Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro and in vivo assessment of free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of Veronica persica Poir.

With the appearance of new disorders along with inability of some conventional therapies for the treatment of diseases without any side effects, the discovery of safe and efficient therapeutic agents is of utmost importance in the medical area. In this context, medicinal plants as promising therapeutic candidates can provide a reliable and efficient profile. Since free radicals are at the center of various disorder pathways, reducing their production or complete removal of these chemical species could be advantageous for prevention and treatment of many diseases. In this experiment, free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of Veronica persica Poir. , a known medicinal plant, were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo assays. Chemical characterization results showed a high phenolic content in the V. persica methanol extract. In addition, in vitro assays including DPPH radical-scavenging assay, nitric oxide-scavenging activity assay, hydrogen peroxide scavenging test and bleomycin-dependent DNA damage test revealed significant antioxidant power and radical scavenging capacity of this plant. In accordance, in vivo experiments showed inhibitory effects of the methanol extract on lipid peroxidation, a main cause of cell damage. Our findings revealed the promising potential of this plant in reducing free radicals through different pathways. Moreover, our data suggested a correlation between the high phenolic content of the V. persica extract and its free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities.
Causes of renal allograft failure in the UK: trends in UK Renal Registry and National Health Service Blood and Transplant data from 2000 to 2013

Background Improvement in long-term renal allograft survival is impeded by incomplete or erroneous coding of causes of allograft loss. This study reports 13-year trends in causes of graft failure across the UK. Methods National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and UK Renal Registry data were linked to describe UK kidney patients transplanted in 2000-13. NHSBT graft failure categories were used, with 'other' recoded when free text was available. Adjusted analyses examined the influence of age, ethnicity and donor type on causes of graft failure. Results In 22 730 recipients, 5389 (23.7%) grafts failed within a median follow-up of 5 years. The two most frequent causes were death with a functioning graft (40.8%) and alloimmune pathology (25.0%). Graft survival was higher in recipients who were younger (mean 47.3 versus 50.7 years), received a pre-emptive transplant (20.2% versus 10.4%), spent less time on dialysis (median 1.6 versus 2.4 years) and received a living donor transplant (36.3% versus 22.2%), with no differences by sex, ethnicity or human leucocyte antigen mismatch. Allograft failure within 2 years of transplantation fell from 12.5% (2000-4) to 9.8% (2009-13). Surgical- and alloimmune-related failures decreased over time while death with a functioning graft became more common. Age, ethnicity and donor type were factors in recurrent primary disease and alloimmune pathology. Conclusions Since 2000 there have been reductions in surgical and alloimmune graft failures in the UK. However, graft failure codes need to be revised if they are to remain useful and effective in epidemiological and quality improvement trials.
Diagnosis, assessment, and management of surgical complications following esophagectomy

Despite improvements in operative strategies for esophageal resection, anastomotic leaks, fistula, postoperative pulmonary complications, and chylothorax can occur. Our review seeks to identify potential risk factors, modalities for early diagnosis, and novel interventions that may ameliorate the potential adverse effects of these surgical complications following esophagectomy.
Generating genomic platforms to study Candida albicans pathogenesis

The advent of the genomic era has made elucidating gene function at large scale a pressing challenge. ORFeome collections, whereby almost all ORFs of a given species are cloned and can be subsequently leveraged in multiple functional genomic approaches, represent valuable resources towards this endeavor. Here we provide novel, genome-scale tools for the study of Candida albicans, a commensal yeast that is also responsible for frequent superficial and disseminated infections in humans. We have generated an ORFeome collection composed of 5,102 ORFs cloned in a Gateway™ donor vector, representing 83% of the currently annotated coding sequences of C. albicans. Sequencing data of the cloned ORFs are available in the CandidaOrfDB database at http://candidaorfeome.eu. We also engineered 49 expression vectors with a choice of promoters, tags, and selection markers and demonstrated their applicability to the study of target ORFs transferred from the C. albicans ORFeome. In addition, the use of the ORFeome in the detection of protein-protein interaction was demonstrated. Mating-compatible strains as well as Gateway™-compatible two-hybrid vectors were engineered, validated and used in a proof of concept experiment. These unique and valuable resources should greatly facilitate future functional studies in C. albicans and the elucidation of mechanisms that underlie its pathogenicity.
Multiple feature inputs support vector regression

While traditional support vector regression algorithm is based on a single kernel, in practice it is often desirable to use multiple kernels. Learning linear combinations of multiple kernels is an appealing strategy when the right choice of feature is unknown. A new support vector regression framework for multiple feature inputs learning problem is proposed here, which mapped the different feature inputs with different nonlinear functions into high dimensional feature space, and resolved as a semi-infinite linear program. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm works well, and helps to improve the accuracy and the generalization for regression problems with multiple feature inputs.
Research on the inspection and monitoring system of power equipment based on cloud storage platform

Aiming at the problem that the data quantity of the electric power inspection system in smart city is increasing rapidly without the capacity to be collected, stored and analyzed safely and efficiently, A cloud storage system for inspection and monitoring data of power equipment in the smart grid was designed. The system is based on the inspection and monitoring procedures of the electric power system and the construction of cloud computing technology and cloud storage platform, through the establishment of cloud storage model with cloud storage platform Hadoop and HDFS system structure, and the application of Java language, Struts2 and Spring framework, using jQuery, EasyUI as interface development tools, with MySQL database and the methods of Maven unit testing tools, Log4J logging tools and other tools for system implementation. The test shows that the designed system can realize the collection, transmission, storage and archiving of power equipment inspection and monitoring data and other functions in order to provide power guarantee for the development of intelligent city and better meet the use demand of power operation environment.
The growing vaccine hesitancy: exploring the influence of the internet

Background Vaccination coverage is dropping in several countries, including Slovenia. More and more people hesitate or even reject vaccinations. As the influence of the internet grows, the question becomes how to communicate about vaccination to parents in order to prevent this drop in vaccination coverage among children. Methods For the first time in Europe, the Situational Theory of Publics (STOP) has been used in the field of vaccination to segment mothers to subpublics, and to prescribe a clearly defined form of communication for each of the segmented groups. In the survey, 1704 mothers participated who gave birth in 2014 and 2015 in Slovenia. Results The study showed that mothers react passively to information on vaccination no matter whether they come across it coincidentally or intentionally. Most often, they seek information about vaccination from friends or online. The more concerned they are about the safety of vaccines, the more they search for information about vaccination, and their communication is consequently more active. The mothers that problematize the safety of vaccines more, and are afraid of their adverse events tend to be in favour of alternative options. Conclusions Our research demonstrated that the STOP can be applied to the field of vaccination. There is a huge need for intensive professional communication about vaccination on the internet and social media. The improvement of the communicational competences of doctors and healthcare workers is essential to achieve better communication with parents and the media, and needs to be focused on mothers and pregnant women.
Impact of bad data injection attacks in the estimation of FACTS controllers parameters

In the context of power system state estimation, cyber attacks based on false data injections consist of corrupting a defined set of measurements in such a way that the corresponding residual value of each measurement is very small. Hence, these erroneous measurements are undetectable when a bad data analysis is performed, which causes a false state estimation to be considered correct. This paper reports the way in which a cyber attack can be performed to corrupt an available set of measurements associated with the operation of electronic-based controllers, namely the thyristor-controlled series compensator (TCSC) and static VAR compensator with a transformer (SVC-T), which jeopardizes the controller's secure operation if a control action is performed based on this false estimation of the operating state. Study cases are reported to numerically illustrate the consequences for the unobservable attacks.
Coupled multiview autoencoders with locality sensitivity for three-dimensional human pose estimation

Abstract. Estimating three-dimensional (3D) human poses from a single camera is usually implemented by searching pose candidates with image descriptors. Existing methods usually suppose that the mapping from feature space to pose space is linear, but in fact, their mapping relationship is highly nonlinear, which heavily degrades the performance of 3D pose estimation. We propose a method to recover 3D pose from a silhouette image. It is based on the multiview feature embedding (MFE) and the locality-sensitive autoencoders (LSAEs). On the one hand, we first depict the manifold regularized sparse low-rank approximation for MFE and then the input image is characterized by a fused feature descriptor. On the other hand, both the fused feature and its corresponding 3D pose are separately encoded by LSAEs. A two-layer back-propagation neural network is trained by parameter fine-tuning and then used to map the encoded 2D features to encoded 3D poses. Our LSAE ensures a good preservation of the local topology of data points. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Drug-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis patients

Objective: To investigate characteristics of multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients associated with drugs other than natalizumab since our experience in other disease-modifying drugs (DMD) is still limited. Methods: This is a descriptive observational study within the FAERS database, registered between July 2015 and June 2017. Results: The primary cohort for the analysis consisted of 100,921 MS patients (mean (standard deviation (sd)) age, 48.9 (12.8) years, 20.9% male). Among them 786 (0.78%) developed PML. The adjusted odds ratio of PML for each drug was as follows; natalizumab 115.72 (95% CI; 83.83, 159.74), fingolimod 4.98 (3.64, 6.81) followed by dimethyl fumarate 1.77 (1.2, 2.62) and rituximab 3.22 (1.07, 9.72). The median time from the start of suspected drugs to the onset of PML for natalizumab and other agents were 1463 and 178 days, respectively. The proportion of PML appeared higher in Japan (2.4%) compared to that in the United States (0.24%). Conclusion: The reporting proportion of PML was relatively higher in natalizumab followed by fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate and rituximab. Other characteristics of PML associated with DMDs, including the time to onset and differences in reporting among countries, are described.
A review of select minerals influencing the haematopoietic process

Abstract Micronutrients are indispensable for adequate metabolism, such as biochemical function and cell production. The production of blood cells is named haematopoiesis and this process is highly consuming due to the rapid turnover of the haematopoietic system and consequent demand for nutrients. It is well established that micronutrients are relevant to blood cell production, although some of the mechanisms of how micronutrients modulate haematopoiesis remain unknown. The aim of the present review is to summarise the effect of Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Co, iodine, P, Se, Cu, Li and Zn on haematopoiesis. This review deals specifically with the physiological requirements of selected micronutrients to haematopoiesis, showing various studies related to the physiological requirements, deficiency or excess of these minerals on haematopoiesis. The literature selected includes studies in animal models and human subjects. In circumstances where these minerals have not been studied for a given condition, no information was used. All the selected minerals have an important role in haematopoiesis by influencing the quality and quantity of blood cell production. In addition, it is highly recommended that the established nutrition recommendations for these minerals be followed, because cases of excess or deficient mineral intake can affect the haematopoiesis process.
Skeletal Muscle Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in the Gluteal Region

A 60-year-old male presented with a 5-month history of a rapidly growing mass in his left buttock accompanied by intense pain and impaired mobilization. He denied weight loss, fever, or night sweats. Physical examination revealed a firm, tender left buttock mass, measuring 19x13 cm (Figure 1a). No palpable lymph nodes were detected. Laboratory tests were unremarkable. Abdominal and pelvic contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a soft tissue tumor in the left gluteal region, affecting the psoas, gluteus maximus, and minor muscles with left retroperitoneal and inguinal lymphadenopathy. Two deep punch biopsies were performed. Histopathological examination revealed diffuse atypical lymphocyte infiltration involving the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD20, with focal positivity of 20% for MUM1, and negative for CD10 and BCL6. The Ki-67 proliferation index was 80%. The final diagnosis was DLBCL, activated B-cell subtype. Six cycles of chemotherapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) were started. He obtained complete clinical remission (Figure 1b) with no recurrence.
Effect of spatial origin and hydrocarbon composition on bacterial consortia community structure and hydrocarbon biodegradation rates

Abstract Oil reserves in deep-sea sediments are currently subject to intense exploration, with associated risks of oil spills. Previous research suggests that microbial communities from deep-sea sediment (>1000m) can degrade hydrocarbons (HCs), but have a lower degradation ability than shallow (<200m) communities, probably due to in situ temperature. This study aimed to assess the effect of marine origin on microbial HC degradation potential while separating the influence of temperature, and to characterise associated HC-degrading bacterial communities. Microbial communities from 135 and 1000 m deep sediments were selectively enriched on crude oil at in situ temperatures and both consortia were subsequently incubated for 42 days at 20°C with two HC mixtures: diesel fuel or model oil. Significant HC biodegradation occurred rapidly in the presence of both consortia, especially of low molecular weight HCs and was concomitant with microbial community changes. Further, oil degradation was higher with the shallow consortium than with the deep one. Dominant HC-degrading bacteria differed based on both spatial origin of the consortia and supplemented HC types. This study provides evidence for influence of sediment spatial origin and HC composition on the selection and activity of marine HC-degrading bacterial communities and is relevant for future bioremediationdevelopments.
PF-00547659 for the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Gut-specific homing is mainly mediated by the expression of MAdCAM-1 on endothelial cells. An increase in MAdCAM-1 expression has been shown in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Areas covered: PF-00547659 is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) toward MAdCAM-1 on endothelial cells, blocking its binding with the α4β7 integrin on leukocytes. This review discusses the available data on effectiveness and safety of PF-00547659 in IBD. Expert opinion: A phase II study in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, both naïve and previously exposed to anti-tumor necrosis factors, showed that PF-00547659 was superior to placebo for induction of remission, response, and mucosal healing at week 12. In contrast, preliminary results in a similar study in Crohn’s disease (CD) did not show a superiority of PF-00547659, suggesting that PF-00547659 may have limited impact over CD outcomes. However, the time frame needed to evaluate clinical effectiveness of PF-00547659 may be longer in CD patients, given its transmural characteristic. In addition, it should be taken into consideration the possibility of incorporating new tools and more objective parameters in disease assessment that are proven to better correlate with inflammation. Future randomized-controlled trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of PF-00547659 in CD.
Molecular Aspects of the Dengue Virus Infection Process: A Review.

BACKGROUND At the present time, dengue is one of the most important arboviruses affecting man, becoming a serious global public health problem, especially in subtropical and tropical countries, where environmental conditions favor the development and proliferation of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Dengue is caused by a type of flavivírus, which is an enveloped virus of spherical geometry. Nowadays, it is one of the diseases with the highest incidence in Brazil, reaching the population of all states, regardless of social class. Several papers address the molecular aspects of infection of human cell by the viruses, which are reviewed in this work. CONCLUSION Analyzing the three-dimensional structures of the fusion peptide of dengue virus protein E, we observed that the fusion peptide presents a region rich in hydrophobic residues and a "collar" of charged, polar residues. Probably, this hydrophilic collar plays an important role in the fusion process between the dengue virus and the cell membrane. In order for this disease to cease being a serious global public health problem, we must deepen our knowledge about the fusion process between the dengue virus and the cell membrane through further experimental and, especially, computational studies to find ways to inhibit the mechanism of virus infection.
Energy partitioning by broiler breeder pullets in skip-a-day and precision feeding systems

ABSTRACT An empirical nonlinear mixed model was derived to describe metabolizable energy (ME) partitioning in Ross 308 broiler breeder pullets. Its coefficients described ME used for total heat production (HP) and growth. A total of 630 pullets were randomly and equally assigned to 2 treatments: precision feeding (PF) and conventional skip‐a‐day feeding (CON) from 10 to 23 wk of age. The PF system allowed birds to enter voluntarily at any time, weighed them, and provided access to feed for 60 s if their BW was less than the target BW. Birds in the CON treatment were fed as a group on alternate days. Energetic efficiency of pullets was evaluated using residual total heat production (RHP), defined as the difference between observed and predicted total HP. Additionally, ME intake (MEI), ADG, HP, and cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for the entire experimental period. The energy partitioning model (P < 0.05) predicted MEI = (120+u)BW0.68 + 1.52(ADG) + &egr;. Total HP was (120 kcal/kg0.68 + u); the energy requirement for each g of BW gain was 1.52 kcal/d. The random variable u ˜ N (0, &sgr;u2) indicated a pen level HP standard deviation &sgr;u = 12.1 kcal/kg0.68. Over the experimental period, for CON and PF treatments, respectively, MEI was 194 and 174 kcal/d (P < 0.001); ADG was 15.3 and 15.4 g/d (P = 0.94); HP was 129 and 111 kcal/kg0.68 (P < 0.001); FCR was 4.888 and 4.057 (P < 0.001); and RHP was 0.12 and ‐0.12 kcal/kg0.68 (P = 0.73). The CON pullets had similar ADG, but higher MEI relative to PF, consistent with levels of heat production predicted by RHP. The PF pullets had lower cumulative FCR compared to CON pullets. The PF pullets lost less energy as heat, likely because they were fed continuously, reducing the need to store and mobilize nutrients compared to CON pullets. Thus, increased feeding frequency likely increased PF pullet efficiency.
Features of Adult Hyperammonemia Not Due to Liver Failure in the ICU

Objectives: To evaluate the epidemiology of hyperammonemia unrelated to liver failure in the critical care setting. Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: Critically ill patients admitted to ICUs at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (medical ICU, two mixed medical-surgical ICUs, coronary care unit, or the cardiosurgical ICU) between July 1, 2004, and October 31, 2015. Patients: Adult critically ill patients with hyperammonemia not related to acute or chronic liver failure. We excluded patients with diagnosis of moderate or severe liver disease, hyperbilirubinemia, and patients who denied the use of their medical records. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Of 3,908 ICU patients with hyperammonemia, 167 (4.5%) had no evidence of acute or chronic liver failure. One-hundred one patients (60.5%) were male with median age of 65.7 years (interquartile range, 50–74.5 yr) and median serum ammonia level of 68 µg/dL (interquartile range, 58–87 µg/dL). Acute encephalopathy was present in 119 patients (71%). Predisposing conditions included malnutrition 27 (16%), gastric bypass six (3.6%), total parenteral nutrition four (2.4%); exposure to valproic acid 17 (10%); status epilepticus 11 (6.6%), high tumour burden 19 (11.3%), and renal failure 82 (49.1%). Urea cycle defects were diagnosed in seven patients (4.1%). Hospital mortality was high (30%), and median ammonia level was higher among the nonsurvivors (74 vs 67 µg/dL; p = 0.05). Deaths were more likely in hyperammonemic patients who were older (p = 0.016), had greater illness severity (higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, p < 0.01), malignancy (p < 0.01), and solid organ transplantation (p = 0.04), whereas seizure disorder was more common in survivors (p = 0.02). After adjustment, serum ammonia level was not associated with increased mortality. Conclusions: Hyperammonemia occurs in a substantial minority of critically ill patients without liver failure. These patients have a poor prognosis, although ammonia level per se is not independently associated with mortality. Serum ammonia should be measured when risk factors are present, such as nutritional deficiencies and protein refeeding, treatment with valproic acid, high tumour burden, and known or suspected urea cycle abnormalities.