Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Proteomic Signature of Aspergillus fumigatus During Early Development*

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that causes a range of diseases in humans including invasive aspergillosis. All forms of disease begin with the inhalation of conidia, which germinate and develop. Four stages of early development were evaluated using the gel free system of isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation to determine the full proteomic profile of the pathogen. A total of 461 proteins were identified at 0, 4, 8, and 16 h and fold changes for each were established. Ten proteins including the hydrophobin rodlet protein RodA and a protein involved in melanin synthesis Abr2 were found to decrease relative to conidia. To generate a more comprehensive view of early development, a whole genome microarray analysis was performed comparing conidia to 8 and 16 h of growth. A total of 1871 genes were found to change significantly at 8 h with 1001 genes up-regulated and 870 down-regulated. At 16 h, 1235 genes changed significantly with 855 up-regulated and 380 down-regulated. When a comparison between the proteomics and microarray data was performed at 8 h, a total of 22 proteins with significant changes also had corresponding genes that changed significantly. When the same comparison was performed at 16 h, 12 protein and gene combinations were found. This study, the most comprehensive to date, provides insights into early pathways activated during growth and development of A. fumigatus. It reveals a pathogen that is gearing up for rapid growth by building translation machinery, generating ATP, and is very much committed to aerobic metabolism.
Role of antioxidant enzymatic defences against oxidative stress (H2O2) and the acquisition of oxidative tolerance in Candida albicans

In Candida albicans, trehalose plays an essential role as a protector of cell integrity against oxidative challenge. A double homozygous mutant, tps1/tps1, deficient in trehalose synthesis, displayed severe cell mortality when exposed to high H2O2 concentrations, compared with its congenic parental (CAI‐4) strain (Alvarez‐Peral et al., 2002 ). We have examined the putative role of a set of well‐known antioxidant enzymes as components of the defence mechanism against oxidative challenges. When exposed to mild non‐lethal oxidative treatment (0.5 mM H2O2), a significant induction of catalase, glutathione reductase (GR), and Cu,Zn‐superoxide dismutase (SOD) was recorded in tps1/tps1 exponential cultures. However, in CAI‐4 cells, subjected to the same conditions, there was only a clear activation of catalase, Mn‐SOD and Cu,Zn‐SOD activities. The degree of activation was always much more pronounced in the trehalose‐deficient mutant than in its wild‐type counterpart, except for Mn‐SOD activity. After exposure to severe oxidative stress (50 mM H2O2) only GR and catalase activities increased in tps1/tps1 cultures, whereas in CAI‐4 cells GR but not catalase was induced. In both cell strains, 50 mM H2O2 caused inhibition of the Mn‐ and Cu,Zn‐SOD isozymes, this inhibition being more pronounced in tps1/tps1 cells. C. albicans is able to acquire adaptive oxidative tolerance by pretreatment with a low non‐stressing concentration of H2O2 before exposure to a drastic oxidative challenge. When these antioxidant activities were measured during the adaptive response, a greater degree of enzymatic antioxidant induction was consistently observed in the tps1/tps1 mutant with respect to the CAI‐4 strain. Together with a higher intrinsic sensitivity of tps1/tps1 cells, we suggest that this unexpected increase might be explained in terms of a compensatory mechanism to overcome the lack of endogenous trehalose upon drastic oxidative exposure, although this induction was not sufficient to improve the percentage of cell viability. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of pre‐procedural statin therapy on myocardial no‐reflow following percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta analysis

Background Successful revascularization of coronary artery disease, especially ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), does not always mean optimal myocardial reperfusion in a portion of patients because of no‐reflow phenomenon. We hypothesized that statins might attenuate the incidence of myocardial no‐reflow when used before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The purpose of this study was to summarize the evidence of pre‐procedural statin therapy to reduce myocardial no‐reflow after PCI. Methods We searched the MEDLINE, Cochrane, and clinicaltrials.gov databases from inception to October 2012 for clinical trials that examined statin therapy before PCI. We required that studies initiated statins before PCI and reported myocardial no‐reflow. A DerSimonian‐Laird model was used to construct random‐effects summary risk ratios. Results In all, 7 studies with 3086 patients met our selection criteria. The use of pre‐procedural statins significantly reduced post‐procedural no‐reflow by 4.2% in all PCI patients (risk ratio (RR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35 to 0.90, P=0.016), and attenuated by 5.0% in non‐STEMI patients (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.94, P=0.035). This benefit was mainly observed in the early or acute intensive statin therapy populations (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.71, P=0.001). Conclusions Acute intensive statin therapy before PCI significantly reduces the hazard of post‐procedural no‐reflow phenomenon. The routine use of statins before PCI should be considered.
KRAS and BRAF gene mutations and DNA mismatch repair status in Chinese colorectal carcinoma patients.

AIM To investigate gene mutations and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) protein abnormality in Chinese colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients and their correlations with clinicopathologic features. METHODS Clinical and pathological information for 535 patients including 538 tumors was reviewed and recorded. Mutation analyses for exon 2 of KRAS gene and exon 15 of BRAF gene were performed by Sanger sequencing except that in 9 tumors amplification refractory mutation system PCR was used. Expression of MMR proteins including MHL1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Correlations of KRAS and BRAF mutation status and the expression status of MMR proteins with age, gender, cancer stage, location, and histology were analyzed. Correlations between KRAS or BRAF mutations and MMR protein expression were also explored. RESULTS The overall frequencies of KRAS and BRAF mutations were 37.9% and 4.4%, respectively. KRAS mutations were more common in patients ≥ 50 years old (39.8% vs 22% in patients < 50 years old, P < 0.05). The frequencies of BRAF mutants were higher in tumors from females (6.6% vs males 2.8%, P < 0.05), located in the right colon (9.6% vs 2.1% in the left colon, 1.8% in the rectum, P < 0.01), with mucinous differentiation (9.8% vs 2.8% without mucinous differentiation, P < 0.01), or being poorly differentiated (9.5% vs 3.4% well/moderately differentiated, P < 0.05). MMR deficiency was strongly associated with proximal location (20.5% in the right colon vs 9.2% in the left colon and 5.1% in the rectum, P < 0.001), early cancer stage (15.0% in stages I-II vs 7.7% in stages III-IV, P < 0.05), and mucinous differentiation (20.2% vs 9.2% without mucin, P < 0.01). A higher frequency of MLH1/PMS2 loss was found in females (9.2% vs 4.4% in males, P < 0.05), and MSH2/MSH6 loss tended to be seen in younger (<50 years old) patients (12.0% vs 4.0% ≥ 50 years old, P < 0.05). MMR deficient tumors were less likely to have KRAS mutations (18.8% vs 41.7% in MMR proficient tumors, P < 0.05) and tumors with abnormal MLH1/PMS2 tended to harbor BRAF mutations (15.4% vs 4.2% in MMR proficient tumors, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The frequency of sporadic CRCs having BRAF mutation, MLH1 deficiency and MSI in Chinese population may be lower than that in the Western population.
Neural Control of Posture in Individuals with Persisting Postconcussion Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION Postural instability has been shown to characterize individuals who suffered from long-term symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury. However, recordings of neural processes during postural control are difficult to realize with standard neuroimaging techniques. Thus, we used functional nearinfrared spectroscopy to investigate brain oxygenation of individuals with persistent postconcussion symptoms (pPCS) during postural control in altered environments. METHODS We compared brain oxygenation and postural sway during balance control in three groups: individuals suffering from pPCS, individuals with a history of mild traumatic brain injury but without pPCS, and healthy controls. Individuals were investigated during postural control tasks with six different conditions: i) eyes opened, ii) eyes closed, and iii) blurred visual input, each while standing a) on a stable and b) an unstable surface. RESULTS In all groups, during the eyes closed/unstable surface condition as compared with the other conditions, the postural sway increased as well as the brain oxygenation in frontal brain cortices. In the most difficult balance condition, as compared with the other two groups, subjects with pPCS applied more force over time to keep balance as measured by the force plate system with a significantly greater activation in frontopolar/orbitofrontal areas of the right hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS As subjects with pPCS applied more force over time to control balance, we propose that with regard to cognitive processes, the increase of cerebral activation in these individuals indicates an increase of attention-demanding processes during postural control in altered environments.
Epidemiology, Comparative Methods of Detection, and Preventability of Adverse Drug Events

BACKGROUND Adverse drug events (ADEs) continue to be of concern to all health professionals. Even serious ADEs are underreported in all patient-care environments. OBJECTIVE To discover the incidence and the best detection methods and preventability for ADEs at Al Qassimi Hospital, a 360-bed facility in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS During the first and fourth quarters of 2003, data collection for ADEs was limited to spontaneous reporting. During the second and third quarters, active monitoring for ADEs took place in the adult, pediatric medical, and intensive care wards. ADEs were assessed for causality using the Naranjo algorithm and for severity and preventability. The incidence of ADEs was calculated and the detection methods were compared. RESULTS The incidence of ADEs detected through surveillance was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than for ADEs reported spontaneously for both inpatients (3.592 vs 0.068/100 patient days) and outpatients (0.299 vs 0.022/100 patient visits). Most ADEs were judged to be of mild to moderate severity. About 56% of ADEs were judged definite or probable and, of these, 13.8% were consistently judged preventable. The most prevalent drugs implicated were central nervous system (23.6%), antiinfective (17.1%), and cardiovascular (16.5%) agents. The best ADE detection method was using physicians' notes. CONCLUSIONS Active surveillance for ADEs, with the aid of ADE trigger alerts, yields a significantly higher number of reports than spontaneous reporting. Such surveillance is useful in identifying areas where improvements in the safe use of drugs can be made.
Maternal dietary intake in pregnancy and lactation and allergic disease outcomes in offspring

As the prevalence of allergic disease dramatically rises worldwide, prevention strategies are increasingly being considered. Given the potential modulatory effect of nutritional factors on disease, altering maternal diet during pregnancy and/or lactation has been considered in preventing allergic disease in offspring. Although there are a number of observational studies that have examined possible associations between maternal diet and allergic outcomes in offspring, interventional trials are limited. Furthermore, there is a paucity of studies that have prospectively studied maternal dietary intake as well as measuring maternal and infant biologic samples (blood, urine, breast milk) and their relation to allergic outcomes in infants. There is also a particular need to define terminology such as ‘fruit and vegetables intake’, ‘healthy diet’, and ‘diet diversity’ in order to make studies comparable. In this review, we discuss current evidence of maternal dietary factors during pregnancy and/or lactation that may play a role in the offspring developing allergic disease, including factors such as overall dietary intake patterns, specific whole food consumption (fish, fruit and vegetables, and common allergic foods), and individual immunomodulatory nutrient intakes. Additionally, we discuss the limitations of previous studies and propose improvements to study design for future investigation.
Chapter 7

Abstract This study investigated ethnic and gender differences in reported resource losses and gains for recovering substance abusers living in Oxford Houses (OH). Participants (n= 829) completed a version of Hobfoll's (1998) Conservation of Resources (COR) Evaluation. Results indicated significant individual differences in resources, based on gender, ethnicity, and the length of OH residential stay. Men reported fewer resource gains and losses than women. With respect to ethnicity, African-Americans reported greater gains and losses in resources than European-Americans. Individuals with less time in an OH also reported having experienced more losses in the past three months.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Peripheral Neuropathy among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Coastal Karnataka

Context and Objective: In view of the growing burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) globally and associated microvascular and macrovascular complications, the study was done to assess the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic neuropathy among T2DM patients attending a tertiary care hospital. Subjects and Methods: T2DM patients' ≥30 years of both gender, presenting to the Medicine Department at a tertiary care hospital were included in the study. Diabetic Neuropathy Symptom (DNS) questionnaire to assess symptoms and Diabetic Neuropathy Examination (DNE) scoring to assess clinical signs were used. Results: A total of 273 patients were included. The mean age was 57.8 ± 11.5 years. The male to female distribution was 75% (202) and 25% (71), respectively. According to DNS instrument, 41.4% patients scored positive for the presence of neuropathy while only 24.5% had neuropathy according to DNE score. The proportion of males affected by neuropathy was more than females. 43.1% males had a positive DNS score while only 27.2% of them had a positive DNE score. Duration of the disease was positively correlated with neuropathy. Neuropathy was more prevalent among people who had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure as per DNS and DNE instruments. Conclusions: The present study identified a higher proportion of males to be affected by neuropathy. Hence, more detailed evaluation must be accorded to elderly male diabetic patients with longer duration of the disease. Lifestyle modifications and watchful screening need to be incorporated as part of routine patient health education during follow-up clinic visits.
Outbreak of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections among a collegiate football team.

CONTEXT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was once primarily a hospital-acquired organism, but now community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is causing outbreaks among otherwise healthy sport participants. OBJECTIVE To investigate MRSA skin and soft tissue outbreaks within a collegiate football team and the effect of infection control measures over 3 years. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTING College. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Collegiate football team. INTERVENTION(S) Infection control measures included education, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, nasal cultures, hexachlorophene 3% soap, disposable towels, and hand sanitizers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Number of MRSA infections and hospitalizations. RESULTS Complicated skin and soft tissue infections (those requiring surgical debridement and/or hospitalization) were diagnosed in 2 (1.8%) of 107 players in 2002, 17 (15.8%) of 107 players in 2003, and 1 (0.96%) of 104 players in 2004. CONCLUSIONS Outbreaks of CA-MRSA in sports teams are very serious, and recognition is crucial. Treatment includes incision for proper drainage, bacterial culture and sensitivity, and appropriate antibiotic therapy. Infection control measures include educating athletes and staff, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, identifying CA-MRSA carriers with nasal cultures, introducing hexachlorophene 3% soap intermittently in the showers, making alcohol-based hand sanitizers available on the field, disinfecting weight training and rehabilitation equipment, and using disposable towels on the field during practices and games.
IR Camera Validation of IGBT Junction Temperature Measurement via Peak Gate Current

Infrared measurements are used to assess the measurement accuracy of the peak gate current (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\rm{GPeak}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>) method for Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)junction temperature measurement. Single IGBT chips with the gate pad in both the center and the edge are investigated, along with paralleled chips, as well as chips suffering partial bondwire lift-off. Results are also compared with a traditional electrical temperature measurement method: the voltage drop under low current ( <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\rm{CE(low)}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>). In all cases, the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\rm{GPeak}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> method is found to provide a temperature slightly overestimating the temperature of the gate pad. Consequently, both the gate pad position and chip temperature distribution influence whether the measurement is representative of the mean junction temperature. These results remain consistent after chips are degraded through bondwire lift-off. In a paralleled IGBT configuration with nonnegligible temperature disequilibrium between chips, the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $I_{\rm{GPeak}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> method delivers a measurement based on the average temperature of the gate pads.
Rewards in Public Administration: A Proposed Classification

Abstract. Social and administrative sciences categorize rewards with some dimensions. However, these interpretative models seem to be elusive because they do not consider all the elements of rewards system within public administration. The goal of this paper is to suggest a new classification considering formality, tangibility and also legality in order to create a comprehensive interpretative model in public sector. This theoretical framework begins the process of clarifying and generalizing, as far as possible, the manifold elements of rewards system in public administration to lay a foundation for the development of more sophisticated taxonomies and theories directed to fruitful management implications. Keywords. Monetary rewards, Compensation, Salary, Seat of power, Pay, Bribe, Reputation, Abuse of power. JEL. B29, L29, L30, L32, M12, M19, M50.
Risk factors for postpartum depression in Japan

Abstract We conducted a longitudinal study to identify risk factors for postpartum depression. At the late phase of pregnancy, 627 pregnant women agreed to take the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait (STAIT) test and to remain in the study until 4 months postpartum. At 1, 3 and 4 months postpartum, they took the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) test and the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory State (STAIS) test. At 3 months postpartum, they were asked about socio‐psychological and obstetric factors. High scores in the EPDS and STAIS tests were correlated with primiparity, premature delivery, difficult labor, experience of life events and worries about baby care. Furthermore, high scores in the STAIT test in late pregnancy were strongly correlated with high scores in the EPDS and STAIS tests in the postpartum period.
Performance Analysis of Amplitude Modulation Schemes for Diffusion-Based Molecular Communication

In this paper, we investigate modulation techniques for end-to-end communication between two nanomachines placed in a fluid medium. The information is encoded as the number of molecules transmitted leading to such schemes being aptly named as amplitude modulation schemes. The propagation of molecules obeys the laws of Brownian motion with a positive drift from the transmitter to the receiver nanomachine. The channel is characterized by two parameters of the fluid medium: the drift velocity and the diffusion coefficient. Assuming the molecules degrade over time, the life expectancy of the molecules also plays a significant role in such communication scenarios. We consider an M-ary modulation scheme and also propose an extended scheme, which is a slight variation of a binary modulation scheme. The received symbol is corrupted by interference from the previous symbols as well as other noise sources present in the medium. Considering maximum likelihood detection at the receiver, we derive analytical expressions for the end-to-end symbol error probability and the capacity for these modulation schemes. Numerical results bring out the impact of various parameters on the performance of the system. Our results show that these schemes offer a promising approach to set up molecular communication over diffusion-based channels.
Intractable nausea and vomiting as presenting manifestation of neuromyelitis optica

Nausea and vomiting are non‐specific symptoms; their association with giddiness or headache should prompt consideration of a central cause. [2] Failure to correctly Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare severe, inflammatory, demyelinating disorder of central nervous system, characterized by recurrent optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM), which may occur either simultaneously or in isolation. Intractable nausea and hiccough is a rare presentation of NMO, frequently leading to misdiagnosis and unnecessary investigations initially. [1]
Assessment of mammary gland metabolism in the sow: III. Cellular metabolites in the mammary secretion and plasma following weaning

SUMMARY The concentrations of lactose, glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate, UDPglucose, UDPgalactose, UDP, UMP, inorganic phosphate, ADP and AMP (metabolites involved in the lactose synthesis pathway), and cAMP, galactose and sodium were measured in the mammary secretion from four or five mammary glands on each of six sows during the first 5 d post weaning. The concentrations of lactose, glucose and galactose were also measured in plasma during this time. Following weaning, the rapid increase in the concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and UDPgalactose suggested that the rate of lactose synthesis was regulated by the inhibition of hexokinase and/or lactose synthase, while the decrease in glucose and AMP indicated a subsequent decline in glucose and ATP utilization. The rapid increase in glucose 6-phosphate which plays a pivotal role as a substrate for both lactose and de novo fatty acid synthesis, and the rapid decrease in AMP which reflects ATP utilization, were good markers of decreased metabolic activity. These rapid changes in the metabolic activity of the mammary glands were not observed in a second weaning study when two piglets were removed from selected mammary glands for periods up to 5 h during established lactation. Since concentrations of lactogenic hormones remain elevated following partial weaning, but fall following total weaning (Rojkittikhun et al. 1991), these differences in mammary gland metabolism indicate that endocrine rather than autocrine mechanisms are controlling lactose and fat synthesis during the initial stages of total weaning.