Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered connexin expression in human congestive heart failure.

Congestive heart failure is associated with a high risk of life-threatening ventricular re-entrant arrhythmias. Down-regulation of the principal gap-junctional protein of the ventricular myocytes, connexin43, has previously been implicated in arrhythmia in ischaemic heart disease, but it is not known whether connexin43 is similarly reduced in heart failure due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, whether disease-related connexin43 down-regulation occurs at the level of transcription or translation, or whether the expression of other connexin isotypes is altered in congestive heart failure. We therefore investigated the expression of the four connexins expressed in the heart-connexins 43, 40, 45 and 37-at the mRNA and protein levels in explanted hearts from transplant patients with end-stage heart failure (NYHA class 4) by immunoconfocal analysis, and northern and western blotting. Connexin43 mRNA and protein were markedly downregulated in the left ventricle in end-stage heart failure due both to ischaemic cardiomyopathy and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Connexin43 content was spatially heterogeneous in the diseased ventricle. Connexin40 mRNA was increased in the ischaemic group, more so in the left ventricle than the right. This correlated with an increased depth of connexin40 protein expression in myocytes at the endocardial surface. Connexin45 mRNA and protein, present only in very low quantities, followed a similar trend to connexin43, while connexin37 (exclusively expressed in endothelium) showed no change. Our findings show that congestive heart failure is associated with significantly reduced levels of the principal gap junction protein, connexin43, in the left ventricle, potentially contributing to enhanced arrhythmogenicity and contractile dysfunction. This down-regulation is due predominantly to a reduced transcript steady-state level. Elevated connexin40 may represent a compensatory response that improves the spread of depolarization in the otherwise compromised ischaemic ventricle.
Nutrition Risk in Home-Bound Older Adults: Using Dietician-Trained and Supervised Nutrition Volunteers for Screening and Intervention*

ABSTRACT Nutrition screening and early intervention in home-bound older adults are key to preventing unfavourable health outcomes and functional decline. This pilot study's objectives were (a) to test the reliability of the Elderly Nutrition Screening Tool (ENS©) when administered by dietician-trained and supervised nutrition volunteers, and (b) to explore the feasibility of volunteers' doing nutrition screening and intervention for home-bound older adults receiving home care services. Both participating clients (n = 29) and volunteers (n = 15) were community-dwelling older adults. Volunteers met with participating clients, assessed nutritional risk with the ENS©, provided nutritional education, and developed and helped implement intervention plans. To assess ENS© inter-rater reliability, we compared results obtained by nutrition volunteers and a dietician. Agreement was high (≥80%) for most items but was higher among volunteers than between volunteers and the dietician. We conclude that nutrition volunteers can assist in screening and educating older adults regarding nutritional risks, but intervention is best left to professionals. RÉSUMÉ Le dépistage du risque nutritionnel et l'intervention hâtive en nutrition auprès de la population âgée confinée à domicile sont des déterminants clés de la prévention de divers problèmes de santé et d'incapacités physiques chez cette population. Cette étude pilote avait pour objectifs: (a) de mesurer la fidélité de l'instrument de mesure « Questionnaire de dépistage nutritionnel des aînés » (ENS©) lorsqu'administré par une nutritionniste et par un bénévole formé; et (b) d'explorer la faisabilité pour un bénévole de faire du dépistage et de l'intervention en nutrition auprès d'une population âgée confinée recevant des services de soutien à domicile. Les participants (n = 29) et les bénévoles (n = 15) étaient des personnes âgées vivant dans la communauté. Les bénévoles ont rencontré les participants, ont évalué leur risque nutritionnel à partir de l'échelle de dépistage ENS©, ont offert de l'éducation nutritionnelle, et ont développé et aidé à l'implantation des plans d'intervention nutritionnelle. Afin de calculer la fidélité inter juges du ENS©, les résultats obtenus à partir de cet instrument par les bénévoles et par la nutritionniste ont été comparés. Le pourcentage de concordance était élevé (≥80 %) pour la plupart des items, mais plus élevé parmi les bénévoles qu'entre les bénévoles et la nutritionniste. Nous croyons que des bénévoles formés au sujet de la nutrition peuvent épauler les nutritionnistes pour le dépistage et l'éducation des risques nutritionnels, mais que l'intervention nutritionnelle devrait être réservée aux professionnels.
Spoligotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Different Provinces of China

ABSTRACT A total of 2,346 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from 13 provinces in China were genotyped by spoligotyping. Two hundred seventy-eight spoligotypes were identified: 2,153 isolates were grouped into 85 clusters, and the remaining 193 isolates were orphans. Comparison with the SpolDB4.0 database revealed that 118 spoligotypes had shared international type numbers in the database and the other 160 were novel. These 160 novel spoligotypes were assigned to families and subfamilies using the SpotClust program. The most prevalent family was the Beijing family (74.08%), followed by the T family (14.11%). CAS family strains were found only in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions, while EAI family strains were found only in Fujian Province. In conclusion, the present study of the M. tuberculosis population in China demonstrated that Beijing family isolates are the most prevalent strains in China and that they exhibit geographical variation. Furthermore, many new spoligotypes were found in this study.
Inflammatory mammary carcinoma in dogs: 33 cases (1995-1999).

OBJECTIVE To determine epidemiologic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics of inflammatory mammary carcinoma (IC) in dogs. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 33 dogs with IC and 153 dogs with malignant mammary tumors other than IC. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed, and signalment, history, physical examination findings, and results of thoracic radiography and necropsy were obtained. RESULTS 33 of 436 (7.6%) dogs examined at a veterinary teaching hospital because of dysplasia or tumors of the mammary glands and 33 of 186 (17.7%) dogs with at least 1 malignant tumor had IC. Thirty-two of the 33 dogs were sexually intact. Dogs with IC were significantly older than were dogs with other malignant mammary tumors, and in dogs with IC, the tumor was initially noticed a mean of 52 days after the beginning of the last observed estrus, whereas in dogs with other mammary tumors, the tumor was initially noticed a mean of 137 days after the beginning of the last observed estrus. Dogs with IC were more likely to be anorectic and to have generalized weakness, weight loss, and thoracic metastases. Dogs with IC survived a mean of 25 days with palliative treatment. Histologically, involvement of dermal lymphatic vessels was identified in 14 of 19 (74%) dogs with IC. Two clinical forms of IC (primary and secondary) were identified. Dogs with primary IC had a worse clinical condition. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that IC is an uncommon but distinct entity in dogs. A histologic finding of dermal lymphatic involvement should be considered a hallmark for the pathologic diagnosis of IC in dogs.
The electrical responses of light‐ and dark‐adapted frogs' eyes to rhythmic and continuous stimuli

WORKING with the well-known phenomena of flicker and fusion, Schaternikow [1902] noted that the fusion frequency of a flickering light was lowered by dark-adaptation; and this finding has been amply confirmed by Lythgoe and Tansley [1929]. Some experiments by Piper [1911] indicated that the fusion frequency of ripples on the retinal action potential, caused by intermittent light, was lower in animals possessing chiefly rods (cat) than in those having chiefly cones (pigeon); but to our knowledge nobody has investigated the retinal response to intermittent light in lightand dark-adaptation with an eye which has both types of receptors present in considerable numbers. This consideration led us to undertake work along these lines with the frog's eye. The retina of this animal is well supplied with both rods and cones, and it was found to survive fairly well in excised eyes. Well-marked differences in the behaviour of lightand dark-adapted eyes reacting to continuous and intermittent stimuli were noted, and these proved to be analysable in terms of the components of the retinal action potential [Granit, 1933]. Part I gives a brief description of the results obtained with continuous light. Part II contains an experimental analysis of the mechanism of "flicker" (intermittent ripples), made possible by the finding of a method for producing intermittent ripples, as it were, in statu nascen. TECHNIQUE. The records have been obtained with the permanent magnet string galvanometer and directly coupled amplifier previously used by one of us [Granit, 1933]. The stimulus was a concentrated filament lamp with a condenser lens, both inside a metal case with a circular opening of
Providing extra memory for virtual machines by sharing compressed swap pages

Virtualization systems are currently being applied to embedded devices such as TVs and cell phones. However, these embedded devices have insufficient memory, which can decrease the performance of an application. To provide more memory and improve the performance of applications on a virtual machine, we propose an effective swapping method. When a swap-out occurs on a virtual machine, we compress the swapped page and send it to another virtual machine with sufficient memory. If a compressed swapped page already exists, it will be shared with other virtual machines. By compressing and sharing the swapped pages, our method can reduce their number by 79%.
Induction of Labor Using a Foley Balloon, With and Without Extra-Amniotic Saline Infusion

OBJECTIVE: To compare transcervical Foley bulb with and without extra-amniotic saline infusion for induction of labor in patients with an unfavorable cervix. METHODS: Women who presented for induction of labor with Bishop score less than 5 were randomly assigned to receive Foley alone or Foley with extra-amniotic saline infusion for induction of labor. Primary outcome was time from start of induction to vaginal delivery. Secondary outcomes were cesarean delivery rates, incidence of chorioamnionitis, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, and adverse events. RESULTS: One hundred forty women completed the study. Time from induction to vaginal delivery was 16.58 (± 7.55) hours in the extra-amniotic saline infusion group compared with 21.47 (± 9.95) hours in the Foley group (P < .01). Chorioamnionitis occurred in 4 of 66 (6.1%) women in the extra-amniotic saline infusion group compared with 12 of 74 (16.2%) women in the Foley group (P = .067). Cesarean delivery rate was 21.2% versus 20.1% in the extra-amniotic saline infusion and Foley groups, respectively (P = 1.0). Median 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores were 9 in both groups. Adverse events were rare and unrelated to method of induction. CONCLUSION: Induction of labor by using Foley with extra-amniotic saline infusion results in shorter induction-to-vaginal-delivery time than Foley alone, without affecting cesarean delivery rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-1
The Impact of a Brief Induction on Short-Term Continuation in a Therapeutic Community

Continuation in substance abuse treatment is one of the strongest predictors of successful post-treatment outcomes across all major treatment modalities. However, since rates of attrition are highest within the first month of treatment, many clients drop out before these positive outcomes are realized. The impact of organizational and therapeutic factors on treatment continuation in therapeutic communities has received little attention in the literature. This study was conducted to determine whether a brief induction to treatment was associated with improved treatment continuation in a therapeutic community. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that induction was associated with 30-day continuation. Prior treatment and court-mandated treatment were also associated with continuation.
Increased Neutrophil Elastase and Proteinase 3 and Augmented NETosis Are Closely Associated With β-Cell Autoimmunity in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting from the self-destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. Reduced neutrophil counts have been observed in patients with T1D. However, the pathological roles of neutrophils in the development of T1D remain unknown. Here we show that circulating protein levels and enzymatic activities of neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (PR3), both of which are neutrophil serine proteases stored in neutrophil primary granules, were markedly elevated in patients with T1D, especially those with disease duration of less than 1 year. Furthermore, circulating NE and PR3 levels increased progressively with the increase of the positive numbers and titers of the autoantibodies against β-cell antigens. An obvious elevation of NE and PR3 was detected even in those autoantibody-negative patients. Increased NE and PR3 in T1D patients are closely associated with elevated formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. By contrast, the circulating levels of α1-antitrypsin, an endogenous inhibitor of neutrophil serine proteases, are decreased in T1D patients. These findings support an early role of neutrophil activation and augmented neutrophil serine proteases activities in the pathogenesis of β-cell autoimmunity and also suggest that circulating NE and PR3 may serve as sensitive biomarkers for the diagnosis of T1D.
Interhemispheric EEG Coherence in Never-Medicated Patients with Paranoid Schizophrenia: Analysis at Rest and during Photic Stimulation

We assessed functional relationships between hemispheres by calculating interhemispheric EEG coherence at rest and during photic stimulation in 18 never-medicated patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 30 control subjects. Although no significant group differences were found in the resting EEG, the schizophrenic patients had significantly higher coherence on EEGs recorded during photic stimulation, compared to the control subjects. In this study, we also examined the changes in interhemispheric coherence from rest to the stimulus condition (i.e., stimulation-related coherence reactivity); the patients were found to show significantly greater coherence reactivity to photic stimulation. These findings provide further evidence that schizophrenic patients have a higher degree of interhemispheric functional connectivity and thus have less lateralized cerebral organization than normal subjects. Our results also suggest that schizophrenic patients have excessive functional reorganization between hemispheres in association with photic stimulation.
Perioperative Complications of Threaded Cylindrical Lumbar Interbody Fusion Devices: Anterior Versus Posterior Approach

Few data are available to evaluate approach-related differences in perioperative complications with lumbar interbody fusion devices. Complications occurring in the intraoperative and immediate postoperative period were identified and categorized for 31 consecutive posterior lumbar interbody fusions (PLIFs) and 88 consecutive anterior lumbar interbody fusions (ALIFs). In this study, all lumbar interbody fusions were conducted with threaded cylindrical devices as stand-alone internal fixation devices. Multivariate analysis was used to account for potential covariates and identify factors associated with an increased complication risk. Twenty-two percent of the patients had a perioperative complication. The relative risk of having a perioperative complication was 4.75 times higher for the PLIF group. All intraoperative complications occurred in the PLIF group. The relative risk of having a major postoperative complication was 6.8 times higher in the PLIF group than the ALIF group. Anterior approached patients tended to have visceral (ileus, 6%) and vascular (deep venous thrombosis, 2%) complications. In the posterior group, complications were neurologic and dura related (pseudomeningocele, 16%; epidural hematoma, 3%) and occurred most frequently in patients that had had previous posterior lumbar surgery (31% with major complication).
A Finite Element/Spectral Method for Approximating the Time-Harmonic Maxwell System in ℝ3

We describe and analyze a method for computing an approximation to the time-harmonic electromagnetic field scattered by a bounded inhomogeneity. The method is to couple a finite element scheme on a bounded domain with a series solution outside the bounded domain. The main result of the paper is to show that the proposed numerical scheme possesses a unique solution with quasi-optimal approximation properties. We do this by verifying the conditions of the Babuska–Brezzi theory for saddle point problems. In analyzing the continuous problem, we also provide a new variational proof of the existence of solutions of the continuous Maxwell problem.
Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom

When Black Culture and Black Consciousness first appeared thirty years ago, it marked a revolution in our understanding of African American history. Contrary to prevailing ideas at the time, which held that African culture disappeared quickly under slavery and that black Americans had little group pride, history, or cohesiveness, Levine uncovered a cultural treasure trove, illuminating a rich and complex African American oral tradition, including songs, proverbs, jokes, folktales, and long narrative poems called toasts--work that dated from before and after emancipation. The fact that these ideas and sources seem so commonplace now is in large part due this book and the scholarship that followed in its wake. A landmark work that was part of the "cultural turn" in American history, Black Culture and Black Consciousness profoundly influenced an entire generation of historians and continues to be read and taught. For this anniversary reissue, Levine wrote a new preface reflecting on the writing of the book and its place within intellectual trends in African American and American cultural history.
Epidemiology of community-acquired bacterial meningitis

Purpose of review The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis has been dynamic in the past 30 years following introduction of conjugated vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type B, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. The purpose of this review is to describe recent developments in bacterial meningitis epidemiology. Recent findings The incidence of bacterial meningitis in Western countries (Finland, Netherlands, and the United States) gradually declined by 3–4% per year to 0.7–0.9 per 100 000 per year in the past 10–20 years. In African countries (Burkina Faso and Malawi), incidence rates are still substantially higher at 10–40 per 100 000 persons per year. Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have not consistently decreased overall pneumococcal meningitis incidence because of serotype replacement. Following the introduction of serogroup A and C meningococcal vaccines, the incidence of meningococcal meningitis because of these serogroups strongly decreased. Novel outbreaks in the African meningitis belt by serogroup C and increased incidence of serogroup W in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were observed recently. Summary Bacterial meningitis remains an important infectious disease, despite a gradual decline in incidence after large-scale vaccination campaigns. Further development of vaccines with broader coverage is important, as is continuous surveillance of bacterial meningitis cases.
Effect of caffeine on intravenous adenosine-induced hyperemia in fractional flow reserve measurement.

BACKGROUND The interaction between caffeine and adenosine is still a matter of debate. AIMS We examined whether caffeine attenuated intravenous adenosine-induced hyperemia in the measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) and whether an increased dose of adenosine overcame the caffeine antagonism. METHODS FFR was measured using different adenosine doses (140, 175, and 210 μg/kg/min) and papaverine as a reference standard in patients with intermediate coronary stenoses, who refrained from caffeine for >24 h (no-caffeine group; n = 14) and those who consumed caffeine (caffeine group; n = 28). RESULTS The median caffeine level in the caffeine group was 2.9 mg/L (interquartile range, 1.8-4.6 mg/L). In the no-caffeine group, FFR with adenosine did not decrease above the dose of 140 μg/kg/min (0.769, 0.771, and 0.770 at 140, 175, and 210 μg/kg/min, respectively) and was not significantly different from that with papaverine (0.765). In the caffeine group, adenosine overestimated FFR (140 μg/kg/min: 0.813, P<.001; 175 μg/kg/min: 0.806, P<.01; 210 μg/kg/min: 0.794, P=.01) compared with papaverine (0.779). The difference in FFR between papaverine and 140 μg/kg/min dose of adenosine was significantly greater in the caffeine group than in the no-caffeine group (0.034 vs 0.004; P<.05). CONCLUSION Caffeine attenuates intravenous adenosine-induced hyperemia in FFR measurement. Even increased adenosine doses up to 210 μg/kg/min cannot fully surmount the antagonism.
Identification of Malassezia species from Tunisian patients with pityriasis versicolor and normal subjects

Background: The genus Malassezia (Pityrosporum), recognized as a member of microbiological flora of the skin in humans and warm‐blooded animals, has been recently revised to include 10 Malassezia species. The aim of the study was the isolation, identification and analysis of Malassezia species distribution in skin of healthy volunteers and lesions of pityriasis versicolor (PV). Material and methods: Specimens were taken from 100 patients with PV and 30 healthy volunteers. Cultures were made in modified Dixon agar medium and the isolates were identified by morphological and physiological methods: macroscopy, microscopy, catalase, β‐glucosidase and lipid assimilation tests. Results: Malassezia globosa was the predominant species in lesional skin of PV (65%). It was isolated alone in 47% of cases and associated in 18% with M. furfur (13%) or M. sympodialis (5%). In healthy skin M. globosa was found alone in 7.77% and associated in 15.54%, respectively, with M. furfur (4.44%), M. sympodialis (4.44%), M. restricta (3.33%) and M. slooffiae (1.11%). Conclusion: From these findings it was suggested that M. globosa presents the main species implicated in the pathogenicity of PV and M. furfur as the second agent of importance.