Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxidant and Inflammatory Mechanisms and Targeted Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation: An Update

Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important cause of stroke and risk factor for heart failure and death. Current pharmacologic treatments for AF have limited efficacy, and treatments that more directly target the underlying causes of AF are needed. Oxidant stress and inflammatory activation are interrelated pathways that promote atrial electrical and structural remodeling, leading to atrial ectopy, interstitial fibrosis, and increased stroke risk. This review evaluates the impact of common stressors on atrial oxidant stress and inflammatory activation and the contribution of these pathways to atrial remodeling. Recent studies suggest that integrated efforts to target the underlying risk factors, rather than the AF per se, may have a greater impact on health and outcomes than isolated efforts focused on the electrical abnormalities.
Staying at Zero with A ne Processes: A New Dynamic Term Structure Model

We build an A ne Term Structure Model that provides non-negative yields at any maturity and that is able to accommodate a short-term rate that stays at the zero lower bound (ZLB) for extended periods of time. These features are allowed for by the introduction of a new univariate non-negative a ne process called ARG-Zero, and its multivariate a ne counterpart (VARG), entailing conditional distributions with zero-point masses. The a ne property of this new class of processes implies both explicit bond pricing and quasi-explicit lift-o probability formulas. We provide an empirical application to Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yields, observed weekly from January 1995 to March 2008 with maturities from six months to ten years. Our multivariate (four-dimensional) speci cation is able to closely match yield levels and to capture conditional yield volatilities at any maturity. JEL Codes: E43, G12. Key-words: Zero Lower Bound, A ne Process, Term-Structure Model, Lift-O probabilities. ∗Crest, Banque de France, alain.monfort@ensae.fr †Banque de France, Crest, fulvio.pegoraro@banque-france.fr ‡Banque de France, jeanpaul.renne@banque-france.fr §Corresponding author. Banque de France, Crest and Ceremade guillaume.roussellet@banque-france.fr The authors are thankful to Damir Filipovic, LorianoMancini, Julien Hugonnier, Mickael Rockinger, Anh Le, Glenn Rudebusch, Michael Bauer, Jens Christensen, Mike Chernov, Francis Longstaff, Eduardo Schwartz, Daniel Andrei, Michael Brennan, Hanno Lustig, Mark Grinblatt, Robert Geske, Christian Gourieroux, Lasse Pedersen, Oreste Tristani, Peter Hordahl, Wolfgang Lemke, Hans Dewachter, Fabio Trojani, Patrick Gagliardini, Jean-Sebastien Fontaine, Bruno Feunou, Olivier Scaillet, Don Kim, Olesya Grischchenko, Marcel Priebsch, Tobias Adrian, Emanuel Moench, Nina Boyarchenko, Richard Crump, Nour Meddahi, Bruno Feunou, Caio Almeida, Rodrigo Guimaraes, Iryna Kaminska, Andrew Meldrum, Refet Gurkaynak, Darrel Duffie, David Backus, and Robin Lumsdaine for their useful comments. We are also grateful to seminar participants at EPFL, CREST, ECB, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, San Francisco Federal reserve, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Board of the U.S. Federal Reserve, New York Federal Reserve, Bank of Canada, Geneva University and GFRI, UK Debt Management O ce, Bank of England, BNP-Paribas, and to participants to TSE Financial Econometrics Conference, 31st Spring French Finance Association Conference, 7th annual SoFiE Conference. Particular thanks are addressed to Andrew Siegel for thought-provoking discussions that led to this paper. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily re ect those of the Banque de France.
Use of red blood cell indices for the identification of iron deficiency among blood donors

summary The objective of this study was to identify haematological parameters useful in screening for iron deficiency among blood donors. Iron deficiency is a common complication of blood donation and often goes unrecognized until anaemia develops. Biochemical markers such as soluble transferrin receptor (TfR), ferritin and log(TfR/F) have been proposed as more valid indicators of body iron status. Red blood cell (RBC) parameters are, however, more easily measured and have also been proposed as indicators of iron depletion. We measured ferritin and TfR in 192 blood donors together with RBC analysis, performed on two haematology analysers. Thirteen donors had parameters suggestive of haemoglobinopathy and were excluded from further analysis. Overall, 10% (18/179) of the remaining donors had iron deficiency, as defined by log(TfR/F) exceeding the 95th percentile of the value in the population of first‐time donors. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the sensitivity of ferritin was 100%, with a specificity of 90% at a cut‐off of 15 μg L−1. The sensitivity and specificity of RBC‐Y at a cut‐off of 152 for detecting iron deficiency were 81 and 89%, respectively. Haemoglobin content of reticulocytes, meanwhile, showed sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 93% when a cut‐off of 28 pg was used. Both measures compare favourably with haemoglobin which only showed a sensitivity of 50%, although specificity was 91% at a cut‐off value of 125 g L−1. The parameter RBC‐Y can be useful as a screening measure for iron deficiency in blood donors.
Identification of Penicillium expansum causing postharvest blue mold decay of apple fruit

Penicillium expansum (Link) Thom. is one of the most important postharvest pathogens of apple fruit worldwide. It causes blue mold, a decay that can lead to significant economic losses during storage, which can also impact fruit destined for processing due to the production of carcinogenic mycotoxin patulin. Apple fruit cvs. Idared, Golden Delicious and Braeburn with blue mold symptoms were collected from five storage facilities in Serbia and nine fungal isolates were obtained. Pathogenicity of the isolates was tested and proven by artificial inoculation of healthy apples cv. Idared. In order to identify the causal agents of decay, morphological and molecular methods were used. Colony morphology and microscopic features were observed on differential media, and isolates were tested for the production of cyclopiazonic acid. Molecular analysis included PCR amplification with species specific primers for P. expansum based on polygalacturonase gene (Pepg1), universal primers for internal transcribed spacer rDNA region and primers based on β-tubulin gene. All isolates formed compact blue green colonies with characteristic earthy odor. Conidiophores were terverticillate with smooth septate stipes and conidia were smooth, globose to subglobose, born in colums. The average size of conidia was 3.38 ± 0.49 (SD) x 3 ± 0.36 (SD) μm. Using species specific primers PEF/PER the texpected amplicons of ~404 bp were obtained in all nine tested isolates and PCR conducted with the Bt-LEVUp4/ Bt-LEV-Lo1 and universal ITS1/ITS4 primer pairs generated amplicons of the expected sizes of ~800 bp and ~600 bp, respectively. MegaBlast analyses of the 2X consensus of nucleotide sequences of the isolate JP1 partial β-tubulin gene and ITS region showed 99-100% and 100% similarity with several P. expansum sequences of corresponding regions of this species deposited in GenBank. Based on morphological and molecular features, the isolates obtained from decayed apple fruit collected in several storage facilities in Serbia were identified as P. expansum. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III46008]
Norm of convolution by operator-valued functions on free groups

We present a connection between the Leinert sets and the noncrossing two-partitions and we use this connection to give a simple proof of the free Khintchine inequality in discrete non-commutative Lp-spaces. Moreover we extend the inequality of Haagerup-Pisier, A X(g)0 ag gEs CA (*F)A (gS gES where A is the left regular representation of the group Fn, ag are elements of the C*-algebra A, and S is the set of the words with length one, to the set S of the words with arbitrary fixed length.
Atypical Protein Kinase Cs Are the Ras Effectors That Mediate Repression of Myogenic Satellite Cell Differentiation

ABSTRACT Oncogenic Ha-Ras is a potent inhibitor of skeletal muscle cell differentiation, yet the Ras effector mediating this process remains unidentified. Here we demonstrate that the atypical protein kinases (aPKCs; λ and/or ζ) are downstream Ras effectors responsible for Ras-dependent inhibition of myogenic differentiation in a satellite cell line. First, ectopic expression of Ha-RasG12V induces translocation of PKCλ from the cytosol to the nucleus, suggesting that aPKCs are activated by Ras in myoblasts. The aPKCs function as downstream Ras effectors since inhibition of aPKCs by expression of a dominant negative PKCζ mutant or by treatment of cells with an inhibitor, GO6983, promotes myogenesis in skeletal muscle satellite cells expressing oncogenic Ha-Ras. Arresting cell proliferation synergistically enhances myogenic differentiation only when aPKCs are also inhibited. Thus, the repression of myogenic differentiation in a satellite cell line appears to be directly mediated by aPKCs acting as Ras effectors and indirectly mediated via stimulation of cell proliferation.
FAMILIAL POLYCYSTIC OVARIES: A GENETIC DISEASE?

High resolution ultrasonography was used to establish the presence of polycystic ovaries (PCO) in 50 women with symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome and in 17 women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. One hundred and thirty‐seven post‐menarcheal, premenopausal female members of the families of these patients were scanned to assess the heredity of the condition. Familial PCO was found in 56 of the 61 pedigrees (92%) in which sufficient members were available for study. The frequency of PCO in the relatives of the patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia was no different from that found in the main group. Twenty‐four out of thirty‐six (67%) mothers of probands and 45 out of 52 (87%) sisters of probands were affected. The segregation ratio (fraction of females affected) for all sibships was 107 out of 133 (80.5%). The volumes of the polycystic ovaries (mean 9.97 ml, 95% confidence limits (CL) ±0.75) were significantly different from those of the normal ovaries (mean 5.38 ml, 95% CL ±0.26) (P<00001), although there was no significant difference between the volumes of the ovaries of the probands and those of their affected relatives. Even after allowing for a high frequency of PCO in the general population (22%), the observed segregation ratios were significantly different from those predicted for autosomal dominant (P < 10−4) and X‐linked dominant (P=0.0002) modes of inheritance. A number of mechanisms which might account for the observed segregation ratio are considered. These include meiotic drive due to a genetic segregation distorter, vertical transmission of an infective agent, and environmental factors, such as the effect of maternal androgen on gonadal develpment.
Basicervical Fracture of Neck Femur Treated With DHS And Derotation Screw- A Prospective Study of 30 Cases

Introduction: Basicervical region of femoral neck consist of that part of proximal femur located just proximal to or along the intertrochanteric line through the base of the femoral neck at its junction with the intertrochanteric region. In our study we try to observe the results of fixation of basicervical fracture neck of femur with dynamic hip screw with derotation screw Methodology: 30 cases of basicervical fracture neck of femur with age >18 yrs were treated by DHS with Derotation Screw(DRS) and followed up regularly Results: Most of the patients were between the age group of 50-60 yrs with male : female ratio being 3:1. In all our cases union was observed and average time for union was 13 weeks. There were 2 cases of superficial infection and 4 cases of non specific hip pain. There was excellent result according to Harris hip score in 73.33% cases. Conclusion: From our study we conclude that DHS with DRS is an effective and safe method for fixation of basicervical fractures of neck of femur with minimal complications.
Total hip arthroplasty in patients younger than 21 years: a minimum, 10-year follow-up.

INTRODUCTION To evaluate the function, radiographic results and implant survival in patients younger than 21 years at the time of operation and with at least a 10-year follow-up, we reviewed the course of young adults who underwent total hip arthroplasty at McGill University Health Centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twelve patients (16 hips) met the criteria for inclusion in this study. They ranged in age from 10-20 years (median 16.5 yr). One patient (1 hip) died 5 years after the index surgery and was excluded from the study. Functional results were measured by the Harris hip score, and radiographs of surviving implants were assessed for radiolucencies, osteolysis and eccentric polyethylene wear. RESULTS Eleven arthroplasties were cementless, 2 were hybrid and 2 were cemented. At follow-up ranging from 10 to 25 years (mean 13.6 yr), the Harris hip score ranged from 34.2-97.2 (mean 64.5). Four (26%) acetabular components were revised and (at the time of writing) 1 required revision. Only 1 (7%) femoral stem was revised. Radiographically, there was a high prevalence of eccentric polyethylene wear, but none of the surviving implants were found to be loose. Overall, 67% (10 of 15) of the total hip arthroplasties continued to function well at a mean of 13.6 years postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS Total hip arthroplasty remains a reasonable option in adolescence and early adulthood in selected patients with severe debility from multiple joint disease. Polyethylene wear is a particularly significant problem in this group of active young people.
Simultaneous assessment of autophagy and apoptosis using multispectral imaging cytometry

Multiple stress pathways result in the induction of autophagy and apoptosis. Current methods (e.g., protein gel blot, microscopy) do not offer quantitative single-cell resolution, thus making it difficult to discern if these pathways are mutually exclusive or, in some situations, cooperative in executing cell death. We report a novel method that enables high-throughput, high-content assessment of LC3 puncta and caspase-3 cleavage at the single cell level.
[Effect of paeonol on protecting endothelial cells of diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of paeonol on protecting endothelial cells of diabetic rats. METHODS Streptozocin was used on rats to make diabetic models. Different dosages of paeonol were fed on all the model rats. PGI, TXA2, ET, CRP, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and NO were tested after 30 day's therapy. RESULTS Compared with control group PGI increased from 89.75 +/- 2.75, 89.97 +/- 7.28, 89.97 +/- 11.36 to 120.03 +/- 13.85, 108.34 +/- 11.25, 105.32 +/- 8.85, respectively. TXA2 decreased from 157.64 +/- 10.36, 156.64 +/- 11.35, 153.33 +/- 19.40 to 124.46 +/- 18.67, 136.40 +/- 18.15, 138.40 +/- 22.20, respectively. ET decreased from 181.68 +/- 5.10, 181.27 +/- 4.76, 181.04 +/- 4.19 to 140.55 +/- 3.01, 150.51 +/- 2.22, 161.02 +/- 3.76, respectively. CRP decreased from 41.63 +/- 7.37, 44.83 +/- 7.80, 42.06 +/- 7.21 to 28.62 +/- 5.45, 30.00 +/- 10.73, 37.09 +/- 4.94, respectively. ICAM-1 decreased from 225.77 +/- 11.96, 222.78 +/- 14.46, 225.17 +/- 10.03 to 190.93 +/- 12.67, 197.42 +/- 14.56, 200.64 +/- 15.36, respectively. VCAM-1 decreased from 566.72 +/- 24.46, 560.61 +/- 25.67, 359.61 +/- 42.75 to 506.26 +/- 37.26, 516.83 +/- 28.17, 527.02 +/- 43.47, respectively. NO had no change. CONCLUSIONS Paeonol can protect the endothelial cells of diabetic rats.
Bacteriology Of Diabetic Foot In Tertiary Care Hospital; Frequency, Antibiotic Susceptibility And Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND Diabetic foot being one of the frequent and disabling complications of diabetes. In view of widespread regional variation in causative organisms and antimicrobial susceptibility, the current study aimed to determine frequency of causative organisms, their antimicrobial susceptibility and associated risk factors. METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 6 months' duration at dept. of Medicine; PIMS Hospital Islamabad. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients with diabetic foot ulcer were enrolled after informed consent. Patients already receiving antibiotics, having no growth on culture and >3 weeks' duration of ulcer were excluded. Sample from wound was sent for culture and sensitivity. Antibiotic susceptibility testing identified the susceptible and resistant strains of organisms. RESULTS Among 114 patients (66.67% males and 33.33% females); mean age was 55.11±11.96 years. Staphylococcus aureus was identified in 46%, E. coli in 28%, Pseudomonas in 6%, Klebsiella in 3.5% and other organisms in 17%. 92% of S. aureus was sensitive to Vancomycin and 67% to Clindamycin. Amongst E. coli, 81% showed sensitivity to Imipenem, 69% to Aminoglycosides and 31% to Quinolones. Glycaemic control was unsatisfactory in 65.8%. Peripheral vascular disease was found in 46% patients and sensory neuropathy in 94%. CONCLUSIONS Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent isolate amongst gram positive organisms while E. coli amongst gram-negatives. Vancomycin is suggested to be the drug of choice for gram positive and Imipenem for gram negative organisms. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy according to susceptibility patterns would reduce the morbidity and emergence of multidrug resistant organisms in diabetic foot infections.
Skin pattern analysis for lesion classification using local isotropy

Background/purpose: The observation that skin pattern tends to be disrupted by malignant skin lesions, but not by benign ones suggests that measurements of skin pattern disruption on simply captured white light optical clinical (WLC) skin images could be a useful contribution to a diagnostic feature set. Previous work, which generated a flow field of skin pattern using a measurement of local line direction and intensity, was encouraging. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibility of extracting new features using local isotropy metrics to quantify the skin pattern disruption.
Elevated Levels of Oxidative Stress Markers in Exhaled Breath Condensate

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and oxidative stress secondary to carcinogens such as cigarette smoke has been implicated in its pathogenesis. Therefore, lung cancer patients were hypothesized to have higher levels of oxidative stress markers in their exhaled breath compared with controls. Methods: Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was collected from newly diagnosed subjects with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and control subjects in a cross-sectional observational study. The samples were then analyzed for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), pH, 8-isoprostane, and antioxidant capacity. Results: A total of 71 subjects (21 NSCLC patients, 21 nonsmokers, 13 exsmokers, and 16 smokers) were recruited. NSCLC patients had significantly higher EBC H2O2 concentration (NSCLC subjects versus smokers, 10.28 &mgr;M, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.74–22.30 and 2.29 &mgr;M, 95% CI: 1.23–4.25, respectively, p = 0.003) and lower antioxidant capacity (NSCLC versus smokers, 0.051 mM, 95% CI: 0.042–0.063 and 0.110 mM, 95% CI: 0.059–0.206, p = 0.023; NSCLC versus all controls as a group, 0.051 mM, 95% CI: 0.042–0.063 and 0.087 mM, 95% CI: 0.067–0.112, p = 0.001). They also had significantly lower pH (5.9, 3.3–7.3) compared with exsmokers (6.7, 5.8–7, p = 0.009). Conclusion: The significant increase of H2O2 and reduction in antioxidant capacity in the EBC of lung cancer patients further support the concept of the disequilibrium between levels of oxidants and antioxidants in lung cancer, which leads to increased oxidative stress. These findings suggest oxidative stress is implicated in the development of lung cancer and may be an early marker of the disease.
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii Differentiation into Bradyzoites and Tissue Cyst Formation In Vivo

ABSTRACT During Toxoplasma gondii infection, a fraction of the multiplying parasites, the tachyzoites, converts into bradyzoites, a dormant stage, which form tissue cysts localized mainly in brain, heart, and skeletal muscles that persist for several years after infection. At this stage the parasite is protected from the immune system, and it is believed to be inaccessible to drugs. While the long persistence of tissue cysts does not represent a medical problem for healthy individuals, this condition represents a major risk for patients with a compromised immune system, who can develop recrudescent life-threatening T. gondii infections. We have investigated for the first time the dynamics and the kinetics of tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite interconversion and cyst formation in vivo by using stage-specific bioluminescent parasites in a mouse model. Our findings provide a new framework for understanding the process of bradyzoite differentiation in vivo. We have also demonstrated that complex molecules such as d-luciferin have access to tissue cysts and are metabolically processed, thus providing a rationale for developing drugs that attack the parasite at this developmental stage.
Promoting axonal regeneration in the central nervous system by enhancing the cell body response to axotomy

Neurons projecting into the peripheral nervous system (PNS) regenerate their axons after injury, in contrast to those confined to the central nervous system (CNS). Both neuronal and nonneuronal factors contribute to the lack of CNS regeneration. In this review we concentrate on the differential gene expression response to axotomy in PNS vs. CNS neurons. In general CNS neurons fail to up‐regulate or sustain the expression of regeneration‐associated proteins (RAGs), including trophic factors and their receptors. The presumed lack of trophic support of axotomized CNS neurons provided the rationale for the exogenous application of trophic factors, either to the lesion site or to the cell bodies. Here, we review our data on the application of trophic factors to rubrospinal and corticospinal neurons. Cell body treatment of axotomized rubrospinal neurons with brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reversed atrophy, increased GAP‐43 and Tα‐1 tubulin mRNA expression, and promoted axonal regeneration into peripheral nerve grafts. Importantly, BDNF cell body treatment was still effective in the chronic setting, i.e., when initiated 1 year after injury, but BDNF had no effect when applied to the chronic spinal cord injury site. The ability to promote regeneration in chronically injured neurons will hopefully contribute to the development of treatment strategies for chronic spinal injuries. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.