Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in Canada.

BACKGROUND Little information is available on recent population-based trends in the outcomes of patients who have had an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Canada. METHODS Data were analyzed from the Discharge Abstract Database and Hospital Morbidity Database of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. All new cases of AMI in Canada between fiscal 1997/98 and fiscal 1999/2000 of patients at least 20 years old were examined. Data were also analyzed from these databases for hospital readmissions for a second AMI, angina and congestive heart failure (CHF). RESULTS There were 139,523 new AMI cases. The overall crude in-hospital AMI mortality rate in Canada was 12.3%. In-hospital mortality rate after an AMI was worse for women than for men in Canada (16.7% and 9.9%, respectively). The age- and sex-standardized in-hospital mortality rate varied from a low of 10.5% (95% CI 8.4% to 12.6%) in Prince Edward Island to a high of 13.1% (95% CI 12.8% to 13.5%) in Quebec. Among AMI survivors, 12.5% were readmitted within one year for angina, 7.7% for a second AMI and 7.5% for CHF. There were wide interregional differences in age- and sex-standardized mortality rates and one-year readmission rates. CONCLUSIONS AMI is associated with a substantial acute mortality rate in Canada, especially in the elderly and female patients. Identifying the causes of interregional differences in patient outcomes should be a priority for future research.
Risk Factors for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and Herpangina and the Preventive Effect of Hand-washing

BACKGROUND: Hygiene and social distancing are recommended control measures for hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina. However, empirical data to support this recommendation are limited. METHODS: During an outbreak of HFMD and herpangina due to infection by the human enterovirus 71, we defined a case as a vesicular papular rash on the hands, feet, buttocks, or oral mucosa and onset from April 30 to June 26, 2008. We selected 176 HFMD and herpangina case-children and a stratified random sample of 201 asymptomatic control-children; frequency matched according to residency status. We administered a questionnaire to the parents about their children's exposures and hygienic behaviors. RESULTS: Risk factors for HFMD and herpangina included playing with neighborhood children (odds ratio [OR]: 11 [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.2–17]), visiting an outpatient clinic for another reason ≤ 1 week before onset (OR: 20 [95% CI: 5.0–88]), and community exposures to crowded places (OR: 7.3 [95% CI: 4.1–13]). By using a score summarizing responses to 4 hand-washing questions, we found that 50% of the case-children and 2.5% of control-children had a poor score of 1 to 3, whereas 12% of the case-children and 78% of control-children had a good score of ≥7 (OR: 0.00069 [95% CI: 0.0022–0.022]) after we adjusted for residency, age, and community exposures by using logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: Hand-washing by preschool-aged children and their caregivers had a significant protective effect against community-acquired HFMD and herpangina from the human enterovirus 71 infection.
Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Promotes Lung Inflammation Through Activation of Dendritic Cells

Asthma is an epithelial disorder in which T helper 2 (Th2)-type inflammation has a prominent role. Recent studies indicated that a cytokine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), is essential for the development of antigen-induced asthma. The authors used ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge to induce a murine asthmatic model. The model was confirmed by airway hyperresponsiveness, serum levels of total and OVA-specific immunoglobulin (IgE), histological analysis of lung tissues. The authors found that expression of TSLP was significantly increased in both mRNA and protein levels in mice lungs treated with OVA. The expression of CD40, CD80, and CD86 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was increased in mice with OVA. Tight correlation between TSLP mRNA and interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in BALF was identified. Furthermore, treating mice with TSLP-neutralizing antibody reduced the expression of TSLP mRNA of lungs, CD40, CD80, and CD86 on dendritic cells, and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the OVA group. This study indicates that TSLP is increased in the airway epithelium in mice treated with OVA. In the lung inflammation model, TSLP activates dendritic cells (DCs) via up-regulation of CD40, CD80, and CD86, then induces the differentiation of prime naive CD4+ T cells to become proinflammatory Th2 cells. Blocking TSLP is capable of inhibiting the production of Th2 cytokines, thus presents a promising strategy for the treatment of asthma.
Fluorimetric assay for catechol-O-methyltransferase.

A sensitive fluorimetric method for the assay of catechol-O-methyltransferase in a sample solution prepared from rat liver is described. Vanillin formed from the substrate, 3, 4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, under the optimal conditions for the enzyme reaction, is determined after the removal of unreacted substrate by adsorption on alumina. Vanillin is measured by the established fluorimetric method for the determination of aromatic aldehydes with 2, 2'-dithiobis (1-aminonaphthalene). The limit of determination for vanillin formed is 300 pmol. The method is readily performed with good precision and is suitable for the rapid assay of catechol-O-methyltransferase in a small amount of sample solution.
Ocean warming expands habitat of a rich natural resource and benefits a national economy.

Geographic redistribution of living natural resources changes access and thereby harvesting opportunities between countries. Internationally shared fish resources can be sensitive to shifts in the marine environment and this may have great impact on the economies of countries and regions that rely most heavily on fisheries to provide employment and food supply. Here we present a climate change-related biotic expansion of a rich natural resource with substantial economic consequences, namely the appearance of northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) in Greenlandic waters. In recent years, the summer temperature has reached record highs in the Irminger Current, and this development has expanded the available and realized mackerel habitat in time and space. Observations in the Irminger Current in east Greenland in 2011 of this temperature-sensitive epipelagic fish were the first records so far northwest in the Atlantic. This change in migration pattern was followed by a rapid development of a large-scale fishery of substantial importance for the national economy of Greenland (23% of Greenland's export value of all goods in 2014). A pelagic trawl survey was conducted in mid-summer 2014 and the results showed that the bulk of ~1 million Mg (=t) of mackerel in the Irminger Current in southeast Greenland were located in the relatively warm (>8.5°C) surface layer. Mackerel was also observed in southwest Greenland. Finally, 15 CMIP5 Earth System Model projections of future marine climate were used to evaluate the epipelagic environment in Greenland. These projections for moderate and high CO2 emission scenarios (representative concentration pathways [RCP] 4.5 and 8.5) suggest how the available mackerel habitat may expand further in space and time. Overall, our results indicate that, if the stock remains large, productive, and continues its current migration pattern, then climate change has provided Greenland with a new unique opportunity for commercial exploitation. However, positive cases like this should not be cherry-picked and misused as arguments against timely and effective mitigation of climate change.
Static mechanical strain induces capillary endothelial cell cycle re-entry and sprouting

Vascular endothelial cells are known to respond to a range of biochemical and time-varying mechanical cues that can promote blood vessel sprouting termed angiogenesis. It is less understood how these cells respond to sustained (i.e., static) mechanical cues such as the deformation generated by other contractile vascular cells, cues which can change with age and disease state. Here we demonstrate that static tensile strain of 10%, consistent with that exerted by contractile microvascular pericytes, can directly and rapidly induce cell cycle re-entry in growth-arrested microvascular endothelial cell monolayers. S-phase entry in response to this strain correlates with absence of nuclear p27, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Furthermore, this modest strain promotes sprouting of endothelial cells, suggesting a novel mechanical ‘angiogenic switch’. These findings suggest that static tensile strain can directly stimulate pathological angiogenesis, implying that pericyte absence or death is not necessarily required of endothelial cell re-activation.
A New Fluorogenic Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for Detection of Lineage 1 and Lineage 2 West Nile Viruses

West Nile virus represents an emerging threat for animal and human health worldwide. This virus exhibits a marked genetic variation, with at least 2 distinct evolutionary lineages. Lineage 1 has been recognized in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and more recently in the Americas, whereas lineage 2 is restricted to Africa. Perhaps for this reason, the available real-time RT-PCR methods for detecting West Nile virus genome have mainly focused on lineage 1. However, both viruses may potentially be spread beyond their endemic areas by migratory birds. This report describes a new real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) method based on a 59-Taq nuclease-39 minor groove binder DNA probe (TaqMan MGBE) that allows the detection of a wide range of West Nile virus isolates, including both lineages 1 and 2. This method was able to detect West Nile viruses from different origins (North and Central Africa, Middle East, Europe, and North America), whereas other flaviviruses (Usutu, Dengue, Yellow fever) analyzed in parallel remained negative. The sensitivity achieved by this assay was 1022-1023 pfu/tube. This method, which can be performed in 96-well format, could be suitable for the large-scale surveillance of West Nile virus in areas where both lineages can potentially spread.
Essays in international finance and applied econometrics

The thesis consists of three essays in the elds of international nance and applied econometrics. The rst chapter analyzes the co-movement of market premia for rare adverse events, addressing the important issue of contagion. The second chapter studies the impact of rare adverse events on the estimates of the risk-aversion coe cient and on household's portfolio composition. This chapter shows that the threat of a rare disaster justi es household's positive bond holdings. Finally, the last chapter studies if the information not contained in the domestic yield curve, but contained in the foreign yield curve helps to predict future dynamics of domestic yields. The rst chapter proposes a novel approach to assessing volatility contagion across equity markets. More speci cally I decompose the variance risk premia of three major stock indices into: crash and non-crash risk components and analyse their cross-market correlations. I nd that crash-risk premia exhibit higher correlations than non-crash risk premia, implying the existence of volatility contagion. This suggests that investors believe that equity returns will be more highly correlated across countries during market crashes than during more normal times. The main result of the analysis holds when I apply other measures of co-movement as well as when I allow correlation to be time varying. Moreover I document that crash-premia constitute a large portion of the overall variance risk premia, highlighting the importance of crash-risks. Unlike the existing literature, my approach to testing the existence of volatility contagion does not rely on short periods of nancial distress, but allows for crash-risk premia to be computed in tranquil times. The second chapter assesses the impact of the Peso problem on the econometric estimates of the risk aversion coe cient. Rietz (1988) and subsequently Barro (2006) showed that the introduction of the crash risk allows the canonical general equilibrium framework to generate data consistent equity premia even under low risk aversion of the representative agents. They argue that the original data used to calibrate these models su er from a Peso problem (i.e. does not encounter a crash state). To the best of my knowledge the impact of their Peso problem on the estimation of the risk aversion coe cient has not to date been evaluated. This chapter seeks to remedy this. I nd that crash states that are internalized by economic agents, but are not realized in the sample, generate only a small bias in the estimates of the risk aversion coe cient. I also show that the introduction of the crash state has a strong bearing on the household's portfolio composition. In fact, under the internalized crash state scenario, households exhibit positive bond holdings even in a frictionless environment. In the third chapter, co-authored with Andrew Meldrum and Peter Spencer, we show, using data on government bonds in Germany and the US, that `overseas unspanned factors' constructed from the components of overseas yields that are uncorrelated with domestic yields have signi cant
Specific Interaction of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Surface Glycoprotein with Human DC-SIGN

ABSTRACT DC-SIGN, a specific C-type lectin expressed on dendritic cells, binds and transmits multiple strains of primate immunodeficiency viruses to susceptible cells. Here, we report that human DC-SIGN also captures feline immunodeficiency virus via high-affinity (1 nM), Ca2+-dependent, d-mannose-inhibited binding to the major envelope glycoprotein, gp95.
As yet uncultured bacteria phylogenetically classified as Prevotella, Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis and unclassified Bacteroidales, Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae may play a predominant role in ruminal biohydrogenation.

Microbial biohydrogenation of dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) in the rumen results in the high ratio of SFA/PUFA in ruminant products, such as meat and milk. In vitro, Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus-related bacteria extensively biohydrogenate PUFA to SFA, yet their contribution in the rumen has not been confirmed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus group bacteria in ruminal biohydrogenation and to assess the possible role of other bacteria. Fish oil at 0%, 1.5% and 3% dry matter intake was fed to eight Holstein × Friesian steers, in order to elicit changes in the extent of PUFA biohydrogenation. Fatty acid and B. proteoclasticus group 16S rRNA concentrations in rumen digesta were determined. Correlation between digesta 18:0 concentration and B. proteoclasticus group 16S rRNA concentration was low. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) coupled with multivariate statistics revealed that many terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) and DGGE bands were linked to cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), 18:1 trans-11 and 18:0 ruminal concentrations. MiCA T-RF predictive identification software showed that these linked T-RFs were likely to originate from as yet uncultured bacteria classified as Prevotella, Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis, and unclassified Bacteroidales, Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae. Sequencing of linked DGGE bands also revealed that as yet uncultured bacteria classified as Prevotella, Anaerovoax (member of the Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis family), and unclassified Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae may play a role in biohydrogenation.
Enhancement of CCL15 Expression and Monocyte Adhesion to Endothelial Cells (ECs) after Hypoxia/Reoxygenation and Induction of ICAM-1 Expression by CCL15 via the JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in ECs

CCL15, a member of the CC chemokine family, is a potent chemoattractant for leukocytes and endothelial cells (ECs). Given that chemokines play key roles in vascular inflammation, we investigated the effects of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) on expression of human CCL15 and a role of CCL15 in upregulating ICAM-1 in ECs. We found that exposure of ECs to H/R increased expression of CCL15 and ICAM-1, which resulted in an increase in monocyte adhesivity to the ECs. Further studies revealed that knockdown of CCL15 or CCR1 attenuated expression of ICAM-1 in ECs after H/R, suggesting that expression of ICAM-1 is upregulated by CCL15. Stimulation of ECs with CCL15 significantly increased expression of ICAM-1 predominantly via the CCR1 receptor. We observed that phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 was stimulated by CCL15 treatment of ECs. Results from reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that CCL15 activates transcription from the IFN-γ activation site promoter and stimulates binding of STAT3 to the ICAM-1 promoter. Our data also showed that CCL15 increased cell adhesion of human monocytes to ECs under static and shear-stress conditions. Pretreatment of these cells with inhibitors for JAK, PI3K, and AKT prevented the CCL15-induced expression of ICAM-1 and monocyte adhesion to ECs, suggesting the involvement of those signaling molecules in ICAM-1 gene activation by CCL15. The results suggest that CCR1 and its ligands may be a potential target for treating inflammatory diseases involving upregulation of cell adhesion molecules.
A Neuropsychological Battery for Epilepsy

The development of the Neuropsychological Battery for Epilepsy is presented. The tests are designed to be helpful in the evaluation of adult epileptics. The battery consists of General Measures which include tests in the areas of intellectual functioning, emotional status, and lateral dominance. The development of a series of 16 Discriminative Measures is presented in detail through the discussion of a pilot study, the principal investigation, and a cross‐valida‐tional effort. In the principal study, 50 epileptics were individually paired with individuals having no history of neurological disease, and their performances on a wide range of ability measures were compared. Tests were eliminated if they did not appear sensitive to the brain‐related problems of epileptics, if they demonstrated excessive duplication with other measures, or if they did not cross‐validate with a new sample of 25 epileptic–normal pairs. The advantages of the battery were discussed, including coverage of areas previously not adequately assessed, elimination of tests with limited utility, greater uniformity and accuracy in the classification of individual subjects, and standardization of the tests with epileptics.
Influence of temperature variations on radio frequency performance of PNIN gate all around tunnel-FET

This paper analyses the performance of n+ source pocket PIN gate all around tunnel field effect transistor (PNIN-GAA-TFET) at radio frequency over a wide range of temperatures. The results are compared with the conventional counterpart i.e. GAA-TFET. It is examined that by amalgamating an n+ source pocket at the tunneling junction on GAA-TFET, various RF performance metrics such as current gain, unilateral power gain, maximum stable power gain (GMS), maximum available power gain (GMA), maximum transducer power gain (GMT) and admittance parameters have been considerably enhanced. Additionally, the temperature affectability over the various power gains, cut off frequency and maximum oscillations frequency reveals only a slight enhancement at elevated temperatures. Moreover, manifolds increase in cut-off frequency (fT) and the maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX) is acquired for PNIN-GAA-TFET in comparison to GAA-TFET. Thus, the analyzed results offer the opportunity for realizing the stability of PNIN-GAA-TFET for high-performance RF Wireless communication applications over a wide range of temperatures.
Spatial structure of the microbial community in sandy carbonate sediment

The environmental conditions in permeable carbonate sands are in many ways different from those in fine-grained sediments, but little is known about how this affects the structure and com- position of the microbial community. We studied the microbial community structure in relation to the geochemical zonation within a 4 m 2 patch of a sandy carbonate sediment in Kane'ohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii. Porewater concentrations of oxygen and sulfide at depths between 15 and 52 cm were mea- sured in situ using voltammetry, and sediment samples from 0 to 5 cm, 25 to 35 cm, and 70 to 80 cm depth were used to evaluate vertical and horizontal variation in the microbial community. Anoxic, suboxic (sulfide as well as oxygen below detection limit), or oxic conditions were measured in pore- water from between 15 and 32 cm below the sediment/water interface, with no consistent depth pat- tern. All measurements below 32 cm indicated anoxic conditions, with sulfide concentrations ranging from <10 to about 200 μM. The microbial community revealed by denaturing gradient gel elec- trophoresis (DGGE) was homogeneous in the surface sediment, while large variations were observed at 25 to 35 cm depth, and smaller variations occurred at 70 to 80 cm depth. Richness analysis of clone libraries from each of the 3 depths indicated that the phylotype diversity was highest in the library from 25 to 35 cm depth. We suggest that the microbial community structure is correlated to local physico-chemical conditions in the sediment and that spatio-temporally heterogeneous redox condi- tions result in an increased microbial diversity. A monophyletic group of phylotypes that were highly divergent from any other sequences deposited in the GENBANK database was detected in the sedi- ment. These phylotypes may represent chloroplasts or plastids associated with eukaryotes or a new lineage of Bacteria related to the Cyanobacteria. Using specific primers, members of the group were detected in sands from several coastal sites on the island of O'ahu.
Detection of Borreliacidal Antibodies in Lyme Borreliosis Patient Sera Containing Antimicrobial Agents

ABSTRACT The borreliacidal-antibody test has been used for the serological detection and confirmation of Lyme borreliosis. However, the presence of antimicrobial agents in serum can confound the accurate detection of borreliacidal antibodies. In this study, we developed a Bacillus subtilis agar diffusion bioassay to detect small concentrations of antimicrobial agents in serum. We also used XAD-16, a nonionic polymeric resin, to adsorb and remove high concentrations of amoxicillin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, doxycycline, and erythromycin without significantly affecting even small concentrations of immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgG borreliacidal antibodies. High concentrations of penicillin could also be removed by adding 1 U of penicillinase without significantly influencing the levels of borreliacidal antibodies. These simple procedures greatly enhance the clinical utility of the borreliacidal-antibody test.