Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza — real threat or unjustified panic? The experience of one pediatric hematology-oncology center

IntroductionOn June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a pandemic influenza caused by pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. The aim of the current study was to analyze the clinical course of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in children with neoplastic diseases or severe aplastic anemia. As a final point, an attempt to identify risk factors predictive for the severity of the clinical course of the disease was also undertaken.Material&MethodsThirty-seven children undergoing antineoplastic treatment were enrolled in the study. The analysis comprised an assessment of the number of episodes of AH1N1 pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in the group of patients and an evaluation of clinical signs and symptoms of the infection. We also analyzed the relation between the presence of lymphocytopenia and its duration prior to infection and until? eventual contraction of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus, as well as severity of clinical course of the disease.ResultsPandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza was diagnosed in 20 of 37 children. In the analyzed group no death related to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza was reported.ConclusionsThe clinical manifestations of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in immunoincompetent children are analogous to symptoms observed in the general population. A severe clinical course of the disease was observed among patients with hematological disorders, especially those presenting with preceding lymphocytopenia.
AMP‐activated protein kinase deficiency exacerbates aging‐induced myocardial contractile dysfunction

Aging is associated with myocardial dysfunction although the underlying mechanism is unclear. AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor for energy metabolism, is compromised with aging. This study examined the role of AMPK deficiency in aging‐associated myocardial dysfunction. Young or old wild‐type (WT) and transgenic mice with overexpression of a mutant AMPK α2 subunit (kinase dead, KD) were used. AMPK α isoform activity, myocardial function and morphology were examined. DCF and JC‐1 fluorescence probes were employed to quantify reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), respectively. KD mice displayed significantly reduced α2 but not α1 AMPK isoform activity at both ages with a greater effect at old age. Aging itself decreased α1 isoform activity. Cardiomyocyte contractile function, intracellular Ca2+ handling, and SERCA2a levels were compromised with aging, the effects of which were exacerbated by AMPK deficiency. H&E staining revealed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy with aging, which was more pronounced in KD mice. TEM micrographs displayed severe disruption of mitochondrial ultrastructure characterized by swollen, irregular shape and disrupted cristae in aged KD compared with WT mice. Aging enhanced ROS production and reduced ΔΨm, the effects of which were accentuated by AMPK deficiency. Immunoblotting data depicted unchanged Akt phosphorylation and a significant decrease in mitochondrial biogenesis cofactor PGC‐1α in aged groups. AMPK deficiency but not aging decreased the phosphorylation of ACC and eNOS. Expression of membrane Glut4 and HSP90 was decreased in aged KD mice. Moreover, treatment of the AMPK activator metformin attenuated aging‐induced cardiomyocyte contractile defects. Collectively, our data suggest a role for AMPK deficiency in aging‐induced cardiac dysfunction possibly through disrupted mitochondrial function and ROS production.
Review of: Fingerprints and Other Ridge Skin Impressions

Good texts on fingerprint methods are rare, and this volume, a collaboration between pairs of noted Swiss and Australian researchers, promised to be a welcomed addition. The book attempts to provide a survey of fingerprint detection methods combined with a discussion of examination philosophy, but the result is two books in one without the benefit of a much needed transition to make the two diverse aspects of latent print examination truly cohesive.
Replication of an association of variation in the FOXO3A gene with human longevity using both case–control and longitudinal data

Genetic variation in FOXO3A has previously been associated with human longevity. Studies published so far have been case–control studies and hence vulnerable to bias introduced by cohort effects. In this study we extended the previous findings in the cohorts of oldest old Danes (the Danish 1905 cohort, N = 1089) and middle‐aged Danes (N = 736), applying a longitudinal study design as well as the case–control study design. Fifteen SNPs were chosen in order to cover the known common variation in FOXO3A. Comparing SNP frequencies in the oldest old with middle‐aged individuals, we found association (after correction for multiple testing) of eight SNPs; 4 (rs13217795, rs2764264, rs479744, and rs9400239) previously reported to be associated with longevity and four novel SNPs (rs12206094, rs13220810, rs7762395, and rs9486902 (corrected P‐values 0.001–0.044). Moreover, we found association of the haplotypes TAC and CAC of rs9486902, rs10499051, and rs12206094 (corrected P‐values: 0.01–0.03) with longevity. Finally, we here present data applying a longitudinal study design; when using follow‐up survival data on the oldest old in a longitudinal analysis, we found no SNPs to remain significant after the correction for multiple testing (Bonferroni correction). Hence, our results support and extent the proposed role of FOXO3A as a candidate longevity gene for survival from younger ages to old age, yet not during old age.
A declarative concurrent system for protein structure prediction on GPU

This paper provides a novel perspective in the protein structure prediction (PSP) problem. The PSP problem focuses on determining putative 3D structures of a protein starting from its primary sequence. The proposed approach relies on a multi-agent system (MAS) perspective, where concurrent agents explore the folding of different parts of a protein. The strength of the approach lies in the agents’ ability to apply different types of knowledge, expressed in the form of declarative constraints, to prune the search space of folding alternatives. The paper makes also an important contribution in demonstrating the suitability of a general-purpose graphical processing unit approach to implement such MAS infrastructure, with significant performance improvements over the sequential implementation and other methods.
Ovariectomy in grasshoppers increases somatic storage, but proportional allocation of ingested nutrients to somatic tissues is unchanged

Reduced reproduction increases storage and extends lifespan in several animal species. The disposable soma hypothesis suggests this life extension occurs by shifting allocation of ingested nutrients from reproduction to the soma. A great deal of circumstantial evidence supports this hypothesis, but no direct tracking of nutrients has been performed in animals that are long‐lived because of direct reduction in reproduction. Here, we use the stable isotopes to track carbon and nitrogen from ingestion to somatic organs in long‐lived, ovariectomized grasshoppers. Three estimates of somatic storage (viz., quantity of hemolymph storage proteins, amount of femur muscle carbohydrates, and size of the fat body) all doubled upon ovariectomy. In stark contrast, ovariectomy did not increase the proportion of these tissues that were made from recently ingested foods. In other words, the physiology underlying relative allocation to these somatic tissues was not affected by ovariectomy. Thus, at the level of whole tissue storage, these results are consistent with a trade‐off between reproduction and longevity. In contrast, our stable isotope data are inconsistent with the prediction that enhanced storage in ovariectomized females results from a physiological shift in allocation of ingested nutrients.
Platelet activation in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever

Increased platelet activation and aggregation are central processes in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Increased platelet activity is associated with increased platelet volume. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a determinant of platelet function, is a newly emerging risk factor for atherothrombosis. Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by recurrent inflammatory febrile attacks of serosal and synovial membranes. Recently few studies have shown that FMF is associated with increased atherosclerosis risk. The present study was designed to evaluate levels of MPV in FMF patients compared with healthy subjects. We selected 35 FMF patients and 35 healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and body mass index. Metabolic parameters and MPV levels were measured in all groups. Metabolic parameters were not different among the study groups (p > 0.05). The levels of MPV were significantly higher in the FMF group than in the control group (8.6 ± 0.9 fl vs 7.8 ± 0.5 fl, p = 0.001). The MPV levels were negatively correlated with duration of colchicine treatment (r = −0.40, p = 0.017). Also MPV levels showed positive correlation with delay of diagnosis (r = 0.58, p = 0.001). In conclusion, our results suggest that patients with FMF tend to have an increased platelet activation. Increased platelet activity could contribute to increasing the atherosclerotic risk in FMF patients.
Vibrational circular dichroism discrimination of diastereomeric cedranol acetates.

The reliability of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy to discriminate four diastereomeric cedranol acetates 1-4 by means of their absolute configuration is examined. The usage of CompareVOA software to quantify comparisons of the measured infrared (IR) and VCD spectra with the corresponding simulated spectra at the B3LYP/DGDZVP and B3PW91/DGDZVP levels of theory for each diastereomer enabled the B3PW91 functional to be qualified as superior to the B3LYP functional for vibrational calculations of 1-4. Analogously, a set of quantitative VCD spectra cross-comparisons of 1-4 unambiguously distinguished the diastereomers using B3PW91 and failed using B3LYP. Remarkably, quantitative IR spectra cross-comparisons of 1-4 using B3PW91 or B3LYP functionals demonstrated that the achiral spectroscopic IR technique is not able to distinguish cedranol acetate diastereomers. VCD comparisons using anisotropy g-factor values of bands in the 1550-950 cm(-1) region of the spectra were of aid to facilitate visual spectra matching for each diastereomer.
Estimating oxygen consumption from heart rate and heart rate variability without individual calibration

Heart rate (HR) as an estimator of oxygen consumption (VO2) usually requires HR to be individually calibrated in a separate test. This study examined the validity of a new HR – and HR variability‐based method (Firstbeat PRO heartbeat analysis software) in the estimation of VO2 in real‐life tasks. The method takes into account the respiration rate determined from HR variability and the differences in the on/off dynamics of HR and VO2, and no calibration tests are needed. Ten men and nine women performed 25 tasks representing different types of daily activities. Portable devices were used to measure R‐to‐R intervals (ECG), VO2 and respiration rate. In pooled regression analysis, the estimated VO2 accounted for 87% of the variability in the actual VO2, SEE 3·5 ml min−1 kg−1 (1 MET). At group level, the method underestimated slightly the measured VO2 (mean difference – 1·5 ml min−1 kg−1 or – 0·4 METs). Some of the values at low exercise intensities were markedly underestimated, but the agreement was better during light and heavy activities. The limits of agreement for the data were from −8·4 to 5·4 ml min−1 kg−1 or from −2·4 to 1·5 METs. At individual level, the average deviations of the predicted VO2 ranged from −1·0 to 0·6 METs and R2 from 0·77 to 0·94, respectively. The present data indicate that the prediction method may be considered sufficiently accurate to determine the average VO2 in field use, but it does not allow precise estimation of VO2.
OC15.02: 3D sonohysterography versus 3D ultrasound examination of the coronal plane of the uterus in infertile women with suspected uterine cavity lesions or anomalies

EDD-U. Among pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, the risk of postponed EDD was significantly increased compared to women with BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2. In women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 the EDD was more often postponed ≥ 14 days (OR 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46–1.56) or 7–13 days (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.35–1.41). Similar risk was observed among women with BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2, but was less pronounced. Conclusions: High maternal BMI increases the risk for postponing date of delivery at mid-trimester ultrasound examination. The estimation of gestational age in obese women as shorter than according to the LMP, might be due to erroneous sonographic measurements.
Personalizing antiplatelet therapies: What have we learned from recent trials?

Abstract Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor antagonist is currently the standard of care for the prevention of ischemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Several studies have shown that not all patients benefit from the treatment to the same degree and demonstrated that high on-treatment platelet reactivity may be associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, while low on-treatment platelet reactivity may be linked to a higher risk of bleeding. Personalized antiplatelet treatment strategies based on platelet function monitoring and genetic testing constitute a promising tool for the prevention of both stent thrombosis and bleeding events, but conclusive evidence that such approaches can improve clinical outcomes is lacking. This review presents the most recent studies on tailored antiplatelet therapy in the management of coronary heart disease, with a focus on the prognosis value of platelet function testing.
Assessment of platelet function on the routine coagulation analyzer Sysmex CS-2000i

Abstract Background: Light transmission aggregometry (LTA) is considered as the gold standard for testing platelet function in the setting of both platelet disorders suspicion and response to antiplatelet therapy evaluation. LTA requires however specialized equipment, substantial blood sample volumes, is technically challenging and time-consuming. Aim: To evaluate an automated platelet aggregation method performed on a routine coagulation analyzer Sysmex CS-2000i. Methods: 46 patients presenting a bleeding syndrome and 62 patients with acute coronary syndrome receiving dual antiplatelet therapy were studied in total. Platelet aggregations were performed on CS-2000i equipped with a dedicated software and on APACT-4004 (Elitech, France) as the reference instrument. Aggregation was measured by monitoring the changes in light absorbance occurring in response to ADP 2.5, 5 and 10µM, collagen 3.3 µg/mL, epinephrin 10µM, ristocetin 1.25 mg/mL and arachidonic acid 0.5 mg/mL in platelet rich plasma (PRP). PRP were tested simultaneously on both CS-2000i and APACT-4004 devices. Platelet stirred speed were 800 rpm for both instruments. Results: Significant correlations were observed between CS-2000i and LTA after all stimulations (p< 0.001). Patients presenting a bleeding syndrome had similar aggregation profiles with both methods. A single patient presented a severe platelet disorder (Glanzmann Thrombasthenia) and its PRP showed defective aggregation in response to all agonists except ristocetin with both instruments. Finally, the inter-agreement rates for CS-2000i and APACT-4004 to detect low responders to thienopyridines or aspirine were strong (weighted kappa> 0.70). Conclusion: Platelet aggregation on the routine coagulation analyzer CS-2000i is an easily accessible, handy, reliable, standardized, and rapid tool to assess platelet function which allows to skirt most of the LTA limitations.
Results of percutaneous rush pin fixation in distal third fibular fracture: A retrospective study

Aims: Aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the results of percutaneous rush pin fixation in distal third fibular fractures. Settings and Design: Retrospective study. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in M. M. Medical College from July 2006 to November 2010. Seventy-eight patients were recruited from emergency and outpatient department, having closed fracture of distal third fibula. Postoperatively all the patients were functionally evaluated as per Kristenson′s criteria and the Weber′s criteria which included objective criteria, subjective criteria, and radiological evaluation at 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery. Results: Out of seventy-eight patients, 69 patients underwent union in 90-150 days with a mean of 110.68 days. Touch down weight bearing was started on 2 nd postoperative day. Complications found in four patients who had nonunion, and ﬁve patients had delayed union which was treated with bone graft. The results were excellent in 88.46% and good in 6.41% patients. Conclusions: I conclude that the fixation using rush pin in distal third fibular fracture is a safe and effective method of surgery that could be performed easily as well as minimal soft tissue disruption and did not require secondary surgery to remove the wire, and showed sufficient stability after fixation. Therefore, closed reduction and internal fixation with rush rods is one of the good treatment modalities of distal fibular fracture.
Children whose mothers are HIV infected : Who resides in the home and is there a relationship to child psychosocial adjustment?

This study examined who resides in the home when a mother is HIV infected and whether this relates to child psychosocial adjustment. Participants were 249 inner-city African American women, 40% of whom were HIV infected, and their 6- to 11-year-old children. HIV-infected women in the symptomatic-AIDS stage were more likely than noninfected mothers to have more adults, particularly a grand-mother or aunt of the child and more adults per child residing in the home. Only the ratio of adults-to-children in the home was related to child adjustment, and this occurred primarily when mothers were in the symptomatic-AIDS stage of infection.
University patenting: patterns of faculty motivations

Few papers address the issue of faculty motivations to patent and none comprehensively investigates why faculties decide not to patent. To fill this gap, I surveyed Italian faculty inventors of university-owned patents (N=208) and non-inventors working in the same disciplines (N=416). Major motivations to patent are prestige/reputation and knowledge exchange. Although universities rely almost exclusively on royalties, I show that researchers are sensitive to diverse incentives, whose importance varies according to both personal characteristics and the context. Surprisingly, patents are not perceived by non-inventors as inappropriate to academic activities or as obstacles to publications and conferences.
The process of competence leveraging in related diversification: a case of technology management at a composite-material company

This paper explores the process of competence leveraging in a technology-related diversification as part of a firm's approach to maintaining a competitive edge. While competence leveraging seems to be an important issue, little attention has been given in recent studies to discussing the process with the focus being on the outcome only. A research framework consisting of decision-making, coordination and adaptation processes is proposed and examined in this study to conceptualise the dynamic process of competence leveraging during a related diversification. In particular, we argue that some of the difficulties involved in this process can explain why some firms struggle or fail while pursuing a related diversification, a task which we often mistakenly believe to be straightforward. This study suggests that the competence gap resulting from the strategic intent in the decision-making phase; the inertia derived from the resistance by the staff to internal resource reallocation in the coordination phase; and the decision to carry on with commitments while facing a negative outcome in the adaptation phase could jeopardise the outcome of the attempted related diversification. An in-depth case study of a composite-material based contract manufacturer is used to illustrate the process of how a firm may face and handle these difficulties while leveraging its existing competence.
The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Adults Older Than 50 Years

This pilot study explored the effect of mindfulness meditation for diabetic neuropathy. Twenty participants (10 in each group) completed the study. No significant differences were found between the groups. However, differences between the means were found on 2 constructs: pain quality of life and symptom-related quality of life. Further studies may show efficacy.
Scheduling contractors' farm-to-farm crop harvesting operations

The harvesting of renewable resources from an operations scheduling viewpoint is introduced, and a harvesting scenario arising in the agricultural context involving a commercial contracting enterprise that travels from farm-to-farm harvesting crops is discussed. This paper is an extension of previous work by two of the authors from the one-farm to the multi-farm case. In both cases, the duration of each operation is dependent upon the combination of constrained resources allocated to it, equipment and worker allocation is restricted, and minimum or maximum time lags on the start and completion of operations may be imposed. The present case incorporates harvesting at more than one farm and thus the sequence in which the farms are visited and the inter-farm travel times must be taken into account. We report on a harvesting scheduling model and solution procedures designed specifically for large-scale versions of the multi-farm case. The computational times experienced in solving general instances of the model of small-to-medium practical size by a commercial integer programming package are encouraging. Greedy and tabu search heuristics, which are capable of solving problems of relatively large dimensions in reasonable computational time are also included. The authors believe that the model and the solution techniques developed represent a useful addition to the farm crop contractor's tool kit.