Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A pilot study of salt and water restriction in patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract International guidelines recommend low sodium intake and fluid restriction for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) despite little support from scientific research. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate if dietary restriction instructions and recommendations are effective in reducing sodium and fluid intake in patients with CHF and if such reductions affect quality of life, thirst and appetite. Design. A 12-week, prospective, randomized study with an intervention and control group. The intervention group (n=17) followed a sodium-restricted diet (2–3 g/day) and fluid restriction (1.5 L/day) while the control group (n=13) received general diet information on heart failure. Urine sodium excretion was measured on three consecutive days and para-aminobenzoic acid was used to secure urine collection. Individual dietary recommendations were provided. Results. Fluid intake was reduced in the intervention group compared with the control group from baseline to follow-up: 1.6(0.4)L to 1.2(0.5)L vs. 1.7(0.8)L to 1.6(0.9)L (p=0.04). Sodium excretion was reduced by ≥25% in 57% of the patients in the intervention group and in 25% in the control group (p=0.049). Conclusion. Patients with CHF were able to reduce sodium and fluid intake. The effects in terms of patient perceptions and clinical outcomes need to be assessed in a larger study.
Functional Characterization of Negri Bodies (NBs) in Rabies Virus-Infected Cells: Evidence that NBs Are Sites of Viral Transcription and Replication

ABSTRACT Rabies virus infection induces the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies that resemble Negri bodies found in the cytoplasm of some infected nerve cells. We have studied the morphogenesis and the role of these Negri body-like structures (NBLs) during viral infection. The results indicate that these spherical structures (one or two per cell in the initial stage of infection), composed of the viral N and P proteins, grow during the virus cycle before appearing as smaller structures at late stages of infection. We have shown that the microtubule network is not necessary for the formation of these inclusion bodies but is involved in their dynamics. In contrast, the actin network does not play any detectable role in these processes. These inclusion bodies contain Hsp70 and ubiquitinylated proteins, but they are not misfolded protein aggregates. NBLs, in fact, appear to be functional structures involved in the viral life cycle. Specifically, using in situ fluorescent hybridization techniques, we show that all viral RNAs (genome, antigenome, and every mRNA) are located inside the inclusion bodies. Significantly, short-term RNA labeling in the presence of BrUTP strongly suggests that the NBLs are the sites where viral transcription and replication take place.
Custom‐devised and generic digital enhancement of images for people with maculopathy

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectivity, in terms of the potential usefulness, of digital filters based on either contrast sensitivity (CS) or supra‐threshold contrast matching (CM) in enhancing pictures images for people with maculopathy and to investigate whether generic filters (not based on an individual’s vision loss) are equally as effective. Effectivity is measured by changes in perceived visibility.
Minkowski algebra and Banach Contraction Principle in set invariance for linear discrete time systems

This paper re-examines the minimality of invariant sets for linear discrete time systems subject to bounded, additive, uncertainty in view of the theoretical framework reported by Artstein and Rakovic. The existence and uniqueness of the minimal invariant set are proven directly, under standard assumptions, by using the Banach fixed point theorem. The fundamentals of the Minkowski algebra and the Banach contraction principle are then utilized to provide characterization of a novel family of invariant sets. Members of this family can be, under modest assumptions, computed fairly efficiently. The unique feature of the characterized family is that it contains invariant sets that are characterized explicitly for any non-negative integer in strong contrast to the existing results in the literature. The corresponding computational considerations and a potential application are outlined. An illuminating example is also provided.
A cross-sectional study examining the pattern of childhood obesity in Leeds: affluence is not protective

Background The aim of this paper was to investigate variations in childhood obesity globally and spatially at the micro-level across Leeds. Methods Body mass index data from three sources were used. Children were aged 3–13 years. Obesity was defined as above the 98th centile (British reference dataset). The data were analysed by age group and gender, then tested for significant micro-level hot spots of childhood obesity using a spatial scan statistic and a two-level multilevel model. Results Older children (13 years) were 2.5 times (95% CI 2.1 to 3.1) more likely to be obese than younger children (3 years). Childhood obesity was significantly associated with deprived and affluent areas. ‘Blue collar communities,’ ‘Constrained by circumstances’ and ‘Multicultural’ had significantly higher (relative risk (RR): 1.1, 1.2, 1.2; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.2, 1.1 to 1.2, 1.1 to 1.3, respectively) obesity levels, and ‘Typical traits’ and ‘Prospering suburbs’ had significantly lower (RR: 0.9, 0.8; 95% CI 0.8 to 1.0, 0.7 to 0.9, respectively) obesity levels. In the unadjusted model, obesity ‘hot spots’ were found in deprived (RR 1.5) and affluent (RR 6.1) areas. After adjusting for demographic covariates, hot spots were found only in affluent areas (RR 1.6 to 1.9), and cold spots in affluent (RR 1.3 to 4.4) and deprived (RR up to 1.1) areas. Conclusion These results suggest there is either a spread of obesity across socio-economic groups and/or something special about the high-/low-prevalence areas that affects the likelihood of obesity. The microlevel spatial analyses displayed the variations in obesity across Leeds thoroughly, identifying high-risk populations.
Preventing Respiratory Viral Transmission in Long-Term Care: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Healthcare Personnel

OBJECTIVE To examine knowledge and attitudes about influenza vaccination and infection prevention practices among healthcare personnel (HCP) in a long-term-care (LTC) setting. DESIGN Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey. SETTING An LTC facility in St Louis, Missouri. PARTICIPANTS All HCP working at the LTC facility were eligible to participate, regardless of department or position. Of 170 full- and part-time HCP working at the facility, 73 completed the survey, a 42.9% response rate. RESULTS Most HCP agreed that respiratory viral infections were serious and that hand hygiene and face mask use were protective. However, only 46% could describe the correct transmission-based precautions for an influenza patient. Correctly answering infection prevention knowledge questions did not vary by years of experience but did vary for HCP with more direct patient contact versus less patient contact. Furthermore, 42% of respondents reported working while sick, and 56% reported that their coworkers did. In addition, 54% reported that facility policies made staying home while ill difficult. Some respondents expressed concerns about the safety (22%) and effectiveness (27%) of the influenza vaccine, and 28% of respondents stated that they would not get the influenza vaccine if it was not required. CONCLUSIONS This survey of staff in an LTC facility identified several areas for policy improvement, particularly sick leave, as well as potential targets for interventions to improve infection prevention knowledge and to address HCP concerns about influenza vaccination to improve HCP vaccination rates in LTCs. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1449–1456
Education level and coronary risk factors in Australians

There is an inverse association between social class ranking and mortality from coronary heart disease in Australia and in some other countries. To explain whether this association is related to differences in risk factors, the relationship between coronary risk factors and the highest level of education completed was explored for a reasonably representative cross‐section of the adult Australian population. After adjustment for the effects of age, relative weight and alcohol intake, blood pressure was found to vary inversely with education level in both sexes. In men only plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels showed no significant variation with education level. In women, plasma triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels varied inversely with education level after adjustment. There was less cigarette smoking among more highly educated men but no clear smoking trends among women. The findings broadly confirm the results of similar analyses which used occupation as the measure of social class and have implications for future community education programmes in that present strategies may be inappropriate for less highly‐educated members of society.
CHRONIC EFFECTS OF ANGIOTENSIN II and AT1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS IN SUBFORNICAL ORGAN‐LESIONED RATS

1. Angiotensin (Ang) II is known to exert some of its effects centrally via circumventricular organs. These unique central nervous system areas lack the normal blood–brain barrier and, therefore, allow peptide hormones access to the brain. Of these, the subfornical organ (SFO) has been shown to be involved in many of the acute dipsogenic and pressor effects of AngII, but much less is known about the role of the SFO in the chronic effects of AngII. We hypothesized that the SFO is a central site involved in the chronic hypotensive effects of endogenous AT1 receptor blockade, as well as the chronic hypertensive effects of exogenously administered AngII.
Tourists’ online reviews of convention centers

Abstract Investigating both the valence of online reviews and convention centers’ performance is an effective approach towards understanding convention center visitors’ needs, wants, and expectations. Understanding convention center experiences from the customer perspective can improve venue services and event products for both convention centers and event organizers in a business-to-business context. This study examined TripAdvisor online reviews using a combined automated and non-automated content analysis to explore the dynamic experiences of convention centers. The dual analysis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics resulted in the identification of key concepts, satisfaction/dissatisfaction factors, center-and event-related complaint issues, and tips/suggestions.
A contactless bi-directional power interface for plug-in hybrid vehicles

The alarming rate, at which global energy reserves are depleting, is a major worldwide concern at economic, environmental, industrial and community levels. A partial solution to this crisis is the use of decentralized generations (DG) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) plug-in electric vehicles. This paper presents a novel multiple pick-up bidirectional inductive power transfer (IPT) system, which enables efficient and contactless integration of hybrid vehicles into typical DG systems. The proposed system uses a reversible rectifier on each side of the contactless IPT system to control both the amount and direction of power flow through phase modulation. Simulation results suggest that the proposed bidirectional V2G IPT link is feasible, and it is expected to gain popularity amongst both commercial and residential users.
Vacuolating Cytotoxin of Helicobacter pylori Plays a Role during Colonization in a Mouse Model of Infection

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of gastritis and ulcer disease in humans, secretes a toxin called VacA (vacuolating cytotoxin) into culture supernatants. VacA was initially characterized and purified on the basis of its ability to induce the formation of intracellular vacuoles in tissue culture cells. H. pyloristrains possessing different alleles of vacA differ in their ability to express active toxin. Those strains expressing higher toxin levels are correlated with more severe gastric disease. However, the specific role(s) played by VacA during the course of infection and disease is not clear. We have used a mouse model of H. pylori infection to begin to address this role. A null mutation of vacA compromises H. pylori in its ability to initially establish infection. If an infection by a vacAmutant is established, the bacterial load and degree of inflammation are similar to those associated with an isogenic wild-type strain. Thus, in this infection model, vacA plays a role in the initial colonization of the host, suggesting that strains of H. pylori expressing active alleles of vacA may be better adapted for host-to-host transmission.
Bacterial Protein Secretion Is Required for Priming of CD8+ T Cells Specific for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen CFP10

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection elicits antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that are required to control disease. It is unknown how the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway samples mycobacterial antigens. CFP10 and ESAT6 are important virulence factors secreted by M. tuberculosis, and they are immunodominant targets of the human and murine T-cell response. Here, we test the hypothesis that CFP10 secretion by M. tuberculosis is required for the priming of CD8+ T cells in vivo. Our results reveal an explicit dependence upon the bacterial secretion of the CFP10 antigen for the induction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in vivo. By using well-defined M. tuberculosis mutants and carefully controlling for virulence, we show that ESX-1 function is required for the priming of CD8+ T cells specific for CFP10. CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses to mycobacterial antigens secreted independently of ESX-1 were unaffected, suggesting that ESX-1-dependent phagosomal escape is not required for CD8+ T-cell priming during infection. We propose that the overrepresentation of secreted proteins as dominant targets of the CD8+ T-cell response during M. tuberculosis infection is a consequence of their preferential sampling by the MHC-I pathway. The implications of these findings should be considered in all models of antigen presentation during M. tuberculosis infection and in vaccine development.
Modulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor Apoptosis-inducing Ligand- induced NF-κB Activation by Inhibition of Apical Caspases*

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF family, induces apoptosis in many transformed cells. We report TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation, concomitant with production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-8 in the relatively TRAIL-insensitive cell line, HEK293. In contrast, TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation occurred in HeLa cells only upon pretreatment with the caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-(OMe) fluoromethyl ketone (z-VAD.fmk), indicating that this was due to a caspase-sensitive component of TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation. NF-κB activation was mediated by the death receptors, TRAIL-R1 and -R2, but not by TRAIL-R3 or -R4 and was only observed in HeLa cells in the presence of z-VAD.fmk. Receptor-interacting protein, an obligatory component of TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation, was cleaved during TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We show that receptor-interacting protein is recruited to the native TRAIL death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and that recruitment is enhanced in the presence of z-VAD.fmk, thus providing an explanation for the potentiation of TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation by z-VAD.fmk in TRAIL-sensitive cell lines. Examination of the TRAIL DISC in sensitive and resistant cells suggests that a high ratio of c-FLIP to caspase-8 may partially explain cellular resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis was also modulated by inhibition or activation of NF-κB. Thus, in some contexts, modulation of NF-κB activation possibly at the level of apical caspase activation at the DISC may be a key determinant of sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
Does sexual violence contribute to elevated rates of anxiety and depression in females?

Background. It is well documented that females have higher rates of internalizing disorders (anxiety, depression) than males. It is also well known that females have higher exposure to childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. Recently, it has been proposed that the higher levels of internalizing disorders in females may be caused by their greater exposure to sexual violence. Method. Data were gathered as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study. In this study a cohort of 1265 children born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1977 have been studied from birth to age 21 years. The measures collected included: major depression and anxiety, childhood sexual abuse and adolescent sexual assault. Results. Findings confirmed the established conclusion that internalizing disorders are over twice as common in females than males (ORs 2·2–2·7). In addition, it was found that females were exposed to higher rates of sexual violence than males (ORs 5·1–8·4). Statistical control for gender related differences in exposure to sexual violence reduced the associations between gender and anxiety and depression. Nonetheless, even after such control, gender was significantly (P<0·0001) related to both anxiety (OR = 1·8; 95% CI, 1·3–2·4) and depression (OR = 1·9; 95% CI, 1·4–2·3). Conclusions. Greater female exposure to sexual violence may be a factor that contributes to greater female susceptibility to internalizing disorders. However, even after adjustment for gender differences in exposure to sexual violence it is clear that a substantial relationship between gender and internalizing disorder persists.
Long‐term vs. short‐term processes regulating REM sleep

In cats, rats, and mice, the amount of rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) lost during a sleep deprivation (SD) predicts the subsequent REMS rebound during recovery sleep. This suggests that REMS is homeostatically regulated and that a need or pressure for REMS accumulates in its absence, i.e. during both wakefulness and non‐rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS). Conversely, it has been proposed that REMS pressure accumulates exclusively during NREMS [Benington and Heller, Am. J. Physiol. 266 (1994) R1992; Prog. Neurobiol. 44 (1994b) 433]. This hypothesis is based on the analysis of the duration of successive NREMS and REMS episodes and of electroencephalogram (EEG) events preceding REMS. Pre‐REMS events (PREs) do not always result in sustained REMS and can thus be regarded as REMS attempts that increase as NREMS progresses. It is assumed that two processes regulating REMS can resolve the apparent contradiction between these two concepts: a `long‐term' process that homeostatically regulates the daily REMS amount and a `short‐term' process that regulates the NREM–REMS cycle. These issues were addressed in two SD experiments in rats. The two SDs varied in length (12 and 24 h) and resulted in very similar compensatory changes in NREMS but evoked very different changes for all REMS parameters studied. The large REMS increase observed after 24‐h SD was accompanied by a reduction in unsuccessful PREs and an increase in sustained REMS episodes, together resulting in a threefold increase in the success‐rate to enter REMS. Changes in success‐rate matched those of a theoretically derived long‐term REMS pressure. The SD induced changes in sleep architecture could be reproduced by assuming that the increased long‐term REMS pressure interacts with the short‐term process by increasing the probability to enter and remain in REMS.
Temporal Expression Patterns of Clock Genes and Aquaporin 5/Anoctamin 1 in Rat Submandibular Gland Cells

Circadian rhythms are essential for health and regulate various physiological functions. These rhythms are regulated by a negative-feedback loop involving clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral tissues. The rate of secretion of salivary substances, ions, and water follows a circadian rhythm, however, the relationship between the molecular mechanism of salivary secretion and peripheral circadian rhythm is not yet clear. Anoctamin 1 (ANO1, also known as TMEM16A) and Aquaporin 5 (AQP5) play an important role in the transport of ions and water in the submandibular glands (SGs). We examined the interaction between the rhythmic expression pattern of the clock genes, Ano1 and Aqp5, in rat whole SGs as well as isolated acinar and ductal cells. Circadian rhythmic expression for Bmal1, Per1, Per2, Clock, Cry1, Cry2, Rorα, and Rev-erbα mRNAs, also called the clock genes, was observed in rat SGs by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. We also observed rhythmic patterns in Ano1 and Aqp5 mRNA expression. The expression of ANO1 protein also showed circadian rhythm, as confirmed by western blot analysis. We could not observe any time delay between the peak expression of ANO1 protein and its mRNA. Expression levels of the clock gene mRNAs in the ductal cells was higher than that in acinar cells, however, rhythmic oscillations were observed in both. Our results suggest that SGs have peripheral clocks, and rhythmic expressions of Ano1 and Aqp5 along with the clock genes, may play an important role in the circadian regulation of salivary secretion.
Modification of IEEE model for metal oxide arresters against transient impulses using genetic algorithms

Dynamic characteristics of zinc oxide arresters are of great importance in studies related to steep front impulse currents. Several models are suggested up to now for frequency analysis simulations with acceptable validity. In this paper, different electrical models which are represented for analysis of transient states, are investigated and then using simulations and comparison between experimental and simulation wave forms, a model is tried to obtain which is more similar to the reality in quantity (number of elements) and in quality (wave form). Within existing models, IEEE model is very suitable in quantity and quality but it looses its efficiency because of absence of residue voltage caused by switching current in most producers' catalogue (the test is very complex) and therefore troubles modeling of this type. In this paper, a special genetic algorithm is represented to correct IEEE model. Considering that the mentioned method represents very acceptable results in the range of current surge wave front time from 0.5 musec to 45 musec, it is possible to reach a model with appropriate parameter values using a standard impulse (8/20 musec) and one other arbitrary wave with try and error method and finally by stating correcting method for IEEE model, related results are investigated and compared with other models.