Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developing a Telephone Assessment of Physical Activity (TAPA) Questionnaire for Older Adults

Introduction We report on development and preliminary validation of a brief, telephone-based measurement tool for assessing physical activity in older adults. The Telephone Assessment of Physical Activity (TAPA) questionnaire is based on the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center's Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), a written questionnaire. Methods The Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity questionnaire was modified to permit interviewers to administer it as a telephone interview. We retained its scoring levels and interpretation. The pilot test of the telephone version assessed the questionnaire's ease of administration and construct validity in a community-based sample of older adults. Spearman rho and kappa statistics were computed for comparison with the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity questionnaire and the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire. Results Thirty-four older adults completed the telephone assessment. A Spearman rho of 0.74 and a kappa statistic of 0.48 were found between TAPA and the written RAPA. Conclusion The pilot test demonstrated that the TAPA questionnaire is a promising instrument for use as a brief, telephone-based questionnaire for assessing physical activity in older adults.
The Edinburgh cohort of HIV‐positive injecting drug users at 10 years after infection: a case‐control study of the evolution of dementia

ObjectiveTo examine the evolution of dementia in HIV-positive injecting drug users (IDU) in Edinburgh. DesignCase-control study. ParticipantsTwenty six (6%) out of 404 patients in the Edinburgh cohort of HIV-positive IDU who have developed HIV-1-associated dementia in the 10 years since infection and seroconversion. MethodsPatients were tested repeatedly, where possible, on a range of neuropsychological and neurophysiological measures. The results from patients with dementia were compared with those of age, sex and IQ-matched non-demented HIV-positive controls from the cohort. An auditory event-related potential (P3 or P300), a neurophysiological measure of cognitive function, detected the onset of a marked slowing of cognitive and psychomotor functions. Neuropsychological measures that involve the speed of information processing such as the Trail-Making task also identified the early stages of dementia. ResultsDementia was associated with a more advanced stage of systemic disease, increased rates of decline in CD4 cell counts and markedly reduced survival compared with the non-demented controls. No evidence for a protective effect of treatment with zidovudine was detected. ConclusionIn the first 10 years after infection with HIV-1 dementia is an individual development, not the clinical extreme of general intellectual impairment, and had occurred in at least 6% of our IDU cohort. Future questions concern the long-term rate of dementia, the critical neuropathological change and the true potential for early treatment.
Geobacter sulfurreducens Contains Separate C- and A-Adding tRNA Nucleotidyltransferases and a Poly(A) Polymerase

ABSTRACT The genome of Geobacter sulfurreducens contains three genes whose sequences are quite similar to sequences encoding known members of an RNA nucleotidyltransferase superfamily that includes tRNA nucleotidyltransferases and poly(A) polymerases. Reverse transcription-PCR using G. sulfurreducens total RNA demonstrated that the genes encoding these three proteins are transcribed. These genes, encoding proteins designated NTSFI, NTSFII, and NTSFIII, were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The corresponding enzymes were purified and assayed biochemically, resulting in identification of NTSFI as a poly(A) polymerase, NTSFII as a C-adding tRNA nucleotidyltransferase, and NTSFIII as an A-adding tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. Analysis of G. sulfurreducens rRNAs and mRNAs revealed the presence of heteropolymeric RNA 3′ tails. This is the first characterization of a bacterial system that expresses separate C- and A-adding tRNA nucleotidyltransferases and a poly(A) polymerase.
Platelet reactivity in stable cardiovascular patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract The study aimed to evaluate antiplatelet drug responsiveness in stable outpatients with cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and examine whether impaired antiplatelet drug responsiveness is associated with worse clinical outcomes in this population. Stable cardiovascular patients (n = 771) were enrolled at least one month after an acute ischemic atherothrombotic event. Antiplatelet drug responsiveness was assessed with specific assays (serum TxA2 for aspirin, the VASP assay for clopidogrel) and other aggregation-based assays using different agonists. All patients were followed until the first occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event. The 133 CKD patients were found to have higher activity of von Willebrand factor and higher fibrinogen levels. After a median follow-up of 33 months, 88 events occurred in patients without CKD and 31 events in patients with CKD (5.0 events and 8.7 events per 100 patient years, respectively, HR = 1.75 (95% CI 1.16–2.63; p = 0.008). The prevalence of poor aspirin and clopidogrel responsiveness and high platelet reactivity as assessed with different aggregation-based assays was similar in patients with estimated GFR ≥ 60 ml/min, 45–59 ml/min, and < 45 ml/min. No significant interaction for CKD vs. non-CKD was observed for events occurrence in patients with or without high platelet reactivity on several assays, with the exception of collagen-induced aggregation. In stable cardiovascular patients, CKD is not associated with higher platelet reactivity. Decreased antiplatelet drug responsiveness is not associated with worse clinical outcomes in CKD patients.
Identification of Regulatory Foxp3+ Invariant NKT Cells Induced by TGF-β

Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells were shown to prevent the onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice following administration of their specific TCR agonist α-galactosylceramide. We found that this protection was associated with the emergence of a Foxp3+ iNKT cell population in cervical lymph nodes. We demonstrate that the differentiation of these cells is critically dependent on TGF-β in both mice and humans. Moreover, in vivo generation of Foxp3+ iNKT cells was observed in the TGF-β–rich environment of the murine gut. Foxp3+ iNKT cells displayed a phenotype similar to that of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, and they suppress through a contact-dependent, glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-mediated mechanism. Nevertheless, Foxp3+ iNKT cells retain distinctive NKT cell characteristics, such as promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein expression and preferential homing to the liver following adoptive transfer, where they stably maintained Foxp3 expression. Our data thus unveil an unexpected capacity of iNKT cells to acquire regulatory functions that may contribute to the establishment of immunological tolerance.
Energy Efficient Hybrid Duplexing and Resource Allocation for Distributed Antenna Systems

Motivated by the high data rate requirement, full- duplex (FD) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) has attracted much attention in both academia and industry. However, FD and MIMO techniques require high power consumption. To strike the balance between the data rate and power consumption, we propose a novel hybrid duplexing strategy, in which antennas are distributed across the service areas and are capable of working in hybrid modes of FD, half- duplex (HD) and sleeping mode, leading to higher energy efficiency (EE) than FD mode only due to enhanced degree of freedom. Based on the hybrid duplexing strategy, we maximize system EE by jointly designing transmitting/receiving chains' activation/deactivation at DAs, downlink beamformer, and uplink transmission power. Novel optimization algorithms are developed. Simulation results confirm that the hybrid duplexing distributed antenna (DA) system provides significant EE improvement over the conventional centralized FD MIMO system, showing its green evolution and applicability to future network deployment.
Prognostic significance of intratumoral lymphangiogenesis in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

Clinicopathologic data demonstrated that the lymphatic system is the main route for solid tumor metastasis. However, the effect of intratumoral lymphangiogenesis (IL) on prognosis in oral carcinoma is still unknown because, until recently, no reliable markers for lymphatic endothelium were available. The current study analyzed the lymphatic vessels in tumor tissue specimens of patients with primary oral carcinoma using the new marker, PA2.26.
Growth and characterization of β-In2S3 thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis technique with and without alcoholic solution

Beta indium sulfide (β-In2S3) thin films were deposited by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis technique, a fast, cost effective and vacuum free method with alcoholic and aqueous solution using InCl3 and thiourea as source of indium and sulfur respectively. All films were deposited onto glass substrate with different temperatures. Characterization of the films was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and optical transmission. The structural analysis reveals films with (0 0 12) as main peak for all samples in all case. (107) peak appeared only in films deposited without alcohol with high intensity at 300°C substrate temperature. SEM images shows films dense, continuous, compact and homogeneous without void but one noted cracks in films prepared from aqueous solution. EDS tables show the presence of sulfur and indium in all samples with good stoichiometry. AFM micrographs reveal rough films and variation of grains size. Optical analysis to determine band gap gives band gap varying from 2.54eV to 2.81eV for samples deposited from aqueous solution and band gap between 2.70eV to 2.89eV for samples prepared from alcoholic solution.
Development of a high-throughput microarray-based resequencing system for neurological disorders and its application to molecular genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND Comprehensive resequencing of the causative and disease-related genes of neurodegenerative diseases is expected to enable (1) comprehensive mutational analysis of familial cases, (2) identification of sporadic cases with de novo or low-penetrant mutations, (3) identification of rare variants conferring disease susceptibility, and ultimately (4) better understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases. OBJECTIVE To develop a microarray-based high-throughput resequencing system for the causative and disease-related genes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. DESIGN Validation of the system was conducted in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio, accuracy, and throughput. Comprehensive gene analysis was applied for patients with ALS. Subjects Ten patients with familial ALS, 35 patients with sporadic ALS, and 238 controls. RESULTS The system detected point mutations with 100% accuracy and completed the resequencing of 270 kilobase pairs in 3 working days with greater than 99.9% accuracy of base calls, or the determination of base(s) at each position. Analysis of patients with familial ALS revealed 2 SOD1 mutations. Analysis of the 35 patients with sporadic ALS revealed a previously known SOD1 mutation, S134N, a novel putative pathogenic DCTN1 mutation, R997W, and 9 novel variants including 4 nonsynonymous heterozygous variants consisting of 2 in ALS2, 1 in ANG, and 1 in VEGF that were not found in the controls. CONCLUSION The DNA microarray-based resequencing system is a powerful tool for high-throughput comprehensive analysis of causative and disease-related genes. It can be used to detect mutations in familial and sporadic cases and to identify numerous novel variants potentially associated with genetic risks.
Nucleic acid detection technologies and marker molecules in bacterial diagnostics

There is a growing need for quick and reliable methods for microorganism detection and identification worldwide. Although traditional culture-based technologies are trustworthy and accurate at a relatively low cost, they are also time- and labor-consuming and are limited to culturable bacteria. Those weaknesses have created a necessity for alternative technologies that are capable for faster and more precise bacterial identification from medical, food or environmental samples. The most common current approach is to analyze the nucleic acid component of analyte solution and determine the bacterial composition according to the specific nucleic acid profiles that are present. This review aims to give an up-to-date overview of different nucleic acid target sequences and respective analytical technologies.
Whole-body 201Tl scintigraphy can detect exercise lower limb perfusion abnormalities in asymptomatic diabetic patients with normal Doppler pressure indices

Significant lower limb arterial obstruction is usually detected by Doppler ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) measurement. However, ABPI is non-contributory in cases of diabetic medial sclerosis or calcifications and is unsuitable for the detection of small vessel involvement. Thallium-201, a perfusion agent, is frequently used for the investigation of coronary artery disease, and whole-body 201Tl scintigraphy (WBS) has also been reported to be useful in the assessment of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Thus, we evaluated the clinical feasibility of simultaneous myocardial and lower limb perfusion assessment. WBS was performed after treadmill exercise and myocardial scintigraphy, and again 4 h later. Calf 201Tl fractional activities (percentage of whole-body 201Tl uptake) were calculated. We determined a threshold value of normal post-exercise calf 201Tl uptake (mean of the 201Tl fractional uptakes minus 2 SD) in a control group of nine healthy volunteers. We checked its accuracy in a pilot group of 25 diabetic patients with proven PAD. This method permitted the detection of lower limb perfusion abnormalities in 38% of 47 asymptomatic diabetic patients with no evidence of PAD. In conclusion, for asymptomatic diabetic patients, whole-body 201Tl scintigraphy after a treadmill test seems an efficient method of showing lower limb perfusion abnormalities not detected by ABPI measurement. It allows the evaluation of vascular status with no additional inconvenience for patients when performed after myocardial scintigraphy.
Epigenetics for anthropologists: An introduction to methods

The study of epigenetics, or chemical modifications to the genome that may alter gene expression, is a growing area of interest for social scientists. Anthropologists and human biologists are interested in epigenetics specifically, as it provides a potential link between the environment and the genome, as well as a new layer of complexity for the study of human biological variation. In pace with the rapid increase in interest in epigenetic research, the range of methods has greatly expanded over the past decade. The primary objective of this article is to provide an overview of the current methods for assaying DNA methylation, the most commonly studied epigenetic modification. We will address considerations for all steps required to plan and conduct an analysis of DNA methylation, from appropriate sample collection, to the most commonly used methods for laboratory analyses of locus‐specific and genome‐wide approaches, and recommendations for statistical analyses. Key challenges in the study of DNA methylation are also discussed, including tissue specificity, the stability of measures, timing of sample collection, statistical considerations, batch effects, and challenges related to analysis and interpretation of data. Our hope is that this review serves as a primer for anthropologists and human biologists interested in incorporating epigenetic data into their research programs. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:295–303, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Plasma matrix metalloproteinases, cytokines and angiogenic factors in moyamoya disease

Objective To document the expression patterns of various matrixins, cytokines and angiogenic factors in plasma to assess their involvement in the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease (MMD). Methods This study included plasma samples from 20 MMD patients and nine healthy individuals. The plasma concentration of five matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-12), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), resistin, three interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), tumour necrosis factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and basic fibroblast growth factor was determined using multianalyte profiling systems. The concentration of the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) was measured using ELISA. Gelatin zymography for MMP-2 and MMP-9 was also performed. Results MMD patients exhibited significantly higher plasma concentrations of MMP-9, MCP-1, IL-1β, VEGF and PDGF-BB, and lower plasma concentrations of MMP-3, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 compared with healthy controls. Significant correlations were found among MMP-9, MCP-1, VEGF, PDGF-BB and TIMP-2 in MMD patients. Conclusion There were distinctive expression patterns of matrixins, cytokines and angiogenic factors in MMD patients, which seemed to correlate with disease pathogenesis. The balance between MMPs and TIMPs was disrupted in MMD and correlated with disease pathogenesis. Increased plasma levels of MCP-1 and VEGF in MMD patients may play a role in the recruitment of vascular progenitor cells and in the formation of collateral vessels.
The state of the art of battery charging infrastructure for electrical vehicles: Topologies, power control strategies, and future trend

Electric vehicle battery (EVB) charger topologies play a vital role to increase the penetration of EVs. This paper reviews the status quo of EV battery (EVB) chargers in term of converter topologies, operation modes, and power control strategies for EVs. EVB Chargers are classified based on their power levels and power flow direction. Referring to power ratings, EV chargers can be divided into Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Level 1 and Level 2 are normally compatible with on-board chargers while Level 3 is used for an off-board charger. Unidirectional/ bidirectional power flow can be obtained at all power levels. However, bidirectional power flow is usually designed for Level 3 chargers as it can provide the huge benefit of transferring power back to grid when needed. Moreover, the different operation modes of an EVB charger are also presented. There are two main modes: Grid-to-Vehicle (V1G or G2V) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). The V2G mode helps bring EV batteries to become active distributed sources in smart grids and is the crucial solution for a high EV penetration. Future trend and authors' recommendations with preliminary simulation and experimental results are demonstrated in this paper.
Properties of spontaneous Ca2+ transients recorded from interstitial cells of Cajal‐like cells of the rabbit urethra in situ

Interstitial cells of Cajal‐like cells (ICC‐LCs) in the urethra may act as electrical pacemakers of spontaneous contractions. However, their properties in situ and their interaction with neighbouring urethral smooth muscle cells (USMCs) remain to be elucidated. To further explore the physiological role of ICC‐LCs, spontaneous changes in [Ca2+]i (Ca2+ transients) were visualized in fluo‐4 loaded preparations of rabbit urethral smooth muscle. ICC‐LCs were sparsely distributed, rather than forming an extensive network. Ca2+ transients in ICC‐LCs had a lower frequency and a longer half‐width than those of USMCs. ICC‐LCs often exhibited Ca2+ transients synchronously with each other, but did not often show a close temporal relationship with Ca2+ transients in USMCs. Nicardipine (1 μm) suppressed Ca2+ transients in USMCs but not in ICC‐LCs. Ca2+ transients in ICC‐LCs were abolished by cyclopiazonic acid (10 μm), ryanodine (50 μm) and caffeine (10 mm) or by removing extracellular Ca2+, and inhibited by 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (50 μm) and 3‐morpholino‐sydnonimine (SIN‐1; 10 μm), but facilitated by increasing extracellular Ca2+ or phenylephrine (1–10 μm). These results indicated that Ca2+ transients in urethral ICC‐LCs in situ rely on both Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores and Ca2+ influx through non‐L‐type Ca2+ channel pathways. ICC‐LCs may not act as a coordinated pacemaker electrical network as do ICC in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Rather they may randomly increase excitability of USMCs to maintain the tone of urethral smooth muscles.
Isolation of epithelial cells from the corpus epididymidis and analysis for glycerylphosphorylcholine, sialic acid, and protein.

Enzymatically dispersed cells from the rat corpus epididymidis were separated by unit gravity sedimentation and centrifugal elutriation. Based on differential cell counts, principal cells isolated by centrifugal elutriation were 55% pure, while basal cells and fibroblasts were 88% and 61% pure, respectively. Compared to unit gravity separation, purity was an average of 7% higher in principal and basal cell fractions obtained by elutriation. Viability was greater than 87% by either method, but yields following elutriation averaged 23% higher for basal cells, 78% higher for principal cells, and 290% for fibroblasts than corresponding yields following unit gravity separation. Analyses for epididymal secretory products indicated that cellular content (mumoles/10(9) cells) of glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC), sialic acid, and protein was greater in principal cells than other cell types (p less than .05). When expressed on the basis of cellular volume, concentrations of GPC and protein also were significantly greater in basal and principal cells than fibroblasts (p less than .05). Caput sperm contained significantly more GPC than either corpus or cauda sperm (p less than .005). Protein concentrations in caput and corpus sperm were similar, but concentrations were lower in cauda sperm (p less than .005). Levels of sialic acid did not vary among sperm from different epididymal regions. It was concluded that principal cells from the corpus epididymidis contain major quantities of three epididymal secretory products and that regional differences in the function of the epithelium are present.
Novel alleles at the JK blood group locus explain the absence of the erythrocyte urea transporter in European families *

Summary. The Kidd (JK) blood group system is of importance in transfusion medicine. The Jknull phenotype is associated with absence of the urea transporter in erythrocytes and moderately reduced ability to concentrate urine. We and others recently reported different molecular alterations in the silenced Jkb‐like alleles of Polynesians and Finns, populations with higher Jknull frequencies. Here we report novel molecular bases of this phenotype in Caucasians. Blood samples from a Swiss and an English family were investigated by serological methods, urea haemolysis test and JK genotyping. Genomic DNA and JK mRNA were sequenced. Genotyping showed homozygosity for Jka‐like alleles. The Swiss Jknull alleles deviated from wild‐type Jka sequence by a nonsense mutation in exon 7 causing an immediate stop codon (Tyr194stop). The English Jknull alleles revealed a genomic 1·6 kilobase pair deletion including exons 4 and 5, the former of which includes the translation start codon. Multiple mRNA splicing variants were detected in reticulocytes but exons 3–5 were absent in all transcripts analysed. Screening for these alleles was negative in random donors. Two novel molecular alterations at the JK locus were defined and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction method for detection of the five known silent Jk alleles was developed to complement JK genotyping in clinical transfusion medicine.