Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High‐resolution B‐Mode Ultrasound Scanning Methods in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC)

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study examined popliteal and extracranial carotid arteries in approximately 16,000 randomly selected participants, aged 45 to 64 years. Vessels were studied noninvasively using high‐resolution B‐mode ultrasound imaging at baseline, to be repeated again after 3 years. The ultrasound examinations were performed according to a detailed standardized protocol by trained, certified sonographers subject to semiannual evaluation. Data on intrasonographer reliability from May 15, 1987, to June 30, 1989, showed that sonographers were able to visualize consistently a similar number of points along each of four arterial interfaces. Furthermore, the variability of measured combined intima‐medial thicknesses was low, with 80% or more of duplicate scans differing by less than 0.267 mm. The validity of B‐mode ultrasound imaging to detect asymptomatic carotid and popliteal artery atherosclerosis combined with high measurement reproducibility provides a powerful noninvasive scientific tool to test cross‐sectional and prospective hypotheses related to disease epidemiology.
Trend Displays to Support Critical Care: A Systematic Review

An important aspect of designing information displays to support monitoring and decision-making in critical care is the representation of change of patient data over time. We systematically reviewed articles to identify novel alternatives to tabular and single variable plots of values over time to convey information about change in multiple related variables. Following screening of 5,119 articles, 28 met our inclusion criteria. They described 26 unique displays evaluated in 31 experiments. Methods for representing change varied widely. We classified these methods as enhanced graphical displays (enhanced plots of quantitative data over time), other displays (novel object and metaphoric displays), small multiples displays (multiple co-presented small graphic displays), and simple change indicator displays. Overall, findings support the value of an explicit display of trend information using many different approaches. Few studies directly compared different methods for displaying trend information in ways that would support broader conclusions about which approaches may be preferred for specific applications. The studies suggest that, for displaying patient data trends, it is feasible to develop electronic displays that will outperform both historical paper-based flowcharts and current electronic health record (EHR)-based tabular approaches. There is evidence to suggest that even minor improvements to current approaches such as the automatic presentation of simple line plots of trends on EHRs or the addition of simple graphical indicators of trend direction on patient monitors could lead to clinically meaningful improvements in diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.
Severity of Type 2 Diabetes, Cognitive Function, and Self-Care

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with poorer performance on certain measures of cognitive function. However, little is known about the associations among working memory (WM), executive function (EF), and self-care in those with severe T2DM. This investigation explored these relationships among 67 middle-aged and older individuals with T2DM (mean age of 62.9 years). Severity of T2DM was measured with a health status composite (HSC) score from the Diabetes Care Profile, the number of prescribed medications, and the number of comorbid conditions. Cognitive assessments included the Working Memory Index and the Executive Interview 25 (EXIT 25). Self-care was measured using the Self-Care Inventory–Revised (SCI-R) and hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c). WM was significantly correlated with all measures of severity of T2DM (HSC, r = .542, p < . 01; number of comorbidities, r = −.476, p < .01; and number of prescription medications, r = −.344, p < .01). EF was significantly correlated with all measures of severity of T2DM (HSC, r = −.504, p < .01; number of comorbidities, r = .492, p < .01; and number of prescription medications, r = .326, p < .01). The self-care measure HgbA1c was significantly correlated with WM (r = −.352, p < .01) and EF (r = .510, p < .01). The EXIT 25 score fully mediated the relationship between severity of T2DM and self-care as measured by HgbA1c (β = .431, p < .001). These findings provide preliminary evidence for the associations among severity of T2DM, WM, EF, and self-care.
RGB-D Based Detection of Texture-Less Planar Objects Applied to an AR Jigsaw Puzzle

This paper presents an Augmented Reality application that aims to help players to solve a jigsaw puzzle that consists of texture-less planar pieces with a discriminative shape. The pieces are detected using a technique based on RGB-D consumer devices, their poses are estimated, correctly assembled pieces are highlighted and additional information is rendered over each piece. A user study was conducted to evaluate the system, which demonstrated that players who used the application for solving the jigsaw puzzle obtained better results than the ones who did not use it.
Effects of Differential Housing on the Primary and Secondary Antibody Responses of Male C57BL/6 and BALB/c Mice

The influence of the number of animals housed together in a cage on antibody production in response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was evaluated among male C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice. In Experiment 1, male C57Bl/6 mice were housed 1, 6, or 12 animals per cage and primary and secondary responses were evaluated. The secondary, but not the primary, antibody responses of male C57Bl/6 mice were higher among mice housed alone compared to mice housed in groups; differences were observed for both IgM and IgG anti-KLH antibodies. The differential housing effects on secondary IgM antibody responses interacted with the priming dose of KLH. In Experiment 2, the primary and secondary responses to KLH of male C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice were compared among mice housed alone or 4 per cage. Among both strains, the secondary, not the primary, response was influenced by the number of mice housed in a cage; both secondary IgM and IgG titers were higher among the C57Bl/6 mice housed alone but only secondary IgM titers were higher among the BALB/c mice housed alone. These experiments confirm previous observations that the primary antibody responses of C57Bl/6 mice are not influenced by the number of animals housed in a cage and extend these findings by demonstrating that the secondary antibody responses of C57Bl/6 and BALB/c are influenced by housing condition.
Field-Evolved Resistance and Cross-Resistance of Brazilian Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Populations to Diamide Insecticides

Abstract Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), one of the most important tomato pests worldwide, is heavily controlled by the application of insecticides. Diamide insecticides represent a new class of products recently registered to control T. absoluta. After 6 yr of use, control failures have been reported in populations of this pest, suggesting a hypothetical resistance development. Therefore, a resistance survey was performed using nine populations of T. absoluta that were collected in open fields, including from areas with reports of a reduced efficacy of diamides in the Northeast and Central regions of Brazil. Initial surveys with diagnostic and label doses proved the reduced efficacy of diamides against most populations. The LC50 values of chlorantraniliprole varied from 0.0044 (Brasília) to 1,263 (América Dourada) mg AI liter–1 (the resistance ratios [RR50] ranged from 1.0- to 288,995-fold), whereas the LC50 values for cyantraniliprole and flubendiamide, respectively, varied from 0.015 (Brasília) to 281 (América Dourada) mg AI liter–1 and from 0.038 (Guaraciaba do Norte) to 3,018 (Gameleira 1) mg AI liter–1. The resistance ratios (RR50) ranged from 1.0- to 18,423-fold for cyantraniliprole and from 1.0- to 80,413-fold for flubendiamide. The log LC50 values of pairwise diamides were strongly and significantly correlated, which denoted cross-resistance among them. Very high resistance to diamides in T. absoluta was observed in this study, suggesting that strategies to mitigate resistance and thereby control the pest must not include only insecticides. Other control tactics must be carefully implemented over time to increase the life span of diamides, including rotational practices with other molecules.
Laparoscopic versus open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: long-term outcomes.

PURPOSE This study compared the longterm survival outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy with those who were subjected to open hepatectomy. METHODS This was a retrospective, case-control study; patients in the 2 groups were matched according to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), liver function, underlying liver disease, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, tumor location and type of resection. A total of 118 patients (laparoscopy, N = 59; open, N = 59) were assessed. RESULTS Patient characteristics did not differ between the groups. Postoperative 30-day complication rates did not differ between the groups. Pathological data did not differ between the two groups. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were not different between the laparoscopy and open groups. The laparoscopic approach was not an independent risk factor for tumor recurrence or mortality compared with the open approach. CONCLUSION We found no differences in the oncologic outcomes between laparoscopic and open hepatectomy groups, suggesting that laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC is a safe and effective option that does not increase the risk of serious complications.
Function of the Membrane Fusion Protein, MexA, of the MexA, B-OprM Efflux Pump in Pseudomonas aeruginosa without an Anchoring Membrane*

Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosato multiple species of antibiotics is largely attributable to expression of the MexA, B-OprM efflux pump. The MexA protein is thought to be located at the inner membrane and has been assumed to link the xenobiotics-exporting subunit, MexB, and the outer membrane channel protein, OprM. To verify this assumption, we analyzed membrane anchoring and localization of the MexA protein.n-[9,10-3H]Palmitic acid incorporation experiments revealed that MexA was radiolabeled with palmitic acid, suggesting that the MexA anchors the inner membrane via the fatty acid moiety. To evaluate the role of lipid modification and inner membrane anchoring, we substituted cysteine 24 with phenylalanine or tyrosine and tested whether or not these mutant MexAs function properly. When the mutant mexAs were expressed in the strain lacking chromosomalmexA in the presence ofn-[9,10-3H]palmitic acid, we found undetectable radiolabeling at the MexA band. These transformants restored antibiotic resistance to the level of the wild-type strain, indicating that lipid modification is not essential for MexA function. These mutant strains contained both processed and unprocessed forms of the MexA proteins. Cellular fractionation experiments revealed that an unprocessed form of MexA anchored the inner membrane probably via an uncleaved signal sequence, whereas the processed form was undetectable in the membrane fraction. To assure that the lipid-free MexA polypeptide could be unbound to the membrane, we analyzed the two-dimensional membrane topology by the gene fusion technique. A total of 78 mexA-blaM fusions covering the entire MexA polypeptide were constructed, and all fusion sites were shown to be located at the periplasm. To answer the question of whether or not membrane anchoring is essential for the MexA function, we replaced the signal sequence of the MexA protein with that of the azurin protein, which contains a cleavable signal sequence but no lipid modification site. The signal sequence of the azurin-MexA hybrid protein was properly processed and bore the mature MexA, which was fully recovered in the soluble fraction. The transformant, which expressed azurin-MexA hybrid protein restored the antibiotic resistance to a level indistinguishable from that of the wild-type strain. We concluded from these results that the MexA protein is fully functional as expressed in the periplasmic space without anchoring the inner membrane. This finding questioned the assumption that the membrane fusion proteins connect the inner and outer membranes.
Theorizing How Art Gallery Interventions Impact People With Dementia and Their Caregivers.

PURPOSE OF STUDY Dementia refers to a variety of diseases that are characterized by cognitive difficulties and an overall decline in daily living skills. Psychologically informed arts and health programs may be particularly beneficial ways of improving the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers. This study sought to better understand how programs at contemporary and traditional art galleries might play a role in the lives of people with dementia. DESIGN AND METHODS Participants included 12 people with mild-to-moderate dementia, their 12 caregivers and 4 gallery facilitators. Those with dementia and their caregivers were engaged in art viewing followed by art making over an 8-week period. Data, collected through postintervention interviews with participants, field notes and extensive written communication between the facilitators and research team, were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to theorize how gallery-based interventions affect people with dementia and those who care for them. RESULTS The emerging theory has four primary components: the art gallery is seen as being a physically valued place that provides intellectual stimulation and offers opportunities for social inclusion that can change how dementia is perceived. These components coalesced to create positive emotional and relational effects for those with dementia and caregivers. IMPLICATIONS The resulting theory has potential implications for the use of gallery-based programs in dementia care within public health, healthcare, and museum/art gallery policy and practice.
Objective measures of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Most aspects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis rely on subjective judgment. Computerized continuous performance tests are designed to improve the validity of the process but are controversial due to low odds ratios. There is a need to find more definitive measures of assessment. OBJECTIVES To test the validity and reliability of a new tool, a computerized continuous performance functions test, which includes a multi-task approach designed to achieve a higher odds ratio of assessment. METHODS We applied this test to 58 children aged 6-12 years: 45 were diagnosed as ADHD and 13 non-ADHD children served as a control group. RESULTS The CPF test was able to differentiate between non-ADHD and ADHD children. CPF test results were more accurate than other continuous performance tests. The results were statistically significant in all test parameters, confirming the test's validity and reliability. CONCLUSIONS The CPF test includes a combination of tasks based on an algorithm designed to test several domains of attention. In this pilot study the CPF test was found to be a valid and reliable tool for the diagnosis of ADHD in children. This test might increase the diagnostic utility of computerized tests. The research points to the need for developing a more definitive process for ADHD diagnosis.
Regulation of Cardiac Jak‐2 in Animal Models of Insulin Resistance

Insulin induces phosphorylation and activation of JAK2 tyrosine, as well as its association with STAT1 and SHP2 in insulinsensitive tissues of intact rats, thus demonstrating a new pathway in transduction of insulin signals. We investigated this pathway in hearts of rats in three situations of insulin resistance: 72 h of fasting, chronic treatment with dexamethasone, and acute treatment with epinephrine. The acute treatment with epinephrine showed no difference in insulin‐induced JAK2 tyrosine phosphorylation or JAK2/STAT1 and JAK2/SHP2 association in comparison with the control. In fasted rats the JAK2 protein concentration decreased, accompanied by a decrease in the stoichiometry of the phosphorylation to 70%, an increase in association of JAK2/STAT1 to 160%, and a decrease in JAK2/SHP2 association to 85%. In the dexamethasone‐treated group, the JAK2 protein concentrations increased but the stoichiometry of its phosphorylation decreased to 20%, whereas the JAK2/STAT1 and JAK2/SHP2 associations changed by 70% and 170%, respectively. In fasting and dexamethasone‐treated rats, therefore, insulin‐induced JAK2 tyrosine phosphorylation decreases, and the JAK2 protein expression is differentially regulated such that the insulin‐induced JAK2 association with SHP2 and STAT1 shows opposite interactions with the kinase.
Serotonin transporter: Evolution and impact of polymorphic transcriptional regulation

The serotonin transporter (SERT) is the primary drug target in the current antidepressant therapy. A functional polymorphism in the 2nd intron of the 5HTT gene encoding the SERT has been identified and associated with susceptibility to affective disorders and treatment response to antidepressants. This study addresses the possible impact of the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) to behavior and disease by examining the evolutionary origin and mechanisms of differential transcriptional regulation of SERT. We trace the evolutionary origin of the VNTR and show that it is present and varies extensively across the great apes and monkeys as well as in rodents while it is absent in non‐mammals. As in humans, the VNTR sequence may be polymorphic within species and thus it may underlie both inter‐ and intraspecies differences. Also, we find new putative binding sites for several transcription factors in the VNTRs of all mammalian SERT genes. The number of these putative binding sites varies proportionally to the length of the VNTR. We propose that the intronic VNTR have been selectively targeted through mammalian evolution to finetune transcriptional regulation of the serotonin expression. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mitigating social and health inequities: Community participation and Chagas disease in rural Argentina

Abstract Chagas disease (CD) causes 12,500 deaths annually in Latin America. As a neglected disease primarily associated with poverty, it is a major driver of health inequity. Argentina's efforts to control vector transmission have been unsuccessful. Using new survey data (n=400 households), we compare the social patterning of the burden of CD by examining socio-demographic predictors of self-reported CD and the presence of vinchucas in two areas of rural northern Argentina known to have experienced different interventions in surveillance and control. Our analyses suggest that Avellaneda, an area known for horizontal intervention strategies which nurture community participation is quite distinct from Silípica, an area which has experienced a vertical intervention strategy since 1990. Avellaneda has higher level of self-reported Chagas infection and lower level of vinchuca presence; Silípica has pronounced and statistically significant differences patterned by the head of household's level of educational attainment. A greater awareness of the disease and its transmission, along with community mobilisation and spraying, may bring about more self-reported CD and less vinchuca presence in Avellaneda than in Silípica. This suggests that strategies based on community participation may be effective in reducing the social patterning of the burden of disease, even in poor places.
A new approach for generating compact thermal models

Thermal models are more and more used to simulate power electronic devices. For example, in aeronautic domains, the numerical validation of prototype in high temperature environment is very important. Thermal modeling is generally performed using finite element or finite volume methods, which are difficult to integrate in the design procedure. These simulations must then combine different software and lead to important computation times. To develop reduced models, many methodologies are proposed as: the thermal quadrupoles method [1][2][3], the nodal method [4], Pole Analysis via Congruence Transformation (PACT) method [5] and thermal matrix description. All these methods allow developing conductive thermal models with a limited number of unknowns and are called compact thermal models. This paper focuses on how the thermal matrix description methodology can be used with finite element method to generate reduced models that are boundary-condition-independent. This method is successfully used in the present study to generate reduced models for 1D and 2D.
Characterization of social cognition impairment in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been associated with deficits in social cognition. However, little is known about which domains of social cognition are predominantly affected and what other factors are associated with it. The aim was (i) to characterize social cognition deficit in a group of MS outpatients and (ii) to relate impairment in social cognition to overall cognitive status, depression and fatigue.
The core trisaccharide of an N-linked glycoprotein intrinsically accelerates folding and enhances stability

The folding energetics of the mono-N-glycosylated adhesion domain of the human immune cell receptor cluster of differentiation 2 (hCD2ad) were studied systematically to understand the influence of the N-glycan on the folding energy landscape. Fully elaborated N-glycan structures accelerate folding by 4-fold and stabilize the β-sandwich structure by 3.1 kcal/mol, relative to the nonglycosylated protein. The N-glycan's first saccharide unit accounts for the entire acceleration of folding and for 2/3 of the native state stabilization. The remaining third of the stabilization is derived from the next 2 saccharide units. Thus, the conserved N-linked triose core, ManGlcNAc2, improves both the kinetics and the thermodynamics of protein folding. The native state stabilization and decreased activation barrier for folding conferred by N-glycosylation provide a powerful and potentially general mechanism for enhancing folding in the secretory pathway.
Internal Ribosome Entry Site-mediated Translation of a Mammalian mRNA Is Regulated by Amino Acid Availability*

The cationic amino acid transporter, Cat-1, facilitates the uptake of the essential amino acids arginine and lysine. Amino acid starvation causes accumulation and increased translation of cat-1 mRNA, resulting in a 58-fold increase in protein levels and increased arginine uptake. A bicistronic mRNA expression system was used to demonstrate the presence of an internal ribosomal entry sequence (IRES) within the 5′-untranslated region of the cat-1 mRNA. This study shows that IRES-mediated translation of the cat-1 mRNA is regulated by amino acid availability. This IRES causes an increase in translation under conditions of amino acid starvation. In contrast, cap-dependent protein synthesis is inhibited during amino acid starvation, which is well correlated with decreased phosphorylation of the cap-binding protein, eIF4E. These findings reveal a new aspect of mammalian gene expression and regulation that provides a cellular stress response; when the nutrient supply is limited, the activation of IRES-mediated translation of mammalian mRNAs results in the synthesis of proteins essential for cell survival.