Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Vitamin D in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly individuals and is associated with progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. A significant association between AD and low levels of vitamin D has been demonstrated. Furthermore, vitamin D supplements appear to have a beneficial clinical effect on AD by regulating micro-RNA, enhancing toll-like receptors, modulating vascular endothelial factor expression, modulating angiogenin, and advanced glycation end products. Vitamin D also exerts its effects on AD by regulating calcium-sensing receptor expression, enhancing amyloid-β peptides clearance, interleukin 10, downregulating matrix metalloproteinases, upregulating heme oxygenase 1, and suppressing the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate expression. In conclusion, vitamin D may play a beneficial role in AD. Calcitriol is the best vitamin D supplement for AD, because it is the active form of the vitamin D3 metabolite and modulates inflammatory cytokine expression. Therefore, further investigation of the role of calcitriol in AD is needed.
Upper-extremity volume measurements in women with lymphedema: a comparison of measurements obtained via water displacement with geometrically determined volume.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Upper-extremity (UE) swelling following breast cancer treatment is a frequent manifestation of lymphedema. In order to document outcomes from lymphedema treatments, reliable, valid, and practical measurements of UE swelling are necessary. The purpose of this study was to compare geometric methods of determining UE volumes with water displacement methods. SUBJECTS The edematous hand, forearm, and upper arm of 50 women with UE swelling secondary to lymphedema were measured. METHODS Upper-extremity volumes were determined by water displacement using arm and hand volumeters. Displaced water was weighed to determine volume. Circumferential girth measurements were taken. Width and depth measurements of the hand were taken with a tension-controlled caliper. Geometric volume formulas for a cylinder, frustum, rectangular solid, and trapezoidal solid were used to calculate volumes of the arm and hand at different measurement intervals. RESULTS Intraclass correlation coefficients [2,1] for interrater and intrarater reliability of all water and geometric measurements of the arm and hand were.91 to.99 and.92 to.99, respectively. Water displacement correlated with geometric measurements in the arm (r=.97-.98) and in the hand (r=.81-.91). The limits of agreement (LOA) indicated that water and geometric measurements of arm volume differed by 479 to 655 mL. Scatterplots of the LOA data indicated in that geometric volumes were either larger or smaller than water volumes. The smallest standard error of measurement for the arm measurements was for the 6-cm frustum method at 115 mL; for the hand measurements, the smallest standard error of measurement was for the frustum method at 16 mL. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Volume of an edematous UE calculated by geometric formulas correlated strongly with volume determined by water displacement. Although strongly correlated, the measurements obtained by the 2 methods did not agree.
Post-traumatic subdural hematoma. Further observations on nonsurgical treatment.

In the period of time from Oct., 1956, to June, 1958, in the Department of Neurology of the University of Bari, 4 cases of posttraumatic chronic subdural hematomas were observed in which the clinical symptoms and the characteristic arteriographic picture regressed completely without surgical intervention.1Their treatment consisted of bed rest and an ample diet fortified with a variety of vitamins, antihemorrhagic and vasoprotective drugs, corticosteroids, and intravenous injections of hypertonic glucose solutions. Since that time, several other unpublished cases have been observed which responded as well to this supportive therapy. Some of these patients are still under observation and warrant a longer follow-up. Three of them, however, may be considered symptom-free and will be herein reported. Report of Three Cases Case 1. —A 57-year-old man was admitted to the Department of Neurology on Oct. 9, 1958, with a history of headaches, more marked in the left frontal region, of
Eating behaviour, food preferences and dietary intake in relation to obesity and body-weight status

Identification of behaviours which can be causally linked to overeating arguably presents insight into the aetiology of obesity and, perhaps, opportunities for specific interventions. This view underpins an extensive body of nutritional and behavioural literature directed at characterizing various aspects of eating behaviours in relation to present or past body-weight status. The topics explored in this type of research have ranged broadly, from the microstructure of eating, through sensory and external cue responsiveness, to measures of actual food choice and intake. The present paper will attempt to briefly review some of these major areas of research, and then to integrate information coming from behavioural studies with current ideas in nutrition and metabolism. While the critical role of energy expenditure and the contributions of animal experimentation are acknowledged, the discussion will be restricted by focusing almost exclusively on studies of human eating behaviour and dietary intake.
Why we don't talk ‘baby talk’ to babies

ABSTRACT The speech of 36 mothers to their infants in a face-to-face situation at ages 6, 13 and 26 weeks was compared with unfamiliar adults' speech to the same infants, the mothers' speech to an interviewer, and their conversations with the same children 2 years later. Speech to the infants was quite different from so-called ‘baby talk’, but contrary to other authors the speech to infants was even shorter, more repetitive, and more limited in content than the speech to language-learning children. Differences appear due to the infant's changing status in the relationship, from a potential to an actual conversant.
Connecting the mechanisms of T‐cell regulation: dendritic cells as the missing link

Summary: A variety of different molecular mechanisms have been proposed to explain the suppressive action of regulatory T cells, including the production of anti‐inflammatory cytokines, negative costimulatory ligands, indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase‐mediated tryptophan catabolism, CD73‐mediated adenosine generation, and downregulation of antigen‐presenting cells. Until now it has been unclear how important each of these different mechanisms might be and how they are coordinated. In this review, we examine the hypothesis that it is the interaction between regulatory T cells and dendritic cells that creates a local microenvironment depleted of essential amino acids and rich in adenosine that leads to the amplification of a range of different tolerogenic signals. These signals are all eventually integrated by mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition, which enables the induction of new forkhead box protein 3‐expressing Tregs. If correct, this provides a molecular explanation for the in vivo phenomena of linked suppression and infectious tolerance.
Efficacy and Safety of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors in Type 2 Diabetes: Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: An up-to-date assessment of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors is needed to include newly available data. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of DPP-4 inhibitors, including sitagliptin, saxagliptin, vildagliptin, and linagliptin, in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a search of MEDLINE for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DPP-4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes through November 2011, using the key terms sitagliptin, saxagliptin, vildagliptin, and linagliptin. We also searched for completed, but unpublished, trials at relevant web sites. RCTs were selected for meta-analysis if they (1) compared DPP-4 inhibitors with placebo or an antihyperglycemic agent; (2) had study duration of 12 or more weeks; (3) had 1 or more baseline and posttreatment efficacy and/or safety outcome; and (4) were published in English. RESULTS: In 62 evaluated articles, DPP-4 inhibitors lowered hemoglobin A1c (A1C) significantly more than placebo (weighted mean difference [WMD] −0.76%; 95% CI −0.83 to −0.68); however, heterogeneity was substantial (I2 = 82%). Exclusion of Japanese trials (n = 7) resulted in a reduction of heterogeneity (I2 = 59%). In the non-Japanese RCTs (n = 55), DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a reduction in A1C (WMD −0.65%; 95% CI −0.71 to −0.60) but higher risk of hypoglycemia (odds ratio [OR] 1.30; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.68) compared to placebo. The 7 Japanese-specific RCTs showed a greater reduction in A1C (WMD −1.67%; 95% CI −1.89 to −1.44) and a nonsignificant increase in risk of hypoglycemia (OR 1.41; 95% CI 0.51 to 3.88) with DPP-4 inhibitors versus placebo. When comparing DPP-4 inhibitors to active comparators, the I2 was still high after deleting Japanese studies. In these 17 active comparator trials, there was no significant difference in A1C reduction (WMD 0.04%; 95% CI −0.09 to 0.16) or risk of hypoglycemia (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.22 to 1.61) for DPP-4 inhibitors compared to other antihyperglycemics. There were similar odds of any or serious adverse events with DPP-4 inhibitors compared to placebo, but a decreased risk compared to other antihyperglycemics. CONCLUSIONS: DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a reduction in A1C with comparable safety profiles compared to placebo, but no significant difference in A1C compared to other hyperglycemics. Differences in efficacy and safety were observed between Japanese and non-Japanese patients.
Positive life events, attributional style, and hopefulness: testing a model of recovery from depression.

A model of a recovery process from depression that is compatible with the hopelessness theory of depressive onset is proposed. This model predicts that depressives who have an enhancing attributional style for positive events (i.e., make global, stable attributions for such events) will be more likely to regain hopefulness and, thereby, recover from depression, when positive events occur. This prediction was tested by following a group of depressed college students longitudinally for 6 weeks. Although neither positive events alone nor attributional style alone predicted reduction in hopelessness, depressives who both showed the enhancing attributional style for positive events and experienced more positive events showed dramatic reductions in hopelessness which were accompanied by remission of depressive symptoms. Thus, attributional style for positive events may be a factor that enables some depressives to recover when positive events occur in their lives.
ECLS for children with late (post‐discharge) rejection after heart transplantation

Rejection with acute hemodynamic compromise after OHT is rare in children, and is associated with poor survival. We retrospectively reviewed the management, course and outcome of recipients with late (following initial hospital discharge) rejection with acute hemodynamic compromise who were supported on ECLS. Of 197 consecutive children undergoing OHT (84 male; mean [SD] age 8.3 [5.7] [range 0.1–18.8 yr]) between 2/2002 and 10/2012, 187 children survived and were discharged from hospital. Mean (SD) follow‐up was 5.0 (3.1) (range 0.1–10.6) yr. During follow‐up, seven presented with severe hemodynamic compromise after transplantation (of whom one patient had been transplanted elsewhere). All seven children, who presented in hemodynamic collapse with poor cardiac function refractory to inotropic support, were placed on ECLS—two following in‐hospital cardiac arrest. The median duration of ECLS was 6 (range 5–15) days. All survived to decannulation, with one death from overwhelming sepsis 20 days after presentation. The median (range) duration (in days) of inotropic requirement post ECLS was 11 (5–27), the median ventilation time was 8 (7–30), median ICU length of stay was 14 (10–54), and median hospitalization was 24 (19–118). In all, ventricular function normalized (FS >28%) within 10 (7–22) days. There was significant short‐term morbidity; however, over a median follow‐up of 5.9 (range 0.7–9.2) yr, all survivors have good functional status with no significant apparent neurological sequelae. ECLS thus appears to be a good rescue therapy for children with severe acute rejection post OHT, refractory to conventional treatment, leading to good medium‐term outcome.
PiB PET in Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease

Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Disease (GSS) is a familial neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by ataxia, parkinsonism, and dementia, and neuropathologically by deposition of diffuse and amyloid plaques composed of prion protein (PrP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate if [11C]Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) is capable of detecting PrP-amyloid in PRNP gene carriers. Six individuals at risk for GSS and eight controls underwent [11C]PiB PET scans using standard methods. Approximately one year after the initial scan, each of the three asymptomatic carriers (two with PRNP P102L mutation, one with PRNP F198S mutation) underwent a second [11C]PiB PET scan. Three P102L carriers, one F198S carrier, and one non-carrier of the F198S mutation were cognitively normal, while one F198S carrier was cognitively impaired during the course of this study. No [11C]PiB uptake was observed in any subject at baseline or at follow-up. Neuropathologic study of the symptomatic individual revealed PrP-immunopositive plaques and tau-immunopositive neurofibrillary tangles in cerebral cortex, subcortical nuclei, and brainstem. PrP deposits were also numerous in the cerebellar cortex. This is the first study to investigate the ability of [11C]PiB PET to bind to PrP-amyloid in GSS F198S subjects. This finding suggests that [11C]PiB PET is not suitable for in vivo assessment of PrP-amyloid plaques in patients with GSS.
Macroeconomic Bond Risks at the Zero Lower Bound

Close-to-zero interest rates challenge standard economic models in which zero lower bound (ZLB) is absent. We estimate a recursive utility model which features time-varying latent expected real growth, expected inflation, and stochastic inflation volatility. Using an approximate solution to bond prices, we show that the ZLB model successfully captures interest rates in a ZLB period, without a deterioration in fit to rates in normal times. Incorporating ZLB lowers the estimates of expected inflation and increases inflation volatility. It leads to large, negative and volatile shadow rates, large and volatile shadow risk premia, and small and volatile lift-off probabilities.
Hexabothriids of Devil Rays (Mobulidae): New Genus and Species from Gill of Mobula hypostoma in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Redescription of a Congener From Mobula rochebrunei in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract: A new species of Hexabothriidae, Mobulicola enantiomorphica n. gen., n. sp. , is described on the basis of specimens collected from the gill of a lesser devil ray, Mobula hypostoma (Bancroft, 1831) (Rajiformes: Mobulidae), captured in the northern Gulf of Mexico (30°13′49.22″N, 88°20′31.69″W) off Dauphin Island, Alabama. We also herein redescribe Mobulicola dubium (Euzet and Maillard, 1967) n. comb. on the basis of the holotype (36HG-69-1) and paratypes (36HG-69-2 and 36HG-69-3) collected from the gill of a lesser Guinean devil ray, Mobula rochebrunei (Vaillant, 1879), captured in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the island of Gorée (14°40′02.26″N, 17°23′4.96″W), Senegal. Mobulicola has the following combination of diagnostic features that differentiate it from other hexabothriid genera: haptor symmetrical; vasa efferentia narrow for entire length (not dilated distally), glandular-walled, joining medially immediately anterior to testicular field; vas deferens glandular for part or all of length and extensively convoluted; male copulatory organ massive, oblong, unarmed, dilated for entire length, lacking prostatic region; seminal receptacle present; ootype lacking longitudinal rows of large cells (ootype côtelé); vaginae parallel, with well-differentiated proximal (narrow, tube-like) and distal (laterally expanded, musculoglandular) portions; uterine eggs with 2 elongate filaments. Mobulicola is morphologically most similar to Branchotenthes Bullard and Dippenaar, 2003 but differs from it by the combination of having short, delicate vasa efferentia that are narrow for their entire length and that each extends slightly anteriad from the testicular field before uniting medially, a vas deferens that is convoluted between the common vitelline duct and male copulatory organ, an ovate, compact seminal receptacle, an ovary that ascends, descends, then ascends, and a proximal uterus that is extensively convoluted posterior to the male copulatory organ. The new species differs from M. dubium by the combination of having a proportionally shorter sclerite hook (19–29% of sclerite shaft total length), a vas deferens that is glandular-walled and laterally expanded proximally and nonglandular and narrow distally, and a common vitelline duct with dextral and sinistral loops extending anteriad. This is only the second report of a hexabothriid from a mobulid and the first report of a monogenoid from Mobula hypostoma.
The effect of growth and of fasting on the number of villi and crypts in the small intestine of the albino rat.

Recent investigations of epithelial cell turnover and three-dimensional structure of the mucosa of the small intestine were based on the intestinal villus as a unit of architecture (Clarke, 1970a, b). For long-term studies it would be useful to know whether a single villus is a constant unit of mucosal architecture: does the number of villi change as the animal grows or undergoes experimental manipulations? Clarke (1967) showed that the number of villi in the duodenum of the chicken was the same three days before hatching as in the adult, and Forrester (1972) has independently concluded that in the rat the number of villi does not alter substantially as the animal grows. The number of villi and of crypts per unit of 'serosal area' can be counted in the longitudinally opened intestine; the present paper describes how the 'serosal area' may be measured, and multiplied by the population density of villi and of crypts to give estimates of the total number of villi and of crypts in the small intestine. The effect of age and of five days' deprivation of food upon these estimates will be described and discussed. The preliminary findings of this investigation have already been published (Clarke, 1971).
Snf1 Phosphorylates Adenylate Cyclase and Negatively Regulates Protein Kinase A-dependent Transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae *

Background: The Snf1/AMPK and PKA pathways are crucial for nutrient sensing and utilization in yeast. Results: A novel cross-talk mechanism between Snf1/AMPK and PKA is proposed. Conclusion: Snf1 and Cyr1 interact in a nutrient-independent manner. Active Snf1 phosphorylates Cyr1 and negatively regulates cAMP content and PKA-dependent transcription. Significance: This is the first evidence of regulation of PKA pathway by Snf1/AMPK. In eukaryotes, nutrient availability and metabolism are coordinated by sensing mechanisms and signaling pathways, which influence a broad set of cellular functions such as transcription and metabolic pathways to match environmental conditions. In yeast, PKA is activated in the presence of high glucose concentrations, favoring fast nutrient utilization, shutting down stress responses, and boosting growth. On the contrary, Snf1/AMPK is activated in the presence of low glucose or alternative carbon sources, thus promoting an energy saving program through transcriptional activation and phosphorylation of metabolic enzymes. The PKA and Snf1/AMPK pathways share common downstream targets. Moreover, PKA has been reported to negatively influence the activation of Snf1/AMPK. We report a new cross-talk mechanism with a Snf1-dependent regulation of the PKA pathway. We show that Snf1 and adenylate cyclase (Cyr1) interact in a nutrient-independent manner. Moreover, we identify Cyr1 as a Snf1 substrate and show that Snf1 activation state influences Cyr1 phosphorylation pattern, cAMP intracellular levels, and PKA-dependent transcription.
Multi Drug Resistant Uropathogens in HIV: Are They A Threat to Community?

Introduction: Untreated Urinary tract infections accounts for 7-60% of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is one among the important causes of opportunistic infections in HIV seropositive. Urinary tract infections became quite alarming as isolated uropathogens exhibits high percentage resistance to almost all antibiotics. Limited data is available from India on the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria in HIV seropositive. Aims & Objectives: The present study was taken up to know the prevalence of asymptomatic urinary tract infections among HIV patients. Materials & Methods: 200 HIV seropositive patients without any complaints of urinary symptoms were included in the study. Patients with urinary tract abnormalities, diabetes mellitus, pregnancy etc. were excluded from the study. Patient’s history of antibiotics & anti retroviral treatment intake was noted. Urine samples were processed by standard protocols. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using Kirby-Bauer’s disk diffusion method. CD4 counts were done using FACS Calibur. Results: Among 200 HIV patients in the study, 100 patients were on antiretroviral treatment. Out of 200 urine samples, 60 (30%) samples showed significant growth. 40 patients with significant bacteriuria were on antiretroviral treatment. Out of 60 samples, 48 (80%) isolates were bacteria & 12 (20%) were identified as Candida species.Commonest bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus aureus 34 (56.66%), Enterococcus species 09 (15%), Escherichia coli 03 (5%). Isolates showing resistance to three or more than three categories of antibiotics were considered as multi drug resistant bacteria. 28 bacterial isolates were showing multi drug resistance.15 (44.11%) of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin resistant. Discussion: Higher prevalence of resistant uropathogens in HIV patients is a definitive threat. The early identification of multi drug resistant uropathogens in these patients and their proper treatment will help in patient betterment & also avoids the spread of these bacteria to the community. Conclusion: Routine urine screening of HIV seropositive might help in the early detection of multi drug resistant uropathogens.
Unsupervised Approach to Extracting Problem Phrases from User Reviews of Products

This paper describes approaches to problem-phrase extraction from user reviews of products. The first step in problem extraction is to separate sentences with problems from all others. We propose two methods to problem extraction from such sentences: (i) a straightforward algorithm that does not split sentence into clauses and (ii) an improved clause-based algorithm. We claim that both approaches improve the classification performance compared to machine-learning algorithms.