Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
American board of medical specialties and repositioning for excellence in lifelong learning: Maintenance of certification

&NA; The board certification movement was founded out of a concern for the quality of care, and today, more than 85% of all physicians licensed to practice medicine in the United States have been certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board. There is increasing evidence of a need for continuous monitoring and promotion of quality as well as for assessment and documentation that certified medical specialists are keeping up‐to‐date so that their continuing competence can be documented. To help, the ABMS established a program called Maintenance of Certification, a system that includes periodic examination of knowledge and the comprehensive evaluation of practice. Maintenance of Certification includes 4 major components: professional standing, including an unrestricted license to practice medicine; lifelong learning and self‐assessment; demonstrated cognitive expertise; and practice performance assessment. The efforts of the Conjoint Committee on Continuing Medical Education press continuing medical education providers to facilitate self‐directed learning and directed self‐learning while driving lifelong learning and assessment into the clinical practices of all physicians who seek to continuously upgrade their knowledge, skills, and behaviors to provide quality medical care.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentration and all-cause mortality: the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study

Abstract Objective To investigate relationships between mortality and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3) and 25-hydroxyergocalciferol (25(OH)D2). Design Case–cohort study within the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS). We measured 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 in archived dried blood spots by LC–MS/MS. Cox regression was used to estimate mortality hazard ratios (HR), with adjustment for confounders. Setting General community. Subjects The MCCS included 29 206 participants, who at recruitment in 1990–1994 were aged 40–69 years, had dried blood spots collected and no history of cancer. For the present study we selected participants who died by 31 December 2007 (n 2410) and a random sample (sub-cohort, n 2996). Results The HR per 25 nmol/l increment in concentration of 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D3 were 0·86 (95 % CI 0·78, 0·96; P=0·007) and 0·85 (95 % CI 0·77, 0·95; P=0·003), respectively. Of 5108 participants, sixty-three (1·2 %) had detectable 25(OH)D2; their mean 25(OH)D concentration was 11·9 (95 % CI 7·3, 16·6) nmol/l higher (P<0·001). The HR for detectable 25(OH)D2 was 1·80 (95 % CI 1·09, 2·97; P=0·023); for those with detectable 25(OH)D2, the HR per 25 nmol/l increment in 25(OH)D was 1·06 (95 % CI 0·87, 1·29; P interaction=0·02). HR were similar for participants who reported being in good, very good or excellent health four years after recruitment. Conclusions Total 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D3 concentrations were inversely associated with mortality. The finding that the inverse association for 25(OH)D was restricted to those with no detectable 25(OH)D2 requires confirmation in populations with higher exposure to ergocalciferol.
Glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption of albumin in preproteinuric and proteinuric diabetic rats.

Microalbuminuria (26-250 mg/d) is considered to be an indicator of incipient diabetic nephropathy in humans in insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD). However, before microalbuminuria is observed, glomerular alterations, such as glycosylation of the glomerular basement membrane and glomerular hyperfiltration, in IDD may result in increased filtration of albumin before any observed increase in albumin excretion. Glomerular and tubular albumin kinetics were examined in streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body wt, i.v.) diabetic, Munich-Wistar rats at 7-10 (untreated) and 50-70 d (poorly controlled with small doses of insulin) after the onset of diabetes and compared with nondiabetic controls. Additional rats in each condition received acute lysine treatment to prevent tubular protein reabsorption. Urinary albumin excretion and nonvascular albumin distribution volumes were measured in the renal cortex and compared with morphometric measurements of interstitial space and the proximal tubule to assess intracellular uptake of albumin in the proximal tubule. Urinary albumin excretion under anesthesia was not different in 7-10-d IDD versus controls (19 +/- 3 vs. 20 +/- 3 micrograms/min) but increased in the 50-70-d IDD (118 +/- 13 micrograms/min, P < 0.05). Lysine treatment resulted in increased albumin excretion compared with respective nontreatment in 7-10-d IDD (67 +/- 10 micrograms/min, P < 0.05) but not in controls (30 +/- 6 micrograms/min) or in 50-70-d IDD (126 +/- 11 micrograms/min). Glomerular filtration rate was increased both in 7-10-d IDD (2.7 +/- 0.1 ml/min, P < 0.05) and in 50-70-d IDD (2.6 +/- 0.1 ml/min, P < 0.05) compared with control (2.2 +/- 0.1 ml/min). Calculated urinary space albumin concentrations increased early in IDD with 2.5 +/- 0.4 mg% in 7-10-d IDD and 4.9 +/- 0.6 mg% in 50-70-d IDD compared with control (1.4 +/- 0.3 mg%). The increase in filtration of albumin is in excess of that attributable to hyperfiltration before increased albumin excretion early in diabetes. In 50-70-d IDD, absolute tubular reabsorption of albumin is decreased, correlating to the decrease in brush border height of the proximal tubule.
Durability of a sustained virological response, late clinical sequelae, and long-term changes in aspartate aminotransferase to the platelet ratio index after successful treatment with peginterferon/ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C: a prospective study

Objectives Previous studies, mostly retrospective using conventional interferon, have suggested a favorable prognosis for patients with chronic hepatitis C and a sustained virological response (SVR). However, long-term outcome, including changes in the degree of hepatic fibrosis, of SVR patients in the era of pegylated interferon (PegIFN) remains underdefined. We prospectively evaluated the long-term virological, clinical, and biochemical outcomes, including aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), in chronic hepatitis C patients with an SVR. Patients and methods We included 145 consecutive, treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C patients (mean age 47.3±9.1 years; 87 men; 42.1% genotype 1; 36.6% genotype 2/3) who achieved an SVR after combination therapy with PegIFN-&agr;/ribavirin. Results The mean follow-up time was 68.8±35 months. The overall incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related death was 1.4 and 0.7%, respectively. Among nine (7.6%) patients with pretreatment cirrhosis, two (22.2%) developed HCC and one of them (11.1%) died. No patient had conclusive evidence of late virological relapse. All patients retained normal liver biochemistry, except for five of 145 (3.5%), who had persistently elevated transaminase levels, all of whom were diagnosed with new liver disease. APRI values improved significantly with treatment (0.95±1.09 vs. 0.66±0.64, P<0.001) and continued to improve after a mean of 61.4±45.5 months from an SVR in patients (n=54; 37.2%) with significant (Metavir ≥F2) pretreatment fibrosis (1.13±0.66 vs. 0.67±0.45, P<0.001). Conclusion The long-term outcome, including APRI, of chronic hepatitis C patients treated successfully with PegIFN/ribavirin and followed for a mean of 5.7 years is favorable. However, a high risk of progression to HCC and liver-related death remains for patients with pretreatment cirrhosis, in our setting, as high as 22.2 and 11.1%, respectively.
Cortical and subcortical contributions to saccade latency in the human brain

An important property of our motor system is the ability to either perform or inhibit an automatic goal‐directed reaction. Imagine, for example, how easily we can catch a ball, while at the same time we would never grasp a stinging insect approaching us. The oculomotor system provides a good model to study this ability. Monkey midbrain superior colliculus neurons are responsible for automatic visually evoked saccades, whereas the frontal eye fields can prevent reflexive glances. Little is known about human superior colliculus or the competition between the midbrain and frontal areas controlling saccades. In the present functional magnetic resonance study we used the gap paradigm, where a stimulus fixated with the eyes is removed 200 ms prior to saccade target onset. Subjects were required to either look at the target or prevent an eye movement. From what is known from non‐human primate neurophysiology, it is expected that the gap will result in enlarged neuronal activity in the human superior colliculus, disinhibiting the oculomotor system and enhancing automatic reactions. Importantly, we demonstrate that the human superior colliculus homologue is indeed activated by the removal of a fixation target, in either task. The frontal eye fields show a reverse pattern when saccades were suppressed. Furthermore, magnitude of responses in the superior colliculus correlated negatively with saccade latency, and in the frontal eye fields positively. These findings confirm for the first time that the human superior colliculus generates automatic goal‐directed saccades, whereas the frontal eye fields can exert volitional control over automatic orienting.
Conditional expression of a myocardium‐specific transgene in zebrafish transgenic lines

To develop the first heart‐specific tetracycline (Tet)‐On system in zebrafish, we constructed plasmids in which the cardiac myosin light chain 2 promoter of zebrafish was used to drive the reverse Tet‐controlled transactivator (rtTA) and the green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene was preceded by an rtTA‐responsive element. In the zebrafish fibroblast cell‐line, rtTA‐M2, one of rtTA's derivatives, demonstrated the highest increase in luciferase activity upon doxycycline (Dox) induction. We then generated two germ lines of transgenic zebrafish: line T03 was derived from microinjection of a plasmid containing rtTA‐M2 and a plasmid containing a responsive reporter gene, whereas line T21 was derived from microinjection of a single dual plasmid. Results showed that line T21 was superior to line T03 in terms of greater GFP intensity after induction and with of minimal leakiness before induction. The photographic images of induced GFP in the heart of F2 larvae showed that the fluorescent level of GFP was dose‐responsive. The level of GFP expressed in the F3 3 days postfertilization larvae that were treated with Dox for 1 hr decreased gradually after the withdrawal of the inducer; and the fluorescent signal disappeared after 5 days. The GFP induction and reduction were also tightly controlled by Dox in the F3 adult fish from line T21. This Tet‐On system developed in zebrafish shows much promise for the study of the gene function in a specific tissue at the later developmental stage. Developmental Dynamics 233:1294–1303, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Population genomics of yeasts: towards a comprehensive view across a broad evolutionary scale

With the advent of high‐throughput technologies for sequencing, the complete description of the genetic variation that occurs in populations, also known as population genomics, is foreseeable but far from being reached. Explaining the forces that govern patterns of genetic variation is essential to elucidate the evolutionary history of species. Genetic variation results from a wide assortment of evolutionary forces, among which mutation, selection, recombination and drift play major roles in shaping genomes. In addition, exploring the genetic variation within a population also corresponds to the first step towards dissecting the genotype–phenotype relationship. In this context, yeast species are of particular interest because they represent a unique resource for studying the evolution of intraspecific genetic diversity in a phylum spanning a broad evolutionary scale. Here, we briefly review recent progress in yeast population genomics and provide some perspective on this rapidly evolving field. In fact, we truly believe that it is of interest to supplement comparative and early population genomic studies with the deep sequencing of more extensive sets of individuals from the same species. In parallel, it would be more than valuable to uncover the intraspecific variation of a large number of unexplored species, including those that are closely and more distantly related. Altogether, these data would enable substantially more powerful genomic scans for functional dissection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The early gene product EUO is a transcriptional repressor that selectively regulates promoters of Chlamydia late genes

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia has an unusual developmental cycle in which there is conversion between two forms that are specialized for either intracellular replication or propagation of the infection to a new host cell. Expression of late chlamydial genes is upregulated during conversion from the replicating to the infectious form, but the mechanism for this temporal regulation is unknown. We found that EUO, which is expressed from an early gene, binds to two sites upstream of the late operon omcAB, but only the downstream site was necessary for transcriptional repression. Using gel shift and in vitro transcription assays we showed that EUO specifically bound and repressed promoters of Chlamydia trachomatis late genes, but not early or mid genes. These findings support a role for EUO as a temporal repressor that negatively regulates late chlamydial genes and prevents their premature expression. The basis of this specificity is the ability of EUO to selectively bind promoter regions of late genes, which would prevent their transcription by RNA polymerase. Thus, we propose that EUO is a master regulator that prevents the terminal differentiation of the replicating form of chlamydiae into the infectious form until sufficient rounds of replication have occurred.
Epl1, the major secreted protein of Hypocrea atroviridis on glucose, is a member of a strongly conserved protein family comprising plant defense response elicitors

We used a proteomic approach to identify constitutively formed extracellular proteins of Hypocrea atroviridis (Trichoderma atroviride), a known biocontrol agent. The fungus was cultivated on glucose and the secretome was examined by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. The two predominant spots were identified by MALDI MS utilizing peptide mass fingerprints and amino acid sequence tags obtained by postsource decay and/or high‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (MS/MS) experiments, and turned out to be the same protein (12 629 Da as determined with MS, pI 5.5–5.7), probably representing the monomer and the dimer. The corresponding gene was subsequently cloned from H. atroviridis and named epl1 (eliciting plant response‐like), because it encodes a protein that exhibits high similarity to the cerato‐platanin family, which comprises proteins such as cerato‐platanin from Ceratocystis fimbriata f. sp. platani and Snodprot1 of Phaeosphaeria nodorum, which have been reported to be involved in plant pathogenesis and elicitation of plant defense responses. Additionally, based on the similarity of the N‐terminus to that of H. atroviridis Epl1, we conclude that a previously identified 18 kDa plant response elicitor isolated from T. virens is an ortholog of epl1. Our results showed that epl1 transcript was present under all growth conditions tested, which included the carbon sources glucose, glycerol, l‐arabinose, d‐xylose, colloidal chitin and cell walls of the plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, and also plate confrontation assays with R. solani. Epl1 transcript could even be detected under osmotic stress, and carbon and nitrogen starvation.
Industrial Wireless IP-Based Cyber –Physical Systems

Industrial control systems have traditionally been built around dedicated wired solutions. The requirements of flexibility, mobility, and cost have created a strong push toward wireless solutions, preferably solutions requiring low power. Simultaneously, the increased need for interoperability and integration with the wider Internet made a transition to IP-based communication unavoidable. Following these trends, we survey 6TiSCH, the emerging family of standards for IP-based industrial communication over low-power and lossy networks. We describe the state of the standardization work, the major issues being discussed, and open questions recently identified. Based on extensive first-hand experience, we discuss challenges in implementation of this new wave of standards. Lessons learned are highlighted from four popular open-source implementations of these standards: OpenWSN, Contiki, RIOT, and TinyOS. We outline major requirements, present insights from early interoperability testing and performance evaluations, and provide guidelines for chip manufacturers and implementers.
Understanding Practical Limitations of Network Coding for Assisted Proximate Communication

In next-generation wireless networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication represents a feasible way for mobile users to offload their cellular traffic demand without extra costs for deploying additional infrastructure from the network operators. Cellular (e.g., 3GPP LTE) network assistance can automate user/service discovery and connection establishment procedures, as well as enable secure D2D connectivity between proximate users. Currently, assisted direct connectivity is only available in the form of unlicensed-band protocols (e.g., WiFi Direct), which motivates research on understanding its practical limitations with realistic distributions of users and content. Whereas there are concerns that D2D communication alone may not be efficient due to limited content availability, in this paper, we advocate the use of network coding to upgrade assisted proximate communication and make it realize its full potential. In particular, we demonstrate that even simpler network coding techniques are capable to significantly improve the degrees of content availability for communicating users and thus enhance offloading performance under realistic constraints. Inspired by the recent popularity of wireless content distribution systems over D2D caches, we contribute a practical methodology for assisted data caching and distribution, mindful of the state-of-the-art D2D technology.
Nano - drug Delivery of Apoptosis Activator 2 to AGS Cells by Liposomes Conjugated with Anti-TROP2 Antibody

Background: Gastric cancer is the second most common causes of cancer related death in the world and is responsible for two third of cancer related death in the developing countries. survival rate surgery is low and radiation therapy and chemotherapy as alternatives ways for treatment of gastric cancer are not very promising. Thus there is an urgent need for introducing novel treatment procedures and promising new anti-canceric drugs. Aim: In this study we used pre-prepared liposomes and after necessary manipulations ,these modified liposomes were used for delivery of apoptosis activator 2 to gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS). Materials and Methods: we used pre-prepared liposomes and after necessary manipulations, these modified liposomes were used for delivery of apoptosis activator 2 to AGS cells and induced apoptosis was evaluated by related apoptotic DNA ladder, TUNNEL and Cell Death experiments. Results: Evaluation of apoptosis by Apoptotic DNA Ladder in liposome treated and untreated AGS cells by DNA laddering and fragmentation, TUNEL and Cell Death Detection confirmed that treatment of AGS cell lines with apoptosis activator 2 loaded liposomes which targeted cell surface TROP2 antigen in cancer cells significantly increased apoptosis in these cells. Conclusion: Nano drug delivery of apoptosis activator 2 to human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line with liposomes targeted TROP2 antigen is a possible way for smart killing of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PENTOSIDINE ACCUMULATION IN THE HUMAN VITREOUS

Purpose: To explore factors associated with pentosidine accumulation in the human vitreous. Methods: Vitreous samples were obtained during trans pars plana vitrectomy for macular hole or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Patient characteristics included age, gender, and diabetes mellitus. Ocular characteristics included pseudophakia, posterior vitreous detachment, and presence of intraocular fibrosis (epiretinal membrane, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, or both). Pentosidine concentration as a measure of accumulation of advanced glycation end products was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Pentosidine concentrations were measured in 222 vitrectomy samples (118 female and 104 male patients [median age 66 years], treated for macular hole [n = 105] or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment [n = 117]). Pentosidine was found to accumulate significantly with age (P < 0.001). After correction for age, a multivariable linear regression model revealed significantly higher pentosidine values in eyes with intraocular fibrosis (P = 0.001), in phakic as compared with pseudophakic eyes (P = 0.02), and in the absence of a complete posterior vitreous detachment (P = 0.018). The authors found no association with diabetes mellitus or gender. Conclusion: This study confirmed an age-related pentosidine accumulation in the vitreous and found new factors relating to pentosidine levels. Findings support the hypothesis of enzyme-induced vitreous liquefaction and the hypothesis of pentosidine as a pro-fibrotic factor.
Risk factors for typhoid fever in an endemic setting, Karachi, Pakistan

We conducted a study to evaluate risk factors for developing typhoid fever in a setting where the disease is endemic in Karachi, Pakistan. We enrolled 100 cases with blood culture-confirmed Salmonella typhi between July and October 1994 and 200 age-matched neighbourhood controls. Cases had a median age of 5·8 years. In a conditional logistic regression model, eating ice cream (Odds ratio [OR]=2·3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1·2–4·2, attributable risk [AR]=36%), eating food from a roadside cabin during the summer months (OR=4·6, 95% CI 1·6–13·0; AR=18%), taking antimicrobials in the 2 weeks preceding the onset of symptoms (OR=5·7, 95% CI 2·3–13·9, AR=21%), and drinking water at the work-site (OR=44·0, 95% CI 2·8–680, AR=8%) were all independently associated with typhoid fever. There was no difference in the microbiological water quality of home drinking water between cases and controls. Typhoid fever in Karachi resulted from high-dose exposures from multiple sources with individual susceptibility increased by young age and prior antimicrobial use. Improving commercial food hygiene and decreasing unnecessary antimicrobial use would be expected to decrease the burden of typhoid fever.