Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary supplementation with a specific melon concentrate reverses vascular dysfunction induced by cafeteria diet

Background Obesity-related metabolic syndrome is associated with high incidence of cardiovascular diseases partially consecutive to vascular dysfunction. Therapeutic strategies consisting of multidisciplinary interventions include nutritional approaches. Benefits of supplementation with a specific melon concentrate, enriched in superoxide dismutase (SOD), have previously been shown on the development of insulin resistance and inflammation in a nutritional hamster model of obesity. Objective We further investigated arterial function in this animal model of metabolic syndrome and studied the effect of melon concentrate supplementation on arterial contractile activity. Design and results The study was performed on a hamster model of diet-induced obesity. After a 15-week period of cafeteria diet, animals were supplemented during 4 weeks with a specific melon concentrate (Cucumis melo L.) Contractile responses of isolated aorta to various agonists and antagonists were studied ex vivo. Cafeteria diet induced vascular contractile dysfunction associated with morphological remodeling. Melon concentrate supplementation partially corrected these dysfunctions; reduced morphological alterations; and improved contractile function, especially by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and expression of endogenous SOD. Conclusions Supplementation with the specific melon concentrate improves vascular dysfunction associated with obesity. This beneficial effect may be accounted for by induction of endogenous antioxidant defense. Such an approach in line with nutritional interventions could be a useful strategy to manage metabolic syndrome–induced cardiovascular trouble.
Novel N Gene-Associated, Temperature-Independent Resistance to the Movement of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Vectors Neutralized by a Cucumber Mosaic Virus RNA1 Transgene

ABSTRACT The N gene conditions for resistance to Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) but only below 28°C. However, a TMV-based vector expressing green fluorescent protein (TMV-GFP) showed only limited movement at 33°C in tobacco plants harboring the N gene and other genes cointrogressed from Nicotiana glutinosa. TMV-GFP moved efficiently in tobacco plants that either lacked these genes or that contained the N gene but were transgenic for RNA1 of Cucumber mosaic virus. These findings identified novel temperature-independent resistance to the movement of TMV-GFP which could be neutralized by a different viral transgene. Using the N gene and nahG gene-transgenic tobacco, we show that this novel resistance is manifested specifically by the N gene itself and operates via a pathway independent of salicylic acid.
An Agent-mediated Ontology-based Approach for Composite Activity Recognition in Smart Homes

Activity recognition enables ambient assisted living applications to provide activity- aware services to users in smart homes. Despite significant progress being made in activity recognition research, the focus has been on simple activity recognition leaving composite activity recognition an open problem. For instance, knowledge-driven activity recognition has recently attracted increasing attention but mainly focused on simple activities. This paper extends previous work by introducing a knowledge-driven approach to recognition of composite activities such as interleaved and concurrent activities. The approach combines the recognition of single and composite activities into a unified framework. To support composite activity modelling, it combines ontological and temporal knowledge modelling formalisms. In addition, it exploits ontological reasoning for simple activity recognition and qualitative temporal inference to support composite activity recognition. The approach is organized as a multi-agent system to enable multiple activities to be simultaneously monitored and tracked. The presented approach has been implemented in a prototype system and evaluated in a number of experiments. The experimental results have shown that average recognition accuracy for composite activities is 88.26%.
Sleep Apnea and Fatty Liver Are Coupled Via Energy Metabolism

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by intermittent hypoxia. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between OSA and fatty liver. Material/Methods We enrolled 176 subjects to this study who underwent polysomnography (PSG) for suspected OSA. The control group included 42 simple snoring subjects. PSG, biochemical tests, and ultrasonographic examination were performed all subjects. Results The simple snoring and mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups included 18/42 (42.86%), 33/52 (63.5%), 27/34 (79.4%), and 28/48 (79.2%) subjects with hepatosteatosis, respectively. There were significant differences in hepatosteatosis and hepatosteatosis grade between the simple snoring and the moderate and severe OSA groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI and average desaturation were independently and significantly related to hepatic steatosis. Conclusions Our study shows that BMI and the average desaturation contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver in subjects with OSA. In this regard, sleep apnea may trigger metabolic mitochondrial energy associated processes thereby altering lipid metabolism and obesity as well.
Le déploiement des réseaux d’accès à très haut débit : régulation et inégalités géographiques

Cet article etudie l'impact de la regulation sur les decisions d'investissement des operateurs de telecommunications dans un cadre de concurrence pour le deploiement de nouvelles infrastructures. Contrairement aux travaux anterieurs, notre modele ne vise pas a determiner « quand » mais « ou » les nouveaux reseaux seront deployes. Dans cette perspective, le developpement de la concurrence par les services et la couverture du territoire national constituent des objectifs contradictoires. En matiere de deploiement, l'intervention visant a favoriser la mise en œuvre d'accords de mutualisation apparait plus favorable que l'obligation de mutualisation qui, a son tour, est preferable a la regulation des tarifs d'acces. Neanmoins, l'intervention visant a favoriser la mutualisation, ne permet pas le developpement de la concurrence lorsqu'un operateur dispose d'un monopole sur les nouvelles infrastructures.
The Developmental Expression of Leishmania donovani A2 Amastigote-specific Genes Is Post-transcriptionally Mediated and Involves Elements Located in the 3′-Untranslated Region*

Leishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite that exists as a free-living promastigote in the sandfly insect vector and as an amastigote inside the mammalian host macrophage phagolysosome compartment. The L. donovani A2 genes have been described previously as developmentally expressed in amastigotes but can be induced experimentally in promastigotes by a combination of pH and temperature shifts, conditions that mimic the phagolysosomal compartment of the macrophage cell. Considering the importance of the amastigote stage in human infections, we have examined the molecular basis for amastigote stage-specific gene expression. Our results provide evidence that A2 developmental expression during the promastigote-to-amastigote cytodifferentiation is mediated through differential RNA stability and involves the A2 mRNA 3′-untranslated region. The site of processing in the 3′-untranslated region was a major factor for the accumulation of A2 mRNAs in cells incubated under phagolysosomal conditions. The stability of reporter gene transcripts bearing the A2 3′-untranslated region was increased in cells incubated at low pH, further confirming the importance of pH shift as an inducer for A2 expression. These observations contribute to defining the mechanism of amastigote-specific gene regulation in L. donovani. We also demonstrate the feasibility of using the A2 locus to express heterologous genes differentially in the amastigote form of the L. donovani parasite.
Design and Enhanced Evaluation of a Robust Anaphor Resolution Algorithm

Syntactic coindexing restrictions are by now known to be of central importance to practical anaphor resolution approaches. Since, in particular due to structural ambiguity, the assumption of the availability of a unique syntactic reading proves to be unrealistic, robust anaphor resolution relies on techniques to overcome this deficiency. This paper describes the ROSANA approach, which generalizes the verification of coindexing restrictions in order to make it applicable to the deficient syntactic descriptions that are provided by a robust state-of-the-art parser. By a formal evaluation on two corpora that differ with respect to text genre and domain, it is shown that ROSANA achieves high-quality robust coreference resolution. Moreover, by an in-depth analysis, it is proven that the robust implementation of syntactic disjoint reference is nearly optimal. The study reveals that, compared with approaches that rely on shallow preprocessing, the largely nonheuristic disjoint reference algorithmization opens up the possibility for a slight improvement. Furthermore, it is shown that more significant gains are to be expected elsewhere, particularly from a text-genre-specific choice of preference strategies. The performance study of the ROSANA system crucially rests on an enhanced evaluation methodology for coreference resolution systems, the development of which constitutes the second major contribution of the paper. As a supplement to the model-theoretic scoring scheme that was developed for the Message Understanding Conference (MUC) evaluations, additional evaluation measures are defined that, on one hand, support the developer of anaphor resolution systems, and, on the other hand, shed light on application aspects of pronoun interpretation.
Occurrence of Rabl-Like Telomere Clustering in the Holocentric Chromosomes of the Peach Potato Aphid Myzus persicae (Hemiptera; Aphididae)

Several studies demonstrated that chromosome anchoring to nuclear structures is involved in the organization of the interphase nucleus. The Rabl configuration, a well-studied chromosome organization in the interphase nucleus, has been deeply studied in organisms with monocentric chromosomes but just slightly touched in species with holocentric chromosomes. In the present paper, by means of the isolation and chromosomal mapping of the C₀t DNA fraction and chromatin immunoprecipitation with anti-LEM-2 antibodies, we evidenced the presence of few foci where telomeres and subtelomeric regions cluster in the aphid interphase nuclei, suggesting the occurrence of a Rabl-like chromosome configuration. The same experimental approaches also evidenced that most of the repetitive DNA of the 2 X chromosomes is located at the periphery of the nucleus, whereas the ribosomal genes, located at 1 telomere of each X chromosome, are present towards the inner portion of the nucleus, favoring their transcriptional activity.
Docking Studies on Novel Drugs Against Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

he resurgence of drug resistant tuberculosis and HIV associated intractable mycobacterial infection are of serious global concern. This is due to their potential to survive dormantly in a nonreplicating state in protective intracellular niches of Macrophages, dendritic cells, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, fibrocytes, adipocytes and bone marrow stem cells. To contain this situation, new antituberculosis drugs and reduced regimen treatments are of immediate requirement as envisaged by WHO. Development of novel anti-tuberculosis compounds to combat drug resistant tuberculosis is urgently needed. The discovery of new drugs involves several constraints that discourage many companies from investing in new antituberculosis drugs. The research is expensive, slow and difficult, and it requires specialized facilities for handling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Due to this situation, it is a matter of urgency to develop new anti-tuberculous drugs, especially with the aid of bioinformaticsbased drug design, in order to tackle intractable tuberculosis.
Fathers' experiences of their transition to fatherhood: a metasynthesis

This research aimed to synthesise the findings of recent qualitative studies which explored fathers' experiences of their transition to fatherhood. Noblit and Hare's (1988) seven‐step meta‐ethnographic approach was utilised to synthesise the findings of eight articles representing six qualitative studies published between 2002 and 2008. Through the process of reciprocal translation, three overarching themes were derived: (1) emotional reactions to phases of transition: ‘detached, surprise and confusion’, (2) identifying their role as father: the ‘approachable provider’, and (3) redefining self and relationship with partner: the ‘more united tag team’. Themes reflected fathers' experiences from pregnancy through to 14 months after the birth of their child. The findings from this synthesis highlighted several recommendations for clinical practice both in the antenatal and postnatal period. The limitations of this synthesis and recommendations for practice are discussed.
Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with dementia who live at home would require nursing home care if they did not have the assistance of family caregivers. However, caregiving sometimes has adverse health consequences for caregivers, including very high rates of depression. The goal of this study was to determine the patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression among caregivers of patients with dementia.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Five thousand six hundred and twenty-seven patients with moderate to advanced dementia and their primary caregivers upon enrollment in the Medicare Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration (MADDE) at 8 locations in the United States.MEASUREMENTS: Caregiver depression was defined as 6 or more symptoms on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Patient characteristics measured included ethnicity and other demographic characteristics, income, activities of daily living (ADL) function, Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) score, and behavioral problems. Caregiver characteristics measured included demographic characteristics, relationship to the patient, hours spent caregiving, and ADL and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) function. We used x2 and t tests to measure the bivariate relationships between patient and caregiver predictors and caregiver depression. We used logistic regression to determine the independent predictors of caregiver depression.RESULTS: Thirty-two percent of caregivers reported 6 or more symptoms of depression and were classified as depressed. Independent patient predictors of caregiver depression included younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.76 in patients less than 65 years compared to patients over 85 years), white (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.99) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.69 to 3.70) compared to black ethnicity, education (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.33 for those with less than a high school education), ADL dependence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.90 for patients dependent in 2 or more ADL compared to patients dependent in no ADL), and behavioral disturbance, particularly angry or aggressive behavior (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.69 for patients with angry or aggressive behavior). Independent caregiver predictors of depression included low income (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.77 for less than $10,000/per year, compared to >$20,000 per year), the relationship to the patient (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.31 to 5.72 for wife, compared to son of male patient), hours spent caregiving (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.38 for 40 to 79 hours/week compared to less than 40 hours/week), and functional dependence (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.13 to 3.01 for ADL dependent compared to IADL independent). CONCLUSION: Caregiver depression is a complex process, influenced by ethnicity as well as diverse patient and caregiver characteristics. Efforts to identify and treat caregiver depression will need to be multidisciplinary and focus on multiple risk factors simultaneously.
Consensual clustering for unsupervised feature selection: application to SPOT5 satellite images indexing

Satellite images are numerous and weakly exploited: it is urgent to develop efficient and fast indexing algorithms to facilitate their access. In order to determinate the best features to be extracted, we propose a methodology based on automatic feature selection algorithms, applied unsupervisingly on a strongly redundant features set. In this article we also demonstrate the usefulness of consensus clustering as a feature selection algorithm, allowing selected number of features estimation and exploration facilities. The efficiency of our approach is demonstrated on SPOT5 images.
Where in the World Is Juan—and What Color Is He?: The Geography of Latina/o Racial Identity in Southern California

Recently there has been a robust discussion on the question of Latina/o racial subjectivity, particularly whether Latinas/os are more apt to identify as "white" or as people of color. Scholars focused on contemporary identification patterns have examined key variables, including age, education, income, and nativity in an effort to understand Latinas/os' racial choices. However, dimensions of time and space are frequently unanalyzed. Focusing on the seven-county region of Southern California—home to the United States' largest concentration of Latinas/os—we use the American Community Survey (2008-10) to consider a range of variables, including spatial and temporal characteristics, to better understand Latina/o, especially Mexican American, racial subjectivity. Focusing on Latinas/os who identify as either "white" or "some other race" and utilizing a regression analysis to isolate the relative impact of each variable, we find that Latinas/os who live in more segregated neighborhoods as well as those who live among a high proportion of Latinas/os, are more likely to identify as "some other race. "
Ritualism, opportunism and corporate disclosure in the New Zealand life insurance industry: field evidence

Drawing a framework from Gibbins et al. (1990), uses information collected from field interviews to isolate those factors which influence the voluntary disclosure practices of New Zealand life insurance companies. Interview evidence suggests that voluntary disclosure is a multi‐dimensional phenomenon that is influenced by both firm‐specific antecedents such as company culture and environmental conditions, for example, the state of market competition. Gibbins et al. (1990) refer to these organizational and environmental determinants of corporate disclosure as ritualism and opportunism. The results of this study thus provide important insights into the voluntary disclosure practices of life insurance companies. Also concludes that field‐based research carried out within a sound conceptual framework could make a valuable contribution to the accounting literature and complement the results obtained in studies utilizing more conventional statistical techniques.
Integrating Data Warehouses with Web Data: A Survey

This paper surveys the most relevant research on combining Data Warehouse (DW) and Web data. It studies the XML technologies that are currently being used to integrate, store, query and retrieve web data, and their application to DWs. The paper reviews different DW distributed architectures and the use of XML languages as an integration tool in these systems. It also introduces the problem of dealing with semi-structured data in a DW. It studies Web data repositories, the design of multidimensional databases for XML data sources and the XML extensions of On-Line Analytical Processing techniques. The paper addresses the application of information retrieval technology in a DW to exploit text-rich documents collections. The authors hope that the paper will help to discover the main limitations and opportunities that offer the combination of the DW and the Web fields, as well as, to identify open research lines.
Spontaneous viral clearance following acute hepatitis C infection: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Summary. A large number of studies have reported on spontaneous viral clearance rates in acute hepatitis C infection, however most have been small, and reported rates have varied quite widely. To improve the precision of the estimated rate of spontaneous viral clearance, a systematic review was conducted of longitudinal studies. Factors associated with viral clearance were also examined. Inclusion criteria for studies were: longitudinal assessment from time of acute hepatitis C; hepatitis C virus RNA analysis as determinant of viral clearance; untreated for acute hepatitis C. Information on study population, and factors that may influence viral clearance were extracted from each study. Viral clearance was defined among individuals with at least 6 months follow‐up following acute hepatitis C. The number of subjects with viral clearance was expressed as a proportion for each study and a weighted mean for proportion was calculated. A total of 31 studies were examined. Study populations included nine studies of post‐transfusion hepatitis, 19 of acute clinical hepatitis, and three of sero‐incident cases. In total, data was available for 675 subjects and the mean study population was 22 (range 4–67). The proportion with viral clearance ranged from 0.0 to 0.8, with a weighted mean of 0.26 (95% CI 0.22–0.29). Factors associated with viral clearance were female gender and acute clinical hepatitis C study population. Further studies are required to more clearly define predictors of clearance and guide therapeutic intervention strategies.
[Etiologic study of 275 cases of endo-uterine hemorrhage by uterine curettage].

AIM To determine the incidence of genital hemorrhage, to specify its etiology and define the epidemiological profile of the "hemorrhagic patient". MATERIALS Retrospective analysis of selected medical case-histories and histological reports for 275 uterine curettages carried out due to a hemorrhagic sign. RESULTS The incidence was estimated to be 2.7% of consultations. 292 histological lesions were identified, and their severity classified as follows: 53.8% dysfunctional, 20.0% hyperplasia, 5.5% malignant and 20.5% classified as "rare". The profile was that of a perimenopausal, multiparous woman, obese with normal menarche and menstrual cycle. CONCLUSION In the general population, genital hemorrhage is less and less frequently indicative of a malignant lesion.
A biometrics based security solution for encryption and authentication in tele-healthcare systems

Security and privacy are among the most crucial issues for data transmission in tele-healthcare applications. The paper proposes a biometrics based solution, combining encryption and authentication for wireless communication within a body sensor network (BSN), as well as between a BSN and a remote server (RS) of a tele-healthcare system. The method aims to use static and dynamic biometric traits to generate authentication and encryption keys respectively. Keys of 64 and 128 bits were generated from electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram of 9 subjects and fingerprint images of 20 subjects. The entropy of the keys ranged from 0.662 to 1 and the hamming distances between them were all non-zero. The results of this study found that random and distinctive keys can be generated by a biometric approach for encrypting and authenticating data in tele-healthcare systems.