Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Markers of inflammation in schizophrenia: association vs. causation

Inflammation is a complex response of the host to tissue injury, such as infection or physical insult 1. The main role of inflammation is to quickly eliminate pathogens by initiating an adaptive immune response through stimulation of antigen-specific T- and B-lymphocytes and their regulating immune-transmitters, the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are divided into predominantly pro-inflammatory and predominantly anti-inflammatory types 2. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), are secreted by monocytes and macrophages and activate other cellular components of the inflammatory response. Anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-4 (IL-4), help to down-regulate the inflammatory immune response. The role of inflammation in schizophrenia has received intense attention and a cytokine-mediated mechanism represents the keystone of a number of hypotheses formulated in the past two decades 2–4. The macrophage T-lymphocyte hypothesis postulates that chronically activated macrophages produce cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factors, interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma 5. The “T helper hypothesis” advances the idea of a shift away from cytotoxic cell immune function toward humoral immune reactivity 6. The microglia hypothesis argues that pro-inflammatory cytokines and free radicals are released by activated central nervous system microglia, causing abnormal neurogenesis, neural degradation and white matter abnormalities, which are known to play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia 7. A convergence between neuroinflammatory changes and dopamine and glutamate receptors has also been postulated, and clinical trials with biological therapies developed for the reduction of inflammation 8,9 and for autoimmune disorders 10,11 are seriously considered. The significance of cytokine abnormalities and other markers of immune dysfunction identified in patients with schizophrenia can be examined through the prism of Bradford Hill's guidelines 12, a widely accepted model for judging whether an association can contribute to cause a pathological phenomenon. Based on this framework, we evaluate here the strength of the association; its consistency in studies performed by different investigators on different samples; its temporality, by trying to determine whether the inflammation has preceded the onset of schizophrenia; its biological gradient, meaning that the severity of schizophrenia should correlate with the magnitude of the inflammatory process; its plausibility as a pathophysiological mechanism; the coherence between epidemiological and laboratory findings; and the specificity of inflammatory abnormalities.
Botulinum toxin A versus B in sialorrhea: A prospective, randomized, double‐blind, crossover pilot study in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson's disease

Background: Either botulinum toxins (BoNTs) A and B have been used for improving drooling in different neurological conditions. Methods: Consecutive patients affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson's Disease (PD) accompanied by severe drooling were randomized to receive botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT‐A) or B (BoNT‐B) injections into the salivary glands. Following the first treatment, when sialorrhea returned to baseline (at least three months after the first injection), subjects were re‐treated with the other serotype. Ultrasound‐guided injections into parotid and submandibular glands were bilaterally performed: total doses were 250 U BoNT‐A (Dysport) and 2500 U BoNT‐B (Neurobloc). Objective (cotton roll weight) and subjective (ad hoc clinical scales) evaluations were performed at baseline, after 1 and 4 weeks, and every 4 weeks until drooling returned to baseline. Results: Twenty‐seven patients (15 ALS and 12 PD) were enrolled, fourteen completed the study. BoNT‐A and BoNT‐B treatments gave both subjective and objective improvements in all patients. The latency was significantly shorter after BoNT‐B treatments (3.2 ± 3.7 days) compared to BoNT‐A (6.6 ± 4.1 days; P = 0.002). The mean benefit duration was similar at 75 and 90 days for BoNT‐A and BoNT‐B, respectively (P = NS). The only toxin‐related side effect was a change to saliva thickness. Conclusions: Either 250 U Dysport or 2500 U Neurobloc have similar effectiveness and safety in controlling sialorrhea. BoNT‐B has a shorter latency and comparable duration. Cost analysis, considering the doses used in this study protocol favored BoNT‐B treatment. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Prevalence of enteric parasites in HIV-infected patients in Southwestern Nigeria

This study investigates the prevalence of enteric parasites in Immunodeficient HIV-infected outpatients (with and without diarrhoea) of Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, southwestern Nigeria, between November 2004 and April 2005. Stool samples collected from the patients were examined microscopically for the presence of intestinal parasites using wet preparation and stain smears. 50% of the 110 patients examined showed symptoms of diarrhoea (symptomatic) while the remaining half were asymptomatic. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was significantly higher (P<0.05) in symptomatic (15.4%) than asymptomatic (7.3%) diarrhoea patients. More cases of combined parasitism were reported in symptomatic than asymptomatic infected patients. 49% of the symptomatic cases had acute diarrhoea while 51% had chronic diarrhoea. However, the differences were non significant (P>0.05). Overall, protozoa were the most commonly identified etiologic agents (11.8%) closely followed by helminths (10.9%). Entamoeba histolytica (6.4%) was predominant followed by Giardia lamblia (5.5%) while Hookworm (2.7%) least occurred. Protozoan infection was most prevalent among 21-30 age group but nonsignificantly less (P>0.05) among 31-40 years and above. Studies on the frequency of occurrence of potential etiologic agents of diarrhoea in HIV-infected patients in different geographical locations are important guide to physician for case management.
Eustress at Work: The Relationship between Hope and Health in Hospital Nurses

This study examined the relationship between eustress, the positive response to work demands, and health in 158 hospital nurses. The positive psychological states hope, positive affect, and meaningfulness were used as indicators of eustress, and the psychological state negative affect was used as an indicator of distress. Hope, the belief that one has both the will and the way to accomplish one's goals, had a significant, positive relationship with the perception of health in this sample of hospital nurses.
Cosmic recall and the scattering picture of Loop Quantum Cosmology

The global dynamics of a homogeneous Universe in loop quantum cosmology is viewed as a scattering process of its geometrodynamical equivalent. This picture is applied to build a flexible (easy to generalize) and not restricted just to exactly solvable models method of verifying the preservation of the semiclassicality through the bounce. The devised method is next applied to two simple examples: (i) the isotropic Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe, and (ii) the isotropic sector of the Bianchi I model. For both of them we show that the dispersions in the logarithm of the volume ln(v) and scalar field momentum ln(p{sub {phi}}) in the distant future and past are related via strong triangle inequalities. This implies, in particular, a strict preservation of the semiclassicality (in considered degrees of freedom) in both the cases (i) and (ii). Derived inequalities are general: valid for all the physical states within the considered models.
Characterization of OXA-25, OXA-26, and OXA-27, Molecular Class D β-Lactamases Associated with Carbapenem Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT Carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter spp. is increasingly being associated with OXA-type β-lactamases with weak hydrolytic activity against imipenem and meropenem. Such enzymes were characterized from Acinetobacter isolates collected in Belgium, Kuwait, Singapore, and Spain. The isolates from Spain and Belgium had novel class D β-lactamases that were active against carbapenems. These were designated OXA-25 and OXA-26, respectively, and had >98% amino acid homology with each other and with the OXA-24 enzyme recently described by others from an Acinetobacterisolate collected elsewhere in Spain. The isolate from Singapore had OXA-27 β-lactamase, another novel class D type with only 60% homology to OXA-24, -25, and -26, but with 99% homology to OXA-23 (ARI-1), described previously from an Acinetobacter baumannii isolate collected in Scotland. Sequence data were not obtained for the carbapenem-hydrolyzing OXA enzyme from the isolate from Kuwait; nevertheless, the enzyme was phenotypically similar to OXA-25 and -26. The enzymes OXA-23, -24, -25, -26, and -27 retained the STFK and SXV motifs typical of class D β-lactamases, but the YGN motif was altered to FGN. The KTG motif was retained by OXA-27 and -23 but was replaced by KSG in OXA-24, -25, and -26. OXA-25 and -26 enzymes were strongly active against oxacillin, but unusually for an OXA-type β-lactamase, OXA-27 had apparently weak activity, although measurement was complicated by biphasic kinetics. None of the new enzymes was transmissible to Escherichia coli recipients. Many Acinetobacter isolates are multiresistant to other antibiotics, and the emergence of class D enzymes with carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity is a disturbing development for antimicrobial chemotherapy.
Clinical Utility of Small Dense LDL Cholesterol in Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome (syndrome X, Insulin resistance syndrome) consists of a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that confer increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in India has a direct correlation with the increasing prevalence of obesityrelated co-morbidities, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Small dense low density lipoprotein (sdLDL) also represents a marker for diagnosis and severity of the metabolic syndrome. Additionally, it has been suggested that the sdLDL/LDL ratio correlates with various parameters associated with MS rather than the LDL-C or sdLDL-C levels, thus possibly representing a more useful clinical indicator. Total 72 symptomatic cases of either sex, age between 20-80 yrs were recruited, of which, 38 were with MS and 34 were with metabolic syndrome with type 2 DM (MSwT2DM). The lipids and lipoproteins, including sdLDL by homogeneous assay, were determined in controls, MS and T2DM patients. In this study, the mean value of total cholesterol was higher in MS (142.88 ± 7.15) and MSwT2DM (171.16 ± 11.36) compared to normal subjects (109.41 ± 4.97) which was found statistically significant (p<0.001). The mean sdLDL level and sdLDL/HDL ratio of three groups, there was significant difference in sdLDL level and sdLDL/HDL ratio among the groups, there was different and higher mean sdLDL level in both case groups as compared to normal control group. Furthermore, mean sdLDL level was also found significantly (p<0.001) different and higher in MSwT2DM as compared to MS. It is concluded that LDL particle size such as sdLDL concentration has a positive correlation in increase in MS and diabetes mellitus in comparison to normal subjects.
Mexicana de Anesthesia for patients with liver disease

Surgical stress, particularly laparotomy, in patients with liver disease carries high mortality rate. For example, a 30 day mortality rate after laparotomy with liver biopsy, in patients with liver disease was approaching 30%(1,2). The presence of acute viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, ascites, or prolongation in prothrombin time by more than 2.5 seconds increased 30 day mortality to 85-95%(2). More recent studies suggest an improvement: overall perioperative 30-day mortality was reported as 11.6%; perioperative complication rate remains at the level of 30%(3). Factors associated with perioperative complications and mortality includes male gender, the presence of ascites, diagnosis of cirrhosis, an elevated creatinine concentration, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, perioperative infection, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, presence of intraoperative hypotension and some others(3).
A simple reaching law based design method for 2-sliding mode control

Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is a unique control strategy that emerged from Variable Structure Control. The chattering in 1-Sliding Mode Control was a major limitation in real world applications in spite of its proven superiority in handling disturbances and uncertainties. The Higher-Order Sliding Mode(HOSM) methods gained popularity with their ability to eliminate chattering. But the current literature available on HOSM is overly complex and difficult to grasp for a practicing engineer. The purpose of this paper is to present the concept in a simplified manner. A reaching law based approach for designing 2-sliding controller is explained and evaluated with examples.
Disruption of a Locus Encoding a Nucleolar Zinc Finger Protein Decreases Tachyzoite-to-Bradyzoite Differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii

ABSTRACT During its life cycle in intermediate hosts, Toxoplasma gondii exists in two interconverting developmental stages: tachyzoites and bradyzoites. This interconversion is essential for the survival and pathogenicity of the parasite, but little is known about the genetic mechanisms that control this process. We have previously generated tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite differentiation (Tbd−) mutants using chemical mutagenesis and a green fluorescent protein-based selection strategy. The genetic loci responsible for the Tbd− phenotype, however, could not be identified. We have now used an insertional mutagenesis strategy to generate two differentiation mutants: TBD-5 and TBD-6 that switch to bradyzoites at 10 and 50% of wild-type levels, respectively. In TBD-6 there is a single insertion of the mutagenesis vector 164 bp upstream of the transcription start site of a gene encoding a zinc finger protein (ZFP1). Disruption of this locus in wild-type parasites reproduces the decreased stage conversion phenotype. ZFP1 is targeted to the parasite nucleolus by CCHC motifs and significantly altered expression levels are toxic to the parasites. This represents the first identification of a gene necessary for efficient conversion of tachyzoites to bradyzoites.
In-pixel autoexposure CMOS APS

A CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) with in-pixel autoexposure and a wide dynamic-range linear output is described. The chip features a unique architecture enabling a customized number of additional bits per pixel per readout, with minimal effect on the sensor spatial or temporal resolution. By utilizing multiple readouts via real-time feedback, each pixel in the field of view can automatically set an independent exposure time, according to its illumination. A customized, large increase in the dynamic range can be achieved and a scene containing both bright and dark regions can be captured. A prototype of 64 /spl times/ 64 pixels has been fabricated using 1-poly 3-metal CMOS 0.5 /spl mu/m n-well process available through MOSIS. Power dissipation is 3.7 mW at V/sub DD/ = 5 V. The special functions have been verified experimentally, and an increase of 2 bits over the inherent dynamic range captured is shown.
HMM-Based Probabilistic Flick Keyboard Adaptable to Individual User

To provide an accurate and user-adaptable software keyboard for touchscreens, we propose a probabilistic flick keyboard based on hidden Markov models (HMMs). Touch and flick operations for each character are modeled by HMMs. This keyboard reduces input errors by taking the trajectory of the actual touch position into consideration and by user adaptation. We evaluated the performance of an HMM-based flick keyboard and maximum-likelihood linear regression (MLLR) adaptation. Experimental results showed that a user-dependent model reduced the error rate by 28.3%. In a practical setting, the MLLR adaptation to a specific user with only 10 words reduced the error rate by 16.6% and increased the typing speed by 11.9%.
Summary of Current Diabetes-related Data from the National Center for Health Statistics

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducts national studies, publishes results, and releases microdata tapes that contain information of central importance to diabetes epidemiology. The prevalence, incidence, and distribution of diabetes with associated medical conditions and therapies are available from interviews and examination study sources. Utilization patterns, multiple morbidity, and cost data for diabetic patients and others using health resources are available through studies of provider records, physician visit encounter forms, vital record follow-back questionnaires, and insurance records. The vital statistics system also provides data about mortality and its geographic distribution. In the second Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by NCHS, a fasting oral glucose tolerance test was administered to 2244 persons using a 75-g glucose challenge. Blood samples were taken fasting, 1 h, and 2 h after glucose challenge. These provisional data are representative only of the sample persons ages 20–74 yr participating in the first 34 sample locations of the survey. Many facets of data evaluation remain to be explored, such as response bias and use of medications. Nevertheless, using the criteria proposed by the National Diabetes Data Group for diagnosis of diabetes, 2.7% of the sample (in which the poor and persons ages 60–74 yr are overrepresented) had fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dl. About 3.9% had fasting levels less than 140 mg/dl, but had 1-h and 2-h plasma glucose levels after challenge greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl. The data in final weighted form will not overrepresent specific groups in the population
Dual Signaling of MyD88 and TRIF Is Critical for Maximal TLR4-Induced Dendritic Cell Maturation1

TLR4 is a unique TLR because downstream signaling occurs via two separate pathways, as follows: MyD88 and Toll IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β (TRIF). In this study, we compared and contrasted the interplay of these pathways between murine dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages during LPS stimulation. During TLR4 activation, neither pathway on its own was critical for up-regulation of costimulatory molecules in DCs, whereas the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules was largely TRIF dependent in macrophages. LPS-induced secreted factors, of which type I IFNs were one of the active components, played a larger role in promoting the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules in macrophages than DCs. In both cell types, MyD88 and TRIF pathways together accounted for the inflammatory response to LPS activation. Furthermore, signaling of both adaptors allowed maximal T cell priming by LPS-matured DCs, with MyD88 playing a larger role than TRIF. In sum, in our experimental systems, TRIF signaling plays a more important role in LPS-induced macrophage activation than in DC activation.
The Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test: A field test that simulates the activity pattern of soccer

The aims of this study were to describe and determine the test-retest reliability of an exercise protocol, the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (the LIST), which was designed to simulate the activity pattern characteristic of the game of soccer. The protocol consisted of two parts: Part A comprised a fixed period of variable-intensity shuttle running over 20 m; Part B consisted of continuous running, alternating every 20 m between 55% and 95% VO 2max , until volitional fatigue. Seven trained games players (age 21.5 +/- 0.9 years, height 182 +/- 2 cm, body mass 80.1 +/- 3.6 kg, VO 2max 59.0 +/- 1.9 ml kg -1 min -1 ; mean s x ) performed the test on two occasions (Trial 1 and Trial 2), at least7 days apart, to determine the test-retest reliability of the sprint times and running capacity. The physiological and metabolic responses on both occasions were also monitored. The participants ingested water ad libitum during the first trial, and were then prescribed the same amount of water during the second trial. The 15 m sprint times during Trials 1 and 2 averaged 2.42 +/- 0.04 s and 2.43 +/- 0.04 s, respectively. Run time during Part B was 6.3 +/- 2.0 min for Trial 1 and 6.1 +/- 1.3 min for Trial 2. The 95% limits of agreement for sprint times and run times during Part B were -0.14 to 0.12 s and -3.19 to 2.16 min respectively. There were no differences between trials for heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, body mass change during exercise, or blood lactate and glucose concentrations during the test. Thus, we conclude that the sprint times and the Part B run times were reproducible within the limits previously stated. In addition, the activity pattern and the physiological and metabolic responses closely simulated the match demands of soccer.
Pre-Senile Cataract in Diabetic Patients: Prevalence and Early Diagnosis

Hypothesis: Since cataract is more prevalent in the diabetic population, the authors compared the findings of the gold standard Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCSIII) with the Scheimpflug objective measures in a presenile population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of diabetic patients between 50 and 60 years old. Patients answered a questionnaire about clinical conditions, complications, medications in use and demographics, and were submitted to a complete non-dilated and dilated ophthalmological evaluation, including a Scheimpflug lens densitometry (Pentacam Nucleus Staging) and the Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCSIII) based evaluation. All patients signed an informed consent term. Results: Eighty-six eyes from 43 patients were enrolled; 96.5% had some degree of cataract, as classified by LOCS III and 46.5% by Pentacam. Most of the patients had corrected visual acuity of 20/20 (74.4%) and 25.6% had corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse. Conclusions: Corrected visual acuity in the majority of patients was normal and they mostly had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. LOCS III remains an earlier and less expensive method of cataract diagnosis. Different cataract morphology seems to relate to different systemic complication, although this finding must be confirmed by further studies.
Nutrition–parasite interactions in goats: is immunoregulation involved in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes?

Compared to sheep, goats seem to develop a low immune response against the parasitic nematodes of the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, some variability in the host response has been observed either at the individual level or depending on internal (genetic) or external (physiological status, nutrition) factors suggesting the possibility to exploit and manipulate this response. There is good evidence from field studies to suggest that a better plane of nutrition might contribute to improve goat resilience. However, the effects on immunoregulation and host resistance remain less clear. Due to their peculiarities in feeding behaviour (‘intermediate browser’), goats represent a valuable model to explore the relationships between the three possible strategies to control nematode infection through nutrition: (i) by increasing the immune response; (ii) by avoiding the infective larvae; and (iii) by selecting plants with direct anthelmintic properties (self medication).