Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atorvastatin-induced pancreatitis

Drugs account for 1–2% of all cases of pancreatitis. A 58-year-old man was prescribed atorvastatin 10 mg for 6 months for hyperlipidemia. He developed acute abdominal pain and vomiting with epigastric tenderness. Serum lipase and CT scan of the patient suggested the presence of acute pancreatitis. The patient was hospitalized; atorvastatin was stopped and treated symptomatically. He recovered completely within 10 days of drug withdrawal. The causality of the adverse drug reaction according to Naranjo and WHO-UMC Scale was probable. The exact mechanism of pancreatitis due to atorvastatin is not known. It may be a class effect of HMG CoA reductase inhibitors as it had been reported with other statins too. The definite causal relationship is difficult to establish, as rechallenge with the suspected drug was not done due to ethical consideration.
Birth Order, as a Proxy for Age at Infection, in the Etiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

First-born and second-born children are exposed to common infections after enrollment at school, whereas later-born children are exposed to these infections earlier through their older siblings. We have evaluated whether birth order is a risk factor for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related, and apparently virus-unrelated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a large case-control study that included 333 HCC cases and 632 controls. In comparison with controls who were carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBsAg-positive HCC cases were more likely to have been later-born children (odds ratio per increase in birth order = 2.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.2–3.6). There was no such evidence for anti-HCV-positive cases compared with anti-HCV-positive controls or for virus-negative HCC cases compared with virus-negative controls. We conclude that early infection with HBV increases the risk of HBV carriers to develop HCC, over and beyond its role in facilitating the establishment of a carrier state.
Sex ratio bias and reproductive strategies: what sex to produce when?

Several theories predict the evolution of bias in progeny sex ratio based on variations in maternal or offspring reproductive value. For mammals, however, tests of sex-bias theories have produced inconsistent results, and no clear patterns have emerged. Each theory is based on assumptions that are difficult to satisfy, and empirical tests require large data sets. Using a long-term study on bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), we identified several parameters that influence progeny sex ratio according to maternal state. For older females, progeny sex ratio was affected by an interaction between reproductive strategy and environmental conditions. When conditions were good, old females reproduced every year but minimized fitness costs by producing daughters. When conditions were poor, old females produced more sons but did not reproduce every year. Sons of older females were of similar mass to those born to younger females under poor conditions but were smaller and likely disadvantaged under good environmental conditions. For young and prime-aged females, progeny sex ratio was independent of environmental conditions. Environmental conditions and age should be considered when studying sex ratio bias, which appears to be a function of maternal state rather than of maternal condition. We suggest that a conservative reproductive strategy drives progeny sex ratio in older females according to the "cost of reproduction hypothesis. " By manipulating offspring sex ratio, older females reduced the cost of reproduction and increased their expected fitness returns.
Hospital Hygiene Maternity Hospital Public Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction: Public hospitals in the DRC are of significant disrepair, while there is a strong link between the failure of hospital hygiene and the incidence of nosocomial infections. We have conducted a study with the objective of evaluating the structural-functional conditions of hospital hygiene maternity wards of public hospitals in Lubumbashi. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study and structural-functionalist whose population consisted of nurses responsible for 7 of 12 maternity hospitals which were selected based on the inclusion criteria. The observation with an observation guide and maintenance using a questionnaire we used to collect data. Results: The results showed that hospital hygiene conditions in maternity wards of public hospitals in Lubumbashi are not good because almost all maternity services and surgery are not always water in the taps (14.3%). The bins were a means for care units, no coding system exists to distinguish the type of waste. The medical waste are mixed and the other waste are burned in the open or in makeshift incinerator with other types of waste. Conclusion: These maternity wards have poor hygiene, staff responsible for this sector did not follow any training in this area. There is need to regulate the sector and train them.
Chemical and thermal constraints on focussed fluid flow in the lower oceanic crust

The mechanism of heat extraction from the lower oceanic crust near the ridge axis is poorly constrained despite its importance for understanding both the process of accretion of the plutonic complex and the mass fluxes associated with ridge hydrothermal systems. We have investigated the role of zones of focussed fluid flow in the plutonic complex of the Oman ophiolite in the near-axis cooling of the oceanic crust. Lineaments identified on aerial photographs, that occur at ∼1 km spacing, show evidence for extensive hydrothermal fluid flow through regions ∼10 to 50 m wide. Fluid flow is initiated in these regions at ∼800°C and continues at least into the lower greenschist facies. Strontium-isotope analyses indicate that the fluid flux through these zones is sufficient to transport a metasomatic front from the base of the sheeted dike complex to close to the Moho. Computed minimum fluid fluxes to transport a metasomatic front through the focussed fluid flow zones are ∼1x108 kgm−2. Modeling of diffusive exchange of calcium from olivine to clinopyroxene indicates enhanced cooling rates adjacent to the focussed fluid flow zones. Heat fluxes estimated from the enhanced cooling rates are broadly consistent with the fluid fluxes determined from modeling the Sr-isotopic composition of samples from the focussed fluid flow zones. The combination of independent estimates of the fluid and heat fluxes, such as these, can provide more rigorous constraints on the thermal history than either approach used in isolation. Our results show that focussed fluid flow could play a major role in the cooling in the lower oceanic crust. Significant focussed fluid flow in the lower oceanic crust has important implications for predicting the total mass flux associated with hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges. This is because fluids flowing through channels become chemically rock-buffered at smaller fluid fluxes than those flowing pervasively through a rock mass. Thus, if focussed fluid flow is an important mechanism of heat loss from the lower oceanic crust the chemical fluxes from ridge hydrothermal systems into the oceans may be smaller than currently thought.
CD4 T Cells but Not Th17 Cells Are Required for Mouse Lung Transplant Obliterative Bronchiolitis

Lung transplant survival is limited by obliterative bronchiolitis (OB), but the mechanisms of OB development are unknown. Previous studies in a mouse model of orthotopic lung transplantation suggested a requirement for IL‐17. We have used this orthotopic mouse model to investigate the source of IL‐17A and the requirement for T cells producing IL‐17A. The major sources of IL‐17A were CD4+ T cells and γδ T cells. Depletion of CD4+ T cells led to a significantly decreased frequency and number of IL‐17A+ lymphocytes and was sufficient to prevent acute rejection and OB. However, mice with STAT3‐deficient T cells, which are unable to differentiate into Th17 cells, rejected lung allografts and developed OB similar to control mice. The frequency of IL‐17A+ cells was not decreased in mice with STAT3‐deficient T cells due mainly to the presence of IL‐17A+ γδ T cells. Deficiency of γδ T cells also did not affect the development of airway fibrosis. Our data suggest that CD4+ T cells are required for OB development and expansion of IL‐17A responses in the lung, while Th17 and γδ T cells are not absolutely required and may compensate for each other.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HAND AND FOOT PREFERENCES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations between hand and foot preferences in male and female individuals (343 male, 290 female) aged between 18–42 years (22.11 ± 2.07). Of the right-handed men, 75.5% preferred the right foot, 7.1% the left foot, and 17.4% both feet. Of ambidextrous men, 44.0% preferred the right foot, 28.0% the left foot, and 28.0% both feet. Of left-handed men, 32.3% preferred the right foot, 56.9% the left foot, and 10.8% both feet. The differences between these percentages were found to be statistically significant. Of the right-handed women, 89.9% preferred the right foot, left foot 1.2%, both feet 8.9%, whereas 50.0% preferred the right foot, 12.5% the left foot, and 37.5% both feet in the ambidextrous women. In the left-handed women, 8.8% preferred the right foot, 79.4% the left foot, and 11.8% both feet. The differences between these percentages were found to be statistically significant. The results suggested that the cultural differences among the different study groups may be the reason for the inconsistencies with regard to hand and foot preferences. Moreover, the results may bring insight into the foot preference in relation to hand preference in the Turkish population.
La enfermedad de Chagas en el Estado de Yucatán, México. (1940-2002).

La primera evidencia de enfermedad de Chagas en Yucatan surge en 1940, pero es hasta 1972 que se lleva al cabo la primera investigacion formal sobre esta enfermedad. Este estudio demostro una prevalencia serologica de 11.2%, encontrando tambien 12 (0.5%) casos clinicos. En este mismo estudio se encontro que los vectores (triatoma) tenian una prevalencia de infeccion para T. cruzi del 17.3%. Diecinueve anos despues la prevalencia en vectores seguia siendo similar (16%), pero por primera vez se detecta un elevado indice de colonizacion y un ano despues se demuestra que entre los habitos biologicos del triatoma el humano ocupa ya el primer lugar en preferencias cuando quince ano antes ocupaba el cuarto lugar. En 1985 otro estudio demostro que la seroprevalencia se habia incrementado a un 18%. En la decada de los 90´s dos realizados en donadores de sangre demostraron la posibilidad de riesgo de contagio a traves de la transfusion sanguinea. Estudios realizados en fechas recientes han permitido conocer que la temperatura tiene un papel preponderante en la capacidad transmisora del triatoma y que las cepas encontradas en Yucatan son filogeneticamente diferentes a las del resto del pais. Tambien se ha completado el panorama de los componentes proteicos mitocondriales del T. cruzi con lo que se tienen posibilidades de identificar blancos potenciales para la investigacion de drogas terapeuticas. Con este trabajo se demuestra como el conocimiento alcanzado a lo largo del tiempo puede contribuir a la solucion de problemas de salud que afectan a una poblacion y como la investigacion permite el desarrollo de nuevos conocimientos.
Cerebral microbleeds

The cerebral microbleeds saga continues to fascinate. Much of the enduring interest in the topic relates to the implicit clinical conundrum created by the high prevalence of a cerebrovascular disorder that is simultaneously ischemic (i.e., clinical and subclinical infarction) and presumably hemorrhagic (i.e., microbleeds), a phenomenon termed mixed cerebrovascular disease.1 Moreover, cerebral microbleeds appear to represent a unique link between stroke, brain aging, dementia, and Alzheimer disease, with cerebral amyloid angiopathy being the most notable correlate of lobar microbleeds, while hypertension is strongly associated with deep microbleeds.2
Prevalence of impaired fasting glycemia, impaired glucose tolerance, and type 2 diabetes in hemodialyzed patients when applying new diagnostic criteria.

OBJECTIVE Recently, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) proposed a new diagnostic entity for diabetes mellitus that has not been applied in renal failure patients so far. Our goal was to apply the new impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) criteria in a group of hemodialyzed patients to provide data on glucose alterations in chronic renal failure. DESIGN AND PATIENTS We evaluated 74 hemodialyzed patients, (38 women, 36 men) without diagnosed diabetes. Blood was collected at fasting and at 120 minutes after a 75-g glucose intake, and insulin levels were determined. The weight, height, waist circumference, and hip circumference of each patient were measured, and the body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio were calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Values of fasting plasma glycemia and 120-minute oral glucose tolerance test were (mean +/- SD) 78 +/- 9.4 mg/dL and 121 +/- 39 mg/dL, respectively. Among the 74 subjects studied, 5 patients had IFG, none of them showing a glucose level above 110 mg/dL. If the ADA 1997 criteria were applied, these patients would be classified as normal. On the other hand, 15 of the 74 patients showed IGT, this prevalence being higher compared with that of the general population. Finally, in 5 of the 74 patients the presence of type 2 diabetes was shown by the second test. According to sex, no differences were observed in the prevalence of IFG, IGT, or diabetes. Glucose alterations are characteristics that need to be identified in chronic renal failure patients. Our results suggests that the glucose tolerance test might be evaluated during hemodialysis treatment to define its prevalence.
Enzymatic activities and kinetic properties of β-glucosidase from selected white rot fungi

Beta-glucosidase is among the suite of enzymes produced by white rot fungi (WRF) to biodegrade plant biomass. This study investigated the enzymatic activities and kinetic properties of β-glucosidase from seventeen WRF comprised of the following species from various geographical locations: Pleurotus ostreatus, Auricularia auricular, Polyporus squamosus, Trametes versicolor, Lentinula edodes, and Grifola frondosa. All the WRF studied showed β-glucosidase activities. Significant variations in protein and carbohydrate contents were also recorded. Beta-glucosidase activities after 30 min of incubation ranged from 6.4 μg (T. versicolor) to 225 μg (G. frondosa). The calculated kinetic constant (Km) ranged from 0.47 μM (A. auricular-1120) to 719 μM (L. edodes-7). The Vmax depending on the kinetic transformation model ranged from 0.21 μg·min-1 (T. versicolor) to 9.70 μg·min-1 (G. frondosa-28). Beta-glucosidase activities also exhibited pH optima between 3.5 and 5.0 while temperature optima were between 60°C and 70°C with some media exhibiting a secondary temperature peak at 90°C attributable to the presence of thermostable isoenzyme. WRF if appropriately screened and purified can be harnessed to potentially improve the bio-conversion of cellulose to glucose and also facilitate efficient plant biomass biodegradation and production of useful plant bio-products.
Diverse peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors bind to the peroxisome proliferator-responsive elements of the rat hydratase/dehydrogenase and fatty acyl-CoA oxidase genes but differentially induce expression.

The ability of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) to induce expression of a reporter gene linked to a peroxisome proliferator-responsive element (PPRE) from either the rat enoyl-CoA hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene or acyl-CoA oxidase [acyl-CoA:oxygen 2-oxidoreductase, EC 1.3. 3.6] gene was examined by transient transfection assays in COS cells. Mouse and rat PPARs, as well as Xenopus PPAR alpha (xPPAR alpha) could induce expression of a reporter gene linked to the hydratase/dehydrogenase PPRE in the presence of the peroxisome proliferators ciprofibrate or Wy-14,643, whereas xPPAR beta and xPPAR gamma were ineffective. A similar induction of expression of a reporter gene linked to the acyl-CoA oxidase PPRE was observed with all PPARs except xPPAR beta. Extracts from cells transfected with PPAR-encoding genes contained factors that bound to both PPREs. In vitro synthesized PPARs could interact weakly with both PPREs; however, binding of each PPAR to both PPREs was significantly increased by the addition of COS cell nuclear extracts, demonstrating that efficient PPAR/DNA binding requires auxiliary cofactors. One cofactor was identified as the 9-cis-retinoic acid receptor, RXR alpha (retinoid X receptor alpha). Cooperative DNA binding and heteromerization between RXR alpha and each of the PPARs could be seen with both PPREs. Our results demonstrate that PPAR/PPRE binding and cooperativity with RXR alpha (and other cofactors) are obligatory but not necessarily sufficient for peroxisome proliferator-dependent transcription induction and that distinct PPREs can selectively mediate induction by particular PPARs.
The projections of the entopeduncular nucleus and globus pallidus in rat as demonstrated by autoradiography and horseradish peroxidase histochemistry

The efferent projections of the globus pallidus (GP) and entopeduncular nucleus (EP) in the rat were studied using autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) histochemical techniques. Following stereotaxic injections of 3H‐leucine into EP, transported label was observed in the lateral part of the ventromedial nucleus (VM) of the thalamus, and more laterally, in the ventrolateral aspect of the ventral lateral‐ventral anterior thalamic complex (VALv). Selective accumulation of autoradiographic grains was also found in the parafascicular nucleus (Pf) and in the lateral habenular nucleus. HRP injections into the thalamus confirmed the entopeduncular projections to these nuclei. Comparison of grain distribution in the thalamus after 3H‐leucine injections into EP and the zona reticulata of the substantia nigra (Clavier et al., '76) indicates that there is considerable overlap between nigral and EP projections to both VM and Pf. The nigrothalamic and entopedunculothalamic projections to VM and VALv are discussed with reference to the possibility that in the rat these nuclei are homologous to specific nuclei within the ventral lateral‐ventral anterior complex in primates.
Variants of Alternating Least Squares Tensor Completion in the Tensor Train Format

We consider the problem of fitting a low rank tensor $A\in\mathbb{R}^{{\mathcal I}}$, ${\mathcal I} = \{1,\ldots,n\}^{d}$, to a given set of data points $\{M_i\in\mathbb{R} \mid i\in P\}$, $P\subset{\mathcal I}$. The low rank format under consideration is the hierarchical or tensor train or matrix product states format. It is characterized by rank bounds $r$ on certain matricizations of the tensor. The number of degrees of freedom is in ${\cal O}(r^2dn)$. For a fixed rank and mode size $n$ we observe that it is possible to reconstruct random (but rank structured) tensors as well as certain discretized multivariate (but rank structured) functions from a number of samples that is in ${\cal O}(\log N)$ for a tensor having $N=n^d$ entries. We compare an alternating least squares (ALS) fit to an overrelaxation scheme inspired by the LMaFit method for matrix completion. Both approaches aim at finding a tensor $A$ that fulfills the first order optimality conditions by a nonlinear Gauss--Seidel-type solver that c.
Dynamics of global transcriptome in bovine matured oocytes and preimplantation embryos

Global activation of the embryonic genome is the most critical event in early mammalian development. After fertilization, a rich supply of maternal proteins and RNAs support development whereas a number of zygotic and embryonic genes are expressed in a stage-specific manner leading to embryonic genome activation (EGA). However, the identities of embryonic genes expressed and the mechanism(s) of EGA are poorly defined in the bovine. Using the Affymetrix bovine-specific DNA microarray as the biggest available array at present, we analyzed gene expression at two key stages of bovine development, matured oocytes (MII) and 8-cell-stage embryos, constituting the ultimate reservoir for life and a stage during which EGA takes place, respectively. Key genes in regulation of transcription, chromatin-structure cell adhesion, and signal transduction were up-regulated at the 8-cell stage as compared with 8-cell embryos treated with α-amanitin and MII. Genes controlling DNA methylation and metabolism were up-regulated in MII. These changes in gene expression, related to transcriptional machinery, chromatin structure, and the other cellular functions occurring during several cleavage stages, are expected to result in a unique chromatin structure capable of maintaining totipotency during embryogenesis and leading to differentiation during postimplantation development. Dramatic reprogramming of gene expression at the onset of development also has implications for cell plasticity in somatic cell nuclear transfer, genomic imprinting, and cancer.
Lipoprotein(a) in Diabetic Patients and Normoglycemic Relatives in Familial NIDDM

OBJECTIVE To compare lipoprotein(a) levels in diabetic patients and normoglycemic relatives in familial NIDDM and to assess whether Lp(a) is a risk factor for myocardial infarction in this population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We compared 577 patients and 261 normoglycemic relatives from 189 NIDDM multiplex families with 49 unrelated healthy individuals. of the 577, 23 patients with previously documented myocardial infarction were further analyzed as a separate group. RESULTS Lp(a) concentrations in diabetic patients, normoglycemic relatives, and the control group were not significantly different. Variance of Lp(a) in a given individual could not be accounted for by any clinical or biological parameter, but was strongly related to the mean Lp(a) value in his or her family. Diabetic patients with previous myocardial infarction (and their relatives) had significantly higher levels of Lp(a) than patients without coronary heart disease complaints. CONCLUSIONS Lp(a) concentration in familial NIDDM was not related to the degree of glucose intolerance, but presented a strong familial aggregation. High Lp(a) levels seem to be an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction in this NIDDM cohort.
Female Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) Use Objects to Solicit the Sexual Partner

Female wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) living at Serra da Capivara National Park (SCNP) that use stone and stick tools during foraging occasionally toss or throw stones at the male during courtship. We report similar behaviors in a different population that uses stones as tools in foraging. We video-recorded the sexual behavior of four females (27 days during nine proceptive periods) belonging to a group of wild capuchins living in Fazenda Boa Vista (FBV), 320 km from SCNP. Three females used stones or branches when they solicited the alpha male (79 episodes). The female that did not use objects was the sole female to solicit a subordinate male. The vast majority of episodes (95%) involved pushing or dropping branches, both loose and attached to the tree, toward the male. Females used objects only during the one-way courtship phase, before the male reciprocated the female’s solicitations. In 93% of the episodes in which a female used objects, she performed affiliative behaviors immediately before or after using the objects. We conclude that throwing or pounding stones and pushing or dropping branches by females in SCNP and FBV in the sexual context have a clear affiliative meaning (to attract the male’s attention). Given the tool-using status of both populations where these behaviors have been reported, it is important to determine whether they appear in populations that do not use tools, or are restricted to populations already primed to use objects in other contexts.