Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Duty-related risk of sudden cardiac death among young US firefighters.

BACKGROUND Little is known regarding duty-related risks for sudden cardiac death (SCD) among young firefighters. AIMS To investigate duty-related SCD among US firefighters aged 45 or younger. METHODS We collected data on duty-related SCD from the US Fire Administration (USFA) and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Two physicians independently reviewed each record. The proportions of time spent by firefighters performing specific duties were estimated from a municipal department, 17 large metropolitan departments and a national database. We estimated the duty-specific relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of SCD relative to non-emergency duties based on the observed deaths and the expected average proportions of time per duty. RESULTS The USFA recorded 205 age-eligible on-duty SCDs between 1996 and 2012; 86 (42%) of these deaths and one additional SCD were investigated by NIOSH (total n = 206). NIOSH was more likely (P < 0.001) to report on SCD associated with physical training (69% of cases were investigated) and fire suppression (57%). Compared with non-emergency duties, the risk of SCD was increased for fire suppression (RR 22.1, 95% CI 14.8-32.9), alarm response (RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.6), alarm return (RR 4.1, 95% CI 2.7-6.2) and physical training (RR 4.8, 95% CI 3.2-7.2). RRs for SCD were higher among firefighters with a pre-existing history of a cardiac condition. All 16 SCDs associated with alarm response occurred among volunteer firefighters. CONCLUSIONS The performance of strenuous emergency duties is strongly associated with an increased risk of SCD among young firefighters, particularly among those with a history of cardiovascular disease.
Evidence of dysregulation of dendritic cells in primary HIV infection

Myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs) are important mediators of both innate and adaptive immunity against pathogens such as HIV. During the course of HIV infection, blood DC numbers fall substantially. In the present study, we sought to determine how early in HIV infection the reduction occurs and whether the remaining DC subsets maintain functional capacity. We find that both myeloid DC and plasmacytoid DC levels decline very early during acute HIV in-fection. Despite the initial reduction in numbers, those DCs that remain in circulation retain their function and are able to stimulate allogeneic T-cell responses, and up-regulate maturation markers plus produce cytokines/chemokines in response to stimulation with TLR7/8 agonists. Notably, DCs from HIV-infected subjects produced significantly higher levels of cytokines/chemokines in response to stimulation with TLR7/8 agonists than DCs from uninfected controls. Further examination of gene expression profiles indicated in vivo activation, either directly or indirectly, of DCs during HIV infection. Taken together, our data demonstrate that despite the reduction in circulating DC numbers, those that remain in the blood display hyperfunctionality and implicates a possible role for DCs in promoting chronic immune activation.
Language comprehension: sentence and discourse processing.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 91 Marr's Analysis 92 Computational Architectures for Languages . 93 SENTENCE COMPREHENSION 94 Lexical Ambiguity 95 Syntactic Processing , 97 Working Memory and Sentence Processing 101 Individual and Population DijJerences 103 Cross-linguistic Studies 106 Conceptual Combination and Integration 107 DISCOURSE COMPREHENSION 108 Establishing Coherence 109 Algorithms in Text Comprehension , 1 12 CONCLUSIONS 115
Potential of nucleofected human MSCs for insulin secretion

The goal of this experiment was to generate insulin‐producing human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as a therapeutic source for type I diabetes mellitus, which is caused by insulin deficiency due to the destruction of islet β cells. In various trials for the treatment of type I diabetes, cell‐based therapy using adult stem cells is considered to be one of the most useful candidates for the treatment. In this experiment, a non‐viral method called nucleofection was used to transfect hMSCs with pEGFP‐C2 and furin‐cleavable human preproinsulin gene (hPPI) to produce insulin‐secreting cells as surrogate β cells. Transfection efficiency was determined using flow cytometry analysis. Expression and production of insulin were tested using RT–PCR and ELISA. The expression, production and maturation of insulin from the genetically engineered hMSCs showed an increase when compared with a non‐transfected control group. Insulin expression from hMSCs using nucleofection in this study has shown the potential for type I diabetes therapy. For further study, an evaluation for in vivo experiments and clinical applications must be supplemented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bi-Magnetic Core/Shell Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Applications

Magnetic nanoparticles, which exhibit a high specific absorption rate (SAR), have drawn a great deal of interest for hyperthermia. Bi-magnetic CS-MNPs of Zn<sub><italic>x</italic></sub>Co<sub>1–<italic>x</italic></sub>Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@MnFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$x$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ranging between 0 and 0.8 have been synthesized by seed-mediated growth. Structural morphology and magnetic properties have been studied. This paper presents the effects of substitution of Zn<sup>2+</sup> on the structural and magnetic properties of Zn<sub><italic>x</italic></sub>Co<sub>1–<italic>x</italic></sub>Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@MnFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of the CS-MNPs was established by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dark field TEM (DF-TEM). XRD patterns confirm the existence of a single-phase cubic spinel crystal structure. The average particle size has been estimated from the statistical analysis of the TEM images. DF-TEM results confirmed the formation of CS-MNPs. Vibrating sample magnetometery demonstrated an increase in saturation magnetization with an increasing Zn concentration up to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$x = 0.4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a decrease thereafter. High heating efficacy of CS-MNPs may extend hyperthermia therapy to deeper tumors. The experimental results showed that CS-MNPs have a higher SAR than the core ones. These nanoparticles are coupled-exchange between soft and hard magnetic phases.
Territorial Accommodation, Party Politics, and Statute Reform in Spain

The term ‘accommodation’ refers to the capacity of states to contain conflict within the mechanisms and procedures embedded in existing institutional arrangements. During the first government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–8), the Socialist government had to accommodate the Catalan proposal to reform the statute of autonomy and the controversial plan to turn the Basque Country into ‘an associated free state’ with Spain. Whereas the Basque initiative was rejected, the approval of the Catalan statute impelled several regions to apply for greater autonomy. Statute reform is a complex multilevel negotiation process characterised by intense party competition and heterogeneous policy results.
Transcription of the Escherichia coli fliC gene is regulated by metal ions

luxAB gene fusions in the Escherichia coli genome were used to screen for clones displaying transcriptional changes in the presence of aluminum. One clone was found that contained a luciferase gene fusion in which transcription was increased in the presence of aluminum and which was subsequently shown to be induced by copper, iron, and nickel. Cloning of the metal-regulated gene, hybridization to the ordered phage lambda bank of the E. coli chromosome, and sequencing of DNA adjacent to the luxAB fusion revealed that the insertion occurred within the fliC (hag) gene of E. coli. This gene encodes flagellin, the filament subunit of the bacterial motility organ, and is under the control of several regulatory cascades. These results suggest that environmental metals may play a role in the regulation of the motility potential of E. coli and that this bioluminescent gene fusion clone (or derivatives thereof) may be used to prepare a biosensor for the rapid detection of metal contamination in water samples.
Extremely Alkaline (pH > 12) Ground Water Hosts Diverse Microbial Community

Chemically unusual ground water can provide an environment for novel communities of bacteria to develop. Here, we describe a diverse microbial community that inhabits extremely alkaline (pH > 12) ground water from the Lake Calumet area of Chicago, Illinois, where historic dumping of steel slag has filled in a wetland. Using microbial 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing and microcosm experiments, we confirmed the presence and growth of a variety of alkaliphilic β‐Proteobacteria, Bacillus, and Clostridium species at pH up to 13.2. Many of the bacterial sequences most closely matched those of other alkaliphiles found in more moderately alkaline water around the world. Oxidation of dihydrogen produced by reaction of water with steel slag is likely a primary energy source to the community. The widespread occurrence of iron‐oxidizing bacteria suggests that reduced iron serves as an additional energy source. These results extend upward the known range of pH tolerance for a microbial community by as much as 2 pH units. The community may provide a source of novel microbes and enzymes that can be exploited under alkaline conditions.
Recent developments and applications of the CHARMM force fields

Empirical force fields (FFs) commonly used to describe the condensed‐phase properties of complex systems such as biological macromolecules are continuously being updated. Improvements in quantum mechanical methods used to generate target data, availability of new experimental target data, incorporation of new classes of compounds, and new theoretical developments (e.g., polarizable methods) make FF development a dynamic domain of research. Accordingly, a number of improvements and extensions of the Chemistry at HARvard Molecular Mechanics (CHARMM) FFs have occurred over the years. The objective of the present review is to provide an up‐to‐date overview of the CHARMM FFs. A limited presentation on the historical aspects of FFs will be given, including underlying methodologies and principles, along with a brief description of the strategies used for parameter development. This is followed by information on the CHARMM additive and polarizable FFs, including examples of recent applications of those FFs. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Total Flavones from Acanthopanax senticosus on L‐type Calcium Channels, Calcium Transient and Contractility in Rat Ventricular Myocytes

Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms (AS), a traditional herbal medicine, has been widely used to treat ischemic heart disease. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms of its benefits to cardiac function remain unclear. The present study examined the effects of total flavones from AS (TFAS) on L‐type Ca2+ channel currents (ICa‐L) using the whole cell patch‐clamp technique and on intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) handling and cell contractility in rat ventricular myocytes with the aid of a video‐based edge‐detection system. Exposure to TFAS resulted in a concentration‐ and voltage‐dependent blockade of ICa‐L, with the half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 283.12 µg/mL and the maximal inhibitory effect of 36.49 ± 1.95%. Moreover, TFAS not only increased the maximum current in the current–voltage relationship but also shifted the activation and inactivation curves of ICa‐L toward the hyperpolarizing direction. Meanwhile, TFAS significantly reduced amplitudes of myocyte shortening and [Ca2+]i with an increase in the time to 10% of the peak (Tp) and a decrease in the time to 10% of the baseline (Tr). Thus, the cardioprotective effects of TFAS may be attributed mainly to the attenuation of [Ca2+]i through the direct inhibition of ICa‐L in rat ventricular myocytes and consequent negative effect on myocardial contractility. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epstein–Barr Virus, but Not Cytomegalovirus, Latency Accelerates the Decay of Childhood Measles and Rubella Vaccine Responses—A 10-Year Follow-up of a Swedish Birth Cohort

Background Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are ubiquitous and persistent herpesviruses commonly acquired during childhood. Both viruses have a significant impact on the immune system, especially through mediating the establishment of cellular immunity, which keeps these viruses under control for life. Far less is known about how these viruses influence B-cell responses. Objectives To evaluate the impact of latent EBV and CMV infection on rubella- and measles-specific antibody responses as well as on the B-cell compartment in a prospective birth cohort followed during the first 10 years of life. Methods IgG titers against rubella and measles vaccines were measured in plasma obtained from the same donors at 2, 5, and 10 years of age. Peripheral B-cell subsets were evaluated ex vivo at 2 and 5 years of age. Factors related to optimal B-cell responses including IL-21 and CXCL13 levels in plasma were measured at all-time points. Results EBV carriage in the absence of CMV associated with an accelerated decline of rubella and measles-specific IgG levels (p = 0.003 and p = 0.019, respectively, linear mixed model analysis), while CMV carriage in the absence of EBV associated with delayed IgG decay over time for rubella (p = 0.034). At 5 years of age, EBV but not CMV latency associated with a lower percentage of plasmablasts, but higher IL-21 levels in the circulation. Conclusion Our findings suggest that EBV carriage in the absence of CMV influences the B-cell compartment and the dynamics of antibody responses over time during steady state in the otherwise healthy host.
Small world effects in networks: an engineering interpretation

In this paper, an engineering interpretation of small world effects in networks is given. After briefly summarizing the main features of small world networks, an attempt is made to investigate the relevance that small world effects can have in communication networks. The aim is that of investigating the relationship between small world behaviour and some of the characteristic parameters associated to the overall performance of the network. It is shown that the performance of a communication network is indeed affected by the presence or absence of small world effects. Namely, the link between these effects and the average throughput and delivery time on the network is established and assessed through numerical simulations.
Death of the RLOC?

"RLOC" is the name given to a relational placement macro that is used to influence the layout of circuits that are realised on FPGAs using Xilinx's place and route software. This paper explores the thesis that modern FPGA architectures are powerful enough to no longer require the designer to provide a layout and that simulated annealing technology has advanced to the point that very good results can be obtained using no layout constraints at all. If this thesis is true then there is a profound effect on custom computing machines which can be more easily targeted from high level specification languages like Handle-C and JHDL without requiring clumsy layout information to be accommodated at the language level.
A Scalable Robust Stability Criterion for Systems With Heterogeneous LTI Components

A scalable robust stability criterion for interconnected systems with heterogeneous linear time-invariant components is presented in this paper. The criterion involves only the properties of individual components and the spectrum of the interconnection matrix, which can be verified with relatively low computational effort, and more importantly maintains scalability of the analysis. Our main result shows that if the components are single-input-single-output (SISO), then the criterion has an appealing graphical interpretation which resembles the classical Nyquist criterion.
Musculoskeletal Risk Assessment among Nurses in Patient Manual Handling in Hospital Wards - A Cross Sectional Study

Objectives: To find out the percentage of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among nurses and to perform a risk assessment of low back pain using the MAPO index in a tertiary care hospital. Methods and Material: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 25 full-time nurses, working in a tertiary care hospital. Self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort was identified using a 25 item questionnaire which included the Nordik Questionnaire. The investigators administered the Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients (MAPO) index in order to perform risk assessment of low back pain. Results: Data was summarized using SPSS Version 14. Sixty-eight percent of the nurses reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Higher percentages of WRMSDs were more common among nurses who work with non-cooperative patients (71.42%) and semi-cooperative patients (75%). The major area of discomfort reported during activities of manual handling was the low back (44%). Years of experience among nurses also showed a strong positive correlation with WRMSDs. Risk stratification using MAPO index showed moderate to high risk for WRMSDs in all the hospital wards. Conclusions: Percentage of self-reported WRMSDs among nurses was 68%, which cannot be ignored and has to be addressed. Self-reported pain and discomfort were more prevalent in low back and was related to various factors like age of nurse, years of experience, type of patients handled, patient's assistance during the activity, and the type of ward. Evaluation using MAPO index showed that the nurses were exposed to moderate to high risk for WRMSDs.
Hand hygiene and risk of influenza virus infections in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SUMMARY Community-based prevention strategies for seasonal and pandemic influenza are essential to minimize their potential threat to public health. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of hand hygiene interventions in reducing influenza transmission in the community and to investigate the possible modifying effects of latitude, temperature and humidity on hand hygiene efficacy. We identified 979 articles in the initial search and 10 randomized controlled trials met our inclusion criteria. The combination of hand hygiene with facemasks was found to have statistically significant efficacy against laboratory-confirmed influenza while hand hygiene alone did not. Our meta-regression model did not identify statistically significant effects of latitude, temperature or humidity on the efficacy of hand hygiene. Our findings highlight the potential importance of interventions that protect against multiple modes of influenza transmission, and the modest efficacy of hand hygiene suggests that additional measures besides hand hygiene may also be important to control influenza.
Correlation of Estradiol in Pregnancy and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Laxity

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a correlation existed between estradiol in pregnancy and laxity of the anterior cruciate ligament by measuring anterior tibial translation. All patients underwent measurement of anterior tibial translation using KT-1000 knee arthrometer testing and serum estradiol determination during the third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum. Forty knees were studied. The average serum estradiol levels decreased from 10,755.0 ng/L to 50.3 ng/L. There was an average decrease anterior tibial translation with a manual maximum displacement of 3.0 mm (range, 1 mm–5 mm) from the first to second examinations. Average measurement of anterior tibial translation in pregnant women showed a statistically significant increase in laxity in the third trimester of pregnancy compared with the postpartum laxity. The results of this study show that high serum estradiol levels during the third trimester of pregnancy correlate with increased anterior tibial translation and that this anterior tibial translation decreases with the return of serum estradiol to nonpregnant levels.
A Newly Discovered Bacteroides Conjugative Transposon, CTnGERM1, Contains Genes Also Found in Gram-Positive Bacteria

ABSTRACT Results of a recent study of antibiotic resistance genes in human colonic Bacteroides strains suggested that gene transfer events between members of this genus are fairly common. The identification of Bacteroides isolates that carried an erythromycin resistance gene, ermG, whose DNA sequence was 99% identical to that of an ermG gene found previously only in gram-positive bacteria raised the further possibility that conjugal elements were moving into Bacteroides species from other genera. Six of seven ermG-containing Bacteroides strains tested were able to transfer ermG by conjugation. One of these strains was chosen for further investigation. Results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis experiments showed that the conjugal element carrying ermG in this strain is an integrated element about 75 kb in size. Thus, the element appears to be a conjugative transposon (CTn) and was designated CTnGERM1. CTnGERM1 proved to be unrelated to the predominant type of CTn found in Bacteroides isolates—CTns of the CTnERL/CTnDOT family—which sometimes carry another type of erm gene, ermF. A 19-kbp segment of DNA from CTnGERM1 was cloned and sequenced. A 10-kbp portion of this segment hybridized not only to DNA from all the ermG-containing strains but also to DNA from strains that did not carry ermG. Thus, CTnGERM1 seems to be part of a family of CTns, some of which have acquired ermG. The percentage of G+C content of the ermG region was significantly lower than that of the chromosome of Bacteroides species—an indication that CTnGERM1 may have entered Bacteroides strains from some other bacterial genus. A survey of strains isolated before 1970 and after 1990 suggests that the CTnGERM1 type of CTn entered Bacteroides species relatively recently. One of the genes located upstream of ermG encoded a protein that had 85% amino acid sequence identity with a macrolide efflux pump, MefA, from Streptococcus pyogenes. Our having found >90% sequence identity of two upstream genes, including mefA, and the remnants of two transposon-carried genes downstream of ermG with genes found previously only in gram-positive bacteria raises the possibility that gram-positive bacteria could have been the origin of CTnGERM1.