Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of energy expenditure using prediction equations in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Estimates of energy requirements are needed in weight management and are usually determined using prediction equations. The objective of these two systematic reviews was to identify which equations based on simple anthropometric and demographic variables provide the most accurate and precise estimates of (1) resting energy expenditure (REE) and (2) total energy expenditure (TEE) in healthy obese adults. METHODS Systematic searches for relevant studies in healthy adults with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg m(-2) and published in English were undertaken using Cinahl, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, PubMed and Web of Science (completed March 2014). Search terms included metabolism, calorimetry, obesity and prediction equations. Data extraction, study appraisal and synthesis followed guidelines from PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). RESULTS From 243 REE papers and 254 TEE papers identified, 21 and four studies, respectively, met the inclusion criteria. (1) The most accurate REE predictions varied with BMI subgroup: WHO (weight and height) ≥25 and ≥30 kg m(-2) ; Mifflin 30-39.9 kg m(-2) ; Henry ≥40 kg m(-2) . The most precise REE predictions were obtained using Mifflin in BMI 30-39.9 and ≥40 kg m(-2) , where approximately 75% of predictions were within 10% of measured REE. (2) No accurate or precise predictions of TEE were identified. CONCLUSIONS No single prediction equation provides accurate and precise REE estimates in all obese adults. Mifflin equations are recommended in this population, although errors exceed 10% in 25% of those assessed. There is no evidence to support the use of prediction equations in estimating TEE in obesity.
High-Level Connexin Expression in the Human Juxtaglomerular Apparatus

Recent evidence obtained in rodents indicates that gap junctions in the juxtaglomerular apparatus play an important role in the control of renin-producing cells and in tubuloglomerular signaling. These gap junctions are formed by cell-specific expression patterns of the vascular connexins Cx37, Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45. In order to obtain a first indication if gap junctions might play a similar important functional role in the juxtaglomerular apparatus of human kidneys, this study aimed to characterize the juxtaglomerular localization of Cx40, Cx37, Cx43 and Cx45 in human kidney specimens. We found Cx37, Cx40 and Cx43, but not Cx45 expression in high density in the extraglomerular mesangium. Renin-producing cells displayed strong immunoreactivity for Cx40 and Cx37. Cx37, Cx40 and Cx43 were also seen in the endothelium of arteries/arterioles outside of the glomeruli, whereas Cx45 was located in vascular smooth muscle cells. All four connexins were also expressed within the glomeruli. These findings indicate that the expression pattern of vascular connexins in the human kidney cortex is very similar to that previously found for mouse and rat kidneys, suggesting that the intrarenal expression pattern of vascular connexins is conserved among the mammalian species. Because of this similarity, and in particular in view of the strong expression of Cx37 and Cx40 in the juxtaglomerular area, we infer that those functions of connexins that have already been demonstrated for rodent kidneys, such as a central role of Cx40 for the development and function of renin-producing cells and for tubuloglomerular signal transmission, might hold for human kidneys as well.
Efficacies of Two New Antifungal Agents, the Triazole Ravuconazole and the Echinocandin LY-303366, in an Experimental Model of Invasive Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT The efficacy of ravuconazole, a new triazole antifungal agent, and the echinocandin LY-303366 were evaluated in an immunosuppressed, temporarily leukopenic rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis. Oral therapy with ravuconazole at a dosage of 30 mg/kg of body weight per day or the echinocandin LY-303366, given intravenously in a dosage of 5 or 10 mg/kg, was begun 24 h after a lethal or sublethal challenge, and results were compared with those for amphotericin B therapy and untreated controls. Prophylaxis was also studied with LY-303366 given at a dosage of 5 or 10 mg/kg/day 48 h before lethal or sublethal challenge. Ravuconazole eliminated mortality, cleared aspergillus antigen from the serum, and eliminated Aspergillus fumigatus organisms from tissues of both lethally and sublethally challenged immunosuppressed animals with invasive aspergillosis. Although LY-303366, at both doses, prolonged survival and reduced aspergillus antigenemia, it did not eliminate aspergillus organisms from organ tissues. The half-lives of ravuconazole and LY-303366 in rabbits were 13 and 12.5 h, respectively, and no accumulation of either drug was seen after 6 days of treatment. Although LY-303366 showed activity in this rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis, ravuconazole was the more active agent, comparable to amphotericin B. Additional studies are needed to determine the potential of ravuconazole for use in the treatment of this infection.
Impaired Postural Stability in Patients With Cervical Myelopathy: Evaluation by Computerized Static Stabilometry

Study Design. A prospective clinical study. Objective. To quantitatively evaluate impairment of postural stability in patients with cervical myelopathy. Summary of Background Data. Proprioceptive sensation plays an important role in coordinated movement of the lower extremities and postural stability. Nevertheless, although disturbance of proprioceptive information will have an influence on the maintenance of postural stability, there have been few studies dealing with deterioration of postural stability in patients with cervical myelopathy. Methods. We investigated 52 cervical myelopathy patients who could stand without support and compared the results with those of 29 age-matched healthy volunteers. Postural stability was examined using a stabilometer. In the stabilometer, sway of gravity center was measured at upright position with eyes closed for 30 seconds. We used 2 parameters for evaluation: environmental area (EA), which measures degree of sway of the gravity center, and locus length per environmental area (L/EA), which measures fine control of standing posture by proprioceptive reflexes. Results. The mean EA of the patient group was 13.9, whereas that of the control group was 2.74, revealing significantly larger postural instability in the patient group compared to the control group. The L/EA of the patient group was significantly worse than the control group. It was also shown that postural instability was significantly larger in the myelopathy patients with the severe clinical symptoms. Conclusion. The results of the present study demonstrate impairment of postural stability in patients with cervical myelopathy. The stabilometer can objectively evaluate the postural stability, which may reflect the function of the dorsal columns and the corticospinal tracts. Thus, stabilometry is a useful method for measuring a part of proprioceptive function and for objective assessment of the lower limb function of cervical myelopathy.
Concordant hypermethylation of intergenic microRNA genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma as new diagnostic and prognostic marker

Epigenetic inactivation by aberrant DNA methylation has been reported for many microRNA genes in various human malignancies. However, relatively little is known about microRNA gene methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, a systematic screen for identification of aberrantly hypermethylated microRNA genes in HCC was initiated. The methylation status of 39 intergenic CpG island associated microRNA genes was analyzed in HCC cell lines (n = 7), immortalized hepatocytes (n = 2) and normal liver samples (n = 5). Subsequently, 13 differentially methylated microRNA genes were analyzed in primary human HCC samples (n = 40), benign liver tumors (n = 15) and the adjacent liver tissues employing pyrosequencing. Expression of microRNA genes was measured using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In addition, DNA methylation and expression of microRNA genes were measured after DNMT1 knockdown or DNMT inhibition. Aberrant hypermethylation and concomitant reduction in expression of intergenic microRNA genes is a frequent event in human HCC: hsa‐mir‐9‐2 (23%), hsa‐mir‐9‐3 (50 %), hsa‐mir‐124‐1 (20%), hsa‐mir‐124‐2 (13%), hsa‐mir‐124‐3 (43%), hsa‐mir‐129‐2 (58%), hsa‐mir‐596 (28%) and hsa‐mir‐1247 (38%). Altogether, it affects 90% of the HCC specimens under study. MicroRNA gene methylation is not found in hepatocellular adenoma (n = 10) and focal nodular hyperplasia (n = 5). DNMT1 knockdown or DNMT inhibition reduced microRNA gene methylation and stimulated expression. In primary human HCC specimens hypermethylation and expression of microRNA genes showed an inverse correlation. Concordant hypermethylation of three or more microRNA genes is a highly specific marker for the detection of HCC and for poor prognosis.
Applying Causal Mediation Analysis to Personality Disorder Research

This article is designed to address fundamental issues in the application of causal mediation analysis to research on personality disorders. Causal mediation analysis is used to identify mechanisms of effect by testing variables as putative links between the independent and dependent variables. As such, it would appear to have relevance to personality disorder research. It is argued that proper implementation of causal mediation analysis requires that investigators take several factors into account. These factors are discussed under 5 headings: variable selection, model specification, significance evaluation, effect size estimation, and sensitivity testing. First, care must be taken when selecting the independent, dependent, mediator, and control variables for a mediation analysis. Some variables make better mediators than others and all variables should be based on reasonably reliable indicators. Second, the mediation model needs to be properly specified. This requires that the data for the analysis be prospectively or historically ordered and possess proper causal direction. Third, it is imperative that the significance of the identified pathways be established, preferably with a nonparametric bootstrap resampling approach. Fourth, effect size estimates should be computed or competing pathways compared. Finally, investigators employing the mediation method are advised to perform a sensitivity analysis. Additional topics covered in this article include parallel and serial multiple mediation designs, moderation, and the relationship between mediation and moderation.
The Transcription Factor Rim101p Governs Ion Tolerance and Cell Differentiation by Direct Repression of the Regulatory Genes NRG1 and SMP1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Environmental pH changes have broad consequences for growth and differentiation. The best-understood eukaryotic pH response pathway acts through the zinc-finger transcription factor PacC of Aspergillus nidulans, which activates alkaline pH-induced genes directly. We show here that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rim101p, the pH response regulator homologous to PacC, functions as a repressor in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that Rim101p is associated in vivo with the promoters of seven Rim101p-repressed genes. A reporter gene containing deduced Rim101p binding sites is negatively regulated by Rim101p and is associated with Rim101p in vivo. Deletion mutations of the Rim101p repression targets NRG1 and SMP1 suppress rim101Δ mutant defects in ion tolerance, haploid invasive growth, and sporulation. Therefore, transcriptional repression is the main biological function of Rim101p. The Rim101p repression target Nrg1p is in turn required for repression of two alkaline pH-inducible genes, including the Na+ pump gene ENA1, which is required for ion tolerance. Thus, Nrg1p, a known transcriptional repressor, functions as an inhibitor of alkaline pH responses. Our findings stand in contrast to the well-characterized function of PacC as a direct activator of alkaline pH-induced genes yet explain many aspects of Rim101p and PacC function in other organisms.
The importance of caregivers in the outcome of pediatric HIV management, Mombasa, Kenya

We assessed programmatic gaps that prevent the optimal treatment of pediatric HIV infection despite free antiretroviral care in Kenya. Of 626 HIV-infected Kenyan children, the median age was five years, 54% were male and the mortality rate was 3.2 per 100 person-years. A total of 380 (61%) children initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the study period. Among the 246 children who never started ART, 129 (52%) met the criteria for ART initiation. Immunologic failure occurred in 20% of children who received ART for >24 weeks. In multivariate analysis, immunological failure was associated with having nonimmediate relative or unrelated caregivers accompanying the child to clinic (AOR = 69.16, p = 0.008). Having ≥3 types of accompanying caregivers was also associated with virologic failure in multivariate analysis (AOR = 3.84, p = 0.03). The lost to follow-up rate was 8.7/100 persons-years for the entire cohort, and significantly higher (17.7/100 persons-years) among children not on ART (p < 0.001). Among children who do initiate ART, those with the best treatment outcomes were those who had a limited number of close relatives as caregivers and good adherence to ART. Focus on early ART initiation and education of the right caregiver will likely improve retention and quality of pediatric HIV care in Kenya.
Gender perspectives of sexual and reproductive practices of people living with HIV/AIDS in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

BACKGROUND a major focus of attention in the efforts at controlling the spread of HIV infection has become the role of gender inequality. The objective of the study was to compare the sexual practices of HIV-positive male and female patients who received counselling and treatment at an Anti-retroviral Clinic in Enugu, South-East Nigeria. METHOD A comparative cross-sectional descriptive study of patients attending the free anti-retroviral clinic at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu was done. RESULTS A total of 146 males (30.8%) and 328 females (61.9%) were studied. Although there was no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual activity between the sexes, the reasons for sexual practices differed. Females indulged in risky sexual activity principally in obedience to the demands of their male partners and were more likely to have sexual partners who were unaware of their seropositivity than males. CONCLUSION Risky sexual behaviour among women living with HIV/AIDS in Enugu despite exposure to intensive counselling was still mainly driven by the subordinate traditional gender roles of women in this culture.
The arginine-rich domain of the hepatitis B virus core protein is required for pregenome encapsidation and productive viral positive-strand DNA synthesis but not for virus assembly

Assembly of replication-competent hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleocapsids requires the interaction of the core protein, the P protein, and the RNA pregenome. The core protein contains an arginine-rich C-terminal domain which is dispensable for particle formation in heterologous expression systems. Using transient expression in HuH7 cells of a series of C-terminally truncated core proteins, I examined the functional role of this basic region in the context of a complete HBV genome. All variants containing at least the 144 N-terminal amino acids were assembly competent, but efficient pregenome encapsidation was observed only with variants consisting of 164 or more amino acids. These data indicate that one function of the arginine-rich region is to provide the interactions between core protein and RNA pregenome. However, in cores from the variant ending with amino acid 164, the production of complete positive-strand DNA was drastically reduced. Moreover, almost all positive-strand DNA originated from in situ priming, whereas in wild-type particles, this type of priming not supporting the formation of relaxed circular DNA (RC-DNA) accounted for about one half of the positive strands. Further C-terminal residues to position 173 restored RC-DNA formation, and the corresponding variant did not differ from the full-length core protein in all assays used. The observation that RNA encapsidation and formation of RC-DNA can be genetically separated suggests that the core protein, via its basic C-terminal region, also acts as an essential auxiliary component in HBV replication, possibly like a histone, or like a single-stranded-DNA-binding protein. In contrast to their importance for HBV replication, sequences beyond amino acid 164 were not required for the formation of enveloped virions. Since particles from variant 164 did not contain mature DNA genomes, a genome maturation signal is apparently not required for HBV nucleocapsid envelopment.
HLA-DR-Mediated Apoptosis Susceptibility Discriminates Differentiation Stages of Dendritic/Monocytic APC1

Professional APC are characterized by their ability to present peptide via HLA class II in the presence of costimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80, and CD86). The efficiency of Ag presentation can be classed as follows: mature dendritic cells (DC) are most efficient, immature DC and macrophages are intermediate, and monocytes are considered poor APC. There is a large body of evidence demonstrating that HLA-DR transmits signals in the APC. In this study, we have addressed the question of the outcome of HLA-DR signals on APC of the monocyte/DC lineages throughout their differentiation from immature to mature APC. DC were generated from both monocytes and CD34+ cells of the same individual, macrophages were differentiated from monocytes. Immunophenotypical analysis clearly distinguished these populations. HLA-DR-mediated signals led to marked apoptosis in mature DC of either CD34 or monocytic origin. Significantly less apoptosis was observed in immature DC of either origin. Nonetheless, even immature DC were more susceptible to HLA-DR-mediated apoptosis than macrophages, whereas monocytes were resistant to HLA-DR-mediated apoptosis. The mechanism of HLA-DR-mediated apoptosis was independent of caspase activation. Taken together, these data lead to the notion that signals generated via HLA-DR lead to the demise of mature professional APC, thereby providing a means of limiting the immune response.
Proteolytic Activities of Two Types of Mannose-Binding Lectin-Associated Serine Protease

Mannose (or mannan)-binding lectin (MBL) is an oligomeric serum lectin that plays a role in innate immunity by activating the complement system. In human, two types of MBL-associated serine protease (MASP-1 and MASP-2) and a truncated protein of MASP-2 (small MBL-associated protein; sMAP or MAp19) are complexed with MBL. To clarify the proteolytic activities of MASP-1 and MASP-2 against C4, C2, and C3, we isolated these two types of MASP in activated forms from human serum by sequential affinity chromatography. On an anti-MASP-1 column, MASP-2 passed through the column in the presence of EDTA and high salt concentration, whereas MASP-1 was retained. Isolated MASP-1 and MASP-2 exhibited proteolytic activities against C3 and C4, respectively. C2 was activated by both MASPs. C1 inhibitor (C1 INH), an inhibitor for C1r and C1s, formed equimolar complexes with MASP-1 and MASP-2 and inhibited their proteolytic activities.
Facial symmetry after closed and open treatment of fractures of the mandibular condylar process.

PURPOSE This study compares vertical measures of mandibular and facial morphology after open or closed treatment for fractures of the mandibular condylar process. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred forty-six patients (121 male, 25 female), 81 treated by closed and 65 by open methods, were included in this study. Towne's and panoramic radiographs, taken at several intervals, were used to quantify the displacement of the condylar process fractures. Posteroanterior cephalograms taken at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 to 3 years after treatment were used to assess posterior facial height and bigonial and occlusal plane angles. Additionally, panoramic radiographs were used to assess ramus height at the same periods. Standard statistical methods were used to assess differences between groups. RESULTS Patients whose condylar process fractures were treated by closed methods had significantly shorter posterior facial and ramus heights on the side of injury, and more tilting of the occlusal and bigonial planes toward the fractured side, than patients whose fractures were treated by open methods. Most of the asymmetry in patients treated by closed methods was present by 6 weeks after injury. CONCLUSIONS Patients treated by closed methods develop asymmetries characterized by shortening of the face on the side of injury. It is likely that loss of posterior facial height on the side of fracture in these patients is an adaptation that helps reestablish a new temporomandibular articulation.
Analysis of factors that influence the ICT adoption by SMEs in Colombia

Purpose: The objective of this article is to analyze the factors that influence the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by SMEs in Colombia. Design/methodology: To prove empirically these hypotheses, we administered a questionnaire to a sample of 474 SMEs in Colombia regarding the adoption of ICT and independent variables identified in the literature. Then, we conducted a series of multiple regression models using the data we obtained. Findings: We developed a model that identifies a positive relation between new business opportunities that ICT offer and their adoption level. Likewise, this research identified that a lack of confidence in ICT's security and privacy, a perception of ICT cost-benefit unbalance have a negative impact on the implementation of these technologies. Research limitations/implications: This study has limitations that are inherent to cross-sectional research. These restrict the possibility of conducting dynamic analysis between independent and dependent variables. Likewise, the generalization of results is circumscribed to a geographical context and the type of enterprises surveyed. Practical implications: The results of this research provide valuable contributions to decision-making by SMEs' directors and to public policies that foster the implementation of ICT in SMEs based on an analysis of benefits and barriers found in this study. Originality/value: In view of a lack of empirical work that analyzes the implementation of technology in enterprises in emerging countries, this study provides a valuable contribution to the creation of knowledge when attempting to explain the implementation of ICT using a representative sample of SMEs in Colombia identifying the quantitative form of the impact of the benefits and barriers of these technologies.