Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arsenic Methylation, Urinary Arsenic Metabolites and Human Diseases: Current Perspective

Arsenic can cause cancerous and non-cancerous human diseases. Inorganic arsenic from drinking water is the most common source of human exposure. Pentavalent arsenate can be reduced to trivalent arsenite in the blood, which is taken up mainly in the liver and metabolized by a sequence of reduction and oxidative methylation. A proportion of the inorganic arsenicals together with methylated metabolites are excreted in urine. Analyses of the urinary arsenic profile can give a hint to the methylation capacity of exposed individuals. All studies evaluating the association between urinary arsenic profiles and human diseases nowadays measure mainly the inorganic arsenate and arsenite and the two organic forms of methylated metabolites: the pentavalent form of monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV). A review of the current literature suggests that reduced methylation capacity with increased MMAV percentage, decreased DMAV percentage, or decreased DMAV/MMAV is associated with skin lesions, skin cancer, bladder cancer, peripheral vascular disease, muscle cramps and structural chromosome aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes obtained from exposed subjects. The detection of the recently identified more toxic trivalent forms of methylated metabolites in urine awaits further confirmation.
Orexin and MCH neurons express c‐Fos differently after sleep deprivation vs. recovery and bear different adrenergic receptors

Though overlapping in distribution within the posterior hypothalamus, neurons containing orexin (Orx) and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) may play different roles in the regulation of behavioural state. In the present study in rats, we tested whether they express c‐Fos differently after total sleep deprivation (SD) vs. sleep recovery (SR). Whereas c‐Fos expression was increased in Orx neurons after SD, it was increased in MCH neurons after SR. We reasoned that Orx and MCH neurons could be differently modulated by noradrenaline (NA) and accordingly bear different adrenergic receptors (ARs). Of all Orx neurons (estimated at ≈6700), substantial numbers were immunostained for the α1A‐AR, including cells expressing c‐Fos after SD. Yet, substantial numbers were also immunostained for the α2A‐AR, also including cells expressing c‐Fos after SD. Of all MCH neurons (estimated at ≈12 300), rare neurons were immunostained for the α1A‐AR, whereas significant numbers were immunostained for the α2A‐AR, including cells expressing c‐Fos after SR. We conclude that Orx neurons may act to sustain waking during sleep deprivation, whereas MCH neurons may act to promote sleep following sustained waking. Some Orx neurons would participate in the maintenance of waking during deprivation when excited by NA through α1‐ARs, whereas MCH neurons would participate in sleep recovery after deprivation when released from inhibition by NA through α2‐ARs. On the other hand, under certain conditions, Orx neurons may also be submitted to an inhibitory influence by NA through α2‐ARs.
Controlling the Generation and Function of Human CD8+ Memory T Cells In Vitro with Immunosuppressants

Background. Memory T cells play a pivotal role in acute and chronic rejection of transplanted organs. Novel therapies such as alemtuzumab and the identification of heterologous memory have highlighted their importance following transplantation. Unlike naive T cells, the influence of immunosuppressive agents on the de novo generation of memory T cells and on the function of pre-existing memory T cells is poorly understood. Method. CD8+ effector memory T cells (Tem, CD45RA−, CCR7−) were generated by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells for five days with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies, followed by nine days of rest. The influence of immunosuppression on this was assessed by flow cytometry. Tem that had been naturally formed in vivo were used to study the influence of the same agents on the function (intracellular interferon-&ggr; production) of Tem cells. Results. Whereas all the immunosuppressive agents tested inhibited the expansion of CD8+ Tem population by influencing their proliferation and apoptosis, the calcineurin inhibitors were better at controlling their function. Furthermore, Tem generated despite the presence of tacrolimus were functional and did not exhibit drug resistance. Conclusions. Immunosuppressive agents differ in their ability to control the generation and function of CD8+ Tem; the calcineurin inhibitors being the most efficacious. This may be of importance when tailoring immunosuppressants for transplant recipients, particularly in those where there is pre-existing immunological memory or in those receiving T-cell depleting therapies, which skews the immune repertoire towards memory.
Cooperative Spectrum Sensing using Kalman Filter based Adaptive Fuzzy System for Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing is an important functionality for cognitive users to look for spectrum holes before taking transmission in dynamic spectrum access model. Unlike previous works that assume perfect knowledge of the SNR of the signal received from the primary user, in this paper we consider a realistic case where the SNR of the primary user"s signal is unknown to both fusion center and cognitive radio terminals. A Kalman filter based adaptive Takagi and Sugeno"s fuzzy system is designed to make the global spectrum sensing decision based on the observed energies from cognitive users. With the capacity of adapting system parameters, the fusion center can make a global sensing decision reliably without any requirement of channel state information, prior knowledge and prior probabilities of the primary user"s signal. Numerical results prove that the sensing performance of the proposed scheme outperforms the performance of the equal gain combination based scheme, and matches the performance of the optimal soft combination scheme.
A survey of asthma management practices and implementation of Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines among doctors in a resource-limited setting in Nigeria

Background: Bronchial asthma is a global health problem that causes significant morbidity and mortality in all age groups. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) seeks to standardize the care asthma patients receive. We assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of doctors in Umuahia, Southeast Nigeria, regarding asthma and determined the extent to which they abide by GINA guidelines in their management of asthma. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from the participants regarding knowledge of asthma prevalence, asthma risk factors, and management practices. Results: Out of 142 questionnaires administered, 117 were retrieved giving a response rate of 82%. About 70% were men, and the most common age group was 30–39 years (57.3%). The median duration of medical practice was 6 (3–12) years. About 77% reported asthma prevalence to be on the increase. While 105 (89.7%) respondents had seen a spirometer, only 28 (23.9%) use spirometry in asthma diagnosis. Similarly, 95 (81.2%) had seen a peak flow meter, but only 41 (35.5%) use it in asthma diagnosis. Only 7 (6.0%) respondents reported that their patients keep a peak flow diary. Of 117 respondents, 94 (80.3%) know about GINA guidelines for asthma control, 45 (38.5%) apply GINA guidelines in patient care, 86 (73.5%) regularly review patient inhaler technique, 33 (28.2%) use adult asthma control test while 17 (14.5%) regularly review asthma action plan with patients. Conclusion: There is a wide gap between GINA guidelines and the knowledge, attitude, and practices of doctors in Umuahia regarding asthma management. Improvement and standardization of asthma care are recommended.
Origin of HEp-2 cells used for culture of chlamydiae

It was very informative to read the publication of Kido et al. about the detection of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA in clinical samples from patients with VZV infection by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (2). We have also been working on using PCR for detection of cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and VZV in the aqueous humor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-positive patients (1). Therefore, we examined the primer sequences mentioned in the above publication and compared their primer and PCR protocol with our VZV primer and protocol. We were pleased to see that the sensitivity and specificity of our primer were the same as those described by Kido et al., with the exception of IE1 and IE2 (gene 62). However, it seems that this primer does not work very well with the PCR protocol of Kido et al. We present our modified protocol, which in our experience had a much better sensitivity. We tested each modification of this new PCR protocol with highly purified VZV DNA, with supernatant of tissue culture of VZV-infected fibroblasts, and with VZV-positive aqueous humor of a patient with VZV retinitis. The DNA samples were first heated at 95°C for 10 min. DNA was amplified in a total volume of 50 ,ul of reaction mixture consisting of 50 mM KCI, 10 mM Tris hydrochloride (pH 8.3), 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.01% gelatin, 200 ,uM (each) deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), and 1.5 U of Taq polymerase (Perkin-Elmer Cetus). Denaturation was performed at 94°C for 30 s. Annealing was performed at 58°C for 30 s, and extension was performed at 72°C for 90 s. The amplification was carried out in 35 cycles in a DNA thermal cycler (Perkin-Elmer Cetus). It is important to note that with this protocol the user saves expensive dNTPs and Taq polymerase because it can be done with half the volume of reaction mixture. Moreover, PCR amplification can be done much faster with our protocol, and the detection of the amplified product can be started on the same day. We consider this to be important as a rapid viral diagnostic tool.
Five-Year Outcomes After Treatment for Acute Instability of the Tibiofibular Syndesmosis Using a Suture-Button Fixation System

Background: Suture-button repair is a widely accepted surgical treatment for acute and isolated ankle syndesmosis injuries. To our knowledge, midterm results have not previously been reported. Purpose: To evaluate the clinical, qualitative, and quantitative radiological midterm outcomes of suture-button repair after acute isolated ankle syndesmosis injuries. Study Design: Retrospective case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Clinical outcomes were measured using the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Three-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed bilaterally at the ankle. Besides morphological sequences for evaluation of the syndesmosis and degenerative changes of the ankle using the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scoring System (AOSS), the MR protocol included a coronal 2-dimensional multislice multiecho sequence for quantitative cartilage T2-weighted mapping. Spearman correlations and paired t tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: This retrospective study included 19 consecutive patients (mean age, 29.7 ± 11.5 years) with acute isolated syndesmosis injuries treated with a suture-button system between January 2006 and June 2014, with a mean follow-up of 5.1 ± 2.6 years. Postoperatively, the median FADI score was 136 (range, 78-136), and the median AOFAS score was 100 (range, 87-100). Seventeen (89.5%) patients reported to have reached their preinjury level of sports activities. MRIs of 16 patients were obtained and all showed intact anterior and posterior syndesmotic ligaments; however, in most patients, the previously injured syndesmotic ligament was thickened compared with the uninjured ankle. Average width of the anterior (P = .81) and posterior (P = .60) syndesmosis was not significantly different between the ipsilateral (3.2 ± 1.2 and 4.4 ± 0.9 mm) and contralateral ankles (3.0 ± 0.6 and 4.2 ± 0.7 mm). The median AOSS score was 1.5 (range, 0-11) for the ipsilateral ankle and 0 (range, 0-6) for the contralateral ankle. T2 values of articular cartilage did not significantly differ between the involved and the uninjured ankle (P = .68). Five patients needed hardware removal due to persistent skin irritation, and 1 patient suffered from reinstability of the ankle resulting in revision surgery 2 years after the index surgery. Conclusion: Suture-button fixation is an excellent treatment for acute and isolated syndesmosis injuries, resulting in stable ankles without early or advanced osteoarthritic changes at midterm follow-up.
La santé de la reproduction : étude sur la négociation des risques chez les jeunes mères en milieu populaire à Kisumu, Kenya

Cette etude socio-anthropologique a ete realisee dans le cadre d'un projet collectif avec l'equipe de recherche du SHADYC-CNRS/IRD1 sur la sante reproductive dans les systemes de sante. Le theme s'intitule La negociation des risques. Une approche comparative dans trois systemes de sante : France, Kenya et Niger. Le cas de la sante sexuelle et reproductive. Dans le cadre de ce projet, nous avons realise une enquete dans la ville de Kisumu (Ia troisieme ville du Kenya apres Nairobi et Mombasa). Cette ville est peuplee de pres de 400000 habitants. L’activite la plus importante est la peche. Au niveau epidemiologique, la ville de Kisumu est reconnue comme la region la plus touchee par l'epidemie du VIH au Kenya avec un taux moyen de 26%. L'enquete s'est deroulee en plusieurs etapes, du mois d'aout au mois de septembre 2000. Nous avons mene une enquete qualitative (entretiens et observations) dans les centres de sante et en milieu populaire urbain. Nous avons etudie les risques en matiere de grossesse, d'accouchement, d'avortement, de MST (dont l'infection par le VIH) rencontres par les jeunes femmes, les interactions entre les jeunes meres et le personnel soignants ainsi que les attitudes, les pratiques de gestion de risques auxquels ces jeunes meres sont exposees (durant la grossesse, l'accouchement, les complications obstetricales, l'avortement et les MST (dont l'infection par le VIH]). Nous avons egalement interviewe le personnel soignant a l'hopital et les sages femmes a domicile afin de connaitre les attitudes, les relations et experiences vis-a-vis des risques auxquels les jeunes meres sont exposees. II s'agissait donc de contribuer a la problematique generale concernant les risques en sante de la reproduction et leur « gestion » effective.
Early Renal Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury in Humans Is Dominated by IL‐6 Release from the Allograft

The pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is complex, and current knowledge of I/R injury in humans is incomplete. In the present study, human living‐donor kidney transplantation was used as a highly reproducible model to systematically study various processes potentially involved in early I/R injury. Unique, direct measurements of arteriovenous concentration differences over the kidney revealed massive release of interleukin (IL)‐6 in the first 30 minutes of graft reperfusion and a modest release of IL‐8. Among the assessed markers of oxidative and nitrosative stress, only 15(S)‐8‐iso‐PGF2α was released. When assessing cell activation, release of prothrombin factor 1 + 2 indicated thrombocyte activation, whereas there was no release of markers for endothelial activation or neutrophil activation. Common complement activation complex sC5b‐9 was not released into the bloodstream, but was released into urine rapidly after reperfusion. To investigate whether IL‐6 plays a modulating role in I/R injury, a mouse experiment of renal I/R injury was performed. Neutralizing anti‐IL‐6 antibody treatment considerably worsened kidney function. In conclusion, this study shows that renal I/R in humans is dominated by local IL‐6 release. Neutralization of IL‐6 in mice resulted in a significant aggravation of renal I/R injury.
Increased mutations in Env and Pol suggest greater HIV-1 replication in sputum-derived viruses compared with blood-derived viruses

Objective:Low-level HIV-1 replication may occur during antiretroviral therapy (ART) that suppresses plasma HIV-1 RNA to less than 50 copies/ml (suppressive ART). Antiretroviral drugs appear less effective in macrophages and monocytes compared with lymphocytes, both in vitro and as implied in vivo by greater viral evolution observed during suppressive ART. Our objective was to examine sputum, which is rich in macrophages, for evidence of increased HIV-1 replication compared with that in the blood during suppressive ART. Design:A cross-sectional study during suppressive ART was performed, and HIV-1 DNA sequences derived from induced sputa and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were compared. Methods:Multiple sequences encoding HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, protease, and envelope were generated using single-genome sequencing. Reverse transcriptase and protease sequences were analyzed for genotypic drug resistance. The evolutionary distances of env sequences from the inferred most recent common ancestor of infection were calculated, and CXCR4 usage was predicted. Results:Nine hundred seventy bidirectional sequences from 11 individuals were analyzed. HIV-1 env and pol derived from sputa had greater frequency of drug-resistance mutations (P = 0.05), evolutionary divergence (P = 0.004), and tendency for CXCR4 usage (P = 0.1) compared with viruses derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Conclusion:The greater frequency of HIV-1 drug-resistance mutations and divergence of HIV-1 env in sputa-derived viruses compared with peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived viruses suggests greater HIV-1 replication in the respiratory tract compared with the blood. Characterization of viral evolution over time and by cell-type could identify cells that provide a sanctuary for low-level viral replication in the respiratory tract during suppressive ART.
Experimental investigations of an omni-directional dielectric resonator antenna for UWB systems

In this paper, a new dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) is presented and investigated for ultra wideband (UWB) applications. The UWB antenna has a U-shape and excited by a microstip fed monopole. The proposed antenna was simulated and designed using two electromagnetic simulators. To validate our design, a prototype antenna was fabricated and measured. From the measurements, the U-shaped DRA has a 117.6% impedance bandwidth (from 2.94 GHz to 11.34 GHz, for return loss below -10 dB, largely covering the UWB spectrum band). Moreover, the proposed antenna provides an omni-directional radiation pattern. With these features, the present antenna can be used in ultra-wideband wireless systems.
Determinants of long‐term survival of pediatric kidney grafts reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing kidney transplant registry *

Abstract: Pediatric 1‐yr kidney graft survival rates have steadily improved in the US so that, by 1998, over 90% of hospital‐discharged young recipients had survived the first year post‐transplantation (Tx). However, 25% of the early surviving kidney grafts failed at 5 yr, yielding a projected half‐life of 10 yr. Given a median age at transplant of 13 yr (range 0–20 yr), 50% of all current pediatric kidney recipients will need a second graft before the age of 25 years. We examined 8422 pediatric renal transplants reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Kidney Transplant Registry and, by using a log‐linear multifactorial analysis, determined the relative influence of 26 major transplant factors on long‐term graft survival. Results are reported as percentages of assignable variation (totaling 100% for all 26 factors combined) in pediatric outcomes beyond 1 yr and as adjusted graft survival rates. Transplant center, recipient race and age, transplant year, and panel‐reactive antibody (PRA) had assignable variation percentages of 25, 24, 16, 12, and 4, respectively. When combined, they accounted for 81% of changes in long‐term survival. Besides center effects, Blacks, teenagers, and transplants performed before 1994 exhibited significantly (p < 0.0001) lower adjusted 5‐yr graft survival rates as did the few sensitized (PRA > 40%) pediatric patients (p = 0.02). Patients transplanted with a living donor kidney demonstrated a 5% point advantage at 5 yr post‐Tx over cadaver donor kidneys (p = 0.001). Although the survival rate of pediatric kidney transplants has improved steadily, the long‐term outcomes for teenagers and for Black recipients lag significantly behind those of younger patients and non‐Blacks.
Parental schizophrenia and increased offspring suicide risk: exploring the causal hypothesis using cousin comparisons

Background Little is known about suicide risk among offspring of parents hospitalized for schizophrenia and the mechanisms behind this association. Method We applied a nested case–control design based on linkage of Swedish population-based registers. Among 12- to 30-year-old offspring, we identified 68 318 offspring with suicidal behavior (attempted and completed suicide) and their parents. Five healthy control–parent pairs were matched to each suicidal case–parent pair and conditional logistic regression used to obtain odds ratios (ORs). Further, to disentangle familial confounding from causal environmental mechanisms, we compared the population-based suicide risk with the risk found within full-cousins and half-cousins differentially exposed to parental schizophrenia. Results Offspring of parents with schizophrenia had significantly increased suicide risk after accounting for socio-economic status, parental suicidal behavior and offspring mental illness [OR 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53–1.85]. Suicide risks in offspring of schizophrenic mothers and fathers were similar in magnitude; so were risks across different developmental periods. Importantly, offspring suicide risk remained essentially unchanged across genetically different relationships; offspring of siblings discordant for schizophrenia had equivalent risk increases within full-cousins (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.66–2.31) and half-cousins (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.17–2.44). Conclusions Parental schizophrenia was associated with increased risk of offspring suicidal behavior, independent of gender of the schizophrenic parent, and persisting into adulthood. The suicide risk in offspring remained at a similar level when comparing genetically different relationships, which suggests that at least part of the association is due to environmental mechanisms. These findings should inspire increased attention to suicidal ideation and prevention efforts in offspring of parents with schizophrenia.
Characterization of the Domain of Fibronectin-Binding Protein I of Streptococcus pyogenes Responsible for Elicitation of a Protective Immune Response

ABSTRACT Fibronectin-binding protein I (SfbI) represents a major adhesin ofStreptococcus pyogenes. Mice were intranasally immunized with recombinant proteins spanning different portions of SfbI to identify the minimal fragment able to elicit a protective response against a lethal challenge with S. pyogenes. The strongest cellular responses and the highest levels of antigen-specific secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) were detected in mice immunized with the fibronectin-binding region of SfbI. In contrast, animals vaccinated with a polypeptide spanning the aromatic and proline-rich regions showed the highest titers and fastest IgG response in serum. Vaccination with either SfbI without a membrane anchor and signal peptide or a polypeptide encompassing its fibronectin-binding regions resulted in efficient protection against heterologous challenge (60% and 80%, respectively), whereas the use of a polypeptide lacking this region conferred marginal protection (10%) with respect to the control group (0%). These results demonstrate that the fibronectin-binding region of SfbI is a promising candidate antigen for developing anti-S. pyogenes vaccines.