Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alterations in human milk leptin and insulin are associated with early changes in the infant intestinal microbiome.

BACKGROUND Increased maternal body mass index (BMI) is a robust risk factor for later pediatric obesity. Accumulating evidence suggests that human milk (HM) may attenuate the transfer of obesity from mother to offspring, potentially through its effects on early development of the infant microbiome. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to identify early differences in intestinal microbiota in a cohort of breastfeeding infants born to obese compared with normal-weight (NW) mothers. We also investigated relations between HM hormones (leptin and insulin) and both the taxonomic and functional potentials of the infant microbiome. DESIGN Clinical data and infant stool and fasting HM samples were collected from 18 NW [prepregnancy BMI (in kg/m(2)) <24.0] and 12 obese (prepregnancy BMI >30.0) mothers and their exclusively breastfed infants at 2 wk postpartum. Infant body composition at 2 wk was determined by air-displacement plethysmography. Infant gastrointestinal microbes were estimated by using 16S amplicon and whole-genome sequencing. HM insulin and leptin were determined by ELISA; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured in stool samples by using gas chromatography. Power was set at 80%. RESULTS Infants born to obese mothers were exposed to 2-fold higher HM insulin and leptin concentrations (P < 0.01) and showed a significant reduction in the early pioneering bacteria Gammaproteobacteria (P = 0.03) and exhibited a trend for elevated total SCFA content (P < 0.06). Independent of maternal prepregnancy BMI, HM insulin was positively associated with both microbial taxonomic diversity (P = 0.03) and Gammaproteobacteria (e.g., Enterobacteriaceae; P = 0.04) and was negatively associated with Lactobacillales (e.g., Streptococcaceae; P = 0.05). Metagenomic analysis showed that HM leptin and insulin were associated with decreased bacterial proteases, which are implicated in intestinal permeability, and reduced concentrations of pyruvate kinase, a biomarker of pediatric gastrointestinal inflammation. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that, although maternal obesity may adversely affect the early infant intestinal microbiome, HM insulin and leptin are independently associated with beneficial microbial metabolic pathways predicted to increase intestinal barrier function and reduce intestinal inflammation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01693406.
Preliminary baropodometric analysis of young soccer players while walking: geometric morphometrics and comparative evaluation.

AIM The plantar support and its modifications are widely studied because of their bearing on posture. In particular, past studies have focused on the support modification during specific athletic tasks to highlight the eventual correlations between foot type and the most frequent sport injuries, due to intrinsic and extrinsic components that involve the structural and functional dynamics that act on the plantar vault during static and dynamic condition. These studies have been conducted by analyzing the morphological variation of the footprint during the performance. METHODS In the present study the variation in shape of the baropodometrical footprint of young soccer players, has been analyzed using geometric morphometrics. This approach permits a quantification of the morphological variation of the subjects using Cartesian coordinates placed at specific points on the footprint outline, and to correlate them with physical variables. RESULTS In the present study the young soccer players displayed a narrowing of the footprint due to a transversal variation on the isthmus, when compared to children of the same age who did not play soccer. These results suggest a physiological and biomechanical organization of the foot type in soccer due to the specific athletic tasks involved. CONCLUSION As the foot type, in sport, is strictly associated to recurrent injuries, the result obtained in this study should be considered as indicative for future analysis. In fact, a clear and univocal knowledge of this phenomenon would be useful in the planning of a training protocol to reduce the incidence of sport related injuries.
Numerical experience with a derivative-free trust-funnel method for nonlinear optimization problems with general nonlinear constraints

A trust-funnel method is proposed for solving nonlinear optimization problems with general nonlinear constraints. It extends the one presented by Gould and Toint [Nonlinear programming without a penalty function or a filter. Math. Prog. 122(1):155–196, 2010], originally proposed for equality-constrained optimization problems only, to problems with both equality and inequality constraints and where simple bounds are also considered. As the original one, our method makes use of neither filter nor penalty functions and considers the objective function and the constraints as independently as possible. To handle the bounds, an active-set approach is employed. We then exploit techniques developed for derivative-free optimization (DFO) to obtain a method that can also be used to solve problems where the derivatives are unavailable or are available at a prohibitive cost. The resulting approach extends the DEFT-FUNNEL algorithm presented by Sampaio and Toint [A derivative-free trust-funnel method for equality-constrained nonlinear optimization. Comput. Optim. Appl. 61(1):25–49, 2015], which implements a derivative-free trust-funnel method for equality-constrained problems. Numerical experiments with the extended algorithm show that our approach compares favourably to other well-known model-based algorithms for DFO.
Large Graphs with Given Degree and Diameter&#8212;Part I

The following problem arises in the study of interconnection networks: find graphs of given diameter and degree having the maximum number of vertices. In this correspondence we give some constructions of graphs proving in particular that lim△∞inf N(△, D). △-D ≥ 2-D, where N(△, D) is the maximum number of vertices of a graph with degree A and diameter D.
Appropriate secondary absolute erythrocytosis in a horse

ERYTHROCYTOSIS is an increase in red blood cell (RBC) count. Relative erythrocytosis, as caused by dehydration-related haemoconcentration or splenic contraction, is more common (Watson 2000) than absolute erythrocytosis, in which there is an actual increase in the number of RBCs. Absolute erythrocytosis can be primary or secondary (Lording 2008) and is uncommon in horses (Munoz and others 2009, Sellon and Wise 2010). Primary erythrocytosis is characterised by a proliferation of cells of the erythroid lineage without an increase in erythropoietin (Collatos 2003). Secondary erythrocytosis involves an increase in erythropoietin and can be appropriate (in response to tissue hypoxaemia), as in congenital cardiovascular disease, severe chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular conditions, high altitude or changes in haemoglobin (Watson 2000, Thrall 2004), or inappropriate. Inappropriate erythrocytosis involves the release of erythropoietin or erythropoietin-like substances in response to renal hypoxia or neoplasia (Lennox and others 2000, Thrall 2004, Koch and others 2006). If the haematocrit rises above 60 per cent, the advantages of greater oxygen transport are overcome by the harmful effects of increased blood viscosity (Watson 2000, Thrall 2004). In horses, the most prominent clinical signs are lethargy, weight loss, dark-coloured blood, deep red to purple mucous membranes, normal to slightly elevated capillary refill time, tachycardia and tachypnoea, mild cyanosis, haemorrhagic episodes and thrombosis (McFarlane and others 1998, Watson 2000, Collatos 2003, Thrall 2004, Sellon and Wise 2010). Congenital cardiac anomalies are the main cause of absolute erythrocytosis in large animals. Erythrocytosis …
Quality of Life Outcomes in Chinese Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Background: Patient‐centered outcomes for Chinese implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients have not been previously studied. This study examined health‐related quality of life (HRQL) and its relation with ICD shock‐related anxiety, ICD shock, patient acceptance of the ICD, and demographic and clinical characteristics among a sample of Chinese ICD patients.
Silastic Medialization and Arytenoid Adduction: The Vanderbilt Experience

From April 1987 to April 1992, 116 phonosurgical procedures were performed to treat glottal incompetence. The initial numbers of these surgical procedures included the following: 29 primary Silastic medializations, 3 primary Silastic medializations with arytenoid adduction, 53 secondary Silastic medializations, 4 secondary Silastic medializations with arytenoid adduction, and 11 bilateral Silastic medializations. These procedures are useful in treating unilateral true vocal cord paralysis, scarring, bowing, or paresis, as well as bilateral true vocal cord bowing. Of the initial 100 patients, 16 later underwent a revision with either a larger implant's being placed or an arytenoid adduction. Primary Silastic medialization is the placement of an implant under general anesthesia in the same surgical setting in which laryngeal innervation is sacrificed. Secondary Silastic medialization is the placement of an implant under local anesthesia for a preexistent vocal cord malfunction. In either case, overall voice results for unilateral paralysis are very good. Primary Silastic medialization significantly decreases the postoperative rehabilitation period in skull base patients because of the immediate postoperative glottal competence and decreased use of perioperative tracheotomy. Bilateral implants yielded good results in 6 patients with presbylaryngis, but 6 other patients with bowing from other causes experienced only moderate improvement in speech quality. There were no implant extrusions; however, 1 implant was removed secondary to a persistent laryngocutaneous fistula in a patient who had previously undergone laryngeal irradiation. This was the only complication in this series.
Symptoms, Nutrition, Pressure Ulcers, and Return to Community Among Older Women With Heart Failure at Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Pilot Study

Background: Mortality rate is high for older women with heart failure (HF) who are discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) after hospitalization, but little is known about their symptoms, nutritional factors, and pressure ulcer status and whether these variables predict the women’s return to the community. Objectives: The aims of this study are to characterize symptoms (ie, dyspnea, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and pain) and nutritional and pressure ulcer status, evaluate relationships among symptoms, and examine predictors of return to the community among older women with HF admitted to SNFs. Methods: In this pilot observational study, data were collected retrospectively from the electronic medical records and the Minimum Data Set 3.0. Results: Data were obtained for 45 women with HF (mean age, 84.8 years). Frequency of symptoms was dyspnea 18%, cognitive dysfunction 20%, depression 5%, and pain 78%. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.8 kg/m2. Frequency of pressure ulcer risk was 85% and 18% had pressure ulcers. The 4 symptoms were not significantly related. Younger age (odds ratio, 0.90; P = .023) and BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater (odds ratio, 5.31; P = .017) predicted return to the community. Conclusions: The women in this study had frequent pain, moderately frequent cognitive dysfunction, and high pressure ulcer risk. Surprisingly, few women had dyspnea or depression. Women who were younger with higher BMI were more likely to return to the community. The study needs to be replicated in a larger more diverse group of older patients with HF.
IN VITRO ANTICANDIDAL ACTIVITY OF PIMENTA DIOICA ( ALLSPICE ) ESSENTIAL OIL AGAINST CLINICAL ISOLATES OF CANDIDA ALBICANS AND NON-ALBICANS CANDIDA

The antimicrobial property of volatile aromatic oils from medicinal as well as other edible plants has been recognized since antiquity. Candida species are an important cause of opportunistic infections in the oral cavity of immunocompromised patients and vaginal candidiasis. The antifungal activity of the essential oil of Pimento dioica (allspice oil) was investigated against 75 clinical isolates of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida. Sensitivity profile of clinical isolates to undiluted and diluted (3:1, 2:2 and 1:3) allspice oil was evaluated by disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were evaluated by broth microdilution and broth macrodilution method. Allspice oil effectively inhibited all clinical isolates of C. albicans and non-albicans Candida with growth inhibition zones ranging from 24 to 44 mm. Allspice oil inhibited C. albicans growth with mean minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.98 μl/ml (v/v) and 1.14 μl/ml (v/v) by broth micro dilution and broth macrodilution method, respectively. The clinical isolates of C. albicans required as high as 1.25 μl/ml (v/v) concentration of allspice oil for its inhibition by both methods. The isolates of non-albicans Candida showed MIC range of 0.15 – 2.50 μl/ml (v/v) by broth microdilution and 0.31 – 2.50 μl/ml (v/v) broth macrodilution. The isolates of C. krusei exhibited higher sensitivity to allspice oil than other isolates with lowest MIC of 0.15 μl/ml (v/v).
Load Balancing in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing" is a term, which involves virtualization, distributed computing, networking, software and web services. A cloud consists of several elements such as clients, datacenter and distributed servers. It includes fault tolerance, high availability, scalability, flexibility, reduced overhead for users, reduced cost of ownership, on demand services etc. Central to these issues lays the establishment of an effective load balancing algorithm. The load can be CPU load, memory capacity, delay or network load. Load balancing is the process of distributing the load among various nodes of a distributed system to improve both resource utilization and job response time while also avoiding a situation where some of the nodes are heavily loaded while other nodes are idle or doing very little work. Load balancing ensures that all the processor in the system or every node in the network does approximately the equal amount of work at any instant of time.
Downregulation of Multiple Stress Defense Mechanisms During Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Evolutionary theory predicts that cellular maintenance, stress defense, and DNA repair mechanisms should be most active in germ line cells, including embryonic stem cells that can differentiate into germ line cells, whereas it would be energetically unfavorable to keep these up in mortal somatic cells. We tested this hypothesis by examining telomere maintenance, oxidative stress generation, and genes involved in antioxidant defense and DNA repair during spontaneous differentiation of two human embryonic stem cell lines. Telomerase activity was quickly downregulated during differentiation, probably due to deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 at the hTERT promoter and deacetylation of histone H3 at hTR promoter. Telomere length decreased accordingly. Mitochondrial superoxide production and cellular levels of reactive oxygen species increased as result of increased mitochondrial biogenesis. The expression of major antioxidant genes was downregulated despite this increased oxidative stress. DNA damage levels increased during differentiation, whereas expression of genes involved in different types of DNA repair decreased. These results confirm earlier data obtained during mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation and are in accordance with evolutionary predictions.
Assessment of the Thrombogenic Effect of Fibrin Sealant Dressing in a Vascular Surgery Model in Rabbits

This study's objective was to investigate the potential thrombogenic effects of thrombin-containing fibrin sealant dressings (FSD) in a vascular repair model. Oval-shaped pieces of the rabbit abdominal aorta and vena cava were excised, the injuries were repaired with FSD, and animals were allowed to recover. Thrombus formation was examined by (1) an infusion of indium-labeled platelets into the rabbits following FSD application and estimation of total number of platelets attached to the wounds at 2, 4, and 6 h later (short-term effect, n = 12); and by (2) morphological and histological examinations of the vessels and dressings on days 1, 3, and 7 after repair operation in another group of rabbits (long-term effect, n = 12). Application of FSD sealed the vascular injures and produced immediate hemostasis that was stable up to 1 week. The highest numbers of platelets (both native and labeled) adhered to the arterial and venous repair sites were 6.5 × 106 and 4.4 × 107, respectively, 6 h after operation. The adhered platelets, however, did not form a visible and clinically significant thrombus. In long-term experiments, no evidence of thrombus was found in the lumens of the repaired vessels or on the dressings, and no microthrombi were detected histologically in other tissues at any time point. Although vena caval injuries showed signs of healing at day 7 postoperatively, the aortic wounds expanded progressively (pseudoaneurysm) and were prone to rupture at later times. Thus, direct exposure of FSD does not cause intravascular thrombosis or thrombotic events in rabbits. The dressing appears to be safe and effective for short-term repair of vascular injuries. It may also allow healing of minor venous defects, but cannot replace conventional surgical techniques (suturing) for permanent repair of arterial damages.
Feedback linearization and fuzzy control for conical magnetic bearings

Conical magnetic bearings with radial and thrust (axial) control using the input-output feedback linearization method are considered. By suitable selection of nine output variables, the nonlinear magnetic bearing system is transformed to nine linear decoupled subsystems with no internal dynamics using feedback linearization control. Furthermore, a hybrid approach integrating feedback linearization and fuzzy control is proposed for improving the transient performance and robustness of the nonlinear magnetic bearings. Computer simulations are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for simultaneous rotor-shaft speed tracking control and gap deviations regulation.
Balloon Dilatation in the Treatment of Ureteral Stenosis in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Objective: To assess the usefulness of balloon percutaneous dilatation as a starting treatment technique of ureteral stenosis in kidney transplant recipients. Patients and Methods: A total of 472 kidney transplants have been performed at our center between August 1981 and January 1997. The coexistence of high creatinine values and urinary tract dilatation in the postoperative period, after discarding concomitant causes, was managed with a percutaneous nephrostomy. Once renal function had recovered, antegrade pyelography was performed to confirm ureteral stenosis and to determine its location. The dilatations are performed by means of 5-french balloon-fitted angioplasty catheters. Results: Thirty patients were diagnosed with ureteral stenosis during follow-up, i.e. an incidence of 6.3%. Transluminal balloon dilatation was made as a first therapeutic option in 18 cases. No immediate complications were observed following dilatation. Disappearance of the stenosis as well as maintenance of the improvement in creatinine levels were verified in 39% of cases (7 patients). Conclusions: Ureteral stenosis in kidney transplant recipients should be included as part of the differential diagnosis when there is a deterioration in renal function. Balloon dilatation is the technique chosen as initial treatment of juxtavesical ureteral stenosis because of its good reproducibility and its low morbidity.
A new antifungal eudesmanolide glycoside isolated from Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. (Family Compositae)

Abstract A new antifungal eudesmanolide glycoside 11,13-dihydro-3-O-(β-digitoxopyranose)-7α-hydroxy eudasman-6,12-olide (2) in addition to known compounds 1 and 3, has been isolated from Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. Its structure was determined by spectral analysis (UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrum).
Computer Three‐Dimensional Anatomical Reconstruction of the Human Sinus Node and a Novel Paranodal Area

We have previously shown in rabbit that the pacemaker of the heart (the sinus node) is widespread and matches the wide distribution of the leading pacemaker site within the right atrium. There is, however, uncertainty about the precise location of the pacemaker in human heart, and its spatial relationships with the surrounding right atrial muscle. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the distribution of the sinus node tissue in a series of healthy human hearts and, for one of the hearts to construct a computer three‐dimensional anatomical model of the sinus node, including the likely orientation of myocytes. A combination of experimental techniques—diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT‐MRI), histology, immunohistochemistry, image processing and computer modelling—was used. Our data show that the sinus node was larger than in previous studies and, most importantly, we identified a previously unknown area running alongside the sinus node (the “paranodal area”), which is even more extensive than the sinus node. This area possesses properties of both nodal and atrial tissues and may have a role in pacemaking. For example, it could explain the wide spread distribution of the leading pacemaker site in human right atrium, a phenomenon known as the wandering pacemaker observed in clinics. In summary, a novel 3D anatomical reconstruction presents a new picture of the distribution of nodal cells within the human right atrium. Anat Rec, , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The biochemistry of the complications of diabetes mellitus.

PERSPECflVES AND SUMMARY . 385 HEMATOLOGIC ABNORMALITIES 388 Introduction 388 Red Blood Cells 388 Platelets 392 Plasma Proteins . 395 CATARAcrs 397 MICROANGIOPATHY 399 Kidney 399 Retina: Morphologic, Functional, and Biochemical Changes 408 Role a/Growth Hormone 410 NEUROPATHy 411 Morphological and Functional Changes 411 Biochemical Alterations 413 MACROANGIOPATHY . 416 Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins 416 Arterial Wall 419 DIABETIC COMPLICATIONS AND THE DEGREE OF METABOLIC DYSFUNCfION 420
A simple core loss modeling for three-phase PWM voltage source converters

This paper presents a simple core loss modeling approach for an inductor of three-phase voltage source converter (VSC) under pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. The inductor core loss calculation in PWM VSCs is challenging since the current ripple and its duty cycle are varying in each switching cycle. To calculate the core loss, however, generating the loss map as a common method is complicated and time consuming. This paper presents a new modeling method in which the minor B-H loops are categorized according the average dc bias and ac current ripple. The core loss is then modeled via calculating the power loss of averaged minor B-H loop in each category. On the other hand, unlike the loss map method, the presented model needs less iteration to find the core loss. Moreover, in this paper, the effect of dc pre-magnetization is investigated by measuring its influence on the core. As a case study, the core loss of an inductor has been calculated and the experimental results are presented. The inductor is designed with a toroidal Kool Mu powder core for a 5 kW three-phase PWM VSC.