Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relevance of mytilid shell microtopographies for fouling defence – a global comparison

Prevention of epibiosis is of vital importance for most aquatic organisms, which can have consequences for their ability to invade new areas. Surface microtopography of the shell periostracum has been shown to have antifouling properties for mytilid mussels, and the topography shows regional differences. This article examines whether an optimal shell design exists and evaluates the degree to which shell microstructure is matched with the properties of the local fouling community. Biomimics of four mytilid species from different regional provenances were exposed at eight different sites in both northern and southern hemispheres. Tendencies of the microtopography to both inhibit and facilitate fouling were detected after 3 and 6 weeks of immersion. However, on a global scale, all microtopographies failed to prevent fouling in a consistent manner when exposed to various fouling communities and when decoupled from other shell properties. It is therefore suggested that the recently discovered chemical anti-microfouling properties of the periostracum complement the anti-macrofouling defence offered by shell microtopography. 1Laboratório de Manejo, Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo - SP, Brazil. 2ARONIA Coastal Zone Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences at Åbo akademi, Raserborgvägen 9, Ekenäs, Finland. 3Marine Science and Fisheries Department, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, PO Box 34, 123 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. 4CEAZA – Centro de Estudios Avancados en Zonas Aridas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile. 5Maritime Platforms Division, Defence Science & Technology Organisation, 506 Lorimer Street, Fishermans Bend, Vic 3207, Australia. 6Natural England, North East Region, The Quadrant, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 8NZ, UK.
An epidemiological study of age‐related dementia in the community

A geronto‐psychiatric epidemiological study was carried out in Kanagawa prefecture. The total sample comprised 1800 subjects randomly selected among 224 492 people aged 65 years and over. Two hundred and thirty subjects with suspected ill health, selected from the primary survey by lay raters, were individually interviewed to perform psychiatric and physical evaluations by psychiatrists and psychologists with a semi‐structured interview form. Strict criteria similar to that of DSM‐III were used to diagnose dementia. The study revealed that the prevalence of the aged with dementia in the community was 4.8%. Prevalence increased with age and showed a great predominance of vascular dementia. The prevalence of non‐vascular senile dementia in Japan is lower than that reported in studies from outside Japan. Some possible explanatory factors for this finding are discussed.
Food , drug , insect sting allergy , and anaphylaxis A population-based epidemiologic study of emergency department visits for anaphylaxis in Florida

Abbreviations used Ecodes: External cause of injury codes ED: Emergency department ICD-9-CM: International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification RR: Relative risk Background: Previous population-based analyses of emergency department (ED) visits for anaphylaxis have been limited to small populations in limited geographic areas and focused on children or have included patients who had allergic conditions other than anaphylaxis. Objective: We sought to describe the epidemiology and risk factors among patients with anaphylaxis presenting to Florida EDs. Methods: Two thousand seven hundred fifty-one patients with anaphylaxis were identified for 2005-2006 within ED records by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), and a validated ICD-9-CM–based algorithm. Ageand sex-specific rates were calculated. Regression analyses were used to determine relative risks for anaphylaxis caused by various triggers (food, venom, and medication) and risk factors (age, sex, race, and ethnicity). Results: The highest observed rates were among the youngest male subjects (8.2/100,000 Floridians aged 0-4 years) and among adult female subjects (15-54 years) grouped in 10-year age categories (9.9-10.9/100,000 Floridians). Male and black subjects were 20% and 25%, respectively, more likely to have a food trigger than female and white subjects. White, male, and older subjects were more likely to have an anaphylaxis-related ED visit caused by insect stings. Venom-induced anaphylaxis was more likely in August through October. Children were less likely than those older than 70 years (referent) to have medication-induced anaphylaxis (P < .03). Conclusion: This is the only ED-based population study in a US lower-latitude state. The overall rate is considerably lower than other US ED-based population studies. The rates of anaphylaxis by age group differed by sex. Male and black subjects were more likely to have a food trigger. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;128:594-600.)
Ursachen und Prophylaxe typischer Volleyballverletzungen

A survey conducted among 224 volleyball players in the German Federal League revealed a high number of serious injuries. The upper ankle joint (55.1% of all serious injuries) and the fingers (22.4%) were most commonly affected. The principal cause of the accidents was a collision with an opponent at the net. There is a close relationship between the player's position, the part he plays in the game and the frequency of injury. Aside from other measures a change of one of the international volleyball rules would represent a suitable method of preventing such injuries. Language: de
Adsorption of HSA, IgG and laminin-1 on model titania surfaces – effects of glow discharge treatment on competitively adsorbed film composition

This study investigated the effect of glow discharge treatment of titania surfaces on plasma protein adsorption, by means of ellipsometry and mechanically assisted SDS elution. The adsorption and film elution of three plasma proteins, viz. human serum albumin (HSA), human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and laminin-1, as well as competitive adsorption from a mixture of the three proteins, showed that the adsorbed amount of the individual proteins after 1 h increased in the order HSA <IgG <laminin-1 ≤ protein mixture. Film elutability showed that 30 min of SDS interaction resulted in almost complete removal of adsorbed films. No difference in the total adsorbed amounts of individual proteins, or from the mixture, was observed between untreated and glow discharge treated titania surfaces. However, the composition of the adsorbed films from the mixture differed between the untreated and glow discharge treated substrata. On glow discharge-treated titania the fraction of HSA increased, the fraction of laminin-1 decreased and the fraction of IgG was unchanged compared to the adsorption on the untreated titania, which was attributed to protein–protein interactions and competitive/associative adsorption behaviour.
Immunologic Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Health Care Workers: A Screening Program and Evaluation of Some Host-Related Factors Role

Problem statement: To evaluation the immunologic response to hepatitis B vaccine in health care’s workers and effects of host-related factors? Approach: In a cross sectional descriptive analytic study carried out on the medical staff of Tabriz Shahid Madani Hospital in 2009-2010, we evaluated the immunologic response of the staff to vaccination against Hepatitis B and factors affecting it. Results: The mean antibody titer in the studied medical staff was 366.76±169.714 IU L-1. 2.05% were in “no response” group, 1.46% in “Low response” group and 96.49% in “Good response” group. Conclusion: Immunological response in the smoking staff was significantly less (p < 0.001) but no significant difference was observed in the response between genders (p = 0.127) and no case of hyperlipidemia was reported. There was a significant reverse linear relation between age and antibody titer in the studied staff (p = 0.003, R = 0.162) but no significant linear relation was observed between weight, height and BMI and antibody titer.
A comparative study of byssogenesis on zebra and quagga mussels: the effects of water temperature, salinity and light–dark cycle

The quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) and zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive freshwater bivalves in Europe and North America. The distribution range of both Dreissena species is still expanding and both species cause major biofouling and ecological effects, in particular when they invade new areas. In order to assess the effect of temperature, salinity and light on the initial byssogenesis of both species, 24 h re-attachment experiments in standing water were conducted. At a water temperature of 25°C and a salinity of 0.2 psu, the rate of byssogenesis of D. polymorpha was significantly higher than that of D. rostriformis bugensis. In addition, byssal thread production by the latter levelled out between 15°C and 25°C. The rate of byssogenesis at temperatures <25°C was similar for both species. Neither species produced any byssal threads at salinities of 4 psu or higher. At a salinity of 1 psu and a water temperature of 15°C, D. polymorpha produced significantly more byssal threads than D. rostriformis bugensis. There was no significant effect of the length of illumination on the byssogenesis of either species. Overall, D. polymorpha produced slightly more byssal threads than D. rostriformis bugensis at almost all experimental conditions in 24 h re-attachment experiments, but both species had essentially similar initial re-attachment abilities. The data imply that D. rostriformis bugensis causes biofouling problems identical to those of D. polymorpha.
A Critical Review: Does Thiopental Continuous Infusion Warrant Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in the Critical Care Population?

Thiopental is a barbiturate used in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to reduce intracranial pressure (ICP) and to manage cerebral ischemia. As thiopental follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been used in practice to improve efficacy and reduce adverse effects. However, its role is still debatable, and TDM is not widely practiced. Current evidence suggests that thiopental therapy may improve mortality and functional outcome in a subpopulation of patients with severe TBI with elevated ICP refractory to conventional medical therapy. Several analytical methods are available to quantify thiopental concentrations. This review uses a previously published 9-step decision-making algorithm to determine whether TDM of thiopental in TBI is warranted. There seems to be poor correlation between thiopental concentration and pharmacological response in terms of neurological response, ICP, electroencephalography, and drug toxicity. There is no established therapeutic range for thiopental continuous infusion due to a wide range of plasma concentrations corresponding to efficacy (25-50 mg/L) and toxicity (30-70 mg/L) and the resulting overlap between the 2. Thiopental exhibits intrapatient and interpatient variability due to age, obesity, renal and hepatic dysfunction, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and hepatic enzyme autoinduction. Available evidence suggests that TDM of thiopental continuous infusion is not beneficial in improving efficacy or avoiding toxicity. There are however 2 possible scenarios in which TDM may provide additional information to sound clinical judgment. The first is providing patient-specific plasma target concentration to guide titration of therapy. The second scenario is differentiating between brain death and barbiturate-induced coma.
The Populus Genome Integrative Explorer (PopGenIE): a new resource for exploring the Populus genome.

Populus has become an important model plant system. However, utilization of the increasingly extensive collection of genetics and genomics data created by the community is currently hindered by the lack of a central resource, such as a model organism database (MOD). Such MODs offer a single entry point to the collection of resources available within a model system, typically including tools for exploring and querying those resources. As a starting point to overcoming the lack of such an MOD for Populus, we present the Populus Genome Integrative Explorer (PopGenIE), an integrated set of tools for exploring the Populus genome and transcriptome. The resource includes genome, synteny and quantitative trait locus (QTL) browsers for exploring genetic data. Expression tools include an electronic fluorescent pictograph (eFP) browser, expression profile plots, co-regulation within collated transcriptomics data sets, and identification of over-represented functional categories and genomic hotspot locations. A number of collated transcriptomics data sets are made available in the eFP browser to facilitate functional exploration of gene function. Additional homology and data extraction tools are provided. PopGenIE significantly increases accessibility to Populus genomics resources and allows exploration of transcriptomics data without the need to learn or understand complex statistical analysis methods. PopGenIE is available at www.popgenie. org or via www.populusgenome. info.
Monitoring Pregnant Women's Illicit Opiate and Cocaine Use With Sweat Testing

Dependence on illicit drugs during pregnancy is a major public health concern as there may be associated adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal consequences. Sweat patches (n = 389) were collected from 39 pregnant volunteers who provided written informed consent for this Institutional Review Board-approved protocol and wore patches, replaced approximately weekly, from study entry until delivery. Patches were analyzed for opiates (heroin, 6-acetylmorphine, 6-acetylcodeine, morphine and codeine) and cocaine (cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, anhydroecgonine methyl ester) by solid phase extraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Seventy-one percent (276) of collected sweat patches were ≥5 ng per patch (limit of quantification) for one or more analytes. Cocaine was present in 254 (65.3%) patches in concentrations ranging from 5.2 to 11,835 ng per patch with 154 of these high enough to satisfy the proposed Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guidelines for a confirmatory drug test (25 ng per patch). Interestingly, 6-acetylmorphine was the most prominent opiate analyte documented in 134 patches (34.4%) with 11.3% exceeding the proposed opiate Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cut-off (25 ng per patch). Heroin was identified in fewer patches (77), but in a similar concentration range (5.3-345.4 ng per patch). Polydrug use was evident by the presence of both cocaine and opiate metabolites in 136 (35.0%) patches. Sweat testing is an effective method for monitoring abstinence or illicit drug use relapse in this high-risk population of pregnant opiate- and/or cocaine-dependent women.
Falls in Older People at Home: Risk Factors and Intervention Strategies

Most homes contain environmental hazards and many older people suffer trips and slips inside their homes and immediate surroundings. The interaction between an older person's physical abilities and their exposure to environmental hazards seems crucial to understanding the role of environmental hazards in falls. There may be a non-linear pattern between mobility and falls associated with hazards. Household environmental hazards appear to pose the greatest risk for older people with fair balance, whereas those with poor balance are less exposed to hazards and those with good mobility are more able to withstand them. Reducing hazards in the home has not been shown to be an effective falls prevention strategy in the general older population and those at low risk of falls. However, home hazard reduction is effective if targeted to older people with a history of falls and visual and mobility limitations. The effectiveness may depend on providing complementary mobility training and other strategies for increasing behaviour change.
Engineered applications of ureolytic biomineralization: a review

Microbially-induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) is a widely explored and promising technology for use in various engineering applications. In this review, CaCO3 precipitation induced via urea hydrolysis (ureolysis) is examined for improving construction materials, cementing porous media, hydraulic control, and remediating environmental concerns. The control of MICP is explored through the manipulation of three factors: (1) the ureolytic activity (of microorganisms), (2) the reaction and transport rates of substrates, and (3) the saturation conditions of carbonate minerals. Many combinations of these factors have been researched to spatially and temporally control precipitation. This review discusses how optimization of MICP is attempted for different engineering applications in an effort to highlight the key research and development questions necessary to move MICP technologies toward commercial scale applications.
Prolonged morphometric study of barnacles grown on soft substrata of hydrogels and elastomers

A long-term investigation of the shell shape and the basal morphology of barnacles grown on tough, double-network (DN) hydrogels and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer was conducted in a laboratory environment. The elastic modulus of these soft substrata varied between 0.01 and 0.47 MPa. Polystyrene (PS) (elastic modulus, 3 GPa) was used as a hard substratum control. It was found that the shell shape and the basal plate morphology of barnacles were different on the rigid PS substratum compared to the soft substrata of PDMS and DN hydrogels. Barnacles on the PS substratum had a truncated cone shape with a flat basal plate while on soft PDMS and DN gels, barnacles had a pseudo-cylindrical shape and their basal plates showed curvature. In addition, a large adhesive layer was observed under barnacles on PDMS, but not on DN gels. The effect of substratum stiffness is discussed in terms of barnacle muscle contraction, whereby the relative stiffness of the substratum compared to that of the muscle is considered as the key parameter.
Influence of Body Weight on Achieving Indinavir Concentrations Within Its Therapeutic Window in HIV-Infected Thai Patients Receiving Indinavir Boosted With Ritonavir

Indinavir boosted with ritonavir (IDV/r) dosing with 400/100 mg, twice daily, is preferred in Thai adults, but this dose can lead to concentrations close to the boundaries of its therapeutic window. The objectives of this analysis were to validate a population pharmacokinetic model to describe IDV/r concentrations in HIV-infected Thai patients and to investigate the impact of patient characteristics on achieving adequate IDV concentrations. IDV/r concentration data from 513 plasma samples were available. Population means and variances of pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using a nonlinear mixed effects regression model (NONMEM Version VI). Monte Carlo simulations were performed to estimate the probability of achieving IDV concentrations within its therapeutic window. IDV/r pharmacokinetics were best described by a one-compartment model coupled with a single transit compartment absorption model. Body weight influenced indinavir apparent oral clearance and volume of distribution and allometric scaling significantly reduced the interindividual variability. Final population estimates (interindividual variability in percentage) of indinavir apparent oral clearance and volume of distribution were 21.3 L/h/70 kg (30%) and 90.7 L/70 kg (22%), respectively. Based on model simulations, the probability of achieving an IDV trough concentration greater than 0.1 mg/L was greater than 99% for 600/100 mg and greater than 98% for 400/100 mg, twice daily, in patients weighing 40 to 80 kg. However, the probability of achieving IDV concentrations associated with an increased risk of drug toxicity (greater than 10.0 mg/L) increased from 1% to 10% with 600/100 mg compared with less than 1% with 400/100 mg when body weight decreased from 80 to 40 kg. The validated model developed predicts that 400/100 mg of IDV/r, twice daily, provides indinavir concentrations within the recommended therapeutic window for the majority of patients. The risk of toxic drug concentrations increases rapidly with IDV/r dose of 600/100 mg for patients less than 50 kg and therapeutic drug monitoring of IDV concentrations would help to reduce the risk of IDV-induced nephrotoxicity.
Assessing the microbiological risk to stored sixteenth century parchment manuscripts: a holistic approach based on molecular and environmental studies

The microbial risk for the conservation of seven sixteenth century parchment manuscripts, which showed brown discolouration putatively caused by microorganisms, was evaluated using non-invasive sampling techniques, microscopy, studies of surface-associated and airborne microflora with culture-independent molecular methods, and by measuring repository thermo-hygrometric values. Microscopic observations and ATP assays demonstrated a low level of contamination, indicating that the discolouration was not related to currently active microbial colonisation. Nevertheless, a culture-independent molecular approach was adopted to fully characterise surface-associated communities searching for biodeteriogens that could grow under appropriate thermo-hygrometric conditions. Indeed, potential biodeteriogens and microorganisms that are ecologically related to humans were found, suggesting the need to control the conservation environment and improve handling procedures. Microbial loads of air and thermo-hygrometric measurements showed that the repository was not suitable for preventing the microbial deterioration of parchment. A holistic approach to the assessment of risk of microbial deterioration of documents and heritage preservation is proposed for the first time.
Effects of fluconazole on Candida glabrata biofilms and its relationship with ABC transporter gene expression

Candida glabrata has emerged as the second most prevalent fungal pathogen and its ability to form biofilms has been considered one of the most important virulence factors, since biofilms present a high tolerance to antifungal agents used in fungal infection treatment. The mechanisms of biofilm tolerance to antifungal agents remain poorly understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fluconazole (FLU) on the formation and control of C. glabrata biofilms and its relation with the expression of genes encoding for ABC transporters, CDR1, SNQ2, and PDR1. For that, minimal inhibitory concentration values for seven C. glabrata strains were determined and the effect of FLU against C. glabrata biofilms was evaluated by total biomass quantification and viable cell enumeration. Matrices from biofilms were analyzed in terms of protein, carbohydrate and DNA content. ABC transporter gene expression was analyzed for quantitative real-time PCR. In addition to the high amounts of proteins and carbohydrates detected in the extracellular matrices in the presence of FLU, this work showed that the overexpression of efflux pumps is a possible mechanism of biofilm tolerance to FLU and this phenomenon alters the structure of C. glabrata biofilms by creating cell clusters.