Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum levels of RBP4 and adipose tissue levels of PTP1B are increased in obese men resident in northeast Scotland without associated changes in ER stress response genes

Background Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is an adipokine identified as a marker of insulin resistance in mice and humans. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) expression levels as well as other genes involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response are increased in adipose tissue of obese, high-fat-diet-fed mice. In this study we investigated if serum and/or adipose tissue RBP4 protein levels and expression levels of PTP1B and other ER stress-response genes are altered in obese and obese/diabetic men resident in northeast Scotland. Methods We studied three groups of male volunteers: (1) normal/overweight (body mass index [BMI] < 30), (2) obese (BMI > 30), and (3) obese/diabetic (BMI > 30) controlling their diabetes either by diet or the antidiabetic drug metformin. We analyzed their serum and adipose tissue RBP4 protein levels as well as adipose tissue mRNA expression of PTP1B, binding immunoglobulin protein (BIP), activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4), and glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) alongside other markers of adiposity (percentage body fat, leptin, cholesterol, triglycerides) and insulin resistance (oral glucose tolerance tests, insulin, homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin). Results We found that obese Scottish subjects had significantly higher serum RBP4 protein levels in comparison to the normal/overweight subjects (P < 0.01). Serum RBP4 levels were normalized in obese/diabetic subjects treated with diet or metformin (P < 0.05). Adipose tissue RBP4 protein levels were comparable between all three groups of subjects as were serum and adipose transthyretin levels. Adipose tissue PTP1B mRNA levels were increased in obese subjects in comparison to normal/overweight subjects (P < 0.05); however diet and/or metformin treatment did not reverse this effect. Adipose tissue BIP, ATF4, and GRP94 expression levels were unchanged in obese and obese/diabetic subjects. Conclusions Human obesity results in an increase in serum but not adipose tissue RBP4 protein levels, and these are normalized in obese/diabetic subjects, which exhibit improvements in insulin sensitivity through diet or metformin treatment. However, while adipose tissue PTP1B mRNA levels increase in obese Scottish subjects, these remain high in obese/diabetics on diet or metformin treatment.
Towards User Profile-based Interfaces for Exploration of Large Collections of Items

Collaborative tagging systems allow users to describe and organize items using labels in a free-shared vocabulary (tags), improving their browsing experience in large collections of items. At present, the most accurate collaborative filtering techniques build user profiles in latent factor spaces that are not interpretable by users. In this paper, we propose a general method to build linear-interpretable user profiles that can be used for user interaction in a recommender system, using the well-known simple additive weighting model (SAW) for multi-attribute decision making. In experiments, two kinds of user profiles where tested: one from free contributed tags and other from keywords automatically extracted from textual item descriptions. We compare them for their ability to predict ratings and their potential for user interaction. As a test bed, we used a subset of the database of the University of Minnesota’s movie review system— Movielens, the social tags proposed by Vig et al. (2012) in their work “The Tag Genome”, and movie synopses extracted from the Netflix’s API. We found that, in “warm” scenarios, the proposed tag and keyword-based user profiles produce equal or better recommendations that those based on latent-factors obtained using matrix factorization. Particularly, the keyword-based approach obtained 5.63% of improvement. In cold-start conditions—movies without rating information, both approaches perform close to average. Moreover, a user profile visualization is proposed arising an accuracy vs. interpretability tradeoff between tag and keywordbased profiles. While keyword-based profiles produce more accurate recommendations, tag-based profiles seems to be more readable, meaningful and convenient for creating profile-based user interfaces.
On Anomalies in Annotation Systems

Today's computer-based annotation systems implement a wide range of functionalities that often go beyond those available in traditional paper-and- pencil annotations. Conceptually, annotation systems are based on thoroughly investigated psycho-sociological and pedagogical learning theories. They offer a huge diversity of annotation types that can be placed in textual as well as in multimedia format. Additionally, annotations can be published or shared with a group of interested parties via well-organized repositories. Although highly sophisticated annotation systems exist both conceptually as well as technologically, we still observe that their acceptance is somewhat limited. In this paper, we argue that nowadays annotation systems suffer from several fundamental problems that are inherent in the traditional paper-and-pencil annotation paradigm. As a solution, we propose to shift the annotation paradigm for the implementation of annotation system.
Gender, sex, and HIV: how well are we addressing the imbalance?

Purpose of reviewHeightened interest in sex and gender differences in HIV warrant a review of the status of current understanding of their determinants and progress in addressing them. Recent findingsThe proportion of women among people living with HIV continues to increase in most countries; however, women are proportionately more likely to be on antiretroviral treatment than are men. Inadequate representation of women in clinical trials is compounding the dearth of information on sex-based differences in response to life prolonging antiretroviral medication. Progress in addressing gender inequalities and inequities, though incremental, is too slow to reach Millennium Development Goal 6 of halting and reversing the HIV epidemic by 2015. Structural determinants, such as food insufficiency, poverty, decreased access to credit, and inequitable inheritance practices, continue to act with social gender norms to shape the increased risk of exposure to HIV that women and adolescent girls face in many settings. SummarySpecial measures should be taken to overcome barriers and facilitate enrolment and retention of women in biomedical HIV prevention and treatment trials. Law reform, economic empowerment, gender transformative work, and political mobilization are needed if women and men are to share the power, influence, rights, responsibilities, and opportunities that can create resilience to HIV.
Bactericidal Action of Streptomycin

Summary Streptomycin was bactericidal for both multiplying and non—multiplying cultures of K. pneumoniae, but not for washed spores of Bacillus sp. No. 290. Organisms surviving the bactericidal effect of 0.25 unit of streptomycin per ml after 6 hours incubation were more resistant to its action. This resis—tance persisted through 4 subcultures in the ab-sence of streptomycin and could be increased 5-fold by serial transfers in broth containing streptomycin. Washed organisms surviving after 5 hours incubation with 7.5 units of streptomycin per ml were not more resistant.
Fast immunofluorescence lateral flow test strip approach for detection of homocysteine

The study developed a novel quantitative detection method of homocysteine (Hcy), an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, based on an immunofluorescent test strip. The fluorescent nanospheres (F-NSs) were prepared by embedding fluorophores (Cy5) into poly(styrene-acrylate) copolymer nanospheres, then conjugated with streptavidin (SA) to obtain SA/F-NSs as a signal amplification label stored in sample diluents. Biotin-antibody was fixed on the conjugate pad to specifically capture S -adenosyl Hcy (SAH) in the sample, where SAH was transformed from S -adenosyl methionine (SAM) by Hcy S -methyltransferase catalysis using Hcy as a substrate, the formed SAH could be trapped by SA/F-NSs and biotin-antibody conjugates in a competitive way with SAH-bovine serum albumin fixed on the test line, a detection limit of 0.27 μM Hcy was achieved. The fluorescence intensity of F-NSs remained stable during 273 days of storage, the bioactivity of the test strip was stable during 12 months of storage, and the strip possessed good reproducibility (intra-assay variability of 5.8%). Furthermore, other structural analogues SAM and cysteine showed negative results, validating the excellent specificity of the strips.
Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) control in India

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) constitute the single largest cause of preventable brain damage worldwide. Majority of consequences of IDD are invisible and irreversible but at the same time these are preventable. In India, the entire population is prone to IDD due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it. To combat the risk of IDD, salt is fortified with iodine. However, an estimated 350 million people do not consume adequately iodized salt and, therefore, are at risk for IDD. Of the 325 districts surveyed in India so far, 263 are IDD-endemic. The current household level iodized salt coverage in India is 91 per cent with 71 per cent households consuming adequately iodized salt. The IDD control goal in India was to reduce the prevalence of IDD below 10 per cent in the entire country by 2012. What is required is a “mission approach” with greater coordination amongst all stakeholders of IDD control efforts in India. Mainstreaming of IDD control in policy making, devising State specific action plans to control IDD, strict implementation of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, addressing inequities in iodized salt coverage (rural-urban, socio-economic), providing iodized salt in Public Distribution System, strengthening monitoring and evaluation of IDD programme and ensuring sustainability of IDD control activities are essential to achieve sustainable elimination of IDD in India.
Novel Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Prepared by Dynamic Vulcanization: Undergraduate Experiments for Polymers

Novel thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) based on high impact polystyrene (HIPS)/high vinyl polybutadiene rubber (HVPBR) blends were prepared by dynamic vulcanization where styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer was used as a compatibilizer. The effect of SBS dosage on the mechanical properties of the TPVs was investigated. Compared with those of HIPS/HVPBR blends, the tensile strength, elongation at break and tearing strength of HIPS/HVPBR blend with 12 phr SBS incorporation were improved remarkably. The morphological evolution during the dynamic vulcanization was observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis system (EDX) was used to confirm that the protruding particles in the etched TPV surface were the vulcanized HVPBR particles.
An Efficient Method for Mining Event-Related Potential Patterns

In the present paper, we propose a Neuroelectromagnetic Ontology Framework (NOF) for mining Event-related Potentials (ERP) patterns as well as the process. The aim for this research is to develop an infrastructure for mining, analysis and sharing the ERP domain ontologies. The outcome of this research is a Neuroelectromagnetic knowledge-based system. The framework has 5 stages: 1) Data pre-processing and preparation; 2) Data mining application; 3) Rule Comparison and Evaluation; 4) Association rules Post-processing 5) Domain Ontologies. In 5 th stage a new set of hidden rules can be discovered base on comparing association rules by domain ontologies and expert rules.
Association of personality traits with elder self-neglect in a community-dwelling population.

OBJECTIVE Elder self-neglect is an important public health issue. However, little is known about the association between personality traits and risk of elder self-neglect among community-dwelling populations. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect and 2) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect severity. METHODS Population-based study conducted from 1993 to 2005 of community-dwelling older adults (N = 9,056) participating in the Chicago Health Aging Project (CHAP). Subsets of the CHAP participants (N = 1,820) were identified for suspected self-neglect by social services agency, which assessed the severity. Personality traits assessed included neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity, and information processing. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess these associations. RESULTS In the bivariate analyses, personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, information processing, and rigidity) were significantly associated with increased risk of elder self-neglect. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, the above associations were no longer statistically significant. In addition, personality traits were not associated with increased risk of greater self-neglect severity. Furthermore, interaction term analyses of personality traits with health and psychosocial factors were not statistically significant with elder self-neglect outcomes. CONCLUSION Neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity, and information processing were not associated with significantly increased risk of elder self-neglect after consideration of potential confounders.
Necrosuppurative Orchitis and Scrotal Necrotizing Dermatitis Following Intratesticular Administration of Zinc Gluconate Neutralized With Arginine (EsterilSol) in 2 Mixed-Breed Dogs

Intratesticular injection of EsterilSol (zinc gluconate neutralized with arginine) is a chemical sterilant for male dogs sometimes used in population control campaigns. Adverse reactions have been reported in 1% to 4% of treated dogs, but detailed histomorphologic descriptions are lacking. During a behavioral study conducted in the Chilean Patagonia in 2012, severe necrosuppurative orchitis and ulcerative dermatitis were observed in 2 of 36 (6%) dogs sterilized with EsterilSol according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Reactions were noted on days 8 and 7 postinjection and required scrotal ablation on days 8 and 13, respectively; neither reaction was associated with the injection site. Although self-trauma following administration may have contributed, the cause of the adverse reactions is uncertain. EsterilSol is a relatively uncomplicated method to sterilize male dogs, but the occurrence of severe adverse reactions several days after administration emphasizes the need for the provision of long-term monitoring and veterinary care during sterilization campaigns using this product.
Hospital Workers' Confidence for End-of-Life Decisions in their Family: A Multicenter Study

Aims: To study whether health-care workers feel capable of making resuscitation decisions for their own families, the confidence in their family to represent their own preferences, and if some health-care workers feel greater confidence in their ability to undertake such decisions for their family than others. Methods: An anonymous survey conducted among health-care workers of nine institutions in North and Central America. The self-administered questionnaire included demographic and professional characteristics, attitudes, personal preferences, and value judgments on the topic of resuscitation. Results: Eight hundred and fifty-eight surveys were completed; 21.1% by physicians, 37.2% by nurses, and 41.7% by other health-care. Most of the health-care workers (83.5%) stated that they should be unable to determine their own code status and they would allow their family or spouse/significant other to make this decision for themselves. Physicians felt significantly more capable of making a decision regarding the code status of a close family member than other hospital workers (P = 0.019). Professionals who chose to not undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation were less likely to feel capable of determining the code status of their family. Conclusions: Most of the health-care workers feel capable of making code status decisions for a close family member and most feel equally comfortable having their family or spouse/significant other represent their code status preference should they be incapacitated. There is considerable reciprocity between the two situations. Physicians feel more confident in their ability to make code status decisions for their loved ones than other health-care workers. Regardless of profession, a personal preference for do not attempt resuscitation status is related to less confidence.
Detailed layer assignment for MCM routing

A routing environment mode, called the k-MCM model, is developed to take into account the unique features of a multilayer multichip module (MCM) such as the availability of segmented vias, and the presence of two active or terminal-bearing layers. A detailed layer assignment problem is formulated on the k-MCM model. A fast heuristic algorithm for the layer assignment problem is proposed and experimental results on twelve test examples with net counts up to 842 are presented. <<ETX>>
A geo-location based opportunistic data dissemination approach for MANETs

In mobile scenarios, location dependent data can be provided by an infrastructure, or, in case an infrastructure is not available or feasible, by opportunistic networking among mobile devices populating the region of interest. Caused by node mobility, data availability within the region of interest relies on replication and forwarding techniques. Our approach associates data with a geo-address describing the Point of Interest (POI) of the data and proposes a decentralized algorithm for data dissemination. Mobile devices replicate data to increase data availability within a circular area around the POI. To avoid unnecessary communication overhead, the distributed algorithm Sector Heads Aided Flooding Technique (SHAFT) restricts the number of mobile nodes that forward data by arranging data placement geometrically in the area. Hereby, each mobile node decides whether to become a forwarding node based on its geolocation and the known scheme for data arrangement. Additionally, the algorithm adapts to the locally measured density of mobile devices in range. By applying the approach to a cooperative parking lot management system based on theManhattan mobility model we demonstrate its usefulness. Simulation results are provided showing that SHAFT reaches similar data availability as flooding by reducing the number of packets transferred by a factor of up to 92.3% for newly created data and by up to 81.1% for data updates in scenarios of high node density.
The Educational Role of Health Sciences Librarians

THE EDUCATIONAL ROLE OF health sciences librarians in both academic centers and in hospitals is expanding due to influences of new educational models and growing use of technology. Innovative health sciences curricula are being applied in undergraduate and continuing education and of ten incorporate new technologies. The health sciences librarians’ educational responsibilities include teaching access to the literature and other information resources, teaching use of technology as a means to access and manage information, and teaching skills in information organization and critical appraisal. Integration of teaching activities into the health sciences curriculum is a promising trend. The many changes in the health sciences environment present numerous teaching opportunities but also require flexibility, adaptation, and creative solutions on the part of practicing librarians.
CbpA: a Polarly Localized Novel Cyclic AMP-Binding Protein in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling regulates the transcription of hundreds of genes encoding diverse virulence factors, including the type II secretion system (T2SS) and type III secretion system (T3SS) and their associated toxins, type IV pili (TFP), and flagella. Vfr, a cAMP-dependent transcriptional regulator that is homologous to the Escherichia coli catabolite repressor protein, is thought to be the major cAMP-binding protein that regulates these important virulence determinants. Using a bioinformatic approach, we have identified a gene (PA4704) encoding an additional putative cAMP-binding protein in P. aeruginosa PAO1, which we herein refer to as CbpA, for cAMP-binding protein A. Structural modeling predicts that CbpA is composed of a C-terminal cAMP-binding (CAP) domain and an N-terminal degenerate CAP domain and is structurally similar to eukaryotic protein kinase A regulatory subunits. We show that CbpA binds to cAMP-conjugated agarose via its C-terminal CAP domain. Using in vitro trypsin protection assays, we demonstrate that CbpA undergoes a conformational change upon cAMP binding. Reporter gene assays and electrophoresis mobility shift assays defined the cbpA promoter and a Vfr-binding site that are necessary for Vfr-dependent transcription. Although CbpA is highly regulated by Vfr, deletion of cbpA did not affect known Vfr-dependent functions, including the T2SS, the T3SS, flagellum- or TFP-dependent motility, virulence in a mouse model of acute pneumonia, or protein expression profiles. Unexpectedly, CbpA-green fluorescent protein was found to be localized to the flagellated old cell pole in a cAMP-dependent manner. These results suggest that polar localization of CbpA may be important for its function.
A 3D Built-in Thermostatized Chamber for Fluorescence Microscopy

Rapid prototyping using 3D printing has increased its popularity by allowing generation of small devices in a single piece or as built-in assemblies within hours. In optical microscopy, this technology has improved the design of cell culture dishes and chambers for orienting and immobilizing animal embryos. Generally, these devices are custom designed to support multiple specimens for screening employing objectives of low magnification. Varying size and geometry of developing embryos pose a significant challenge for imaging. In addition, temperature control of the incubation media is not trivial. However, few protocols make these options available. This work deals with the construction and performance of an inexpensive 3D-printed water-recirculating chamber adapted to the stage of an inverted microscope for imaging zebrafish embryos at controlled temperatures. We explored the possibility of heating and cooling the recirculating water using a Peltier cell. Although the system reached the temperatures set in the incubation media, its control over time was limited. The 3D built-in device is though versatile regarding embryo mounting and manipulation within the microscope stage, and allowed the use of high resolution objectives with minimal risk of water leakage into the optics.
A CAPSTONE PROJECT IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FOR CIS MAJORS

This paper presents a capstone project given to CIS seniors utilizing programming, database design, requirements analysis, use case, and object modeling, project management, and writing and oral communication skills in an active learning environment. The learning objectives for this project corresponds with most of the learning units described for the upper level courses in the IS 2002 model curriculum and is based on an object-oriented methodology that centers on component-based design. Students also engage in reflective analysis by constructing project workbooks and journals.