Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of estimation of blood procalcitonin concentration versus C-reactive protein concentration and white blood cell count for therapeutic monitoring of sepsis in neonates.

AIM This study was intended to assess the clinical usefulness of blood procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of nosocomial neonatal sepsis. MATERIAL/METHODS The enrolment criterion was sepsis clinically manifesting after three days of life. PCT concentrations were measured in venous blood from 52 infected and 88 uninfected neonates. The results were interpreted against C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and white blood cell counts (WBC). RESULTS Differences between the two groups in PCT and CRP concentrations were highly significant. No significant differences between the groups were noted for WBC. The threshold value on the receiver operator characteristic curve was 2.06 ng/mL for PCT (SE 75%; SP 80.68%; PPV 62.22%; NPV 88.75%; AUC 0.805), 5.0 mg/L for CRP (SE 67.44%; SP 73.68%; PPV 42.02%; NPV 88.89%; AUC 0.801), and 11.9 x109/L for WBC (SE 51.16%; SP 50.68%; PPV 23.16%; NPV 78.13%; AUC 0.484). Procalcitonin concentrations decreased 24 hours after initiation of antibiotic therapy and reverted to the control level after 5-7 days. C-reactive protein concentrations began to decline after two days of antibiotic therapy but were still higher than in the control group after 5-7 days of treatment. No significant changes in WBC during the treatment were observed. CONCLUSIONS Procalcitonin concentrations in blood appear to be of use for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of nosocomial infections in neonates as this parameter demonstrates greater sensitivity and specificity than C-reactive protein. White blood cell counts appear to be of little diagnostic value in the early phase of infection or for therapeutic monitoring.
Selective Hippocampal Neurodegeneration in Transgenic Mice Expressing Small Amounts of Truncated Aβ Is Induced by Pyroglutamate–Aβ Formation

Posttranslational amyloid-β (Aβ) modification is considered to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) etiology. An N-terminally modified Aβ species, pyroglutamate-amyloid-β (pE3–Aβ), has been described as a major constituent of Aβ deposits specific to human AD but absent in normal aging. Formed via cyclization of truncated Aβ species by glutaminyl cyclase (QC; QPCT) and/or its isoenzyme (isoQC; QPCTL), pE3–Aβ aggregates rapidly and is known to seed additional Aβ aggregation. To directly investigate pE3–Aβ toxicity in vivo, we generated and characterized transgenic TBA2.1 and TBA2.2 mice, which express truncated mutant human Aβ. Along with a rapidly developing behavioral phenotype, these mice showed progressively accumulating Aβ and pE3–Aβ deposits in brain regions of neuronal loss, impaired long-term potentiation, microglial activation, and astrocytosis. Illustrating a threshold for pE3–Aβ neurotoxicity, this phenotype was not found in heterozygous animals but in homozygous TBA2.1 or double-heterozygous TBA2.1/2.2 animals only. A significant amount of pE3–Aβ formation was shown to be QC-dependent, because crossbreeding of TBA2.1 with QC knock-out, but not isoQC knock-out, mice significantly reduced pE3–Aβ levels. Hence, lowering the rate of QC-dependent posttranslational pE3–Aβ formation can, in turn, lower the amount of neurotoxic Aβ species in AD.
High-fat diet determines the composition of the murine gut microbiome independently of obesity.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The composition of the gut microbiome is affected by host phenotype, genotype, immune function, and diet. Here, we used the phenotype of RELMbeta knockout (KO) mice to assess the influence of these factors. METHODS Both wild-type and RELMbeta KO mice were lean on a standard chow diet, but, upon switching to a high-fat diet, wild-type mice became obese, whereas RELMbeta KO mice remained comparatively lean. To investigate the influence of diet, genotype, and obesity on microbiome composition, we used deep sequencing to characterize 25,790 16S rDNA sequences from uncultured bacterial communities from both genotypes on both diets. RESULTS We found large alterations associated with switching to the high-fat diet, including a decrease in Bacteroidetes and an increase in both Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. This was seen for both genotypes (ie, in the presence and absence of obesity), indicating that the high-fat diet itself, and not the obese state, mainly accounted for the observed changes in the gut microbiota. The RELMbeta genotype also modestly influenced microbiome composition independently of diet. Metagenomic analysis of 537,604 sequence reads documented extensive changes in gene content because of a high-fat diet, including an increase in transporters and 2-component sensor responders as well as a general decrease in metabolic genes. Unexpectedly, we found a substantial amount of murine DNA in our samples that increased in proportion on a high-fat diet. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the importance of diet as a determinant of gut microbiome composition and suggest the need to control for dietary variation when evaluating the composition of the human gut microbiome.
Overcoming the vanishing gradient problem in plain recurrent networks

Plain recurrent networks greatly suffer from the vanishing gradient problem while Gated Neural Networks (GNNs) such as Long-short Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) deliver promising results in many sequence learning tasks through sophisticated network designs. This paper shows how we can address this problem in a plain recurrent network by analyzing the gating mechanisms in GNNs. We propose a novel network called the Recurrent Identity Network (RIN) which allows a plain recurrent network to overcome the vanishing gradient problem while training very deep models without the use of gates. We compare this model with IRNNs and LSTMs on multiple sequence modeling benchmarks. The RINs demonstrate competitive performance and converge faster in all tasks. Notably, small RIN models produce 12%--67% higher accuracy on the Sequential and Permuted MNIST datasets and reach state-of-the-art performance on the bAbI question answering dataset.
The Effects of an Online Theory-Based Bone Health Program for Older Adults

An estimated 10 million Americans age 50 and older have osteoporosis, and many experience associated fractures. Although several interventions have been shown to be effective in preventing osteoporosis, their impact on bone health among older adults was limited. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the effects of a theory-based online bone health program (Bone Power program) for a large number of older adults. The 8-week program included learning modules, discussion boards, and other resources. Participants (N = 866; M age = 62.5 years) were recruited online and randomized into a Bone Power or control group. At the end of the intervention, the Bone Power group showed significantly greater improvement over the control group in osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy/outcome expectations for calcium intake and exercise, and calcium intake and exercise behaviors. This study’s findings suggest that online health programs can be effective in improving older adults’ knowledge, beliefs, and health behaviors.
Maintained exercise pressor response in heart failure.

The impact of forearm blood flow limitation on muscle reflex (metaboreflex) activation during exercise was examined in 10 heart failure (HF) (NYHA class III and IV) and 9 control (Ctl) subjects. Rhythmic handgrip contractions (25% maximal voluntary contraction, 30 contractions/min) were performed over 5 min under conditions of ambient pressure or with +50 mmHg positive pressure about the exercising forearm. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and venous effluent hemoglobin (Hb) O2 saturation, lactate and H+ concentrations ([La] and [H+], respectively) were measured at baseline and during exercise. For ambient contractions, the increase (Delta) in MAP by end exercise (DeltaMAP; i.e., the exercise pressor response) was the same in both groups (10.1 +/- 1.2 vs. 7.33 +/- 1.3 mmHg, HF vs. Ctl, respectively) despite larger Delta[La] and Delta[H+] for the HF group (P < 0.05). With ischemic exercise, the DeltaMAP for HF (21.7 +/- 2.7 mmHg) exceeded that of Ctl subjects (12.2 +/- 2.8 mmHg) (P < 0.0001). Also, for HF, Delta[La] (2.94 +/- 0.4 mmol) and Delta[H+] (24.8 +/- 2.7 nmol) in the ischemic trial were greater than in Ctl (1.63 +/- 0.4 mmol and 15.3 +/- 2.8 nmol; [La] and [H+], respectively) (P < 0.02). Hb O2 saturation was reduced in Ctl from approximately 43% in the ambient trial to approximately 27% with ischemia (P < 0.0001). O2 extraction was maximized under ambient exercise conditions for HF but not for Ctl. Despite progressive increases in blood perfusion pressure over the course of ischemic exercise, no improvement in Hb O2 saturation or muscle metabolism was observed in either group. These data suggest that muscle reflex activation of the pressor response is intact in HF subjects but the resulting improvement in perfusion pressure does not appear to enhance muscle oxidative metabolism or muscle blood flow, possibly because of associated increases in sympathetic vasoconstriction of active skeletal muscle.
The difficult distinction between haemolytic uraemic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

in the visceral pleura. In our case, it is likely there was impaired lymphatic absorption as the high venous pressure, resulting from the brachiocephalic stenosis, would impair lymphatic drainage from the right thoracic duct. Additionally, it is possible that there was increased pleural fluid production due to increased venous pressure of the parietal pleural capillaries, which ultimately drain into the SVC. In conclusion, the finding of a pleural effusion with ipsilateral arm and breast oedema in a dialysis patient with an arteriovenous fistula should prompt investigation for a central venous stenosis.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy With Low Pressure and Gauze Dressings to Treat Diabetic Foot Wounds

Objective: This study was a prospective cohort study to evaluate negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with low pressure and a gauze dressing to treat diabetic foot wounds. Methods: Thirty patients with diabetic foot wounds were consented to a prospective study to evaluate wound closure and complications to evaluate NPWT with low pressure (80 mmHg) and a gauze dressing interface (EZCare, Smith and Nephew) for up to 5 weeks. NPWT was changed 3 times a week. Study subjects were evaluated once a week for adverse events and wound measurements. Results: Of study subjects, 43% attained at least a 50% wound area reduction after 4 weeks of therapy. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a high rate of wound closure could be expected with low pressure and a gauze interface.
Exploiting Interference through Algebraic Structure

Author(s): Nazer, Bobak Anthony | Advisor(s): Gastpar, Michael C | Abstract: In a network, interference between transmitters is usually viewed as highly undesirable and clever algorithms and protocols have been devised to avoid it. Collectively, these strategies transform the physical layer into a set of reliable bit pipes which can then be used seamlessly by higher layers in the protocol stack. Unfortunately, interference avoidance results in sharply decreasing rates as the number of users increases. In this thesis, we develop a new tool, computation coding, that allows receivers to reliably decode equations of transmitted messages by harnessing the interference structure of the channel. Applied to a wireless network, this enables relays to decode linear functions of the transmitted messages with coefficients dictated by the fading realization. Relays can then forward these equations towards the destinations which simply collect enough equations to solve for their desired messages. Structured codes (such as lattices) ensure that these linear combinations can be decoded reliably at the relays, often at far higher rates than the messages individually. Through examples drawn from cooperative communication including cellular uplink, distributed MIMO and wireless network coding, we demonstrate that this compute-and-forward strategy can improve end-to-end throughput in a network. As a consequence, we will see that structured codes can play an important role in approaching the capacity of networks. We also show that our techniques can result in both energy and delay savings for distributed signal processing over a sensor network. Finally, by viewing interference as implicit computation, we provide a new perspective on the interference channel with time-varying fading. We describe a simple interference alignment scheme that enables each user to achieve at least half its interference-free capacity at any signal-to-noise ratio.
Pau-D’arco-Roxo (Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos): Conhecimento e uso madeireiro em comunidades rurais do nordeste do Brasil

Diversas especies de plantas lenhosas vem apresentando declinio de suas populacoes devido a exploracao preferencial de madeira, que se configura como a forma mais danosa para essas populacoes. Objetivou-se analisar como a populacao utiliza, por meio da investigacao sobre o conhecimento e o uso de recursos madeireiros do "pau-d'arco-roxo" (Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos) que e amplamente conhecida pelo seu potencial medicinal, ornamental e madeireiro. Realizaram-se entrevistas com auxilio de formulario semiestruturado com todos os chefes de familia e/ou responsaveis pela coleta de madeira sobre o conhecimento, preferencia e uso da madeira do pau-d'arco, totalizando 28 familias entrevistadas em duas comunidades do municipio de Angical do Piaui, no estado do Piaui. Constatou-se que os usos detectados se encaixam nas categorias de construcao e tecnologia, nao sendo constatado nenhum uso na categoria fitocombustivel. A categoria mais citada em ambas as comunidades foi a de construcao, devido principalmente ao fato da madeira possuir resistencia a xilofagos. A referida planta e amplamente conhecida em ambas as comunidades, sendo que em Novo Horizonte, a mais antiga, apresentou maior diversidade de conhecimento, pois alem de maior quantidade de aplicacoes para a madeira, ha um conhecimento mais aprofundado sobre os usos atribuidos a especie. As informacoes apresentadas fornecem subsidios para melhor compreensao dos padroes de consumo dos recursos madeireiros da especie nas comunidades, podendo contribuir na adocao de futuras alternativas de manejo que visem sua garantia para as geracoes posteriores.
De Novo Synthesis of Negative-Strand RNA by Dengue Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase In Vitro: Nucleotide, Primer, and Template Parameters

By using a purified dengue virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a subgenomic 770-nucleotide RNA template, it was shown previously that the ratio of the de novo synthesis product to hairpin product formed was inversely proportional to increments of assay temperatures (20 to 40 degrees C). In this study, the components of the de novo preinitiation complex are defined as ATP, a high concentration of GTP (500 micro M), the polymerase, and the template RNA. Even when the 3'-terminal sequence of template RNA was mutated from -GGUUCU-3' to -GGUUUU-3', a high GTP concentration was required for de novo initiation, suggesting that high GTP concentration plays a conformational role. Furthermore, utilization of synthetic primers by the polymerase indicated that AGAA is the optimal primer whereas AG, AGA, and AGAACC were inefficient primers. Moreover, mutational analysis of the highly conserved 3'-terminal dinucleotide CU of the template RNA indicated that change of the 3'-terminal nucleotide from U to C reduced the efficiency about fivefold. The order of preference for the 3'-terminal nucleotide, from highest to lowest, is U, A - G, and C. However, change of the penultimate nucleotide from C to U did not affect the template activity. A model consistent with these results is that the active site of the polymerase switches from a "closed" form, catalyzing de novo initiation through synthesis of short primers, to an "open" form for elongation of a double-stranded template-primer.
Molecular Epidemiology of Ampicillin-Resistant Non-β-Lactamase-Producing Haemophilus influenzae

ABSTRACT Resistance to ampicillin without β-lactamase production is not a frequent occurrence among Haemophilus influenzaestrains. This kind of resistance is encountered in unencapsulated strains isolated from bronchial secretions and ear, nose, and throat specimens and is exceptional in H. influenzae type b. We studied 29 of these strains from various areas in France and 2 reference strains. Strains were compared by using ribotyping, arbitarily primed PCR with two primers, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Each technique enabled the identification of 20 to 23 different patterns among the 31 strains. The combination of the different patterns for the strains obtained by the different techniques provided 27 distinct profiles. According to these results, it seems that the clonal propagation of these resistant strains does not occur.
VARIATION IN THE BLOOD CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF REINDEER

Reindeer management in the Fennoscandian area is currently facing challenges such as degradation of winter pastures, which may lead in the most severely affected areas to a concurrent decline in reindeer herd productivity. The use of often expensive supplementary feeding to prevent production losses has increased the demand for studies on the physiological effects of nutritional restriction and supplementary feeding. The knowledge obtained from such studies could be used, for example, to monitor the condition of reindeer in studies assessing herd productivity levels in different pasture conditions and management systems or sustainable use of pasture resources. In this thesis, the effects of season, year, pasture area, body mass, pregnancy and other extrinsic and intrinsic factors on the variation of blood chemical constituents of reindeer were studied in freeranging animals under natural foraging conditions. The studied blood chemical constituents covered a wide range of parameters related to protein, carbohydrate, lipid and mineral metabolism. The same blood chemical constituents were studied in captive reindeer under defined feeding conditions, allowing an analysis of the effects of dietary protein, energy and mineral intake on the selected blood constituents and their comparison to a conventional measure of the animals' condition, live body
Handwriting instruction in elementary schools.

OBJECTIVE Classroom teachers teach handwriting, but when problems arise, students are referred to occupational therapy for remediation. This study, conducted by occupational therapists, reviews handwriting instruction by classroom teachers in one school district. METHOD Teachers from kindergarten through grade 6 were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire regarding handwriting instruction. RESULTS Teachers differed in their methods of instruction, including in the programs and paper used, and practice provided. Teachers of grades 5 and 6 had to continue to review handwriting instruction, because all students could not fluently use handwriting as a tool of expression. CONCLUSION Elementary students need structured instruction to develop the motor skill of writing. School-based occupational therapists can support effective handwriting instruction by interpreting information from motor learning theory pertaining to instruction and practice, which supports acquisition, transfer, and retention of handwriting skills. They also need to be cognizant of prior handwriting instruction when addressing handwriting difficulties.
Local control of testicular function.

This review has shown that local control of testicular function exists at three different levels. (1) Regulation of the entry of substances into the testis via the operation of selective barriers at the level of the capillary endothelium, myoid layer and Sertoli cell tight junctions, and by control of the rate of interstitial fluid formation which is the medium for transport into and within the testis. These mechanisms permit the creation of specific micro-environments around the Leydig cells and outside of the seminiferous tubules as well as within the tubules, prerequisites for the local interaction and communication summarized below. (2) Regulation of spermatogenesis by co-ordination of changes in hormone responsiveness and function of the Sertoli cells with the requirements of the associated germ cells, this varying according to the stage of the spermatogenic cycle. These changes involve regulation of germ cell multiplication, their differentiation and translocation from the basal to the adluminal compartment of the seminiferous tubule and their release into the lumen. (3) Interaction between the seminiferous tubules and the Leydig cells via various factors. The purpose of this interaction is not certain but in the prepubertal testis it probably co-ordinates development of the tubules and Leydig cells, whilst in the adult testis it probably functions to regulate the steroidogenic responsiveness of the Leydig cells in accordance with the stage-dependent requirements of the adjacent seminiferous tubules. Local control mechanisms within the testis therefore appear to co-ordinate the function of the different cell types in the two testicular compartments and, as this is essential for normal function of the testis, the importance of local factors is self-evident. In each of the three areas there is still only limited information as to the precise operation of the various mechanisms and even less is known about the identity of the co-ordinating agents. But, as most of the available information derives only from the last three years, the gaps in our knowledge are to be expected and it is certain that the next few years will see major advances in this area. If the interpretation of the data offered in this review proves accurate then we are on the threshold of a revolution in our understanding of the control of testicular function, and of spermatogenesis in particular. This can only lead to improved methods for regulation of fertility in the male.