Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remote Ischemic Postconditioning (RIPC) of the Upper Arm Results in Protection from Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Following Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) for Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPC) of the upper arm on protection from cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Material/Methods Eighty patients with STEMI were randomized into two groups: primary PCI (N=44) and primary PCI+RIPC (N=36). RIPC consisted of four cycles of 5 minutes of occlusion and five minutes of reperfusion by cuff inflation and deflation of the upper arm, commencing within one minute of the first PCI balloon dilatation. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected before PCI and at 0.5, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after PCI. Levels of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), serum creatinine (Cr), nitric oxide (NO), and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) were measured. The rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated. Results Patients in the primary PCI+RIPC group, compared with the primary PCI group, had significantly lower peak CK-MB concentrations (P<0.01), a significantly increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P=0.01), a significantly lower rate of AKI (P<0.01) a significantly increased eGFR (P<0.01), and decreased area under the curve (AUC) of CK-MB, NO and SDF-1α. Conclusions RIPC of the upper arm following primary PCI in patients with acute STEMI might provide cardiac and renal protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury via the actions of SDF-1α, and NO.
Host Lipid Mediators in Leprosy: The Hypothesized Contributions to Pathogenesis

The spectrum of clinical forms observed in leprosy and its pathogenesis are dictated by the host’s immune response against Mycobacterium leprae, the etiological agent of leprosy. Previous results, based on metabolomics studies, demonstrated a strong relationship between clinical manifestations of leprosy and alterations in the metabolism of ω3 and ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and the diverse set of lipid mediators derived from PUFAs. PUFA-derived lipid mediators provide multiple functions during acute inflammation, and some lipid mediators are able to induce both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses as determined by the cell surface receptors being expressed, as well as the cell type expressing the receptors. However, little is known about how these compounds influence cellular immune activities during chronic granulomatous infectious diseases, such as leprosy. Current evidence suggests that specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) are involved in the down-modulation of the innate and adaptive immune response against M. leprae and that alteration in the homeostasis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators versus SPMs is associated with dramatic shifts in the pathogenesis of leprosy. In this review, we discuss the possible consequences and present new hypotheses for the involvement of ω3 and ω6 PUFA metabolism in the pathogenesis of leprosy. A specific emphasis is placed on developing models of lipid mediator interactions with the innate and adaptive immune responses and the influence of these interactions on the outcome of leprosy.
Genetic association of molecular traits: A help to identify causative variants in complex diseases

In the past 15 years, major progresses have been made in the understanding of the genetic basis of regulation of gene expression. These new insights have revolutionized our approach to resolve the genetic variation underlying complex diseases. Gene transcript levels were the first expression phenotypes that were studied. They are heritable and therefore amenable to genome‐wide association studies. The genetic variants that modulate them are called expression quantitative trait loci. Their study has been extended to other molecular quantitative trait loci (molQTLs) that regulate gene expression at the various levels, from chromatin state to cellular responses. Altogether, these studies have generated a wealth of basic information on the genome‐wide patterns of gene expression and their inter‐individual variation. Most importantly, molQTLs have become an invaluable asset in the genetic study of complex diseases. Although the identification of the disease‐causing variants on the basis of their overlap with molQTLs requires caution, molQTLs can help to prioritize the relevant candidate gene(s) in the disease‐associated regions and bring a functional interpretation of the associated variants, therefore, bridging the gap between genotypes and clinical phenotypes.
Characteristics of Farm Equipment‐Related Crashes Associated With Injury in Children and Adolescents on Farm Equipment

PURPOSE Operating or riding on farm equipment is one of the leading causes of farm-related injuries and fatalities among children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine environment, crash, vehicle, and occupant characteristics and the probability of injury, given a crash, in youth under age 18 on farm equipment. METHOD Data from the Departments of Transportation on farm equipment-related crashes across 9 Midwestern states from 2005-2010 were used. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression to assess the relationship between environment, crash, vehicle, and occupant characteristics and the probability of injury, given a crash. FINDINGS A total of 434 farm equipment-related crashes involved 505 child or adolescent occupants on farm equipment: 198 passengers and 307 operators. Passengers of farm equipment had 4.1 higher odds of injury than operators. Occupants who used restraints had significantly lower odds of injury than those who did not. Furthermore, occupants on farm equipment that was rear-ended or sideswiped had significantly lower odds of injury compared to occupants on farm equipment involved in noncollision crashes. Likewise, occupants on farm equipment that was impacted while turning had significantly lower odds of injury compared to those on equipment that was impacted while moving straight. CONCLUSION Precautions should be taken to limit or restrict youth from riding on or operating farm equipment. These findings reiterate the need to enforce policies that improve safety measures for youth involved in or exposed to agricultural tasks.
Target therapy of TRIM-14 inhibits osteosarcoma aggressiveness through the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway

Osteosarcoma is the most common cause of cancer-associated mortality and the prognosis is yet to be fully elucidated due to the paucity of effective therapeutic targets that significantly influence the quality of life and mean survival rates of patients with osteosarcoma. Studies have showed that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM)-14 is a member of the TRIM protein family that has a vital role in tumor progression and metastasis and promotes angiogenesis, invasion and apoptotic resistance of bone cancer. In this study, a chimeric antibody targeting TRIM-14 (Chanti-TRIM) was constructed and the molecular mechanism of target therapy for TRIM-14 was investigated in osteosarcoma cells and xenograft mice. The growth, migration and invasion properties of U-2OS cells were analyzed following incubation with 10–160 mg/ml Chanti-TRIM. Apoptosis of U-2OS cells was detected after Chanti-TRIM treatment. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9-mediated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal pathway was analyzed in U-2OS cells treated with Chanti-TRIM. The inhibitory efficacy of Chanti-TRIM was studied in U-2OS-bearing xenograft mice. Our results demonstrated that neutralizing TRIM-14 expression markedly inhibited the growth, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, in vitro and in vivo. We found that TRIM-14 depletion decreased cell viability and induced cells apoptosis in vitro. In addition, we identified Chanti-TRIM inhibited growth and promoted apoptosis induced by cisplatin through MMP-9-mediated NF-κB signal pathway. Furthermore, we observed that Chanti-TRIM treatment inhibited osteosarcoma growth in vivo. Histological analysis indicated that apoptotic bodies were increased and NF-κB nuclear translocation factors, including Ikkβ, p65 and IkBα, were decreased in tumors treated by Chanti-TRIM. In conclusion, these results showed that Chanti-TRIM markedly inhibited the progression of osteosarcoma, suggesting Chanti-TRIM may be a potential anti-cancer agent that functions via the activation of the NF-κB pathway for osteosarcoma.
Recurrent uveitis and pigment dispersion in an eye with in-the-bag acrylic foldable intraocular lens

Phacoemulsification with in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is the standard procedure for cataract surgery. Pigment dispersion and uveitis can result when an IOL is placed in the sulcus. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman, with pigmentary glaucoma, who developed recurrent uveitis following uneventful cataract surgery and an in-the-bag hydrophobic acrylic IOL implant. Recurrent uveitis did not subside despite use of topical steroids over 3 months. Dilated examination revealed capsulophimosis with anterior dislocation of the IOL haptic. The mechanical trauma to the iris due to the displaced haptic was implicated as the cause of recurrent uveitis, which completely resolved after capsular excision and IOL repositioning. This case illustrates a rare cause of recurrent uveitis due to IOL haptic dislocation following severe capsulophimosis.
Association of Serum Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Concentration With Risk for and Prognosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Importance Knowledge about the metabolic states of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may provide a therapeutic approach. Objective To investigate the association between the onset and prognosis of ALS and serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) concentration as a biomarker for insulin resistance and vitamin A metabolism. Design, Setting, and Participants Case-control design for risk factors of ALS; cohort design for prognostic factors within ALS cases. Between October 1, 2010, and June 30, 2014, a population-based case-control study with randomly selected controls was established based on the ALS Registry Swabia in southern Germany, with a target population of 8.4 million inhabitants. Response rates were 64.8% among the cases and 18.7% among the controls. The dates of analysis were April 2016 to May 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Serum samples were measured for RBP4. Information on covariates was assessed by an interview-based standardized questionnaire. Main outcomes and measures were adjusted odds ratios for risk of ALS associated with serum RBP4 concentration, as well as time to death associated with RBP4 concentration at baseline in ALS cases only. Conditional logistic regression was applied to calculate multivariable odds ratios for risk of ALS. Survival models were used in cases only to appraise their prognostic value. Results Data from 289 patients with ALS (mean [SD] age, 65.7 [10.5] years; 172 [59.5%] male) and 504 controls (mean [SD] age, 66.3 [9.8] years; 299 [59.3%] male) were included in the case-control study. Compared with controls, ALS cases were characterized by lower body mass index, less educational attainment, smoking, light occupational work intensity, and self-reported diabetes. The median serum RBP4 concentration was lower in ALS cases than in controls (54.0 vs 59.5 mg/L). In the multivariable model, increasing RBP4 concentration was associated with reduced odds for ALS (top vs bottom quartile odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.59; P for trend <.001), which persisted after further adjustment for renal function and for leptin and adiponectin. Among 279 ALS cases during a median follow-up of 14.5 months, 104 died (mean [SD] age, 68.9 [10.3] years; 56 [53.9%] male). In this ALS cohort, an inverse association was found between serum RBP4 concentration as a continuous measure and survival. Conclusions and Relevance RBP4 was inversely related to risk for and prognosis of ALS, suggesting that vitamin A metabolism or impaired insulin signaling could be involved. Further research, including a prospective design and other biological markers, is necessary to clarify the role of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of ALS.
Modeling loss aversion and biased self-attribution using a fuzzy aggregation operator

In this paper we use an agent-based stock market to study how investor performance and market predictions influence investor sentiment and confidence. Investor sentiment is modeled using a generalized average operator, which has been proposed in the fuzzy literature as an index of optimism. Our simulations show the impact of loss aversion on investor optimism, and the emergence of investor overconfidence through biased self-attribution. Computational models of financial markets show potential for studying the dynamics of investor psychology with respect to various market feedbacks, while the fuzzy aggregation operator used provides a convenient way of modeling those psychological effects.
Multiple time-lag canonical correlation analysis for removing muscular artifacts in EEG

In this work, a new approach for joint blind source separation (BSS) of datasets at multiple time lags using canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is developed for removing muscular artifacts from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. The proposed approach jointly extracts sources from each dataset in a decreasing order of between-set source correlations. Muscular artifact sources that typically have lowest between-set correlations can then be removed. It is shown theoretically that the proposed use of CCA on multiple datasets at multiple time lags achieves better BSS under a more relaxed condition and hence offers better performance in removing muscular artifacts than the conventional CCA. This is further demonstrated by experiments on real EEG data.
Quantitative analysis of the relationship between linguistic tones and melody in jingju using music scores

When lyrics of tonal languages are set to music, the pitch contour of the tones has to agree to a certain extent with the melodic contour to assure intelligibility. The relationship between the linguistic tones of the complex dialectal construct used in jingju (commonly known as Beijing or Peking opera) and its melody has been largely studied, but not definite consensus has been achieved among scholars. After reviewing the related literature, we present a first approach for the quantitative analysis of the relationship between linguistic tones and melody in jingju using a collection of machine readable music scores with tone category annotations for 7,283 syllables. We describe two statistical analyses performed in this collection regarding the melodic contour for each syllable and the pitch height relationship in 5,494 pairs of consecutive syllables. We argue that the obtained results contribute to supporting claims from the literature and complementing others, although some limitations of the approach might nuance the confidence of their validity.
Modeling the three‐dimensional structure of RNA

The limited number of RNA structures determined by X‐ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy compels the use of experimental and theoretical methods that are less precise to obtain information on RNA conformation. RNA flexibility, a consequence of rotational freedom about seven intra‐ and internucleotide bonds, is unfortunately of such magnitude that these alternate techniques fall short of providing sufficient information to build robust tertiary structures. Various RNA modeling methods, described herein, permit the organization of this structural data to the form of three‐dimensional structures. Interactive computer graphics techniques, for example, have generated several useful models. Also, conventional computer algorithms involving the minimization of empirical energy functions, previously limited to small molecules, are giving way to methods able to handle much larger molecules. Modified distance geometry and molecular mechanics algorithms, using simplified “pseudoatom” representations, can generate structures consistent with input data. A constraint satisfaction algorithm combined with discrete representations of nucleotide conformations systematically explores poorly defined regions of a molecule yielding all‐atom representations, but requires enough structural constraints to avoid a computational explosion. — Gautheret, D. , and Cedergren, R. Modeling the three‐dimensional structure of RNA. FASEB J. 7: 97‐105; 1993.
Detection of Potential Problematic Cytb Gene Sequences of Fishes in GenBank

Fishes are, by far, the most diverse group of vertebrates. Their classification relies heavily on morphology. In practice, the correct morphological identification of species often depends on personal experience because many species vary in their body shape, color and other external characters. Thus, the identification of a species may be prone to errors. Due to the rapid development of molecular biology, the number of sequences of fishes deposited in GenBank has grown explosively. These published data likely contain errors owing to invalid or incorrectly identified species. The erroneous data can lead to downstream problems. Thus, it is critical that such errors get identified and corrected. A strategy based on DNA barcoding can detect potentially erroneous data, especially when intraspecific K2P variation exceeds interspecific K2P divergence. Analyses of the most used DNA marker for fishes (mitochondrial Cytb) discovers that intraspecific differences of fishes are generally less than 1%, while interspecific differences are generally higher than 10%. Based on this ruler, our analyses identify 1,303 potential problematic Cytb sequences of fishes in GenBank and point to taxonomic problems, errors in identification, genetic introgression and other concerns. Care must be taken to avoid the perpetuation of errors when using these available data.
Spam and the social-technical gap

The runaway increase in spam cannot be stemmed by technical change alone. Spam currently constitutes up to 30 percent of all in-box messages. In these spam wars, as filters become more intelligent so do spammers' countermeasures. The continued growth of spam suggests the need for a new approach. Although most see spam as a personal problem, we suggest it is a social problem that needs a social response. Yet traditional social responses - law, courts, and the judiciary seem to work poorly in cyberspace. We propose bridging the gap between society and technology by applying social concepts to technology design.
Structural mechanisms of HECT-type ubiquitin ligases

Abstract Ubiquitin ligases (E3 enzymes) transfer ubiquitin from ubiquitin-conjugating (E2) enzymes to target proteins. By determining the selection of target proteins, modification sites on those target proteins, and the types of ubiquitin modifications that are formed, E3 enzymes are key specificity factors in ubiquitin signaling. Here, I summarize our knowledge of the structural mechanisms in the HECT E3 subfamily, many members of which play important roles in human disease. I discuss interactions of the conserved HECT domain with E2 enzymes, ubiquitin and target proteins, as well as macromolecular interactions with regulatory functions. While we understand individual steps in the catalytic cycle of HECT E3 enzymes on a structural level, this review also highlights key aspects that have yet to be elucidated. For instance, it remains unclear how diverse target proteins are presented to the catalytic center and how certain HECT E3 enzymes achieve specificity in ubiquitin linkage formation. The structural and functional properties of the N-terminal regions of HECT E3 enzymes that likely act as signaling hubs are also largely unknown. Structural insights into these aspects may open up routes for a therapeutic intervention with specific HECT E3 functions in distinct pathophysiological settings.
Evaluation of a new rapid kit, BD MGIT TBc identification test for confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

At present, three rapid kits are available globally for the confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in cultures by MPT64 antigen (MPT64 Ag) detection. These include Capilia TB, SD Bioline, and BD MGIT TBc Identification (TBcID). The third kit is yet to be validated in India. We have tested this kit and compared with SD Bioline using conventional tests as gold standard. Seventy-one MTBC (70 M. tuberculosis and one Mycobacterium bovis) and four nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) were isolated from 649 clinical specimens in MGIT 960 and/or Lowenstein–Jensen slants (LJ). MPT64 Ag was detected by both TBcID and SD Bioline kits in all the 71 clinical isolates and the reference strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv. All NTM species tested were negative by the two different kits. Thus, TBcID kit showed 100% concordance in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Rapid kits confirm MTBC cultures within 15 min in contrast to several weeks' time required by conventional techniques.
Total hip arthroplasty : State of the art, prospects and challenges

Recent problems with metallic hip joint prostheses have raised concerns about their safety. This report provides a scientific overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge in total hip arthroplasty and identifies areas where further research and actions are needed. As medical progress is generally expected to be a continuous process leading to improved medical treatment, the question must be asked why setbacks sometimes occur such as those recently witnessed with certain types of hip prostheses which were expected to be an important innovation, especially for younger and physically more active patients. The present report reviews the historical development and the state-of-the-art knowledge in total hip arthroplasty, mainly from a biomedical engineering standpoint. It explains reasons for the high innovation rate of devices for total hip arthroplasty, and deals with the problems related to early performance assessment of hip prostheses that are designed for a lifespan exceeding 20 years. Despite THA being considered a safe and cost-effective health intervention, further efforts are required to increase the longevity of hip prostheses and to reduce the incidence rate of complications in order to keep up with the increasing demand in an ageing population combined with increasing public health care budgetary restraints.