Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Gender Gap in Life Expectancy in South Africa from 2000 to 2015: The Role of Age- and Cause-Specific Mortality

In the last two decades, South Africa has experienced a marginal increase in life expectancy due to high mortality burden. It coincides with variations in age- and cause-specific mortality among females and males. The study aimed at quantifying the role of age- and cause-specific mortality to the gender gap in life expectancy in South Africa from 2000 to 2015. The study measured the trends in cause-specific mortality and contributions of each cause to life expectancy among South African males and females. Andreev’s decomposition method was applied to decompose the contributions of age- and cause-specific mortality to the gender gap in life expectancy. The study revealed that recorded gender gap in life expectancy concentrated in the age group 15-34 was as a result of the differences in the contributions of the infectious diseases and external causes of mortality. In the elderly years, the gap in life expectancy among males and females were due to the variations in the contributions of mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases. Given these, health policies and programs should target infectious diseases and external causes of death in the young adult years, the leading causes of mortality and circulatory and respiratory diseases, emerging major causes of mortality in the elderly years in South Africa
The role of the glycoprotein BCLB in theexosporium of Bacillus anthracis

Anthrax is a highly fatal disease caused by the gram-positive, endospore-forming, rodshaped bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Spores, rather than the vegetative bacterial cells, are the source of anthrax infections. The spores of B. anthracis are enclosed by a prominent loose-fitting structure called the exosporium. The exosporium is composed of a basal layer and an external hair-like nap. The filaments of the hair-like nap are made up largely of a single collagen-like glycoprotein called BclA. A second glycoprotein, BclB, has been identified in the exosporium layer. The specific location of this glycoprotein within the exosporium layer and its role in the biology of the spore are unknown. We created a mutant strain of B. anthracis ∆Sterne that carries a deletion of the bclB gene. Immunofluorescence studies indicated that the mutant strain produced spores with increased amounts of the BclA glycoprotein expressed on their surface. Differences in exosporium composition between the mutant and wild-type spores were identified. The mutant was also found to possess structural defects in the exosporium layer of the spore (visualized by electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry) resulting in an exosporium that is more fragile than that of a wild-type spore and is easily lost. The resistance properties of the mutant spores were unchanged from that of the wild-type spores. The bclB mutation did not affect spore germination or kinetics of spore survival within macrophages. BclB plays a key role in the formation and maintenance of a rigid and complete exosporium structure in B. anthracis. BclB plays a key role in the formation and maintenance of the exosporium structure in B. anthracis. THE ROLE OF THE GLYCOPROTEIN BCLB IN THE EXOSPORIUM OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS. by BRIAN M. THOMPSON B.S., Kansas State University, 2002 A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology College of Veterinary Medicine KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2007
Calf Muscle Pump Stimulation Increases Lower Limb Bone Density in Perimenopausal Women

Nutrient delivery to bone tissue, as for all tissues in the body, is provided through interstitial fluid flow. This flow is driven by the differential fluid pressures between the intramedullary canal and the tissues outside of the bone. Correspondingly, reductions in tissue fluid pressure should enhance interstitial bone fluid flow, nutrient delivery, and thereby increase bone mineral density. This hypothesis was tested in a one year long pilot clinical study of healthy, employed, perimenopausal women (42 - 68 years). Soleus muscle (calf muscle pump) stimulation was utilized with the intent of increasing lower limb fluid return to the heart, serving to both reduce lower limb tissue pressures and to increase intramedullary pressures by increasing cardiac output. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessments of bone mineral density (BMD) were obtained at 12 month intervals. Muscle stimulation usage ranged from 0.7 to 4.8 hours/work-day. Dose dependent responses between duration of daily soleus muscle stimulation and changes in both proximal femur BMD (+0.5% per hour of daily use; p = 0.05) and proximal tibia BMD (+1.5% per hour of daily use; p = 0.0004), were observed; no significant effect was observed at the lumbar spine. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that calf muscle pump stimulation, which is sufficient to reduce lower limb fluid pooling, is capable of significantly reducing the rate of bone loss in perimenopausal women as well as enhancing new bone formation.
Clinical Trials Targeting Metabolism in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Metabolic derangement is a pathologic feature of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). 1 Metabolic abnormalities such as aerobic glycolysis and impaired fatty acid oxidation are consistently observed across different animal models of PAH. Importantly, altered metabolism in human PAH and experimental models is not restricted to the pulmonary vasculature, raising the possibility that PAH is a systemic metabolic disease.2 For example, lipid accumulation is present in the myocardium and skeletal muscle of humans with PAH and the right ventricle exhibits increased glucose uptake compared with matched controls. As a result of these observations, targeting metabolic dysfunction has emerged as an important therapeutic approach for patients with PAH.3 This article will review key aspects of metabolism in PAH, existing metabolic data in humans, and will describe completed and ongoing clinical trials targeting metabolic dysfunction in patients with PAH.
Diagnostic Value of the Mean Platelet Volume in the Prediction of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Acute Bronchiolitis

Ad dress for Cor res pon den ce Şule Gökçe MD Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics Unit, İzmir, Turkey Phone: +90 232 390 13 34 E-mail: sule.gokce@ege.edu. tr ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3392-4990 Re cei ved: 19.04. 2018 Ac cep ted: 16.07. 2018 1Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics Unit, İzmir, Turkey 2Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, İzmir, Turkey Şule Gökçe1, Zafer Kurugöl2, Güldane Koturoğlu2, Aslı Aslan3, Sibel Polater1, Candan Çiçek4
Treatment of HCV Infection with Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents in Patients with HIV/HCV Co-Infection: A Systematic Review

Context: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant cause of chronic liver disease in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Introduction of HCV direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C in patients with HIV/HCV co-infection. In this study, we systematically reviewed the treatment of chronic HCV infection in patients with HIV/HCV co-infection. Evidence Acquisition: In this systematic review, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched using appropriate strategies containing all related keywords of “HCV”, “HIV” and “DAA”. Studies assessed the effectiveness of interferon-free HCV antiviral therapies in patients with HIV/HCV co-infection were evaluated for inclusion in the systematic review. Results: After the screening of 728 records, we included 33 articles in our study, and seven different HCV antiviral regimens were evaluated. Ten studies for sofosbuvir plus simeprevir (SVR ranged from 72.2% to 100%), eight studies for sofosbuvir plus ribavirin (SVR ranged from 51.6% to 91.6%), 12 studies for sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SVR ranged from 88.8% to 100%), eight studies for sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir (SVR ranged between 84.6% and 100%), two studies for grazoprevir/elbasvir (SVR ranged from 86.6% to 96.5%), six studies for ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir plus dasabuvir (SVR ranged from 90.6% to 100%), and just one study for sofosbuvir/velpatasvir with 95.2% SVR rate. Conclusions: This study found that treatment of HCV infection with DAAs can result in high SVR rate in patients with HIV/HCV co-infection.
Stability in Water and Sinking Rate of Pelleted Feeds Formulated from Locally Available Ingredients

Formulations of nutritionally balanced and cost effective feeds for fish and shellfish is of paramount importance in boosting production through aquaculture. Locally available feed ingredients were used for the preparation of pelleted feeds. Water stability and sinking rate of the feed were studied for various durations. The study revealed that stability of the feed reduced while sinking rate increased after 6 months of storage period.
Early improvements predict outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background: Older analyses did not support a relationship between early functional improvements (e.g., six minute walk, 6MW) and outcomes, but registries have now demonstrated that early improvement achieving ‘low-risk thresholds’ is associated with survival. Hypothesis: Substantial functional improvements (including 6MW and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, NT-pro-BNP) will predict protection from events even if low-risk thresholds are not achieved. Methods: Post-hoc, we analyzed 500 treatment-naive patients from the event-driven AMBITION trial (randomized to tadalafil, ambrisentan, or both). We set 40m improvement in walk (suggested minimal clinically important difference) and 600 ng/L drop in NT-pro-BNP (median reduction in combo; baseline for all=1004 ng/L) as thresholds and performed Kaplan-Meier time-to-event analyses for the first adjudicated clinical failure event (after week 16) with participants segregated by whether or not they had achieved both thresholds at week 16; n=272 had complete data and were included. Results: Patients with ≥40m increase in 6MW and ≥600 ng/L drop in NT-pro-BNP had lower risk of events (p Conclusion: Substantial, early improvements in 6MW and NT-pro-BNP predicted protection from subsequent events and may be useful to guide therapy towards long-term risk reduction.
Investigation of inheritance of glyphosate resistance and the mechanisms of glufosinate resistance in Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. spp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot) populations

approved: ________________________________________________________ Carol A. Mallory-Smith Italian ryegrass populations have been identified with evolved resistance to glyphosate in orchards with a history of glyphosate use. Two of these populations were selected to investigate the inheritance of glyphosate resistance. The mechanisms involved in the herbicide resistance were an altered target site for the population SF and reduced herbicide translocation for the population OR1. Mendelian inheritance studies and dose response experiments were conducted on the two populations. Four F1 families were formed by reciprocal crosses between each of the glyphosate resistant populations (SF and OR1) and the susceptible population (S) C1. Eight backcross families (BC1) were formed between the F1 individuals from each family and the susceptible population C1. Most of the F1 families resulting from SF and C1 had susceptible:resistant ratios
Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications of Lymphocytes in Hematological Disorders and Solid Malignancies

An efficient and specific cytotoxic immune response against a tumor requires a com - plex, rapidly evolving interaction between various immune cell types in the adaptive and innate immune system. This pliable interplay is a relentless process that has been concisely organized in three different phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. The identification of key immune players and molecules involved in this interplay has been crucial for the introduction of reliable prognostic factors and effective therapeutic proto cols against cancers. In this chapter, we aim to depict the roles of these distinct immune cell subsets, summarize the prognostic value of immune cells in different cancer types, and discuss briefly the principles of different immunotherapeutic approaches against hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
Resilience and return-to-work pain interventions: systematic review.

BACKGROUND Resilience is a developing concept in relation to pain, but has not yet been reviewed in return-to-work (RTW) contexts. AIMS To explore the role of resilience enhancement in promoting work participation for chronic pain sufferers, by reviewing the effectiveness of existing interventions. METHODS Resilience was operationalized as: self-efficacy, active coping, positive affect, positive growth, positive reinforcement, optimism, purpose in life and acceptance. Five databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) whose interventions included an element of resilience designed to help RTW/staying at work for chronic pain sufferers. Study appraisal comprised the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool and additional quality assessment. Findings were synthesized narratively and between-group differences of outcomes were reported. Heterogeneous PICO (population, intervention, comparator, outcome) elements precluded meta-analysis. RESULTS Thirty-four papers from 24 RCTs were included. Interventions varied; most were multidisciplinary, combining behavioural, physical and psychological pain management and vocational rehabilitation. Four found RTW/staying at work improved with intensive multidisciplinary interventions compared with less intensive, or no, treatment. Of these, one had low RoB; three scored poorly on allocation concealment and selective outcome reporting. Four trials had mixed results, e.g. interventions enabling reduced sick leave for people on short-term not long-term leave; 16 showed no improvement. Five trials reported resilience outcomes were improved by interventions but these were not always trials in which RTW improved. CONCLUSIONS Effectiveness of resilience interventions for chronic pain sufferers on RTW is uncertain and not as helpful as anticipated. Further agreement on its conceptualization and terminology and that of RTW is needed.
Histogenesis of tongue during early prenatal life in Murrah buffalo

The present study was conducted on buffalo foetii ranging from 5.5 em to 28.0 em CRL with an estimated age of53 - 137 days. The epithelium was either simple cuboidal or simple columnar during earlier stages, but transformed into stratified at 79 days offetal age. By 95 days of age the buds of different sizes were formed but clearcut demarcation of future papillae could not be established. At 137 days of fetal age some glandular acini could also be observed. Muscle fibres could be observed at 95 days of age but striations were prominent at 137 days.
Regulation of Early Pattern Formation in the Sea Urchin Embryo by the Wnt Pathway Components Dishevelled and Axin

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Athula H. Wikramanayake No. of pages in the text. (116) Data from diverse species within the deuterostomes (mouse, frog, fish, amphioxus, hemichordate, ascidians, sea urchin, sea star) and protostomes (annelids, planarians, nemerteans, mollusks) suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling determines posterior identity and thus patterns anterior-posterior body plan formation in most bilaterians. Moreover, nuclear β-catenin marks the gastrulation site in many metazoans including the cnidarians. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling at one pole of these embryos is highly influenced by the animal-vegetal (AV) axis of the oocyte. This primary egg axis is specified during oogenesis, however, the maternal mechanisms that establish AV egg polarity and subsequently mediate asymmetric activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling are largely unknown. For my dissertation research I used the morphologically simple sea urchin embryo to elucidate the roles of critical evolutionarily conserved components that are pre-localized in the unfertilized egg, and are used to establish the primary body axis during early embryonic development. I studied two scaffolding proteins, Dishevelled (Dsh) and axis inhibition protein (Axin), which serve as key regulators of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Dsh and Axin each play crucial roles in patterning the early embryo along the AV axis by regulating endomesoderm specification. Work done on Dsh revealed a novel vegetal cortical domain (VCD) that is specified during oogenesis, maintained after fertilization, and inherited and partitioned by the most vegetal blastomeres to locally activate endomesoderm specification in the sea urchin embryo. Since the AV axis is found in nearly all metazoan eggs, this finding suggests that the VCD might be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for the establishment of the AV axis in metazoan ova. Work done on Axin suggests that it plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the negative regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in sea urchin embryos, similar to the function that Axin plays in the vertebrates. Moreover, while Axin plays a crucial role in patterning the dorsal-ventral axis in vertebrates by maintaining ventral cell fates, my results suggest that Axin is required to prevent the Veg1 tier ectodermal progeny from becoming endoderm. This result suggests a novel mechanism for Axin in axis patterning in the sea urchin embryo. Furthermore, the data in sea urchins also raises the possibility that the ancestral role of Axin was to pattern the AV axis in basal deuterostomes before being co-opted to pattern the dorsal-ventral axis in vertebrates. In sum, the early patterning of the sea urchin embryos along the AV axis relies on locally concentrated Dsh at the VCD to specify endomesoderm at the vegetal pole, and on Axin to suppress endodermal cell fate in the more animal daughters of Veg1 tier progeny.
Les Sars Deplodus sargus (Linne 1758) du Golfe du Lion: croissance et caracteristiques des debarquements aux criees de Sete et du Grau-du-Roi.

Les auteurs etudient 1 âge et la croissance du sar Diplodus sacgus du golfe du Lion par scalimetrie. Les croissances en longueur et en poids sont decrites avec le modele de von Bertalanffy, La relation taille-poids varie au cours de l'annee en fonction de l'etat physiologique des geniteurs. Les caracteristiques des debarquements commerciaux aux criees de Sete et du Grau-du-Roi sont donnees.
Atlas of Leaf Venation and Oil Gland Patterns in the Eucalypts

Atlas of Leaf Venation and Oil Gland Patterns in the Eucalypts is an aid to the identification of eucalypts in the field and a confirmation of the natural affinities between species and higher-level taxa on the basis of their comparative morphology. Its purpose is to standardise leaf venation and oil gland terminology and to demonstrate the taxonomic value of leaf venation and oil gland patterns within the eucalypts. The work discusses the visible features of the adult leaves of eucalypts as seen with reflected and transmitted light. Because venation and oil glands become obscure in dried specimens this work relies entirely on the comprehensive sampling and observation of fresh leaves. High quality, scaled, leaf venation images of vouchered specimens are used to compare all taxonomic groups in the eucalypts. All genera, sections, series and subseries are represented.
Effect of Bos taurus genes percentage on milk yield in crossbreed cows in the humid tropics of Mexico.

Optimum percentage of Bos taurus (BT) genes in crossbreed cows under humid tropical conditions was determined based on milk yield variables: milk yield per lactation (MYL); MY per day (MYD); MY per day of calving interval (MYCI); peak MY (PMY); MY per day of herd life (MYDHL); days at peak MY (DPMY); and lactation persistency (LP). Data were collected at a commercial dual-purpose farm in Tabasco State, Mexico, and included 1220 full (270-d) lactations from 577 cows with BT and Bos indicus (BI) genes percentages ranging from pure breed to 7/8BI:1/8BT. Analysis was done with a mixed model that included the fixed effects of calving number, year and season, the random effects of sire and cow within sire, and the BT gene percentage as a covariable. First-calving cows had lower (P<0.05) MYL, MYD, MYDCI, PMY and LP values than secondcalving cows, and the latter had lower values than third-calving cows. The highest (P<0.05) MYL (2,898.3) value was observed in 78.0 % BT cows and the highest MYD (9.8 kg) in 70.3 % BT cows. Both variables exhibited decreased returns after their respective peaks. The highest (P<0.05) MYDHL (2.3 kg) and MYDCI (6.9 kg) were observed in 50 or 61 % BT cows. Cows in the 50 to 80 % BT range exhibited the most positive milk yield performance, however, when milk yield was analyzed in association with reproductive traits and management practices 50 and 60 % BT cows exhibited the best performance.