Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Shiga Toxins Inhibit Gamma Interferon-Mediated Cellular Activation

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality in developing and industrialized nations. EHEC infection of host epithelial cells is capable of inhibiting the gamma interferon (IFN-γ) proinflammatory pathway through the inhibition of Stat-1 phosphorylation, which is important for host defense against microbial pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial factors involved in the inhibition of Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Human HEp-2 and Caco-2 epithelial cells were challenged directly with either EHEC or bacterial culture supernatants and stimulated with IFN-γ, and then the protein extracts were analyzed by immunoblotting. The data showed that IFN-γ-mediated Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation was inhibited by EHEC secreted proteins. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, EHEC Shiga toxins were identified as candidate inhibitory factors. EHEC Shiga toxin mutants were then generated and complemented in trans, and mutant culture supernatant was supplemented with purified Stx to confirm their ability to subvert IFN-γ-mediated cell activation. We conclude that while other factors are likely involved in the suppression of IFN-γ-mediated Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, E. coli-derived Shiga toxins represent a novel mechanism by which EHEC evades the host immune system.
Mortality Risk for Cocaine Abusers in Relation to Heroin Use: A Follow-Up Study

Cohort study on 471 subjects resident in the metropolitan area of Bologna who had visited a public treatment center for problems due to the abuse of cocaine from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 2009. Two user typologies were created: cocaine users (no heroin) and heroin and cocaine users. Crude mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios were calculated. We performed a regression analysis using the Poisson method. The study results show a higher mortality risk for those injecting substances and for subjects who took both heroin and cocaine. They appear to have different characteristics from their counterparts who do not use heroin. Future studies should be oriented to this aspect.
Digital Image Encryption Scheme using Chaotic Sequences with a Nonlinear Function

— In this study, a system of encryption based on chaotic sequences is described. The system is used for encrypting digital image data for the purpose of secure image transmission. An image secure communication scheme based on Logistic map chaotic sequences with a nonlinear function is proposed in this paper. Encryption and decryption keys are obtained by one-dimensional Logistic map that generates secret key for the input of the nonlinear function. Receiver can recover the information using the received signal and identical key sequences through the inverse system technique. The results of computer simulations indicate that the transmitted source image can be correctly and reliably recovered by using proposed scheme even under the noisy channel. The performance of the system will be discussed through evaluating the quality of recovered image with and without channel noise.
The dietary terpene lupeol targets colorectal cancer cells with constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

SCOPE Aberrant activation of the Wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus integration site family (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling pathway is the most common modification, and often considered, a hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC). Typically in this pathway the β-catenin translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where it functions as a transcription regulator of several genes that support tumor formation and progression. Thus, any agent that could attenuate the translocation of β-catenin could be extremely valuable against CRC, especially the tumors that exhibit constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS Using human CRC cells that exhibit differential expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, we demonstrate that treatment of CRC cells with dietary triterpene lupeol results in a dose-dependent (i) decrease in cell viability, (ii) induction of apoptosis, (iii) decrease in colonogenic potential, (iv) decrease in β-catenin transcriptional activity, and (v) decrease in the expression of Wnt target genes. Most importantly lupeol was observed to inhibit the translocation of β-catenin from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Importantly, all these effects of lupeol were restricted to cells that harbor constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling while negligible effects were observed in cells that lack constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Further, we also demonstrate that inhibition of Wnt signaling in cells with constitutive active Wnt/β-catenin results in loss of lupeol efficacy while inducing Wnt signaling sensitizes the cells to inhibitory effects of lupeol. CONCLUSION In summary, our data strongly advocate the efficacy of lupeol against CRC cells that exhibit constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
Effect of decreased levels of endogenous gastric tissue histamine on acid secretion and stress ulcer formation in the rat.

The concept that endogenous tissue histamine may be the final common pathway in the production of gastric acid has recently been reviewed (Code, 1965). Kahlson, Rosengren, Svahn, and Thunberg (1964) have demonstrated that in the rat endogenous histamine from pre-formed mucosal stores is mobilized in response to both exogenous gastrin administration and refeeding. They also observed a concomitant increase in the mucosal histamineforming capacity, indicating that a feed-back mechanism exists whereby a decrease in the end product (histamine) results in an increase in activity of the enzyme responsible for maintaining mucosal histamine stores (histidine decarboxylase). Additional evidence that the action of exogenous stimulants of gastric acid secretion is mediated by the release and utilization of endogenous histamine is found in the work of Shore (1965), who noted in rats that the administration of insulin and reserpine caused a marked lowering of gastric histamine levels coincident with the production of gastric acid, and in the work of Levine (1965), and Haverback, Stubrin, and Dyce (1965), who reported similar findings using insulin, reserpine, gastrin, urecholine, and betazole hydrochloride (histalog). Amure and Ginsburg (1964) have also demonstrated that the administration of aminoguanidine, a compound which inhibits diamine oxidase activity and thus the degredation of histamine, potentiates the acid response of the rat gastric mucosa following gastrin administration. In the rat, gastric mucosal histamine is produced through the process of intracellular decarboxylation
A General Approach to Obtain Series Solutions of Nonlinear Differential Equations

Based on homotopy, which is a basic concept in topology, a general analytic method (namely the homotopy analysis method) is proposed to obtain series solutions of nonlinear differential equations. Different from perturbation techniques, this approach is independent of small/large physical parameters. Besides, different from all previous analytic methods, it provides us with a simple way to adjust and control the convergence of solution series. Especially, it provides us with great freedom to replace a nonlinear differential equation of order n into an infinite number of linear differential equations of order k, where the order k is even unnecessary to be equal to the order n. In this paper, a nonlinear oscillation problem is used as example to describe the basic ideas of the homotopy analysis method. We illustrate that the second‐order nonlinear oscillation equation can be replaced by an infinite number of (2κ)th‐order linear differential equations, where κ≥ 1 can be any a positive integer. Then, the homotopy analysis method is further applied to solve a high‐dimensional nonlinear differential equation with strong nonlinearity, i.e., the Gelfand equation. We illustrate that the second‐order two or three‐dimensional nonlinear Gelfand equation can be replaced by an infinite number of the fourth or sixth‐order linear differential equations, respectively. In this way, it might be greatly simplified to solve some nonlinear problems, as illustrated in this paper. All of our series solutions agree well with numerical results. This paper illustrates that we might have much larger freedom and flexibility to solve nonlinear problems than we thought traditionally. It may keep us an open mind when solving nonlinear problems, and might bring forward some new and interesting mathematical problems to study.
Alcohol has no effect on hepatitis C virus replication: a meta-analysis

Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who consume large quantities of alcohol have more severe liver disease compared with HCV patients without a history of alcohol consumption. The mechanism by which alcohol worsens HCV related liver disease is not properly understood. One possibility is that alcohol stimulates HCV replication, and the present meta-analysis was performed to examine this issue. Methods: The effect of alcohol on viral titres was assessed in three ways: comparison of the heaviest drinkers with non-drinkers; effect of graded doses of alcohol; and effect of abstinence in the same individual. Results: A total of 14 studies were identified. Comparison of patients with the highest alcohol use with the abstinent group showed a significant association with viral load in three studies, five studies had a positive direction, while the remaining four studies found a negative relationship. Analysis of the combined results showed no association between alcohol consumption and virus levels (p = 0.29). Assessment of graded doses of alcohol also showed no significant difference between non-drinkers and moderate drinkers (p = 0.50), between non-drinkers and heavy drinkers (p = 0.35), or between moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers (p = 0.32). Five studies examined the influence of abstinence on viral titres but none provided sufficient data for statistical analysis. Conclusions: The present study has failed to show an association between alcohol use and HCV viral titres. These observations raise the possibility that the hepatic damage caused by alcohol and HCV may be purely additive, involving different mechanisms and pathways.
Two-week normobaric intermittent-hypoxic exposures stabilize cerebral perfusion during hypocapnia and hypercapnia

The effect of moderately extended, intermittent-hypoxia (IH) on cerebral perfusion during changes in CO2 was unknown. Thus, we assessed the changes in cerebral vascular conductance (CVC) and cerebral tissue oxygenation (ScO2) during experimental hypocapnia and hypercapnia following 14-day normobaric exposures to IH (10% O2). CVC was estimated from the ratio of mean middle cerebral arterial blood flow velocity (transcranial Doppler sonography) to mean arterial pressure (tonometry), and ScO2 in the prefrontal cortex was monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy. Changes in CVC and ScO2 during changes in partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2, mass spectrometry) induced by 30-s paced-hyperventilation (hypocapnia) and during 6-min CO2 rebreathing (hypercapnia) were compared before and after 14-day IH exposures in eight young nonsmokers. Repetitive IH exposures reduced the ratio of %ΔCVC/ΔPETCO2 during hypocapnia (1.00 ± 0.13 vs 1.94 ± 0.35 vs %/mmHg, P = 0.026) and the slope of ΔCVC/ΔPETCO2 during hypercapnia (1.79 ± 0.37 vs 2.97 ± 0.64 %/mmHg, P = 0.021), but had no significant effect on ΔScO2/ΔPETCO2. The ventilatory response to hypercapnia during CO2 rebreathing was significantly diminished following 14-day IH exposures (0.83 ± 0.07 vs 1.14 ± 0.09 L/min/mmHg, P = 0.009). We conclude that repetitive normobaric IH exposures significantly diminish variations of cerebral perfusion in response to hypercapnia and hypocapnia without compromising cerebral tissue oxygenation. This IH-induced blunting of cerebral vasoreactivity during CO2 variations helps buffer excessive oscillations of cerebral underperfusion and overperfusion while sustaining cerebral O2 homeostasis.
NORMAL AND OUTLYING POPULATIONS OF THE MILKY WAY STELLAR HALO AT [Fe/H] <−2

From detailed abundance analysis of >100 Hamburg/ESO candidate extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars we find 45 with [Fe/H] < −3.0 dex. We identify a heretofore unidentified group: Ca-deficient stars with sub-solar [Ca/Fe] ratios and the lowest neutron-capture abundances; the Ca-deficient group comprises ∼10% of the sample, excluding Carbon stars. Our radial velocity distribution shows that the carbon-enhanced stars with no s-process enhancements, CEMP-no, and which do not show C2 bands are not preferentially binary systems. Ignoring Carbon stars, approximately 15% of our sample are strong (⩾5σ) outliers in one or more elements between Mg and Ni; this rises to ∼19% if very strong (⩾10σ) outliers for Sr and Ba are included. Examples include: HE0305−0554 with the lowest [Ba/H] known; HE1012−1540 and HE2323−0256, two (non-velocity variable) C-rich stars with very strong [Mg,Al/Fe] enhancements; and HE1226−1149, an extremely r-process rich star.
Thermal effects on pressure-induced infiltration of a nanoporous system

Thermal effects on the energy absorption efficiency of a system consisting of hydrophobic mesoporous silica particles immersed in water have been investigated. As the temperature increases, although the infiltration pressure decreases only slightly and the accessible pore volume remains nearly constant, the system recoverability can be significantly improved, primarily due to an increase in outflow pressure. The sequence of changing pressure and temperature has little influence on the system performance.
Healthcare @ The Speed of Thought: A digital world needs successful transformative leaders

In the wake of transformational change powered by the digital era, resultant leadership challenges and strategies essential for successful change, both tactical and cultural, are linked to defined capabilities within the Systems Transformation domain of the LEADS in a Caring Environment framework. Honed from experience, specific softer leadership behaviours supporting system transformation are both described and reinforced. Further, a matrix combining the LEADS framework capabilities with these more specific behaviours is offered as a planning tool that leaders may reflect upon and map out key activities associated with their sponsorship of significant change.
Concordance of Reports of Mental Health Functioning by Adolescents and Their Caregivers: A Comparison of European, African and Latino Americans

The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance of parental and adolescent reports of adolescents having emotional and behavioral problems. Data were collected from youths (age 11–17) and adult caregivers from a community-based sample of households. The sample consisted of 4175 youths and their caregivers (37.8% European, 35.0% African, 25.4% Latino, and 1.8% other American). Indicators of emotional and/or behavioral problems were global indicators: perceived mental health, life satisfaction, happiness, interpersonal problems at home, and problems at school. Overall, parent-child concordance on the indicators of mental health was low, with a mean κ value of 0.12. In multivariate analyses, European American parent-youth dyads were significantly more likely to be concordant on reports of perceived mental health, problems at home, and problems at school than African American and Latino dyads. Our data suggest that ethnicity is a significant factor in parental labeling and awareness of adolescent mental health problems. Future research should examine whether the extent to which greater lack of concordance on the indicators of mental health by minority parent-child dyads plays a role in entry into and retention in mental health care.
Crisis Intervention in Psychogeriatrics: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Summary Over a six-month period, 142 referrals of patients aged over 65 to a community-orientated psychogeriatric service in North London were studied, and their progress followed for a further two years. The emphasis was on domiciliary management by initiating and supporting caring networks. More active involvement in the community by hospital staff is suggested.
Treatment with type-2 selective and non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors improves T-cell proliferation in HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy

Prostaglandin E 2 is synthesized via cyclooxygenases and induces cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP). T cells from HIV-infected patients have elevated cAMP levels contributing to T-cell dysfunction. HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy were treated with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin or rofecoxib for 14 days in two independent, subsequent sub-studies. Significantly increased anti-CD3-induced cell proliferation was observed with both rofecoxib and indomethacin, indicating that cyclooxygenase inhibitors may have the potential to improve T-cell proliferative responses in HIV-infected patients.
Gastric Cancer: The Role of Diffusion Weighted Imaging in the Preoperative Staging

Purpose: Evaluate the role of diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI) in the diagnosis and staging of gastric carcinoma. Materials and methods: A total of 31 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, which underwent preoperative staging with 3Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), were enrolled. Two radiologists evaluated the tumor staging in DWI. Results were compared to postsurgical pathologic findings. Results: The T factor accuracy of conventional MRI and DWI was 73% and 80% respectively; while the N staging accuracy of conventional MRI and DWI was 80% and 93%, respectively. Conclusion: DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values showed to be useful in preoperative staging of gastric cancer.
DIFFERENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF RIGHT AND LEFT BRAINS TO PAW SKILL IN RIGHT- AND LEFT-PAWED FEMALE RATS

Paw preference and paw frequency was studied in female rats. Paw preference was assessed using a modified version of food reaching task in quadrupedal position. Of 68 rats, 56 (82.4%) were right-handed, 7 (10.3%) were left-handed, and 5 (7.4%) were mixed-handed. There were significantly more right-handers than left-handers. The distribution of right minus left (L) paw reach (R + L = 50) was not U-shaped, it was J-shaped like in humans. Estrus cycle was a significant factor influencing the right-paw entry scores: most of left-handers were in estrus and proestrus, most of left-handers were in estrus, and most of mixed-handers were in postestrus. In right- and non-right-handers, the frequency of right-paw usage (right-hand skill) increased linearly with testing days, but the frequency of left-hand usage (left-hand skill) did not show significant changes with the successive testing days. Controlling for body weight and estrus only accentuated these results. It was concluded that distribution of hand preference in rats is J-shaped and there is a right-sided population bias in handedness in rats like in humans. The results suggested that motor learning in paw skill is mainly involved the left brain in right- and mixed-handed rats, not the right brain: only the left brain has the inbuilt capacity for motor learning in female rats. Such an asymmetric cognitive control in an animal model may have a major impact in many aspects of biology in respect to normal functioning, superior talents, and disease (see Geschwind, 1985).
Certolizumab Pegol treatment in Behcet’s disease with different organ involvement: A multicenter retrospective observational study

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to describe our experience with the recombinant Fab’ antibody fragment against TNF-α Certolizumab Pegol (CZP) in patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) refractory to standardized therapies and previous biologic agents. Methods: Retrieved data including demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and previous treatments were collected in three different specialized Rheumatologic Units in Italy. In order to evaluate disease activity, the BD current activity form (BDCAF) has been used before starting CZP therapy and at each visit during treatment. Results: Thirteen BD patients (mean age 42.6 ± 8.8 years) with a disease duration of 8.80 ± 6.9 years, underwent CZP treatment for 6.92 ± 3.52 months. Six patients (46.15%) experienced a worsening of symptoms after 4.16 ± 1.21 months, whereas a satisfactory response was achieved in seven patients (53.84%) who were still on CZP therapy at the last follow-up visit (after 9.28 ± 3.03 months of treatment). The mean decrease of BDCAF between the first and last visit was 0.308 ± 1.84 without reaching significant difference (mean 8.3 ± 1.3 and 8 ± 2.08, respectively; p= .51). During the whole study period, CZP was well tolerated in all patients except one who developed a generalized cutaneous reaction after the third administration. Conclusions: These results suggest that despite an improvement of clinical manifestations has been observed in more than half of the patients, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of CZP in BD and further studies with larger cohorts of patients are warranted. Whether the increase of CZP dosage may ensure a better clinical response remains an unsolved issue that needs to be considered.
ATM: Approximate Task Memoization in the Runtime System

Redundant computations appear during the execution of real programs. Multiple factors contribute to these unnecessary computations, such as repetitive inputs and patterns, calling functions with the same parameters or bad programming habits. Compilers minimize non useful code with static analysis. However, redundant execution might be dynamic and there are no current approaches to reduce these inefficiencies. Additionally, many algorithms can be computed with different levels of accuracy. Approximate computing exploits this fact to reduce execution time at the cost of slightly less accurate results. In this case, expert developers determine the desired tradeoff between performance and accuracy for each application. In this paper, we present Approximate Task Memoization (ATM), a novel approach in the runtime system that transparently exploits both dynamic redundancy and approximation at the task granularity of a parallel application. Memoization of previous task executions allows predicting the results of future tasks without having to execute them and without losing accuracy. To further increase performance improvements, the runtime system can memoize similar tasks, which leads to task approximate computing. By defining how to measure task similarity and correctness, we present an adaptive algorithm in the runtime system that automatically decides if task approximation is beneficial or not. When evaluated on a real 8-core processor with applications from different domains (financial analysis, stencil-computation, machine-learning and linear-algebra), ATM achieves a 1.4x average speedup when only applying memoization techniques. When adding task approximation, ATM achieves a 2.5x average speedup with an average 0.7% accuracy loss (maximum of 3.2%).