Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of physical activity and sedentary behaviours between young haemophilia A patients and healthy adolescents

Summary. In recent studies, adolescent haemophilia A patients and healthy adolescents have been encouraged to participate in physical activity (PA) based on its many established health benefits. However, none of the studies to date has used objective measures of PA and sedentary behaviour. The aims of the current study included: (i) to determine the amount and intensity of habitual PA among haemophilia A and healthy adolescents, and in haemophilia A patients with and without bleeding episodes in the previous year, and (ii) to identify the type and determine the time spent in sedentary activities in which both groups participate to obtain a broadened view of their daily activities. A total of 41 adolescent haemophiliacs and 25 healthy adolescents, between the ages of 8 and 18 years, participated in this cross‐sectional study. A triaxial accelerometer was used to measure PA and the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire to assess sedentary behaviours among members of both groups. Adolescent haemophilia A patients showed a higher daily mean time engaged in light, moderate and moderate‐to‐vigorous PAs relative to their healthy counterparts (P < 0.001). Patients who had experienced bleeding episodes during the previous year also spent more time participating in vigorous PAs than healthy adolescents (P = 0.002). With regard to sedentary behaviours, healthy adolescents spent more time listening to music than haemophilia A adolescents (P = 0.003), whereas haemophilia A adolescents spent more time watching TV (P < 0.001) and playing videogames (P = 0.003) than healthy counterparts. Findings suggest that increased participation in moderate intensity PAs and reduced sedentary behaviours should be recommended among adolescents with haemophilia A.
Cloning, Nucleotide Sequencing, and Analysis of the Gene Encoding an AmpC β-Lactamase in Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT A clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii (strain Ab RYC 52763/97) that was isolated during an outbreak in our hospital and that was resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics tested produced three β-lactamases: a TEM-1-type (pI, 5.4) plasmid-mediated β-lactamase, a chromosomally mediated OXA-derived (pI, 9.0) β-lactamase, and a presumptive chromosomal cephalosporinase (pI, 9.4). The nucleotide sequence of the chromosomal cephalosporinase gene shows for the first time the gene encoding an AmpC β-lactamase in A. baumannii. In addition, we report here the biochemical properties of this A. baumannii AmpC β-lactamase.
Identification of a consensus motif for retention of transmembrane proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Several families of transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins contain retention motifs in their cytoplasmically exposed tails. Mutational analyses demonstrated that two lysines positioned three and four or five residues from the C‐terminus represent the retention motif. The introduction of a lysine preceding the lysine that occurs three residues from the terminus of Lyt2 renders this cell surface protein a resident of the ER. Likewise, the appropriate positioning of two lysine residues in a poly‐serine sequence confines marker proteins to the ER. Arginines or histidines cannot replace lysines, suggesting that simple charge interactions are not sufficient to explain the retention. The identified consensus motif may serve as a retrieval signal that brings proteins back from a sorting compartment adjacent to the ER.
Use of cone beam computed tomography imaging for airway measurement to predict obstructive sleep apnea

ABSTRACT Objective: This retrospective chart review examined whether airway parameters were correlated with scores on the STOP-Bang questionnaire. Methods: Minimal upper airway area, upper airway volume, minimal retropalatal area, retropalatal volume, minimal retroglossal area, and retroglossal volume were calculated from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Patients were grouped based on their STOP-Bang scores (<3 or ≥3) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and airway parameters were compared across the 2 groups. Results: Thirty-one (43%) of 72 patients with a minimal upper airway area of <110 mm2 had STOP-Bang scores of ≥3. Most patients (90%) with STOP-Bang scores of ≥3 had minimal retropalatal areas of <110 mm2. Differences were found between groups for minimal upper airway area (p = 0.03), upper airway volume (p = 0.04), and minimal retropalatal area (p = 0.001). Discussion: To assess OSA risk, dentists should compare CBCT images with STOP-Bang scores.
Photodynamic therapy of recalcitrant warts with 5-aminolevulinic acid: a retrospective analysis.

Sir, Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical application of 5aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been successful in the treatment of super®cial non-melanoma skin tumours (1). When applied topically to the skin, ALA is absorbed into the epidermal cells and biosynthesized to the light-sensitive metabolite photoporphyrin IX (PpIX). When cells with accumulated PpIX are exposed to light of certain wavelengths, free radicals are released as singlet oxygen, leading to cell death (2). Recently it has been reported that ALA-PDT also has antiviral properties (3). Selective production of PpIX has been demonstrated by ̄uorescence measurements after ALA application to genital warts, indicating a speci®c af®nity for ALA in human papilloma virus infected tissue (4). A preliminary study showed that repetitive treatment with ALA and white light has a curative effect on recalcitrant verrucae (5). Encouraged by these results, we treated patients who were referred to our department with warts resistant to other treatments, with ALA-PDT.
Towards a Holistic Approach to Designing Theory-based Mobile Health Interventions

Increasing evidence has shown that theory-based health behavior change interventions are more effective than non-theory-based ones. However, only a few segments of relevant studies were theory-based, especially the studies conducted by non-psychology researchers. On the other hand, many mobile health interventions, even those based on the behavioral theories, may still fail in the absence of a user-centered design process. The gap between behavioral theories and user-centered design increases the difficulty of designing and implementing mobile health interventions. To bridge this gap, we propose a holistic approach to designing theory-based mobile health interventions built on the existing theories and frameworks of three categories: (1) behavioral theories (e.g., the Social Cognitive Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Health Action Process Approach), (2) the technological models and frameworks (e.g., the Behavior Change Techniques, the Persuasive System Design and Behavior Change Support System, and the Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions), and (3) the user-centered systematic approaches (e.g., the CeHRes Roadmap, the Wendel's Approach, and the IDEAS Model). This holistic approach provides researchers a lens to see the whole picture for developing mobile health interventions.
A Tuning Strategy for Face Recognition in Robotic Application

This paper deals with video-based face recognition and tracking from a camera mounted on a mobile robot companion. All persons must be logically identified before being authorized to interact with the robot while continuous tracking is compulsory in order to estimate the position of this person. A first contribution relates to experiments of still-image-based face recognition methods in order to check which image projection and classifier associations lead to the highest performance of the face database acquired from our robot. Our approach, based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) improved by genetic algorithm optimization of the free-parameters, is found to outperform conventional appearance-based holistic classifiers (eigenface and Fisherface) which are used as benchmarks. The integration of face recognition, dedicated to the previously identified person, as intermittent features in the particle filtering framework is well-suited to this context as it facilitates the fusion of different measurement sources by positioning the particles according to face classification probabilities in the importance function. Evaluations on key-sequences acquired by the mobile robot in crowded and continuously changing indoor environments demonstrate the tracker robustness against such natural settings. The paper closes with a discussion of possible extensions.
Enhancement of invasiveness of Yersinia enterocolitica and Escherichia coli in HEp-2 cells by centrifugation

Centrifugation enhanced the infectivity of invasive Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica for HEp-2 cells. Noninvasive bacteria were not endocytosed after centrifugation. The centrifugation procedure may increase the sensitivity of testing for bacterial invasiveness in cell culture without causing false-positive results.
Effect of enalapril on the progression of chronic renal failure. A randomized controlled trial.

In order to study the influence of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on the progression of chronic nephropathy, 70 patients with a median glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 15 (range, 6 to 54) mL/min/1.73 m2 were randomized in an open study to basic treatment with enalapril or conventional antihypertensive treatment. The patients were followed for at least 2 years or until they needed dialysis. The groups were comparable with respect to age and sex distribution, etiology of renal diseases, initial levels of renal function and arterial blood pressure (BP), and protein intake. The therapeutic goal was a BP of 120 to 140/80 to 90 mm Hg. The GFR, estimated by the plasma clearance of 51Cr-EDTA, was measured every third month, and the individual rate of progression was calculated as the slope of the GFR v time plot. In the enalapril group, the median decline in GFR was -0.20 (range, +0.18 to -7.11) mL/min/1.73 m2/month and in the control group it was -0.31 (+0.01 to -1.97) mL/min/1.73 m2/month (P less than .05). There was no significant difference in blood pressure or plasma lipid levels between the groups. Thus, the progression of moderate to severe chronic nephropathy was slower on a basic treatment with enalapril as compared to conventional antihypertensive therapy.
Growth of Human Pancreatic Cancer Is Inhibited by Down-Regulation of Gastrin Gene Expression

Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of gastrin messenger RNA (mRNA) down-regulation on growth of human pancreatic cancer. Methods: Gastrin expression was examined in human pancreatic cancer cell lines by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and peptide expression was assessed by immunocytochemistry. Gastrin was down-regulated using either stable transfection of an antisense gastrin cDNA or 1 of 3 shRNA (short hairpin RNA) constructs. Tumor formation was evaluated after either subcutaneous or orthotopic injections into nude mice. The effect of nanoliposomes loaded with gastrin siRNA (small interfering RNA) was tested in mice bearing pancreatic tumors. Results: Stable transfection of gastrin antisense or shRNAs into BxPC-3 cells resulted in clones with more than 90% reduction in gastrin mRNA. Tumor growth rate and incidence of metastases in both wild-type and transfected pancreatic cancer cells were directly proportional to the degrees of gastrin mRNA expression. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that gastrin peptide levels were decreased in antisense and shRNA tumors. Gastrin knockdown clones had lower Ki-67 and increased cleaved caspase-3 staining, consistent with known effects of gastrin on proliferation and apoptosis. Tumors in mice treated with gastrin siRNA were smaller than controls. Conclusions: These results suggest that RNAi targeting of gastrin could serve as an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Netrin 1 and Dcc signalling are required for confinement of central axons within the central nervous system

The establishment of anatomically stereotyped axonal projections is fundamental to neuronal function. While most neurons project their axons within the central nervous system (CNS), only axons of centrally born motoneurons and peripherally born sensory neurons link the CNS and peripheral nervous system (PNS) together by navigating through specialized CNS/PNS transition zones. Such selective restriction is of importance because inappropriate CNS axonal exit could lead to loss of correct connectivity and also to gain of erroneous functions. However, to date, surprisingly little is known about the molecular-genetic mechanisms that regulate how central axons are confined within the CNS during development. Here, we show that netrin 1/Dcc/Unc5 chemotropism contributes to axonal confinement within the CNS. In both Ntn1 and Dcc mutant mouse embryos, some spinal interneuronal axons exit the CNS by traversing the CNS/PNS transition zones normally reserved for motor and sensory axons. We provide evidence that netrin 1 signalling preserves CNS/PNS axonal integrity in three ways: (1) netrin 1/Dcc ventral attraction diverts axons away from potential exit points; (2) a Dcc/Unc5c-dependent netrin 1 chemoinhibitory barrier in the dorsolateral spinal cord prevents interneurons from being close to the dorsal CNS/PNS transition zone; and (3) a netrin 1/Dcc-dependent, Unc5c-independent mechanism that actively prevents exit from the CNS. Together, these findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that maintain CNS/PNS integrity and, to the best of our knowledge, present the first evidence that chemotropic signalling regulates interneuronal CNS axonal confinement in vertebrates.
Recoding in Archaea

Standard decoding of the genetic information into polypeptides is performed by one of the most sophisticated cell machineries, the translating ribosome, which, by following the genetic code, ensures the correspondence between the mature mRNA and the protein sequence. However, the expression of a minority of genes requires programmed deviations from the standard decoding rules, globally named recoding. This includes ribosome programmed –/+1 frameshifting, ribosome hopping, and stop codon readthrough. Recoding in Archaea was unequivocally demonstrated only for the translation of the UGA stop codon into the amino acid selenocysteine. However, a new recoding event leading to the 22nd amino acid pyrrolysine and the preliminary reports on a gene regulated by programmed −1 frameshifting have been recently described in Archaea. Therefore, it appears that the study of this phenomenon in Archaea is still at its dawn and that most of the genes whose expression is regulated by recoding are still uncharacterized.
Goals and Status of the NASA Juncture Flow Experiment

The NASA Juncture Flow experiment is a new effort whose focus is attaining validation data in the juncture region of a wing-body configuration. The experiment is designed specifically for the purpose of CFD validation. Current turbulence models routinely employed by Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes CFD are inconsistent in their prediction of corner flow separation in aircraft juncture regions, so experimental data in the near-wall region of such a configuration will be useful both for assessment as well as for turbulence model improvement. This paper summarizes the Juncture Flow effort to date, including preliminary risk-reduction experiments already conducted and planned future experiments. The requirements and challenges associated with conducting a quality validation test are discussed.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Voltage Gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) are among the most fascinating proteins because of their function to generate electrical activity in cells and are responsible for many of the most overt manifestations of life. Although VGICs are seen as being critical to animals, particularly those with complex nervous systems, they are relatively old proteins, some of which are well represented in diverse prokaryotes. The present investigation was carried out to highlight the utility of using an evolutionary approach to glean useful information about ion channel function and, by extension, about the properties of other types of proteins. A total of 8 common organism’s protein sequence for VGKC (Voltage-gated potassium channel), VGCC (Voltage-gated calcium channel), and VGSC (Voltage-gated sodium channel) were obtained from Uniprot and subjected to multiple sequence alignment using Praline & ClustalW. The phylogenetic trees were constructed using different methods in MEGA v5.05. The sequence alignment of VGSC proteins of different species revealed no consensus residue. In the sequence alignment of VGKC proteins, five residues (Isoleucine395, Arginine 400, Aspartic Acid 490, Cysteine 502 and Valine 519) were observed to have 70% conservation across different species, while Cysteine 489 was found to be 80% conserved across the species. The sequence alignment of VGCC proteins of different species revealed very little (~50%) conservation across the species. The nature of residue conservation in VGKC reflects that the conservation is majorly for larger amino-acids that help the protein to form channels. The trees obtained for VGKC and VGCC had a remarkable similarity of forming a monophyletic group which was shared by Xenopus or Rattus and Nocardioidaceae or Streptomyces. Contrary to the results of individual trees obtained for VGSC proteins by different methods, the consensus tree generated had a monophyletic group of Homo sapiens and A. gambiae and the group was found to be again very near to prokaryotic VGSC of Streptomyces. The present study is very much of clinical significance because it has revealed that ion channels also exist in lower organisms which are very much related to higher biological systems.
Phylogeny and taxonomy of species in the Grosmannia serpens complex

Grosmannia serpens was first described from pine in Italy in 1936 and it has been recorded subsequently from many countries in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The fungus is vectored primarily by root-infesting bark beetles and has been reported to contribute to pine-root diseases in Italy and South Africa. The objective of this study was to consider the identity of a global collection of isolates not previously available and using DNA sequence-based comparisons not previously applied to most of these isolates. Phylogenetic analyses of the ITS2-LSU, actin, beta-tubulin, calmodulin and translation elongation factor-1 alpha sequences revealed that these morphologically similar isolates represent a complex of five cryptic species. Grosmannia serpens sensu stricto thus is redefined and comprises only isolates from Italy including the ex-type isolate. The ex-type isolate of Verticicladiella alacris was shown to be distinct from G. serpens, and a new holomorphic species, G. alacris, is described. The teleomorph state of G. alacris was obtained through mating studies in the laboratory, confirming that this species is heterothallic. Most of the available isolates, including those from South Africa, USA, France, Portugal and some from Spain, represent G. alacris. The remaining three taxa, known only in their anamorph states, are described as the new species Leptographium gibbsii for isolates from the UK, L. yamaokae for isolates from Japan and L. castellanum for isolates from Spain and the Dominican Republic.
Purification of κ‐Casien Glycomacropeptide from Sweet Whey with Undetectable Level of Phenylalanine

Glycomacropeptide (GMP) found in sweet whey is a biologically active compound released from κ‐casein by the action of chymosin during cheese making. This study was undertaken to purify GMP from sweet whey as a research chemical on a laboratory scale. Glycomacropeptide was isolated from proteins and other non‐GMP compounds by deproteinization with trichloroacetic acid and gel chromatography on Sephacryl S‐200. The purified GMP accounted for 0.12% of dry sweet whey powder and contained 107.0, 50.9, 61.2 and 4.3 μg, respectively, of sialic acid, galactose, galactosamine and phosphorus per mg dry weight. The GMP was of high purity, with its amino acid composition showing undetectable levels of phenylalanine, tyrosine and arginine, the amino acids that do not occur in bovine GMP. On gel electrophoresis, the GMP showed a single broad band with an average mobility faster than that of carbonic anhydrase (molecular weight = 31 kDa). The purified GMP may be used as a standard glycopeptide in chromatography and electrophoresis and may also be used to test various known or unknown properties and biological activities of this compound.
Detection of informal settlements from VHR satellite images using convolutional neural networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), widely studied in the domain of computer vision, are more recently finding application in the analysis of high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery. In this paper, we investigate a deep feature learning approach based on CNNs for the detection of informal settlements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This information is vital for decision making and planning of upgrading processes. Distinguishing the different urban structure types is challenging because of the abstract semantic definition of the classes as opposed to the separation of standard land-cover classes. This task requires the extraction of complex spatial-contextual features. To this aim, we trained a CNN in an end-to-end fashion and used it to classify informal and formal settlements. Our experimental results show that CNNs outperform state of the art methods using hand-crafted features. We conclude that CNNs are able to effectively learn the spatial-contextual features for accurately discriminating formal and informal settlements.
A Detection-Aided Multi-target Tracking Algorithm

This paper addresses the problem of tracking multiple objects in monocular video sequences. This problem is difficult because one needs to identify the targets by the finite measurement data, which may be affected by variations of pose, environment clutters, etc. A particle filter based multi-target tracking framework is presented, which operates with a novel observation model. The proposed target appearance model is constructed by combining the local modules that divided according to the structure of human body. In order to depress the sample depletion during the approximation process, the observation information is used to construct the mixture proposal density by integrating the sampling manner guided by detected human faces areas with stochastic dynamic model to generate the new samples. Then the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method was employed to recursively estimate the solution of multi-target data association problem. Experimental results show that the proposed tracker can effectively handle complex environments, irregular target motions and partial occlusions to keep the identities of the targets in real world.