Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preoperative NT-proBNP and CRP predict perioperative major cardiovascular events in non-cardiac surgery

To the Editor: We read the paper by Choi et al 1 with great interest. Clearly, N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) (and C reactive protein, CRP) appeared to predict perioperative major cardiovascular events (PCME) better than the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI). The most traditional way to depict that one predictor is better than other is to …
TROPHIC CHANGES FOLLOWING EARLY UNILATERAL INJURY TO THE BRAIN

Measurements of the lengths of the feet and hands are reported for 15 neurologically normal children and for 17 children with left and 12 with right cerebral lesions. For those with left lesions the length of the left hand and foot significantly exceeded the right, while for those with right lesions the right hand and foot significantly exceeded the left. No significant foot or hand differences were found among the neurologically normal children. These findings demonstrate the association of atrophic limb‐changes with unilateral brain lesions, and suggest that asymmetrical foot and hand growth may be a biological marker of early cerebral lesions.
Apoptotic potential of sesquiterpene lactone ergolide through the inhibition of NF‐κB signaling pathway

Treatment with ergolide, a sesquiterpene lactone from Inula britannica var chinensis, caused the induction of apoptosis in Jurkat T cells, which was confirmed by DNA fragmentation, caspase‐3 activation and cleavage of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase in response to ergolide. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction appeared to be associated with ergolide‐induced apoptosis, because Bax translocation and cytochrome c release were stimulated by ergolide. In parallel, the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway was significantly inhibited by ergolide, which was accompanied by down‐regulation of cell survival molecules, such as X‐chromosome‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis and Bcl‐2. In addition, the JNK signaling pathway was involved in ergolide‐induced apoptosis. Collectively, our results identified a new mechanism for the anti‐cancer property of ergolide, attributable to the induction of apoptosis through down‐regulation of cell survival signal molecules resulting from inhibition of the NF‐κB signaling pathway.
Patterns of nucleosomal organization in the alc regulon of Aspergillus nidulans: roles of the AlcR transcriptional activator and the CreA global repressor

We have studied the chromatin organization of three promoters of the alc regulon of Aspergillus nidulans. No positioned nucleosomes are seen in the aldA (aldehyde dehydrogenase) promoter under any physiological condition tested by us. In the alcA (alcohol dehydrogenase I) and alcR (coding for the pathway‐specific transcription factor) promoters, a pattern of positioned nucleosomes is seen under non‐induced and non‐induced repressed conditions. While each of these promoters shows a specific pattern of chromatin restructuring, in both cases induction results in loss of nucleosome positioning. Glucose repression in the presence of inducer results in a specific pattern of partial positioning in the alcA and alcR promoters. Loss of nucleosome positioning depends absolutely on the AlcR protein and it is very unlikely to be a passive result of the induction of transcription. In an alcR loss‐of‐function background and in strains carrying mutations of the respective AlcR binding sites of the alcA and alcR promoters, nucleosomes are fully positioned under all growth conditions. Analysis of mutant AlcR proteins establishes that all domains needed for transcriptional activation and chromatin restructuring are included within the first 241 residues. The results suggest a two‐step process, one step resulting in chromatin restructuring, a second one in transcriptional activation. Partial positioning upon glucose repression shows a specific pattern that depends on the CreA global repressor. An alcR loss‐of‐function mutation is epistatic to a creA loss‐of‐function mutation, showing that AlcR does not act by negating a nucleosome positioning activity of CreA.
Elevated levels of soluble ICAM‐1 in sera from patients with bronchial asthma

We measured the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM‐1) in sera from patients with bronchial asthma. sICAM‐1 levels in sera from atopic asthmatic patients in stable conditions were higher than in normal control subjects. Furthermore, the sICAM‐1 levels in sera obtained during bronchial asthma attacks were higher than those in sera obtained in stable conditions. These results suggest that higher levels of sICAM‐1 in sera reflect the upregulation of ICAM‐1 expression in allergic inflammation.
Activation of Macrophages by P2X7-Induced Microvesicles from Myeloid Cells Is Mediated by Phospholipids and Is Partially Dependent on TLR4

ATP-mediated activation of the purinergic receptor P2X7 elicits morphological changes and proinflammatory responses in macrophages. These changes include rapid shedding of microvesicles (MV) and the nonconventional secretion of cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-18 following priming. In this study, we demonstrate the activation potential of P2X7-induced MV isolated from nonprimed murine macrophages. Cotreatment of nonprimed macrophages with ATP and calcium ionophore induced a rapid release of MV that were predominantly 0.5–1 μm in size. Exposure of primary murine bone marrow-derived macrophages to these MV resulted in costimulatory receptor upregulation and TNF-α secretion. Cell homogenates or supernatants cleared of MV did not activate macrophages. MV-mediated activation was p38 MAPK and NF-κB dependent, and partially dependent on TLR4 activity, but was high-mobility group box 1 independent. Biochemical fractionation of the MV demonstrated that the phospholipid fraction, not the protein fraction, mediated macrophage activation through a TLR4-dependent process. P2X7 activation is known to induce calcium-independent phospholipase A2, calcium-dependent phospholipase A2, and phospholipase D activities, but inhibition of these enzymes did not inhibit MV generation or shedding. However, blocking phospholipase D activity resulted in release of MV incapable of activating recipient macrophages. These data demonstrate a novel mechanism of macrophage activation resulting from exposure to MV from nonprimed macrophages, and identifies phospholipids in these MV as the biologically active component. We suggest that phospholipids delivered by MV may be mediators of sterile inflammation in a number of diseases.
Emphysema diagnosis using X-ray dark-field imaging at a laser-driven compact synchrotron light source

In early stages of various pulmonary diseases, such as emphysema and fibrosis, the change in X-ray attenuation is not detectable with absorption-based radiography. To monitor the morphological changes that the alveoli network undergoes in the progression of these diseases, we propose using the dark-field signal, which is related to small-angle scattering in the sample. Combined with the absorption-based image, the dark-field signal enables better discrimination between healthy and emphysematous lung tissue in a mouse model. All measurements have been performed at 36 keV using a monochromatic laser-driven miniature synchrotron X-ray source (Compact Light Source). In this paper we present grating-based dark-field images of emphysematous vs. healthy lung tissue, where the strong dependence of the dark-field signal on mean alveolar size leads to improved diagnosis of emphysema in lung radiographs.
Aerobic Gram-negative pharyngeal bacilli of adult Ethiopians: carrier rates and antibiograms

Summary One thousand pharyngeal swab specimens were processed for aerobic culture to determine the carriage rate of Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). The isolates were identified and their sensitivity determined to 11 antibacterial drugs following standard techniques. Similar pharyngeal carriage rates of GNB were found among the various groups of healthy subjects. Patients had higher colonization rates (27%) than healthy subjects (16%). The increase in prevalence of GNB seemed to be associated with underlying diseases and duration of hospitalization. Klebsiella (36%) was the most frequent genus amongst the 215 isolates of GNB followed by pseudomonas (13%), enterobacter (13%) and acinetobacter (10%). Others were less frequently isolated. Over 70% of all isolates were resistant to ampicillin (79%) and carbenicillin (72%); 55, 45 and 43% were resistant to cephalothin, tetracycline and streptomycin, respectively. The great majority of the strains were sensitive to the remaining six drugs. The hospital isolates were more resistant than the non-hospital isolates to most drugs tested. The hospital strains were also more often multiply resistant (89%) than the non-hospital strains (60%). Sixty-five different resistance antibiograms of 1—10 drugs were observed among 191 strains. More varied types of antibiograms were observed among hospital strains. The high frequency of multiple drug resistance of the isolates is an indication of the extensive use of antibacterial drugs, indicating the need for a policy for judicious use of drugs.
SUMOylation Silences Heterodimeric TASK Potassium Channels Containing K2P1 Subunits in Cerebellar Granule Neurons

Potassium channels that respond to acidification and the anesthetic halothane become electrically silenced when SUMOylated. Silenced by SUMOylation K2P channels consist of two subunits that form a K+ selective pore and establish the resting membrane potential. The TASK (two–P domain, acid-sensitive K+) channel subunits K2P3 or K2P9 are activated by decreases in pH (such as those that occur during oxygen deprivation), noxious stimuli, and volatile anesthetics such as halothane. Plant et al. found that the K2P1 subunit coassembled with K2P3 or K2P9 at the surface of cerebellar granule neurons. When ectopically expressed, the responses of these heteromeric channels to halothane or decreases in pH were suppressed by SUMOylation of K2P1, an effect that was reversed by application of a deSUMOylating enzyme. Because K2P1 is found in many of the same tissues as K2P3 and K2P9, SUMOylation could be a widespread mechanism to suppress the activity of heteromeric channels containing K2P1 and the TASK channel subunits. The standing outward K+ current (IKso) governs the response of cerebellar granule neurons to natural and medicinal stimuli including volatile anesthetics. We showed that SUMOylation silenced half of IKso at the surface of cerebellar granule neurons because the underlying channels were heterodimeric assemblies of K2P1, a subunit subject to SUMOylation, and the TASK (two–P domain, acid-sensitive K+) channel subunits K2P3 or K2P9. The heterodimeric channels comprised the acid-sensitive portion of IKso and mediated its response to halothane. We anticipate that SUMOylation also influences sensation and homeostatic mechanisms in mammals through TASK channels formed with K2P1.
H/sup /spl infin// repetitive control of DC-AC converters in microgrids

This paper proposes a voltage controller design method for DC-AC converters supplying power to a microgrid, which is also connected to the power grid. This converter is meant to operate in conjunction with a small power generating unit. The design of the output voltage controller is based on H/sup /spl infin// and repetitive control techniques. This leads to a very low harmonic distortion of the output voltage, even in the presence of nonlinear loads and/or grid distortions. The output voltage controller contains an infinite-dimensional internal model, which enables it to reject all periodic disturbances which have the same period as the grid voltage, and whose highest frequency components are up to approximately 1.5 kHz.
A Parallel Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Weapon-Target Assignment Problem

Weapon-target assignment (WTA) is a combinatorial optimization problem and is known to be NP-complete. The WTA aims to best assignment of weapons to targets to minimize the total expected value of the surviving targets. Exact methods can solve only small-size problems in a reasonable time. Although many heuristic methods have been studied for the WTA in the literature, a few parallel methods have been proposed. This paper presents parallel simulated algorithm (PSA) to solve the WTA. The PSA runs on GPU using CUDA platform. Multi-start technique is used in PSA to improve quality of solutions. 12 problem instances (up to 200 weapons and 200 targets) generated randomly are used to test the effectiveness of the PSA. Computational experiments show that the PSA outperforms SA on average and runs up to 250x faster than a single-core CPU.
On the reactivity of the thiol group of thiolsubtilisin.

1 The reaction of thiolsubtilisin with iodoacetamide shows that in the alkaline pH-range the –SH group of the enzyme reacts like a simple thiol compound such as mercaptoacetate. On the other hand, around neutral pH the enzyme displays enhanced reactivity compared with that of mercaptoacetate. On the basis of measurements in 2H2O it is concluded that a mercaptide-imidazolium ion-pair is formed in thiolsubtilisin and this accounts for the enhanced reactivity around neutral pH. 2 Iodoacetamide reacts with the –SH group of the enzyme, as compared to mercaptoacetate, at a relatively higher rate than bromo-, chloro-, and fluoroacetamide. This might be due to the less polar environment around the –SH group on the surface of the enzyme than in water, as indicated by alkylation of mercaptoacetate with iodo- and chloroacetamide in the presence of dioxane. 3 By alkylating thiolsubtilisin with enantiomeric reactants, a slight conformational change at the active site, not measurable with ordinary physical methods, could be established above pH · 9, whereas the overall protein structure is stable up to pH · 11. D-2-Bromo-n-butyramide reacts with thiolsubtilisin about 60 times as fast as D-2-bromopropionamide. This indicates that hydrophobic interaction between the enzyme and a methyl group of the substrate can enhance the reaction rate by more than one order of magnitude. Model building of the active site suggests that Ala-152 and Thr-220 of thiolsubtilisin may form van der Waals interactions with D-2-bromo-n-butyramide if the alkylating agent is properly positioned for reaction. No such interaction is possible between D-2-bromopropionamide and thiolsubtilisin.
Effects of instrumental and psychological support on levels of depressive symptoms for hospitalized older adults

Objectives: To explore the effects of four types of support (psychological support, instrumental support, supervision of instrumental support, and explanation of medical care) on the level of depressive symptoms among hospitalized older adults. Method: The sample consisted of 468 older adults admitted to the internal medicine units of a large tertiary care medical center in northern Israel. Respondents filled out self-report questionnaires upon admission and discharge. Information regarding severity of illness, chronic health status, and length of hospital stay was gathered from their medical records. Multivariate regression was used to test the association between the four types of caregiving support and depressive symptoms. Results: Psychological support from informal caregivers was found to be negatively related to depressive symptoms, and instrumental support to be positively related to depressive symptoms among respondents who were more independent in their functioning before the hospitalization. These relationships remained significant after controlling for previously-identified precursors of depressive symptoms: age, gender, education, widowhood, functional and cognitive status, severity of illness, co-morbidities, and length of hospital stay. Supervision of instrumental support and explanation of medical care were not related to depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that functional status, the kind of support, and the setting in which it is given are important in understanding the influence of informal support on the well-being of older adults. The potentially positive as well as negative consequences of various types of support in the hospital setting should be recognized and addressed.
Bacteriuria during indwelling catheter drainage. II. Effect of a closed sterile drainage system.

Fifty-one abacteriuric patients requiring prolonged catheter drainage were studied with a new closed sterile drainage system including a nonreturn valve designed to limit reflux of urine from collection bag to drainage tube. Twenty-eight patients remained abacteriuric during the entire period of catheter drainage. In 20 of 27 instances of bag contamination, a delay of at least 24 hours was noted before bladder urine became infected. Closed sterile drainage of the urinary bladder is effective in preventing catheter associated urinary tract infections for short periods. Ascending infection throngh the lumen of the drainage tube is the major pathway by which bacteria infect bladder urine.
Social deprivation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: population based study

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X linked disorder affecting approximately 1 in 3500 male live births. The incidence remains stable in most populations, maintained by a high rate of new mutations in the dystrophin gene.1 We observed that a higher than expected proportion of families of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy seemed to be from a deprived background, even at the time of first diagnosis (usually by age 5). We measured the level of material deprivation based on the place of residence at the time of diagnosis of all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the north of England to test the hypothesis that this single gene disorder is associated with social deprivation. Records of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the Northern region of England have been scrupulously maintained since the 1960s, and we believe that ascertainment in the region …
Recent studies of surface dynamic processes by reflection electron microscopy

Reflection electron microscope studies of surface dynamic processes are reviewed and illustrated with recent new observations. They include: surface electromigration and current dependent structures of Si surfaces; surface etching by oxidation of Si surface; and growth of two dimensional alloyed adsorbate by co‐deposition of metals on Si surface. The observations revealed details of the surface dynamic processes, which are difficult to obtain with other surface analysis techniques.
A comparison of temperature density forecasts from GARCH and atmospheric models

Density forecasts for weather variables are useful for the many industries exposed to weather risk. Weather ensemble predictions are generated from atmospheric models and consist of multiple future scenarios for a weather variable. The distribution of the scenarios can be used as a density forecast, which is needed for pricing weather derivatives. We consider one to 10-day-ahead density forecasts provided by temperature ensemble predictions. More specifically, we evaluate forecasts of the mean and quantiles of the density. The mean of the ensemble scenarios is the most accurate forecast for the mean of the density. We use quantile regression to debias the quantiles of the distribution of the ensemble scenarios. The resultant quantile forecasts compare favourably with those from a GARCH model. These results indicate the strong potential for the use of ensemble prediction in temperature density forecasting. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlation of Pap smear and Colposcopy in Relation to Histopathological Findings in Detection of Premalignant Lesions of Cervix

The objective was to assess the correlation of pap smear and colposcopy in relation to histopathological findings in detection of premalignant lesions of cervix. A total of 200 women with lesions of cervix were recruited for the study. Pap smear and colposcopy was performed in all the patients. Final correlation of pap smear and colposcopy were based on histopathology. Majority of patients in our study presented with complains of white discharge 119 (59.5%) out of 200 women. Followed by complains of post coital bleeding (15.5%), irregular menstrual cycles (10.5%) and intermenstrual bleeding(10.5%). In our study sensitivity of pap smear was lower(50%) than colposcopy which had high sensitivity(96.42%) and specificity of pap smear was higher (86.62%) than colposcopy (39.53%) respectively. Pap smear, colposcopy and directed cervical biopsy together are useful and complementary in arriving at a correct diagnosis. Benign cervical erosions respond well to local/ systemic antibiotics. Premalignant lesions need local ablative therapy and subsequent follow up. Hence the study concludes that screening programme and awareness regarding cervical cancer should be enhanced at the grass root level.
Polynomial Time Algorithms to Approximate Permanents and Mixed Discriminants Within a Simply Exponential Factor

We present real, complex, and quaternionic versions of a simple randomized polynomial time algorithm to approximate the permanent of a nonnegative matrix and, more generally, the mixed discriminant of positive semidefinite matrices. The algorithm provides an unbiased estimator, which, with high probability, approximates the true value within a factor of O(cn), where n is the size of the matrix (matrices) and where c ≈ 0.28 for the real version, c ≈ 0.56 for the complex version, and c ≈ 0.76 for the quaternionic version. We discuss possible extensions of our method as well as applications of mixed discriminants to problems of combinatorial counting. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 14, 29–61, 1999
ROR1 contributes to melanoma cell growth and migration by regulating N‐cadherin expression via the PI3K/Akt pathway

The Receptor tyrosine kinase‐like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1) is primarily expressed by neural crest cells during embryogenesis. Following a complete downregulation after birth, ROR1 was shown to re‐express in various types of cancers. Little is known about ROR1 expression and function in melanoma. Here we show that ROR1 is aberrantly expressed in both melanoma cell lines and tumors and that its expression associates with poor Post‐Recurrence Survival of melanoma. Using gain‐ and loss‐of‐function approaches we found that ROR1 enhances both anchorage‐dependent and ‐independent growth of melanoma cells. In addition, ROR1 decreases cell adhesion and increases cell motility and migration. Mechanistically, ROR1 was found to induce upregulation of Akt and the mesenquimal markers N‐cadherin and vimentin. The regulation of N‐cadherin by ROR1 relies on both Akt dependent and independent mechanisms. ROR1 does not affect Wnt canonical pathway but was found to be engaged in a positive feedback loop with Wnt5a. In summary, we show that ROR1 contributes to melanoma progression and is a candidate biomarker of poor prognosis. Although further studies are needed to confirm this possibility, the present work indicates that ROR1 is a good prospective target for melanoma cancer therapy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.