Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular changes in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and their correlation with disease severity: A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Background: Previous epidemiological studies suggest an association between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome and risk of subclinical atherosclerosis. However, there is a paucity of data in the Indian population on these associations. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis compared to healthy controls and to correlate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with severity of psoriasis. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was performed on 140 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 140 controls. Psoriasis was categorized as mild, moderate and severe based on psoriasis area and severity index (<10, 10–14 and ≥15, respectively) and as disease of short (<1 year), intermediate (1–3 years) and long duration (>3 years). In all patients and controls, body mass index was calculated, blood pressure and waist circumference were measured and fasting bloaod sugar and lipid profile were estimated. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by the presence of 3 or more of the modified National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. A subset of 30 psoriatic patients and 30 healthy controls were selected by the systematic sampling method for cardiac evaluation including electrocardiography, echocardiography and carotid intima-media thickness measurement. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly more in psoriatic patients than in controls (39.3% vs. 17.1%, odds ratio = 3.13). Psoriatic patients also had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension, abdominal obesity and diabetes. There was a significant trend to increase in prevalence of metabolic syndrome, hypertension and type 2 diabetes with increased severity and longer duration of the psoriasis. Patients with psoriasis had significantly higher carotid intima-media thickness (mean 0.61 mm ± 0.01 mm vs. 0.37 mm ± 0.01 mm) than controls. Limitation: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study with a relatively small sample size. A prospective study with a larger sample would have validated the results further. Conclusion: There is a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriasis patients as compared to controls; the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components increases with severity and duration of psoriasis. There is a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. We suggest that patients with moderate to severe psoriasis be screened routinely for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease and encouraged to correct modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.
Trauma history is associated with psychological distress and somatic symptoms in homebound older adults.

OBJECTIVES To examine the physical health, anxiety, and depressive symptoms of homebound older adults in relation to a history of trauma exposure. DESIGN Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. SETTING Participants were recruited by in-home aging services case managers. PARTICIPANTS The sample consisted of 136 older adults receiving in-home services. MEASUREMENTS Participants completed a research battery that included the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID), Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination, and Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Case managers provided standard assessments of health and functional status. Data were analyzed using t tests, chi tests, and logistic regression. RESULTS Approximately half (49%) of the participants reported experiencing a traumatic event. When compared with participants who did not report a history of trauma, trauma-exposed participants were on average 3 years younger, had one more chronic medical condition, were taking two more nonpsychotropic medications, and were more likely to report poor self-rated health. Furthermore, trauma-exposed participants were more likely to experience clinically significant somatic and anxiety symptoms on the BSI-18 and were more likely to meet criteria for a SCID anxiety disorder diagnosis. After controlling for physical health and cognitive functioning, trauma exposure was still associated with psychiatric disorders and higher levels of somatic and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Trauma-exposed participants were younger but experienced worse physical and mental health than those without a trauma history. This suggests that trauma exposure across the lifespan could have a long-term negative impact on homebound older adults' health and quality of life.
Area-Efficient Subquadratic Space-Complexity Digit-Serial Multiplier for Type-II Optimal Normal Basis of $GF(2^{m})$  Using Symmetric TMVP and Block Recombination Techniques

The type-II optimal normal basis (ONB) is popularly used to represent GF(2m) for elliptic curve cryptosystems. It is shown in the literature that multiplication in binary fields, including those represented by type-II ONB, shifted polynomial basis, and dual basis, can be transformed into non-symmetric Toeplitz matrix-vector product (TMVP) formulation. In this paper, we show that type-II ONB multiplication can be realized by two symmetric TMVPs (STMVP). Moreover, we have proposed a novel folded TMVP block recombination (TMVPBR) for the computation of STMVP. Based on the proposed folded TMVPBR approach, we have proposed a new digit-serial structure for type-II ONB multiplication, while traditional parallel ONB multipliers are based on non-symmetric TMVPBR approach to achieve subquadratic space complexity architecture. The proposed digit-serial structure also involves subquadratic space complexity. By the theoretical analysis as well as from synthesis result, however, we find that the proposed architecture has significantly less area and less area-delay product compared to the existing digit-serial type-II ONB multipliers.
NF-κB-Mediated HER2 Overexpression inRadiation-Adaptive Resistance

Abstract Cao, N. , Li, S. , Wang, Z. , Ahmed, K. M. , Degnan, M. E. , Fan, M. , Dynlacht, J. R. and Li, J. J. NF-κB-Mediated HER2 Overexpression in Radiation-Adaptive Resistance. Radiat. Res. 171, 9–21 (2009). The molecular mechanisms governing acquired tumor resistance during radiotherapy remain to be elucidated. In breast cancer patients, overexpression of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is correlated with aggressive tumor growth and increased recurrence. In the present study, we demonstrate that HER2 expression can be induced by radiation in breast cancer cells with a low basal level of HER2. Furthermore, HER2-postive tumors occur at a much higher frequency in recurrent invasive breast cancer (59%) compared to the primary tumors (41%). Interestingly, NF-κB is required for radiation-induced HER2 transactivation. HER2 was found to be co-activated with basal and radiation-induced NF-κB activity in radioresistant but not radiosensitive breast cancer cell lines after long-term radiation exposure, indicating that NF-κB-mediated HER2 overexpression is involved in radiation-induced repopulation in heterogeneous tumors. Finally, we found that inhibition of HER2 resensitizes the resistant cell lines to radiation. Since HER2 is shown to activate NF-κB, our data suggest a loop-like HER2-NF-κB-HER2 pathway in radiation-induced adaptive resistance in breast cancer cells.
Sports coaching on film

This special issue, “Sports Coaching on Film”, sets out to analyse representations of sports coaches in film and to indicate some of the ways in which the study of film depictions of coaches might be informative for actual sports coaching. The project was inspired, in significant part, by Emma Poulton’s and Matthew Roderick’s ground-breaking special edition of Sport in Society, “Sports in Films”. In their Introduction to the special issue, Poulton and Roderick draw attention to how “constructions and representations of sport and athletes have been marginalised in terms of serious analysis within the long-standing academic study of films and documentaries” (2008, p. 107). There were notable exceptions to this state of neglect, scholars who had already brought the study of sports films to the fore included Aaron Baker, particularly through his book Contesting Identities, and Deborah Tudor who had authored Hollywood’s Vision of Team Sports (Baker, 2003; Tudor, 1997). The state of affairs described by Poulton and Roderick has subsequently changed with a number of important monographs and edited collections published in the past five years (e.g. Babington, 2014; Chare, 2015; Crosson, 2013; Ingle & Sutera, 2013; Lieberman, 2015). These studies foreground the importance of the study of sports films for increasing our understanding of class, ethnicity, gender, race and sexuality as they are articulated in specific cultural, social, and historical contexts. Some of these recent investigations briefly explore the significance of the figure of the sports coach. Lieberman, for instance, devotes a chapter of her book Sports Heroines on Film to portrayals of female coaches (pp. 126–150). There is, however, still no in-depth study focussed specifically on portrayals of coaches and coaching in sports films. This is a considerable omission given coaching forms a particularly influential dimension of athlete development. Our special
Mapping loci causing susceptibility to anal atresia in pigs, using a resource pedigree.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Very little information on the genetic background for anal atresia (anorectal malformations; AA) in humans has been described. A strikingly similar natural anomaly occurs in piglets. The authors have used this as an animal model for various research purposes. The affected piglets were treated surgically soon after birth, raised, and used for breeding. The authors have generated a resource pedigree segregating for this naturally occurring nonsyndromal AA and describe here the first attempt to map susceptibility loci by marker analysis. METHODS A pig pedigree with a high incidence of AA has been established by selective breeding using 3 probands from the Landrace and Large White breeds. It has been maintained by intrafamilial crossing for more than 15 years. A backcross pedigree has now been generated by mating 4 AA females to an unaffected male from the Chinese Meishan breed. F(1) animals were both intercrossed and backcrossed to affected AA animals. A genome scan was carried out using the F(0), F(1), and affected backcross progeny. Ninety-two microsatellite loci were analyzed using fluorescently labelled primers and an ABI377 sequencer. Linkage analysis was done with the CRI-MAP 2.4 software. RESULTS Crossing affected parents increased the incidence of abnormalities from 30% to 61.9%. All 39 F(1) pigs were unaffected. In the F(1) intercross, only 3 of 205 (1.5%) were affected, whereas 42 of 523 (8.0%) backcross progeny were affected. The marked difference in the incidence of affected progeny in the F(1) intercross and in the backcross indicates the presence of multiple genes causing AA. The genome scan showed suggestive evidence for the presence of a susceptibility locus on pig chromosome 15 (lod score 2.7 for a pig microsatellite marker SW2072). CONCLUSIONS The results clearly show that AA has a oligogenic or polygenic background. The genome scan showed one suggestive locus causing AA on pig chromosome 15. The long-term goal is to identify causative genes for this malformation by comparative positional candidate cloning. This study provides, for the first time, linkage mapping of nonsyndromal anorectal malformations with a polygenic inheritance.
The phenomenon of national Development Bank: theoretical foundation and effectiveness

Актуальность темы статьи обусловлена объективной необходимостью дальнейшего изучения феномена национального банка развития. В данной работе изучены теоретические аспекты существования банков развития и существующие подходы к оценке их эффективности. Основываясь на проведенном анализе, мы предлагаем «зонтичное» определение национального банка развития, а также подходк классификации банков развития, необходимый для проведения корректного внешнего бенчмаркинга. Представленная автором эмпирическая модель эффективности деятельности национальных банков развития документирует общую позитивную связь между их присутствием и экономическим ростом на национальном уровне. По результатам исследования сформулированы рекомендации по повышению эффективности деятельности национальных банков развития. Virtually every country has at least one institution regarded as a development bank. However, there is a marked gap in studies of development banks on national scale. Following this demand, the current paper aims to shed light on a phenomenon of national development banks. This article identifies theoretical roots of development bank’s existence and investigates its effectiveness. Based on the substantial amount of data observed we suggest an umbrella definition of a development bank. Further, we suggest relevant taxonomy to avoid potential misleading benchmarks. Descriptive statistics on macro-level of analysis demonstratesidiosyncratic nature of national development banks and its extreme heterogeneity. Constructed empirical model identifies general positive association between development bank’s foundation and national economic growth.
Etiology and Pathology of Equine Placentitis

Placentas from aborted, stillborn, and premature foals were examined during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons, and 236 of 954 (24.7%) had placentitis. Microorganisms associated with placentitis were isolated or demonstrated from 162 of 236 (68.6%) placentitis cases. Leptospira spp. and a nocardioform actinomycete were 2 important, newly emerging bacteria associated with equine placentitis. Major pathogens identified in decreasing order were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Leptospira spp. , Escherichia coli, a nocardioform actinomycete, fungi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus equisimilis, Enterobacter agglomerans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus. Pathogens were not recovered in 64 cases (27.1%) and overgrowth by saprophytic bacteria was recorded in 10 cases (4.2%). Twenty-seven cases (16.6%) had mixed bacterial growth and 93 cases (57.4%) had bacteria cultured from both placenta and fetal organs. The majority of the placentitis cases caused by bacteria, with the exception of Leptospira spp. and the nocardioform actinomycete, occurred in 2 forms. One was acute, focal or diffuse; had an infiltration of neutrophils in the intervillous spaces or necrosis of chorionic villi; was associated with bacteremia; and frequently occurred in the placenta from fetuses expelled before or at midgestation. The other was observed from foals expelled at late gestation, was mostly chronic and focal or focally extensive, and occurred mostly at the cervical star area. Chronic placentitis was characterized by the presence of 1 or a combination of the following lesions: necrosis of chorionic villi, presence of eosinophilic amorphous material on the chorion, and infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells in the intervillous spaces, villous stroma, chorionic stroma, vascular layer, and allantois. Chorangiosis, hyperplasia with or without squamous metaplasia of the chorionic epithelim, and adenomatous hyperplasia of the allantoic epithelium were frequently associated with chronic placentitis. Leptospira spp. induced, regardless of gestational age, a diffuse placentitis with the presence of a large number of spirochetes in the stromal tissues. The nocardioform acti-nomycete, a gram-positive, filamentous, and branching bacillus, induced an unique chronic-active focally extensive placentitis located at the base of the horn or at the junction between the body and horn of the allantochorion. Fungi, with the exception of Histoplasma sp. and Candida sp. , induced a chronic focally extensive placentitis at the cervical star area similar to that seen in chronic bacterial placentitis. Histoplasma sp. induced a multifocal granulomatous placentitis, and Candida sp. induced a diffuse necrotizing and proliferative placentitis.
Parametric study of warpage in Package-on-Package manufacturing

In Package-on-Package (PoP) manufacturing, warpages on both top and bottom packages are concerned. Excess warpage causes solder joint opening, and results in the electrical connection failure of the assembled module. Many parameters of materials, geometry, and process contribute to the warpage of the package. The objective of this paper is to investigate effects of these parameters on the warpage. The dimensions of dies, package and substrate, materials of molding compound and substrates are investigated by the finite element method (FEM) in the processes of molding and reflow. After running simulation, analysis of variance is employed to identify the influential parameters. The results show that the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of molding compound and substrate as well as die sizes have significant influence on the warpage. Based on this study, the influential parameters can be optimized within practical range to achieve the lowest warpage value.
Echocardiography-derived variables predict outcome in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy with or without a restrictive filling pattern.

BACKGROUND Despite recent therapeutic advances, patients with heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) still have high morbidity and mortality rates. In this study, we sought to assess the prognostic value of echocardiographic variables in patients with DCM and to assess the impact of a restrictive left ventricle filling pattern. DESIGN We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 337 patients with DCM, using the Royal Brompton Hospital Echocardiography database for the years 1994 to 1998. METHODS AND RESULTS There were 337 patients with a mean age of 53 +/- 15 years. One hundred ninety-five patients (58%) had a restrictive left ventricle filling pattern (RFP). There was a total of 74 deaths (22%) during the follow-up period (43 +/- 25 months). RFP more than tripled the risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.8-5.7, P =.003). RFP is correlated with isovolumic relaxation time, incoordinate wall-motion, amplitude of right ventricular long axis excursion on M-mode echocardiography, and mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSION RFP is a powerful independent predictor of mortality in patients with nonischemic DCM. The risk associated with RFP is greatest among patients who had short isovolumic relaxation time, mitral regurgitation, incoordinate wall-motion, and depressed amplitude of right ventricular long axis excursion. Thus, echocardiography-derived variables may stratify patients with heart failure with DCM who are at high risk, for whom aggressive medical treatment or heart transplantation should be considered early.
Profiles of Basal and Stimulated Receptor Signaling Networks Predict Drug Response in Breast Cancer Lines

Activity of receptor tyrosine kinase networks may serve as an effective means to classify breast cancers and predict their sensitivity to therapeutic drugs. Hybrid Biomarkers Changes in genes only tell part of the story in cancer. Cancer cells also exhibit altered signaling networks and can rewire their signaling pathways in response to either endogenous stimuli or drug therapy. Niepel et al. combined information about breast cancer clinical subtype, genetic status, receptor abundance, and signaling pathway activity to create hybrid biomarkers that predicted the effectiveness of various targeted breast cancer therapies. This approach may prove a better way to customize treatments for cancer patients because it accounts for heterogeneity in tumors with similar genetic alterations and because the multitude of genetic changes observed in cancer appear to result in a smaller set of dysregulated signaling states. Identifying factors responsible for variation in drug response is essential for the effective use of targeted therapeutics. We profiled signaling pathway activity in a collection of breast cancer cell lines before and after stimulation with physiologically relevant ligands, which revealed the variability in network activity among cells of known genotype and molecular subtype. Despite the receptor-based classification of breast cancer subtypes, we found that the abundance and activity of signaling proteins in unstimulated cells (basal profile), as well as the activity of proteins in stimulated cells (signaling profile), varied within each subtype. Using a partial least-squares regression approach, we constructed models that significantly predicted sensitivity to 23 targeted therapeutics. For example, one model showed that the response to the growth factor receptor ligand heregulin effectively predicted the sensitivity of cells to drugs targeting the cell survival pathway mediated by PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) and Akt, whereas the abundance of Akt or the mutational status of the enzymes in the pathway did not. Thus, basal and signaling protein profiles may yield new biomarkers of drug sensitivity and enable the identification of appropriate therapies in cancers characterized by similar functional dysregulation of signaling networks.
Transcriptional regulation of the human ferritin gene by coordinated regulation of Nrf2 and protein arginine methyltransferases PRMT1 and PRMT4

Antioxidant genes such as ferritin are transcriptionally activated in oxidative stress via the antioxidant responsive element (ARE), to which nuclear factor‐E2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) binds and activates transcription. Histone modification plays a cooperative and essential role in transcriptional regulation; however, its role in antioxidant gene transcription remains elusive. Arsenic exposure activated ferritin transcription via the ARE concomitant with increased methylation of histones H4Arg3 (H4R3) and H3Arg17 (H3R17). To test our hypothesis that histone H4R3 and H3R17 methylation regulates ferritin transcription, H4R3 and H3R17 protein arginine (R) methyltransferases 1 and 4 (PRMT1 and PRMT4) were investigated. Arsenic exposure of human HaCaT keratinocytes induced nuclear accumulation of PRMT1 and PRMT4, histone H4R3 and H3R17 methylation proximal to the ARE, but not to the non‐ARE regions of ferritin genes. PRMT1 or PRMT4 knockdown did not block Nrf2 nuclear accumulation but inhibited Nrf2 binding to the AREs by ~40% (P<0.05), thus diminishing ferritin transcription in HaCaT and human primary keratinocytes and fibroblasts, causing enhanced cellular susceptibility to arsenic toxicity as evidenced by 2‐fold caspase 3 activation. Focused microarray further characterized several oxidative stress response genes are subject to PRMT1 or PRMT4 regulation. Collectively, PRMT1 and PRMT4 regulate the ARE and cellular antioxidant response to arsenic. —Huang, B. ‐W. , Ray, P. D. , Iwasaki, K. , Tsuji, Y. , Transcriptional regulation of the human ferritin gene by coordinated regulation of Nrf2 and protein arginine methyltransferases PRMT1 and PRMT4. FASEB J. 27, 3763–3774 (2013). www.fasebj. org