Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer Competencies and the Use of Comparative Quality Information

While consumers are increasingly expected to use complex health care information to make informed decisions, it is unclear how many have the skills to do so. In this investigation we examine health literacy, numeracy, and patient activation, assessing the contribution of each to the comprehension of comparative health care performance reports and their use in making an informed choice. A convenience sample of 303 employed-age adults participated in the study. The findings indicate that numeracy skill is the strongest predictor of comprehension, followed by health literacy. Higher activation helps those low in literacy and numeracy compensate for their lower skills and achieve higher levels of comprehension. In addition, making good choices, when trade-offs are necessary, is related to activation separate from comprehension. This is important as many real-life choices involve trade-offs. Results indicate that choice is not just about literacy or comprehension, it also has to do with activation.
Interactions of connexin 43 and aquaporin-4 in the formation of glioma-induced brain edema.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) have important roles in the formation of glioma-induced brain edema; however, the association between these two factors in the development of edema has remained to be elucidated. In the present study, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis revealed that in a rat model of intracranial C6 glioma, Cx43 expression levels were low to undetectable and AQP4 expression levels were low in glioma cells. Significantly higher Cx43 and AQP4 levels were detected in the tissue surrounding the glioma. To further investigate the potential interaction between Cx43 and AQP4, normal glial cells and C6 glioma cells were cultured in hypotonic medium. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated that AQP4 and Cx43 mRNA expression levels increased as a function of time in normal glial cells and C6 glioma cells in a hypotonic environment. However, the increase observed in normal glial cells was significantly lower than that observed in C6 glioma cells. Furthermore, AQP4 expression levels changed prior to alterations in Cx43 expression. Following AQP4 silencing in C6 cells, the increase in Cx43 expression was significantly attenuated (P<0.05). In normal cells, Cx43 silencing did not influence AQP4 expression (P>0.05). Therefore, it was hypothesized that AQP4 and Cx43 had two distinct mechanisms underlying brain edema formation within and surrounding the glioma. Cx43 may be a downstream effector of AQP4. The elucidation of this pathway may aid in the development of drugs targeting the interaction between AQP4 and Cx43, providing novel therapeutic possibilities for glioma-induced brain edema.
Discriminative Supervised Neighborhood Preserving Embedding Feature Extraction for Hyperspectral-image Classification

A novel discriminative supervised neighborhood preserving embedding (DSNPE) method is proposed for feature extraction in classifying hyperspectral remote sensing imagery. DSNPE can preserve the local manifold structure and the neighborhood structure. What’s more, for each data point, DSNPE aims at pulling the neighboring points with the same class label towards it as near as possible, while simultaneously pushing the neighboring points with different labels apart from it as far as possible. Experimental results on two real hyperspectral image datasets are reported to illustrate the performance of DSNPE and to compare it with a few competing methods. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/telkomnika.v10i5. 1346
Application of BCI-FES system on stroke rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of motor impairment after stroke has an important medical value. However, the present stroke rehabilitation mainly are passive, its efficacy is limited. The BCI-FES system focused on the limit of passive stroke rehabilitation, combined with motor imagery (MI) and functional electrical stimulation (FES), through the pattern recognition of motor imagery mode of patients with EEG signal, generated FES signal. The BCI-FES system achieved the active rehabilitation of patients with mind-control, stimulated brain plasticity and improved rehabilitation efficacy. In this study, the BCI-FES system and clinical rehabilitation evaluation of post-stroke hemiplegia patients was investigated, and the rehabilitation efficacy showed, affected motor related cortex of patient subject was activated significantly, and motor function was further enhanced, by brain plasticity guidance of BCI-FES.
Super-resolution/segmentation of 3D trabecular bone images with total variation and nonconvex Cahn-Hilliard functional

The analysis of trabecular bone micro structure from in-vivo CT images is still limited due to insufficient spatial resolution. In a previous work, we have investigated the use of super resolution techniques to improve image quality based on a TV based approach. However, the method is limited to recover the bimodal nature of the image. In this work, we investigate the use of a double well non convex constraint to solve the joint super resolution/segmentation problem. Two different minimization schemes are proposed to obtain a critical point of the non convex functional. The two methods improve the reconstruction results on real data.
Teased-Fiber Technique for Peripheral Myelinated Nerves: Methodology and Interpretation

Teased-fiber technique is the best approach for studying peripheral myelinated nerve fibers in their continuity. It enables the assessment of size of myelin segments formed by Schwann cells and characterization of pathologic changes affecting the internodia, the paranodal regions, and the invested axons. Fiber teasing is performed on prestained proximodistally oriented portions of peripheral nerves. Specimens about 10 mm long are stained for 24-48 hours in Sudan black and then transferred to glycerin, where, using a pair of fine forceps and a stereomicroscope, they are separated into smaller fiber bundles from which single fibers are isolated. The work is performed on a glass slide with an adhesive surface (albuminized or "superfrost"), on which the fibers are placed in strict proximodistal orientation. Following drying in an oven, the slides are mounted with glycerin-gelatine (same as used for frozen sections). The changes, when present, can usually be recognized during the preparation, but fibers are reexamined and changes confirmed in mounted slides. Photographic reconstruction of the fibers facilitates their assessment and enables the documentation of findings. The teased-fiber technique is auxiliary to histopathology, and to limit the workload and save costs, it can be performed on only a few specimens selected for better characterization of changes recognized or suspected in tissue sections. In particular, segmental demyelination and early stages of Wallerian or secondary axonal degeneration can be recognized in teased fibers. Segmental demyelination is characterized by loss of fully myelinated segments and their replacement by newly formed short and thin segments, remyelinating the preserved axon. The early stage of secondary axonal degeneration is recognized by formation of ovoidal fiber fragments in the midinternodal region.
Insights into the biogeographical history of the Lower Guinea Forest Domain: evidence for the role of refugia in the intraspecific differentiation of Aucoumea klaineana

Determining the biogeographical histories of rainforests is central to our understanding of the present distribution of tropical biodiversity. Ice age fragmentation of central African rainforests strongly influenced species distributions. Elevated areas characterized by higher species richness and endemism have been postulated to be Pleistocene forest refugia. However, it is often difficult to separate the effects of history and of present‐day ecological conditions on diversity patterns at the interspecific level. Intraspecific genetic variation could yield new insights into history, because refugia hypotheses predict patterns not expected on the basis of contemporary environmental dynamics. Here, we test geographically explicit hypotheses of vicariance associated with the presence of putative refugia and provide clues about their location. We intensively sampled populations of Aucoumea klaineana, a forest tree sensitive to forest fragmentation, throughout its geographical range. Characterizing variation at 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, we were able to obtain phylogeographic data of unprecedented detail for this region. Using Bayesian clustering approaches, we demonstrated the presence of four differentiated genetic units. Their distribution matched that of forest refugia postulated from patterns of species richness and endemism. Our data also show differences in diversity dynamics at leading and trailing edges of the species’ shifting distribution. Our results confirm predictions based on refugia hypotheses and cannot be explained on the basis of present‐day ecological conditions.
Effets lipotropes des molécules antioxydantes du thé (Camellia sinensis)

La steatose hepatique non-alcoolique (NAFLD) est l’affection hepatique chronique la plus frequente a l’heure actuelle dans le monde industrialise car fortement liee au developpement du syndrome metabolique et des dyslipidemies associees. A ce jour, les mecanismes de la pathologie restent mal definis et les moyens therapeutiques disponibles ont une efficacite moderee. Des etudes epidemiologiques ont rapporte un effet benefique de la consommation de the pour lutter contre les desordres hepatiques et les facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires tel que la dyslipidemie. Cependant, les mecanismes par lesquels le the attenue la steatose hepatique et la dyslipidemie restent meconnus. Par consequent, l’objectif de ce travail de these etait d’evaluer les effets et les mecanismes d’action d’un melange de thes vert, oolong et Pu-erh, le the Hao Ling, sur la NAFLD et la dyslipidemie, a travers deux approches, l’une sur modele cellulaire et l’autre sur modele animal.Les resultats ont permis de mettre en evidence que le the Hao Ling permettait de diminuer la lipogenese hepatique in vitro et in vivo et ainsi d’attenuer la steatose induite par un regime hyperlipidique et riche en saccharose chez le rat Wistar. Nous avons observe que ce the permettait d’ameliorer le profil lipidique sanguin en augmentant le taux de HDL plasmatique. Nous avons egalement pu mettre en evidence que le the possedait des proprietes antioxydantes et hepato-protectrices permettant de lutter contre un inducteur de stress oxydant in vitro et de diminuer la peroxydation lipidique in vivo. Enfin, nous avons demontre que le stress oxydant "per se" entrainait une accumulation de lipides intracellulaires sur hepatocytes isoles et que le the, grâce a ses proprietes antioxydantes, prevenait ce phenomene. Le the Hao Ling constitue une bonne approche nutritionnelle dans la prevention de la NAFLD et dans le maintien du rapport LDL-Cholesterol/HDLCholesterol.
Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Aggression

A traditional view holds that low self-esteem causes aggression, but recent work has not confirmed this. Although aggressive people typically have high self-esteem, there are also many nonaggressive people with high self-esteem, and so newer constructs such as narcissism and unstable self-esteem are most effective at predicting aggression. The link between self-regard and aggression is best captured by the theory of threatened egotism, which depicts aggression as a means of defending a highly favorable view of self against someone who seeks to undermine or discredit that view.
Concentrations of nevirapine, lamivudine and stavudine in semen of HIV-1-infected men

ObjectiveTo determine the concentrations of nevirapine (NVP), lamivudine (3TC) and stavudine (D4T) in seminal and blood plasma in HIV-1-infected men. MethodsTwelve HIV-1-infected men on NVP-containing regimens including 3TC (n = 8) or D4T (n = 11) provided 23 blood plasma and 22 seminal plasma samples for drug concentration and viral load quantitation. Concentrations of all drugs were assessed by sensitive validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays. Blood plasma and seminal plasma viral loads were measured using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA). Samples were grouped according to time after drug ingestion, 0–2, 2–4, 4–8 and 8–12 h. For matched seminal and blood plasma samples, obtained within 1 h of each other, a seminal : blood plasma ratio was calculated. ResultsThe concentration of NVP in seminal plasma appeared to mirror the concentrations in blood plasma. Absolute median seminal plasma NVP concentrations at 0–2, 2–4, 4–8 and 8–12 h were 3.1 μg/ml (range 1.7–4.89), 2.68 μg/ml (2.5–3.9), 2.5 μg/ml (2.3–2.7) and 3.09 μg/ml (1.3–9.1). The median seminal : blood plasma ratios for the four time periods were 0.54 (range 0.34–0.85), 0.83 (range 0.43–1.08), 0.53 (0.48–0.59), and 0.61 (0.59–0.78). 3TC and D4T appeared to reach concentrations in seminal plasma of a similar magnitude or higher than concentrations in blood plasma. The median seminal plasma viral load for all patients was less than 800 copies/ml (range < 800–11 000). The median blood plasma viral load was less than 400 copies/ml (< 400–1100). ConclusionNVP reaches concentrations in the semen approximately 60% of those in the blood plasma throughout the 12 h dosing period. In a smaller dataset, 3TC and D4T concentrations in blood plasma and seminal plasma were similar. These data may well have implications for the evolution of drug-resistant virus within the genital tract.
Issues in interpreting the in vivo activity of Aurora-A

Introduction: Based on its role as a mitotic regulatory kinase, overexpressed and associated with aneuploidy in cancer, small-molecule inhibitors have been developed for Aurora-A (AURKA) kinase. In preclinical and clinical assessments, these agents have shown efficacy in inducing stable disease or therapeutic response. In optimizing the use of Aurora-A inhibitors, it is critical to have robust capacity to measure the kinase activity of Aurora-A in tumors. Areas covered: We provide an overview of molecular mechanisms of mitotic and non-mitotic activation of Aurora-A kinase, and interaction of Aurora-A with its regulatory partners. Typically, Aurora-A activity is measured by use of phospho-antibodies targeting an autophosphorylated T288 epitope. However, recent studies have identified alternative means of Aurora-A activation control, including allosteric regulation by partners, phosphorylation on alternative activating residues (S51, S98), dephosphorylation on inhibitory sites (S342) and T288 phosphorylation by alternative kinases such as Pak enzymes. Additional work has shown that the relative abundance of Aurora-A partners can affect the activity of Aurora-A inhibitors, and that Aurora-A activation also occurs in interphase cells. Expert opinion: Taken together, this work suggests the need for comprehensive analysis of Aurora-A activity and expression of Aurora-A partners in order to stratify patients for likely therapeutic response.
Evidence for a Cognitive Model of Auditory Hallucinations

The cognitive model of auditory hallucinations considers voices as involuntary thoughts that are attributed to an external source. Misattribution of internal events to an external source is a well-documented major information-processing bias that characterizes hallucinating patients (Brebion et al., 2000). Emotions increase the bias to external attribution even further (Morrison et al., 1997). Patients who start to experience hearing voices will also construct a set of beliefs about them—who they are and whether they are willing to help him or that they pursue to punish or destroy him. Beliefs of “malevolent” intent and power of the voices are considered to trigger anxiety and depression (Chadwick and Birchwood, 1994). Anxiety could be the result of beliefs about the voices and, at the same time, facilitate the recurrence of auditory hallucinations and thus be a perpetuating factor. Based on these beliefs, the patient will engage with the voices or show resistance. Chadwick and Birchwood (1994) demonstrated that malevolent voices evoked anxiety and were resisted, whereas benevolent voices were engaged. The beliefs about voices’ identity and meaning were not always linked to the voice content; these beliefs seem to be constructed by the patient in an attempt to make sense of the voices. A patient with negative voice content and a belief of benevolent intent may hear a voice saying: “You are lousy, stupid! I told you not to do this before. ” The patient believes the voice is harsh, but will help him in the end. These data were confirmed in a study by Birchwood and Chadwick (1997); however, Close and Garety (1998) found that beliefs about omnipotence (67%) and omniscience (73%) were not present in all patients, and none of the patients had beliefs at odds with content. The authors suggest that the voice experience in itself is enough to provoke negative affect within participants, even when the content is benevolent. Thus, it is still unclear what the relative contribution of negative voice content versus (malevolent) beliefs about voices is. The measurement of voice content could be the key to the disparity in findings between the original study by Chadwick and Birchwood (1994) and the study by Close and Garety (1998). Both studies seem to rate the content at face value, without definitions or an indication of the accuracy of the ratings. The present study will improve the assessment of the voice content by using two raters to independently assess voice content. Only the data of patients with voice content that was confirmed by both raters entered the analyses, providing a better opportunity to clearly disentangle the contribution of voice content and voice belief to distress by using multivariate analysts.
Three distinct axonal transport rates for tau, tubulin, and other microtubule-associated proteins: evidence for dynamic interactions of tau with microtubules in vivo

Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), such as tau, modulate neuronal shape and process outgrowth by influencing the stability and organization of microtubules. The dynamic nature of MAP-microtubule interactions in vivo, however, is poorly understood. Here, we have assessed the stability of these interactions by investigating the synthesis and axoplasmic transport of tau in relation to that of tubulin and other MAPs within retinal ganglion cells of normal adult mice in vivo. Using immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis with anti-tau monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, we unequivocally identified in optic axons a family of 50–60 kDa tau isoforms and a second 90–95 KDa tau family, the members of which were shown to contain the domain of tau encoded by exon 4A. To measure the rates of translocation of tau proteins in vivo, we injected mice with 35S- methionine intravitreously and, after 6–30 d, quantitated the radiolabeled tau isoforms immunoprecipitated from eight consecutive 1.1 mm segments of the nerve and optic tract and separated by electrophoresis. Linear regression analysis of protein transport along optic axons showed that the tau isoforms advanced at a rate of 0.2–0.4 mm/d, and other radiolabeled MAPs, identified by their association with taxol-stabilized microtubules, moved three- to fivefold more rapidly. By contrast, tubulins advanced at 0.1–0.2 mm/d, significantly more slowly than tau or other MAPs. These studies establish that tau is not cotransported with tubulin or microtubules, indicating that associations of tau with microtubules within axons are not as stable as previously believed. Our findings also reveal differences among various MAPs in their interactions with microtubules and provide evidence that assembly and reorganization of the microtubule network is an active process even after axons establish connections and fully mature.
Saddle in Motion : biomécanique dorsale du cheval monté : analyse des interactions entre la selle et le dos et application à la conception de nouveaux prototypes de selles

L'objectif de cette these etait d'analyser les interactions entre le dos du cheval et la selle dans les conditions de l'exercice sportif et de developper, a partir de ces connaissances nouvelles, une gamme de selles adaptees au cheval en mouvement et a son cavalier. L'originalite de cette these etait entre autre de mesurer les mouvements de la colonne vertebrale dans la region thoracique situee sous la selle. Un protocole original de mesure biomecanique des interactions entre le dos et la selle a ete mis en place et valide. Ce protocole couplait differents materiels (tapis capteur de pression, cinematique 2D, capteur de force d'etrier et centrales de mesure inertielle) synchronises et miniaturises. Grâce a ce protocole, il a ete possible de quantifier le mouvement de la colonne vertebrale du cheval, les pressions au cours de l'effort et l'effet du cavalier en comparant des selles dites « standard » avec de nouveaux prototypes de « panneaux » permettant de modifier la portance de la selle sur le dos du cheval. Les resultats de ces etudes ont permis de mettre en evidence l'impact du cavalier sur l'amplitude des mouvements du dos du cheval et sur sa locomotion au cours du trot et de demontrer qu'une selle dont la portance est modifiee provoque des modifications significatives de la locomotion du cheval au trot. Ces travaux ont permis d'apporter des informations quantifiees sur l'effet de la selle et du cavalier sur la biomecanique dorsale du cheval dans la condition montee lors de l'effort. Ces connaissances nouvelles seront utilisees (1) pour la conception de nouvelles selles mieux adaptees au cheval en mouvement et (2) pour mieux comprendre, prevenir et traiter les dorsalgies chez le cheval
Fatal case of brain abscess caused by rooster pecking.

Observation chez une petite noire de 16 mois attaquee par un coq et presentant quelques jours plus tard un œdeme de la face. Traitement par penicilline G et corticoides par voie intraveineuse et vaccin antitetanique. Malgre le traitement l'enfant meurt au bout de 6 jours. Une craniotomie est pratiquee et sont isoles Streptococcus bovis, Clostridium tertium et Asperfillus niger
Inflammasome activation and assembly at a glance

ABSTRACT Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes that typically comprise a sensor, an adaptor and the zymogen procaspase-1. An inflammasome assembles in response to a diverse range of pathogen-associated or danger-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or DAMPs). The inflammasome platform leads to activation of caspase-1 through proximity-induced self-cleavage, which further induces maturation of interleukins 1β and 18 (IL-1β and IL-18) through proteolytic cleavage of pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18. Activated caspase-1 also cleaves gasdermin D, which leads to a particular form of cell death called pyroptosis. Mutations in genes that encode inflammasome components are associated with many inflammatory disorders, and studies in the past decade have highlighted the importance of appropriate activation of the inflammasome in homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Therefore, much attention is being paid to uncover the modulators and regulators of inflammasome assembly and pyroptosis. This Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster outlines the concepts in the activation of inflammasome sensors and assembly of the inflammasome platform. We also discuss recent insights into the mechanisms of regulation of inflammasome activity and the induction of cell death by pyroptosis. Summary: This article and accompanying poster provides an outline of the concepts in the assembly of inflammasomes and cell death by pyroptosis.