Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Acute Confinement Stress-induced Hypothalamic-pituitary Adrenal Axis Activation and Concomitant Peripheral and Central Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Measures in Nonhuman Primates

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a multifunctional cytokine with anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and neuroprotective properties. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and immune system exert bidirectional influences on each other, via cortisol and TGF-β1, but the exact nature of the interaction is not well characterized. The current study examined the effects, in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata), of two consecutive acute confinement stress periods in an unfamiliar room while mildly restrained, first without and then with dexamethasone pretreatment (0.01 mg/kg intramuscular). Preceding the confinement studies, a non-stress control condition obtained contemporaneous levels of cortisol and TGF-β1 in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid to match the confinement stress studies. Subjects were reared under either normative or variable foraging demand conditions. Since there were no rearing effects at baseline or for any of the conditions tested—either for cortisol or TGF-β—the study analyses were conducted on the combined rearing groups. The stress condition increased both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid cortisol levels whereas dexamethasone pretreatment decreased cortisol concentrations to below baseline levels despite stress. The stress condition decreased TGF-β1 concentrations only in cerebrospinal fluid but not in serum. Together, the data suggested that stress-induced reductions of a centrally active neuroprotective cytokine occur in the face of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, potentially facilitating glucocortoid-induced neurotoxicity. Stress-induced reductions of neuroprotective cytokines prompt exploration of protective measures against glucocorticoid-induced neurotoxicity.
A meta-model and framework for user mobility in mobile networks

Mobility patterns play an important role for performance evaluations of mobile networks. To simulate user movement, existing simulation tools provide only a few simple mobility models (e.g., random movement) suitable for particular scenarios. To evaluate a new scenario, an appropriate model needs to be created, but this requires extra work that distracts the researcher from his/her main task. In general, three key elements determine the mobility of users: the spatial environment, the user trip sequences, and the user movement dynamics (e.g., speed). In this paper, we introduce a meta-model that integrates these three elements in an easy-to-use framework, allowing a flexible modeling of user mobility in custom scenarios. The framework is available for download as a stand-alone trace generator and may be used together with any simulation or emulation tool for mobile networks to evaluate a specific scenario.
Analgesic activity of the aqueous leaf extract of Byrsocarpus coccineus

Byrsocarpus coccineus (Schum. and Thonn.) is used as an herbal remedy for earache, muscular and rheumatic pains in West Africa. To validate the claim of the users, the analgesic effect of the aqueous leaf extract of the plant was studied in mice and rats using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin, tail immersion, and cold-water tail flick pain tests. The extract (50 - 400mg/kg; p.o) showed a dose dependent and significant (p Byrsocarpus coccineus possesses effective analgesic activity mediated via peripheral and central mechanisms. Keywords : Byrsocarpus coccineus , analgesic, herbal remedy Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 5(1) 2006: 43-47
Clinical Evaluation and Assessment Principles in Orthotics and Prosthetics

ABSTRACT Clinical evaluation and assessment of a patient's orthotic or prosthetic needs is largely a posteducation skill that develops and improves with experience. Unfortunately, evaluating and assessing a patient's needs has not traditionally been included in the formal education of most O&P practitioners. Until recently, it truly was a skill practitioners had to develop with clinical experience. However, the O&P professional practicing in today's healthcare environment is called upon to render and document specific recommendations for O&P care. Since O&P is both a clinical and technical science, a practitioner's procedures for assessing, evaluating and documenting must be sufficient to appropriately determine a patient's specific need for O&P services. The process a practitioner uses to clinically assess and evaluate a patient's needs must justify the need for O&P services. This article addresses the key elements of the clinical assessment and evaluation of a patient needed for the documentation and justification of O&P services.
Evolution of bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty: a review

The longevity of an artificial joint has always been a concern for orthopaedic surgeons and has recently become increasingly important given the changing demographics of total joint patients. The increase in life expectancy and the shift to younger patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty demand higher levels of activity and greater expectations from the new joints. Wear and the resulting osteolysis have been identified as major causes for implant failure. Both modes of failure are affected by a number of interrelated factors, of which bearing surface tribology (lubrication, friction and wear) is one of the most important. During the past 4 decades, bearing surfaces have gone through a significant evolution, starting with Charnley's own experience that led to the low-friction arthroplasty to the present day's third generation ceramic-on-ceramic bearing surfaces and sequentially cross-linked polyethylene. A careful review of this evolutionary process is critical to a better understanding of the development of all available options, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, it may help to identify future questions to guide the research in this field, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes and better meeting patients' expectations.
Identification of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Macrodomain Inhibitors Using an AlphaScreen Protocol

Macrodomains recognize intracellular adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation resulting in either removal of the modification or a protein interaction event. Research into compounds that modulate macrodomain functions could make important contributions. We investigated the interactions of all seven individual macrodomains of the human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family members PARP9, PARP14, and PARP15 with five mono-ADP-ribosylated (automodified) ADP-ribosyltransferase domains using an AlphaScreen assay. Several mono-ADP-ribosylation-dependent interactions were identified, and they were found to be in the micromolar affinity range using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). We then focused on the interaction between PARP14 macrodomain-2 and the mono-ADP-ribosylated PARP10 catalytic domain, and probed a ~1500-compound diverse library for inhibitors of this interaction using AlphaScreen. Initial hit compounds were verified by concentration–response experiments using AlphaScreen and SPR, and they were tested against PARP14 macrodomain-2 and -3. Two initial hit compounds and one chemical analog each were further characterized using SPR and microscale thermophoresis. In conclusion, our results reveal novel macrodomain interactions and establish protocols for identification of inhibitors of such interactions.
An Automatic Lab-on-Disc System for Blood Typing

A blood-typing assay is a critical test to ensure the serological compatibility of a donor and an intended recipient prior to a blood transfusion. This article presents a lab-on-disc blood-typing system to conduct a total of eight assays for a patient, including forward-typing tests, reverse-typing tests, and irregular-antibody tests. These assays are carried out in a microfluidic disc simultaneously. A blood-typing apparatus was designed to automatically manipulate the disc. The blood type can be determined by integrating the results of red blood cell (RBC) agglutination in the microchannels. The experimental results of our current 40 blood samples show that the results agree with those examined in the hospital. The accuracy reaches 97.5%.
Comparative Genomics and Molecular Dynamics of DNA Repeats in Eukaryotes

SUMMARY Repeated elements can be widely abundant in eukaryotic genomes, composing more than 50% of the human genome, for example. It is possible to classify repeated sequences into two large families, “tandem repeats” and “dispersed repeats. ” Each of these two families can be itself divided into subfamilies. Dispersed repeats contain transposons, tRNA genes, and gene paralogues, whereas tandem repeats contain gene tandems, ribosomal DNA repeat arrays, and satellite DNA, itself subdivided into satellites, minisatellites, and microsatellites. Remarkably, the molecular mechanisms that create and propagate dispersed and tandem repeats are specific to each class and usually do not overlap. In the present review, we have chosen in the first section to describe the nature and distribution of dispersed and tandem repeats in eukaryotic genomes in the light of complete (or nearly complete) available genome sequences. In the second part, we focus on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the fast evolution of two specific classes of tandem repeats: minisatellites and microsatellites. Given that a growing number of human neurological disorders involve the expansion of a particular class of microsatellites, called trinucleotide repeats, a large part of the recent experimental work on microsatellites has focused on these particular repeats, and thus we also review the current knowledge in this area. Finally, we propose a unified definition for mini- and microsatellites that takes into account their biological properties and try to point out new directions that should be explored in a near future on our road to understanding the genetics of repeated sequences.
Timely Follow-Up of Abnormal Outpatient Test Results: Perceived Barriers and Impact on Patient Safety

Purpose: To assess internal medicine physicians' perceptions regarding delays in the follow up of ambulatory test results and the clinical consequences of delays. Methods: Anonymous survey of internal medicine physicians at 3 large academic medical centers. The survey asked about physician practices regarding follow up of commonly ordered ambulatory test results, major barriers to follow-up, and perception of harm due to delayed follow-up. Results: One hundred ninety-five (66%) of 297 eligible physicians completed the survey. House staff physicians were more likely to take 1 or more weeks to review the results of tests sent on their ambulatory patients. Forty-six percent of house staff physicians took 1 or more weeks to review laboratory results compared with only 8% of attending physicians (P < 0.001), and 58.7% of house staff physicians took 1 or more weeks to review radiographic study results compared with 24.5% of attending physicians (P < 0.001). The most common barrier to timely follow up was the lack of a reminder system. Overall, at least a few times per year, 70.4% of respondents reported seeing patients with delays in diagnosis or treatment because of delays in test result follow-up, and 40.4% reported seeing patients with worsening medical conditions because of delays in follow-up. Conclusions: Physicians perceive that the lack of timely follow up of abnormal test results is common in the ambulatory setting and that patients are harmed as a result. Interventions such as automatic reminders and changes in house staff workflow are needed to ensure that abnormal test results are followed up in a timely manner.
Plasmodium Helical Interspersed Subtelomeric (PHIST) Proteins, at the Center of Host Cell Remodeling

SUMMARY During the asexual cycle, Plasmodium falciparum extensively remodels the human erythrocyte to make it a suitable host cell. A large number of exported proteins facilitate this remodeling process, which causes erythrocytes to become more rigid, cytoadherent, and permeable for nutrients and metabolic products. Among the exported proteins, a family of 89 proteins, called the Plasmodium helical interspersed subtelomeric (PHIST) protein family, has been identified. While also found in other Plasmodium species, the PHIST family is greatly expanded in P. falciparum. Although a decade has passed since their first description, to date, most PHIST proteins remain uncharacterized and are of unknown function and localization within the host cell, and there are few data on their interactions with other host or parasite proteins. However, over the past few years, PHIST proteins have been mentioned in the literature at an increasing rate owing to their presence at various localizations within the infected erythrocyte. Expression of PHIST proteins has been implicated in molecular and cellular processes such as the surface display of PfEMP1, gametocytogenesis, changes in cell rigidity, and also cerebral and pregnancy-associated malaria. Thus, we conclude that PHIST proteins are central to host cell remodeling, but despite their obvious importance in pathology, PHIST proteins seem to be understudied. Here we review current knowledge, shed light on the definition of PHIST proteins, and discuss these proteins with respect to their localization and probable function. We take into consideration interaction studies, microarray analyses, or data from blood samples from naturally infected patients to combine all available information on this protein family.
Salmonella Pathogenicity and Host Adaptation in Chicken-Associated Serovars

SUMMARY Enteric pathogens such as Salmonella enterica cause significant morbidity and mortality. S. enterica serovars are a diverse group of pathogens that have evolved to survive in a wide range of environments and across multiple hosts. S. enterica serovars such as S. Typhi, S. Dublin, and S. Gallinarum have a restricted host range, in which they are typically associated with one or a few host species, while S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium have broad host ranges. This review examines how S. enterica has evolved through adaptation to different host environments, especially as related to the chicken host, and continues to be an important human pathogen. Several factors impact host range, and these include the acquisition of genes via horizontal gene transfer with plasmids, transposons, and phages, which can potentially expand host range, and the loss of genes or their function, which would reduce the range of hosts that the organism can infect. S. Gallinarum, with a limited host range, has a large number of pseudogenes in its genome compared to broader-host-range serovars. S. enterica serovars such as S. Kentucky and S. Heidelberg also often have plasmids that may help them colonize poultry more efficiently. The ability to colonize different hosts also involves interactions with the host's immune system and commensal organisms that are present. Thus, the factors that impact the ability of Salmonella to colonize a particular host species, such as chickens, are complex and multifactorial, involving the host, the pathogen, and extrinsic pressures. It is the interplay of these factors which leads to the differences in host ranges that we observe today.
The Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Provided Telephonic Medication Therapy Management on Emergency Department Utilization in Home Health Patients

Background: Preventable emergency department (ED) use may be targeted with interventions for improving the medication use process, as medication misadventures and nonadherence frequently cause preventable ED utilization. One intervention that could prevent ED visits is medication therapy management (MTM). Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a telephonic MTM service on reducing ED utilization within a Medicare-insured home health population. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial examining hospitalizations among Medicare-insured patients within 40 randomly selected, geographically diverse, home health centers. The intervention consisted of an initial telephonic medication reconciliation with a pharmacy technician, a telephonic pharmacist-provided medication review, and follow-up pharmacist phone calls. The primary outcome of this analysis was 60-day all-cause ED utilization. Patients’ baseline risk of ED utilization was calculated, and patients were stratified into quartiles based on their baseline risk of ED utilization. Adjusted odd ratios of ED utilization were calculated. Results: Data from 656 patients (intervention n = 297, usual care n = 359) were available for this study. Overall, the MTM intervention was not associated with 60-day ED use, as 24.4% of intervention patients and 25.1% of usual care patients utilized the ED (adjusted odds ratio = 1.11; 95% confidence interval = 0.79-1.57). However, there was lower ED utilization among patients in the lowest risk-quartile (adjusted odds ratio = 2.52; 95% confidence interval = 1.15-5.49; P = .02). Conclusion: This pharmacist-delivered telephonic MTM program did not decrease ED utilization overall in a Medicare-insured home health population, but may further reduce the risk of ED utilization among patients who are at lower risk of utilization.
2D Sonographic Assessment of the Fetal Liver in Normal Pregnant Nigerian Women

This study investigated the relationship between fetal liver volume (FLV) and gestational age (GA) in Nigerian subjects using 2D sonography. Fetal liver volume measurements were obtained from 900 normal singleton fetuses between 15 and 41 weeks GA (mean = 28 weeks). The FLV was computed from anterior-posterior, sagittal, and transverse dimensions of the fetal liver by assuming the liver to be a pyramidal structure. The mean FLV obtained ranged from 4.14 ± 0 cm 3 at 15 weeks to 76.88 ± 7.58 cm3 at 40 weeks and 79.45 ± 9.32 cm3 at 41 weeks. A simple regression analysis showed a positive linear relationship between GA and FLV (r = 0.98), which is described by the equation FLV = 53.53 + 3.246 GA. A strong positive correlation was also noted between FLV and biparietal diameter (BPD; r = 0.968), FLV and head circumference (r = 0.960), FLV and abdominal circumference (r = 0.901), and FLV and fetal weight (r = 0.979). Z test analysis showed no significant difference between GA estimated by FLV and GA estimated by BPD or femur length (α = 0.01). The use of FLV determined by 2D sonography has been shown to be accurate in dating pregnancy, and its use in a multiparameter biometry should improve the precision in predicting the expected date of delivery.
Taxonomy, Physiology, and Natural Products of Actinobacteria

SUMMARY Actinobacteria are Gram-positive bacteria with high G+C DNA content that constitute one of the largest bacterial phyla, and they are ubiquitously distributed in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Many Actinobacteria have a mycelial lifestyle and undergo complex morphological differentiation. They also have an extensive secondary metabolism and produce about two-thirds of all naturally derived antibiotics in current clinical use, as well as many anticancer, anthelmintic, and antifungal compounds. Consequently, these bacteria are of major importance for biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture. Actinobacteria play diverse roles in their associations with various higher organisms, since their members have adopted different lifestyles, and the phylum includes pathogens (notably, species of Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Propionibacterium, and Tropheryma), soil inhabitants (e.g., Micromonospora and Streptomyces species), plant commensals (e.g., Frankia spp.), and gastrointestinal commensals (Bifidobacterium spp.). Actinobacteria also play an important role as symbionts and as pathogens in plant-associated microbial communities. This review presents an update on the biology of this important bacterial phylum.
Implementation of Full-Diversity Distributed STBC in Cluster-Based Cooperative Communication

In this paper, we present the concept of cluster-based cooperation in which geographically dispersed neighboring nodes collectively transmit information to a distant receiver in the form of distributed space-time block codes. In this context, a new distributed space-time block code transmission strategy is introduced, which is not constrained by the rigid requirement of perfect decoding among participating nodes, and attains full spatial diversity even if one or all cooperating nodes encounter error in decoding information of each other. We also present a hybrid of direct and multihop transmission strategy in which an intermediate MIMO relay station cooperates with the nodes with single antenna. Numerical analyses of the proposed schemes demonstrate significant performance improvements in comparison to decode-forward and direct transmission schemes.
Mobility of Plasmids

SUMMARY Plasmids are key vectors of horizontal gene transfer and essential genetic engineering tools. They code for genes involved in many aspects of microbial biology, including detoxication, virulence, ecological interactions, and antibiotic resistance. While many studies have decorticated the mechanisms of mobility in model plasmids, the identification and characterization of plasmid mobility from genome data are unexplored. By reviewing the available data and literature, we established a computational protocol to identify and classify conjugation and mobilization genetic modules in 1,730 plasmids. This allowed the accurate classification of proteobacterial conjugative or mobilizable systems in a combination of four mating pair formation and six relaxase families. The available evidence suggests that half of the plasmids are nonmobilizable and that half of the remaining plasmids are conjugative. Some conjugative systems are much more abundant than others and preferably associated with some clades or plasmid sizes. Most very large plasmids are nonmobilizable, with evidence of ongoing domestication into secondary chromosomes. The evolution of conjugation elements shows ancient divergence between mobility systems, with relaxases and type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) often following separate paths from type IV secretion systems. Phylogenetic patterns of mobility proteins are consistent with the phylogeny of the host prokaryotes, suggesting that plasmid mobility is in general circumscribed within large clades. Our survey suggests the existence of unsuspected new relaxases in archaea and new conjugation systems in cyanobacteria and actinobacteria. Few genes, e.g., T4CPs, relaxases, and VirB4, are at the core of plasmid conjugation, and together with accessory genes, they have evolved into specific systems adapted to specific physiological and ecological contexts.
Computerized Brain Atlases for Surgery of Movement Disorders

This article gives a wide perspective on the use and potential of brain atlases for surgery of movement disorders, ranging from the stereotactic printed brain atlases to self-organized neurosurgical community services. An electronic brain atlas database with complementary atlases was constructed, atlas-assisted applications developed, and a procedure for atlas-assisted surgery of movement disorders proposed. The discussed atlas-assisted operations include three groups: atlas-related (interactive 3-D atlas-to-data warping, global and local registrations, multiple labeling, two-way anatomical indexing); atlas-data exploration-related (display and manipulation of cerebral structures presented as orthogonal planes, triplanar and 3-D models, continuous exploration of the data-atlas space); neurosurgery-related (targeting in multiple orientations, targeting with multiple atlases, stereotactic trajectory planning in 2-D and 3-D, calculation of the structures along the trajectory; movement tracking or simulating insertion of the microelectrode, mensuration). All these operations are real-time. The developed electronic brain atlas database along with applications and methodology allow for rapid surgery planning and for more sophisticated trajectories. Additionally, this might result in increased accuracy of targeting, as well as reduced duration