Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of interferon-alpha by scleroderma sera containing autoantibodies to topoisomerase I: association of higher interferon-alpha activity with lung fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE Peripheral blood cells (PBMCs) from some patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) express an interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) signature. The aim of this study was to determine whether SSc patient sera could induce IFNalpha and whether IFNalpha induction was associated with specific autoantibodies and/or clinical features of the disease. METHODS SSc sera containing autoantibodies against either topoisomerase I (anti-topo I; n = 12), nucleolar protein (ANoA; n = 12), or centromeric protein (ACA; n = 13) were cultured with a HeLa nuclear extract and normal PBMCs. In some experiments, different cell extracts or inhibitors of plasmacytoid dendritic cell (DC) activation, Fcgamma receptor II (FcgammaRII), endocytosis, or nucleases were used. IFNalpha was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Topo I-containing sera induced significantly higher levels of IFNalpha as compared with all other groups. IFNalpha induction was inhibited by anti-blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (90%), anti-CD32 (76%), bafilomycin (99%), and RNase (82%). In contrast, ACAs induced low levels of IFNalpha even when necrotic, apoptotic, or demethylated extracts were used, despite the fact that CENP-B-binding oligonucleotide containing 2 CpG motifs effectively stimulated IFNalpha. IFNalpha production was significantly higher in patients with diffuse SSc (mean +/- SEM 641 +/- 174 pg/ml) than in those with limited SSc (215 +/- 66 pg/ml) as well as in patients with lung fibrosis than in those without. CONCLUSION Autoantibody subsets in SSc sera differentially induce IFNalpha and may explain the IFNalpha signature observed in SSc. IFNalpha is induced by plasmacytoid DCs and required uptake of immune complexes through FcgammaRII, endosomal transport, and the presence of RNA, presumably for interaction with Toll-like receptor 7. The higher IFNalpha induction in sera from patients with diffuse SSc than in those with limited SSc as well as in sera from patients with lung fibrosis suggests that IFNalpha may contribute to tissue injury.
2 A Framework for Querying Data Streams 2

Several query languages have been proposed for managing data streams in modern monitoring applications. Continuous queries expressed in these languages usually employ windowing constructs in order to extract finite portions of the potentially unbounded stream. Explicitly or not, window specifications rely on ordering. Usually, timestamps are attached to all tuples flowing into the system as a means to provide ordered access to data items. Several window types have been implemented in stream prototype systems, but a precise definition of their semantics is still lacking. In this paper, we describe a formal framework for expressing windows in continuous queries over data streams. After classifying windows according to their basic characteristics, we give algebraic expressions for the most significant window types commonly appearing in applications. As an essential step towards a stream algebra, we then propose formal definitions for the windowed analogs of typical relational operators, such as join, union or aggregation, and we identify several properties useful to query optimization.
Electron Microprobe X‐Ray Analysis of Polyphosphate Granules in Plesiomonas shigelloides

Electron‐dense inclusion bodies were found in most Plesiomonas shigelloides cells, regardless of the incubation time. At the 4‐hr incubation period, the size of inclusion bodies was distributed in the range of 50 to 150 nm in diameter, and at the logarithmic phase of growth it increased up to a size visible by light microscope. By an electron microprobe X‐ray analysis, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium were detected in the inclusion bodies which confirms the assumption of Pastian and Bromel (Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 47: 216 (1984)) that the inclusion bodies have a very similar elemental composition to the polyphosphate granules of C. diphtheriae.
Genetic Redundancy in Soybean Photoresponses Associated With Duplication of the Phytochrome A Gene

Gene and genome duplications underlie the origins of evolutionary novelty in plants. Soybean, Glycine max, is considered to be a paleopolyploid species with a complex genome. We found multiple homologs of the phytochrome A gene (phyA) in the soybean genome and determined the DNA sequences of two paralogs designated GmphyA1 and GmphyA2. Analysis of the GmphyA2 gene from the lines carrying a recessive allele at a photoperiod insensitivity locus, E4, revealed that a Ty1/copia-like retrotransposon was inserted in exon 1 of the gene, which resulted in dysfunction of the gene. Mapping studies suggested that GmphyA2 is encoded by E4. The GmphyA1 gene was mapped to a region of linkage group O, which is homeologous to the region harboring E4 in linkage group I. Plants homozygous for the e4 allele were etiolated under continuous far red light, but the de-etiolation occurred partially, indicating that the mutation alone did not cause a complete loss of phyA function. The genetic redundancy suggests that the presence of duplicated copies of phyA genes accounts for the generation of photoperiod insensitivity, while protecting against the deleterious effects of mutation. Thus, this phenomenon provides a link between gene duplication and establishment of an adaptive response of plants to environments.
"Candidatus Microthrix parvicella", a filamentous bacterium from activated sludge sewage treatment plants.

"Candidatus Microthrix parvicella" is a filamentous bacterium that grows with great difficulty in cultures from the mixed liquor of activated sludge sewage treatment plants. It is gram positive, and the ultrastructure of its cell walls has been determined to be of the gram-positive type by electron microscopical examination. Phylogenetically, it is a deep-branching member of the subphylum actinomycetes within the gram-positive phylum of the domain Bacteria. As for phenotypic features, it is known that the organism contains a polyphosphate inclusions and that it is catalase positive. In mixed cultures in activated sludge plants and in pure culture in the laboratory, it has a characteristic and distinctive winding filamentous morphology, with filaments hundreds of micrometers long.
Role of platelets in hepatic allograft preservation injury in the rat

Cold preservation of liver allografts injures hepatic sinusoidal lining cells. This injury is exacerbated on reperfusion, in part because of adhesion of leukocytes. Platelets also adhere to activated endothelial surfaces. In this study we examined the role of platelets in preservation injury. Our specific aim was to determine whether the degree of platelet adhesion on reperfusion of preserved rat livers was related to duration of cold or warm ischemia and whether platelet adhesion resulted in injury to allografts. We also examined the effect of prior activation of platelets on adhesion and injury. Rat livers were preserved at 1° C for different time periods in University of Wisconsin solution and then reperfused for 3 hr on the isolated perfused rat liver system with Krebs‐Henseleit solution to which unactivated isolated rat platelets were added. Other livers were rewarmed before reperfusion or reperfused with activated platelets. Platelets were lost from the circulation in all studies; the percentage reduction of circulating platelets was dependent on the length of preservation. The initial platelet concentration did not affect the rate of reduction of platelets in the circuit. Rewarming before reperfusion increased platelet adherence, and prior activation also increased adherence. With electron microscopy we determined that platelets adhered in small aggregates to endothelial cells or endothelial cell remnants. Adherent platelets appeared more activated and contained fewer granules than did unperfused platelets. Liver injury as measured by release of transaminases into perfusate was worsened by longer periods of cold preservation and by addition of rewarming to the protocol. The presence of platelets under these circumstances aggravated injury. Prior activation of platelets also increased the extent of injury. These studies show that platelets have an important role in cold preservation‐reperfusion injury. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:635–647.)
Kinematics, topography, shortening, and extrusion in the India‐Eurasia collision

We examine the problem of partitioning between shortening and extrusion in the India-Asia collision since 45 Ma. We compute the amount of shortening expected from the kinematics of India's motion with respect to Eurasia, using the reconstruction at collision time to put bounds on the possible amounts of surface loss within Greater India and within Eurasia. We then compute the amounts of surface loss corresponding to the thickened crust of Tibet and of the Himalayas, assuming conservation of continental crust. The spatial distribution of the topography reveals a large systematic deficit of crustal thickening distributed rather uniformly west of the eastern syntaxis but an excess of shortening east of it. This distribution indicates an important eastward crustal mass transfer. However, the excess mass east of the eastern syntaxis does not account for more than one third to one half of the deficit west of the eastern syntaxis. The deficit may be accounted either by loss of lower crust into the mantle, for example through massive eclogitization, or by lateral extrusion of nonthickened crust. A mass budget of the crust of the Himalayas indicates that lower crust has not been conserved there, but the deficit is so large that local loss in the mantle is unlikely to be the unique cause of the deficit. Alternatively, following Zhao and Morgan [1985], lower crust may have been transferred below the Tibetan crust. We conclude that a combination of possible transfer of lower crust to the mantle by eclogitization and lateral extrusion has to account for a minimum of one third and a maximum of one half of the total amount of shortening between India and Asia since 45 Ma. This conclusion leaves open the possibility that the partitioning between extrusion and loss of lower crust into the mantle on the one hand and shortening on the other hand has significantly changed during the 45 m.y. history of the collision.
Protocol for the HAPPY Hearts study: cardiovascular screening for the early detection of future adverse cardiovascular outcomes in middle-aged and older women: a prospective, observational cohort study

Introduction Efforts to identify individuals at a higher risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes focus on traditional risk factors, such as age, sex, smoking status, blood pressure and and cholesterol; however, this approach does not directly assess cardiovascular function and may underestimate the risk of experiencing adverse cardiovascular outcomes in women. This prospective, observational cohort study will examine the ability of the Heart Attack Prevention Program for You (HAPPY) Hearts screening protocol, a series of non-invasive procedures to identify middle-aged and older women who are at an elevated risk for experiencing an adverse cardiovascular event in the 5-year period after screening. The predictive value of the HAPPY Hearts protocol will also be compared with the Framingham Risk Score to determine the sensitivity for estimating risk for an adverse cardiovascular outcome. Methods and analysis One thousand women 55 years of age or older will be recruited to be screened by the HAPPY Hearts protocol. This involves the cardiovascular assessment of resting blood pressure, blood pressure response to 3 min of moderate intensity exercise and large and small arterial elasticity. The participants will be classified into risk categories based on these measures. The incidence of the following adverse cardiovascular outcomes will be assessed in the 5-year period after screening in both groups: ischaemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary bypass surgery, congestive heart failure and new hypertension. Ethics and dissemination Information gathered in this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented in a programme evaluation report to inform Manitoba Health and key stakeholders about the outcomes of the study. The University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board has approved the study protocol V.2. 0, dated 29 September 2014 (H2014:224). Trial registration number NCT02863211.
Susceptibility of Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Extracts

Abstract The effectiveness of seven strains of entomopathogenic fungi against Ceratitis capitata adults was evaluated in the laboratory. Adults were susceptible to five of seven aqueous suspensions of conidia. Metarhizium anisopliae and strain CG-260 of Paecilomyces fumosoroseus were the most pathogenic fungi, with 10-day LD 50 values of 5.1 and 6.1 × 10 3 conidia/fly, respectively, when applied topically. Sublethal effects on fecundity and fertility of the fungal-exposed females were also studied. The most effective fungus in reducing fecundity was P. fumosoroseus CECT 2705, with reductions on the order of 65% at 1 × 10 6 conidia/fly. M. anisopliae and Aspergillus ochraceus also showed significant reductions of fecundity (40–50% for most of the assayed concentrations). Fertility was moderately affected by the fungi. M. anisopliae at 1 × 10 6 conidia/fly was the most effective fungus, showing egg eclosion reduction of over 50% compared with the control. In addition, culture broth dichloromethane extracts from the entomopathogenic fungi were tested for insecticide activity against C. capitata, including effects on fecundity and fertility. The extract from M. anisopliae was the most toxic, resulting in about 90% mortality at a concentration of 25 mg/g of diet; under these conditions, fecundity and fertility of treated females were reduced by 94 and 53%, respectively, compared with untreated controls.
Risky sexual behaviour among women: Does economic empowerment matter? Case of Gabon, Mozambique, Sierra-Leone and Zambia

The link between economic empowerment and high risky sexual behaviour has been debated by different scholars in various settings. However, no consistently clear connection between poverty and lack of education has been found regarding engagement in risky sexual behaviour. Also, not much research has been done to examine the strength of these relationships for adolescents and women. The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between female economic empowerment and risky sexual behaviour in Africa. Using the latest Demographic and Health Surveys Data (DHS 2011–2014) from Gabon, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Zambia, univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was done on women aged 15 to 49 to examine the patterns of and differences in the association between women’s economic empowerment and risky sexual behaviour. The findings both at community and individual level indicate that empowered women (higher education and wealth household) and adolescents aged 15 to 19 are highly significantly associated with engagement in high risky behaviour. The result of this study stresses the need to look further than individual factors in the quest to resolve risky sexual behaviour in Africa. The interrelations between female economic empowerment and engagement in risky sexual behaviour are more complicated and less straightforward than usually presumed.
Efficacy and Safety Outcomes Among De Novo Renal Transplant Recipients Managed by C2 Monitoring of Cyclosporine A Microemulsion: Results of a 12-Month, Randomized, Multicenter Study

Background. The clinical benefits of C2 monitoring of cyclosporine microemulsion have been demonstrated, but C2 targets in renal transplant recipients during the first year require validation. Methods. MO2ART was a prospective, multicenter study of renal transplant recipients managed by C2 monitoring of cyclosporine microemulsion with steroids and mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine. Patients were randomized on day 3 to two groups, which were managed from month 3 with higher or lower C2 target ranges (months 4–6, 1,000–1,200 ng/mL vs. 800–1,000 ng/mL; months 7–12, 800–1,000 ng/mL vs. 600–800 ng/mL, respectively). The primary endpoint was the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at month 12. Results. A total of 296 patients were recruited, of whom 250 remained in the study at 3 months (higher-C2, n=131; lower-C2, n=119). GFR at 12 months did not differ between the higher- and lower-C2 groups (65±17 mL/min vs. 66±14 mL/min). When patients were regrouped according to C2 achieved by months 8 to 12, those with the lowest C2 (<700 ng/mL) showed the lowest GFR at month 3 and the most pronounced increase in GFR between month 3 and month 12 (P=0.04). Five episodes of biopsy-proven acute rejection occurred after month 3 (higher-C2 group, n=2; lower-C2 group, n=3). The overall 12-month Kaplan-Meier incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection was 13.7%. Patient and graft survival were 93% and 89%, respectively, at 12 months. Conclusion. Both C2 target ranges investigated showed excellent and nearly equivalent outcomes at 12 months. The decision to target the higher or lower end of these C2 ranges should be made on an individual basis, taking into account patient and graft characteristics, and co-medication.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among schoolchildren in Greece: the role of sex, degree of urbanisation and seasonality

Abstract The current study was aiming to report the prevalence of suboptimal vitamin D status among schoolchildren in Greece and investigate the role of sex, urbanisation and seasonality on vitamin D status. A sample of 2386 schoolchildren (9–13 years old) from four distinct prefectures was examined. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration <30 and <50 nmol/l (vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency respectively) was 5·2 and 52·5 %, respectively. Girls had a higher prevalence of 25(OH)D<30 (7·2 v. 3·2 %) and 50 nmol/l (57·0 v. 48·0 %) than boys (P<0·001). The highest prevalence rates of 25(OH)D<30 and 50 nmol/l (9·1 and 73·1 %, respectively) were observed during spring (April to June), whereas the lowest (1·5 and 31·9 %, respectively) during autumn (October to December). The prevalence of 25(OH)D<50 nmol/l was higher in urban/semi-urban than rural regions, particularly during spring months (74·6 v. 47·2 %; P<0·001). Female sex, urban/semi-urban region of residence and spring months were found to increase the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, with the highest OR observed for spring months (7·47; 95 % CI 3·23, 17·3 and 5·14; 95 % CI 3·84, 6·89 for 25(OH)D<30 and 50 nmol/l respectively). In conclusion, despite the southerly latitude, the prevalence of low vitamin D status among primary schoolchildren in Greece is comparable to or exceeds the prevalence reported among children and adolescents on a European level. Sub-populations at highest risk are girls in urban/semi-urban areas during spring months, thus indicating the need for effective initiatives to support adequate vitamin D status in these population groups.
Microbiological Profile of Diabetic Foot Ulcer and Use of IL6 as a Predictor for Diabetic Foot Infection

People with DM have an increased risk of developing a number of serious health problems. Consistently high blood glucose levels can lead to serious diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth. In addition, people with DM also have a higher risk of developing infections (International Diabetes Federation, 2015). Fifteen per cent of people with DM will develop a foot ulcer at some time during their life, and 85% of major leg amputations begin with a foot ulcer.
ICTs and democratic governance: The Latin American experience

Many governments struggle with the implementation process of an effective Citizen Relationship Management. They are unable to respond quickly and accurately to citizen requests. However, some governments (e.g. Miami, Iran, Dubai and Boston), were successful in introducing effective Citizen Relationship Management systems. They have created a variety of tools to process citizen information effectively and efficiently. Governments, which are struggling to implement such a system, can use these case studies as benchmarks to improve their understanding of a Citizen Relationship Management. As a consequence from the insights won from these case studies, a theoretical model was developed to achieve a better grasp of the Citizen Relationship Management implementation process concept and the possibility for governments to improve and apply an effective Citizen Relationship Management. The framework addresses the determinants that influence the implementation process.
Specificity of coxsackievirus B 3 interaction with human , but not murine , decay 1 accelerating factor ( DAF ) : replacement of a single residue within short consensus repeat 2 2 prevents virus attachment 3 4

24 Many coxsackievirus B (CVB) isolates bind to human decay accelerating factor (DAF) as well as 25 to the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR). However, virus does not interact with 26 murine DAF. To understand why CVB3 binds specifically to human DAF we constructed a 27 series of chimeric molecules in which specific regions of the human DAF molecule were 28 replaced by the corresponding murine sequences. We found that replacement of human with 29 murine SCR2 ablated virus binding to human DAF, as did deletion of human SCR2. Although 30 replacement of human SCR4 had a partial inhibitory effect, deletion of SCR4 had no effect. 31 Within human SCR2, replacement of serine 104 (S104) with the proline residue found in murine 32 DAF eliminated virus binding. Based on the structure of the CVB3-DAF complex determined 33 by cryo-electron microscopy, DAF S104 is in close contact with a viral capsid residue, a 34 threonine at VP1 position 271. Replacement of this capsid residue with larger amino acids 35 specifically eliminated virus attachment to human DAF, but had no effect on attachment to CAR 36 or replication in HeLa cells. Taken together, these results support the current model of virus37 DAF interaction, and point to a specific role for VP1-T271 and DAF S104 at the virus-DAF 38 interface. 39 40 IMPORTANCE 41 These results point to a specific role for VP1-T271 and DAF S104 at the interface 42 between CVB3 and DAF-DAF, and demonstrate how subtle structural changes can dramatically 43 influence virus-receptor interactions. In addition, the results support a recent pseudoatomic 44 model of CVB3-DAF interaction obtained by cryo-electron microscopy. 45 46