Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Encoding of both vertical and horizontal disparity in random-dot stereograms by Wulst neurons of awake barn owls

In binocular vision, the lateral displacement of the eyes gives rise to both horizontal and vertical disparities between the images projected onto the left and right retinae. While it is well known that horizontal disparity is exploited by the binocular visual system of birds and mammals to enable depth perception, the role of vertical disparity is still largely unclear. In this study, neuronal activity in the visual forebrain (visual Wulst) of behaving barn owls to vertical disparity was investigated. Single-unit responses to global random-dot stereograms (RDS) were recorded with chronically implanted electrodes and transmitted via radiotelemetry. Nearly half of the cells investigated (44%, 16/36) varied the discharge as a function of vertical disparity. Like horizontal-disparity tuning profiles, vertical-disparity tuning curves typically exhibited periodic modulation with side peaks flanking a prominent main peak, and thus, could be fitted well with a Gabor function. This indicates that tuning to vertical disparity was not caused by disrupting horizontal-disparity tuning via vertical stimulus offset, but by classical disparity detectors whose orientation tuning was tilted. When tested with horizontal in addition to vertical disparity, almost all cells investigated (92%, 12/13) were tuned to both kinds of disparity. The emergence of disparity detectors sensitive in two dimensions (horizontal and vertical) is discussed within the framework of the disparity energy model.
Caspase-1 Mediates Resistance in Murine Melioidosis

ABSTRACT The gram-negative rod Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a potentially fatal disease which is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas. The bacterium multiplies intracellularly within the cytosol, induces the formation of actin tails, and can spread directly from cell to cell. Recently, it has been shown that B. pseudomallei can induce caspase-1-dependent cell death in macrophages. The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the role of caspase-1 during B. pseudomallei infection. In vivo experiments with caspase-1−/− mice revealed a high susceptibility to B. pseudomallei challenge. This phenotype was associated with a significantly higher bacterial burden 2 days after infection and decreased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-18 cytokine levels 24 h after infection compared to control animals. caspase-1−/− bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) exhibited strong caspase-3 expression and reduced cell damage compared to wild-type (WT) cells during early B. pseudomallei infection, indicating “classical” apoptosis, whereas WT BMM showed signs of rapid caspase-1-dependent cell death. Moreover, we found that caspase-1−/− BMM had a strongly increased bacterial burden compared to WT cells 3 h after infection under conditions where no difference in cell death could be observed between both cell populations at this time point. We therefore suggest that caspase-1-dependent rapid cell death might contribute to resistance by reducing the intracellular niche for B. pseudomallei, but, in addition, caspase-1 might also have a role in controlling intracellular replication of B. pseudomallei in macrophages. Moreover, caspase-1-dependent IFN-γ production is likely to contribute to resistance in murine melioidosis.
The Peptidoglycan-Associated Lipoprotein OprL Helps Protect a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mutant Devoid of the Transactivator OxyR from Hydrogen Peroxide-Mediated Killing during Planktonic and Biofilm Culture

ABSTRACT OxyR controls H2O2-dependent gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Without OxyR, diluted (<107/ml) organisms are easily killed by micromolar H2O2. The goal of this study was to define proteins that contribute to oxyR mutant survival in the presence of H2O2. We identified proteins in an oxyR mutant that were oxidized by using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine for protein carbonyl detection, followed by identification using a two-dimensional gel/matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight approach. Among these was the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein, OprL. A double oxyR oprL mutant was constructed and was found to be more sensitive to H2O2 than the oxyR mutant. Provision of the OxyR-regulated alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, AhpCF, but not AhpB or the catalase, KatB, helped protect this strain against H2O2. Given the sensitivity of oxyR oprL bacteria to planktonic H2O2, we next tested the hypothesis that the biofilm mode of growth might protect such organisms from H2O2-mediated killing. Surprisingly, biofilm-grown oxyR oprL mutants, which (in contrast to planktonic cells) possessed no differences in catalase activity compared to the oxyR mutant, were sensitive to killing by as little as 0.5 mM H2O2. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the integrity of both cytoplasmic and outer membranes of oxyR and oxyR oprL mutants were compromised. These studies suggest that sensitivity to the important physiological oxidant H2O2 in the exquisitely sensitive oxyR mutant bacteria is based not only upon the presence and location of OxyR-controlled antioxidant enzymes such as AhpCF but also on structural reinforcement by the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein OprL, especially during growth in biofilms.
Multiple cross‐reactive self‐ligands for Borrelia burgdorferi‐specific HLA‐DR4‐restricted T cells

T cell recognition of self antigens is a key event in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. To date, the initial events that trigger autoreactive T cells are unknown. The "molecular mimicry" hypothesis predicts that during an infection T cells that recognize both a microbial antigen and a related self peptide become activated and cause autoimmune disease. We have systematically examined the recognition of self antigens by HLA‐DR4‐restricted T cells specific for peptides of the outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. We used the peptide spot synthesis technique for complete peptide substitution analyses of two immunodominant OspA epitopes. Each amino acid residue of the epitopes was substituted with all 20 naturally occurring amino acids and the altered peptides were tested for recognition by a panel of OspA‐specific T cells. The binding motifs (supertopes) revealed by these analyses were used to screen public databases for matching human or murine peptides. Several hundred peptides were identified by this search and synthesized. Of these, 28 were recognized by OspA‐specific T cells. Thus, T cell cross‐reactivity is a common phenomenon and the existence of cross‐reactive epitopes alone does not imply molecular mimicry‐mediated pathology and autoimmunity.
Hairspring: Online graph processing middleware for temporal networks

The researches of temporal graph have been conducted in interdisciplinary fields and applied to various kinds of networks; online social network, cell biology network, neural network, ecological network, etc. However, processing and understanding the networks would be complicated for application developers due to their high velocity and volume. Also, the heterogeneity of the networks incurs their unified usage. Therefore, we propose the online graph processing middleware for temporal networks, namely Hairspring. The middleware is based on the temporal property graph, which we leverage the property graph model, Blueprints, with temporal extensions. Based on the temporal property graph, we present and prototype the publish-subscribe architecture, which enables to publish graph elements and notify the processed graph elements of interest to subscribers on the fly.
Cancer Survival in Sweden 1960–1998 Developments Across Four Decades

This paper summarizes a comprehensive study of cancer survival in Sweden from 1960 to 1998. A total of 1 021 421 persons and 40 different cancer sites were included in the analyses. The main outcome measure is the relative survival rate (RSR) for different sites and follow-up times after diagnosis. The 10-year RSR for all sites combined has increased steadily—from 26.6% among men and 41.8% among women in the 1960s, to 44.6% (men) and 57.6% (women) in the 1990s. The expectation of life for a person diagnosed with cancer today is about 7 years longer than that of one diagnosed during the mid-1960s. About 3 years are gained due to changes in the relative distribution of various cancer types and about 4 years due to improved relative survival. During the 1990s substantial survival improvements were observed not only for uncommon types, such as testicular cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma and some other haematologic malignancies, but also for cancer of the rectum, kidney and malignant melanoma. Survival for breast and cervical cancer also improved during the 1990s, but not that for pancreatic, liver or lung cancer.
Women's preferences for obstetric care in rural Ethiopia: a population-based discrete choice experiment in a region with low rates of facility delivery

Background Delivery attended by skilled professionals is essential to reducing maternal mortality. Although the facility delivery rate in Ethiopia's rural areas is extremely low, little is known about which health system characteristics most influence women's preferences for delivery services. In this study, women's preferences for attributes of health facilities for delivery in rural Ethiopia were investigated. Methods A population-based discrete choice experiment (DCE) was fielded in Gilgel Gibe, in southwest Ethiopia, among women with a delivery in the past 5 years. Women were asked to select a hypothetical health facility for future delivery from two facilities on a picture card. A hierarchical Bayesian procedure was used to estimate utilities associated with facility attributes: distance, type of provider, provider attitude, drugs and medical equipment, transport and cost. Results 1006 women completed 8045 DCE choice tasks. Among them, 93.8% had delivered their last child at home. The attributes with the greatest influence on the overall utility of a health facility for delivery were availability of drugs and equipment (mean β=3.9, p<0.01), seeing a doctor versus a health extension worker (mean β=2.1, p<0.01) and a receptive provider attitude (mean β=1.4, p<0.01). Conclusion Women in rural southwest Ethiopia who have limited personal experience with facility delivery nonetheless value health facility attributes that indicate high technical quality: availability of drugs and equipment and physician providers. Well-designed policy experiments that measure the contribution of quality improvements to facility delivery rates in Ethiopia and other countries with low health service utilisation and high maternal mortality may inform national efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
Sequence heterogeneity of the small subunit ribosomal RNA genes among Blastocystis isolates

Genes encoding small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSUrRNA) of 16 Blastocystis isolates from humans and other animals were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and the corresponding fragments were cloned and sequenced. Alignment of these sequences with the previously reported ones indicated the presence of 7 different sequence patterns in the highly variable regions of the small subunit ribosomal RNA. Phylogenetic reconstruction analysis using Proteromonas lacertae as the outgroup clearly demonstrated that the 7 groups with the different sequence patterns are separated to form independent clades, 5 of which consisted of the Blastocystis isolates from both humans (B. hominis) and other animals. The presence of 3 higher order clades was also clearly supported in the phylogenetic tree. However, a relationship among the 4 groups including these 3 higher order clades was not settled with statistical confidence. The remarkable heterogeneity of small subunit ribosomal RNAs among different Blastocystis isolates found in this study confirmed, with sequence-based evidence, that these organisms are genetically highly divergent in spite of their morphological identity. The highly variable small subunit ribosomal RNA regions among the distinct groups will provide useful information for the development of group-specific diagnostic primers.
Effects of a simulated emergency airway management education program on the self‐efficacy and clinical performance of intensive care unit nurses

AIM To examine the effects of a simulated emergency airway management education program on the self-efficacy and clinical performance among nurses in intensive care units. METHODS A one-group, pre- and post-test design was used. Thirty-five nurses who were working in adult intensive care units participated in this study. The simulation education program included lectures, skill demonstration, skill training, team-based practice, and debriefing. Self-efficacy and clinical performance questionnaires were completed before the program and 1 week after its completion. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and the paired t-test to compare the mean differences between the pre-test and post-test. The scores before and after education were compared. RESULTS After education, there was a significant improvement in the nurses' self-efficacy and clinical performance in emergency airway management situations. CONCLUSION Simulation education effectively improved the self-efficacy and clinical performance of the nurses who were working in intensive care units. Based on the program for clinical nurses within a hospital, it will provide information that might advance clinical nursing education.
Suicide in Elders

Abstract: Older persons in the United States are at higher risk for suicide than any other segment of the population. The epidemiology and risk factors for suicide in later life and the most promising approaches to its prevention are reviewed. Available data suggest that psychiatric and physical illnesses, functional impairment, personality traits of neuroticism and low openness to experience, and social isolation are important correlates of late‐life suicide. Affective illness is the risk factor with the strongest association. As treatable conditions in most cases, mood disorders are critical targets for preventive interventions. Because 70% of older adults who committed suicide saw their primary care provider within 30 days of death, the primary care setting is an important venue for intervention. Mood disorders are common in primary care practice, but often go undiagnosed and inadequately treated. One important approach to late‐life suicide prevention, therefore, is to optimize the ability of primary care providers to diagnose and treat late‐life mood disorders and suicidality effectively. Other elders at high risk have no active relationship to primary care. Strategies designed to identify this group and provide them with preventive services through outreach to the community have shown promise as late‐life suicide prevention measures as well.
Delousing efficiency of farmed ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) against Lepeophtheirus salmonis infecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) post-smolts.

BACKGROUND Cleaner-fish (wrasse, Labridae) are increasingly deployed within the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) industry as a biological control against sea-lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Krøyer). Two tank-based trials were performed to test the effect of farmed ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta Ascanius) body mass and supplementary feeding on the delousing of Atlantic salmon post-smolts with an initial infection level of ∼12 lice salmon(-1) and a ∼5% wrasse:salmon ratio. RESULTS Sea-louse levels below 0.5 lice salmon(-1) were obtained within 84 h, and preferential preying upon larger motile stages was found. The wrasse body mass and the availability of fresh, opened blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) did not significantly affect delousing efficiency. The functional predator response was linear, showing no minimum prey density threshold for sea-louse foraging and no satiation plateau, in spite of the high consumption rates measured. Sea-louse infection levels declined following a one-phase exponential decay model, with a standardised decline time constant of 0.8-1.3% h(-1) for each wrasse stocked per 100 salmon. CONCLUSIONS Farmed ballan wrasse are confirmed as highly effective therapeutic and preventive biological controls against sea-lice. The study supports the current minimum hatchery size target (10 mm total length) and the use of supplementary feeding to sustain the wrasse stocks in operation. The functional predator response and the standardised decline time constant of sea-louse abundance are proposed as useful indicators of delousing efficiency.
In-hospital invasive strategy and outcomes in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome management from Thai Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry.

BACKGROUND The management guideline of acute coronary syndrome has been changed in recent years, especially in the group of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Presently, there is no existing guideline in Thailand. Additionally, several different management factors of health care from Western countries being used. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the real management strategy, including the utilization of invasive management and pharmacotherapy of NSTE-ACS Thai patients in the absence of official clinical management guideline. MATERIAL AND METHOD Thai Acute Coronary Syndrome (Thai ACS) Registry is a large, observational prospective, population-based registry designed to collect the data of "real-life" patient management. The full details of methods have been published in the present supplement. RESULTS Five thousand five hundred and thirty-seven consecutive patients were registered between August 1, 2002 and July 31, 2005. Among these patients, 3,548 (64.1%) were diagnosed with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 1,989 (35.9%) with unstable angina. Coronary angiography was performed during hospitalization in 2,476 patients (44.7%). From 2,476 patients who underwent coronary angiogram, 405 (16.4%) had revascularization within 2 days and 1,019 (42.9%) after 2 days. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 9.5% and cardiac mortality was 6.3%. Patients with NSTEMI had more than 4 times the mortality of patients with unstable angina (13.1 vs. 3.0%, p < 0.001). Patients who received only medical treatment without coronary angiogram had the highest mortality rate. The in-hospital outcomes were not different between patients who received early or delayed revascularization. CONCLUSION Mortality rate of NSTEACS in the authors' registry was very high. NSTEMI had the worse prognosis. Invasive strategy is associated with better in-hospital outcome but is underutilized.
Using the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test to study social drinkers: Tecumseh, Michigan.

The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST), often given to clinical samples to detect alcoholics, was used in a survey of a randomly selected sample (N = 1,266) in a small midwestern town, with a population of about 10,000. The specific aims were: (1) to test if scores on the SMAST would be related to these normal subject's levels of drinking; (2) to test if the SMAST could identify a drinking group who had never sought treatment for alcohol-related problems, thus defining a potential subset for help; and (3) to appraise the SMAST as a research tool for use in a general population. Results show that the number of SMAST items endorsed is significantly but modestly correlated to drinking levels, with higher volume drinkers having higher scores. This prediction was improved by removing two items reporting "not normal" drinking that had caused SMAST scores to be spuriously high. Factor analysis of test items allowed construction of five rank-ordered groups: those (1) reporting no alcohol-related SMAST problems; (2) described by two items, self-reported "not normal" drinking; (3) with one problem: "can't stop" drinking; (4) reporting problems but had not received treatment for them (the predicted group); and (5) reporting both problems and attempts at help with them (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous). These latter two groups had significantly higher scores on several other measures of alcohol-related behavior, as well as tests measuring emotional adjustment, notably Eysenck's Neuroticism Scale and Buss and Plomin's measure of Impulsivity. The SMAST demonstrates potential usefulness in selecting problem, no-problem and patterns of use in drinkers from a normal drinking population when clusters of items are constructed to be exclusive in a Guttman-like rank order, rather than by sheer number of items endorsed or use of simple factor scores.
Challenges for Standardization of Clostridium difficile Typing Methods

ABSTRACT Typing of Clostridium difficile facilitates understanding of the epidemiology of the infection. Some evaluations have shown that certain strain types (for example, ribotype 027) are more virulent than others and are associated with worse clinical outcomes. Although restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis have been widely used in the past, PCR ribotyping is the current method of choice for typing of C. difficile. However, global standardization of ribotyping results is urgently needed. Whole-genome sequencing of C. difficile has the potential to provide even greater epidemiologic information than ribotyping.
Association between computed tomography obstruction index and mortality in elderly patients with acute pulmonary embolism: A prospective validation study

Introduction Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) has not only become the method of choice for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism (PE), it also allows for risk stratification of patients with PE. To date, no study has specifically examined the predictive value of CTPA findings to assess short-term prognosis in elderly patients with acute PE who are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes. Methods We studied 291 patients aged ≥65 years with acute symptomatic PE in a prospective multicenter cohort. Outcomes were 90-day overall and PE-related mortality, recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE), and length of hospital stay (LOS). We examined associations of the computed tomography obstruction index (CTOI) and the right ventricular (RV) to left ventricular (LV) diameter ratio with mortality and VTE recurrence using survival analysis, adjusting for provoked VTE, Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), and anticoagulation as a time-varying covariate. Results Overall, 15 patients died within 90 days. There was no association between the CTOI and 90-day overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio per 10% CTOI increase 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–1.21; P = 0.54), but between the CTOI and PE-related 90-day mortality (adjusted sub-hazard ratio per 10% CTOI increase 1.36; 95% CI 1.03–1.81; P = 0.03). The RV/LV diameter ratio was neither associated with overall nor PE-related 90-day mortality. The CTOI and the RV/LV diameter ratio were significantly associated with VTE recurrence and LOS. Conclusions In elderly patients with acute PE, the CTOI was associated with PE-related 90-day mortality but not with overall 90-day mortality. The RV/LV diameter ratio did not predict mortality. Both measures predicted VTE recurrence and LOS. The evaluated CTPA findings do not appear to offer any advantage over the PESI in terms of mortality prediction.