Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutrophils Do Not Mediate the Pathophysiological Sequelae of Cryptosporidium parvum Infection in Neonatal Piglets

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium parvum is a minimally invasive protozoal pathogen of intestinal epithelium that results in villus atrophy, mucosal lipid peroxidation, diarrhea, and diminished barrier function. Influx of neutrophils is a consistent feature of human and animal cryptosporidiosis, and yet their contribution to the pathological sequelae of infection has not been investigated. Accordingly, we used an established neonatal piglet model of C. parvum infection to examine the role of neutrophils in disease pathogenesis by inhibiting their recruitment and activation in vivo using a monoclonal anti-CD18 antibody. Infected piglets were treated daily with anti-CD18 or isotype control immunoglobulin G and euthanized at peak infection, at which time neutrophil infiltrates, lipid peroxidation, severity of infection, and intestinal barrier function were quantified. C. parvum infection resulted in a significant increase in mucosal neutrophil myeloperoxidase activity that was prevented by treatment of piglets with anti-CD18 antibody. Neutrophil recruitment was dependent on mucosal superoxide formation (prevented by treatment of infected piglets with superoxide dismutase). Neutrophils did not contribute to peroxynitrite formation or peroxidative injury of C. parvum-infected mucosa and had no impact on the severity of epithelial infection, villus atrophy, or diarrhea. The presence of neutrophils in C. parvum-infected mucosa was associated with enhanced barrier function that could not be attributed to mucosal elaboration of prostaglandins or stimulation of their synthesis. These studies are the first to demonstrate that neutrophilic inflammation arising in response to infection by a noninvasive epithelial pathogen results in physiologic rather than pathological effects in vivo.
The association of variant mannose-binding lectin genotypes with radiographic outcome in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible association of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) genotypes with the outcome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS MBL genotypes and plasma concentrations were retrospectively determined in 140 RA patients who were selected from a major cohort followed up prospectively for up to 32 years. RESULTS MBL-insufficient patients (those with 2 defective structural MBL alleles or with 1 defective allele combined with a low-expression variant of the normal allele) had unfavorable outcomes. The relative risk of a severe radiographic outcome event (30% of maximum radiographic destruction, or an RE30) was 3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.8-5.1) in the MBL-insufficient group versus the MBL-competent group (P < 0.0001). An RE30 occurred in 50% of MBL-competent patients within 17 years, while such an event occurred 9 years earlier in MBL-insufficient patients (i.e., within 8 years) (P < 0.0001). During the first 15 years, there was a significant trend toward lower hemoglobin levels (P < 0.04), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates (P < 0.02), and a higher number of swollen joints (P < 0.05) in the MBL-insufficient group. CONCLUSION MBL genotypes giving rise to MBL insufficiency are highly significant risk factors for fast progression of radiographic joint destruction.
La polyarthrite rhumatoïde en milieu hospitalier au Congo-Brazzaville : A propos de trente-six cas

Buts. Determiner les aspects epidemiologiques, cliniques et evolutifs de la polyarthrite rhumatoide (PR) en milieu hospitalier au Congo-Brazzaville. Patients et methode. Cette etude retrospective porte sur une periode de 3 ans et 6 mois, au cours de laquelle 3518 patients ont ete recus en consultations ou en hospitalisation. Les criteres de l'ACR ont permis de retenir le diagnostic de PR chez 36 patients, 28 femmes et 8 hommes âges de 23 a 65 ans, d'âge moyen 43,5 ans. Resultats. Le sexe ratio homme sur femme est de 0,28. La frequence hospitaliere de la PR est de 1%. Elle represente 7% des arthropathies inflammatoires. La duree moyenne d'evolution est de 9,5 ans, extremes 1 et 25 ans. Le debut a ete progressif dans tous les cas, par une localisation distale pour 33 patients. Les arthrites bilaterales et symetriques dans 35 cas interessaient les interphalangiennes proximales (33 cas), les metacarpophalangiennes (27 cas), les poignets (27 cas), les metatarsophalangiennes (20 cas), le genou (26 cas), le coude (18 cas), la hanche (4 cas), l'articulation temporo-maxillaire (4 cas), et le rachis cervical (5 cas). La deformation des doigts en boutonniere etait la plus frequente (15 cas), suivie par le coup de vent cubital (9 cas). Les manifestations peri-articulaires et extra-articulaires etaient representees par 3 cas de tenosynovites, 2 cas de rupture tendineuse, 1 cas de syndrome du canal carpien et 1 cas de nodule rhumatoide. Le taux de seropositivite des facteurs rhumatoides etait de 70%. Les signes radiologiques de chondrolyse etaient constants. L'allochrysine et la chloroquine constituaient les principaux traitements de fond. Sept patients recevaient en moyenne 6 mg de prednisone, per os. La duree moyenne de suivi etait de 15 mois, extremes 3 et 36 mois. Quatorze sujets etaient au stade evolutif IV de Steinbrocker, et 8 au stade III, pendant que 5 et 3 se retrouvaient respectivement en classe fonctionnelle IV et III. Conclusion: au Congo-Brazaville, la PR apparait et evolue selon les memes modalites que dans les descriptions classiques, a l'exception de la rarete des formes extra-articulaires. Ces resultats rejoignent les constatations faites en Afrique de l'Est, du Sud et dans certains pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest.
HIV-TB: epidemiology, clinical features and diagnosis of smear-negativeTB

TB remains an important public health problem in the world that has been exacerbated by the HIV epidemic. In 2000, while 9% of new TB infections worldwide were attributable to HIV, in Sub-Saharan Africa - a region with higher HIV prevalence - about 31% of newTB cases were attributable to HIV. Clinical presentation of TB in HIV-infected individuals depends on the severity of the suppression of immunological functions. In patients in early stages of HIV infection, TB clinical presentation resembles that of HIV-negative individuals with more pulmonary involvement and localized lesions. With the progressive suppression of immunological functions, TB tends to be more generalized affecting more than one organ. Classic TB symptoms are non-specific and may result in delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Diagnosis of smear negative pulmonary TB is based on clinical and radiological features. Sputum culture and rapid diagnostic tests based on polymerase chain reaction can be used where available.
Host–Flora Interactions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Advances in complex disorders frequently occur when a research endeavor settles at the interface of seemingly disparate disciplines. The conceptual leaps achieved in hybrid fields, such as neuroimmunology or microbial immunophysiology, are testimony to the importance of thinking beyond the traditional confines of any research field. Modern technology has also expanded the scope of questions that can be asked by curious investigators from different backgrounds. This sharing of minds has been well illustrated in the study of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in which there is increasing acceptance of the importance of gene–environment interactions, and particularly host–flora dialogue in the gut. Exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning such interactions has already provided a glimpse of exciting future therapeutic strategies. Different aspects of the bacterial flora within the gut have been examined in several comprehensive reviews that include reference to earlier work. Therefore, in this overview of host–flora interactions, emerging concepts, trends, and controversies will be highlighted.
The Semicircular Canals of Birds and Non-Avian Theropod Dinosaurs

Stony Brook University Libraries. SBU Graduate School in Anatomical Sciences. Martin Lawrence (Dean of Graduate School), Catherine A Forster, Ph.D. – Dissertation Advisor Associate Professor Department of Anatomical Sciences, William L. Jungers, Ph.D. – Chairperson of Defense Professor Department of Anatomical Sciences, Jack T. Stern, Ph.D. – Dissertation Advisor Professor Department of Anatomical Sciences, James M. Clark, Ph.D. – Outside Member Professor Department of Biological Sciences George Washington University.
LECT 2 association with macrophage-mediated killing of Helicobacter pylori by activating NF-κB and nitric oxide production

Helicobacter pylori employs unique methods to colonize the stomach, which induces chronic inflammation. It is also able to avoid eradication by macrophages and other immune cells. Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2), a multi-functional cytokine involved in many pathological conditions, has recently been shown to activate macrophages via the CD209a receptor. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of LECT2 on H. pylori-infected macrophages. Macrophages were treated with recombinant LECT2, and both their ability to kill H. pylori and produce nitric oxide were analyzed. Western blot was performed to determine nuclear translocation and protein phosphorylation of p65, a subunit of nuclear factor (NF)-kB.
Portable Lorentz Force Eddy Current Testing System With Rotational Motion

In this paper, we investigate a new portable Lorentz force eddy current testing system using a diametrically magnetized cylindrical magnet rotating around its mass centroid axis. In order to compare the electromagnetic torque caused by the Lorentz force and the induced voltage generated by the secondary magnetic field, three different model approaches are considered: the weak reaction approach and the quasi-stationary approach as approximating approaches and the transient simulation as a reference one. The experimental results of the induced voltage in the coil surrounding the permanent magnet are compared with the results of the transient solution. In an additional simulation a possible imperfection of the real system and its influence is studied.
[Ambroxol in comparison with betamethasone for the stimulation of antepartal lung maturity. A clinical double-blind study].

Stimulation of the surfactant production in fetal cells by ambroxol (metabolite VIII of bromhexine) has been investigated in human and animal experiments. There are no contraindications for the prenatal use of ambroxol, which is also well tolerated in high dose. Therefore the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Vienna took part in a multicentric clinical trial, where the allocation between cortisone and ambroxol was randomised in a double blind fashion. The 1st Department included 34 women between 30 and 36 weeks of pregnancy with premature labour or indicated premature induction. Amniotic fluid samples were taken by amniocentesis before therapy to prove lung immaturity by measurement of the L/S ratio and the dynamic surface tension. Following doses were used for this clinical trial group A: 1,000 mg ambroxol in 500 ml 5% glucose infusion i.v. daily from day 1 to day 5 and 2 ml placebo-injection i.m. on day 1 and day 2, group B: 8 mg Betamethasone i.m. on day 1 and day 2 and 500 ml 5% glucose infusion with a placebo daily from day 1 to day 5. The patients were treated at least 3 days; in all cases amniotic fluid samples were taken after therapy, to examine the L/S ratio and the dynamic surface tension. 29 women of the 34 fulfilled the above criteria, 15 in group A and 14 in group B (1 twin pregnancy). With the pretreatment parameters of lung maturity being similar in both groups ambroxol was found to lead to a marked but not significant improvement of the L/S ratio and the surface tension. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Using Multicardiac Computed Tomography

Objectives To test the hypothesis that multicardiac-phase computed tomography (CT) improves the quantification of coronary artery calcium. Methods Calcium-phosphate on a cardiac phantom and 108 calcified plaques from 50 patients were scanned, and multicardiac-phase images were obtained. Motion artifacts and calcium scores of the calcified plaques were compared between cardiac phases and CT scanners. Results In the phantom images, motion artifacts differed between cardiac phases; thus, the calcium scores were either higher or lower than the score from the static state. In the patient study, motion artifacts of calcifications on the various coronary branches varied with the cardiac cycle, which profoundly influenced the calcium scores. Conclusion Multicardiac-phase CT has the potential to improve the quantification of coronary artery calcium by determining the cardiac phase where motion artifacts are the least on individual calcified plaques.
Combined Impact of BTI and Temperature Effect Inversion on Circuit Performance

In the era of deep-nanoscale transistors, 3D structure of a FinFET strengthens the self-heating effect (SHE) that intensifies aging degradation. However, unlike planar devices, heat in FinFETs can improve the circuit performance due to the temperature effect inversion (TEI). This work investigates the impact of bias temperature instability (BTI) on long-term circuit performance in the presence of TEI. To accurately evaluate the device delay, the proposed unified TEI and BTI model takes into consideration temperature variation extracted from power dissipation in the device. The experimental results are carried out through selected combinational benchmark circuits under temperature and frequency variations. Compared to other recent approaches, this proposed method provides highly optimistic results in which either performance degradation (up to 2.3%) or improvement (up to 10%) can be found. Further, the results reveal that performance degradation due to the integration of BTI and TEI tends to worsen at high temperature, yet weaken at high frequency.
Virtual Network Allocation for Fault Tolerance Balanced with Physical Resources Consumption in a Multi-Tenant Data Center

In a multi-tenant data center, nodes and links of tenants’ virtual networks (VNs) share a single component of the physical substrate network (SN). The failure of a single SN component can thereby cause the simultaneous failures of multiple nodes and links in a single VN; this complex of failures must significantly disrupt the services offered on the VN. In the present paper, we clarify how the fault tolerance of each VN is affected by a single SN failure, especially from the perspective of VN allocation in the SN. We propose a VN allocation model for multi-tenant data centers and formulate a problem that deals with the bandwidth loss in a single VN due a single SN failure. We conduct numerical simulations (with the setting that has 1.7 × 108 bit/s bandwidth demand on each VN, (denoted by Ci)). When each node in each VN is scattered and mapped to an individual physical server, each VN can have the minimum bandwidth loss (5.3×102 bit/s (3.0×10−6×Ci)) but the maximum required bandwidth between physical servers (1.0 × 109 bit/s (5.7 ×Ci)). The balance between the bandwidth loss and the required physical resources can be optimized by assigning every four nodes of each VN to an individual physical server, meaning that we minimize the bandwidth loss without over-provisioning of core switches. key words: data center, multi-tenant, virtual network allocation, multiple simultaneous failures, fault tolerance
Complement peptide C3a inhibits IgE-mediated triggering of rat mucosal mast cells.

The relationship between mast cells' secretory response to stimulation via their type 1 Fc epsilon receptors (Fc epsilon RI) and that provided by the C3a fragment of the complement system was investigated in the rat mucosal-type mast cell line RBL-2H3. These cells are known to be unresponsive to the so-called 'peptidergic' stimulus provided by cationic agents, such as anaphylatoxins, neuropeptides or polyamines. We now observed that C3a effectively inhibits the Fc epsilon RI clustering induced secretion of RBL-2H3 cells. This inhibition is dose-dependent and takes place at a C3a concentration range of 0.4-12.5 nM, i.e. at least three orders of magnitude lower than those where this anaphylatoxin exerts its secretory stimulus to 'serosal' mast cells. In order to identify where C3a interferes in the Fc epsilon RI coupling cascade, we have studied its effect on the cells' protein phosphorylation pattern, hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositides, transient rise in free cytosolic Ca2+ ion concentration and Ca2+ uptake. All these processes were found to be inhibited by a similar C3a concentration range.
Effect of drinking on all-cause mortality in women compared with men: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Alcoholic beverages are consumed by humans for a variety of dietary, recreational, and other reasons. It is uncertain whether the drinking effect on risk of all-cause mortality is different between women and men. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of drinking on the risk of all-cause mortality in women compared with men. METHODS We selected cohort studies with measures of relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-cause mortality for drinkers versus nondrinkers by sex. Sex-specific RR and 95% CI were used to estimate the female-to-male ratio of RR (RRR) and 95% CI. Pooled estimates of RRR across studies were obtained by the fixed-effects model or the random-effects model (if heterogeneity was detected). Second-order fractional polynomials and random effects meta-regression models were used for modeling the dose-risk relationship. RESULTS Twenty-four studies were considered eligible. A total of 2,424,964 participants (male: 1,473,899; female: 951,065) were enrolled and 123,878 deaths (male: 76,362; female: 47,516) were observed. Compared with nondrinkers, the pooled female-to-male RRR for drinkers was 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12). Subgroup analyses showed that the increased risk among female drinkers appeared to be consistent. J-shaped dose-response relationship was confirmed between alcohol and all-cause mortality in men and women, respectively. Moreover, the female-to-male RRR of all-cause mortality were 1.52 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.29), 1.95 (95% CI: 1.08, 3.49), and 2.36 (95% CI: 1.15, 4.88), respectively, for those who consumed 75, 90, and 100 g/day of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Females had an increased risk for all-cause mortality conferred by drinking compared with males, especially in heavy drinkers. The present study suggested that female drinkers, particularly heavy drinkers, should moderate or completely reduce their level of consumption to have a health benefit.
Interacting Attention-gated Recurrent Networks for Recommendation

Capturing the temporal dynamics of user preferences over items is important for recommendation. Existing methods mainly assume that all time steps in user-item interaction history are equally relevant to recommendation, which however does not apply in real-world scenarios where user-item interactions can often happen accidentally. More importantly, they learn user and item dynamics separately, thus failing to capture their joint effects on user-item interactions. To better model user and item dynamics, we present the Interacting Attention-gated Recurrent Network (IARN) which adopts the attention model to measure the relevance of each time step. In particular, we propose a novel attention scheme to learn the attention scores of user and item history in an interacting way, thus to account for the dependencies between user and item dynamics in shaping user-item interactions. By doing so, IARN can selectively memorize different time steps of a user's history when predicting her preferences over different items. Our model can therefore provide meaningful interpretations for recommendation results, which could be further enhanced by auxiliary features. Extensive validation on real-world datasets shows that IARN consistently outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Multi-Energy Simulation of a Smart Grid with Optimal Local Demand and Supply Management

A simulation approach of a smart grid by cooperative bargaining is presented in this paper. Each participant of the smart grid determines its optimal schedule to meet its power and heating demand at minimal costs employing solar panels, fuel cells and batteries. This is done by solving a quadratic optimisation problem which takes the energy prices and the available devices into account. The energy prices are related to the demand and supply in the smart grid, so that a lower demand yields lower prices. The cooperative bargaining game is used to tune the participants’ optimal solution to obtain a Nash equilibrium. The computed solutions of the participants are validated against the capacities and structure of the smart grid by solving a multi-commodity flow problem. The presented model features multiple types of energy, so that they may be substituted to meet the participants’ demand. Furthermore, the participants may also act as supplier and not only as consumer, which allows decentralised generation of energy. The approach is validated in several experiments where effects like negative energy prices if generated energy exceeds the smart grid’s total demand and peak-shaving with even small-capacity batteries are exhibited.
Offspring of Centenarians Have a Favorable Lipid Profile

OBJECTIVES: It is well recognized that a favorable lipid profile provides protection from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Because the major cause of nontraumatic death in the western world is considered to be due to cardiovascular disease, centenarians (defined here as subjects over 95 years of age) are believed to possess “atherosclerotic protective” factors. However, it is impossible to study comparatively the lipid profile in centenarians because of lack of controls. Assuming that certain genes responsible for encoding the lipid phenotype may be inherited, we studied the lipid profile characteristics of offspring of centenarians and compared them with control groups.
Neonatal complications in public and private patients: a retrospective cohort study

Objective To use propensity score methods to create similar groups of women delivering in public and private hospitals and determine any differences in mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes between the matched groups. Design Population-based, retrospective cohort study. Setting Public and private hospitals in Western Australia. Participants Included were 93 802 public and 66 479 private singleton, term deliveries during 1998–2008, from which 32 757 public patients were matched with 32 757 private patients on the propensity score of maternal characteristics. Main outcome measures Neonatal outcomes were compared in the propensity score-matched cohorts using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for antenatal risk factors and mode of delivery. Outcomes included Apgar score <7 at 5 min, neonatal resuscitation (endotracheal intubation or external cardiac massage) and admission to a neonatal special care unit. Results No significant differences in maternal characteristics were found between the propensity score-matched groups. Private patients were more likely than their matched public counterparts to undergo prelabour caesarean section (25.2% vs 18%, p<0.0001). Public patients had lower rates of neonatal unit admission (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.73) and neonatal resuscitation (AOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.95), but higher rates of low Apgar scores at 5 min (AOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.63) despite adjustment for antenatal factors. Additional adjustment for mode of delivery reduced the resuscitation risk (AOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.18) but did not significantly alter the other estimates. Conclusions Propensity score methods can be used to generate comparable groups of public and private patients. Despite the rates of low Apgar scores being higher in public patients, the rates of special care admission were lower. Whether these findings stem from differences in paediatric services or clinical factors is yet to be determined.