Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring e-patients' heterogeneity: towards personalized e-health applications

Some of the major future healthcare challenges are related to demography, finances and the technological development. In search for solutions the field of ‘E-health’ is often discussed. Lately, in these discussions there has been a focus on the importance of creating patient-centrered applications. Associated with the democratisation of the healthcare service and the development of “the informed patient” an important part involves the accomplishment of increased personalized medical information online. By exploring E-patients’ heterogeneity, this paper aims to support the development of patient-centered E-health applications. Using a qualitative approach, the paper reports from 25 in-depth interviews performed with Swedish patients and representatives of patient associations. By means of theoretical ideas from information science, four important components of Epatients’ information use environment (People, Problem, Setting, and Problem resolution) serve as instruments to illustrate and exemplify E-patients’ heterogeneity. The results draw a complex and dynamic picture of the E-patient context introducing a dimension of personalization reaching further than patients’ general online activities and individual medical data. This dimension of personalization is discussed in relation to tentative implications for the development of patient-centered E-health applications.
Expression and Localization of microRNAs in Perinatal Rat Pancreas: Role of miR-21 in Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism

Objective To investigate the expression of pancreatic microRNAs (miRNAs) during the period of perinatal beta-cell expansion and maturation in rats, determine the localization of these miRNAs and perform a pathway analysis with predicted target mRNAs expressed in perinatal pancreas. Research Design and Methods RNA was extracted from whole pancreas at embryonic day 20 (E20), on the day of birth (P0) and two days after birth (P2) and hybridized to miRNA microarrays. Differentially expressed miRNAs were verified by northern blotting and their pancreatic localization determined by in situ hybridization. Pathway analysis was done using regulated sets of mRNAs predicted as targets of the miRNAs. Possible target genes were tested using reporter-gene analysis in INS-1E cells. Results Nine miRNAs were differentially expressed perinatally, seven were confirmed to be regulated at the level of the mature miRNA. The localization studies showed endocrine localization of six of these miRNAs (miR-21, -23a, -29a, -125b-5p, -376b-3p and -451), and all were expressed in exocrine cells at one time point at least. Pathways involving metabolic processes, terpenoid and sterol metabolism were selectively affected by concomitant regulation by miRNAs and mRNAs, and Srebf1 was validated as a target of miR-21. Conclusions The findings suggest that miRNAs are involved in the functional maturation of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine tissue following birth. Pathway analysis of target genes identify changes in sterol metabolism around birth as being selectively affected by differential miRNA expression during this period.
A Data-Reachability Model for Elucidating Privacy and Security Risks Related to the Use of Online Social Networks

Privacy and security within Online Social Networks (OSNs) has become a major concern over recent years. As individuals continue to actively use and engage with these mediums, one of the key questions that arises pertains to what unknown risks users face as a result of unchecked publishing and sharing of content and information in this space. There are numerous tools and methods under development that claim to facilitate the extraction of specific classes of personal data from online sources, either directly or through correlation across a range of inputs. In this paper we present a model which specifically aims to understand the potential risks faced should all of these tools and methods be accessible to a malicious entity. The model enables easy and direct capture of the data extraction methods through the encoding of a data-reachability matrix for which each row represents an inference or data-derivation step. Specifically, the model elucidates potential linkages between data typically exposed on social-media and networking sites, and other potentially sensitive data which may prove to be damaging in the hands of malicious parties, i.e., fraudsters, stalkers and other online and offline criminals. In essence, we view this work as a key method by which we might make cyber risk more tangible to users of OSNs.
CD22: an inhibitory enigma

CD22 is an inhibitory coreceptor of the B‐cell receptor (BCR), and plays a critical role in establishing signalling thresholds for B‐cell activation. Like other coreceptors, the ability of CD22 to modulate B‐cell signalling is critically dependent upon its proximity to the BCR, and this in turn is governed by the binding of its extracellular domain to α2,6‐linked sialic acid ligands. Manipulation of CD22 ligand binding in various experimental settings has profound effects on B‐cell signalling, but as yet there is no complete model for how ligand binding in vivo controls normal CD22 function. Several elegant studies have recently shed light on this issue, although the results appear to suggest two mutually exclusive models for the role of ligand binding; in either promoting or inhibiting, CD22 function. We shall therefore discuss these results in detail, and suggest possible approaches by which these conflicting experimental findings might be reconciled. We shall also consider a second important issue in CD22 biology, which relates to the role that defects in this receptor might play in mediating autoimmune disease. We review the current evidence for this, and discuss the importance of genetic background in modifying CD22 function and predisposition to autoimmunity.
Biological activities of Eikenella corrodens outer membrane and lipopolysaccharide

Highly purified preparations of the outer membrane and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Eikenella corrodens strain ATCC 23834 and the outer membrane fraction (OMF) of strain 470 were tested in in vitro biological assays. The OMFs of both strains were found to be mitogenic for BDF and C3H/HeJ murine splenocytes. The E. corrodens LPS was mitogenic for BDF spleen cells; however, doses of LPS as high as 50 micrograms/ml failed to stimulate C3H/HeJ cells. When incubated with T-lymphocyte-depleted C3H/HeJ splenocytes, the strain 23834 OMF demonstrated significant mitogenic activity, indicating that the OMF is a B-cell mitogen by a mechanism other than that elicited by conventional LPS. The E. corrodens 23834 OMF and LPS were stimulators of bone resorption when tested in organ cultures of fetal rat long bones. In contrast, the strain 470 OMF was only weakly stimulatory. Both OMFs and LPSs demonstrated "endotoxic" activity, since as little as 0.062 micrograms of E. corrodens LPS and 0.015 micrograms of the OMFs induced gelation in the Limulus amebocyte clotting assay. Thus, despite having a "nonclassical" LPS biochemistry, the E. corrodens LPS elicits classical endotoxic activities. These results also indicate that the surface structures of E. corrodens have significant biological activities as measured in vitro. The expression of such activities in vivo may play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis as well as other E. corrodens infections.
Microbial community profile of a biological excess phosphorus removal (BEPR) activated sludge system using a cultivation-independent approach

It is generally accepted that biological release of phosphorus in the anaerobic zone of a nutrient removal system and phosphorus accumulation in the subsequent aerobic zone is directly proportional to the quantity of volatile fatty acid or the readily biodegradable COD fraction (f b ) entering the system. This will enrich for polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the system and an increase in biological phosphorus removal will be observed. Enrichment for PAOs during the present study wasessentially achieved by increasing both the phosphorus and f b concentrations (maintaining constant total COD loads) in the influent to the system. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using kingdom-, subdivision- and genus-level probes was used to identify and enumerate the bacterial community implicated in biological excess phosphorus removal (BEPR). Hybridisation of up to 78% of the cells (in relation to DAPI staining) with probe EUB338 indicated that a high proportion of the sludge comprised metabolically active bacteria. Bacterial predominance in the BEPR sludge appeared, in descending order, as such: β Proteobacteria (22%); α Proteobacteria (19%); γ Proteobacteria (17%); and, Actinobacteria (11%). Incidence of Acinetobacter spp. appeared to be relatively low with counts amounting to <9% of the total bacterial count. The results indicate that the β and α Proteobacteria are metabolically functional (either directly or synergistically) in BEPR processes and reiterate the functional misconception of Acinetobacter spp. in these same systems.
The Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Experiential Avoidance on Maladaptive Problem Solving and Intimate Partner Violence

The purpose of the current study was to examine the joint influences of experiential avoidance and social problem solving on the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Experiential avoidance following CEA may interfere with a person’s ability to effectively problem solve in social situations, increasing risk for conflict and interpersonal violence. As part of a larger study, 232 women recruited from the community completed measures assessing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, experiential avoidance, maladaptive social problem solving, and IPV perpetration and victimization. Final trimmed models indicated that CEA was indirectly associated with IPV victimization and perpetration via experiential avoidance and Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) social problem solving strategies. Though CEA was related to an Avoidance Style (AS) social problem solving strategy, this strategy was not significantly associated with IPV victimization or perpetration. Experiential avoidance had both a direct and indirect effect, via NPO and ICS social problem solving, on IPV victimization and perpetration. Findings suggest that CEA may lead some women to avoid unwanted internal experiences, which may adversely impact their ability to effectively problem solve in social situations and increase IPV risk.
Astrocyte expression of mRNA encoding cytokines IP‐10 and JE/MCP‐1 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Mononuclear leukocytes preferentially accumulate in the central nervous system (CNS) during the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To address factors that govern leukocyte trafficking in EAE, we monitored expression of nxRNAs encoding IP‐10 and JE/MCP‐1, which are members of a family of chemoattractant cytokines. A transient burst of IP‐10 and JE/MCP‐1 mRNA accumulation in the CNS occurred, in close relation to the onset of histologic and clinical disease. In situ hybridizations showed, unexpectedly, that astrocytes were the major source of mRNAs encoding IP‐10 and JE/MCP‐1. These observations implicate astrocyte‐derived cytokines as potential chemoattractants for inflammatory cells during EAE. —Ransohoff, R. M. , Hamilton, T. A. , Tani, M. , Stoler, M. H. , Shick, H. E. , Major, J. A. , Estes, M. L. , Thomas, D. M. , Tuohy, V. K. Astrocyte expression of mRNA encoding cytokines IP‐10 and JE/MCP‐1 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. FASEB J. 7: 592‐600; 1993.
Effects of Ligand Binding on the Mechanical Properties of Ankyrin Repeat Protein Gankyrin

Ankyrin repeat proteins are elastic materials that unfold and refold sequentially, repeat by repeat, under force. Herein we use atomistic molecular dynamics to compare the mechanical properties of the 7-ankyrin-repeat oncoprotein Gankyrin in isolation and in complex with its binding partner S6-C. We show that the bound S6-C greatly increases the resistance of Gankyrin to mechanical stress. The effect is specific to those repeats of Gankyrin directly in contact with S6-C, and the mechanical ‘hot spots’ of the interaction map to the same repeats as the thermodynamic hot spots. A consequence of stepwise nature of unfolding and the localized nature of ligand binding is that it impacts on all aspects of the protein's mechanical behavior, including the order of repeat unfolding, the diversity of unfolding pathways accessed, the nature of partially unfolded intermediates, the forces required and the work transferred to the system to unfold the whole protein and its parts. Stepwise unfolding thus provides the means to buffer repeat proteins and their binding partners from mechanical stress in the cell. Our results illustrate how ligand binding can control the mechanical response of proteins. The data also point to a cellular mechano-switching mechanism whereby binding between two partner macromolecules is regulated by mechanical stress.
Non‐apoptogenic killing of hela cervical carcinoma cells after short exposure to the alkylating agent N‐methyl‐N′‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)

We examined the action of N‐methyl‐N′‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) on HeLa cells and compared it with that of cisplatin (CP). MNNG directly killed a substantial number of cells within 1 hour and resulted in strong DNA‐damage as evidenced by Comet measurements. Despite appearance of DNA lesions, p53 protein was not activated. Analysis of HeLa cells treated with MNNG for 1h, 3h and 6h by flow cytometry and by Hoechst staining did not reveal any sub‐G1 cell population and chromatin condensation/fragmentation characteristic for apoptosis, respectively. Also, no biochemical changes typical for apoptosis such as activation of caspase‐3 or release of cytochrome C from mitochondria were detected. Inactivation of PARP‐1 reduced the direct cytotoxicity exerted by MNNG. Our results showing that despite appearance of severe DNA lesions after short exposure of HeLa cells to MNNG neither activation of p53 response nor induction of apoptosis occurred implicate that generation of strong DNA damage is not sufficient to stabilize p53 protein in HeLa cells. Our data unequivocally show that the conscientious determination of the type of cell death induced by genotoxic agents is necessary. The assessment of the changes based on at least a few independent criteria is required to discriminate between apoptosis and necrosis. Since the alkylating agents generate DNA strand breaks, the recruitment of methods based on determination of DNA cleavage such as DNA ladder or TUNEL assay for evaluation of apoptosis is not adequate. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Playwright Within: Fun, Freedom, and Agency Through Playwriting for Urban Elementary Students

The participants in this study are 9-year-olds who demonstrate signs of incipient alienation. Even with an experienced teacher who had a positive relationship with her students, some students describe school as boring. The arts may provide a path away from alienation when learning is embedded in the students’ cultural knowledge and when the artistic process is primary. Our research question was, “What do students learn when engaged in a playwriting experience in school? ” The evidence suggests that students discovered fun, freedom, and a sense of agency with language arts as a result of their participation in the program.
Self-triggered stabilization of continuous stochastic state-feedback controlled systems

Event-triggered and self-triggered control, in which the time of update to the controls is based on either current or outdated sampled data, have recently been employed to reduce the computational load or resource consumption for distributed real-time control systems. In this work, we propose a self-triggered scheme for nonlinear controlled stochastic differential equations with additive noise terms. A self-triggering update condition is derived that guarantees stability in the p-th moment of the state distribution. We show that the length of the times between controller updates as computed from the proposed scheme is strictly positive and provide examples.
Counting and Sampling Triangles from a Graph Stream

This paper presents a new space-efficient algorithm for counting and sampling triangles--and more generally, constant-sized cliques--in a massive graph whose edges arrive as a stream. Compared to prior work, our algorithm yields significant improvements in the space and time complexity for these fundamental problems. Our algorithm is simple to implement and has very good practical performance on large graphs.
Encapsulated submillimeter piezoresistive accelerometers

While micromachined accelerometers are widely available and used in various applications, some biomedical applications require extremely small dimensions (<mm) or mass (<mg) that cannot be fulfilled with commercially available accelerometers. In this work, we present a fully packaged piezoresistive accelerometer that has the smallest dimension (0.034mm/sup 3/) ever published. We achieve miniaturization by using a film encapsulation technique with a thick epitaxial polysilicon layer. This packaging technique enables the dimensions of the die to be only tens of microns larger than the micromechanical structure. We have fabricated accelerometers as small as 0.034mm/sup 3/ (387/spl mu/m/spl times/387 /spl mu/m/spl times/230/spl mu/m) with noise floor of 0.25mg//spl radic/Hz. These ultra-miniature motion sensors have potential opening up new frontiers in biomedical science and engineering.
Staphylococcal Biofilms: Pathogenicity, Mechanism and Regulation of Biofilm Formation by Quorum-Sensing System and Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms of Biofilm-Embedded Microorganisms

Staphylococcal infections are reported to cause very important problems in hospital‐ ized and immunocompressed patients worldwide due to their tough and irresponsive treatment by antibiotics. Biofilm-embedded bacteria that gain resistance to immune defense and antibiotics by antibiotic degrading enzymes, efflux pumps, and certain gene products of which expression are changed by the quorum sensing cause chronic and recurrent infections such as indwelling device–associated infections. Biofilm-embed‐ ded sessile community has heterogeneous cells that have wide range of different responds to each antimicrobials. Staphylococcus epidermidis ( S. epidermidis ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) that are mostly known pathogenic strains can induce gene expression of biofilm that has an important role in the pathogenesis of staphylo‐ coccal infections and causes bacterial attachment and colonization on biotic such as tissues or abiotic surfaces such as prosthetic surfaces that may act as a substrate for microbial adhesion when microorganisms exposed to stress conditions. This ex‐ pressed and matured biofilm causes bacterial spread to whole body, consequently, spread of infection in to whole body. It is hard to treat biofilm infections, and new agents are being researched to prevent formation and dissemination of biofilm. Defining the virulence and the role of biofilm of S. epidermidis and S. aureus in chronic and recur‐ rent infections such as indwelling device–associated infections, the mechanism and the global regulation of biofilm production by quorum-sensing system, inactivation of biofilm formation, and the resistance patterns of biofilm-embedded microorganism against antimicrobials are important.
Cleft Rhinoplasty- Columellar lengthening prolabial reconstruction with Abbe flap

Introduction: A single center's experience of correction of cleft lip/palate associated rhinoplasty using Abbe flap is relatively rare in literature. The outcome and perception of the Abbe flap for cleft rhinoplasty at patient, surgeons, and patient's caregiver level have not been found in literature. This manuscript aims to address this lacuna through the use of rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation questionnaire (ROEQ). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of preoperative satisfaction and prospective analysis of postoperative satisfaction of patients who underwent cleft rhinoplasty were carried out using ROEQ. This was used twice measuring the pre- and post-operative periods. Results: Twenty-one cases of bilateral cleft lip and palate who had earlier undergone (0.5–3 years back) cleft rhinoplasty and lip revision with Abbe's flap formed the study group. The mean age of the 21 subjects was 22.87 ± 4.23 years. There were 13 males and 8 females forming the study group. The mean presurgical ROEQ score was 19.8 ± 11.2, while the postsurgical score was 78.5 ± 21.2. This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). The difference in score between the time period was 58.7%. Discussion: From the ROEQ and other qualitative parameters, it is possible to demonstrate the impact of Abbe flap for cleft rhinoplasty and its impact on the quality of life of patients. Most of the patients and caregivers believed that this approach achieved a good or excellent postoperative result. The biological and operators factors behind such a success are discussed in light of previously published literature.
In vitro Adhesion to Enamel and in vivo Colonization of Tooth Surfaces by Lactobacilli from a Bio–Yoghurt

fermented dairy products is a lifelong tradition. Many children have been raised with the expression ‘it is good for you’. The microorganisms present in fermented dairy products include mostly Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. In 1907 Metchnikoff was one of the first to realize that consumption of these microorganisms might yield health benefits such as increased lactose tolerance, but also increased immuno-resistance and anti-tumour activity [Fuller, 1995]. Unfortunately, the introduction of chemotherapy and penicillin in the 1930s and 1940s arrested research into probiotic microorganisms. Nowadays, with the limits of antibiotics in sight [Jenkinson, 1996], there is a renewed interest in probiotics and several bio-drinks with active lactobacilli have appeared on the market. The consumption of bio-drinks with active lactobacilli may, however, have a disadvantage with regard to the oral health of consumers, as lactobacilli have, together with mutans streptococci, been associated most with dental caries. Although lactobacilli in general have a low adhesiveness to surfaces, they are frequently isolated from retention sites in the oral cavity [van Houte et al., 1972; van Houte, 1994]. The aim of this study is to investigate the in vitro adhesion of two lactobacillus strains, isolated from a bio-yoghurt with active bacteria, to enamel with and without a salivary conditioning film. As a second aim, it is determined whether daily consumption of such a bio-yoghurt might lead to the installation of lactobacilli in a group of test persons authentically devoid of oral lactobacilli. Short Communication