Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VE‐PTP inhibition stabilizes endothelial junctions by activating FGD5

Inhibition of VE‐PTP, an endothelial receptor‐type tyrosine phosphatase, triggers phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase receptor Tie‐2, which leads to the suppression of inflammation‐induced vascular permeability. Analyzing the underlying mechanism, we show here that inhibition of VE‐PTP and activation of Tie‐2 induce tyrosine phosphorylation of FGD5, a GTPase exchange factor (GEF) for Cdc42, and stimulate its translocation to cell contacts. Interfering with the expression of FGD5 blocks the junction‐stabilizing effect of VE‐PTP inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Likewise, FGD5 is required for strengthening cortical actin bundles and inhibiting radial stress fiber formation, which are each stimulated by VE‐PTP inhibition. We identify Y820 of FGD5 as the direct substrate for VE‐PTP. The phosphorylation of FGD5‐Y820 is required for the stabilization of endothelial junctions and for the activation of Cdc42 by VE‐PTP inhibition but is dispensable for the recruitment of FGD5 to endothelial cell contacts. Thus, activation of FGD5 is a two‐step process that comprises membrane recruitment and phosphorylation of Y820. These steps are necessary for the junction‐stabilizing effect stimulated by VE‐PTP inhibition and Tie‐2 activation.
A novel fuzzy based method for 3D buildings modelling in urban satellite imagery

In this paper a fuzzy based method for 3d modeling of tall buildings and towers using a single satellite image is addressed. Firstly vegetations based on green layer of image and amount of gradient and image intensity were filtered out. Afterwards, buildings are segmented based on the method presented in [13]. In the next step, according to the fuzzy membership functions, obtained from structural context, the roof of each building is segmented from building walls. To make a 3d model of buildings, the side of building walls that present their height is manually selected by the human operator. Other buildings are modeled by the set angle. To benchmark the algorithm it is applied to some images from Sydney, Australia. The experimental result shows that the method could efficiently model the buildings which have at least two sides obvious in the satellite image.
FAILURE TO RESCUE IN SURGICAL PATIENTS: A REVIEW FOR ACUTE CARE SURGEONS.

The Failure to Rescue (FTR) rate is defined as the mortality rate among patients who experience one or more complications. It has been used as an outcome metric for approximately 25 years, primarily in elective surgery populations, and has been shown to be associated with factors that are modifiable on the institutional level. Although the FTR metric was derived in elective surgical populations, modifications have been made in attempts to refine the metric and apply it to broader populations, including medical patients and non-elective surgical patients. However, study among emergency general surgery patients has been limited. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge surrounding FTR, including established risk factors and potential limitations of the metric in emergency general surgery (EGS) populations. We then discuss a conceptual model for FTR events and review strategies to minimize rates. Finally, we provide a brief overview of current areas of study and potential future directions in acute care surgery. STUDY TYPE: Review article.
Association of salivary alpha-amylase and salivary flow rate with working memory functioning in healthy children

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the association between auditory and visual working memory (WM) performance and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary flow rate (SFR) in a sample of 63 children (38 boys). WM was assessed by means of WISC-V subtests: four auditory subtests (Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing) and one visual subtest (Picture Span). SAA activity, output, and SFR were measured at baseline (10 min prior to testing), one minute prior to testing, one minute after the end of the auditory WM subtests and one minute after the end of the visual WM subtest. Our statistical analyses showed an association among SAA activity, output and SFR levels and the number of recalled digits in the last attempt score in Letter-Number Sequencing subtest. Specifically, our results showed that working performance in this task was associated with a concurrent decrease in SFR (r(63) = −0.423, p < . 05). This salivary measure was the best predictor of this specific index of working memory performance (β = −0.423, p < .05). These results show that the changes in SFR, which represents changes in parasympathetic tone, could be employed in future studies as a noninvasive marker of working memory performance in child studies.
The use of albumin microspheres in the treatment of carrageenan‐induced inflammation in the rat

Abstract— Free hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone incorporated into microspheres and empty microspheres have been administered orally to rats with carrageenan‐induced hindpaw inflammation. Hydrocortisone administered in particles was effective at a lower dose than free steroid in reducing inflammation. Inflammatory exudates were able to release steroid from the microspheres by proteolytic degradation.
Obstructive sleep apnea: personal, societal, public health, and legal implications

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widely prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder, which leads to several life-threatening diseases. OSA has systemic effects on various organ systems. Untreated OSA is associated with long-term health consequences including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, depression, metabolic disorders, and stroke. In addition, untreated OSA is reported to be associated with cognitive dysfunction, impaired productivity at the workplace and in an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) resulting in injury and fatality. Other consequences of OSA include, but are not limited to, impaired vigilance, daytime somnolence, performance deficits, morning headaches, mood disturbances, neurobehavioral impairments, and general malaise. Additionally, OSA has become an economic burden on most health systems all over the world. Many driving license regulations have been developed to reduce MVAs among OSA patients. Methods Studies of the personal, societal, public health, and legal aspects of OSA are reviewed. Data were collected through the following databases: MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, SAGE Research Methods, and ScienceDirect. Conclusion OSA leads to worsening of patients’ personal relationships, decreasing work productivity, and increasing occupational accidents as well as MVAs. The costs of undiagnosed and untreated OSA to healthcare organizations are excessive. Thus, proper management of OSA will benefit not only the patient but will also provide widespread benefits to the society as a whole.
Clinician, student and faculty perspectives on the audiology-industry interface: implications for ethics education

Abstract Objective: Supporting audiologists to work ethically with industry requires theory-building research. This study sought to answer: How do audiologists view their relationship with industry in terms of ethical implications? What do audiologists do when faced with ethical tensions? How do social and systemic structures influence these views and actions? Design: A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted using semi-structured interviews of clinicians, students and faculty. Study sample: A purposive sample of 19 Canadian and American audiologists was recruited with representation across clinical, academic, educational and industry work settings. Theoretical sampling of grey literature occurred alongside audiologist sampling. Interpretations were informed by the concepts of ethical tensions as ethical uncertainty, dilemmas and distress. Results: Findings identified the audiology–industry relationship as symbiotic but not wholly positive. A range of responses included denying ethical tensions to avoiding any industry interactions altogether. Several of our participants who had experienced ethical distress quit their jobs to resolve the distress. Systemic influences included the economy, professional autonomy and the hidden curriculum. Conclusions: In direct response to our findings, the authors suggest a move to include virtues-based practice, an explicit curriculum for learning ethical industry relations, theoretically-aligned ethics education approaches and systemic and structural change.
Cold stress activates disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana through a salicylic acid dependent pathway.

Exposure to short-term cold stress influences disease resistance by mechanisms that remain poorly characterized. The molecular basis of cold-activated immunity was therefore investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana inoculated with the bacterial pathogen Pst DC3000, using a transcriptomic analysis. Exposure to cold stress for 10 hr was sufficient to activate immunity, as well as H2 O2 accumulation and callose deposition. Transcriptome changes induced by the 10-hr cold treatment were similar to those caused by pathogen infection, including increased expression of the salicylic acid (SA) pathway marker genes, PR2 and PR5, and genes playing positive roles in defence against (hemi)-biotrophs. In contrast, transcripts encoding jasmonic acid (JA) pathway markers such as PR4 and MYC2 and transcripts with positive roles in defence against necrotrophs were less abundant following the 10-hr cold treatment. Cold-activated immunity was dependent on SA, being partially dependent on NPR1 and ICS1/SID2. In addition, transcripts encoding SA biosynthesis enzymes such as ICS2, PAL1, PAL2, and PAL4 (but not ICS1/SID2) and MES9 were more abundant, whereas GH3.5/WES1 and SOT12 transcripts that encode components involved in SA modification were less abundant following cold stress treatment. These findings show that cold stress cross-activates innate immune responses via a SA-dependent pathway.
Learning to discriminate interaural time differences at low and high frequencies

This study investigated learning, in normal-hearing adults, associated with training (i.e. repeated practice) on the discrimination of ongoing interaural time difference (ITD). Specifically, the study addressed an apparent disparity in the conclusions of previous studies, which reported training-induced learning at high frequencies but not at low frequencies. Twenty normal-hearing adults were trained with either low- or high-frequency stimuli, associated with comparable asymptotic thresholds, or served as untrained controls. Overall, trained listeners learnt more than controls and over multiple sessions. The magnitudes and time-courses of learning with the low- and high-frequency stimuli were similar. While this is inconsistent with the conclusion of a previous study with low-frequency ITD, this previous conclusion may not be justified by the results reported. Generalization of learning across frequency was found, although more detailed investigations of stimulus-specific learning are warranted. Overall, the results are consistent with the notion that ongoing ITD processing is functionally uniform across frequency. These results may have implications for clinical populations, such as users of bilateral cochlear implants.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Enhances HIV-1 Susceptibility by Affecting Langerhans Cell Function

Genital herpes is the most prevalent viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide and is mainly caused by HSV type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-2 infection enhances HIV-1 susceptibility, even in the absence of clinical symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effect of HSV-2 on HIV-1 transmission by mucosal Langerhans cells (LCs). LCs are important in heterosexual transmission because they form a barrier against HIV-1 infection; LCs efficiently capture and degrade HIV-1 through the C-type lectin langerin, thereby preventing HIV-1 transmission. Notably, our data showed that HSV-2 enhanced HIV-1 infection of LCs and subsequent HIV-1 transmission to T cells. HSV-2 interfered with HIV-1 capture by langerin, which allowed efficient HIV-1 infection of LCs. HSV-2 inhibited the antiviral function of langerin at two levels; HSV-2 decreased langerin expression and competed with HIV-1 for langerin binding. HSV-2 replication was not required, because both UV-inactivated HSV-2 and TLR-3 agonist polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid similarly increased HIV-1 transmission by LCs. Therefore, we identified a mechanism by which HSV-2 enhances HIV-1 susceptibility, even in the absence of clinical symptoms. Our data demonstrated that viral coinfections, such as HSV-2, breach the protective function of LCs by abrogating langerin function, which increases HIV-1 susceptibility. These data reinforce the importance of preventing sexually transmitted infections, such as HSV-2, to reduce the transmission of HIV-1.
Effect of cooking on the stability of veterinary drug residues in chicken eggs

ABSTRACT The available information on drug residue stability in chicken egg is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of drug residues in egg under different traditional cooking procedures. Fresh eggs were spiked with different drug concentrations of albendazole (ABZ) and its albendazole sulphoxide (ABZSO) and albendazole sulphone (ABZSO2) metabolites; flubendazole (FLBZ) and its reduced flubendazole (R-FLBZ) and hydrolyzed flubendazole (H-FLBZ) metabolites; amoxicillin (AMX); and enrofloxacin (EFX) and its ciprofloxacin (CFX) metabolite. The egg samples were cooked in different ways, namely, boiling, microwaving, and omelette making. Drug residue concentrations in egg were quantified by HPLC with UV or fluorescence detectors. ABZ and ABZSO concentrations in egg were not affected by boiling and microwaving, while the omelette processing significantly reduced these molecules. Residues of ABZSO2 in egg were stable or increased after all cooking procedures. In contrast, FLBZ and its metabolites FLBZ-H and FLBZ-R residues in egg decreased after all treatments. The residue concentration quantified for EFX and CFX did not show significant changes after any cooking method. AMX residues were unstable, with extremely significant drug reduction after all cooking processes. Conventional methods of egg cooking cannot be considered a tool to eliminate all veterinary drug residues.
Childhood and adolescent passive smoking and the risk of female lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Few studies have reported the relationship between passive smoking (PS) in early life and the risk of lung cancer. This study was done to evaluate the risk of female lung cancer from PS, especially that during childhood and adolescence. METHODS Using household exposure to tobacco smoke as an estimate of PS, a 1:1 paired case-control study was conducted in Harbin, China. We interviewed 114 female primary lung cancer cases, aged 30-69 years, and their hospital-based controls. The controls were non-cancer patients, selected from the same hospital as the cases, and matched on age (+/- 5 years), residential area and smoking status over their lifetime. There were 59 pairs who ever smoked and 55 pairs who never smoked. Information on PS was collected by residence for each of the following periods: 0-6, 7-14, 15-22, 23-30 and 31-69 years. RESULTS Household PS significantly increases the risk of female lung cancer for those exposed at ages 22 or younger, who have ever smoked. The risk was also increased for those non-smoking pairs when exposed under the age of 15 years. Exposure to maternal smoking at ages 14 or younger increased the risk by about 170% (odds ratio, OR 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-4.88), but not to paternal smoking (OR 1.40, 95%CI: 0.92-2.50). The risk was highest for those exposed under the age of seven (OR 3.46, 95%CI: 1.80-6.65) and was also significant at ages 7-14 (OR 3.08, 95% CI: 1.62-5.57) and 15-22 (OR 3.10, 95%CI: 1.52-6.31) years. Under the age of 23 years, the OR increased with amount of PS (P < 0.001). Of note, the OR in all five exposure periods for non-smoking pairs were similar to those for all 114 pairs studied. CONCLUSIONS Household PS, particularly that during childhood, increases the risk of female lung cancer. The assessment of PS should be done by different periods of exposure.
Protective Dps–DNA co‐crystallization in stressed cells: an in vitro structural study by small‐angle X‐ray scattering and cryo‐electron tomography

Under severe or prolonged stress, bacteria produce a nonspecific DNA‐binding protein (Dps), which effectively protects DNA against damaging agents both in vitro and in vivo by forming intracellular biocrystals. The phenomenon of protective crystallization of DNA in living cells has been intensively investigated during the last two decades; however, the results of studies are somewhat contradictory, and up to now, there has been no direct determination of a Dps–DNA crystal structure. Here, we report the in vitro analysis of the vital process of Dps–DNA co‐crystallization using two complementary structural methods: synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering in solution and cryo‐electron tomography. Importantly, for the first time, the DNA in the co‐crystals was visualized, and the lattice parameters of the crystalline Dps–DNA complex were determined.
Biogenic amines and activity levels alter the neural energetic response to aggressive social cues in the honey bee Apis mellifera

Mitochondrial activity is highly dynamic in the healthy brain, and it can reflect both the signaling potential and the signaling history of neural circuits. Recent studies spanning invertebrates to mammals have highlighted a role for neural mitochondrial dynamics in learning and memory processes as well as behavior. In the current study, we investigate the interplay between biogenic amine signaling and neural energetics in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. In this species, aggressive behaviors are regulated by neural energetic state and biogenic amine titers, but it is unclear how these mechanisms are linked to impact behavioral expression. We show that brain mitochondrial number is highest in aggression‐relevant brain regions and in individual bees that are most responsive to aggressive cues, emphasizing the importance of energetics in modulating this phenotype. We also show that the neural energetic response to alarm pheromone, an aggression inducing social cue, is activity dependent, modulated by the “fight or flight” insect neurotransmitter octopamine. Two other neuroactive compounds known to cause variation in aggression, dopamine, and serotonin, also modulate neural energetic state in aggression‐relevant regions of the brain. However, the effects of these compounds on respiration at baseline and following alarm pheromone exposure are distinct, suggesting unique mechanisms underlying variation in mitochondrial respiration in these circuits. These results motivate new explanations for the ways in which biogenic amines alter sensory perception in the context of aggression. Considering neural energetics improves predictions about the regulation of complex and context‐dependent behavioral phenotypes.
Increased Prevalence of Anxiety-Associated Personality Traits in Patients with Cushing's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Aims: Chronic hypercortisolism in Cushing's disease (CD) has been suggested to contribute to an altered personality profile in these patients. We aimed to test this hypothesis and attempted to determine the effects of disease- and treatment-related factors that might moderate an altered personality in CD. Methods: We assessed 50 patients with CD (74% biochemically controlled) and compared them to 60 patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) and 100 age- and gender-matched mentally healthy controls. Personality was measured by two standardized personality questionnaires, TPQ (Cloninger Personality Questionnaire) and EPQ-RK (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-RK). Results: Compared to mentally healthy controls, CD patients reported significantly less novelty-seeking behaviour, including less exploratory excitability and less extravagance. On harm avoidant subscales, they presented with more anticipatory worries and pessimism, higher fear of uncertainty, shyness with strangers, fatigability and asthenia. Moreover, CD patients appeared to be less extraverted, more neurotic and socially desirable. CD patients differed from NFPA patients in terms of higher neuroticism scores, and NFPA patients did not show altered novelty-seeking behaviour or extraversion. In the subgroup analysis, CD patients with persistent hypercortisolism displayed significantly higher fear of uncertainty, fatigability and asthenia, indicating high harm avoidance in total, than those in biochemical remission. Conclusion: Patients with CD showed a distinct pattern of personality traits associated with high anxiety in combination with traits of low externalizing behaviour. Such personality changes should be taken into account in the diagnosis and treatment of CD patients, as they might interfere with the patient-physician communication and/or challenge the patients' social and psychological functioning.
Machine learning approach for distinguishing malignant and benign lung nodules utilizing standardized perinodular parenchymal features from CT.

PURPOSE Computed tomography (CT) is an effective method for detecting and characterizing lung nodules in vivo. With the growing use of chest CT, the detection frequency of lung nodules is increasing. Noninvasive methods to distinguish malignant from benign nodules have the potential to decrease the clinical burden, risk, and cost involved in follow-up procedures on the large number of false-positive lesions detected. This study examined the benefit of including perinodular parenchymal features in machine learning (ML) tools for pulmonary nodule assessment. METHODS Lung nodule cases with pathology confirmed diagnosis (74 malignant, 289 benign) were used to extract quantitative imaging characteristics from computed tomography scans of the nodule and perinodular parenchyma tissue. A ML tool development pipeline was employed using k-medoids clustering and information theory to determine efficient predictor sets for different amounts of parenchyma inclusion and build an artificial neural network classifier. The resulting ML tool was validated using an independent cohort (50 malignant, 50 benign). RESULTS The inclusion of parenchymal imaging features improved the performance of the ML tool over exclusively nodular features (P < 0.01). The best performing ML tool included features derived from nodule diameter-based surrounding parenchyma tissue quartile bands. We demonstrate similar high-performance values on the independent validation cohort (AUC-ROC = 0.965). A comparison using the independent validation cohort with the Fleischner pulmonary nodule follow-up guidelines demonstrated a theoretical reduction in recommended follow-up imaging and procedures. CONCLUSIONS Radiomic features extracted from the parenchyma surrounding lung nodules contain valid signals with spatial relevance for the task of lung cancer risk classification. Through standardization of feature extraction regions from the parenchyma, ML tool validation performance of 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity was achieved.