial importance for humans, such as the making of beer, wine and bread. Moreover, LAB species have partially lost the genetic information need in order to carry out a respiratory metabolism on behalf of a homofermentative pathway in which lactic acid is the primary product, or a heterofermentative pathway in which lactic acid, CO2, acetic acid and/or ethanol are produced (Kandler, 1983). The seemingly simplistic metabolism of LAB has been exploited throughout history for the preservation of foods and beverages in nearly all societies, and dates back to the origins of agriculture. The domestication of LAB strains passed down through various
Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Sediment of Bushehr Coastal Zone-Iran

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in sediments were measured from five 1 1 concentration in studied stations (P 0.05). Based on the number of aromatic rings in the molecular structure, the composition pattern of PAHs was different within studied stations. The studied stations received their PAHs from both petrogenic and pyrolitic sources. The level of PAHs contamination in the Bushehr coastline founded to be moderate to high compared to other studied locations. Regular monitoring of PAHs contaminant in the region is recommended.
Resource Allocation for HARQ-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networks. (Allocation de Ressources pour les Réseaux Ad Hoc Mobiles basés sur les Protocoles HARQ)

This thesis tackles the issue of resource allocation in Hybrid ARQ-based mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), which are a flexible solution for fast and short-lived communications deployment for military applications or future smart networks. Typically, OFDMA is considered since it is a promising solution for the most recent wireless standards. Though a clustered organization provides a centralized coordination of the pairwise communications, it is still difficult to provide reliable channel state information at the cluster head due to the feedback latency, and HARQ is used to enforce the link performance by mitigating the fast channel variations. The main objective of this thesis is to perform the resource allocation of HARQ-based OFDMA clustered MANETs using only long-term channel statistics. Industrial concerns about the realism of the proposed solutions lead us to consider practical and existing communications schemes instead of the commonly used capacity tools. In particular, the main objective is to design and analyze algorithms that optimize the assignment of power, bandwidth, modulation order, and code rate, of the HARQ mechanism at the top of the proposed multiuser communication scheme. Due to the presence of HARQ in the proposed network, parts of the thesis are devoted to the extension of the analysis of HARQ performance done in previous works in some particular new contexts.
Anaemia following Artemisinin-Based Combination Treatments of Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Children: Temporal Patterns of Haematocrit and the Use of Uncomplicated Hyperparasitaemia as a Model for Evaluating Late-Appearing Anaemia

Background: In severe malaria, intravenous artesunate may cause delayed haemolytic anaemia but there has been little evaluation of the propensity of oral artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs) to cause late-appearing anaemia. Methods: The frequency of anaemia (haematocrit <30%), and temporal changes in haematocrit were evaluated in 1,191 malarious children following ACTs. “Haematocrit conservation” was evaluated by using the fall in haematocrit/1,000 asexual parasites cleared from the peripheral blood (FIH/1,000 asexual parasites cpb), and the ratio of the average haematocrit (on the first 3 days of starting treatment):total parasitaemia cleared. Results: The frequency of anaemia decreased significantly following treatment. FIH/1,000 asexual parasites cpb, average haematocrit:total parasitaemia cleared, and mean haematocrit 5 weeks after treatment began were significantly lower in hyperparasitaemic children than in children without hyperparasitaemia, suggesting haematocrit conservation during treatment followed later by a loss of haematocrit. Asymptomatic late-appearing anaemia occurred in 6% of the children. Conclusion: Artesunate-amodiaquine and artemether-lumefantrine contribute to haematocrit conservation at high parasitaemias but may cause late-appearing anaemia.
ICESat Elevations in Antarctica Along the 2007–09 Norway–USA Traverse: Validation With Ground-Based GPS

The 2007-09 Norway-USA Traverse of East Antarctica collected dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) data at 5-s intervals on two of the traverse vehicles. The traverse covered 2400 km from the coast to the vicinity of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 2007-08, and a 2600 km route from the South Pole to the coast in 2008-09. Side traverses were also conducted in 2008-09, for a total of over 10 000 km of GPS data between the two vehicles. We use precise point positioning to post-process our single receiver kinematic GPS data. Analysis of data obtained while the vehicles were stationary shows individual solutions are accurate to ca. 1 cm horizontally and 3 cm vertically. We compare our GPS elevations with those determined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), a space-based altimeter designed to measure ice elevation. ICESat accuracy is evaluated by cross-over analysis; mean differences calculated between dh/dt-corrected ICESat data and GPS-derived surface elevations for two vehicles and two traverse seasons range from -12 to -2 cm, within ICESat's stated goal of ±15 cm, while 1-σ values of the same data imply that ICESat's precision is ca. 15.8 cm.