Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family interventions to improve diabetes outcomes for adults

Diabetes self‐care is a critical aspect of disease management for adults with diabetes. Since family members can play a vital role in a patient's disease management, involving them in self‐care interventions may positively influence patients’ diabetes outcomes. We systematically reviewed family‐based interventions for adults with diabetes published from 1994 to 2014 and assessed their impact on patients’ diabetes outcomes and the extent of family involvement. We found 26 studies describing family‐based diabetes interventions for adults. Interventions were conducted across a range of patient populations and settings. The degree of family involvement varied across studies. We found evidence for improvement in patients’ self‐efficacy, perceived social support, diabetes knowledge, and diabetes self‐care across the studies. Owing to the heterogeneity of the study designs, types of interventions, reporting of outcomes, and family involvement, it is difficult to determine how family participation in diabetes interventions may affect patients’ clinical outcomes. Future studies should clearly describe the role of family in the intervention, assess quality and extent of family participation, and compare patient outcomes with and without family involvement.
Remuneration and Librarianship as a Choice of Career

The study investigated remuneration and its relationship with librarianship as a career choice. The survey design was used for the study. The hypothesis was tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistical technique and the relationship was established to be significant at 0.05 level of significance. Remuneration had a relatively low positive correlation (0.32) between remuneration and librarianship as a career choice. The study concluded that remuneration, though positively related, is not a strong determinant of Librarianship as choice of career. The study therefore recommended among other things that outside salaries, government should provide fringe benefits to librarians in academic institutions to enhance satisfactory performance thereby motivating others to join the library profession. Keywords : Remuneration, Library Profession, Career, Tertiary
Elevated detection thresholds for mechanical stimuli in chronic pain patients: support for a central mechanism.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relation between pain provoking cervical segments identified by diagnostic dorsal root blockades and elevation of detection thresholds in patients suffering from chronic cervicobrachialgia (CCB). DESIGN Quantitative sensory testing (light touch) of the cervical dermatomes using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. SETTING A university pain clinic. SUBJECTS Thirty-nine patients with CCB, with no clinical or diagnostic evidence of radiculopathy or surgically treatable bony lesion and with one main pain-provoking cervical segment identified by diagnostic dorsal root blockades. OUTCOME MEASURES Detection thresholds with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of pain-provoking segments, compared with surrounding and contralateral segments and with normal values for cervical dermatomes. RESULTS Patients' detection thresholds were significantly (p < .001) higher than those for normal subjects: 3.51 (95% CI, 2.71-4.31) and 3.10 (95% CI, 2.34-3.86), respectively. No significant differences existed between the segments. The elevations were systematic. However, thresholds on the painful side were consistently, slightly higher than those on the contralateral side. CONCLUSION Supporting earlier studies, results from CCB patients in the present study showed systematic elevation of detection thresholds (low threshold mechanoreceptors), an adaptation in contrast with, but not contradictory to, central sensitization of high threshold neurons in chronic pain.
Effective enhancement of polylactic acid-degrading enzyme production by Amycolatopsis sp. strain SCM_MK2-4 using statistical and one-factor-at-a-time approaches

ABSTRACT This study aims to find the optimal medium and conditions for polylactic acid (PLA)-degrading enzyme production by Amycolatopsis sp. SCM_MK2-4. Screening of the most effective components in the enzyme production medium by Plackett–Burman design revealed that the silk cocoon and PLA film were the most significant variables enhancing the PLA-degrading enzyme production. After an response surface methodology, a maximum amount of PLA-degrading enzyme activity at 0.74 U mL−1 was predicted and successfully validated at 95% after 0.39% (w/v) silk cocoon and 1.62% (w/v) PLA film were applied to the basal medium. The optimal initial pH value, temperature, and inoculum size were evaluated by a method considering one-factor-at-a-time. The values were recorded at an initial pH in the range of 7.5–9.0, a temperature of 30–32°C, and an inoculum size of 4–10%. The highest activity of approximately 0.95 U mL−1 was achieved after 4 days of cultivation using the optimized medium and under optimized conditions in a shake flask. Upscaling to the use of a 3-L stirred tank fermenter was found to be successful with a PLA-degrading activity of 5.53 U mL−1; which represents a 51-fold increase in the activity compared with that obtained from the nonoptimized medium and conditions in the shake flask.
Impact of macroeconomic indicators on commodity futures

Globalisation policy expanded a nation's trade beyond its boundaries leading to imports and exports of goods or services across countries. Large number of economies are frequently divulged to macroeconomic adjustment in response to the commodity price movements. Therefore, when commodities are traded across nations, the factors that affect increased their prices and with it the risk as well (Mahalakshmi et al., 2012b). To safeguard the commodity prices from the influence of the macroeconomic indicators that directly affect the price of the commodity market it has to imbibe the macroeconomic information. The commodity futures market serves as a benchmark for determining the commodity prices. Better pricing for commodities can be done only when the commodity market is efficient by transmitting information effectively. Indian commodity market was developed only after the introduction of nationwide exchanges in 2002. Thus, queries may arise on its efficiency regarding its reactions to macroeconomic variables. Hence this paper intends to examine the impact of macroeconomic variables on commodity futures in India.
Evaluation of mass spectrometry of urinary proteins and peptides as biomarkers for cats at risk of developing azotemia.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate proteomic delineation of feline urine by mass spectrometry as a method for identifying biomarkers in cats at risk of developing azotemia. SAMPLES Urine samples from geriatric cats (> 9 years old) with chronic kidney disease and nonazotemic cats that either remained nonazotemic (n = 10) or developed azotemia (10) within 1 year. PROCEDURES Optimization studies with pooled urine were performed to facilitate the use of surface enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) for analysis of the urinary proteome of cats. Urine samples from nonazotemic cats at entry to the study were analyzed via SELDI-TOF-MS with weak cation exchange and strong anion exchange arrays. Spectral data were compared to identify biomarkers for development of azotemia. RESULTS Low protein concentration in feline urine precluded direct application to array surfaces, and a buffer exchange and concentration step was required prior to SELDI-TOF-MS analysis. Three preparation conditions by use of weak cation and strong anion exchange arrays were selected on the basis of optimization studies for detection of biomarkers. Eight potential biomarkers with an m/z of 2,822, 9,886, 10,033, 10,151, 10,234, 11,653, 4,421, and 9,505 were delineated. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE SELDI-TOF-MS can be used to detect urinary low-molecular weight peptides and proteins that may represent biomarkers for early detection of renal damage. Further study is required to purify and identify potential biomarkers before their use in a clinical setting.
Early Changes in Postprandial Insulin Secretion, Not in Insulin Sensitivity, Characterize Juvenile Obesity

The development of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, both common in adults with established obesity, was studied in 16 children, weighing 169 ± 8% ideal body weight who were 12.7 ± 0.4 years of age with obesity duration of 0.5–8.5 years and continuous weight gain in excess of normal, and compared with 11 age-matched normal children. Early in the evolution of obesity, insulin and C-peptide responses to a normal meal were increased by 76 and 80%. The first insulin peak was higher (613 ± 53 pmol/ml) than normal (413 ± 59 pmol/ml, P < 0.02) and occurred only 50 ± 7 min after onset of lunch versus 33 ± 11 min in normal children (P < 0.0005). Obese patients had a total of 3.0 ± 0.2 large insulin peaks within the 6-h period after the lunch versus only 1.5 ± 0.2 peaks in normal children (P < 0.0005). In contrast, fasting plasma insulin and C-peptide levels remained normal during the initial years of obesity, then increased progressively with duration (r = 0.73, P < 0.001) and degree (r = 0.59, P < 0.02) of obesity. Insulin sensitivity evaluated as the rate of glucose uptake during a three-step hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp was comparable in the obese (20 ± 1.5 mmol.m−2 · min−1) and the normal (21.7 ± 1.5 mmol.m−2 · min−1) children. Initially higher than normal in obese children, the maximal rate of glucose uptake decreased with both obesity duration (r = −0.67, P < 0.005) and children's age (r = −0.66, P < 0.005), indicating the progressive development of insulin resistance. No correlation was found with overweight (r = −0.17, NS). Fasting plasma insulin level and maximal glucose uptake were inversely related (r = −0.67, P < 0.005). During the first years of obesity, insulin concentrations corresponding to half-maximal glucose uptake remained comparable in obese (677 ± 51 pM) and normal children (654 ± 59 pM) and showed no changes with duration of obesity. In conclusion, an abnormal pattern of insulin response to meals is one of the earliest metabolic alterations characterizing the obesity syndrome, followed by the parallel, time-dependent development of fasting hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. These results support the primacy of a dysfunction or dysregulation of β-cell function in obesity of juvenile onset.
Molecular and biochemical analyses of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vpu protein

We have performed a detailed analysis of the biochemical properties of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 vpu gene product to elucidate its function during virus replication. Our data suggest that vpu is posttranslationally modified by phosphorylation, since a 16-kilodalton phosphoprotein can be specifically immunoprecipitated with both a serum from an HIV-positive individual (HIV-positive serum) and a vpu-specific antiserum. In contrast, our results suggest that vpu is not glycosylated, even though the protein contains a potential glycosylation site. In vitro translation studies demonstrated that vpu is cotranslationally integrated into microsomal membranes, suggesting that vpu is an integral membrane protein. While vpu was found in significant quantities in virus-producing cells, the protein could not be detected in cell-free culture fluids and is therefore most likely not viron associated. Processing of viral precursor proteins was unaffected by the absence of vpu, and no differences were detected in the protein compositions of wild-type and mutant virions. However, virus release from cultures producing vpu-defective virus was found to be delayed, resulting in the intracellular accumulation of viral proteins. Our data suggest that vpu has a function in the release of virus particles from infected cells.
Glucose Catabolism in Rhizobium japonicum

Glucose catabolism in Rhizobium japonicum ATCC 10324 was investigated by the radiorespirometric method and by assaying for key enzymes of the major energy-yielding pathways. Specifically labeled glucose gave the following results for resting cells, with values expressed as per cent 14CO2 evolution: C-1=59%, C-2=51%, C-3=45%, C-4=59%, and C-6=43%. These values indicate that glucose was degraded by the Entner-Doudoroff pathway alone. Cells which grew in glucose-yeast extract-salts medium gave essentially the same pattern except for retardation of the C-6 carbon. The rates were: C-1=54%, C-2=42%, C-3=51%, C-4=59%, and C-6=32%. Hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, transketolase, and an enzyme system which produces pyruvate from 6-phosphogluconate were found to be present in these cells. No 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was detected. Oxidation of specifically labeled pyruvate gave the following 14CO2 evolution pattern: C-1=78%, C-2=48%, and C-3=37%; the pattern from acetate was C-1=73%; and C-2=56%. Oxidation of glutamate showed the preferential rate of 14CO2 evolution to be C-1 > C-2=C-5 > C-3, 4, whereas a higher yield of 14CO2 was obtained from the C-1 and C-4 carbons of succinate than from the C-2 and C-3 carbons. These data are consistent with the operation of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle as the catabolic pathways of glucose oxidation in R. japonicum.
The impact of gene polymorphism and high on-treatment platelet reactivity on clinical follow-up: outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome after drug-eluting stent implantation.

AIMS The current study sought to evaluate the clinical impact of newly reported genetic variations and their association with clopidogrel high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS The study enrolled 1,016 consecutive patients with ACS undergoing DES implantation. A total of 19 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from CYP3A4/5, CYP2C19, P2Y12 and ABCB1 genes. ADP-induced light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) was performed to test the post-procedure maximum platelet agglutination (MPA). The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis, and ischaemic stroke at one-year follow-up after DES placement. The secondary endpoint was the incidence of bleeding events. The post-procedure MPA was calculated and the cut-off point was determined for the HTPR. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the carriage of two CYP2C19 LOF alleles was an independent predictor of the post-procedure HTPR (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.70-7.23, p<0.001). Through multivariate Cox regression analysis, the carriage of two CYP2C19 LOF alleles and the post-procedure HTPR were independent predictors of the primary endpoint (HR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.40-4.97, p<0.001; HR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.52-5.57, p<0.001, respectively). However, post-procedure MPA did not predict a bleeding event (HR: 0.9, 95% CI: 0.44-1.59, p=0.532). CONCLUSIONS In patients with ACS, the CYP2C19 LOF allele was associated with post-procedure HTPR and a subsequently increased risk of adverse clinical events at one-year follow-up following DES implantation and clopidogrel administration.
Administration of memantine during ethanol withdrawal in neonatal rats: effects on long-term ethanol-induced motor incoordination and cerebellar Purkinje cell loss.

BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can damage the developing fetus, illustrated by central nervous system dysfunction and deficits in motor and cognitive abilities. Binge drinking has been associated with an increased risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, likely due to increased episodes of ethanol withdrawal. We hypothesized that overactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor during ethanol withdrawal leads to excitotoxic cell death in the developing brain. Consistent with this, administration of NMDA receptor antagonists (e.g., MK-801) during withdrawal can attenuate ethanol's teratogenic effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether administration of memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, during ethanol withdrawal could effectively attenuate ethanol-related deficits, without the adverse side effects associated with other NMDA receptor antagonists. METHODS Sprague-Dawley pups were exposed to 6.0 g/kg ethanol or isocaloric maltose solution via intubation on postnatal day 6, a period of brain development equivalent to a portion of the 3rd trimester. Twenty-four and 36 hours after ethanol, subjects were injected with 0, 10, or 15 mg/kg memantine, totaling doses of 0, 20, or 30 mg/kg. Motor coordination was tested on a parallel bar task and the total number of cerebellar Purkinje cells was estimated using unbiased stereology. RESULTS Alcohol exposure induced significant parallel bar motor incoordination and reduced Purkinje cell number. Memantine administration significantly attenuated both ethanol-associated motor deficits and cerebellar cell loss in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Memantine was neuroprotective when administered during ethanol withdrawal. These data provide further support that ethanol withdrawal contributes to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Natural Killer Defective Maturation Is Associated with Adverse Clinical Outcome in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Accumulating evidence highlights natural killer (NK) cell parameters as potential prognostic factors in cancer patients, which provides a strong rationale for developing therapeutic strategies aiming at restoring NK cell. However, reaching this point warrants better characterization of tumor-induced NK cell alterations. Our group recently reported heterogeneous NK maturation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. However, the clinical significance of such observations remained to be assessed on a larger cohort of patients. NK maturation based on expression of CD56, CD57, and KIR was assessed by flow cytometry in newly diagnosed AML patients (N = 87 patients from GOELAMS-LAM-IR-2006 multicenter trial). Clinical outcome was evaluated with regard to NK maturation profiles. Unsupervised integrated analysis of NK maturation markers confirmed the existence of three distinct groups of patients [hypomaturation (24.1%), intermediate maturation (66.7%), and hypermaturation (9.2%)]. In univariate analysis, significant differences in overall survival (OS) (P = 0.0006) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (P < 0.0001) were observed among these different groups. Patients with hypomaturation profile had reduced OS, with 3-year OS rates of 12.5 vs 57.1 and 57.4% for patients with intermediate and hypermaturation, respectively. Consistently, patients with hypomaturation profile had reduced RFS, with 3-year RFS rates of 0 vs 52.6 and 73.3% for patients with intermediate and hypermaturation, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression models, NK hypomaturation remained significantly associated with reduced OS and RFS, independent of other factors [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.15, P = 0.004 and HR = 8.23, P = 0.003, respectively]. NK maturation defects were further explored by mass cytometry and revealed that NK hypomaturation profile is associated with a reduced frequency of memory-like NK cells. In conclusion, besides classical alterations of NK triggering and inhibitory receptors expression in AML, we confirm that the homeostasis of NK maturation can be modified in the context of AML, notably with a deep maturation blockade in almost 10% patients.
Endogenous Glutamate Increases Extracellular Concentrations of Dopamine, GABA, and Taurine Through NMDA and AMPA/Kainate Receptors in Striatum of the Freely Moving Rat: A Microdialysis Study

Abstract: Interactions between glutamate (Glu), dopamine (DA), GABA, and taurine (Tau) were investigated in striatum of the freely moving rat by using microdialysis. Intrastriatal infusions of the selective Glu uptake inhibitor l‐trans‐pyrrolidine‐3,4‐dicarboxylic acid (PDC) were used to increase the endogenous extracellular [Glu]. Correlations between extracellular [Glu] and extracellular [DA], [GABA], and [Tau], and the effects of a selective blockade of ionotropic Glu receptors, were studied. PDC (1, 2, and 4 mM) produced a dose‐related increase in extracellular [Glu]. At the highest dose of PDC, [Glu] increased from 1.55 ± 0.35 to 6.11 ± 0.88 µM. PDC also increased extracellular [DA], [GABA], and [Tau]. The increasing [Glu] was correlated significantly with increasing [DA], [GABA], and [Tau]. PDC also decreased extracellular concentrations of DA metabolites 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA). Perfusion with the NMDA‐receptor antagonist 3‐[(R)‐2‐carboxypiperazin‐4‐yl]‐propyl‐1‐phosphonic acid (1 mM) or the AMPA/kainate‐receptor antagonist 6,7‐dinitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (DNQX) (1 mM) attenuated the increases produced by PDC (4 mM) on [DA], [GABA], and [Tau], and decreases in [DOPAC] and [HVA]. DNQX also attenuated the increases in [Glu] induced by PDC. These data show that endogenous Glu plays a role in modulating the extracellular concentrations of DA, GABA, and Tau in striatum of the freely moving rat.
Sporadic ret‐rearranged papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: a subset of slow growing, less aggressive thyroid neoplasms?

Despite the large amount of information accumulated on the role played by ret activation in the oncogenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the biological and clinical significance of such activation ‘in vivo’ remains controversial. The aim of this study was to address some of the existing controversies by comparing two groups of unselected PTCs, one with and the other without ret rearrangement, with regard to several clinicopathological and biological features. Thirty‐three PTCs were selected at random. ret rearrangement was found in eight cases (24·2 per cent) using Southern blot analysis. The mean age of the patients with tumours displaying ret rearrangement (28±3·1 years) was significantly lower than that of the patients harbouring cases that did not present rearrangement (45±2·9 years). The large majority of the tumours with ret rearrangement displayed a papillary or mixed follicular–papillary pattern and very low proliferative activity. ret rearrangement correlated significantly with decreased cytoplasmic expression of E‐cadherin. No significant differences were found regarding the gender of the patients, tumour size, multicentricity, extrathyroidal growth, vascular invasion, lymphocytic infiltration, lymph node involvement or the expression of E‐cadherin (membrane), c‐erb‐B2, c‐met, Bcl‐2, and vimentin. It is proposed that sporadic PTCs harbouring a ret rearrangement occur frequently as slow growing, papillary, or predominantly papillary tumours that do not usually progress towards less differentiated neoplasms representing what might be described as a Bonsai phenotype. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.