Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances in Semiochemical Repellents to Mitigate Host Mortality From the Spruce Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract We tested 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (MCH) and novel semiochemicals as potential spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) repellents over multiple years in Utah and Colorado trapping bioassays. MCH is a known spruce beetle repellent and our testing revealed Acer kairomone blend (AKB) and isophorone plus sulcatone as repellents. We subsequently tested these semiochemicals for area and single tree protection to prevent spruce beetle attacks at locations in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Alaska. Individual tree protection trials found MCH–AKB provided significant protection against spruce beetle attacks in the southern Rocky Mountains but not in Alaska. Adding sulcatone or doubling MCH–AKB pouches did not further enhance protection. A degree of protection was extended to spruce at least 10 m distant from the repellents, including in Alaska. Tree diameter was not a significant covariate among treated trees but was positively correlated with the probability of infestation for surrounding spruce. In area protection trials, spruce in control plots were 2.4 times more likely to be in a higher severity attack class compared with spruce in plots treated with MCH–AKB pouches deployed at 30 sets per hectare. Tree diameter had a significant, positive relationship to the probability of infestation. We found MCH–AKB to offer a high degree of protection against beetle attack in Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) (Pinales: Pinaceae) (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) (Pinales: Pinaceae), especially for single tree protection (66% of control trees were strip- or mass-attacked compared with 6% of repellent-treated trees). AKB requires registration and labeling, however, before this economical and environmentally benign semiochemical can be used operationally.
Healthcare processes of laboratory tests for the prediction of mortality in the intensive care unit: a retrospective study based on electronic healthcare records in the USA

Objectives Healthcare process carries important prognostic information for patients, but the healthcare processes of laboratory tests have not yet been investigated for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The study aimed to investigate the effect of healthcare processes of laboratory tests on hospital mortality, with the hypothesis that the addition of healthcare processes could improve the discrimination for mortality outcome. Design The study included 12 laboratory tests. There were two dimensions for each laboratory test. One was the pathophysiology value; and the other was the healthcare process variables including the clock hour, the number of measurements and the measurement time from ICU admission. Generalised additive model was employed to investigate the effect of continuous variables on mortality. Generalised linear models with and without healthcare process variables were compared for their discrimination power. Setting ICUs in an US-based hospital. Participants Adult patients included in the critical care big data Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care. Primary and secondary outcome measures The hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Results A total of 52 963 adult patients with complete ICU stay information were included for analysis. The mortality rate was 12.3%. Lower number of tests such as 1–3 times were associated with the lowest mortality for most laboratory tests. However, the hematocrit, glucose and potassium required 6–10 measurements for the first 24 hours to reach the lowest mortality rate. In n of the 12 prediction models involving laboratory tests, the addition of healthcare process variables was associated with significantly increased area under receiver operating characteristics. Conclusions The study showed that healthcare processes of laboratory tests were independently associated with hospital mortality. The addition of healthcare processes to the pathophysiology value could increase the discrimination for mortality outcome.
Clinicopathological Characterization and Prognostic Implication of SMAD4 Expression in Colorectal Carcinoma

Background SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4) has gained attention as a promising prognostic factor of colorectal cancer (CRC) as well as a key molecule to understand the tumorigenesis and progression of CRC. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 1,281 CRC cases immunohistochemically for their expression status of SMAD4, and correlated this status with clinicopathologic and molecular features of CRCs. Results A loss of nuclear SMAD4 was significantly associated with frequent lymphovascular and perineural invasion, tumor budding, fewer tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, higher pT and pN category, and frequent distant metastasis. In contrast, tumors overexpressing SMAD4 showed a significant association with sporadic microsatellite instability. After adjustment for TNM stage, tumor differentiation, adjuvant chemotherapy, and lymphovascular invasion, the loss of SMAD4 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for worse 5-year progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.60; p=.042) and 7-year cancer-specific survival (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.99; p=.022). Conclusions We confirmed the value of determining the loss of SMAD4 immunohistochemically as an independent prognostic factor for CRC in general. In addition, we identified some histologic and molecular features that might be clues to elucidate the role of SMAD4 in colorectal tumorigenesis and progression.
Development and Process Evaluation of a Complex Intervention for Improving Nutrition among Hospitalised Patients: A Mixed Methods Study

Hospital-acquired malnutrition is a significant issue with complex aetiology, hence nutrition interventions must be multifaceted and context-specific. This paper describes the development, implementation and process evaluation of a complex intervention for improving nutrition among medical patients in an Australian hospital. An integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach was used for intervention development, informed by previous research. Intervention strategies targeted patients (via a nutrition intake monitoring system); staff (discipline-specific training targeting identified barriers); and the organisation (foodservice system changes). A process evaluation was conducted parallel to implementation assessing reach, dose, fidelity and staff responses to the intervention using a mixed-methods design (quantitative and qualitative approaches). Staff-level interventions had high fidelity and broad reach (61% nurses, 93% foodservice staff and all medical staff received training). Patient and organisation interventions were implemented effectively, but due to staffing issues, only reached around 60% of patients. Staff found all intervention strategies acceptable with benefits to practice. This study found an iKT approach useful for designing a nutrition intervention that was context-specific, feasible and acceptable to staff. This was likely due to engagement of multiple disciplines, identifying and targeting specific areas in need of improvement, and giving staff frequent opportunities to contribute to intervention development/implementation.
Algorithms for Nucleic Acid Sequence Design

Motivated by a growing field of research focused on programming function into biomolecules, we seek to decrease the cost of high-quality rational nucleic acid sequence design while increasing its versatility and availability. We begin by describing an algorithm for designing the sequence of one or more interacting nucleic acid strands intended to adopt a target secondary structure at equilibrium. Using ensemble defect optimization, we seek to minimize the average number of incorrectly paired nucleotides at equilibrium, calculated over the entire ensemble of unpseudoknotted secondary structures. Empirically, the algorithm exhibits asymptotic optimality and costs 4/3 the time of a single objective function evaluation for large structures. We then extend this algorithm to design multi-state systems with an arbitrary number of linked targets and demonstrate its efficacy on systems invented by molecular engineers. To improve the ease of use and availability of nucleic acid analysis and design tools, we present NUPACK, a web application already in wide use that allows the international research community to share a high-performance compute cluster for the analysis and design of systems of interacting nucleic acids.
Guidelines for serially concatenated space-time code design in flat Rayleigh fading channels

Analytical expressions bounding the performance of serially concatenated space-time codes are provided for quasi-static and rapid flat fading models. These expressions lead to guidelines for achieving large interleaving gains through serial concatenation for space-time codes in wireless fading channels. The performance of an example serially concatenated space-time code designed for a rapid fading channel is analyzed numerically. Simulation results show agreement with the guidelines provided. An iterative decoding scheme is used at the receiver. For applications which can tolerate delay, significant gain can be achieved with the proposed approach.
New insights into the detection and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium with emphasis in Brazilian studies: a review

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium spp. is a pathogenic protozoan present in the gastrointestinal tract of several hosts. This protozoan was originally classified as within the Coccidia Class and has recently been reclassified to gregarine based on studies that observed the evolutionary phases from the process of excision and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. Molecular biology techniques have become diagnostic tools and have also been used to understand the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. , since several species of this genus are very similar morphologically and morphometrically. Molecular techniques have been used in the identification of parasites, at the species and subtypes levels and to study disease transmission. The laboratory diagnosis of human cryptosporidiosis can be made by parasite detection methods, such as optical microscopy, antigens or genetic material detection, as well as serum antibodies raised to Cryptosporidium spp. Molecular methods were developed and allowed, not only an extensive revision of the taxonomy, but also an improvement in the laboratory diagnosis. In Brazil, there are few reports of Cryptosporidium spp. outbreaks in humans and all of them took place in nurseries. A few epidemiological studies developed in Brazil have used molecular methods for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. , as well as genotyping studies of their species and subtypes. The use of real-time PCR, together with microscopy and immunochromatography techniques, would result in a more precise diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis. The analysis of genotypes, subtypes and clonality of Cryptosporidium could be useful to understand and define the prognosis and severity of infections.
Protein supplementation elicits greater gains in maximal oxygen uptake capacity and stimulates lean mass accretion during prolonged endurance training: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Endurance training induces numerous cardiovascular and skeletal muscle adaptations, thereby increasing maximal oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max). Whether protein supplementation enhances these adaptations remains unclear. OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to determine the impact of protein supplementation on changes in VO2max during prolonged endurance training. METHODS We used a double-blind randomized controlled trial with repeated measures among 44 recreationally active, young males. Subjects performed 3 endurance training sessions per week for 10 wk. Supplements were provided immediately after each exercise session and daily before sleep, providing either protein (PRO group; n = 19; 21.5 ± 0.4 y) or an isocaloric amount of carbohydrate as control (CON group; n = 21; 22.5 ± 0.5 y). The VO2max, simulated 10-km time trial performance, and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured before and after 5 and 10 wk of endurance training. Fasting skeletal muscle tissue samples were taken before and after 5 and 10 wk to measure skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, and fasting blood samples were taken every 2 wk to measure hematological factors. RESULTS VO2max increased to a greater extent in the PRO group than in the CON group after 5 wk (from 49.9 ± 0.8 to 54.9 ± 1.1 vs 50.8 ± 0.9 to 53.0 ± 1.1 mL · kg-1 · min-1; P < 0.05) and 10 wk (from 49.9 ± 0.8 to 55.4 ± 0.9 vs 50.8 ± 0.9 to 53.9 ± 1.2 mL · kg-1 · min-1; P < 0.05). Lean body mass increased in the PRO group whereas lean body mass in the CON group remained stable during the first 5 wk (1.5 ± 0.2 vs 0.1 ± 0.3 kg; P < 0.05) and after 10 wk (1.5 ± 0.3 vs 0.4 ± 0.3 kg; P < 0.05). Throughout the intervention, fat mass reduced significantly in the PRO group and there were no changes in the CON group after 5 wk (-0.6 ± 0.2 vs -0.1 ± 0.2 kg; P > 0.05) and 10 wk (-1.2 ± 0.4 vs -0.2 ± 0.2 kg; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Protein supplementation elicited greater gains in VO2max and stimulated lean mass accretion but did not improve skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and endurance performance during 10 wk of endurance training in healthy, young males. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03462381.
The present crisis in male reproductive health: an urgent need for a political, social, and research roadmap

There is a global crisis in male reproductive health. Evidence comes from globally declining sperm counts and increasing male reproductive system abnormalities, such as cryptorchidism, germ cell tumors, and onset of puberty. Male factor infertility occurs in ~40% of couples experiencing infertility. Data demonstrate an association between male infertility and overall health. Associated significant health conditions include diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Adding to the complexity is that men typically do not seek health care unless there is acute medical need or, as in the case of the infertile couple, the male goes for a reproductive examination and semen analysis. However, 25% of the time a reproductive health examination does not occur. Couples are increasingly utilizing IVF at more advanced ages, and advanced paternal age is associated with increased risk for (i) adverse perinatal outcomes for both offspring and mother; (ii) early child mortality, cancer, and mental health issues. In addition to age, paternal lifestyle factors, such as obesity and smoking, impact not only the male fertility but also the offspring wellness.
Experimental verification for driving control of a powered wheelchair by voluntary eye blinking and with environment recognition

This paper describes the driving control system of a powered wheelchair using voluntary eye blinks. Recently, new human computer interfaces (HCIs) that take the place of a joystick have been developed for people with disabilities of the upper body. In this study, voluntary eye blinks are used as an HCI. However, the problem with this HCI is that the number of input directions and operations is smaller than that of a joystick, which causes inefficient movement. Therefore, assist systems are needed for efficient and safe wheelchair movement. This paper presents the system which is based on environment recognition and fuzzy theory. It can detect obstacles and passages in a real environment, and the velocity and direction are calculated automatically for obstacle avoidance or right/left turns. Simulations show the effectiveness and robustness for the driving position and position where an operation input is given. Furthermore, experiments were carried out and verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. 1. 緒 言 近年,高齢化に伴い福祉機器に対する関心が高まっている(増澤,南,2010). その中でも電動車いすは,高齢 者・障害者の自律移動を可能とし,介護者の負担も軽減されることから,広く普及してきた. 電動車いすは一般 的にジョイスティックを用いて操作を行うため,倒す向きにより進行方向を 360 度の全方向,倒す角度により速 さを指令として与えることができ,操作性に優れていると言える. しかし,脳梗塞や筋萎縮側索硬化症など,上 肢にも障害を抱える患者にとってはジョイスティックを扱うことは困難である(Simpson, et al., 2008). そのため,近年ではジョイスティックに代わる新たなヒューマンコンピュータインタフェース (Human Computer Interface: HCI)の開発が盛んに行われている. その一例としては,音声(Simpson and Levine, 2002),目線 (Matsumoto, et al., 2001) (Al-Haddad, et al., 2012),脳波(Brain Machine/Computer Interface: BMI/BCI) (Iturrate, et al., 2009),瞬目(Tamura, et al., 2010) (Purwanto, et al., 2009) (中西他,2013) などが挙げられるが,本研究では随意性瞬 目を HCI として用いる. 随意性瞬目とは意図的な瞬きのことであり,本研究では 2 回連続した瞬き (Double) に より前,左右のウィンク (Wink) により左右の入力を車いすに与える. その際,入力は図 1 に示すように遷移し, 同じ入力を与えたときに停止の指令を与えるものとした. 眼球周りの筋肉は機能が失われにくい部位であること が知られており,口や顔,首が動かせない人であっても利用可能である. また,脳波に比べ電位が大きく,他の HCI に比べて,より多くの人に利用されることが期待される (中西他,2013). しかし,瞬目をインタフェースとして車いすに適用する際,2 つの問題点が挙げられる. 入力方向と入力回数 が少ないということである. 図 2 の入力の時刻歴に示す通り,入力は前・右・左の 3 方向であり,次の瞬きがあ No.13-00812 [DOI: 10.1299/transjsme.2014dr0125] *1 慶應義塾大学大学院 理工学研究科(〒223-8522 神奈川県横浜市港北区日吉 3-14-1) *2 慶應義塾大学 理工学部 E-mail of corresponding author: okugawa-kyohei@a6.keio. jp 随意性瞬目を用いた電動車いすの環境認識に基づく走行制御と実験的検証 奥川 恭平,中西 正樹, 満倉 靖恵,髙橋 正樹 Experimental verification for driving control of a powered wheelchair by voluntary eye blinking and with environment recognition Kyohei OKUGAWA, Masaki NAKANISHI, Yasue MITSUKURA and Masaki TAKAHASHI *1 Keio University, Graduate School of Science and Technology Hiyoshi 3-14-1, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan *2 Keio University, Science and Technology Hiyoshi 3-14-1, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan Received 8 November 2013
Sfrp4 repression of the Ror2/Jnk cascade in osteoclasts protects cortical bone from excessive endosteal resorption

Significance Cortical bone homeostasis combines periosteal bone formation and endocortical remodeling. Flaws in these processes lead to altered cortical bone mass. Yet, little is known about the regulatory specificities of the endocortical vs. the periosteal surfaces, both critical in determining cortical thickness. We have shown that Pyle’s disease is due to loss-of-function mutations in the Wnt antagonist SFRP4 and that its deletion in mice causes skeletal deformities closely mimicking those seen in Pyle’s disease: cortical bone thinning. Here, we further elucidate the mechanism by which cortical bone is affected and report that both osteoblast- and osteoclast-expressed Sfrp4 regulate osteoclastogenesis and that Sfrp4-dependent suppression of the noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk cascade in osteoclasts protects cortical bone from excessive endocortical resorption. Loss-of-function mutations in the Wnt inhibitor secreted frizzled receptor protein 4 (SFRP4) cause Pyle’s disease (OMIM 265900), a rare skeletal disorder characterized by wide metaphyses, significant thinning of cortical bone, and fragility fractures. In mice, we have shown that the cortical thinning seen in the absence of Sfrp4 is associated with decreased periosteal and endosteal bone formation and increased endocortical resorption. While the increase in Rankl/Opg in cortical bone of mice lacking Sfrp4 suggests an osteoblast-dependent effect on endocortical osteoclast (OC) activity, whether Sfrp4 can cell-autonomously affect OCs is not known. We found that Sfrp4 is expressed during bone marrow macrophage OC differentiation and that Sfrp4 significantly suppresses the ability of early and late OC precursors to respond to Rankl-induced OC differentiation. Sfrp4 deletion in OCs resulted in activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin and noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk signaling cascades. However, while inhibition of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling did not alter the effect of Sfrp4 on OCgenesis, blocking the noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk cascade markedly suppressed its regulation of OC differentiation in vitro. Importantly, we report that deletion of Ror2 exclusively in OCs (CtskCreRor2fl/fl) in Sfrp4 null mice significantly reversed the increased number of endosteal OCs seen in these mice and reduced their cortical thinning. Altogether, these data show autocrine and paracrine effects of Sfrp4 in regulating OCgenesis and demonstrate that the increase in endosteal OCs seen in Sfrp4−/− mice is a consequence of noncanonical Wnt/Ror2/Jnk signaling activation in OCs overriding the negative effect that activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling has on OCgenesis.
Comparison of sildenafil, fluoxetine and its co-administration against chronic constriction injury induced neuropathic pain in rats: An influential additive effect

ABSTRACT Current drug treatment available for neuropathic pain (NP) provides meager and partial pain relief due to incomplete efficacy and dose-dependent adverse effect. Hence, combination therapy can provide prolongation in analgesic effect with milder side effects. The present investigation aimed at observing the effects of sildenafil (SD) on Fluoxetine (FLX) in attenuation of chronic constriction injury (CCI) induced NP in rats. CCI was achieved in rats by placing four loose ligations around the sciatic nerve and rats were received respective treatments on SD and FLX till 14 days further behaviors parameters like heat hyperalgesia and allodynia, pin prick and acetone drop test were executed in order to access thermal, mechanical and cold allodynia, respectively, on a predetermined time interval. On the 21st day the animals were sacrificed for determination of total protein, myeloperoxidase activity in the adjoining muscular tissues while glutathione and TNF-α in the sciatic nerve. Co-administration of SD + FLX + CCI gave the pronounced effect that was superior over individual responses of SD and FLX in all behavioral as well as biochemical parameters. It was observed that attenuation in the altered behavioral pattern of CCI induced rats was modified prominently from 3rd day only in a group of rats treated with SD + FLX + CCI. The whole study was finally supported by histopathological results. Finally, it was concluded that SD produces an additive effect when given with FLX in attenuation of NP may be due to elevation in the level of intracellular concentrations of cyclic guanosine monophosphate which further causes downregulation of calcium channel.
The synergistic effects of nano-curcumin and coenzyme Q10 supplementation in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

ABSTRACT Introduction: Migraine is a disabling neurovascular disorder characterized by increasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress biomarkers. Curcumin and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) can exert neuroprotective effects through modulation of inflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined effects of nano-curcumin and CoQ10 supplementation on migraine symptoms and quality of life in migraine patients. Methods: One-hundred men and women (mean age 32 years) with episodic migraine based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria participated in this study. The subjects were randomly divided into four groups as (1) combination of nano-curcumin (80 mg) plus CoQ10 (300 mg), (2) nano-curcumin (80 mg), (3) CoQ10 (300 mg) and (4) the control (nano-curcumin and CoQ10 placebo included oral paraffin oil) beside usual prophylactic drugs for 8 weeks. Frequency, severity, duration of headache attacks, the headache diary results (HDR) and headache disability based on migraine-specific questionnaires were assessed at the baseline and end of the study. Results: Ninety-one of 100 patients completed the study. The results showed a significant effect of nano-curcumin and CoQ10 supplementation on frequency, severity, duration of migraine attacks and HDR compared to other groups (All P < 0.001). Nano-curcumin and CoQ10 group also had better scores in migraine-specific questionnaires at the end of the study compared to other groups (All P < 0.001). There were no side effects reported by the participants. Conclusions: These findings suggest a possible synergistic effect of nano-curcumin and CoQ10 on clinical features of migraine. Trial registration number: IRCT2017080135444N1.