Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-dependent deterioration of peak inspiratory flow with two kinds of dry powder corticosteroid inhalers (Diskus and Turbuhaler) and relationships with asthma control.

BACKGROUND Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy has improved the quality of life (QOL) for many asthmatics and reduced mortality rates associated with asthma. However, some patients do not obtain therapeutic benefit despite satisfactory adherence. OBJECTIVES To determine whether asthmatic patients were using ICS devices appropriately, and to clarify relationships between these results and QOL. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We studied 100 adult asthmatics, divided into two groups: 50 patients consecutively registered as using Diskus (fluticasone; D-group) and 50 consecutively registered as using Turbuhaler (budesonide; T-group). We measured peak inspiratory flows (PIFs) using the In-Check Dial device. Subjects also completed the Asthma Control Test for evaluation of QOL. RESULTS In the D-group, no patients showed PIF below the optimal range (30-90 L/min), whereas 52% of patients had PIF≥91 L/min. In the T-group, 6% of patients showed PIF over the optimal range (60-90 L/min), and 44% had PIF≤59 L/min. When patients in the T-group were required to deliberately make a maximal inhalation, 14% still had PIF≤59 L/min. The proportion of patients with poor control was significantly greater in the T-group than in the D-group. According to univariate logistic regression analyses, low PIF tended to be associated with poor asthma control in the T-group. No significant correlation was found between PIF and age in the D-group, but PIF decreased significantly with age in the T-group. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate measures for patients in whom PIF has been judged as lower than optimal include adequate education for inhalation and/or changing to a different inhalation device. These measures should be kept in mind for elderly asthma patients in particular, where appropriate selection of a corticosteroid inhalation device in the early stages of therapy would also be important.
The effect of pertussis toxin on β‐adrenoceptor responses in isolated cardiac myocytes from noradrenaline‐treated guinea‐pigs and patients with cardiac failure

1 A decreased responsiveness to the positive inotropic effects of β‐adrenoceptor agonists is a characteristic of human heart failure. We have investigated the involvement of inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G‐proteins) in this process using pertussis toxin treatment of isolated cardiac myocytes. 2 Myocytes isolated from failing human myocardium had a reduced maximum contractile response to isoprenaline relative to that for maximally stimulating concentrations of calcium, giving an isoprenaline/calcium ratio of 0.71 ± 0.06 (n = 7 patients). This was significantly lower than in myocytes from non‐failing myocardium, where the isoprenaline/calcium ratio was 1.16 ± 0.07 (n = 6, P < 0.001). Responses to high calcium were unchanged. 3 Myocytes were treated with pertussis toxin for 3–5 h at 35°C. Successful inactivation of inhibitory G‐proteins by pertussis toxin treatment was indicated by a loss of responsiveness to 10 μm adenosine (in the presence of submaximal isoprenaline). 4 Following pertussis toxin treatment of the myocytes from failing human heart the isoprenaline/calcium ratio increased to 1.43 ± 0.27 (n = 7, P < 0.05). Pertussis toxin treatment had no effect upon the maximum calcium contraction. The isoprenaline/calcium ratio in myocytes from non‐failing human ventricle was not affected by the toxin treatment (n = 3). These observations support the hypothesis that increased inhibitory G‐protein levels or activities contribute to β‐adrenoceptor desensitization in human heart failure. 5 β‐Adrenoceptor desensitization in human heart failure is thought to be secondary to raised noradrenaline levels in these patients. Experiments were repeated on myocytes isolated from hearts of guinea‐pigs which had been chronically infused with noradrenaline. The isoprenaline/calcium ratio of these myocytes was reduced below that of myocytes from sham‐operated animals (0.65 ± 0.04, n = 6 compared with 0.88 ± 0.02, n = 7, P < 0.001). 6 Pertussis toxin treatment (2 h at 35°C) increased the isoprenaline/calcium ratio to 1.02 ± 0.02 (n ≅ 6, P < 0.01) in myocytes from noradrenaline‐treated guinea‐pigs. This effect of pertussis toxin treatment was not seen in myocytes from sham‐operated guinea‐pig hearts. 7 Incubation at 35°C for similar periods in the absence of pertussis toxin also restored the isoprenaline/calcium ratio towards normal in the myocytes from both failing human and noradrenaline‐treated guinea‐pig hearts, although the effect was significantly smaller than that produced by the toxin. Myocytes kept at room temperature (22°C) showed no such evidence of resensitization over periods up to 6 h. 8 These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that raised catecholamine levels result in increased inhibitory G‐protein levels and functional β‐adrenoceptor desensitization in heart failure.
Genetic and Morphological Approaches Distinguish the Three Sibling Species of the Anisakis simplex Species Complex, with a Species Designation as Anisakis berlandi n. sp. for A. simplex sp. C (Nematoda: Anisakidae)

Abstract: Numerous specimens of the 3 sibling species of the Anisakis simplex species complex (A. pegreffii, A. simplex (senso stricto)), and A. simplex sp. C) recovered from cetacean species stranded within the known geographical ranges of these nematodes were studied morphologically and genetically. The genetic characterization was performed on diagnostic allozymes and sequences analysis of nuclear (internal transcribed spacer [ITS] of ribosomal [r]DNA) and mitochondrial (mitochondrial [mt]DNA cox2 and rrnS) genes. These markers showed (1) the occurrence of sympatry of the 2 sibling species A. pegreffii and A. simplex sp. C in the same individual host, the pilot whale, Globicephala melas Traill, from New Zealand waters; (2) the identification of specimens of A. pegreffii in the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen), from the Mediterranean Sea; and (3) the presence of A. simplex (s.s.) in the pilot whale and the minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, from the northeastern Atlantic waters. No F1 hybrids were detected among the 3 species using the nuclear markers. The phylogenetic inference, obtained by maximum parsimony (MP) analysis of separate nuclear (ITS rDNA region), combined mitochondrial (mtDNA cox2 and rrnS) sequences datasets, and by concatenated analysis obtained at both MP and Bayesian inference (BI) of the sequences datasets at the 3 studied genes, resulted in a similar topology. They were congruent in depicting the existence of the 3 species as distinct phylogenetic lineages, and the tree topologies support the finding that A. simplex (s.s.), A. pegreffii, and A. berlandi n. sp. (=A. simplex sp. C) represent a monophyletic group. The morphological and morphometric analyses revealed the presence of morphological features that differed among the 3 biological species. Morphological analysis using principal component analysis, and Procrustes analysis, combining morphological and genetic datasets, showed the specimens clustering into 3 well-defined groups. Nomenclatural designation and formal description are given for A. simplex species C: the name Anisakis berlandi n. sp. is proposed. Key morphological diagnostic traits are as follows between A. berlandi n. sp. and A. simplex (s.s.): ventriculus length, tail shape, tail length/total body length ratio, and left spicule length/total body length ratio; between A. berlandi n. sp. and A. pegreffii: ventriculus length and plectane 1 width/plectane 3 width ratio; and between A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii: ventriculus length, left and right spicule length/total body length ratios, and tail length/total body length ratio. Ecological data pertaining to the geographical ranges and host distribution of the 3 species are updated.
Extending the nomological network of wellness at work

Modern-day organisations face rapid and continuous change. In order to deal with this rapidly changing and current hostile economic environment, most organisations have become increasingly dependent on a healthy and engaged workforce. As a result of the direct and indirect organisational costs associated with work wellness, the total well-being of the individual worker has become the focal point of many organisational interventions. Although work wellness is a multifaceted and continuously evolving concept, most studies have adopted either a pathological or a salutogenic (positive) perspective when examining the construct. Congruent with current thinking in vocational psychology, a balanced model of work wellness was conceptualised in this study, containing both salutogenic (work engagement) and pathological (burnout) constructs. Strong empirical support was found for the proposed balanced model of work wellness based on data collected from a sample of 854 employees working across various sectors of the South African economy.
Causes of Employee Turnover Intention : A Study on Banking Industry of Pakistan

In Organizations productivity is a vital issue. There are many factors that determine productivity of an organization. Nowadays Employee turnover is one of those which are considered to be one of the difficult issues in business. The effect of intension to leave has received huge attention from top management(senior executives), human resource professionals and other industrial psychologists has proven it to be one of the most costly and apparently difficult human resource challenges faced globally by different organizations in the whole world. The main purpose of this research is to discover the real causes behind the turnover and its harmful effects on the productivity of many industries especially banks. We (the authors) of this document have studied and visited numerous local Banks in both government and private sectors in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan, and observed the causes of turnover. The real aim of this research paper was to discover the existing reasons of turnover, adverse affects, and possible results that could be useful for their productivity and market shares for local Banks. Finding shows that employee turnover intention has a significant relationship with the variables i.e Job satisfaction, Trust Relationship, Job Security, Organizational Commitment and Job Stress but it has insignificant relationship with Person Organization Fit whereas the major contributor to turnover intention is Job Stress.
Photoperiod History Differentially Impacts Reproduction and Immune Function in Adult Siberian Hamsters

Seasonal changes in numerous aspects of mammalian immune function arise as a result of the annual variation in environmental day length (photoperiod), but it is not known if absolute photoperiod or relative change in photoperiod drives these changes. This experiment tested the hypothesis that an individual’s history of exposure to day length determines immune responses to ambiguous, intermediate-duration day lengths. Immunological (blood leukocytes, delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions [DTH]), reproductive, and adrenocortical responses were assessed in adult Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) that had been raised initially in categorically long (15-h light/day; 15L) or short (9L) photoperiods and were subsequently transferred to 1 of 7 cardinal experimental photoperiods between 9L and 15L, inclusive. Initial photoperiod history interacted with contemporary experimental photoperiods to determine reproductive responses: 11L, 12L, and 13L caused gonadal regression in hamsters previously exposed to 15L, but elicited growth in hamsters previously in 9L. In hamsters with a 15L photoperiod history, photoperiods ≤ 11L elicited sustained enhancement of DTH responses, whereas in hamsters with a 9L photoperiod history, DTH responses were largely unaffected by increases in day length. Enhancement and suppression of blood leukocyte concentrations occurred at 13L in hamsters with photoperiod histories of 15L and 9L, respectively; however, prior exposure to 9L imparted marked hysteresis effects, which suppressed baseline leukocyte concentrations. Cortisol concentrations were only enhanced in 15L hamsters transferred to 9L and, in common with DTH, were unaffected by photoperiod treatments in hamsters with a 9L photoperiod history. Photoperiod history acquired in adulthood impacts immune responses to photoperiod, but manifests in a markedly dissimilar fashion as compared to the reproductive system. Prior photoperiod exposure has an enduring impact on the ability of the immune system to respond to subsequent changes in day length.
Zinc Eluted from Siliconized Latex Urinary Catheters Decreases OprD Expression, Causing Carbapenem Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT The activities of carbapenems against Pseudomonas aeruginosa decreased in the presence of siliconized latex urinary catheters (SLUCs). This effect was associated with the loss of OprD. The zinc that eluted from SLUCs is responsible for this phenomenon. We have found that zinc exerts a negative effect on the expression of OprD, the porin responsible for carbapenem entry into P. aeruginosa.
Temporomandibular joint ankylosis in cats and dogs

Summary Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is characterized by difficulty or inability to open the mouth. The ankylosis may be articular (‘true’) or extra-articular (‘false’). Clinical signs, radiographic studies, treatment and follow-up are presented in a retrospective study involving five cats and five dogs. The findings were compared with TMJ ankylosis in humans. CT imaging with three-dimensional reconstruction proved to be of great value in determining the extent of the abnormalities and helped with preoperative planning. Articular TMJ ankylosis occurred in six animals and extra-articular TMJ ankylosis was found in the other four cases. In three cats and in three dogs, the TMJ ankylosis was trauma related; the remaining patients were diagnosed with a tumour. Resection of ankylosing tissue in false ankylosis or gap arthroplasty in true ankylosis was successful in all of the trauma induced cases. In the two cats, with tumour related ankylosis, the ankylosis was caused by an osteoma and resection had a good prognosis, whereas the two dogs had to be euthanatized.
Cutting Edge: Mechanisms of IL-2–Dependent Maintenance of Functional Regulatory T Cells

IL-2 controls the survival of regulatory T cells (Tregs), but it is unclear whether IL-2 also directly affects Treg suppressive capacity in vivo. We have found that eliminating Bim-dependent apoptosis in IL-2– and CD25-deficient mice restored Treg numbers but failed to cure their lethal autoimmune disease, demonstrating that IL-2–dependent survival and suppressive activity can be uncoupled in Tregs. Treatment with IL-2–anti–IL-2–Ab complexes enhanced the numbers and suppressive capacity of IL-2–deprived Tregs with striking increases in CD25, CTLA-4, and CD39/CD73 expression. Although cytokine treatment induced these suppressive mechanisms in both IL-2−/− and IL-2−/−Bim−/− mice, it only reversed autoimmune disease in the latter. Our results suggest that successful IL-2 therapy of established autoimmune diseases will require a threshold quantity of Tregs present at the start of treatment and show that the suppressive capacity of Tregs critically depends on IL-2 even when Treg survival is independent of this cytokine.
Physical and Biological Constraints Govern Perceived Animacy of Scrambled Human Forms

Point-light animations of biological motion are perceived quickly and spontaneously, giving rise to an irresistible sensation of animacy. However, the mechanisms that support judgments of animacy based on biological motion remain unclear. The current study demonstrates that animacy ratings increase when a spatially scrambled animation of human walking maintains consistency with two fundamental constraints: the direction of gravity and congruency between the directions of intrinsic and extrinsic motion. Furthermore, using a reverse-correlation method, we show that observers employ structural templates, or form-based “priors,” reflecting the prototypical mammalian body plan when attributing animacy to scrambled human forms. These findings reveal that perception of animacy in scrambled biological motion involves not only analysis of local intrinsic motion, but also its congruency with global extrinsic motion and global spatial structure. Thus, they suggest a strong influence of prior knowledge about characteristic features of creatures in the natural environment.
Atypical MRI findings of Wernicke encephalopathy in alcoholic patients.

AJR 2010; 195:W1–W2 0361–803X/10/1955–W1 © American Roentgen Ray Society Atypical MRI Findings of Wernicke Encephalopathy in Alcoholic Patients We read with great interest the review article by Drs. Zuccoli and Pipitone [1] in the February 2009 issue of AJR, which provides an update on the typical and atypical neuroimaging findings of acute Wernicke encephalopathy (WE). In their article, atypical MRI findings such as signal intensity alterations of the cerebral cortex have been reported only in nonalcoholic patients. We add our experience with atypical MRI findings in two patients with WE, both of whom are alcoholic. The first patient, a 45-year-old man, presented with confusional state, oculomotor abnormalities, dysarthria, and ataxia. MRI showed symmetric signal intensity alterations of the mammillary bodies, periaqueductal area, fornix, median thalami, and cerebral cortex (Fig. 1). After thiamine was immediately administered, the patient recovered consciousness and was able to walk unassisted. The diagnosis of WE was confirmed by measurement of blood thiamine concentration (15.3 ng/mL; normal range, 21.3–81.9 ng/ mL), obtained after treatment. The second patient, a 56-year-old man, presented with deep coma and bilateral Babinski reflexes. MRI revealed the typical abnormalities of WE, except for the involvement of the cerebral cortex and amygdala (Fig. 2A). After thiamine was administered, the patient’s consciousness was improved, and the bilateral Babinski reflexes disappeared. MRI obtained 10 days after treatment showed improvement of signal intensity alterations including those in the cerebral cortex and amygdala (Fig. 2B). The patient developed Korsakoff psychosis, characterized by severe anterograde amnesia, disorientation to time, and such emotional changes as apathy and mild euphoria. Drs. Zuccoli and Pipitone [1] surmise that alcohol may have a protective effect on the brain that shows atypical lesions in WE. Our two cases suggest, however, that this hypothesis is disputable, and investigation of more cases is required before a decision on the relationship between alcohol and brain lesions in WE can be made. To the best of our knowledge, our second patient is the first case showing involvement of the amygdala in WE to be documented in the literature. A neuropathologic analysis, however, revealed a significant volume reduction in the amygdala of the patients with Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome compared with alcoholics without WE or Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome [2]. Akihiro Sugai Koki Kikugawa Tsubame Rosai Hospital Niigata, Japan DOI:10.2214/AJR.10. 4539 WEB—This is a Web exclusive article.
Loss of c-Met Disrupts Gene Expression Program Required for G2/M Progression during Liver Regeneration in Mice

Background Previous work has established that HGF/c-Met signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating the onset of S phase following partial hepatectomy (PH). In this study, we used Metfl/fl;Alb-Cre+/− conditional knockout mice to determine the effects of c-Met dysfunction in hepatocytes on kinetics of liver regeneration. Methodology/Principal Finding The priming events appeared to be intact in Metfl/fl;Alb-Cre+/− livers. Up-regulation of stress response (MAFK, IKBZ, SOCS3) and early growth response (c-Myc, c-Jun, c-Fos, DUSP1 and 6) genes as assessed by RT-qPCR and/or microarray profiling was unchanged. This was consistent with an early induction of MAPK/Erk and STAT3. However, after a successful completion of the first round of DNA replication, c-Met deficient hepatocytes were blocked in early/mid G2 phase as shown by staining with phosphorylated form of histone H3. Furthermore, loss of c-Met in hepatocytes diminished the subsequent G1/S progression and delayed liver recovery after partial hepatectomy. Upstream signaling pathways involved in the blockage of G2/M transition included lack of persistent Erk1/2 activation and inability to up-regulate the levels of Cdk1, Plk1, Aurora A and B, and Mad2 along with a defective histone 3 phosphorylation and lack of chromatin condensation. Continuous supplementation with EGF in vitro increased proliferation of Metfl/fl;Alb-Cre+/− primary hepatocytes and partially restored expression levels of mitotic cell cycle regulators albeit to a lesser degree as compared to control cultures. Conclusion/Significance In conclusion, our results assign a novel non-redundant function for HGF/c-Met signaling in regulation of G2/M gene expression program via maintaining a persistent Erk1/2 activation throughout liver regeneration.
Disentangled Link Prediction for Signed Social Networks via Disentangled Representation Learning

Link prediction is an important and interesting application for social networks because it can infer potential links among network participants. Existing approaches basically work with the homophily principle, i.e., people of similar characteristics tend to befriend each other. In this way, however, they are not suitable for inferring negative links or hostile links, which usually take place among people with different characteristics. Moreover, negative links tend to couple with positive links to form signed networks. In this paper, we thus study the problem of disentangled link prediction (DLP) for signed networks, which includes two separate tasks, i.e., inferring positive links and inferring negative links. Recently, representation learning methods have been proposed to solve the link prediction problem because the entire network structure can be encoded in representations. For the DLP problem, we thus propose to disentangle a node representation into two representations, and use one for positive link prediction and another for negative link prediction. Experiments on three real-world signed networks demonstrate the proposed disentangled representation learning (DRL) method significantly outperforms alternatives in the DLP problem.
Establishment and characterization of three transplantable EBV‐containing nasopharyngeal carcinomas

Three transplantable nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumors, designated C15, C17 and C18, have been obtained and characterized. C15, derived from a primary NPC tumor, has been propagated in nude mice for 30 passages. C17 and C18, derived from metastatic NPC tissue, have been passaged 10 times. Desmosomes, present in every case, provided confirmation of the epithelial origin of all 3 tumors. The Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) genome is contained in C15, C18 and C17 tumor cells with 30, 12 and 3 copies, respectively. The Epstein‐ Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) was stained by the classical anti‐complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) technique. Fluorescence intensity was strong in C15, moderate in C18, and hardly detectable in C17 cells. No expression of the EA and VCA antigens was detected. Flow cytometry analysis performed on monocellular suspensions showed the absence of detectable CR2 molecules (the EBV receptor on B lymphocytes) in all 3 tumors, and the constitutive expression of HLA class‐II antigens in C15 and C17 cells. IL‐1 activity was demonstrated in the supernatant of C15 and C17 cells cultivated in vitro for 3 days. These data confirm that the constitutive synthesis of MHC class‐II molecules and the release of IL‐1‐like activities are frequent features of NPC cells. These characteristics could be of importance in relation with the T‐cell infiltrate found in NPC primary tumors.